Without warning he gripped her knees and pulled her legs apart, stepping between them and his arms went around her, pulling her hard against him.
His kiss was like a warm fire, soft and burning but not enough to heat her like the others.
Her body melted against his, the warmth of his magic flooding into her and he pulled her even closer, the warmth of him irresistible.
She felt herself being lifted from the table by the backside and then lowered onto the hard bed as her lips moved against his and the deliciousness of his magic spilled into her.
Her legs went around his middle and the hem of her jacket was lifted.
Breaking the kiss, his lips traced down her jaw and to her neck, her soft gasp as the flood of magic stopped, bringing her crashing back down even as his fingers left bruises on her hips and thighs.
He had felt her coming down like a falling house and still he took advantage of what seconds he had left, biting her shoulder gently and then he was flying across the room as her hand connected with the side of his face.
He was on his feet in a second, laughing at the game.
"Should have kissed you longer," he said, making no effort to hide his erection as he stared at her.
Sitting up, she glared at him in both anger and a deep unsatisfied sexual need.
"Yes, you should have," she growled.
"Maybe next time," he calmed himself and she shook her head, swiping at him when he approached with one hand out.
He caught her wrist and pulled her up from the bed and into him, her head turning away as he made to kiss her again.
"Ah, missed opportunities," he whispered in her ear and she shivered as he bit her earlobe with one sharp canine.
"Stop that," she growled but his laugh was low and suggestive, making something inside her clench in need.
She shoved him back from her and he smirked.
"Keep your hands to yourself," she snapped and he obediently tucked them behind his back.
"Yes ma'am. But now you have to hold up your end of the deal," he said and she nodded.
Giving him a warning glare, she stepped away from him and followed as he moved for the fireplace.
"What happened to your house?" she asked as she followed to kneel beside the empty hearth.
"Many failed attempts to do this," he growled, taking her hand and tugging her slightly closer.
He leant forward and to her surprise, he touched the wood with an index finger and it burst into flames.
Smiling at her, he lifted his hand to her mouth and she lifted a brow before she bit into his palm.
His blood tasted like honey and she shivered, obediently following his direction to do the same to her own hand.
He grasped her bleeding palm and she felt his blood mingling with hers.
Watching in fascination, their blood refused to drip, instead, it built up between their palms, though their hands didn't make a perfect seal.
The blood began to warm up between their hands and she wanted to pull away, but he kept her there until she felt her skin beginning to blister and then he let her go.
Their blood hung in the air, slowly beginning to change as the sparks of the fire flew up to it, the crimson darkening to black and it took its shape
A small black egg hovered in place where their hands had been, finally sinking slowly into the flames and settling there.
She watched the egg with fascination, curious about it and after only a few moments, it began to twitch and then cracked.
Inside the flames sat a tiny puff of red and gold feathers, a little head and black eyes blinking up at them and she felt a sudden pang in her heart.
The phoenix baby had been created through her and the phoenix male at her side, making her realise with an ache that she now had a child, if only technically.
She drew back from the fire and turned, heading for the door before the tears could start but he caught her, pulling her back into his chest and his arms wrapped around her.
"Don't cry, it's okay," he said gently and she knew he understood her pain, he had seen it all inside her.
She shook him off as her hands began to shake, the little packet of grief she had bound up with six layers of rope giving a little shake and burst open.
She screamed her anguish, unable to block it out any longer and she felt herself bursting into flames.
Her body changed, her arms forming wings, her face shrinking into that of a bird and the door was suddenly blown out as she slammed through it, the house in flames as she was suddenly flying.
She shot up like an arrow, a trail of flame behind her setting part of the forest on fire and Barron was yelling his shock, his arms over his head but he was unharmed.
She was soaring, her great wings outstretched as she burst through the clouds and she rolled in the air. She wanted to shake off the pain and loss, wanted to throw it from her like an object but it clung to her and burned her just as she flames had done.
She wanted to make the world burn with her and she wanted them to suffer just as she did.
Her mind went to seeing Summer aflame, the agony as all the creatures burned below her and she smiled in her mind, folding her wings and plummeting.
Something hit her from the side, and she struggled to catch herself as she streaked away from her attacker, glancing back to see the most radiant, magnificent creature she had ever seen streaking after her.
He was bright like the sun, flames trailing after him and black eyes locked on her with an intelligence she would never expect from a bird.
Golden red and blue, he was a lot bigger than her and she folded her wings, streaking down but his size and speed allowed him to catch up.
She screamed as he collided with her again and her wing buckled.
She slammed into the ground and her flame extinguished, her body changing back without her permission.
Gasping for breath, she lay still in the centre of the burnt crater her body had created and he landed at her side, wings changing to human hands as he reached for her and pulled her up.
She was naked, the coat burnt away to nothing and she looked up at him through a cloud of red.
He shook her shoulders firmly, his jaw set as he stared down at her.
"You can't burn the world. You have to get a hold of your grief," he shook her again and she whimpered, shoving him but she felt weirdly disjointed as the bird inside her wanted to take flame again. It couldn't and she was horribly weak.
Something inside her was gone and felt her stomach roiling.
Throwing him off her, she rolled onto her hands and knees and vomited up a large amount of blood, her teeth on fire and her jaw burned.
Screaming, she felt the second set of fangs come loose and she pulled them free with blood splattered hands, throwing them onto the burnt ground and blood filled her mouth as her teeth tore through the gums, her teeth feeling incredibly wrong. She still had the small canines but they felt wrong, her entire mouth felt wrong.
Heaving, the phoenix patted her back and she whimpered as the sound of feet joined them and there was silence.
Looking up, she found Daemon staring down at her, horrified.
"Daemon…" she whimpered, the Phoenix catching her before she collapsed.