More than a Phoenix

by Ashlyn Chase

  Now that she had a few moments to breathe and with Dante stroking her forehead, she regrouped. She concentrated on her human form and felt her torso, arms, and legs expand. Dante shuffled back a foot or so, then helped her up.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. When she tried her voice, she sounded like a scared little girl. “I’m fine.” She cleared her throat and tried again, this time with more conviction. “I’m fine. Really. Thank you.”

  “Okay. Shall we go back out there? I’m sure a lot of people want to see that you’re okay.”

  “Yes. I should show everyone I’m all right.”

  As she walked toward the door, Dante splashed the back of her skirt with his champagne.

  She whirled on him. “Why did you do that?”

  “Because when someone has a seizure, they lose control of their whole body. You don’t want people to think you faked it, do you?”

  “I don’t want people to think I peed myself either!”

  “Well, I’m sorry. That’s the embarrassing part.”

  She hung her head. “Great. Just great.”

  Chapter 10

  Kizzy had to give in and admit the threat was very real. She trusted Ruth’s intuition, and her psychic alarms were going off big-time.

  Even though her father’s idea seemed ridiculous, she hadn’t been able to come up with anything better to require an emergency leave of absence while staying home. So here she sat, blind and interviewing a werewolf, who planned to protect her by posing as her seeing-eye dog.

  She didn’t like it, but she insisted on putting the spell on herself. If anyone had done it for her, she might not know how to reverse the blindness properly. She would only feel okay with this crazy idea if she had total control over how and when she could see again. Still, the whole thing rankled. “This is stupid. Why can’t I just pretend to be blind?”

  Kizzy’s father sighed loudly.

  “Have you met you?” Ruth asked. “You’re not the best actress.”

  “And blindness is a very difficult thing to fake,” her father added.

  “I know.”

  The werewolf spoke up. “It’s very normal to distrust someone you’ve just met. Putting your faith in me to keep you safe while you’re completely blind is asking a lot.”

  He had been introduced to her before she went blind, and the six-foot-three blond hulk could probably protect her very well. But when he became a wolf, would she need protection from him?

  “I don’t doubt that you can keep me safe. But what about the full moon?”

  “You will stay inside with me on the full moon,” her father said.

  “And Mr. Wolfensen?”

  “I’ll be with my pack.”

  That was not reassuring. She didn’t know where his pack went on those nights, and thinking about it made her a little nervous. What if she accidentally wound up there some evening?

  “Where is your pack?” she asked.

  “They run a private school out in the suburbs.”

  That wasn’t the answer she’d expected. Werewolves running a private school? Unless…there were little werewolves who needed an education. Oh dear. She was feeling more and more vulnerable. As a witch, she realized the supernatural world was real, but every time she learned the truth about some paranormal legends, it blew her mind anyway.

  “Keep in mind that I’m trusting you too. A witch could do some damage if she wanted to.”

  Kizzy snorted. “It’s not like I’m going to point my wand in the wrong direction and accidentally zap you with it.”

  “I don’t know many witches. The ones I know are sweet as can be, most of the time. But like anyone else, they have their moments.”

  “Have any of them tried to harm you?”

  “No. Not at all. In fact, the only one I know well told me there was some kind of rule against it. Something called the rule of three, I think.”

  Kizzy nodded. “Yes. That’s one karmic kick in the acorns. Most witches have to worry about the type of magic they do. If at any point they attempt black magic, it will backfire on them three times.”

  “Ouch,” he said. “That seems excessive.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “You said most witches? Does that mean you’re not affected?”

  “I’ve never tested the theory, and I don’t intend to.” Kizzy stated a fact, but it may have come out sounding a little intense.

  “Good. I feel safer already.” Mr. Wolfensen chuckled.

  “Protection and healing spells are my specialty,” Kizzy said. “My sister’s talents lie in the psychic and female empowerment areas.”

  “So who takes care of male empowerment?” he asked.

  “I do,” Dr. Samuels said. “I pay you, don’t I?”

  She sensed a smile in his voice, so she knew he was kidding. At least she hoped he was. Her father wasn’t usually that arrogant.

  “How long do you think this will go on?” Kizzy asked. “I reinforced all the wards around the book.”

  “I don’t know. I wish I did.” That was Ruth speaking.

  Thank goodness everyone’s voice was distinctive. In a crowded room with strangers, she wouldn’t know who was speaking or to whom. Yup. The ER was definitely a no-go.

  “Have you been able to find out anything new or specific about this threat, Ruthie?” her father asked.

  “I tried some divination. I saw two men in my black mirror. I didn’t know either of them, but I would recognize them if I saw them standing in front of me.”

  “I’d ask you to describe them, but you’d be wasting your breath on me,” Kizzy said.

  “I don’t think you’ve told Mr. Wolfensen yet.”

  “You’re right. I should. After all, if you answer the door instead of our housekeeper, you need to know who to bite.”

  “Bite? You’re expecting me to answer the door in wolf form?”

  Ruth giggled. “I don’t know what you can or can’t do in your other form.”

  “Well, I won’t have opposable thumbs, so turning a doorknob is tricky.”

  This whole conversation was getting too weird for Kizzy. “I think I’ll go try to find the bathroom.” She used her cane to tap her way around the coffee table and check the path in front of her as she navigated her way to the stairs.

  Once she had hold of the handrail, she was fine. Walking upstairs, she realized she didn’t know how many stairs there were. She should’ve counted them. When she got to the top, she took an extra step and felt like she was about to topple over when her foot came down and didn’t land on anything but air.

  She sighed. I can do this. I have to do this. Look for the silver lining, Kizzy. The only silver lining, besides a long overdue vacation, was the possibility of learning what her newly blinded patients were going through.

  * * *

  Noah and Dante sat at their kitchen table, each deep in thought. Noah hadn’t told Dante about breaking up with Kizzy yet, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. The whole situation really sucked. He knew she was in some kind of danger, but she clearly didn’t want him involved.

  At last, Dante broke the silence.

  “Thanks for coming to Mallory’s show, man. I know she appreciated it.”

  “How’s she doing, by the way?”

  Dante shrugged. “Well, the gallery owner suggested an alternative to the whole fine art, gallery-showing scene. It made a lot of sense. I was surprised Mallory was open to it, but I guess she took the advice in the spirit it was intended.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Art therapy. Helen said it was because she was so good at putting her emotions on canvas, but Mal suspected it was to get a little free therapy of her own.”

  “Mal? You’re calling her Mal now? That’s a guy’s name.”

  Dante smirked. “No, to her
face, I call her honey, babe, and sweetheart.”

  Noah smiled wistfully. “So, things are going well for you two.” He couldn’t help being a little envious, but at least one of them was happy.

  “Yeah. Really well. We’ve talked about me moving in with her at some point.”

  “Wow!” Noah chewed his lip as he thought about what to say. “I—I know we’ve had our differences, but don’t move out because of me. I really feel bad about giving you a hard time. I’ve come around. You two make a good couple.”

  Dante smiled. “Thanks, Bro. I appreciate that. I’m not going to do anything rash. It’s just something to think about.”

  “Okay. Good. I’m not going anywhere, so there’s no need to rush into anything.”

  “So…uh…we were thinking that maybe Kizzy could give Mallory a few leads on art therapy jobs. Apparently, these jobs are hard to come by, and she might have some connections.”

  Oh crap. “I…uh…I’m not seeing Kizzy anymore.”

  Dante’s spine straightened. “What? I thought you really liked her.”

  “I did. I mean, I do. She’s just going through some family shit right now. It’s not a good time for a relationship.”

  “Okay, so don’t be in a relationship. Try just being her friend. It sounds like she might need one.”

  “I—I don’t think she wants me involved.”

  “So don’t get involved. Just keep the lines of communication open. When stuff settles, and I’m sure it will, you’ll still have a friendship. At least call her and ask how she’s doing. Where would Mallory and I be if I just dropped her like a rock?”

  Noah leaned back and crossed his arms. Her brush-off seemed pretty firm, but he really would like to stay in touch with Kizzy, more than just hitting the like button on a Facebook post—although she hadn’t posted anything there for a while. “You know, maybe asking her about a job for Mallory would be a good excuse to at least call her.” And figure out if she’s done with me for now or forever.

  “Now you’re talking,” Dante said.

  Noah got up and disconnected his cell phone from its charger. “Here goes nuthin’…”

  Fortunately, Kizzy did have her phone, thanks to him. After a few rings, he heard her voice, sounding harried as she puffed, “Hello.”

  “Hi, Kizz. Did you have to run for the phone?”

  “Uh, yeah. Sort of. Hi, Noah. What’s up?”

  “I’m actually calling for a favor. I mean, if you can handle it right now. I want to help out my brother’s girlfriend. She’s looking for a job as an art therapist. We thought you might know someone who could use an apprentice.”

  “Oh. I…uh…I don’t know if I can do much for her right now. I mean, I wouldn’t be able to write a letter of recommendation…”

  “Yeah. No, I’m not asking for anything like that. Just a lead, if you have one. Someone she can call.”

  “Okay. The psych ward at the hospital might have some suggestions. They refer people to day care programs all the time.”

  “Day care? We’re talking about adults, right?”

  She laughed. “Yes. That’s a terrible name for it. Outpatient care or aftercare might be better.”

  “Okay. So she should ask the psych department about outpatient care. That’s a great idea. Who should she ask for?”

  “Um, I don’t get up there very often. And actually, I’m not working right now anyway. You’d be best just asking for the social work supervisor.”

  “You’re not working? Why? I mean, if it’s not too personal a question. I’m just asking as a friend. I won’t tell anyone.”

  She sighed. “I know, and in a way, I’d like to talk about it. It’s really weird.”

  “Weird is my specialty.”

  Her soft chuckle reassured him—somewhat.

  “Okay, you can’t share this with anyone. Not even Dante. Swear.”

  He didn’t dare hesitate, even though he knew his brother, with his paranormal senses, could hear every word. “I swear I won’t repeat anything you tell me.”

  “Good. Here’s the weird part. I’m blind, and medical science can’t fix it.”

  Noah was stunned. “Blind? As in, you can’t see anything?”

  “Yeah. A real pain-in-the-asphalt for an ER doc.”

  He loved how she reworded bad language to keep it PG. She must have learned that from working in a very public setting.

  “I’m sorry. That’s got to be—disturbing!”

  “You got that right.”

  “Do you think it could be temporary?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Is there anything I can do? You know, as a friend. Can I shop for you or anything?”

  “That’s sweet, but the housekeeper does the shopping.”

  “Oh.” What could he say? Her father obviously didn’t like him, so a visit was out. “Can I call you once in a while? Just so you can talk to someone, if you need to?”

  She hesitated but at last relented. “Sure. Not too often though. I had a heck of a time finding my phone before it went to voicemail, and I bumped my shin in the process.”

  “Ouch. That’s why you were breathing funny.”

  “Yeah, I was trying not to yell or curse under my breath.”

  He chuckled. “You can curse to me anytime.”

  “Well, I don’t want to get into the habit. I may go back to work eventually.”

  “I hope so.”

  “You and me both.”

  * * *

  A few days later, Kizzy was going stir-crazy, just sitting around the house with nothing to do—or see. Her father was at work. She envied his power of invisibility. He rarely used it, but he felt it gave him enough of an advantage so he didn’t need to worry about being followed by whomever was after the book.

  Her sister didn’t seem to mind staying home. Her fiancé liked it too. He said the house was cleaner. She could almost hear Ruth’s eyes roll.

  She could clean the house too—if she could see it! At least her sister had found a case for her phone that had a wrist strap. She could keep it with her more easily that way. But she couldn’t call and bother Ruth again. They had just talked for an hour.

  Nick Wolfensen had gone home to have lunch with his wife and daughter. He seemed to go back and forth in a jiffy. She’d heard he lived on Beacon Hill but couldn’t figure out how he got there and back to Brookline so fast. Maybe he had more than one paranormal secret?

  Fortunately, someone picked that moment to call. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Kizzy. It’s Noah. How are you?”

  “Oh, you know. Blind. But in some ways, I see a lot more.”

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  “Like what a good friend you are. Nobody from the hospital has called to see how I am.”

  “Nobody?”

  “Nope. Not a nurse. Not a secretary. Not a janitor. No one.”

  “Jeez, that’s not right. You’d probably have thought to call them if one of your coworkers suddenly went blind.”

  “Uh, no. That’s one of the things I actually saw. How much I let life interfere with important things like friendships or just plain courtesy.”

  “I guess I know what you mean. I should call my brother. I don’t see him much anymore. If something happened to him, I wouldn’t know about it.”

  “But I thought you two were roommates and on the same schedule.”

  “He’s spending a lot of time at Mallory’s house. He’s even thinking of moving in with her.”

  “Oh! That’s…nice?”

  Noah chuckled. “Yeah. That was my initial reaction. It’s fast, but they seem to be crazy about each other, so I guess it’s a good thing.”

  After a brief hesitation, Kizzy asked, “Where are you?”

  “At home. Why?”

  “Are you busy?”
>
  “Nah. I’m just puttering around the lab.”

  “The lab?”

  “Yeah. I’m building a chem lab in our spare bedroom. I know, I know. That makes me sound like a total geek.”

  “No, it sounds interesting. Really interesting!” After a brief hesitation, she said, “I’m going stir-crazy. I wish I could come over.”

  “You can. Of course. I’ll come and get you. Dante has the car, but I can call an Uber and be there in half an hour or so.”

  “No, I can do the same thing. I just need your address and directions.”

  “But you’re blind! It’s no problem, honest. I can come and get you. Or visit there. We can play it by ear. Maybe you just need a distraction.”

  “Okay.”

  He was a good friend and would probably understand if she said she wasn’t really blind but had to come up with an excuse to suddenly stay at home. But how would she explain why she needed to stay at home. She couldn’t very well say, “Well, we have this book to protect, and I needed an immediate leave of absence without being able to say when I would be back—so I spelled myself.”

  She was sick of the whole thing. The book was fine. It was behind so many reinforced wards, nobody outside her family would be able to take it. Even Mr. Wolfensen—who would be back any minute—couldn’t touch it unless a family member handed it to him. She wished he didn’t have to hang around while she visited with Noah. He hadn’t asked about her love life at all, but the guy was working for her father, not her. And her father didn’t approve.

  Maybe she could send him on an errand. She wanted to be alone with the handsome firefighter. The admission surprised her. There was probably something wrong with this plan, but she had nothing else. She said goodbye to Noah, relieved that their friendship had survived.

  * * *

  Strolling hand in hand through the South End, Mallory listened as Dante tried again to talk her into calling her parents.

  “I can’t. Seriously. They’re on a construction site.”

  “Don’t they have cell phones?”

  “Yeah, but they don’t work well in the middle of the Amazon rain forest.”

  Dante shook his head. “Don’t you miss them? I mean, I’d miss my parents if I hadn’t seen or heard from them for a couple of months.”