“That’s it!” Heidi proclaimed. Phoenix jumped a little at her sudden happiness. “That’s what you remind me of! The sunrise! Your wings are the color of the morning sun!” She was beaming.
“Huh, I never thought of it that way, but I guess you’re right.” He remarked.
“I knew I had seen it before, but I never thought about the sun! I was thinking about all the different creatures we have come across, not something so simple. You really are good, aren’t you?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying all along,” he told her.
“And your eyes! They look like little suns over a desert. Your skin is the color of desert sand! It’s like you were made from nature.” She was staring intently into his orange eyes. No one ever really looked at his eyes for long, as they were a very strange color. It made most people uncomfortable. “You are beautiful, Phoenix. I guess you know that, and I knew that, but, I just realized how true it really is.”
“It’s always nice to hear,” was all he could think of to say.
“Your eyes, they shimmer a little. I never noticed before. Do they always do that?”
She was still staring into his eyes as if she could see all the way into his soul. He stared back into her nearly black eyes for an immeasurable moment before responding, “Yes, they do.”
“I told you about me, will you tell me your story? I mean, about how you got here?”
“I already told you about my family. Remember, we are meeting them here?”
“No, before that. How old are you? Where are you from? Things like that.”
“I am three weeks old,” he grinned.
“Don’t be a smart ass. I only met you three weeks ago. Won’t you tell me?” Her eyes pleaded with him and in light of the information she just divulged to him, he figured it was only fair.
“I don’t know how old I am. I have died many times. As far as I know, I am as old as time. I remember things as far back as the dark times, when humans lived in caves and hunted animals with rocks and sharpened tree limbs for food and clothing. I don’t recall any time before humans, so that may be an indicator. I have seen and lived in many cultures, many societies. I do not remember every time of my life, as memory fades with time. I know that I have been seen by humans many times over the course of time, and they make up what they will about me. Hence, the legend of the phoenix. I do know that the legends about me started in India, so I think that may be where I am from. That is where I like to believe I’m from, anyway.”
“Are there others like you?” Heidi asked him, amazement in her eyes.
“I have never met another like me. As far as I know, I am the only one,” he told her, his voice sadder than he wanted it to be.
“That is so sad,” she replied. “Have you never had a mate, then? I mean, do you date or have any type of relationship? You must, being around so long.”
“No, I have never found any creature I wanted to have any kind of real relationship with. I tried to date once, but it didn’t work out. I gave up on the idea a long time ago.”
“But, it must be so lonely for you,” she continued. “You shouldn’t give up on love. It is what makes the world a place worth protecting. Surely you see that.”
“I have, and I have seen love do great things. But never for me. I am doomed to watch everyone else find their soul mate. It is something I accepted a long time ago.”
“How can you say that? How could our God create someone so beautiful and not create a mate for him? I bet you will find her someday, she may not be like you, but she’s out there. You just have to keep your eyes open so you don’t miss her.” She smiled while she talked. Her optimism was oddly comforting. She looked up at the sky and after a moment added, “You may want to put your coat back on, it won’t be long before people are up and outside. Wouldn’t want anyone freaking out.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Phoenix shrugged into the sleeves of his coat just about the same time he heard an engine roaring in the distance. It was unmistakable. Michelle was nearly there. She knew to meet us in the gardens, and it would only be a matter of minutes before she arrived.
Heidi smiled to herself as she heard it too. She was very close to her sister, and their love for each other was evident as the noses on their faces. Phoenix sometimes they were telepathic with the way one always seemed to know what the other was thinking and the way they finished each other’s sentences. Of course, many siblings were like that and they were closer than most. He tried to put the story Heidi told him behind them, to forget about it until some other time when it would be easier to deal with, but it wasn’t easy. Phoenix wanted to kill him. He vowed silently to himself that one day, he would.
Michelle bounded out from around a corner, interrupting his internal contemplation.
“Bonjour, mes amis,” she laughed, doing a little curtsey.
“Well, it’s about time!” Heidi snorted, her arms crossed over her chest. “Do you know how long we have been here? I had to sit and talk to Phoenix!” She was feigning distaste, but her black eyes were laughing.
“I am so sorry, dear sister, I forgot my watch. And I didn’t use the turbo on my bike!”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Phoenix rebutted, applying the appropriate amount of disgust. He couldn’t hide his smile, though and they knew it. “Let’s get going, it’s nearly time to meet the others; we have just enough time to walk there. We could have already been there if we didn’t have to wait on Michelle!”
Michelle gave him a light punch on the arm, but started walking. Heidi made no mention to Michelle that he knew their story, and he didn’t either. He didn’t know if it was something Michelle would approve of, and he didn’t want to cause any trouble between the sisters.
When they arrived at L’arc de Triomphe, Jules and Nick were already there, sitting on a stone bench. That was one of the great things about Paris, there was always somewhere to sit. The sun was rising faster now, turning the sky a brilliant blue. Jules was wearing a long sleeved dress, her dark hair cascading down her back. She met Phoenix’s eyes at once, then her eyes swept over the two women at his sides. She smiled, and the sunlight glinted off her teeth. She made a stunning vampire, he thought, and she had wiggled herself firmly into his heart.
“Heidi, Michelle, I would like to introduce you to my family.” He could feel the tension rolling off both women in almost visible waves. “This is Jules, my friend, and honorary sister,” he said without pausing to acknowledge their angst. “And this is Nicolas, my brother for all intents and purposes.” Nick was wearing a sensible pair of jeans and a brown sweater. His curly blonde hair was tied back behind his neck, as it usually was. Phoenix could feel the calm Nick was sending their way, and he was certain the sisters could too. That was Nick’s gift. He could influence emotions. He also felt other’s emotions. Phoenix was completely honest with them about his family’s gifts, so he knew there wouldn’t be any surprises.
Jules stepped forward first, extending her hand to Michelle. “I am so happy to meet you,” she smiled.
Michelle glanced at her sister, who nodded once for encouragement, before taking Jules’s hand. “I am Michelle. It is nice to meet you.”
“And I am Heidi,” Heidi smiled as she introduced herself to Jules and Nick, taking each of their hands without any discernable hesitation. She showed no aversion to touching them and Phoenix sighed a breath of relief. “Phoenix has told us so much about you,” she continued. “Where is the rest of your family?”
Michelle was not so easily persuaded. “Would you please stop that?” she barked. She was staring right at Nick. “We agreed to meet because Phoenix assured us you were of no danger to us or anyone else. That doesn’t mean we aren’t a little uneasy. I, personally, prefer to feel my own feelings.” True to form, Michelle told it like she saw it.
“I’m so sorry, I thought it would make this, er. easier,” Nick replied. He tried to hide the embarrassment, but not before Phoenix saw the emotion flicker over his face before he had time to hide i
t. He was truly a kind soul.
“It’s ok, forgive my sister, she has no brain-mouth filter. Phoenix has told us about you, and I expected it. I really don’t mind not feeling so anxious,” Heidi said apologetically.
Jules opened her mouth as if to add to that thought, but then she caught the sight of Victor and Rachel sauntering up the sidewalk. They were Nick’s only blood family. Nick even looked enough like both of them. Victor was his father, and they shared the same strong nose and jaw. Rachel was his aunt, his mother’s sister. She had the same eyes as her sister, the same eyes Nick had. They were holding hands as they walked, and seemed to be lost in their own conversation. Rachel’s auburn hair hung gently over her shoulders and bounced slightly with each step. She wore an ankle length wool dress. Victor was wearing black slacks and a green sweater. The color set off his light brown eyes.
The introduction to Victor and Rachel went much the same as with Nick and Jules, and they all went to sit down to wait for Kelly.
It wasn’t long before the two women Phoenix had come to care for seemed to fit right in with his family. They all sat together at a round table in front of a small café. Phoenix was scarfing down some kind of sweet pastry and the sisters were nibbling on blueberry muffins, all of them sipping coffee. Yeah, vampires don’t eat, but they could handle a cup of coffee or a glass of wine once in a while. They could clearly see the Arc from their seats and they watched for Kelly as they ate and made small talk. Jules had called home to introduce the sisters to the rest of the family. They enjoyed a group chat over the speaker phone. The sisters loved the fact that Jared, a talented shape shifter, and Andrew, human, were a couple. Michael won them over with his humor and charisma. Jolice seemed to win over the sisters as well. Jolice was a very kind and gentle soul, and it showed in the sound her voice. She was a witch of the most gentle nature, her top priorities were protection and knowledge.
Even though the meeting seemed to be going better than he dared to hope for, Phoenix still felt a bit uneasy. He was waiting for it to all become too much. He waited for the point which the sisters could handle no more. The running and screaming. Or in their case, the killing. Damn, he hoped it didn’t come to that. But it never came. They accepted his family with grace and finesse.
At around eleven a.m. Jules finally spotted her daughter walking their way. Phoenix turned in the direction of their approach and was taken back. He felt like he had all the air punched out of his lungs. He forcefully dragged a breath into his body as his super keen eyes took in the sight coming his way. Kelly was absolutely beautiful. Sure, he had seen pictures of her, but damned if any of them did her justice. In person, there was something about her. Something a camera couldn’t ever capture. She had a light about her. Not the kind a shape-shifter has, this was something entirely different. It was the kind that drew his attention at first glance. It was the kind of light that kept, no, commanded his attention to stay on her. It was surreal. It shined right out from her center and formed an aura all around her. She seemed to be approaching in slow motion. At least, to Phoenix she did. There was a slight skip in her step, a gentle wave of her arms as she walked. She was happy. For some damned reason that made him exceptionally happy. He wanted her to be happy and it wasn’t just because she was Jules’s daughter. He immediately felt the urge to protect her at all costs. He didn’t understand why, but Phoenix knew in that moment that he would give his life for her over and over again without hesitation.
Jules waved and Kelly waved back, acknowledging our presence. Kelly wore faded and ripped blue jeans, a snug black long sleeved shirt, and a pair of combat style boots. She was petite and the same height as her mother, which meant Phoenix would stand almost two feet taller than her. Her hair was light blonde, standing out from her petite head in all directions in a wonderfully disheveled way. Her eyes were an intense blue, and shined even at a distance. Of course, he could see clearly from where he sat because he had the eyes of a bird, sort of. Raptor vision, he liked to call it.
It was only after he had drank in every detail of Kelly that Phoenix even noticed that there was a man who walked beside her. He was taller than she was but still shorter than Phoenix. Hell, everyone was shorter than Phoenix. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He wore leather pants and a leather jacket over a black shirt. There was some kind of tattoo on the side of his neck. Was it a mating mark? Phoenix’s stomach curled up tight and the urge to punch him right in his stupid face became nearly unstoppable. He managed to shove it down, but just barely. He kept repeating to himself that the idiot was only inked and not mated. Certainly not to Kelly. It would have been a shame to take his head off right there in the square. He looked closer. The man looked like any other French man, except the unmistakable aura around him. Phoenix knew he was a demon, but did Kelly? He could see the furrow in mystery ink man’s forehead forming as he got a look at the crew waiting to meet him. The tension in his body was evident in the way he moved. Good. He needed to be wary of Phoenix right then. He didn’t trust him, and it wasn’t just because he was walking beside Kelly. There was something very wrong going on there. He glanced over at Nick, and from the expression on his face, Phoenix knew he was right.
Ink man with Kelly tightened his grip on her hand and pulled them both to a stop. He was saying something to her. Even though Phoenix couldn’t hear it, Jules and the other vampires could. “He’s telling her that this is not a good idea. He’s saying they will be in danger. He doesn’t want to come over any closer. Since he hasn’t said why, I’m betting Kelly doesn’t know about him. He doesn’t want to tell her.” Jules explained.
“Maybe I can help,” Heidi said, “I’ll go talk to him. Maybe if a human tells him it’s ok, he will come.” Phoenix sat with his mouth open, as did Michelle. Heidi never failed to surprise him. The way she took all of this in stride was amazing.
“Thank you so much,” Jules told her. “They are arguing now. Kelly is telling him to stop being difficult, and if he didn’t want to meet us, he should have never agreed to. She’s mad. I bet she whacks him!” Phoenix could see the pride in her eyes. Apparently, her daughter had a strong personality, just like Jules.
All Phoenix wanted was for that man to stop interfering so Kelly could finally get over to where she was supposed to be. With him. Wait, what? No, not with him. With her family. And him. Shit, he shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? The one thing Phoenix knew for certain was that Ink man really needed to shut the fuck up. He shook his head again. He needed to back off a touch. So far, that man had done nothing other than walk beside Kelly. Phoenix didn’t really understand the sudden and fierce possessiveness he felt toward her, but it was there and he really needed to get a handle on his emotions before he went off and toasted the fucker like yesterday’s bread.
Heidi approached the two young people cautiously. When she was close enough to talk, she did. Phoenix didn’t need Jules to tell him what was being said. He imagined Heidi was explaining to the man that it was ok, and no one would be in any danger. He knew he had been right when the three of them began walking once again in their direction. Jules let out an audible sigh and Nick looked at her with a confused expression. Jules only shook her head and turned her attention back to her daughter.
Jules was the first to stand up. She smiled widely at her daughter and held her arms open. Naturally, Kelly ran into her mother’s waiting arms. Everyone was smiling until Kelly cautiously pulled away from Jules. She broke physical contact with her mother completely. She looked, really looked at her mother’s face for the first time in months. The difference did not escape Kelly’s gaze.
“Mom?” she started, almost whispering, “what happened? You look....different.” Phoenix could tell that Kelly was choosing her words carefully. Jules was different than she remembered. Her skin was smooth and even and her eyes were blue at this moment, though quickly turning grey with worry. Her teeth were brilliant and sharp, although one had to get a lot closer to notice the last part. “Did you get contacts, or, somethin
g?”
“I have much to explain to you, darling, but not here. Not now.” Jules was taken aback by her daughter’s sudden standoff demeanor. They had all expected it, but it didn’t make it hurt Jules any less. They could all see the hurt in her eyes. “I have changed, a lot, but I am still your mother. I am still the woman who raised you.”
Kelly’s expression softened a little, and she hugged her mother once more. “I’m sorry Mom, it just surprised me is all.” Kelly turned to her boyfriend, who was calmer now, thanks to Nick, Phoenix was certain, and said, “Guys, this is Stephan. Stephan, this is my mother, Jules, and this is everyone else.” She motioned around to encompass everyone with a wave of her hand.
“I’m sorry baby,” Jules said, “This is my new husband, Nick.” she held Nick’s hand and pulled him forward.
“Hey. Mom told me about you,” Kelly said slyly, raising one blonde eyebrow. “She said you were, oh, what were the words?” Kelly rolled her eyes up as if looking for the answer in the top of her head, “Oh right, ‘an impressive hunk of man meat.’ That’s what she said.” Kelly said to Nick, smiling. Her smile was beautiful. Pink pouty lips over straight white teeth. Phoenix wondered what they would taste like and then gave himself a mental slap.
If Nick could have blushed any harder he would have needed to feed in order to put his blood back where it belonged instead of in his face. “It’s an honor to meet you, Kelly. I want you to know that I love your mother with all my heart, and I will spend my entire life devoted to her happiness,” he said, taking Kelly’s hand.
Jules introduced each family member to Kelly, one at a time. When she got to Phoenix, Kelly stared into his eyes. Again, another human not totally freaked out by the strange color. “You have the most fascinating eyes!” she said to him. “I’ve never seen eyes like yours before. They’re so cool. Are they contacts?”
Phoenix_A Forbidden Love Novel, The Boston Clan Page 3