Chapter 1

I started working for Tlhase Mikael about eleven months ago. Can I just say how much I love this man's name? It means 'spark', and I have never come across someone with that name.

He is a very private person, all I know is that he is extremely wealthy, several sports cars and bespoke suits wealthy, lives alone in a really huge house, and every once in a month he asks me to lock him in his a small metal lined vault room that was adjoined to his bedroom. The room was lined from ceiling to floor in steel, so was the door, and it had no windows.

He'd get in there and I'd close and lock the heavy metal vault door, then close and chain the door and windows to his bedroom.

I'm not allowed to ask questions. I just do what I'm paid for. Clean, cook, and lock him up once a month.

How I met him is quiet funny actually, I posted in a maids Facebook group looking for a job. My former employee who had moved abroad commented endorsing me, and then I got a message.

I met him at a restaurant and got the job immediately. The first time I met him? Well…

I know there wasn't a single person in that restaurant who didn't stop to look when he walked in.

Think Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock from wrestling. Yea, that tall and huge. Only with melanin. Loads of melanin. South Sudanese dark.

His face was not pretty…

It was damn handsome… strong jawline… thick lips, deep-set eyes, which were the most off things about him. He wore fire flame contact lenses sometimes. Usually he had lovely dark brown eyes, but once or twice I walked into the house unexpected and he had these flame contact lenses, and the flame seemed to actually be alive and flickering. Things money can buy!

He was a quiet man who didn't give too much friendly vibes, not that there was anything mean about him. He just didn't inspire you to start conversation when you were around him. So I served him and stayed in my room.

He was a very punctual man, all his meals at the same time every day. Lock up happened the same time every month.

Today was lockup day.

I served him his dinner, lots of seafood and eggs, as usual. Weird as that combination was, he liked it.

I served the food and was about to retreat to the kitchen and have my dinner when he called me.

'Why don't you join me?

'Huh?

'Have dinner with me?'

' Okay?'

I went to get my plate and came sat at the other end of the table.

He chuckled as I sat down, and continued cutting his squid.

'I wanted to thank you. For the good work you do.'

'Uhm… Ok…'

'I regret that I never got to know you. You are a sweet girl.'

Okay, why did this sound like a goodbye? Was he firing me? Oh God, what had I done?

'Sir, if I've done anything wrong, I swear I…'

'You did nothing wrong. But I may be taking a journey where I won't be returning. And in case I don't return…'

He stood up and walked to the shelve, taking a envelope and pushed it to me.

I opened it and my eyes widened in shock.

The deed to the house.

This huge house in this prime location.

In my name.

A cheque of a whole lot of money.

'Sir I can't… uhm… I mean…'

'I have met a lot of people, but none like you, Ella. You are honest. You put back even the coins you find in my pockets. I know you still buy some groceries and stationery to the orphanage you grew up in, even though you earn little.'

I didn't know a maid who was paid as much as I was for so little work.

It's a good thing I had been willing to put my degree aside and do anything that came along in order to earn a living, because now I earned the same as my friends who had office jobs.

'You have a good heart… you are so loyal. I know in my heart you have never even uttered a word of my… uhm, monthly lockdown. Even though I am sure you are curious about it. And you are so smart… and so, so insanely beautiful, even if you don't know it. You have no idea how many times I found myself thinking inappropriate thoughts just looking at your lips…'

You have no idea how often I think inappropriate thoughts just looking at you, sir.

I thought in my head.

'There is no one I'd rather give this house to than you. Please don't say no.'

I teared up not knowing what to say.

He came over and hugged me, smelling so raggedly sexy. Of sandalwood and masculinity. His arms so strong around my petite body, his breath warm on my neck.

When he pulled away, I actually felt lonely.

'It was an honour knowing you. Today after lockdown, I want you to leave, ok? Don't come back the entire weekend. Come check on me on Monday.'

Usually I just stayed in my room during his lockdowns.

But he seemed so resolute that I didn't want to question him. I just nodded and finished my food. The finality I felt as I locked him indoors was so painful I actually felt tears sting at my eyes.

I barely even knew the man. In the eleven months I had known him, today's conversation was the longest we had ever had.

I got in the car he had bought me two months back and drove off, still devastated that I was never going to see him again.

I didn't have a place to stay as I had moved out of my rented place to move in with him, but I had money for a hotel. Plus he just wrote me a fat check.

I checked into the hotel and laid in bed feeling so forlorn. I must have passed out at some point, because when I woke up it was around 9pm according to the large plastic clock on the wall. The moon was full and bright outside, the warm summer air swishing outside like a melody. I reached around for my phone and it was nowhere to be found. I searched my overnight bag.

Nope.

Oh damn! I forgot it in the kitchen counter at home.

Funny how I'd come to refer to that place as 'home'.

Well, I guess it was home now.

By the end of the hour I was bored out of my wits and decided to go pick it up. Tlhase never came out of his room on lockdown anyway.

I drove there and opened the door.

To groans of pain.

As I got closer, they were downright cries. I know the room is soundproofed, you can't hear any noises from the inside.

But right now I could hear faint groans and cries of pain… which would make them outright blood curling screams if I could still hear them through sound proofing.

God, what was happening to Tlhase, what if he was sick? Under attack?

I had never heard him scream like that before.

I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the largest knife we had, then ran to the door and unlocked it without thinking, then unlocked and pushed open the vault.

What in the hell?

He looked so beautiful.

And scary.

His entire body was aflame.

And he had…

Wings

He had wings spread out and on fire!

His eyes pure freaking fire flames.

Holy hell, he had wings and they stretched out so big, their span from wall to wall, every inch on flame, his dreadlocks rugged fire flames. He had two fangs protruding from his top gum and his eyes were pure fire. Like literal flames where his iris would be.

He floated above ground, his face twisted into a painful scowl, like he was in some sort of a battle.

Eventually he noticed the open vault, and it was like he was struggling to not allow himself to 'fly' out.

He groaned and struggled in pain.

'E…E..lla… close… close door… please…'

I could feel the desperation in his voice, and I shut the vault closed, then locked it. I sat against the door with my heart beating fast.

What had I just seen? What the hell, what the hell, whatthehell?

I repeated to myself over and over.

I must have passed out there again because I was woken up by a heavy knock on the vault door.

There was dim light fluttering in, suggesting it was very early morning.

I opened the door and a very exhausted looking, very naked Tlhase stumbled out, almost falling over. Now back to normal. No wings of fire. Maybe I dreamt it all.

I barely caught him and tried to pull him to the bed. He ended up slowly crawling there because he was just too heavy no matter how much I tried.

His body shivered so bad his teeth clacked, while his body was sweating buckets.

I have never been more confused. Was he cold or was he hot?

I covered him with a bed sheet and just sat on the bed not knowing what to do or say…

TLHASE: Fo.. food… smoothie… seafood… eggs, sulphur…

By now I was used to this weird concoction he drank every morning.

He was still shaking so badly as I went to get his breakfast.

I didn't even know what to do or say about what I saw, I just went to the kitchen and pulled a bag of frozen mixed seafood that he imports; lobster, crabs, scallops, mussels, prawns… threw all that in the industrial blender.

Then I broke in several eggs and added the sulfur powder and ice, then blended the entire thing and poured it up until it filled his three litres bottle. I carried it to his bedroom and watched as he gulped gratefully.

By the final drop his shaking had gotten better.

'I… I shouldn't have come out… not safe.. for you… but I was worried about you.'

I guess I was still in shock because I couldn't even string together a sentence.

'Soo, I'm a phoenix…'

He said with a shy smile.

Huh?

I must have looked as dumb as I felt judging by his look.

'The legendary bird of fire? You know, die resurrect…'

'I know what a phoenix is…'

'Every full moon I have to transform or I literally burst into flames. If I burst I am reborn with no memories at all of my past life. So I learnt how to control it. Let it out often, feed it sulphur, and it stays in check.'

Tell me, what do you say to that? What do you say to someone telling you they are something that shouldn't exist, but you can't dispute it because you saw it with your own eyes?

'You haven't ran screaming yet.'

He said almost regretfully.

I asked myself why I hadn't run.

He was a phoenix for God's sake, he probably feeds on human!

'Is… is every month like this?'

'More or less, just not as intense as this month.'

'What's different about this month?

I couldn't believe how bold I was being with him. He was a fucking phoenix, girl, run!

'On the 100th year of a phoenix without rebirth, two things happen…'

'You are a 100 years old?'

'I remember only 100 years of my life, that's how long I have stayed without rebirth this time around. I don't really know how old I am from the time I was born, you know that whole burst into a flaming bird, then come out a new creature with no recollection of my life prior?'

He looked around thirty at the absolutes most.

'You said this month was intense… why?'

'Like I was saying, if you make it to a century without rebirth, two things happen. The first one is that the bird tries to burst you out of existence. If fights you for dominance so that it can kill your DNA and just exist as fully a bird that goes about flaming and causing havoc. Most of the times a phoenix going through the assertion will get true death for both the man and the bird. So they kill each other. No more rebirth. Those few that survive the assertion? Usually the bird become dominant, the man is destroyed and the bird flies the skies causing havoc until it combusts and absorbed into cosmic energy.

'So you are saying it can't be survived? But you are here…'

'I almost didn't, the bird was winning… then I saw you and I knew the first thing it was going to do when It took form was incinerate you. I couldn't let that happen. So I fought…'

'You won?'

'Not quiet… winning would mean besting the bird ad coming out human. No more monthly lick downs to let the bird free… I there will be no bird. I would start aging like a normal human even though I would still have my strength and speed.'

'Does that happen often with your… kind?'

'I've only heard about it, and all those who told me also heard about it, nobody personally knows anybody who ended up just man.'

He was quiet for a bit.

'Those who survive the ascension come out the same. Man and bird, constant struggle. Death, rebirth, and ascension if they make it to another 100.'

'There are more of you?

'A few, maybe a thousand? Living in small communities around the world. Communities help us understands ourselves, keep our histories… be each other's keeper after rebirth.'

'You said two things happen after that assertion thing. You only told me one.'

He sighed and looked away.

'Phoenix are only male. We reproduce through human women, and we are only able to reproduce after besting the bird in the assertion. Within a short period… umh… it is said as soon as a phoenix regains his strength after assertion, he is hit by an uncontrollable need to mate as much as possible. Spread his seed, make more phoenix. At this point, we can smell an ovulating female from miles away. My kind, they will seduce, buy sex, and sometimes even… well… rape. For about 2-5 days depending on how many centuries the phoenix is. The younger the longer he can last. I Have never experienced it as far as I know. But it's said to be uncontrollable. Not mating forces you back into assertion, and because you are weak, that is a sure-fire way to die.

'But having sex does not guarantee pregnancy, there is birth control and…'

'Those who stop ovulation are not an issue as we won't even look at that woman. At this time we are only attracted to ovulating women. The rest that are supposed to make conditions hostile for semen are useless to us. If we have sex, it's a guarantee the female will get pregnant because we only choose the ovulating. Condoms usually they charm their way out of using one… and some even get violent to get their own way...'

'Damn…'

'It's not that we want to. It hurts… I am feeling it starting right now… and Ella?'

'Yea? '

'You are ovulating…'

Damnit.

Damnit. Damnit. Damnit!

'So, you need to leave. I just need you to lock me in the vault again.'

'But you'll die if you don't mate.'

'Well, I'm not looking forward to forcing anyone, and we both know my social skills are that of a pillow, so I won't be charming anyone into agreeing to fuck me. And I am definitely not impregnating a sex worker. Not that I even want to be anyone's father.'

'So, you'd rather die?'

'I survived assertion, maybe I will survive this…'

'What if you don't?'

'Just lock me the fuck up, ok?'

'No. I'll stay.'

What?

What?

'Excuse me?'

'I'll stay and help you with whatever you need me to help you with.'

'Do you even hear yourself? You want to get pregnant with a mythical creature you didn't even know existed an hour ago? Because it is a guarantee you will get pregnant! And in case you thought it, you can't abort a phoenix. Once implanted, which with us happens minutes after I cum inside you, you are pregnant. The only way that baby is leaving your body is at birth 9 months later.

Oh my God.

What do I do now?

He could die…

I could help him.

I've always wanted to be a mother anyway, and Tlhase wouldn't be such a bad baby daddy.

What the hell was I thinking. The guy was a freaking… phoenix! They don't even have those in movies, at least if he was a vampire or something, Twilight and True Blood would have prepared me for that.

Phoenix! What the hell.

And this is no way to decide to have a whole human… phoenix, whatever! You can't just decide on the spot!

'Yea, sure. Let's have a baby then.'

Now I know I'm totally out of my mind.

'No. I don't want no damn baby! Even if I agree to this insane idea, delivery is brutal… a lot of women don't make it during delivery of a phoenix.

'But a some do too?'

'Yes, but…'

'If you don't mate, you'll die… so I stay and do whatever.'

Girl, you have never even did anything with anyone, what the hell are you talking about 'do whatever'? The smart me asked in my head.

We sat in an awkward silence for a bit.

'So, like, can you, like… change into a bird?'

'Yes… but no fire. Just a huge bird the size of a car. I go to the Amazons from time to time, change, and let the bird fly about. That's another way I keep it in check. Being allowed full form regularly keeps it happy. They fire only happens in the full moon where I can't control it.'

As he spoke, his eyes were directly on my lips, down to my chest…

He swallowed hard and started shifting uncomfortably.

'Is it… uhm…

'Yes… the need is coming… I feel it…. I'd suggest you change you mind now…

'Nope, I'm staying… what do we, uhm… what do we do… I've never really… you know…'

'What? No way… are you trying to tell me you never…'

I shook my head shyly as he laughed.

It's not my fault I'm ugly… men generally leave me alone… so yea.

'You are a virgin.'

I nodded shyly and looked down.

'Wow…'

He was still in bed under the sheet, he got up and walked to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and gurgling with mouthwash, then walked back in bed.

'Raw seafood…'

'Is seafood like phoenix food?'

'Generally big birds like fish… but seafood has a lot of sulphur and phoenix love sulphur… fire and all.'

He was sweating even more and shifting a lot…

'Ok, big bird…'

I said, not expecting him to catch the sesame street reference.

He burst out laughing.

'Oh my God, big bird? if you call me that again, you will be in so much trouble, little girl. And yes I know big bird, my sister has great grandkids. After me my mother eventually married and had three other normal kids. Are you sure you want to do this...you will get pregnant?'