Phoenix Found (Brothers of Fire #5)

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

There was a peace to be found sitting in the library, even though Oliver couldn’t read any of the books it contained. He sat in one of the comfy leather armchairs, with his legs curled up beneath him and the tablet in his hand as he tried to catch up on world history, both human and paranormal.

Things Kaine thought he needed to learn. Kaine had also needed to show him how to use the tablet. There was something called the Internet on the tablet as well, though he hadn’t started investigating what that did yet—though it was apparently like a giant library—and Kaine had suggested he have someone assist him until he was comfortable with the technology.

And while he enjoyed having access to so much information on such a small device—it was much better than carrying dozens of books—it was also kind of soulless. Which is why sitting in the library, surrounded by that old book smell, made him feel a little better. It reminded him of all the books he’d accumulated in England before being moved to Switzerland.

He’d read the section on the Shadow Board, and the shifter trafficking, and the deaths. How many times had he died, only to be reborn and raised, ready to be drained of his magic again?

He shivered and returned his focus to the history of Mont de Leucoy. It was his country that he had helped found, apparently, so he should learn something about it.

Of course, because paranormals lived in Mont de Leucoy, it meant there were also mentions of the Shadow Board. He couldn’t escape them. Had he been dealing with them when he was captured? To find that out, he needed to go to the secret library, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face his past. What if he didn’t like the man he’d been? Kaine said that they were mostly the same; their personalities changed so slowly, they could be considered fixed. And they always looked the same.

They’d been standing in a gallery at the time, where their portraits hung alongside those of their lovers. Some of those lovers were male. It was, of course, the unofficial gallery. The official one was open to the public. Not that he’d been there yet.

But he’d recognized his own face in those portraits. And those of his brothers. It was easier to think of them as his brothers in kind instead of like family. The screen dimmed, and he realized he was staring out the window instead of reading, watching people move around the garden below.

What was Perrin doing?

Was he down there or in some other part of the castle fixing something?

He touched his lower lip, the memory of the kiss bright from being re-lived so many times. The heat in his blood flared, and he wanted to find Perrin and kiss him again and…and more.

Because with one person trying lots of new things wasn’t so scary, but when he looked at the whole world and thought about all the things, he didn’t understand everything became too much. How was he supposed to catch up when he was so far behind?

Nor did he want to spend the rest of his days creeping around the castle because he didn’t know how to function on his own. He was free.

And there was no one stopping him from shifting and flying away.

But he didn’t want to fly away only to run out of energy and die, then have his egg become lost for eternity. He would shift in the cellar until he became used to shifting and flying. Then he would explore beyond the castle walls. He wanted to live beyond his bedroom, although it was more like an apartment within the castle, and his books.

He needed more kisses under starlight.

But he didn’t want to have to ask every time, even though he was sure Perrin would agree. With a sigh, he picked up the tablet. The answers he wanted weren’t on the device, and he wasn’t sure where to find them short of asking another person.

And he wasn’t that desperate yet. It had been mortifying enough to admit the truth to Perrin. His cheeks heated as he remembered Perrin’s whisper in his ear. His favorite snack…

Movement caught his gaze, and he glanced up, hoping that Perrin had found him and was about to kiss him amongst the books.

He sighed. It was only Quentin.

“Hey.” Quentin dropped into the leather armchair opposite. “Why are you hiding in the history library?”

“I like this spot in the morning because it’s sunny.” There was nothing that interested him in the other library, the more personal one that was filled with biographies and true crime and such. They weren’t what he liked to read…but then he only liked fantasy because that was all he’d been given .

“And you can stare out the window?” Quentin peered at the garden. “Have you walked through the gardens?”

“Some.”

“It’s a lot to take in, suddenly being magical.”

“I knew I was magical; I was never taught how to use my magic.” He was trying hard not to repeat the lie that he’d killed people, but sometimes it still felt like the truth. He’d seen the photos and had watched the funerals from a heavily tinted car. He’d begged to go because those people had raised him.

The Shadow Board had killed them, not him. They had died because the Board wanted him to believe he was a danger. “Can I help you?”

“I think I can help you .”

Oliver doubted that. “How?”

“I can help you read about your previous lives. In the secret library.” Quentin smiled and leaned forward, expecting him to be excited.

“I need to learn about the world now. Not as it was. You grew up with cell phones and computers, and you learned how to drive.” He gripped the tablet a little tighter. “You know how to exist. I don’t.” The fear that he may not like the man he’d been lurked far too close to the surface. “I must be covered in soul bruises from the past two hundred years, but there is no record of that time, so I don’t see how the secret library is going to help.”

Quentin eased back and studied him for several seconds. “Do you want me to go into the city with you?”

Oliver shook his head. He wasn’t ready to leave the castle yet. “I’m not sure what I want. Or need.” That was a lie, but lusting after Perrin wasn’t going to help him with his adapting to the world’s problems. “Was it weird coming to live here?”

“I’m only here for a bit. Eventually, Kaine and I will move back to his place, but with everything going on, it’s easier and safer to be in the castle. Plus, I’m nice and close to the books.” He gave a little shrug. “It was a little overwhelming at the start, but the Shadow Board was also trying to hack into the country and destabilize the world.”

Oliver frowned. He hadn’t heard anything about that. “What?”

“It was a failed cyber-attack, and then the remaining Board fled to Switzerland, and Everest found you—it’s been big news. Lots of high-profile people getting arrested.”

“Because of me?” He didn’t even exist yet. Dalmon was creating the papers he needed.

“Because of the attack on the country and the King.”

“Oh.” That made more sense.

Quentin was around the same age, and there he was with his life all sorted out. He had a job and a fated mate and control of his magic.

“I’m sure someone will make a fuss over you.” Quentin gave him a kind smile.

“How will I know?”

“Know if someone is making a fuss?”

Oliver drew in a breath. He needed to take this chance because talking to Quentin was much better than talking to his brothers. Though he was sure word would reach Kaine and then the others. “If someone liked me.”

Quentin stared at him.

Oliver’s scalp tightened. “Are you reading my mind?”

“No.” The weird sensation stopped. “Trying to understand what I’m sensing. Your emotions are kind of all over the place. Do you like someone?”

“I think so, but maybe it was just opportunity.” He shrugged as though the kiss meant nothing. It had been a perfect moment beneath the stars. Of course, he wanted to be kissed .

Quentin blinked and tilted his head. “Oh my god. They’ve given you all this practical information but didn’t even stop to think about what else you didn’t know. You were locked up; you’ve never been…intimate with anyone.”

Oliver’s cheeks burned like he was about to burst into flames. He was already regretting this. “I read about it.”

Quentin exhaled. “Yeah...not quite the same. Come with me. We’re going to have a little talk about safe sex. My first tip is don’t kiss a witch as that will start the fated mates bond.” Quentin stood.

Oh, he meant now.

It wasn’t as if he was getting any reading done, anyway.

“He’s not a witch,” Oliver said as he peeled himself out of the chair.

“And he works around the castle.” His eyes narrowed as he assessed Oliver once again. “That narrows it down to like a hundred people if I include security.”

“Can you not try guessing? This is already awkward for me.”

“It’s not your fault you don’t know, and I’m more than happy to help.” He glanced at Oliver’s shoes, then back up. “Did you choose these clothes?”

“I can dress myself.” He was not that helpless.

“I mean, did you buy them?”

“No, they were given to me.” The same way all his clothes had been.

“You need to go shopping. Have you got an account where your allowance goes?”

“Um…no?”

Quentin pulled out his phone and started typing.

“What are you doing?”

“Asking Kaine to sort you out so we can go shopping.”

“I don’t need to go shopping. I’m used to my clothes being supplied.” Much like his life before, anything he asked for was delivered. Though he only ever asked for books or new clothes.

Quentin gave him a look that suggested clothes were a whole other area he knew nothing about. “Those jeans are doing you no favors. If you want attention, you need to dress for it. It’s why Kaine noticed me.”

“How could you tell?”

“He was watching my ass. So when I walked back over, I told him what time I finished work if he wanted to have some fun.” He lifted his eyebrows.

And Oliver understood the kind of fun Quentin meant. “And he said yes? Just like that?”

“Of course he did. And then we woke up fated mates. Which all worked out, but there were hiccups. And now, my mother is on her way to meet my boyfriend, and she doesn’t know about witches and shifters. Fun times. Dad was not impressed, as he works as security in the public part of the castle, so technically, Kaine is his big boss.” His phone buzzed. “No ID, so no bank account yet, and you don’t need an allowance because you have an estate that has been earning interest for the last two hundred years. That means you’re loaded.”

Oliver frowned. “I have money but can’t touch it?”

“Yeah. They need to find a way to explain your existence.”

“Why?”

“Because you look like them and live in the castle. Kaine and Dalmon will sort it out, but some things can’t be rushed. Your attire and sex education I can sort out today.”

Oliver swallowed. “You really don’t need?—”

“I do. I set aside today to help you. This will be more fun than books, but I need to stop by the kitchen to grab some bananas.”

“Bananas? ”

“You’ll see. As for the jeans…we can probably solve that in-house too.”

“We can?”

“Between Lucian, Everest, and myself?—”

“I don’t want to… That is, I’m not ready to see Everest.”

“You won’t need to. I’ll have Lucian ask him for some jeans. Unless you want new ones? I can ask one of the staff to bring around some, but that won’t be until later today.”

This was all moving rather too fast. “I… You have staff who bring clothes?”

“You think Gerrit, Everest, and Dalmon go to the shops and buy their own clothes? No, the shop comes to them. And I can have the shop come to you. I should clear that with Kaine first.” He was back on his phone again, thumbs flying as he typed.

Quentin seemed to have adapted to castle life and understood how everything worked. Which meant he could learn, too. “Why didn’t they bring the shop to me in the first place?”

“Probably because it was another thing for you to deal with, and they figured you weren’t ready. Right. Kitchen first, then depending on what Kaine says, I’ll come up with something. And then you’ll be ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“To get out of those clothes,” Quentin said, as if finding new clothes only to have someone take them off was obvious. “Unless you want to take things slow, which is fine, too.”

“How will I know?” He didn’t want to go slow; he wanted it all now. But he didn’t know what he was asking for.

Quentin lifted an eyebrow. “What you want?”

“What he wants.”

“First up, it doesn’t matter what he wants if you aren’t ready.”

How would he know if he was ready? Was wanting more ready enough ?

Quentin grabbed his hand, and Oliver flinched hard enough that Quentin let him go. “Sorry, I?—”

“It’s fine. I’m not used to people…” He wasn’t used to talking to them or them touching him. “The only time someone touched me was to bleed off the excess magic.”

Quentin pressed his lips together, and Oliver was sure he regretted ever offering to help.

“It’s a lot.” I’m a lot. “I need to get used to people.” He offered his hand, hoping that he hadn’t offended Quentin too much.

“You don’t need to let people touch you unless you want them to.”

“It’s okay. I was surprised. That’s all.”

Quentin took his hand again, and Oliver wondered what it would be like if it were Perrin holding his hand.