“Yes?” he said playfully.
“Can I join you?” she asked. His answering smile was answer enough.
When they finally joined the others in Victor’s room, everyone was watching the TV. Victor and Rachel both looked very pale and their faces were lined with worry. The dark circles under their eyes had grown two shades darker since the last time Kelly saw them. They hadn’t eaten. They seemed old and weak, and Kelly hated it that they were suffering. Her heart ached for them.
The reporter on the TV was talking about a forest fire in California. It was burning out of control. Not only had it consumed a hundred thousand acres of forest, but it was engulfing entire neighborhoods. It had destroyed several farms.
“What does it mean?” Kelly asked.
“It’s the beginning of the seventh seal. The vegetation is being destroyed by fire. The dead fish you saw, the weather, it’s all connected. We haven’t much more time. Our only choice is to prepare to fight.” Victor said weakly.
“There was a story on last night. The Nile has turned a strange red color. Egypt and Israel are fighting. It’s all playing out.” Jared said.
“That’s not the order in the Bible,” she said.
“You have to remember, the Bible was written by men. It’s merely an interpretation. Not everything should be taken literally.” Phoenix told her as he took her hand in his own. “The point is, it’s happening. We have to stop it.”
“How can we fight when they are so weak?” she asked, gesturing toward Victor and Rachel.
“We will feed, we will find a way.”
“Why don’t you just do what vampires do? Just bite someone?” Kelly asked. It seemed perfectly logical to her.
“Because, my dear,” Victor replied, “when we feed, we can normally control ourselves very well. If we weren’t already weak, it would be easier. But as thirsty as we are, I fear it would be disastrous for the donor.”
“I see,” she said. Then, she had the idea again. She could still help them. Phoenix heard what she was thinking and grabbed her wrist to stop her. “This is the only way,” she told him.
Be careful, he thought.
Kelly fished out her pocket knife and drew it across her arm. Red blood spilled out of the wound. Two vampires hissed in unison as the coppery smell reached their noses. “Hurry up, before I change my mind,” she said.
Victor motioned for Rachel to go first. She held Kelly’s bleeding arm in her hands and looked at her for confirmation. Kelly nodded once and closed her eyes. She felt Rachel’s lips hard on her skin and then the suck and draw of blood from her veins. Her arm began to feel numb and Kelly tried to pull back from her grip. Rachel let go without argument and dropped to a sitting position on the bed. Phoenix tried to heal Kelly’s arm, but she shook her head. “Victor.”
“Are you certain, child?” he asked her.
“Just be careful,” Kelly told him. He placed his mouth over her bleeding cut and drank. A low moan reverberated in his chest. He held her arm with both hands, making sure not to spill a single drop. His grip tightened and the seal of his mouth pulled hard against her skin. When Kelly started to feel dizzy, Phoenix picked up on it and tried to disengage Victor.
“Ok, that’s enough,” he told Victor. When Victor made no move to stop, Phoenix got upset. “Enough!” he shouted, jerking Victor back.
Victor stumbled back, apologizing. Kelly waved her good arm dismissing him from any wrong doing. Phoenix was already shimmering, preparing to heal her arm. Kelly felt the heat on her skin and she closed her eyes.
“How did that happen?” someone asked.
“Beats me, never happened before.” Phoenix said. Kelly suddenly became very aware of his thoughts. They were blurred, but she got the gist of it. He was confused.
“What?” Kelly asked.
“Your arm made its own blue flames before Phoenix ever touched it,” Jared explained.
“Well that’s weird,” she said. It didn’t really seem important, since they had been through the mind reading thing.
“I told you, it’s the soul mate principle. She’s taken on his healing power.” Jared replied, pleased with himself.
“I thought the flavor of her blood was off,” Rachel said.
“What do you mean?” Kelly asked.
“Just different from the way it tasted the other day,” she said. “Thank you, for donating. You are a brave woman. I owe you.”
“That’s what a family does,” she reminded them.
“Well, we are going to have to find someone else to donate from now on,” Phoenix interjected. “I have a problem with the woman I love being the only available donor. Let’s get you something to eat so you don’t pass out.”
Kelly ate her breakfast and gathered her things. They cleaned their room the best they could, but they were gonna lose the room deposit and probably still have to pay for damages after the love making session. When their bags were packed and in the truck of Nick’s Mustang, Phoenix and Kelly watched as the others drove away.
They walked together around the corner and into a vacant parking lot. It seemed that they were alone. Phoenix leaned down to kiss her once, then asked, “Ready?”
“Always,” she smiled up at him. Phoenix felt his heart tighten in his chest. God, he loved her.
He turned her so that her back was to his chest and wrapped one arm around her waist. The arm went across her chest, between her breasts and he secured his hand on her shoulder. He spread his wings wide and pushed up from the ground with his powerful legs. The wind was in their faces in only a second. Kelly could feel the hard downburst of his wings that kept them suspended high in the sky. She looked straight ahead as he wrapped his long legs around hers and shot forward like a rocket.
After a moment, Phoenix slowed their pace and a flock of geese joined them. They flew in a loose formation for several miles. Kelly had no idea how fast they were going, only that Phoenix wasn’t going anywhere as fast as he could. She felt complete freedom in his arms. Phoenix finally tightened his grip on her and bent his head so that his lips brushed her ear. “Ready to go faster?” he asked.
“Hell yes!” She grabbed his strong arms and braced herself. She felt the fire exploding from his wings as they shot forward at a blinding speed. The treetops and buildings below became a streaky blur. Trying to look at them made her a little dizzy, so she just closed her eyes and enjoyed the exhilaration of flight. She heard the screaming of engines approaching very fast, and she looked up. They were coming up fast on a passenger jet. Kelly covered her ears as Phoenix shot up and over the plane. In only a matter of seconds, and then she couldn’t hear it anymore.
They were only flying for about two hours when he spotted their landing. They descended and made a wide arc around the property to be sure the address matched the one Jared gave them. It was the same. It was a ranch style house, set back away from the road. There was a short, wire fence surrounding the property. A small pond was nestled in the back.
Jules was waiting for them at the door when they landed. As soon as Kelly was on her feet, a rush of vertigo swept over her. She stumbled forward but Phoenix caught her before she landed on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Jules shouted, racing in their direction. “Did something happen? Is she hurt?”
“No,” Phoenix answered. “She’s just a little woozy still. She let Victor and Rachel feed. She just needs rest.”
“Kelly! You’ll be the death of me one day! Why did you do that?” She noticed that while her mother was chastising her, she didn’t look any better than her grandparents had earlier.
“Do you need to feed?” Kelly asked weakly.
“Yes, but Nick is on his way. He found a hospital and broke in for their supply. He’s bringing it back with him.” She looked at her daughter’s face. “There is something different about you. Has something changed?” She sniffed the air around me, “You smell different. Tell me what you are hiding.”
Kelly shot Phoenix a don’t-you-dare look, but it w
as too late. He talked.
“You defiled my daughter!” she shrieked.
“Oh, please Mom,” Kelly started. But her words fell on deaf ears. She was beyond reason. Her eyes were a deep crimson and the look on her face was that of someone who was completely insane. She shot at Phoenix like an arrow. He barely had time to push Kelly away before she slammed into him.
Kelly was shouting at her to stop, to leave him alone. She didn’t hear it. She tore into his skin on his chest, ripping it from his body. Kelly shuddered in horror. She was killing him! He wasn’t even fighting back.
Kelly lunged for her mother, landing on her back. She grabbed at her hair, at her neck, but couldn’t free Phoenix from her. Kelly suddenly felt the weightlessness of flight again, and for a moment, she felt some relief. When she landed hard on the ground a few feet away she realized that Nick had thrown her off her mother. He shoved Jules off of Phoenix and pinned her to the ground. He was desperately trying to calm her down, but it wasn’t working.
Kelly rushed to Phoenix’s side only to see he was bleeding. A lot. That crazy woman ripped a huge gash across his torso. He was lying flat on his back, bloody and bruised. She picked his head up and cradled it in her arms next to her heart. Kelly was sobbing uncontrollably. “Please don’t die, please don’t die,” she chanted through the tears.
“It will be all right,” he whispered. “You’ll see. I love you.” He closed his eyes and went limp in her arms.
“No!” she screamed. Nick was yanking her away from his lifeless body with an urgency Kelly couldn’t understand. All she could comprehend was that Phoenix was dead and it had been at her mother’s hand. She could taste her fury with that woman.
As soon as Kelly was clear from Phoenix, fire erupted from his body. It burned hotter and hotter. Orange and red flames danced up toward the sky.
“Where is she?” Kelly demanded. She wanted to see her. She wanted to cause her as much pain as she had caused Kelly. She wanted her to know the harm she had done.
“I sent her inside to feed. It’s ok, Kelly. It’s ok,” Nick was saying.
Kelly watched as the flames burned higher and higher. The fire roared in her ears. Suddenly, she was sick. She had no time to run away, but just turned her head and vomited on the ground by her feet. Nick stayed at her side, rubbing her back lightly while her breakfast made its way up her throat. He whispered to her the entire time that it was going to be ok.
The flames cooled and finally went out. A pile of ashes that used to be the man she loved stood in their place. Kelly felt her heart sink and she felt so hollow. She put her hands over her face and let the tears fall freely.
“Kelly, dear,” Nick said, “have you forgotten what Phoenix is? Have you forgotten the myths that you loved so much?” What Phoenix was dead. But then a little light shone through her dark thoughts. The phoenix dies by the flames, reborn.....
Thunder shook the ground and rattled her teeth. Kelly jerked her head up in time to see the ashes explode.
And then there he was, her own personal angel.
More than her angel, her everything.
Phoenix stood in front of her, naked and absolutely perfect, a smile gracing his perfect face. His wings were flaming bright orange, yellow and red. His eyes were burning too. He was perfect. He was alive.
Not waiting for the flames to cool, or even acknowledge the warnings from Nick, Kelly raced into Phoenix’s arms. She didn’t care if she got burned. All she cared about was Phoenix. She jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck and he caught her in the air, supporting her weight in his strong arms. She kissed his lips, his cheeks, and his forehead. Every part she could reach. All that mattered was he was alive and ok. A fresh new torrent of tears flooded her face. This time, they were happy tears.
I told you it was all right, he thought at her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The house Nick and Jules rented was nowhere near the size of the mansion. It two stories, four bedrooms, a family room, dining room, kitchen, basement and two bathrooms. Jules thought they could turn the basement into another bedroom. It was smaller, but it was reasonably priced, relatively private, and already furnished for the most part.
Kelly watched Scooby Doo reruns in the family room while Jules talked on the phone. She was busy trying to find an available contractor to help with the mansion. From what Kelly understood, the house was a total loss. Victor had good insurance, and it would be paid for, even if her new grandparents weren’t loaded. Kelly discovered recently how much money Victor really had. After she stopped gaping at him, she smiled. It was enough to rebuild the mansion many times over.
She was trying very hard to resist the urge to go down to the basement where Phoenix was putting together a bed. She hated that her mother was making them sleep in separate rooms. It was just unnecessary. Kelly hoped that her mother would understand just how often she was going to be sleeping in that basement with him. Even though Phoenix had survived her wrath, Kelly didn’t want to witness it again.
Jules was pacing the floor from the back door, through the open dining area, and into the family room. When she would reach the couch Kelly was sprawled out on, she would turn and go back. Each trip took her only about a second, so it looked like a blur. Kelly tried not to watch her too much, it was making her dizzy. It took Kelly a bit to get used to her mother’s new abilities. Her speed, her strength, her lie detector. Phoenix was strong, inhumanly strong, and Jules could over power him easily. Kelly just recently learned that her mother could copy other’s gifts. It was when she had sent Kelly to her room, as if she weren’t an adult, and even though she didn’t want to do it, her feet insisted that she did. Kelly was waiting for her to try and use that little gem to keep her away from Phoenix.
Kelly pictured him in her mind, working downstairs with Jared. She imagined him building the bed, sweat on his brow. It would be hot and he would take his shirt off showing the flat planes of his stomach. Her mind wandered over his body, every detail engraved into her memory. She imagined touching him, licking him…
I am trying to work! Could you stop that, please? Phoenix’s voice said in her mind.
Something wrong? She thought back, smiling.
It is very hard to concentrate when you are distracting me.
How am I distracting you?
Are you kidding? You are projecting and you know it. Your thoughts are coming through loud and clear!
I would say that I am sorry, but I’m not.
Kelly sighed to herself and made up her mind to try and leave him be. Try. Since her mother had hung up the phone, she thought now would be the best time to go ahead and get this over with.
“Mom?”
“Yeah Hon?” She said, moving to stand next to Kelly.
“Why don’t you want me to be with Phoenix?” she asked, getting right to the point.
“Do we really have to discuss this?”
“I think we do. Mom, I love him. Why can’t you just be happy for me?” Kelly asked calmly.
“Tell me, what is it that you love about him?” she asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.
Well duh, everything.
“Well, the obvious things, of course. He’s beautiful. He’s a firebird. He can protect me and I feel safe when I am around him. I trust him completely, ever since I first met him. He’s kind and loving. But there are other things, too. Like the way he dips his hamburger in ketchup, but he doesn’t put it on the bun, or the way he sings to himself softly when he thinks no one is listening, even if it is off key. I love how he looks through my sketchbook when he thinks I am not looking. The way he snores softly when he sleeps. Or the way the orange in his eyes seem to burn when he’s concentrating. The way he is slightly afraid of you.”
Jules hesitated silently for a moment. “It seems that I owe you an apology,” she said with a sigh. “I didn’t give you enough credit. I thought you were just infatuated with him because of what he is. I had no idea that you knew him so well, that you were so observant. I do
worry about all the things I said about age. But you are right. You are capable of making smart choices, you always have been. I suppose I have a hard time accepting that sometimes.”
“So will you ease up on him a little?” Kelly asked.
“Yes.”
“So can we share a room?”
“Absolutely not. Just because I said you could see each other, doesn’t mean I want to know what’s going on all the time. I’m not ready to accept that my daughter is a woman.”
Kelly sighed to herself. She knew her mother and the conversation was over. But one victory was more than she had expected. She was so happy about that and she wanted to celebrate. She wanted to leap over the couch and run down the stairs to tell Phoenix the good news. She heaved herself off the couch and turned for the basement. She stumbled over her own feet, but righted herself quickly.
But Phoenix was already there. Standing just in the doorway. Kelly ran to him, jumped, and threw her arms around his neck, lacing her legs around his hips. He caught her easily, wrapping his strong arms around her. She weaved her fingers in his soft hair and kissed his lips. He tasted like heaven and she was lost to the sensation of his body touching hers.
That innocent happy kiss turned more passionate and when their breathing became more labored, Jules cleared her throat. Phoenix put her down, but didn’t let go of her.
How did you know? Kelly thought, looking into his eyes.
I’m getting better at this mind reading thing. I heard your conversation from your mind.
They found themselves answering each other’s thoughts more and more often.
“Are you finished? With the bed, I mean.” Kelly said as she let her feet touch the floor.
“Yes, would you like to see?” he asked.
“Yeah, I would.” She took his hand and led him back to the basement bedroom. The bed was huge. It took up half of the space designated as a bedroom. It was easily a king sized, maybe bigger. He even made it up with a fluffy black down comforter. There was even a few decorations. On his dresser, was a photo frame. It was a picture of Kelly, playing her guitar. She wondered when he managed to take the picture without her noticing. On the walls were several drawings. Her drawings. One was a sketch of Jules reading a book. Another was of Phoenix. There was one of Jared while he was in his tiger form. Kelly liked that shape of his best.
Phoenix (A Forbidden Love Novel, The Boston Clan) (Forbidden Love, Boston Clan Book 2) Page 13