Chapter 113: The Phoenix

**Darian's P.O.V.**

I'm making my way to the palace in order to help defeat the demons who will be attacking them soon. I need to get revenge on those in the underworld for my family, so Selene asked me to help; I willingly agreed.

I fly overhead in the darkness of the night, looking down at the world below. It's best for me to fly at night so the humans don't see me. As a phoenix, I'm rather large and would be noticed immediately. I could walk to the palace or drive, but I prefer to fly.

My bird, Shadow, is good at blending in when we fly. He's pure black with red eyes. The fire demon Surtur killed us when I tried to defend my family from his rage. When I rose from the ashes, I was alone. It's not easy to kill a demon, especially one like Surtur. He had wanted my family to work for him, but we refused; we don't do evil deeds. We just want to live in peace.

I see the palace ahead as Shadow lands in the forest and shifts. Being a phoenix, I'm not like most shifters; I can shift without damaging my clothes. When I approach the palace gates, several guards are watching me.

"State your business." One of them says. I smile at him and nod.

"My name is Darian, and I'm a phoenix. I was sent here by Selene to assist with the impending battle against the underworld." They look uncertain, but I can tell they're mindlinking someone.

"Follow me." The guard says, opening the gate. When we reach the palace, several people are waiting near the front entry. I smile in greeting.

"So you were sent by Selene, and you're a phoenix?" A woman asks. She's beautiful with long black hair and dark brown eyes. When I see the man behind her glaring at me, I realize he must be her mate. I envy him; I haven't found my mate yet.

"Yes. My name is Darian. She said that you have some trouble heading your way from the underworld and thought I might be of assistance." I explain. Two other women are standing with men who, I assume, are their mates.

"My mom said we would have reinforcements coming." The woman with red hair says as she giggles. I smile instinctively; she makes me feel happy just being around her.

"Why do you want to help?" The woman with the black hair asks, crossing her arms. Selene was right; the women definitely run this palace.

"I take it you're Jessi. Selene told me about you. I want to help because I don't like the underworld attacking innocent people. I also have my own bone to pick with them. Surtur killed my family, and I was the only one that was able to rise. I know he's one of the demons coming for you because he wants to bring hell to earth." I explain, looking at all of them.

"Sorry, you have to understand that we're being cautious. There are those who will pretend to be something they're not. Davina, do your thing," Jessi says, looking at the giggling woman. She suddenly disappears right before my eyes. Where did she go? I look around and see a tiny little light flying around me. Oh, she must be the fairy I was warned about. In less than a minute, she's standing back with the others.

"He's good. No evil hiding inside." She says, twirling around. I wonder how that doesn't make her dizzy.

"Okay, you can come inside, and we'll get you a room. We don't know how long it's going to be before they come. So, do you have a problem being here for a while? Did you leave a mate behind?" Jessi asks as we walk into the palace.

"I have no mate, and I'll stay as long as it takes to stop them," I reply. She nods and then sighs.

"As you already guessed, I'm Jessi, and this is my mate Wyatt. The giggling redhead is Davina; she's a fairy."

"Excuse me, I'm a fairy goddess." Davina interrupts.

"And you're never going to let us forget that, are you?" Rmina says under her breath.

"Nope," Davina says, giggling. Jessi groans

"As I was saying, the giggling redhead is Davina, and the brooding man behind her is her mate Jock. The blonde is Rmina, a witch, and the idiot with her is her mate Trevor. You'll meet the king and queen tomorrow at breakfast, along with everyone else. Cerita will take you to your room. Do you have any questions?" I look at the young woman waiting to show me my room; she smiles seductively. She's attractive, and I'm not above sleeping with the help, but that's probably not a good idea as a new guest. I'm a phoenix, which means I am immortal; I have slept with many women while waiting for my mate. Once I find her, then she'll be the only one.

"I don't have any right now. Thank you." I follow Cerita down the hallway. She stops and opens the door to a room, but after I go in, she doesn't leave.

"Can I help you relax?" She asks, letting her eyes roam over my body. I'm tempted to say yes as her eyes linger on the bulge in my pants.

"No, thank you. Goodnight." I say with a smile. She walks over and cups me through my pants, groping me.

"I think you need someone to take care of this. I heard you say you don't have a mate, and no one here has to know what we did. So why don't you let me show you how good I am with my mouth?" Something she says makes me freeze. She attempts to unzip my pants, but I brush her hands away.

"I said no. Now leave." She huffs and slams the door slightly when she walks out. For her to say no one has to know what we did means the palace frowns on fraternizing with those who work there. Glad she added that bit in there because I was two seconds away from seeing how far she could take me down her throat.

I go into the bathroom and take a cold shower, focusing on the battle rather than the erection she caused. It has been a long time since I've been with a woman. Maybe during some downtime, I can go to a nearby city and find someone to take care of my needs. I'm six foot eight, muscular, with black hair and blue eyes. I don't usually have any trouble finding women willing to have a one-night stand.

After my shower, I put on my boxers and crawl into bed. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Who knows, maybe even I will find a mate while I'm here after centuries alone.

The next morning, I get up and get dressed. When I leave my room, I let the smell of delicious food lead me to the dining hall. When I arrive, there are a lot of people there already. I see Jessi and the others, and they wave me over.

"Good morning," I say with a smile.

"Darian, this is King Ryder, Queen Zoe, Prince Lucas, and Princess Samira." I shake all of their hands.

"It's nice to meet you all. Thank you for allowing me to stay." Before I can say more, I catch a scent that makes me freeze. I turn around, looking for the source when my eyes fall on a beautiful blonde woman walking through the dining hall door. She seems unsure of where to go as she glances around nervously.

"Oh, it's Maelani," Davina says, waving the young woman over. She smiles in relief, but when she sees me, she stops suddenly. We slowly make our way to each other, meeting in the middle of the dining hall.

"Hello, I'm Darian," I say when we're only a few feet apart. Her eyes are the deepest green I've ever seen. I hold my hand out to her. I have to know if what I'm feeling means what I think it means.

"I'm Maelani," She replies, putting her hand in mine. She gasps as soon as we touch, and I sigh in relief. The mate sparks are undeniable. However, I hear someone singing a song before I have time to celebrate.

*"The phoenix and the demon. The phoenix and the demon. When they have sex, will they make little demon birds? The phoenix and the demon. The phoenix and the demon. When they have sex, will they make little demon birds?"*

I turn and see everyone laughing at what the fairy sang. I look back at Maelani in shock. Two things are certain. I found my mate, and she's a demon. What are the fucking chances that I'm mated to a demon? The very ones I want to destroy.