Midnight's Temptation

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Phelan’s breath grew shallow as he watched the flames engulf Aisley. His soul cried out from the loss of the only woman who was his match in every way.

How was he going to go through the rest of his days with eternity stretching endlessly before him without her by his side?

“What the hell?” someone behind him said.

Phelan pulled out of his musings to find the flames wrapped around Aisley’s body like a cocoon. No longer could he see any trace of her body. The flames were too bright to see through them.

“I feel magic,” Arran said.

Phelan took a step back as magic slammed into him. It was magic he knew, magic he thought he’d never feel again. “Aisley,” he whispered as he stared at the pyre.

He tried to go to it, but Charon and Rhys held him back.

“She needs me!” he yelled at them.

It was Rhys who got in front of him and shoved his hands into Phelan’s chest. “Wait. Just … wait.”

“Why?”

Constantine moved to stand beside him, his surprised gaze on the pyre. “It can no’ be.”

“What?” Phelan bellowed.

Con turned his head to look at him. “Watch.”

Phelan wanted to demand to know what Con was keeping from him, but he found himself turning back at the fire. It had begun to move around Aisley, twisting and turning in a beautiful display of light and heat.

There was a burst of sparks that floated up into the sky before the flames died back. And there, standing atop the pyre was Aisley in all her naked glory as if she were born of fire.

Her midnight hair billowed around her from the wind while the ends danced with flames. Fire licked at her bare skin harmlessly, as if it gave her life.

Her fawn-colored gaze was fastened on him. He walked slowly toward her, hardly able to believe his eyes.

“A phoenix rising from the ashes,” Rhys said behind him.

Phelan watched as Aisley twirled her hands through the flames as if moving through water. “Aisley.”

She showed him her wrists. It took him a minute to comprehend that the scars from the drough ceremony were gone. The scars from her C-section and the cut on her left side from Jason were still visible.

“Aisley,” Phelan repeated.

The image of someone appeared in the flames beside Aisley. The woman glanced at Phelan before she leaned over and whispered something in Aisley’s ear and then disappeared.

Aisley stepped off the pyre and down the steps, the ends of her hair still blazing, but as she left the fire behind, the flames at the ends of her hair died away.

He reached out a hand and touched her cheek to find it warm. “How?”

“Apparently one of my ancestors had this gift. I inherited it. I’m no longer drough, Phelan.”

“It wouldna matter if you were. As long as you’ve returned to me,” he said and pulled her into his arms.

There was a loud cheer behind him, but he didn’t hear them. The center of his everything was back in his arms.

Something was thrust into his hand, and he realized it was a blanket. Phelan quickly wrapped it around Aisley, who smiled at him.

They were surrounded by people, but he only cared to talk to one. “So you died?”

Aisley nodded. “I went to Heaven. It seems that when I took the magic Jason meant for you and sacrificed myself to save everyone that the Devil lost his hold on my soul.”

“I’m so glad to hear it,” Laura said with a bright smile.

Rhys clamped him on the shoulder. “You’ve got a phoenix, Phelan. You doona know how lucky you are.”

“Aye, I do,” he whispered and claimed Aisley’s mouth for a kiss.

He tried to deepen it, but she ended it before he could. She pulled back and smoothed her hands over his chest. “I had a choice. I could’ve stayed in Heaven, or return … to you.”

“I love you,” Phelan said. “I was too afraid to realize what it was until it was too late.”

“And I love you, my handsome Warrior.”

It was too bad they weren’t alone. Phelan wanted inside her right then. But they weren’t alone. They were surrounded by Dragon Kings and his extended family.

“Who was the woman?” Con asked.

Aisley glanced at him before she looked at Phelan. “My ancestor and an ancient. She was the first to contain the selmyr. She also passed on her rare ability to me.”

“What did she whisper?” Phelan asked.

Aisley’s smile grew. “She said a phoenix doesn’t get reborn just once. I can use it as many times as I need to in order to remain with you through the centuries.”

Phelan jerked her against him and buried his head in her neck. “I doona deserve you.”

“You do,” she whispered. “We’ve both suffered. I don’t want to live in this world without you.”

“You doona have to. I want you with me always.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Phelan lifted his head and smoothed back her hair. “I was such a fool.”

She placed a finger over his lips. “Shh. The past is the past. We’ve got a chance to start anew.”

“Will you spend it with me, Aisley Wallace? As my wife?”

“As if you even have to ask.”

This time when the others cheered, Phelan lifted his woman high and shouted with them.

He didn’t know what he’d done to be blessed so, but he wasn’t going to question it. As everyone began to return to Ferness, Phelan took Aisley’s hand and started to follow when he caught sight of the Fae standing off to the side.

She gave him a wink and a thumbs-up. “Good going, stud.”

Aisley looked from the Fae to Phelan. “Is that…?”

“Aye,” he answered as the Fae disappeared. “I’ve got so much to tell you.”

“Talking can wait,” Aisley said as she let the blanket fall and turned to him.

Phelan smiled at his soon-to-be wife. He quickly discarded his clothes and pulled Aisley against him, kissing her with all the love, passion, and need coursing through him.

Their future was just beginning, and it shone brightly before them.