Changed by Fire (Phoenix Rising #6) - Harper Wylde Page 0,128

I swung my feet. A light line worked its way across his forehead as he searched for a question to ask. I saw the moment he came up with something, reading the hesitancy that flashed across his face. “What?”

“I had an idea, but I’m not sure I should—”

I shrugged, interrupting him. “I’m an open book to my mates, Joshua. If I haven’t proven that with all I’ve shared thus far, I don’t know what will.” I nudged him with my foot as he spread out the dough, making a perfect circle on an oiled tray. He focused on me, his hands moving idly.

“You have, but you’ve offered that information freely. I don’t want to pry into an area you’re not ready to delve into.”

“The worst you can do is try me. I’m always honest. If I don’t want to answer, I won’t. But at this point, you’re scaring me.” My legs stopped swinging, my knuckles turning a bit white from my increased grip.

“I know as much as you do about your mother, but what about your father? Do you know who he is or have you ever tried to track him down?”

I smiled softly. “That wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. But, no.” I tapped my fingers against the counter’s edge. “I don’t know who he is or anything about him. I was young when my mother died, and all I remember is that he was never around. It was always just the two of us in the limited memories I have of her. Part of me grew up believing Michael—Henri, whatever his name was—was my father, but Theo proved he wasn’t. Truthfully, we’ve had so much going on these past few months, I haven’t really given my biological father all that much thought. If he’s dead, there’s nothing I can do to change that, and if he’s not… then he never wanted me in the first place, or he would have found me before now. It’s not like my identity is a secret any longer. There aren’t that many phoenix shifters in the world.”

“Correction. There’s only one phoenix shifter in the world, sweetheart, and that’s you.” Damien topped the chicken with the sauce he’d made and set the dish aside, checking the ziti in the oven before he moved closer. Settling on the other side of me, he placed his hand on my knee. His thumb stroked small circles over the soft fabric of my black leggings.

“We know Nix’s mother was Egyptian from the markers in her blood and, of course, her Phoenix, but I had a hard time getting a lock on her father’s genetics. I picked up avian markings, but also a few others I couldn’t identify.” Theo scrubbed a hand along his nape, looking sheepish and apologetic. “Then the Council had me working day and night on the program that could track shifters, and I couldn’t research as much as I wanted to. I could dive back in for you, Nix. I have the time and—”

I shook my head. “It’s not important right now. We have so much else to deal with and war on our doorstep. Maybe someday…”

Theo nodded, looking relieved that I wasn’t upset. I held my hand out to him and he took it. Joshua stopped what he was doing, dusted off his hands, and tucked a strand of hair that had flown away back behind my ear.

“Derrick,” he murmured, and I blinked at him. “My middle name. It’s Derrick. My father wanted it to be my first name so badly he sometimes calls me by it—trying to keep the ‘D’ names rolling—but my mother insisted on the name Joshua.”

“I’m glad she did. I like your name the way it is, Joshua Derrick Williams.” I sighed contentedly. “See? I have my family. And that’s all of you. I don’t need anyone else to be happy.”

They each took a turn kissing me, and I knew in my heart it was true.

Thirty

Nix

“Training this morning,” Gaspard told me jovially over the chatter of voices in the mess hall, patting me on the shoulder as he stood from the table. Gaspard and I had been the final two of our group in the dining hall this morning, the others having already dispersed for their duties.

I sighed, tugging my hair back into the band I’d left around my wrist earlier. “Is there a day you don’t have me training?”

“Never, my dear. I have too much hope for your future to let you slack at