Spider Web

by Danielle James

  Jules let her mind wander over all the things she had seen and done in her life. The day Kelly was born, the day she married Joe, the first night they stayed in their home in Nevada, her first day at the firm, the night at the convention when she danced with Nick were all floating around in her mind. It was like she had always heard about, seeing your life flash before your eyes. She said her goodbyes in her head to Kelly, Denise, and Nick. Then she waited.

  Death was not so bad. It wasn’t painful at all. The fear inside her subsided and was replaced by a peace she had never known before. She spent her life worrying needlessly. She was glad that her attempt to end her own life had been unsuccessful. She wrapped herself in the blanket of her new found calm and peace and waited. She waited for when she would be reunited with Joe. She allowed her eyes to close as she heard her heart beat twice, and then it stopped all together.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Phoenix deposited the drunken angel, who was still passed out cold, on the living room couch. “There, I got him,” he said to Jolice with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. “Heavy bastard damn near got us killed.”

  “Now how could he have done that?” Jolice asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s out cold.”

  “Didn’t stop him from blowing chunks in the air. I heard it, but damn if I could get out of the line of fire in time. Damn near lost his ass and now I got puke on my boots. I’m going to take a freaking shower.”

  “You do that,” she said back to him sweetly. Then she turned her attention to the angel. He was filthy. His black hair was knotted and nappy. Jolice pushed it away from his face carefully, not completely sure some animal wouldn’t come running out. Under the dirt, vomit, and who knew what else, he was quite attractive. He had broad shoulders, lean muscles, and long legs. He seemed peaceful in his sleep, and Jolice felt that peace wash over her as she watched him. She stood there smiling, and watched him sleep for a few minutes. Even the atrocious snore that was coming from him wasn’t off putting to her. He was the perfect example of a physically perfect man. Well, he would be if he were conscious.

  Jolice went to the bathroom and fetched a washcloth. After wetting it and soaking it with soap, she returned to her angel. She began to gently wash his face to remove all the yuck he was wearing. When she was satisfied that he was clean enough, she shook his shoulder to wake him. Other than an irritated groan, he didn’t respond.

  Jolice stood back and put her hands on her hips. She needed him to wake up! She rolled her eyes and went right back to the bathroom. She pushed the plug down in the bathtub and turned on the cold tap. She let it fill about half way before shutting it off. Then, she marched right back to the living room. Phoenix was standing over the angel with a confused look on his face.

  “I don’t understand how he can be of any use to anyone in this condition,” he said to her as she entered the room.

  “I know,” she answered. “I need you to help me wake him up.”

  “He slept through the whole flight,” Phoenix told her.

  “I know,” she replied. “Now, help me pick him up.” She moved to pick up his legs and Phoenix pushed her back.

  “Just tell me where you want him,” he said as he hefted Michael up in his arms. “Smelly and heavy. Perfect.”

  “Just take him to the bathroom,” Jolice told him.

  “I ain’t playing nursemaid,” Phoenix said.

  “Don’t worry,” Jolice told him, “I don’t think you will have to.”

  As Phoenix entered the bathroom and saw the tub full of water, a crazy grin split his face. “Bath time!” he hollered and then unceremoniously dumped the angel into the freezing water.

  Michael sputtered and flailed in an attempt to escape the frigid cold that surrounded him. He opened his mouth to yell out but it filled with icy water. He realized he was underwater and flailed his arms and legs even harder. Finally, his brain woke up enough to understand that he was in tub.

  He grabbed the sides of the tub and forced himself into a sitting position. “What the hell?” he shouted. And then he saw her. The prettiest thing he had ever seen in his life. She had curls like a doll and eyes that reminded him of copper. She cocked her head to the side while she watched him, as if she were just as fascinated with him as he was with her.

  “Sorry about the cold water,” she finally spoke, and when he heard her voice, it was like hearing the gospel in the sunrise. It filled his heart with all kinds of emotions that he had thought he had lost a long time ago.

  “So if you could just get clean, Phoenix will bring you some clothes. Then we can talk about why we brought you here.”

  Michael snarled at her and was ready to tell her and her huge friend to bugger off when he saw Gabriel. He was standing in the corner of the room and Michael knew no one else could see him. Without a word, Gabriel told Michael that this was where he needed to be and to be nice. Gabriel had never led him astray and he trusted his longtime friend now. “Fine,” he grumbled. Then he looked at the woman. “Could I at least have some privacy?”

  A smile lit up her face and Michael was stunned by her beauty. “Of course!” she said. “When you get done, I’ll have some coffee waiting for you.”

  Michael watched as she exited the room and he dragged himself out of the freezing water. He shucked his wet clothes and looked to the corner where Gabriel had been. Of course, the angel was gone now. He waited while the tub drained and then turned the shower on. Hot. When he was finished scrubbing away the grime and dirt on his body, he got out and noticed a clean, fresh towel had been laid out for him, as well as a set of clothes.

  As he dressed, he kept hearing Gabriel in his head. “This is where you are meant to be. This is your destiny. Everything happens for a reason.” Michael needed a drink. He knew that wasn’t going to happen, so he would just have to settle for coffee. At least, the pretty brunette was going to make it interesting, he thought as he opened the bathroom door and went out to meet his destiny head on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Twelve hours. So much can happen in twelve hours. A person could drive from Boston to Charleston, SC in twelve hours. A plane could fly across the ocean in twelve hours. An entire day of work passes in less than that. A book can be read. All these things could happen. It’s not a very long time, unless you are sitting and waiting for something. Like Nick was. He was waiting for the blood he had forced into his beloved Jules to work. Yes, it would heal her injuries. It would make her damn near indestructible, but what would she become? He did not have that answer. From what his father told him, she could be a very different person when this was all over. He sat vigilantly by her side.

  Waiting.

  In reality, the change can work very quickly. The vampire blood invades the human body, taking over. It alters the entire person on a genetic level, forever changing it. The mind opens up and accepts stimuli far too weak for humans to process. When she wakes, she will be able to hear better than any bat, to see better than any hawk, and smell better than any dog. A vampire’s body is nothing, if not efficient. Her eyes will change with her mood. She will be more beautiful than he could even bear to imagine. She would be forever free of disease and injury. But how will she react? No one person reacts the same way to the change.

  Nick prayed that she would awaken close enough to herself that he could explain that this was his only option. Then they could allow her to decide what she will do. Nick’s first choice, of course, would be for her to accept the change and stay with him. The second, she could go her own way. He could not force her to stay with him if that is not what her heart desired. Third, she could die. He could arrange for someone to kill her. That is what would have happened if he had not intervened. The thought sent cold chills down his spine.

  Nick heard voices floating up the stairs. Phoenix was home early, and not alone. He had another man with him. A part of him was curious, wanting to know who the newcomer was. But he could not bring himself to leave Jules’s side. He lifted his head and called for his fat
her to join him upstairs. He did, and brought Phoenix with him.

  “I am so sorry I did not return in time to save your human,” Phoenix said to Nick, with true regret in his voice. He could heal most anything, anything but death and vampirism.

  “Please, don’t,” Nick whispered, “you had no way of knowing.”

  “Still, I only wish I could have helped. But what a stunning human you have chosen! Was she this beautiful before you changed her?” Phoenix examined Jules with his bright orange eyes.

  When Nick first met him, his eyes were very distracting. Although vampire eyes change colors, they are always varying shades of natural human colors. He had never seen orange eyes before Phoenix. He explained that it was due to the nature of the creature he was. Unlike humans or vampires, he was not at all human. Never was.

  “Yes,” Nick told him, “she was very beautiful. I wonder if she will ever forgive me.” The torture in his soul was plain in his voice and on his face.

  “I feel that she will. I am assuming she had no idea about you?”

  “You assume correctly. I didn’t ever want her to know. I’m certain she would have run screaming.”

  Phoenix shook his head. When he did, his long grey hair shook all the way down to his knees. He was getting older every stinking day, and his once beautiful and flawless face was now wrinkled and pale. Nick wondered to himself how long it would be before death found him. “There is something you can do for me,” Nick said to him, his voice low. “When she wakes, you could help me explain things to her. Unlike me, you are inherently good. There are no preconceived notions about a phoenix being evil.”

  He considered the request for a moment, and then replied, “Do you really think she will believe you are evil? And herself as well?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look, her eyes,” he changed the subject. Jules’s eyes were open, trying wildly to focus. They were a strange red color, no doubt from the change going on in her body. Some people did wake during the transformation, though it is not known how much they truly understand. Nick went to her side.

  “Jules, I am so sorry,” he repeated again, just in case she could understand him. “It won’t be long now, it will be over soon,” he said as her eyes closed again.

  “So, did ya get the angel Jolice sent you to look for?” Nick asked him.

  “Yeah I got him,” Phoenix replied. “She also said I needed to find a soul that was not meant to be. I found the angel, it was easier than I expected. I have a sense about these things, you know.”

  ”How did you find him?”

  “I started looking in alleys and bars. It took much less time than I thought. I found him sitting at a bar in Texas, right where she said he would be. He denied me of course, but I could see the scars left by his wings. He was drunk, and it was a simple matter of waiting for him to pass out. When Jolice called me and said I needed to return as soon as possible, I scooped him up and flew here as fast as I could. I’m not a young fledgling anymore, so it took quite a bit of effort to carry him.” Nick tried to imagine Phoenix flying with a drunk in tow. The thought made him chuckle under his breath.

  “And the soul? Did you find it?”

  “No, you did,” Phoenix said, eyeing Jules.

  Their conversation was interrupted by the pace of Jules’s heart. It had picked up and was running at an outlandish pace. “It’s almost over now,” Victor, Nick’s father remarked, a slight twinkle in his eyes. They had turned an interesting shade of blue in anticipation. Nick had almost forgotten he was here because he had been so quiet.

  The three of them watched intently as Jules’s body fought against the last of the change’s fury. Her eyes opened again and she searched frantically around for something to focus on. Nick leaned in toward her so she could see his face. He held her eyes for a moment before she closed them again. Her lips moved as if she wanted to speak, but no sound came out. Her fingers twitched and jerked, but not in any deliberate way. He wanted to make it all go away. He wanted to free her from the torture. But there was nothing he could do but wait it out.

  Then, she smiled. Nick wondered what could possibly make her want to smile at this moment? Surely she must think she’s dying. His father did. Nick’s mind raced, playing scenario after scenario. Could she know? Could she be happy about all this? His heart jumped with hope. He realized almost as fast as he thought it that she must think this is the end. She had tried to kill herself before; she must be happy for the end. Before he could think the thought all the way through, her heart began to stumble in its rhythm, then, it stopped.

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  The entire room was silent.

  It had been only a second since Jules’s heart stopped. Everyone waited and held their breath. This would be the time to realize if she would make it through the change or not. Soon, so soon, she would be awake and aware of what was going on. Nick tried to form a plan as to how he would tell her what had happened. How much would she remember? Would she forgive him? Would she want to stay, or would she want to die instead of this life he had given her? His own heart thudded against his chest in anticipation and fear.

  And then, it happened. Her heart leapt back to life and beat furiously in her chest. It was music to Nick’s ears. He let out the breath he had been holding and smiled. She would live.

  Jules opened her eyes again. She sat up, so quickly it was almost instantaneous, and looked around. Her eyes were a cloudy grey; she was confused. Nick knew this would be the case, but yet he was hopeful.

  “Jules, honey, it’s Nick. How are you feeling?” What a stupid question! He cursed himself inwardly. He knew exactly how she felt, but it was the only thing he could think of to say.

  “Am I dead? Is this heaven?” She asked. Her voice was slightly off from her human voice, smoother, a minuscule pitch higher.

  “No,” he told her. “You are most certainly not dead. I have much to explain to you.”

  “But my heart, I heard it stop, and that pain...how can I not be dead?” She shook her head in confusion.

  “How much do you remember? Tell me, and I will fill in the blanks,” Nick offered.

  She raised her hand to her forehead. “How? What? I don’t know. I remember my apartment... the man, OH!” She felt her face with her hand, looking for the injuries no longer present.

  Nick knew what she was thinking about; her terrible ordeal with that damn crazed incubus. “Yes. You were attacked. By someone who is one of our kind, but not at all like us. I took care of him, and then I brought you here.”

  “I felt like I was flying,” she remembered. “You saved me! And it was you that night on the bridge wasn’t it?” she demanded. She knew the truth; it was evident in her eyes.

  “Yes,” was all he could say.

  “How did you ‘take care’ of him?” She was surprisingly calm. “And who are these people?” She was looking around the room. Nick was glad to see that Phoenix had covered his wings with a long housecoat.

  “This is my father, Victor,” he said, motioning toward his father. “And this is Phoenix.”

  “What is going on here?” She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. “You said your father left when you were very young. What else have you been lying to me about?” Nick had known that Jules was an intuitive soul, and she was getting right to the heart of the matter. She didn’t like to beat around the bush.

  “I didn’t lie, exactly,” he stammered, looking at the floor. ”He did leave, and my aunt did raise me. He came back though. But first, I have to explain something to you, Jules. I am not what you think I am. None of us here are.” He pinched his fingers on his nose between his eyebrows. “How much do you know about paranormals?”

  “Not much,” she admitted. “But I don’t see how that can relate here.”

  “First, let me ask, do you believe in things you can’t always see? That things that couldn’t be real, are?”

  “I don’t know, I never thought about it much. Nick, what is going on? I don’t want to be
sitting here in the dark! Just tell me and get it over with!” she insisted, glowering. Nick felt something creep over him then and he wanted to tell her everything.

  “Ok, here it goes, but promise me you will listen to everything I have to say before you make any judgments.”

  “All right,” she pronounced the word much slower than necessary, raising her eyebrows slightly.

  “I am not exactly human.” He took a deep breath, “I am a vampire, well, half vampire. My mother was a human.” There. He had blurted it out.

  “A vampire.” She stated it again, raising one eyebrow, disbelief coloring her expression.

  “Yes. You know that there are vampires and other creatures. The world is full of creatures like me, my father, and others. For example, Phoenix is a true firebird.” He motioned in his direction.

  Jules deliberated on what he had told her, biting her bottom lip in calculation. That’s when he saw it. Anger flashed in her eyes, coloring them a vivid red before she even began to speak. Perhaps this was the fury I so rightly deserved.

  “Just tell me one thing,” she spat at him, leaping up on the bed into a standing position so fast the movement was almost nonexistent. She jabbed her index finger in his direction, “How damn stupid do you think I am? You have never felt the need to tell me what you are before now? I thought we were friends! I trusted you! And Firebirds! Have you lost your mind completely? Just what...”

  “Show her, Phoenix,” Nick interrupted her rampage.

  Phoenix raised himself slowly out of the chair he was sitting in, removing the housecoat he had used to cover his wings as he went. His long grey hair fell over his shoulders to reach his knees, and his face was solemn. He squared his shoulders and straightened his seven foot frame. He raised his head and spread his wings out behind him. Even though his orange and red wings were tattered looking, feathers sticking out in all directions, some even falling to the floor, it was still a magnificent sight. Jules stopped short at the sight of him and stood there on the bed with her mouth hanging open. Then Phoenix really turned up the performance. A slight shimmer spread across his wings as they turned to flame. Bright orange and yellow flames reached out from his back, more blue the closer it got to his body. His eyes glowed an even a brighter orange than before. Although Nick had seen this before, it was still every bit as breathtaking. He was truly a magnificent creature.