The Phoenix and His Prince

The only thing Elric has ever wanted was to rule. Now his brother and a dragon sit on the throne, and his only recourse is to beg the phoenix Athan for help. Elric will trade anything--even his body--for power. There's nothing wrong with wanting power, no matter what Athan says. Elric's soul isn't broken, or dirtied, or rusted. Athan's insistence on "fixing" Elric is nothing but a distraction. His insistence on following his ambition might drive Athan away entirely, but Elric doesn't need smiles. He doesn't need joy. He doesn't need Athan's heat, which warms the dark corners of himself he'd thought long forgotten. So why does the thought of losing Athan make Elric question everything he's ever wanted? Though The Phoenix and His Prince should function as a standalone, it is best enjoyed after reading The Dragon and His Prince and has many spoilers for Dragon. (Please mind the warnings for Dragon, as it is considerably darker than Phoenix!) Content notes: Phoenix is a villain redemption story that contains a scene of sexual assault. To everyone who read and reviewed The Dragon and His Prince, we appreciate you so very much! (Thank you for reading the trigger warnings.) We hope you enjoyed the story as much as we enjoyed writing it. And to everyone who alpha read and beta read The Phoenix and His Prince — thank you for looking at the raw draft of this book and helping us make Elric and Athan unforgettable characters. Wendy, Michi, Alejandra, Florence, and Trio, your feedback was invaluable. Thank you again for everything you’ve done for us. Copyright © 2023 by Adara Wolf & R. Phoenix Cover by Atra Luna All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Epilogue Afterword Joint Works by Adara & Raissa About Adara Wolf Also by Adara Wolf About R Phoenix Also by R Phoenix CHAPTER 1 “I need you to kill a dragon for me.” Elric spoke with practiced regality, in that specific tone of voice that demanded he be obeyed without question. Even before his queen mother’s death, it had made servants leap to their feet, while other nobles had thought twice about disobeying. His audience this time didn’t look up, didn’t bow, didn’t so much as nod in acknowledgement. No, the phoenix continued tinkering away at his work bench. Elric took a few steps closer, trying not to sharply command his attention. Even in profile, the phoenix had been handsome, of course. But it was hard to deny the beauty of the man now. Like this, Elric could see the downy feathers in the phoenix’s hair, woven through it like some strange, exotic bird. He briefly wondered if he could steal one of those lovely red feathers, but if it was that easy to get a phoenix’s feather, he doubted they would be worth much at all. Besides, they’d always sounded grand in the stories, not like little wisps of scarcely more than steam. He continued to observe the phoenix, noting the beautiful red lips against tanned skin. The indecent shirt he wore—resembling nothing more than a sleeveless undershirt—showed off his muscled arms. The sweat made the shirt cling to his body, too, and it was clear his torso was equally well-muscled. “Did you hear me?” Elric asked, trying to bite back his annoyance. “I heard you,” the phoenix answered. “I chose to ignore you.” Elric ground his teeth, staring hard at the phoenix. He wasn’t used to this. Usually, people fell all over themselves to give him what he wanted. But he supposed he hardly looked like a king, in tattered, formerly fine clothing that now hung loosely on his thin frame. His face had been sunburned, and his dark blond hair was mussed and in desperate need of a good combing… With no entourage, he seemed even less like royalty. He’d shown up here, at the phoenix’s workshop, all on his own. Not even Callan had joined him. Elric’s mood darkened, remembering how Callan had abandoned him here. Surely the shade demon would have an easier time convincing the phoenix. Or maybe, being a creature of the dark, Callan couldn’t handle the brightness that radiated from the phoenix and made it so very clear what the creature before him was. Even someone who’d never seen a phoenix before would know from the mere sight of him. The little workshop was warm, and wasn’t that just another cliche? Elric had assumed the tales he’d heard about phoenixes were all just that: tales, exaggerated by the bards. But the phoenix truly was just as hot as foretold. After another few minutes of being ignored, Elric coughed to get the phoenix’s attention. “You can’t take a hint?” the phoenix asked, finally looking up. His eyes were a bright, fiery gold, with long, dark lashes, and Elric’s voice caught in his throat for a second. Those were eyes that saw everything. No, that was ridiculous. The phoenix might have been a creature of magic, but it was still just a creature. Like a dragon. “I need your assistance,” Elric said after a pause. “You’re the only one who can help with my dragon problem.” He paused, then added painstakingly, “Please. I will reward you handsomely when the deed is done.” The phoenix furrowed his brow. “You need my…. Which dragon? And why can’t a knight do that? Or just ignore the problem. Most dragons don’t need to be fought. Just bribe them with their favored toy, or sex, if you’re into that sort of thing,