Free Courting the Phoenix by Viola Grace Page A

especially in our community.” She chuckled and his hand held her a little closer.
    “I have waited for you a very long time, Eilinora.”
    He leaned in and she leaned back.
    “You will have to wait a little more. The Nexus’s wedding will be soon, well, as soon as it takes for Xander to get his courage up. You can begin calling on me after that.”
    He blinked. “You are dictating the terms of our joining?”
    “Yes. It will happen, you know where I am now, but the Nexus has brought us all together and nothing will happen to detract in the slightest from her union. Face it, based on the histories, our coming together is a very big deal.”
    He snorted, and she could swear that she saw a burst of fire from his nose. “Fine, but I want your full name, number and location. The moment that they have been cleared away, the courtship will begin.”
    She sighed. “Deal. You dance with either my sister or my mother now and I will write everything down for you.”
    “Why must I dance with them?”
    “Propriety, Terric. You don’t want to let everyone here know what I am yet, now do you?”
    His features darkened and he held her tight for a moment. “No one is getting between us, Eilinora.”
    She fought the urge to touch his cheek. Being the phoenix without her dragon was dangerous. She had lived with that danger since she figured out what she was. Until she and Terric joined, she wouldn’t be at full power or gain her other form, but she was willing to wait just a little bit longer. From what she had heard of the Nexus and Xander, she wouldn’t have to wait long.
     
    * * * *
     
    At the table of the elf lords, Rihadu looked to his father. “Do you think that she is what I think she is?”
    Lord Merano looked at the woman in the dragon lord’s arms and cocked his head. “I have seen Eilinora since she was a child. There have never been indications that she is the one.”
    “He seems to think so.”
    “You don’t know what he thinks. He may just be enjoying a dance with a pretty woman. There, see? He is dancing with her mother. It is perfectly proper and nothing suspicious as all.” Lord Merano looked to his son, “That said, keep a watcher on her. If she is the one, we might be able to harness that power before he does.”
    Rihadu looked over at the slight young woman as she sat and fiddled with a pen. Could she be the phoenix, and if so, did she know that the end of the world as they knew it resided inside her?
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    And it resumed at another wedding…
     
    Everyone who was someone in the magical world was here, and Elly had to stop herself from looking around and searching for Terric.
    He had been true to his word. She got the occasional email from him but nothing involved. The email had surprised her, but his email address made her giggle. DesperateDragon@BlackDragonEnt had made her laugh out loud.
    “Who are you looking for, Elly?” Her mother fussed with Elly’s hair a little, pulling out the occasional curl from the soft chignon.
    “Oh, no one. There is just someone here from every population. There is so much to see.”
    Her mother patted her hand and looked around from their table at the reception. Xander and Abby were well and truly wed, elves were everywhere, and there was love in the air, as well as pixies.
    One of the giggling lasses dive-bombed their table, and Elly extended her hand in invitation. The tiny woman stood on her hand and spoke in a high-pitched squeak that was rapid-fire.
    “I am sorry, I don’t understand.”
    The bride came up behind Elly and whispered, “She wants to know why you don’t have your wings yet.”
    Elly looked at the Nexus and blinked. “Oh. I am waiting for the right guy, I guess.”
    “He is waiting for you; after we leave the reception, it is no-holds barred.” Abby gave her a hug and a shot of magic that made Elly’s skin gleam.
    “Thank you, Nexus. Congratulations on your formalization.”
    Elly looked over at her mother and