Phoenix Rising

by Theo Fenraven

  “Ammon, did he kill those young men?”

  “I am not qualified to answer that. I was not present.” “Is he capable of it?”

  A smile tugged at Ammon’s lips. “You have witnessed

  his doings here. What is your opinion?” Artemis’s lips tightened. “I’m a cop. I’m not entitled to an opinion.”

  “You are not a cop here.”

  “I’m a cop everywhere.” The words popped out of his mouth, but they had no force. Ammon was correct. He didn’t feel like a cop anymore. He felt like a man on the verge of falling in love, and it scared the shit out of him. He decided a change in subject was required. “Why is it that photos and videos of Phoenix are not all over the internet?”

  “Phoenix cannot be photographed, nor his voice captured.”

  Artemis considered this. "But Talis can be photographed and recorded... because he's human?"

  Ammon nodded. “Do you have your cell phone?”

  “Yes….”

  “Try it. You’ll see.”

  Retrieving his phone from a pants pocket, Artemis turned it on and discreetly snapped a shot of Phoenix where he sat, folded legs beneath him, before a young girl wearing a leg brace.

  “Now look at it,” Ammon said, smiling.

  Artemis did so, seeing the young girl with upturned face, joy sparkling in her eyes, and where Phoenix should be… nothing but a blur of red and yellow. “This happens every time?”

  “It does. Phoenix could not properly fulfill his destiny if the world confirmed his existence.”

  Artemis turned off his phone and put it away. “It seems the pharaohs thought of everything,” he said dryly.

  Ammon responded with a straight face. “You are sometimes quite amusing.”

  Smirking, Artemis shifted into a more comfortable position on the plush cube. “Why aren’t people amazed or shocked by a giant talking bird? I almost shit myself the first time he transformed in front of me.”

  “He exudes reassurance. They accept without question and, soon after leavingit may be hours, a day or twoforget him entirely.”

  Startled, Artemis shot him a look. “Are you serious?”

  “I am.”

  “So if I were to go away, I’d soon forget I’d ever seen the phoenix?”

  “Yes.”

  He followed Phoenix’s progress around the room for a few minutes. The bird almost glowed under the light pouring down through the glass ceiling. “He heals them, they leave, and he’s forgotten. That’s sad somehow.”

  “It is best. He would get no rest otherwise.”

  “How do they find themselves here in the first place, then? If the phoenix is merely another myth?”

  “They talk at first, while their memory of him is still clear, and others hear about him. They are desperate. They want to believe.”

  “And so they come.”

  Ammon nodded. “Just so. In a few days, we will go to Egypt, where more supplicants await him.”

  The young girl removed her brace and tossed it aside, laughing ecstatically, while her father cried with happiness. “Will I go with you?”

  “I am sure you will.” Ammon’s gazeslid to Artemis. “You will not object to this?”

  The girl threw her arms around Phoenix in a loving embrace before moving away to dance a clumsy impromptu jig for her father. “I won’t object.” He determined in that moment to stay with Talis/Phoenix until he knew the truth.

  Chapter Seven Talis

  Remember what Bilbo used to say: It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.

  —J. R. R. Tolkien IT WAS hot in Cairo. Talis stepped off the plane into a wall of heat that warmed him bone deep. Behind him, Artemis hovered at his shoulder, almost touching him.

  “Quite a place,” the detective said, following him down the steps to the tarmac.

  “Egypt was my first home.” Talis led him to a limo with black-tinted windows. Behind them, Ammon supervised the unloading of luggage from the bowels of the private plane while Talis opened the limo’s back door and ushered Artemis inside.

  Climate-controlled comfort enveloped them. “What the hell would we do without air conditioning?” Artemis said as he slid to the far left. The window between front and back seats was closed. The dark-skinned chauffeur glanced at them in the rearview mirror but said nothing.

  Talis got in beside him, the fine leather squeaking under him as he sat. “The world would be a far sweatier place, and stinkier,too.” Like Artemis and Ammon, he wore lightweight white linen.

  “Mythological creatures make jokes? Who would have thought.” Smiling, Artemis stretched out his legs. There was plenty of room for them. “Where’s your place?”

  “About six hundred and forty kilometers from Cairo, near Luxor.”

  “What’s that in miles?”

  “Approximately four hundred.”

  “And the people will know to go there?”

  “Ammon will raise the flag the moment we arrive. By this time tomorrow, they’ll be camped outside the walls.”

  The chauffeur left the car to help the PA load their luggage in the trunk. Both of them got in the front seat, and the car slowly left the field.

  Talis took Artemis’s hand in his. The detective did not fight it but allowed his hand to lie quietly in the soft grip. That made Talis smile. “Your mother lives in the city. Would you like to visit her?”

  Artemis’s lips curled into a wry smile. “My mother lives in Queens and is engaged to William Hersey.”

  “Don’t be obtuse, Artemis,” Talis chided. “We can visit her if you like. She is, from all reports, a fine and gracious woman.”

  “I’d rather not, thanks.” He turned away, head tilted. “What am I hearing?” He bumped a lever, and the window went down a few inches, letting in a wall of noise: honking horns, screaming voices, loud music. “What the fuck!” He powered the window up, and the din subsided to a dull roar.

  “There are over eighteen million people in Cairo,” Talis said. “The city is bursting at the seams. In fact, all habitable areas of Egypt are heavily populated.”

  “The Nile’s a big draw, huh?”

  “The only arable land in the country lies along its banks and in the delta. All else is desert.” Talis moved his thumb against Artemis’s palm in small circles. “My place is on the West Bank. We’ll cross the Nile Bridge at Luxor.”

  “Where else do you have homes?” Artemis watched the passing scenery, his body relaxing into the plush leather seat.

  “China, Brazil, Australia, South Africa… Russia, France… Argentina, mm, Belize, United States, and Canada.”

  Artemis snorted softly. “I’m surprised you don’t have a Fortress of Solitude somewhere.”

  “I’ve made an attempt to be accessible to all.”

  “Uh-huh.” Artemis’s eyes dropped to their joined hands. “Every night, you sleep with me, the operative word being sleep. Why haven’t we fucked? I mean, I thought that’s what this was all about, you getting me alone somewhere and nailing my ass.”

  Talis gazed calmly at the somewhat belligerent expression on Artemis’s face. “I am waiting.”

  “For?”

  Talis raised an eyebrow. Why was Artemis being so imperceptive? Talis remembered being quite clear about what he wanted, and much as he longed for the man, as hard as it had been to figuratively keep his hands off him, he would not touch him until he got it. Artemis had twice tried to initiate sex between them, and each time, Talis had stopped him.

  “Every night, we end up in the same bed and talk and share things I’m hoping no one else ever hears, but other than warming yourself against me, you haven’t touched me. Why?”

  “I told you when we were in Nepal. I would have you love me first, as I love you.”

  A rude noise escaped Artemis’s lips. “You can’t possibly love me. You don’t know me.”

  “I know you are good
and fine, and inside you is a place only I can fill.” Talis exerted all his considerable magnetism toward Artemis, his voice the softest caress. “Not even being a detective has satisfied you, though you’ve buried yourself in work for years to avoid facing that emptiness.”

  “You don’t know shit about me,” Artemis insisted in a scoffing tone, but he cleared his throat and looked away. “How long until we get to where we’re going?”

  “Eight hours, give or take.”

  Artemis leaned back. “Jesus.”

  Smiling at his tone, Talis pressed a panel, and it slid back to reveal a well-stocked bar, a selection of crystal glasses, and a built-in fridge. “Food and drink. Help yourself.”

  Artemis frowned. “Everything I could want… except a goddamn toilet. Cop cars don’t have them either. Always thought they should.”

  Talis laughed. “We’ll stop if you need to.”

  Artemis waved off the suggestion. “I’m fine.” He opened the fridge. “Olives. Excellent.” He grabbed a jar, untwisted the top, and helped himself. After eating two, he held one out to Talis. “Want?”

  Bending to Artemis’s outstretched hand, Talis looked up at him through thick eyelashes as he grabbed the olive with his lips from between Artemis’s fingers, following it up with a quick touch of his tongue.

  Artemis growled, eyes going dark. “You fucking tease.”

  Straightening, Talis chewed and swallowed. “Delicious.”

  “I can promise you, my cock tastes better. Why don’t you give it a try?”

  “Becoming anxious?”

  “More like as frustrated as I’ve ever felt. When, Talis?”

  Talis touched Artemis’s cheek. “You won’t have to say a word. I’ll know.”

  Heaving a sigh, Artemis put the olive jar back in the fridge. “Promises, promises. Can I call Rachel when we get there?”

  “If it makes you feel better,of course.”

  “You do remember that you drugged and kidnapped me and flew me halfway around the world?” Artemis poured himself a scotch over ice and sipped. “I am still of two minds about you.”

  “Please clarify.”

  “You could be a stone-cold killer… but I’m hoping you’re not because I can’t stop thinking about fucking you stupid.”

  Talis slid across the seat until his hip rested against Artemis’s. “I’m looking forward to that.”

  “But I have to love you first, is that it?”

  Talis nodded. “All will be made clear in time.”

  Several miles went by in silence as they drank and ate. As always, Talis enjoyed the taste of everything he put in his human mouth. The phoenix’s palate was not as refined; he ate to live.

  Talis was enjoying smoked salmon on small squares of Egyptian flatbread when Artemis said, “Tell me about your beginnings.”

  He considered that. “My first memory is of exquisite pain. Just that… pain, and then the smell of smoke and singed feathers. I dream about it often.”

  Artemis gazed at him speculatively. “Were you the first? I remember you saying the pharaohs created you, but if I’m remembering my history correctly, they vanished before your birth.”

  Talis selected a piece of smoked Gouda and popped it into his mouth. “I am the fourth phoenix. We did not exist before the pharaohs created us. Each one lives a thousand years and then dies and is reborn.”

  Artemis reached for the scotch and topped off his glass. “Reborn. As himself, or something new?”

  “Each time… something new. The old phoenix dies and is replaced by the new.”

  “And when you die?”

  Talis drew in a breath. “That depends on you.” Amethyst eyes met warm brown eyes. “They never found their soul mates.”

  “But finding him or her isn’t enough.”

  “The heart will do as it chooses.” Unconcerned, Talis ate more salmon and washed it down with a fragrant wine. Alcohol affected him as it did any human, but he didn’t plan to overdo it while they traveled. It was enough to be happy and relaxed.

  “What if I decide you’re an asshole? That I could no more love you than a fish could love a cat? Then what?”

  Talis shrugged. “Then we shall go our separate ways.” He gave Artemis a sharp look. “If you decide I am not a murderer after all.”

  “You’d return to the States as my prisoner if I asked it of you?”

  Talis stared through the divider at the back of Ammon’s dark head. “If things don’t fall out the way I hope, it won’t matter where I am at the end.” Home or in a jail cell… Talis would not care where he was when he met death.

  Artemis fell silent for a while, and then spoke again. “How long?”

  Talis didn’t even pretend to misunderstand him. “Ten weeks, give or take.” How exact would it be? Would he wake on his birthday to flames and screaming? The human part of him was frightened by the thought. In fire, he had come to life, and to the flames he would return. His finale on stage was a carefully created presentation of what he thought would happen at that time. As thrilling and dramatic as it was for the audience, Talis felt a frisson of fear every time he performed it. Only Artemis stood between him and oblivion, because Talis would, in fact, vanish, replaced by a new phoenix who would, in turn, live one thousand years.

  Phoenix lore and history had been preserved for centuries. Talis knew the first one had been female, and that she had never transformed but remained a bird. Out of her ashes had come the second, a male, and he, too, had never been human. That one had used his power savagely to acquire control and influence. The world had heaved a sigh of relief when he died, replaced by another female. She had been much loved, and many had wept at her passing.

  Talis was the first to transform into a human. Early in the century, when tomb raiding in the form of archeology had been at its height, ancient script had been found and translated:

  The phoenix flies but also walks,

  Wings and arms enfold the world;

  All shall bow to the phoenix,

  As the phoenix bows to them.

  A tablet found later suggested exactly how the phoenix could transform. Ammon’s father studied the translation at some length and passed his thoughts on to Ammon, who discussed it with Phoenix. Thus he learned to become a man and as quickly came to love that form.

  Artemis was looking out the window at the passing scenery, eyes half-lidded as he fought sleep.

  “You will not miss much if you rest,” Talis said, offering his lap.

  There was the slightest hesitation before Artemis lay down, placing his head on Talis’s thigh, only to find that uncomfortable enough to move higher even as Talis slid down on his tailbone, giving Artemis more access. As Artemis settled in, arms and legs folded close, Talis fingered his glossy hair. He’d fucked many, females first and then males, which he’d discovered he preferred, and enjoyed most of them, but Artemis, he knew, would surpass them all. This one was special, the only one in the world who would fit him perfectly, in all ways. Artemis just had to realize it.

  Chapter Eight Artemis

  A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.

  —John Steinbeck ARTEMIS settled into a peaceful state, his cheek nestled against Talis’s abdomen. The man’s fingers in his hair were soothing, even as they aroused him. The truth was, he’d never felt more comfortable with anyone, not even Richard when they’d been at their best. He hadn’t forgotten that Talis was a murder suspect, hadn’t forgotten the victims Jason Embry, Ken Darwin, or Donny Carlson, the latter only twenty years old, who’d traveled to New York City from Illinois in search of a new life. All dead now, and someone had to be held responsible.

  Sticking his nose in Talis’s crotch, Artemis inhaled deeply. The faint, musky scent made his head swim. He could not deny the effect the blond man had on him. And let’s face it, he’s a fucking phoenix who can heal and isn’t supposed to exist in the first place. How cool is that? It’s like finding Superman flying around in Midtown.
>
  The drive was long, and Artemis had plenty of time to think. He knew two things: 1) he wasn’t behaving like a cop should, and that worried him; and 2) his life had irrevocably changed.

  Was he ready to give up his career in law enforcement? He’d toyed with the idea, sure. He didn’t know anyone on the force who hadn’t during bad moments. But how would it feel to never carry a badge again? To never get called out of bed at three in the morning to race to a homicide? To gather the clues, work the puzzle, and arrest someone for murder? Being a cop was a fantasy come true. Even the boring bits, like endless paperwork, were okay because the adrenaline rush of nailing a perp was like no other high in the world.

  It wasn’t only a question of whether or not he could live without it, but did he want to? Because it seemed to him, once he committed to Talis—if he committed to him—his days of being Detective Gregory were over. Talis traveled all over the world, and he’d want his lover with him, and Artemis would certainly want to be with Talis.

  The idea of giving up his career was sobering. If he did that, Rachel would kill him. Numbnuts would throw things at his head after issuing a wave of verbal abuse. His mother would look at him with disappointment. Squeezing his eyes shut, he burrowed deeper into Talis. His feelings for the man had flipped since he’d woken up in the Nepal house.

  What do I want? If he could answer that question, the way would be clear.

  TALIS’S Luxor place was built around a courtyard. A water

  fountain occupied the center, and flanking it were chairs and tables interspersed with lush, exotic plants. Fairy lights were strung through the greenery. The splashing muted the city sounds. Artemis loved it immediately.

  “Can we just move a bed out here?”

  Talis slipped his arms around Artemis from behind,

  placing his chin on Artemis’s shoulder. “Every room opens onto this courtyard. We can leave the doors open and hear the water all night.”

  Artemis leaned back into him. “You noticed the tents?” “It’s miraculous how quickly they learn of my presence.” Talis pressed his lips against Artemis’s neck. “But that’s for tomorrow. Tonight, we dine beneath the stars.”