Phoenix Tonic

by Shelley Martin

  Malachi grunted as he adjusted his tie. “I don’t give a flying leap what Kallian says. I don’t follow his orders.”

  Hailey smiled a little. “You’re sweet, Malachi.”

  He shook his head. “You are not a prisoner. Please, go use the shower. Sleep in my office—”

  “I already told you I can’t.” She shook her head sadly. “I have to stay here for my family. I have to keep them safe from Markham.”

  A great sigh escaped Malachi as he sat next to her on the charred, fire-resistant mattress.

  His leg brushed hers and the contact made her jump inches to the right, away from him.

  He smiled sympathetically and scooted to his left a bit more. “Sorry.”

  She nodded.

  His head dipped as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know what he said seems awful, but the man is very protective of his family. You are as well, so I know you can understand his frustration. Perhaps the way he handled it was over the edge, but I know for a fact he really does like you. That’s why he had all your things brought here. He wanted you to be more comfortable.”

  She shook her head. “I’m unstable. My things were safe away from me, like my family. But, he brought them to the most dangerous place he could— my room.” She squeezed her eyes, trying to hide her despair. “We all know I’m dangerous. I’m sure he brought them here so I would wipe out what was left of my life. I have nothing now. Not even my high school diploma.”

  His jaw hung open. “The man is just an idiot. He really was—”

  “Thank you for your help, Malachi, but I’m done.” She turned her head away from him and struggled to keep her emotions down.

  A moment later the mattress shifted and his voice came from the doorway. “I’ll keep calling. I will fix this.”

  She nodded and he closed the door quietly. A moment later her body tipped to the bed and she rolled over against the wall. The tears threatened as she drew her knees to her chest. Her ash coated fingers slipped between where the mattress met the wall. They sunk deeper until the soft fabric tickled her fingers. The material came out slowly as she hid her treasure from the prying eyes of the camera.

  “I hate you,” she whispered to the charred, blue dress shirt. Her fingers tangled in the clothing as she pressed it to her face. Her heart raced as her lungs inhaled the bouquet of his scent. Like a drug, her body reacted to Kallian’s essence. It curled around the shirt, demanding heavier whiffs of him. The anger washed from her mind, and the fire that began to warm her body snuffed out.

  Ashamedly, she let herself go. She enjoyed the euphoric moment. He wasn’t physically there, so there was no anger of her body betraying her. This was the only time she was safe. All the anger that threatened to blaze forth disappeared under more powerful emotions, her body’s lust for him.

  But she knew the scent on the shirt would only last for so long. And once it faded, there would be only one place she could go. One place where she was guaranteed to no longer be a danger to anyone. Markham’s side.

  While lost in his scent, the thought didn’t seem that bad. But she knew it was. She could give back everything that had been taken from her family. She could ensure that she wouldn’t go to prison for burning up some innocent person. She suddenly understood why Kallian made marriage the condition for the tonic. His presence was the only place she wouldn’t exercise manslaughter.

  The only price was her true thoughts and emotions.

  She shoved the shirt back under the mattress as she worked everything out in her head. A wicked smile turned her lips up. He never said how long they had to be married.

  He’d blackmailed her parents, turned her into a lethal weapon, locked her away, stolen her will, falsely accused her of destroying his family, and made her incinerate every physical thing that was precious to her.

  If she did this, she was going to get even and run.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Malachi struggled to maintain control with his little brother. “You’d better have a good explanation, Kallian.”

  The line fell quiet for a moment, before Kallian responded to his brother. “If you could be a little more vague, that would be great.”

  Malachi’s brow drew together as he tried not to crush the phone in his hand. “I’m talking about Hailey. You’ve turned her into a prisoner. She had no idea who Redding was, and now she’s bathing from a bucket for God’s sake!”

  Malachi drummed his fingers angrily against his desk at another moment of his brothers’ silence.

  “Why is she bathing from a bucket?” His voice more concerned now.

  “Because you demanded that she stay in her room.” Malachi ground out the words for his brother. “You yelled at her and threatened to crush her family if she left. She barely made it back to her room before she exploded.” He paused, trying to calm himself. “Because of you, she destroyed everything she held dear, before she even knew it. And then, you abandoned her to her misery, all over a misunderstanding.”

  Kallian swore on the other end of the line. “I thought she’d forgive me once she saw all of her stuff… How is she?”

  Malachi frowned as he recalled the last image of her, before he shut down the cameras to give her privacy that night. “She’s curled up on her bed, sobbing into a shirt of yours.”

  “A shirt of mine?” He echoed with a hint of confusion.

  Malachi couldn’t believe Hailey, whom he regarded as a little sister, had been reduced to cowering from Kallian. And yet, she clung to an item of his. “Yes. Kira confirmed it’s been under the mattress the last several times she’s cleaned the room.” There was silence for another moment. “Did you not give her a shirt?”

  After a static moment Kallian’s amazed voice filled the line. “The first time I took her to my office, I draped my shirt around her. I can’t believe it. Dawn said she saw a shirt under her mattress, but I didn’t think…”

  Malachi wanted to hit his brother upside the back of his head. “You are an idiot. Get back here and fix this.”

  There was shuffling on Kallian’s side. “It will still be a few hours. Preparations to move the lab are in the works. The new site will be ready soon, then we can resume research on the drug after all the data gets transferred.”

  Malachi nodded. “Good. Make it quick.”

  ~***~

  Hours later, Kallian returned to Eden. The image of strong, spiteful Hailey, clutching his shirt, crying into it, made him feel like a fool. Maybe she didn’t hate him as much as he thought she did? Even after he yelled at her, even when she wasn’t in his presence, she sought out something of his.

  Kallian shook his head in wonder as he stood outside her door. She needed him. She probably didn’t even realize it herself. She didn’t want him, but she needed him. He struggled to keep his heart from speeding up. Maybe he did have a chance, after all?

  The latch clicked as he quietly opened the door. Light fell on the floor, illuminating her sleeping form. A soft, microfiber blanket partially covered her legs. Her delicate cheeks shone free of ash. Jeans and a simple white blouse hugged her curves. In this state, she seemed so small and fragile compared to the powerhouse she usually presented to him.

  The bucket in the middle of the room caught his eye and he grimaced. How could he have lost his temper like that? It was one thing to get angry, but to say words he didn’t mean was so unlike him.

  Without thinking, he strode forward and scooped her into his arms. Sitting on the bed, she folded herself against him, nuzzling her face into his neck. Her natural scent of strawberries and cream reminded him of the first time they met. It seemed so long ago, now.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear.

  Her hands tightened on his shirt, the nails biting into his skin. “I didn’t know,” she breathed. “I thought he worked here.”

  “I know.” His cheek rested atop her blond waves of hair. “Forgive me?”

  She shivered against him. He knew that being wrapped up in his touch and scent would m
ost likely drug her into agreeing with anything he said. But he needed to explain, and if this was how he had to do it, so be it. She deserved the truth.

  A moment later she nodded her head. “Okay.”

  Her soft acceptance melted his walls. His arms itched to curl her closer. His lips wanted to steal a kiss like those they shared before the she knew about the cancer. Perhaps he drugged her with the tonic, but she’d drugged him since the day they met. And now his anger had reduced her to that of a prisoner.

  He had to make up for this somehow. She needed to know what it was they were protecting. “I know you will probably hate me for this later, but I want to show you something. Will you come with me?”

  Her fingers flexed a few times before she nodded again.

  “Thank you.” His arms squeezed her for a moment. “Would you like to walk?” After she held him tighter he responded with a smile. “Or, if you’re too tired, I could carry you.” Another long pause later, she stood and walked out behind him.

  Her little naked feet on the white tile of the hallway brought a grin to his lips. He motioned for her to move forward and slowly she paced beside him. “When you’re around me, you’re so quiet. But when you’re not, you’re usually pretty talkative. I’d like to hear what’s on your mind when we’re together. I know your thoughts are colored by the tonic, and you might not feel the same way when we’re apart. But I’d still like to hear something from you. Like, what’s your favorite food? Surely the tonic hasn’t affected that.”

  A delicate blush fell on her cheeks as she answered, “Fettuccini Alfredo with grilled chicken.”

  He smiled. “Mmm. Good choice. I like a good steak, but I think my favorites are between grilled salmon with lemon or walnuts. I love walnuts.”

  She nodded as they approached a set of double doors. “I like cashews.”

  He paused with his thumb on an identity pad. Would this work? At this point he’d screwed the pooch so bad, nothing could make it worse. He just hoped she understood, even if she didn’t agree.

  A red light scanned his finger and the door locks released. “It’s sunrise, and this is the best time to visit this place. Most of the workers haven’t arrived yet.” He put his fingers on the handle and regarded her with assurance. “You’ve been through here before, but you were blindfolded. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with everything the tonic had done to you. But, beyond here are many lives that we’ve saved. This is what I’m fighting for, and I’d like to share it with you.”

  Her head tilted back to look up at him before her lovely lips parted. “Okay.”

  He nodded once and pushed the door open. “Welcome to Eden.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hailey’s eyes widened as she took in the lush, wild garden around her. The soft grass welcomed her bare feet, the clean and sweet scent filled her lungs. Exotic flowers nestled between rocks and burrows. Nets hung high overhead in the canopy, draped from one unfamiliar tree to the next. Fruits hung ripe and full, waiting to be plucked. Life infused with the green of the forest encompassed them.

  She reached out and stroked a leaf almost half her size. Kallian stood aside and let her wander at her own pace. She smelled the fragrant flowers and touched every plant that came within reach. Finally, she felt the tug of Kallian’s hand.

  She knew a part of her wanted to pull away. She understood he was a jerk earlier, but in this amazing moment, she stood in awe.

  “Come this way. There’s more.” He led her by the hand, through a grassy trail. They came to a stop at a brook that fed into a crystal clear pool. Without releasing her hand, he tapped a nearby eucalyptus tree. “Ian, Sapphire? Are you awake?”

  In the early morning light, Hailey squinted to see two shadows descend from the branches of the tree. At first they moved slowly, then they picked up speed as they shimmied down the trunk into the light.

  Hailey gasped as the koala bear reached out her arms to Kallian, and he tucked the little fur ball against his hip. “How are you this morning, Sapphire?”

  Another Koala perched on the trunk, holding his little claw out to Kallian. “Hailey, would you mind grabbing Ian? Sapphire’s got my hands full at the moment.”

  Wonder and excitement washed over Hailey as she stepped forward. “Will he let me?” The warm brown eyes appraised her over a large black nose. Ian shifted and held his claw out for her instead.

  Kallian smiled. “Ian and Sapphire are like you, they’ve taken the tonic.” Amazement snapped her head to look at him. “He can tell you’re like him. Everyone who takes the tonic is drawn to each other. He’ll never hurt you.”

  Seeing Sapphire nuzzled against him brought a sense of trust. It didn’t look like she would ever hurt Kallian. Tentatively, she released Kallian’s hand and reached for Ian.

  His paws wrapped around her arms and she drew him to her chest. He laid his great, fuzzy white ear against her beating heart and stilled. The moment sent joy spreading throughout her. She loved koalas, but she never dreamed she’d get to hold one.

  Then Redding’s words hit her. “Why would you drug the animals with the tonic?”

  Kallian smiled knowingly. “Ian fell from a tree as a baby. His little body was shattered. And Sapphire was found on the side of the road, in Australia. She had been hit by a car and wasn’t going to survive. The tonic, made with my blood, saved their life.”

  Hailey buried her face against the little animal before speaking again. Her arms encircled Ian as they had with her old stuffed animal. “What is it about your blood? How did you save them? And why aren’t they burning down the garden like I do?” Hailey’s eyes peered up to see his face. And her body froze. Behind Kallian, the body of a giant orange tiger swayed out of the greenery.

  Kallian stared at her as Hailey’s eyes locked behind him. He turned in time to meet the crush of the feline head to his hip. “Good morning, Sphinx.” His hand trailed along the length of her back as she sauntered by and rubbed against Hailey’s side as well.

  Her body tensed, but adrenaline didn’t fill her system. Instead, a welcome rush of kinship coursed through her. Internally, she could feel a connection to the predator as much as she did with Ian. Her questioning gaze met Kallian’s soft smile. The moment stretched out as Hailey lost herself in his gaze. He used to look at her so often in that way.

  Clearing her throat, she tore her gaze from his. “Guess I just figured out why this place is called Eden. There’s so much I don’t know. The connection with each other here… It’s so peaceful.”

  He nodded, still stroking Sapphire. “I didn’t know my blood would do this to animals. But it’s important we keep this place and our connection secret, for obvious reasons.”

  A distant memory evoked a realization. “That’s what we were doing in New Zealand last year? You were going to do this to another animal?”

  He smiled. “Yes. There was a wallaby that had been shot. But after surgery, she survived, so the tonic wasn’t needed.”

  Hailey blushed, rubbing her cheek against Ian’s ear. “Well, now I feel stupid.”

  Markham’s brow creased. “Oh, no. Why do you feel stupid?”

  She buried her face deeper, trying to control the heat in her face. “I always assumed you made up the whole animal rescue thing to sweep me away to New Zealand, and spoil me.” She closed her eyes, desperately not wanting to see his reaction. “Guess I was pretty clueless.”

  “No, Hailey,” his intoxicating tones caressed and comforted her. “I was the clueless one. What I did was truly awful, and I pray, one day, you will be able to forgive me.”

  Hailey didn’t know what to say to him, so she said nothing at all. After a moment, his voice continued.

  “I’m an anomaly in my family. There is something in my blood that’s more potent than theirs. Because of it, saving their lives is possible.” He looked up to the tree tops where a whooping and chattering drew his attention. A spider monkey descended and landed on Kallian’s head. He chuckled and positioned Sapphire back on her tree. T
he little brown and white monkey crawled down to his shoulder and looked at Hailey, quizzically.

  “This is Cinnamon.” He grinned as she attempted to groom his playful hair. “She ate some rat poison. But, her recovery was remarkable. She’s pretty possessive of me. And she’s also our local escapee. If I’m not here, she’s always trying to get to me. We’re trying to find a mate for her in hopes that will settle her down.”

  Hailey could feel her face warm with a blush. “Are they all like that, with you?” Her blush deepened. “Like me?”

  Kallian smiled shyly this time, color tinting his cheeks a touch. “Uh, no. Not exactly. They are drawn to me, but, ah, not in that way. Our genetic difference is too great, thank goodness.” He knelt as he spoke, petting a happy black wolf and the peacock that trotted up beside him. “We are actually hoping that different animals might have the opposite reaction to me. Or, rather, that they retain their natural wildness, and are not drawn to me. If we can find a species that shuns me, then we can manipulate it’s genetics for humans. Then they wouldn’t have to go through what you are suffering.”

  He stood up with a ball python slithering over his bicep. “It would be nice to save people without all of them, uh, wanting to be with me.” He uncoiled the reptile and welcomed a red tail hawk. “And then there’s the fire. That’s why we need an animal’s DNA as well. They don’t take on that element, though humans do.”

  Hailey wondered at all the wildlife flocking to him. “So, you can’t return them to the wild, because they’ve become too docile?”

  Kallian shook his head slowly. “The animals are only like this toward each other and us. With the animal handlers, they still bite and scratch and act like any wild animal would. So we must assume they would be fine once released. The problem is their blood. What if a wild eagle ate the python? Or a wolf snacked on my cotton tail? What would happen to the predator? Would they be altered? Perhaps it would twist the tonic into a strain and create a super species.” He shook his head. “There are just too many unanswered questions concerning my friends. But we need their DNA, so I’m not willing to stop saving them yet. With each new species saved, we may unlock the cure for AIDS, auto-immune diseases, even cancer.”