Phoenix Found (Brothers of Fire #5)

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Perrin pulled the dressing screen out of what had become a storeroom of historic furniture that had seen better days. Some of it needed a little repairing—which he did in his spare time—some of it needed a lot, and most of it had probably been kept for sentimental reasons that had long been forgotten. Either way to someone with a love of antiques it was a treasure trove of artifacts.

The screen had a damaged panel. When he’d first seen it in the storeroom, he’d thought it beautiful and had wondered if it might be possible to salvage one of the ornate lacquered panels. It was a triptych showing an egg, then a phoenix, and finally, a phoenix hunched over in an egg shape. It was the last panel that had been damaged beyond repair by fire—possibly caused by a phoenix.

He flexed his fingers on the hand Oliver’s flames had burned. His heat and frustration hadn’t been far from Perrin’s thoughts. When Oliver held his hand, Perrin wanted to do anything he asked. Which wasn’t smart or safe.

But then he’d always been told not to tell people what he was. To hide the truth because that’s what was safe. Letting Oliver in, letting him see the stretch of his hand, had been exhilarating and terrifying. Because suddenly he wasn’t existing only in the shadows, he could have more than living a lie.

Giving Oliver what he wanted was how he’d ended up in the storeroom after a morning of dealing with contractors to fulfill the damn promise. And he didn’t want to examine how much the thought of using it with him heated his blood.

He locked up the storeroom and carried the screen to his workshop, where he opened it up to examine its construction in more detail. He carefully took apart the frame, so all three panels were separated. He was sure someone would call what he was doing sacrilegious, but it was better the furniture had a new life than be forgotten.

The art on the damaged panel was beyond repair, blistered and burned through in places. He ran his fingers over the surface, trying to think of ways to salvage it but failing. He took it out of the frame. If he turned it upside down, most of the damage was at the right height to where he’d be cutting anyway…

The backside of the panel was plain wood and could easily be painted black to match.

With a plan now forming. He turned on some music and got to work, cutting and sanding, and creating the cover to slide across the hole. If anyone asked what he was doing, it was going to be hard to explain.

“You went behind my back.”

Perrin startled at his father’s voice and turned.

His father stood in the doorway. “Her parents told me you’d requested direct communication. They questioned whether you’d be a good match.”

He wasn’t, but his father didn’t want to listen to reason. Had she agreed? “I told you I planned to talk to the Coven. I want to talk to her so we can find out if we’re a good match.”

“Bullshit. You’ll use every trick you can to wriggle out of this.”

“You’d rather we’re both miserable? Is that what you want? Is that what you hope for your children? To be unhappily married just because someone was deemed a good match for the survival of our kind?”

“It’s what’s right. And if you weren’t so selfish, you’d understand that.”

“I do understand. And I’m trying to do what’s right for our kind, for me and her.”

“It’s not about you.”

“You’re right. It’s about you and how you didn’t live the life you wanted because you followed tradition. Because you took the safe job that was offered in the castle.” The same way Perrin had because that’s what he was expected to do. “Because you were afraid of what’s out there.”

“I like my job, and I’ve been very happy with your mother.”

“But do you love her? Does she love you? Or have you gone your entire life without?” He couldn’t do that. Every time he looked at Oliver, his heart swelled in a dangerous way. Even though it was only temporary until Oliver moved on and found someone better, Perrin couldn’t help himself.

He liked seeing the heat in the phoenix’s gray eyes, and he loved the way Oliver wanted to grab life and dive right in.

“Leave your mother out of this.”

“Why? Because she doesn’t agree with you? Did she want more than raising the right number of children with the right ghoulish man?”

“You wouldn’t exist if we hadn’t done the right thing.”

“I’m supposed to be grateful? I’m supposed to sacrifice my life in gratitude? Why not let me meet and talk to her? Why can’t we talk about our hopes and what we want out of life?”

“Because all you want is to go to that gay club and fuck around.”

Perrin stared at his father. At least he now acknowledged that his eldest son was gay. “Is your problem that I’m gay or that I’m enjoying myself? Does it hurt you to see me being happy?”

“I’m going to tell her parents that it was a mistake and that you are ready for her to fly over.”

“No, you’re not. I have the backing of the Coven. If she doesn’t want to talk to me first, then she’s not the right one for me, and I will move on to my second-best match.” Or not. He didn’t care. He’d give a donation and let any ghoulish woman use it if she wanted; then he’d be able to say he’d done his bit.

His father shook his head. “You cannot break traditions like this. People will talk. It will affect Alice’s chances.”

“Have you even asked her what she wants? Perhaps others would also like to talk to their future partners first? Or perhaps they’d be quite happy to have ghoulish babies while being with the non-ghoulish man they love.” And now he’d dropped Alice in the shit. Hopefully, his father thought he was only looking out for his own interest. “We have options, and I’m exploring them.”

“I cannot believe the way you are dishonoring your family and your culture.”

“I was born into both. I didn’t choose them. But I can choose who I want to be and how I want to live and who I want to live with.” He raked his fingers through his hair, thinking of Oliver’s long locks. He couldn’t choose who he fell in love with. “I’m sorry if that’s not good enough for you.”

His father opened his mouth too wide for the human form he wore and shut it with a snap. His fingers lengthened and contracted .

Perrin had heard the tales of when ghouls fought to the death for territory and mates, the loser being ripped apart and eaten.

Was his father about to attack?

If he did, Perrin would have no choice but to defend, and there’d be no stopping until one of them was dead.

“Dad…do you really want to fight me over an archaic rule, or will you give me time to work this out my own way?”

His father’s face rippled as his jaw lengthened, and his mouth opened, revealing serrated teeth.

“You will obey.” His father’s voice became distorted and more like a growl.

“No.” He didn’t want to fight his father, but he wasn’t willing to die either. “Pull yourself together. There are humans around.”

Spines ripped through the back of his father’s shirt, and his eyes became pale like opals as he completed the stretch out of his human skin.

Perrin swallowed and backed up; his hand closed around a set of needle-nose pliers. “Dad, we can discuss this.”

His father made the high-pitched warning shriek and lunged at him. Perrin let his fingers lengthen as he leaped and grabbed the overhead beam with his free hand, swinging past his father.

His father grabbed his leg, tearing open his skin as he pulled. Perrin fell and rolled. His leg burned, and he was bleeding, but he couldn’t do anything about it as his father attacked again, his claws sinking into Perrin’s thigh.

“Fuck.” Stars burst in his vision. He kicked his father in the face and scrambled backward and out the door.

They were in the open now, and his father was stalking him in ghoul form. Perrin twisted around to sitting and tossed the pliers, hitting his father in the face. He screamed and covered his eye. It was enough of a distraction that he shrank, and his human skin reformed.

His father glared at him with one eye, lips drawn back in a silent snarl.

Castle security ran toward them. Two guys, one already calling for backup. Perrin held his hands up, indicating that he wasn’t a threat. The guard put a cable tie around Perrin’s wrists. His black work pants were ripped, but the blood leaking out of him wasn’t visible until they pulled him to his feet.

The security guard glanced at the stain on the path and then at him. “How bad is it?”

“I don’t know, but it fucking hurts. I need to stretch my skin.” And he didn’t want to do that with an audience.

The guard gave him a look as if realizing what he was. “Oh. You don’t need first aid?”

Perrin shook his head. “Just some privacy.”

“You’ll get plenty of that in holding.”

“Great.” That’s exactly where he wanted to be. His father also had a cable tie around his wrists and was being led away. Presumably for medical treatment.

“Until this is sorted. You know the rules.”

“Yeah.” Perrin sighed and shifted his weight to take some pressure off his leg. He’d have a few scars, but nothing serious. Was his father going to be okay, or had he cost his father an eye?