Phoenix Tonic

by Shelley Martin

  The worst part was the bad guy, Redding, had told her more than all those who were trying to do “what was best for her.”

  A sharp left turn of the car sent Markham’s body lurching forward. Hailey leapt from her seat and braced her body against his. Her new-found strength caught his rolling momentum easily. “Oh, no you don’t.” She adjusted him back in a safe position. “Now, you stay put.”

  His breathing remained slow and steady through the ordeal. How could he not wake up after so much abuse? Her heart slowed as the memory of him resting returned from the far reaches of her mind. She used to watch him sleep in what seemed a lifetime ago. She remembered laying her head on his chest, riding the steady rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat. She used to think he was the most magical thing in the world. Maybe her first assessment of him wasn’t so far off?

  “What are you hiding from me?” She brushed the strands of hair from his contented face. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Kallian.”

  ~***~

  Kallian’s head screamed. He cradled his forehead in his hands until the spike of pain passed.

  “Here, drink this.”

  The cool edge of ice water flowed between his lips and he gulped greedily. His drained and sticky body refused to fully obey. He hated this part, the slow degeneration of his body. The weakness humiliated him. Not to mention the danger, since he could barely defend himself. “Thank you.”

  He was about to roll over when her soft, sweet voice came to him again. “You lost a lot of fluids. I have some soup for you, too. I couldn’t remember what you liked so I made chicken noodle.”

  Kallian’s eyes fluttered open to see his beautiful Hailey hovering over him. “You’re not Kira.”

  She smiled. “Thank goodness for that, huh?”

  He couldn’t agree more. She held out a tray of soup and he struggled to sit up. “How long have I been out?”

  “Half a day.” Her gaze lifted toward the window. “It’s already dark outside.”

  Half the day? What did I miss? The trip to Eden came back to him. And the plane ride home. He studied the food in front of him— a simple white bowl of homemade soup, a tall glass of milk, and a stack of saltine crackers. Even the silverware rested on a clean, white napkin. She sure put some effort into making his dinner nice. “You’re not trying to poison me again, are you?” He smiled at her and she actually grinned back.

  “No. This is untainted food.” Her fingers tugged at the top sheet hugging his body, sending warmth through his limbs. She was tucking him in bed.

  He nodded and crumpled a few crackers into the broth. “I was thinking, maybe we should call a truce. Just until I get back from my trip.”

  Her brows shot up. “You can’t be serious. About the trip, I mean. You can’t go. You’re too sick.”

  She was worried about him? Kallian’s mouth turned up at the corners. “So we have a truce?”

  Hailey rolled her eyes. “Yes. Now you need to stay in bed until this fever goes down.”

  His exhausted eyes closed for a moment. “I’m sorry, but I have to go, no matter how pathetic I seem.” Her lips turned down at the corners. “It’s really not as bad as it looks.”

  “Oh yeah?” Her shoulders dropped. “Can you please tell me the truth? Not just about this, but… Jeez Kallian, you know how much I hate liars.”

  Uh oh. That wasn’t a good response. “What do you mean?”

  “How do you think you got here?” Her body leaned back against the nearby chair and she shrugged. “Never mind. You eat your soup first. I’m going to go check on the koalas. We’ll talk when I get back.”

  He nodded and dove into his mushy crackers and soup. The broth cooled his tongue, probably because his fever had reached the point that everything else seemed cold. But that didn’t matter to him as much as Hailey. She actually smiled at him. Her eyes weren’t filled with hurt or longing or lust. They were kind. Her whole body had taken on a measure of lightness. Something had definitely changed, and he had no idea what that was. But whatever had changed had to be good, right?

  His mind wandered to other pressing issues as he gulped milk. He wasn’t expecting the fever and sleep spells for another couple of days. Looks like the family tiff had more of an impact on me than I thought. But, if he stayed calm he should have another three or four days before he had to disappear. It would be nice to have someone with him during those difficult times, but he’d gone it alone before. He could do it again. For the good of everyone, he couldn’t drag anyone else into his mess. Especially Hailey.

  She reentered just as he scraped the bottom of the bowl.

  “Hi.” He smiled. She smiled back. Okay, good start. “So, what have I done wrong now?” She took the tray and he couldn’t help but brush his fingers against hers. She didn’t jump toward him, or away. “Hopefully it’s not all that bad. I mean, you seem like you’re in a pretty good mood.”

  She shrugged and set the tray on the coffee table. His eyes drifted lower on her bent form and he forced them back up.

  “Were you just checking out my butt?” Her head cocked to the side.

  “Um, yes.” Great, did I just blow the moment?

  “Huh.” She sat beside him on the cushioned recliner she’d drug over earlier.

  “Huh? Is that all? I would think that would deserve a ‘you pig’ or a slap in the face, or at least a bowl of noodles on the head.”

  She smiled disapprovingly. “Stop trying to change the subject. We’re going to talk about what you’ve been hiding from me.”

  Kallian’s smile faded slightly. Hiding? He was hiding a lot from her, but which one was she hinting at? “My memory’s a little fuzzy. How about you tell me what happened while I was out.”

  Her brows peaked as she sat back, crossed her legs and got comfortable. “I ran into an old friend of ours at the airport. He was actually waiting for us when we landed.”

  “Oh?” He ran through his mind all the mutual acquaintances of the past. No one came to mind. “Can you give me a hint?” He playfully ran his finger around the rim of his water glass.

  Her lips quirked. “Redding.”

  Kalian’s finger stopped its circling. She had his full attention. “What happened?”

  “We had a little chat.” She leaned to the bedside table and poured herself a glass of ice water. “He wanted to talk to you. But one thing led to another, and we ended up talking about you instead.”

  His head lowered. He did not like where this was going. “I can assure you Hailey, whatever that activist freak said about me was a lie.”

  She cracked a half smile. “Maybe. I can’t be one hundred percent certain on the things he said about you.” Her head tilted back as she took a long, slow drink from her glass. “However, all the things he said about me were true. Like how picking you up would be easy for me.” Her eyes glinted. “Turns out I’m still the ever amazing freak. Funny how he seemed to think me being your wife would suddenly make me stronger, huh? He also said you couldn’t get sick, until he realized it was October. He said it was ‘your time.’ Oh, and he mentioned he couldn’t believe how ignorant you’d left me, or that I didn’t know what you really were.”

  He stared at her. The last two comments could be about anything. But, Redding knew she would become stronger by marrying him? And he knew he didn’t get sick until October? It wasn’t possible. He shouldn’t know that. No human should know that. Couple that with the mention of her ignorance and his true self, and he couldn’t deny it. Redding knew what Kallian was.

  A cold sweat broke out when he realized Redding had been studying his family, making threats, and had been in the Eden facility. He could be a low ranking Phoenix sent to check up on me. But his actions as a human put the facility in danger. A phoenix wouldn’t have done that. They would have just asked him to shut it down. This could be very, very bad. “Hailey, I need you tell me exactly what happened. Word for word.”

  She easily retold the encounter, smiling and playing with her glass of water as she
did so. As his brow drew deeper, hers raised. Whatever Redding was, he was hiding vital information. He knew Kallian’s time of burning, and probably exactly what he was doing with the animals. But he hadn’t printed those things in the paper. He seemed concerned about the humans and a certain level of privacy. But what did he want?

  With a confident air, she propped her feet on the mattress. “So it looks like I figured out what I am. Uh, I mean what we are.”

  Hailey’s words snapped Kallian from his thoughts. “You have?” Her knowledge of the truth could complicate things.

  She nodded, smiling ear to ear. “You gave me your blood and suddenly I can use fire and I’m super strong. And ever since you left Eden you started getting sick. It makes sense if the animals are your food source. I mean, you wouldn’t want to get caught slurping on humans, right?”

  His lips turned down as he backed away from her giddiness. “What are you talking about?”

  She bit her lip and shyly rubbed her hands together. “We’re vampires…”

  What? He stared at her huge smile and a grin of his own grew. Did she just call him a vampire? Then, the laughter exploded from him. The poor innocent thing. His sides heaved as he bent over, covering his howling with his hand.

  Her gazed melted from elated to disappointed. “So… we’re not vampires?”

  His sides ached as he shook his head and racked with laughter. Where on earth had she gotten the idea? “Tell you what.” He gasped for air as Haley grumpily crossed her arms over her chest. “You offer up your neck to me and I’ll show you.” He let a few more waves pass before trying to speak again. “Or you could just kiss me and check for fangs yourself.” He gulped down more air. “Come on,” he winked, “I know you want to be sure. Giving my mouth a good once-over would be the sure way.” He chuckled a little less as he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

  “Shut up, Kallian. I’ve kissed you before. And according to some stories, not all vampires have fangs.”

  She pouted miserably under his teasing. “I’m sorry.” He forced himself calm. But he could not wipe the smile from his face. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no, we are not vampires.”

  “Then what are we?” She threw her hands in the air. “He kept saying I needed to keep the humans safe. Which means I’m not human. Which means I’m something, and please don’t tell me I’m just some science experiment. I could throw you across the room for goodness sake.”

  He gulped down another glass of water before answering. “I can tell you that you are definitely not a science experiment, Hailey. But I guess I can tell you who we are.”

  Her eyes widened and her legs dropped from the bed. She scooted to the edge of her seat.

  Kallian cleared his throat. “You are Hailey, and I am Kallian. There, I told you who we are. Feel better?”

  She tossed a throw pillow at him. “You’re such a jerk, Kallian.”

  He playfully tossed the pillow back at her. “Look, tell me how Redding treated you when you first walked out of the plane.”

  She thought for a moment. “Well, he was kinda rude.”

  He nodded. “And after he realized you were ignorant?”

  Scratching the back of her neck, she blinked. “He tried to help me. He pitied me, and then he was nice.”

  Kallian nodded. “That’s exactly how things need to stay for now. I’ve done some things that may come back to haunt me. And there’s this Redding guy. As long as you stay the way you are, you won’t be blamed for my mistakes. I cannot tell you. Not yet.”

  ~***~

  Hailey stared at the phone in her hands. Without Kallian to torture, and with no Kira, the house loomed over her in silence. She wanted to help. She wanted answers. She wanted her dad.

  But would they talk to her? The emails had trickled to a couple a week. She hadn’t responded to them since she signed the papers and moved in with Kallian. But her dad made the deal to save her. Had he known all along what she’d become?

  Swallowing her anxiety, she dialed his cell number.

  His voice came through on the second ring. “Hello, this is George Simmons.”

  Her muscles tensed. “Um, hi, Dad.”

  For a moment, only his breath came from the other end of the line. “Comet! Baby girl, how are you? It’s been forever since I heard your voice. Are you okay?”

  A small smile escaped as her chin dropped. He really had missed her. “I’m okay. Really. I just needed help with something. And I needed… answers.”

  “Ask me anything,” he said quickly. “If I don’t know the answer, I will find out all I can.”

  And she knew he would. But first, the difficult stuff. “Did you know what would happen to me, when you made that deal with Kallian to save my life?”

  He sighed. “Not exactly. He told me it would be difficult on all of us. But he believed you were strong, and you’d survive, no matter what. But after what your mother and brother have told me, I’m not sure it was the right decision. And now you’re married….”

  “Don’t worry about that, Dad.” She bit her lip. “Everything is better on your end now, right?”

  He cleared his throat. “I never meant for you to suffer. You’d already suffered so much. I know it was selfish on my end. I just didn’t want to lose you, Comet.”

  She nodded. “I know. I know you did what you thought was right. And I am okay. I’m getting better every day.” She adjusted her legs so she sat more comfortably on the bed. “I need you to look up something for me. There’s a man. His name is Redding….”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Hailey scrambled to quiet Kallian’s phone. She muted the ringer then gasped at the name on the ID. Her finger pushed answer. “Malachi?”

  “Hailey? Is that you?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. Thank goodness he called. Maybe he could help her, being family and all. “Kallian isn’t doing so hot. So I’m taking his calls.”

  Rustling sounds came from Malachi’s end of the phone. “Of course. But I have some information he’d asked about yesterday—”

  “You mean about Redding? What did you find out?” She knew she shouldn’t delve too deep. There existed a whole world out there that she didn’t understand. It seemed Kallian was trying to protect her. But now that she’d had a taste of what she could do, her curiosity could not be quelled.

  He paused. “It seems all his information only goes back five years. Driver’s license, social security, address. He didn’t exist before that.”

  She nodded. “That’s what my father’s people came up with, too.”

  “What’s going on with this guy, Hailey? Kallian wouldn’t tell me.”

  She sighed. Maybe she should try and work Malachi the way he’d worked her? “He’s not telling me much, either. But he’s determined to keep everyone safe from his ‘bad choices’ or something like that. Do you know what that’s all about?”

  “All too well.” A click and puff of air revealed he was only smoking a cigar, not contemplating the truth. “Is he still going away?”

  “Yeah.” She grimaced. “He’s got a sky-high fever, but I can’t talk him out of it.” Come on Malachi, tell me what he won’t…

  “Don’t worry. He always leaves around this time of the year. He’ll be back.”

  Oh really? She began pacing the hall. He was responding to her worry for Kallian. Even though she did have sympathy, probably more than she’d let herself admit, she could also play it up for her dear brother-in-law. “Doesn’t he understand he has people here that depend on him? If he gets worse, who knows what could happen? Jeez, what is so important he’d risk his health like this?”

  Malachi’s hushed voice dipped to a dangerous low. “He moonlights as a drag queen, Hailey. He wouldn’t miss this pageant for the world.”

  Silence. Hailey gulped. “You’re joking. Right?”

  “Yes, I’m joking.” His chuckled had her pulling the phone from her ear in disgust.

  “Ugh, you suck, Malachi.”

 
His humor slowed enough for him to answer. “Unfortunately, I’m not as creative as you when it comes to jokes.”

  With feigned innocence she pouted at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Malachi. You believe me, don’t you?”

  He laughed. “Not for a minute, my dear. But,” His voice took on a more serious note, “please take care of him. Give him a break until he comes back around.”

  She shrugged. There went her attempt to get the truth. “We already called a truce. I’m being nothing but civil to him. And I’m doubling as a maid as well.”

  Gulping came from his end and Hailey could practically see him reclining in his chair, cigar in one hand, mug of coffee in the other. “I appreciate it. And please tell him I haven’t made up my mind, but I’ll stay on at Eden until he returns from his trip. That should help take a little weight off him.”

  She chewed on her lip. She didn’t know what he was talking about, but it sounded like something he needed to hear. “I will, Malachi. I hope you’re doing well.”

  “Oh? You’ve forgiven me, then?”

  And here was her last ditch effort find out what Kallian was hiding from her. “I will forgive you if you tell me what I am. Or what Kallian is.”

  Malachi paused for a heartbeat. “And with that, I’ll be going.”

  “As I said, you suck, Malachi.”

  He chuckled again, as Hailey glared at her phone. “I know. Call me if you have any problems. And tell Kallian if he needs me I’ll come right out.”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  “Goodbye, little sister.” She could hear the smile in his voice as he said that last line. It was strange to think of Malachi as her brother. He could be old enough to be her father.

  She let herself back in Kallian’s room. Her heart sank as his red rimmed eyes opened a slit.

  “So, what did I miss?” he rasped.

  “Nothing. Don’t talk, just go back to sleep.” She set his phone back on the table.