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  Mardi Gras Publishing, LLC

  133 Lake Front Dr. #204

  Daphne, AL 36526

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN-13 978-1-934329-39-9

  ISBN-10 1-934329-39-8

  Don’t Tempt the Phoenix © 2007 by CJ England

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Cover art © 2007 by CJ England

  For more variety in your reading selection, please visit www.mardigraspublishing.com

  I dedicate this book to Mr. Aaron Remple, my friend and science teacher who taught me there was more to science and the world than met the eye. His love of God and legends helped spark my imagination. His mentorship changed my life.

  I also want to acknowledge Pennie Morgan, my editor. Her encouragement made sure this book happened here at all, and her editing skills help make my stories shine.

  God’s Blessings on you both!!!

  Don’t Tempt the Phoenix

  by

  C J England

  Prologue

  In the days of old, a legend is told of a most wondrous animal called The Phoenix. He lived in the Garden of Eden and was beloved by all for his wisdom, his compassion and his beauty. He had feathers that rivaled the sun and a voice as pure and lyrical as the angels themselves.

  The garden was a very special place. Fashioned by Yahweh himself for his creations, it was filled with all species of animals and of course…humans. There was plenty of food and room enough for everyone. It was a good life and all were at peace.

  Then something very sad happened. Man and Woman, who were called also Adam and Eve, ate the fruit of The Tree of Knowledge, which was forbidden. Their eyes were opened and they became aware. Because of this, Yahweh removed them from the garden so they wouldn’t eat of The Tree of Life and become immortal.

  But the legend states Eve became jealous of the immortality and the purity of the animals still living in the garden, so she persuaded them all to share in her fallen state by eating the forbidden fruit.

  All…but the Phoenix , who in Hebrew, is called Milcham.

  No matter how Eve coaxed and cajoled. No matter what she promised him, the Phoenix stood firm. His mate had already eaten of the fruit and was lost. The Phoenix must have been sorely tempted to be with her, but he would not betray his God by disobeying him.

  And so later, when the Lord came walking in the Garden of Eden, there was no one left in the paradise he’d created.

  Except…the Phoenix . Milcham explained to Yahweh what had happened and the Lord was most pleased with his sacrifice and his faithfulness.

  Because of the phoenix’s great loyalty, Yahweh rewarded Milcham. He built him a beautiful walled city, with large healthy trees and sparkling pools of the purest water in the world. He gave him special foods of nutmeg and other rare spices. He built him a tower on the edge of the city, so he could sing his songs to the world. Yahweh promised the Phoenix if he stayed within the walls he could live in great peace for a thousand years.

  Milcham agreed. He went and lived in the beautiful city and it was good. A thousand years passed in this manner, but in the last year, the Phoenix got very old and very tired. His feathers lost their radiant glow and his song became hoarse and raspy. He had trouble chewing the delicious foods and he was forced to have water brought to him by other birds, for he could no longer swim in the pool.

  Finally, he cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord heard his prayer. He told Milcham to build a nest of the spices and herbs that grew in his forest city. Once the nest was built, the Phoenix was to climb into it and face the sun at the dawn of a new day. Yahweh told him to lift his wings and sing to the sun.

  The Phoenix obeyed and built his nest. On the dawn of the one thousandth day in his walled city, he climbed shakily into the nest and lifting his tattered and dull wings to the sun…he began to sing.

  He sang of hope and of love, of faith and eternity. He sang and sang till his voice was broken and rough. His wings shook with fatigue, but the Phoenix sang on unflinchingly.

  Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light. Flames burst out of the nest and consumed the Phoenix . He became a burning figure of red-gold fire.

  After a while, the flames died down. Amazingly, the nest and the tree it was in were not burned. But the Phoenix …

  He was gone. All that remained was a pile of golden-gray ash.

  Then…the ash began to move. It trembled and slowly began to heave upwards. From under the ash, there rose up a young Phoenix . Featherless and bald, it was small and scrawny, but it stretched out is naked neck and lifted its tiny plucked wings to the sun.

  In a voice that could barely be heard, it sang. This time he sang of rebirth and life, of immortality and Yahweh’s constancy. As it sang it grew, growing stronger and stronger with every melodious note. Beautiful feathers of gold and red, purple and yellow sprouted and covered his nakedness. Eyes that were blind opened, to reveal orbs of glowing gold.

  The Phoenix had risen from the ashes and been reborn.

  Yahweh appeared before the Phoenix , and Milcham bowed before him. Yahweh told him he would taste immortality as long as at the end of every thousand year period, he would build this nest and allow the fire to consume him. In this way…he would be reborn and the Angel of Death would never touch him.

  Milcham agreed. He thanked Yahweh by gathering a selection of the finest food in the city. Using his newly acquired power, the Phoenix sent forth flames from his wingtips and set it on fire, thus giving Yahweh a burnt offering. The odor of the sacrifice pleased Yahweh. And it was good.

  Many years went by. Milcham lived happily in his walled city. He sang his sweet songs and taught all the birds of the air how to carry them across the world so all could enjoy them. He found his tears had healing powers, so he used them as he could, to ease the suffering he could sense all around him.

  Every thousand years, the Phoenix built his nest and sang to the sun and was reborn.

  Five thousand years passed and Yahweh came to visit Milcham. He saw immediately the Phoenix was not happy and asked him why.

  The Phoenix was ashamed. He was the most envied animal in the world, but he wasn’t happy. He was lonely. Since his female had fallen, millennia ago to Eve’s temptation, he had no one. All around him, he could see other creatures with their mates, but he was always alone. He’d been in solitude for most of his existence.

  Now, he bowed down before the Lord, his beautiful feathers trailing in the dirt. He admitted his loneliness and asked Yahweh to help him. He wanted his permission to go out into the world and find his twin-flame, the other half of himself…his mate.

  Yahweh agreed it was not good for Milcham to be alone, so he gave him permission to walk the earth to find his mate. He gave him the power to shapeshift into a man, so he could blend in with humanity. He allowed the Phoenix to keep all his powers, but he told Milcham there was one thing he must do. He must still come back to the walled city and be consumed by flame if he wanted to keep his immortality.

  Milcham agreed. He heard many stories from the other birds and was curious to go see this new world. He still had many years before he would need to come back and go through the refiner’s fire. Surely he would find his mate by then. How hard could it be?

  Tha
t night, while Milcham slept, the Ancient One, who is also called Satan, visited Yahweh. Angered that one of such beauty and pure heart would be allowed to roam his earth, he asked Yahweh how he knew the Phoenix was still loyal.

  The Lord answered that of all the creatures, both animal and human, Phoenix was the only one who truly honored him.

  Satan shook his head. How did Yahweh know? For the last five thousand years, Phoenix had been given all he needed. He lived in safety in his city and had no worries about food or water. Satan told the Lord if he were to remove his protection from Milcham, the Phoenix would surely curse him.

  But Yahweh had heard this argument before when Satan tried to destroy his servant, Job. He knew the Ancient One wished the same ruin on the Phoenix . But the Lord believed, like faithful Job, the Phoenix would stay true.

  He told Satan he would remove his protection over Milcham, but the Phoenix would not be given over to the Ancient One, as had happened before. Satan was commanded to leave Milcham alone and let the creature discover his own destiny.

  Satan was not pleased. He argued that tempting the Phoenix would be the only way to see if he was still faithful. He said if Milcham found his twin-flame too easily, he would not be truly thankful. As with most creatures, love must be a challenge to be justly appreciated.

  Yahweh considered Satan’s words and found they held truth. So he told the Ancient One the Phoenix could be tempted, but within reason. And the Lord would be the judge.

  Satan was still not pleased, but he knew Yahweh had made his decision. Instead of arguing further, he requested specific rules be laid out.

  All through the night, as Milcham slept the contented sleep of the blameless, Yahweh and Satan argued over his fate. When the sun arose the next morning, all had been decided.

  The Phoenix was brought before them and he was told of what had been determined. He listened with surprise and confusion rising in his heart as the Ancient One smilingly told him what he must do to complete his quest.

  He must keep his identity a secret, until he found the creature he would choose to be his mate. Only then could he tell her who and what he was.

  If Milcham found his twin-flame, in order to keep her forever, she must prove her love for him by joining the Phoenix in the refiner’s fire. If she was worthy, she would perish with him in the flames and be re-born as a new creation…immortal. But if she wasn’t…she would be consumed in the inferno.

  Once told of this, she would have to make the decision to leap into the fire herself. He would not be allowed to coerce her in any way. It would have to be her choice.

  The Phoenix bowed his head in submission. He would never trust the Ancient One. His temptations caused many a soul to fall into a burning hell. But, as always, he would obey his Lord. And he wondered when Yahweh told him not to worry about being faultless, but to use his loving heart to find his soulmate. He was to search for a woman he could love, not for a mortal moment, but for an immortal’s eternity.

  As Milcham left his walled city, his feathers glowed one last time, turning him scarlet-orange with fire. Then he shifted and walked down the path to his destiny, an immortal Phoenix …in the form of a man.

  Chapter One

  The air was filled with the sounds of laughter and the wheezing music of the Calliope as it played mechanically above the noise of the crowd. Talkers on game row hawked their games of chance to the Towners who meandered up and down the Midway. The screams of those riding the ‘Zipper’ battled with those that had braved the ‘Octopus’. In the background you could hear the loud whirring of machinery as the ‘Ferris Wheel’ turned lazily in the late afternoon sun.

  The warm September breeze sent the sweet smell of cotton candy wafting through the fair grounds. Along with the slightly burnt smell of popcorn, it was an odor that spelled out CARNIVAL in big bold letters.

  The whole town had waited for this one special day. It was the Labor Day weekend. The last hurrah before school started and the weather changed. People had come out to play and eat and take their chances on one of the games. Coins disappeared as young men sought to win that oversized teddy bear their girlfriends just had to have.

  Aithne walked slowly through the crowd enjoying the afternoon and the freedom she would never again take for granted. She inhaled deeply, her senses still highly attuned, even though she had been freed as her brother’s familiar three months earlier. She suspected that allowing her brother to feed from her for over a century had given her not only temporary immortality, but it had done something permanent to her perceptions. She could still feel and do things a normal human couldn’t do.

  She smiled. She’d just gotten off the phone with Aidan. He called her several times a week, his protective instincts still strong. Even though he was madly in love with Dawn, the woman who had taken Aithne’s place, they were family and had been together a very long time. That type of bond never went away.

  He hadn’t wanted her to go on this adventure, but he didn’t stand in her way. Aithne had given up so much for him, his conscience wouldn’t allow it. But he fretted, thus the phone calls.

  She’d been pleased to hear her brother was going on a journey, too. Dawn had a showing of her sculptures in New York at the end of the month, and she’d convinced him to come along with her. With proper precautions, no one would ever know he was a vampire.

  Tears threatened as Aithne thought of her brother and his mate. They were so happy together. They had almost lost each other when Dawn found out the truth about Aidan, but the fates were not to be denied. She very quickly realized he was her soulmate…her twin-flame, as she’d been told in a tarot card reading. She’d come back to him, just in time to prevent the vampire from wasting away from hunger.

  Their love had been so strong, so beautiful Aithne knew, she too, must find her twin-flame. She’d been so lonely for such a long time, the thought of finally discovering the man who would truly complete her made her shiver in anticipation.

  That shiver became a reality, and her neck prickled. Turning, Aithne found herself staring into a pair of brooding amber eyes. She stiffened. He was doing it again.

  Ever since Milcham Phoenix, the owner of Flight of the Phoenix Carnivals had returned from his trip, she’d caught him gazing intently at her more times than she could count. She’d been hired by his assistant while he was gone, and she had the feeling Mr. Phoenix wasn’t too happy with having a gypsy fortune teller on the payroll.

  The fact she never told anyone anything but the truth, didn’t seem to matter. He watched her as if he was waiting for her to make a mistake, and then he’d pounce. It was creepy. And the fact he was one of the handsomest men she had ever seen just made it more frustrating.

  Tall, at least six-foot-four, he was long and lean and hard. He always wore tight fitting jeans, and some sort of muscle shirt that left very little to the imagination. Broad shoulders, muscled chest and arms, and a trim waist made her want to drool every time she looked at him. His legs were as muscled as the rest of him and when he walked away…poetry in motion. His butt was the finest she’d come across in her long lifetime.

  Even better was his face. He was gorgeous. There was no other word for him. He had longish, blond hair that was always in need of a brushing. It framed a tanned face with high, sculpted cheekbones and a square, masculine jaw. His strong nose pointed to sensuous lips and a chin that looked as if it lived with five o’clock shadow all day long.

  Then there were his eyes. Aithne shivered again. They were large and slightly tilted, giving him an exotic look. They were the color of newly minted coins in the sunlight, but when he stared at her, they turned dark amber. Surrounded by long eyelashes, he was a dream to gaze upon.

  Until, he looked at her. Then it was all she could do not to turn tail and make a run for the nearby hills.

  But she refused to do that. She loved it here. Enjoyed the excitement of the traveling carnival. Her life with Aidan had been for the most part, sedentary. The only time they moved was when the neighbors
became suspicious that they didn’t age. She’d be damned if she’d let this man chase her away without good reason.

  He’d been back with the carnival for over a week and still hadn’t said a word to her. All he’d done was stare. It was frustrating. She laughed to herself. If she had been a real gypsy, she’d curse him or something. That would show him.

  Glaring back at him, she lifted her chin in defiance, turned and continued down the midway. If he didn’t want to talk to her…fine. But she wasn’t going to stick around so he could stare holes in her, either.

  —

  Milcham Phoenix cursed under his breath. She would dare stare at him with such arrogance? She was nothing but a charlatan. A witch, who pretended to know the future. He’d been furious when Rufus, his assistant, called him and said he’d hired her. This type of act wasn’t allowed in any of his carnivals. But one look at the woman who called herself simply…Aithne…and he knew why his man had done it. She was stunning.

  Tall and slender, she was the very picture of feminine beauty. Milcham figured she would fit perfectly under his chin, and her ripe body begged to be touched. Her ebony hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back to below her waist. Its silky curls danced in the breeze, tempting him to take one and wrap it around his finger.

  She had the face of an angel. He’d seen the like of it carved on cameos, delicate and fine. Her tiny nose and full, rose colored lips, sat in a heart shaped face with soft creamy skin. Eyes, the color of emeralds surrounded by lashes dipped in ink, completed the masterpiece.

  He gritted his teeth as she walked away. He could hear the tinkling of the tiny silver bells she always wore at her wrists and head. His eyes went to her swaying figure. She always dressed in long, colorful silk dresses that molded against her body in the wind.

  Milcham felt himself harden, and swore again. The last thing he needed was to be tempted by a witch. He had just less than a month before he had to leave this place for good, and head back to his walled city.