Phoenix Under Fire (Afterlife Book 5) Read online

  Harper went into the living room and saw Chloe and Sarah on one couch, each holding a water glass, and Conner on the other. "Where's Alec and Brittney?"

  "Still sleeping," Chloe said.

  "Wish I was," Harper said. She covered a yawn with her hand and flopped on the couch next to Conner. "Is anyone else hungover?"

  "Fey don't get hungover," Chloe said proudly.

  Harper glared at her, and looked over at Sarah. "What about you? Do shape-shifters get hung over?"

  "Yes," Sarah said with a groan. Harper felt a measure better. She knew it wasn't nice for her to be glad someone else was suffering too, but she couldn't help it. Misery loves company. She turned to Conner.

  "I'm not hungover," he said.

  "Bully for you," she said.

  He reached out and ruffled her hair. Harper slapped his hand away playfully and then leaned back into the couch, drawing her knees up to her chest.

  "I can't believe we're going to Arizona," she said. "I can't believe any of it, really. Other groups who do what we do? I never even thought about that. I suppose it makes sense. I mean, there's nothing so great about Vegas that the entire underworld of demons and undead would come here."

  "I've hunted vampires everywhere," Chloe said. "I used to travel around, doing odd jobs for money and killing any vampire I came into contact with. So I'm not that surprised. But the fact that there are other groups... I wonder what they'll be like. Do you think they have the same setup?"

  "No," Conner said with a laugh. "Because we weren't set up. We found each other, Chloe, remember?"

  "Oh right," Chloe said. "Though I do have to wonder now... do you think Alec planned it like that when he met us?"

  Conner considered for a moment and then shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Does it matter if he did?"

  Chloe shook her head. "I guess not."

  Sarah got up, stretched, and went into the kitchen. "Does anyone else want coffee?" She searched around the cupboards till she found where they kept the cups.

  "Sure," Harper said.

  "I'm good," Chloe said. "Trying to watch my caffeine intake. It makes me too hyper."

  "I'll have one," Conner said.

  Sarah made three cups and brought them out to Conner and Harper. She sat back on the couch with Chloe and sipped hers. "Think we should wake up the others? I mean, it is ten in the morning. We're all a bunch of lazy bones today."

  "I can wake up Brittney," Chloe said. She hopped to her feet and headed towards Brittney's room.

  "I don't want to be the one to wake up Alec," Harper said. "Conner?"

  "Not a chance," he said. "Last time I tried waking him up during the day, he almost bit me."

  Harper snickered.

  "You think that's funny?" Conner asked. "You have a sick sense of humor, Harper Hawthorne."

  Then he, Sarah, and Harper were all laughing. Harper didn't know why she found it so funny; she thought maybe it was her excitement of going to Phoenix. She didn't care what Alec said; they might be going for work, but she was planning to have some fun while they were there too.

  "Nobody needs to wake me up," Alec said, stepping out of his bedroom. He was pulling a shirt on over his head. "You guys are loud. You could wake up the dead. And yes, Harper, you do have a sick sense of humor, Conner's right about that much. I mean, who laughs at something like that? 'Oh, the scary vampire almost bit me!' Oh, really? That's hilarious! What is wrong with you people?"

  Harper stared at Alec. It took her a second to realize that he was teasing them. She smiled at him, and patted the couch.

  "Want to join us?" she asked.

  "No," Alec said. "I want food."

  He went into the kitchen and began cleaning up the mess from the night before. Conner got up and helped him while Harper and Sarah sat there and watched. Once they'd taken care of all the beer bottles, shot glasses, and cups, Alec washed the counter and Conner started chopping vegetables.

  In no time, the two of them had created a breakfast stir fry. Conner brought Harper and Sarah each a bowl. She accepted it graciously, though her stomach was already rolling at the thought of eating. Both he and Alec were watching for her reaction, so she took a bite. She was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted and how little it hurt her stomach.

  "Thanks, guys," she said.

  "Yes," Sarah said. "Thank you."

  The four of them sat there and ate in silence. Brittney's bowl were getting cold on the counter. Harper was tempted to go in and kick her out of bed. She decided to give it another ten minutes before she resorted to bursting in. Her patience was awarded when Brittney joined them a few minutes later.

  "Is that food?" she asked, sniffing the air.

  She headed straight for the kitchen, grabbed her bowl, and flopped down at the table. Once she took a smell of the food, she put her hand over her mouth, and shook her head.

  "Sorry guys," she said. "There's no way my stomach is touching that. I'll just have some soda."

  She went to the fridge and grabbed a can. After a pause, she grabbed a ginger ale and chucked it at Harper, who grabbed it out of the air and tapped the top.

  Brittney slowly on her sprite. "My head hurts."

  "Imagine that," Alec said. "How many shots did you put back? Ten? Twelve?"

  "I can't remember," she said with a small, embarrassed smile. "Am I the only hungover one?"

  "No," Harper said in unison with Sarah. They both laughed. Brittney seemed to brighten a little at this.

  She pushed her hair behind her ears and turned to face Alec. "So you want to tell us about this team we'll be fighting?"

  Alec pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his latest messages. "Well, there's a vampire in the group. Not surprising. They all have vampires. There's a shape-shifter too--"

  "Sweet!" Sarah said. "I've always wanted to meet another one."

  "You're not meeting him, you're defeating him," Alec said sharply.

  Harper and the others all shifter their eyes to Alec. Sometimes she forgot how serious he could be. One minute, he'd be joking, the next he'd be completely serious and stern. His back and forth behavior was going to give her whiplash.

  Sarah just shrugged. "Don't care," she said. "I'll still have a chance to see him shift. I wonder what he shifts into."

  Alec frowned. "Hopefully something that won't give us too much trouble," he said. "If he can turn into, I don't know, an elephant, we're all in trouble."

  "Yes," Harper said sarcastically. "He turns into an elephant in the middle of Phoenix. Why not? Not like that would get any attention at all."

  Alec ignored her and went back to his messages. "There's also one of the fey," he said. "A, uh, a cupid."

  "We're going to be fighting Cupid?" Brittney said. "I don't know how I feel about that. I don't think I could kill Cupid."

  "They're cupids, not Cupid," Alec said. "Either way, we might not have a choice. Especially if he's using his powers to harm other people."

  Chloe shook her head and didn't comment. Harper wondered how she felt about fighting another one of the fey. She knew fairies were very close-knit, even though she'd never seen one hang around Chloe before. She tried to tell herself that it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but she still wondered.

  "Oh, they also have a harpy," Alec said.

  "What?" Everyone exclaimed together.

  "Yes," Alec said. "A harpy. Half-woman, half-bird. Known through the demonic community as vultures."

  Conner smirked. "That'll be easy," he said. "I can work my powers on a harpy."

  "Perhaps," Alec said. "Just don't forget, even though she's a harpy, she used to be one of the good guys. Which means she might have had the fairy cast some sort of spell on her to make her immune; just like Chloe did for all of us."

  "Anyone else?" Harper asked.

  She was already imagining having to fight the other group. She didn't like it. They were supposed to be the good guys. She knew it was necessary if they -- and the rest of the groups -- wanted
to stay anonymous, but it still gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She glanced at Brittney and saw the same expression on her face. The others looked ready, though.

  "No," Alec said. "That's the way the teams were set up. Four in each. Except us. If you're wondering why -- and I can tell you are, Harper -- it's because I refused when they first contacted me. I didn't want to be part of this. I wanted to just disappear and live my life in solitude. Then I met Chloe, then Conner, and realized I had a responsibility. So when we found Sarah, it was the perfect fit, and I told them I would do it. Then you and Brittney came along, and we sort of adopted you."

  "You forced me into it," Harper said. "Don't you remember showing up to my place and guilt tripping me into helping by bringing up my great-grandmother?"

  Alec smiled at the memory. "Yes, I do" he said. "And you don't regret it, do you?"

  "Not at all," Harper said.

  "Nobody had to guilt trip me," Brittney said. "I wanted to join."

  Harper shot a mock glare at Brittney. She hated being reminded that for a while she hadn't wanted anything to do with Afterlife's crew. She knew there wasn't really a reason to feel guilty. She'd helped them beyond measure since she'd joined up.

  "So when are we leaving?" Harper asked, deciding to change the subject. "You said they'd be sending plane tickets. And are Brittney and I going to be with the FBI in this case?"

  "I don't know yet," Alec said. "We'll play that part by ear. Just make sure you bring your badges and your jackets, just in case. The plane leaves in about four hours."

  "Four hours?" Chloe exclaimed. "That doesn't give us much time to pack! Get up Sarah, we're going to go get our things! Oh my God, I don't even have time to go shopping!"

  Alec rolled his eyes. "I told you, this isn't a vacation."

  Chloe glared at him. "You let us talk this whole time when we only have a few hours to get ready? You're a terrible man, Alec. Utterly terrible. Come on, Sarah. Get up."

  Sarah groaned and got to her feet. "Alright, alright. Your house first or mine?"

  "Mine, definitely," Chloe said.

  She kissed Brittney on the cheek, hugged Harper, and ruffled Conner's hair. She shook her head at Alec, then hugged him and darted out the door. "We'll see you at the airport."

  Sarah gave them all a commiserating look and followed Chloe out the door. Conner sighed and got to his feet.

  "I guess I should go get some stuff ready too. Should we bring the usual supplies, Alec?"

  "And explain to the Air Marshall while we're carrying weapons, stakes, and holy water?" Alec asked. "No. We're going unarmed. We're going to have to figure out what to do when we get there."

  Brittney flicked her hair over a shoulder and stood. "I'm going to go get ready too," she decided. She headed into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Conner gave Harper and Alec a wave and then headed out as well.

  "Let me guess," Alec said. "You're going to go back a huge bag too, right?"

  "Of course," Harper said. She stood, going into her room. "You should too! We're going to have fun, Alec, whether you like it or not!"

  She heard him sigh as she shut her door behind her. She hopped in the shower first, and made sure it was a short one. She just shaved and washed her hair, then climbed back out. She located one of the suitcases she'd bought when she went shopping and began loading it up with clothes. Halfway through, she realized she was packing for fall weather. She dumped all her clothes on the floor, and began packing lighter wear. Even though it was fall, Arizona was sure to be hot and dry.

  When she was done, she went back into the living room. Alec was holding a small bag. "That's all you're bringing?" she asked.

  Alec shook his head. "I'm not a girl," he said. "I don't need a new outfit every hour."

  Harper frowned.

  "You know, if you make that face, it's going to stay like that," Alec said.

  "Way to sound like Conner," Harper said, but she didn't mean it. She was glad that Alec was in a good enough mood to joke around with her.

  "He has a habit of rubbing off on people," Alec said.

  "Yes, he does," Harper said.

  "Go check on Brittney," he said. "She needs to hurry up. I thought we could stop and have a bite to eat at the airport. Hopefully Brittney will feel a little better and she'll be able to eat."

  "Sure," Harper said. She headed into Brittney's bedroom. She saw a packed suitcase on the bed, and the water running in the bathroom. She stepped in; it wouldn't be the first time she'd seen Brittney without clothes on.

  "Hey, Alec wants you to hurry up," Harper said. "He's getting impatient."

  Brittney popped out of the shower. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her hair, drying it furiously. Then she slipped on her robe, and stared at Harper. "Are you ready?"

  "Ready for what?"

  Brittney pulled the towel off her hair. "This," she said. Harper blinked. Brittney had dyed her hair a pitch black. She combed it out, and turned in a circle. "Come on, what do you think?"

  "It looks great with your complexion," Harper said. "I like it better than the red."

  "Me too," Brittney said happily. "Think the others will like it? Like Chloe?"

  Harper nodded. "They're all going to love it," she promised. "Now get dressed and let's get going."

  She went to Brittney's closet, grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top. She also grabbed some undergarments from her dresser. She tossed them at her friend. Brittney nodded, and yanked on the clothes.

  "Do I have time to put on makeup?" Brittney asked.

  "Sure," Harper said. "Actually, I'm going to as well. I'll just use yours. I haven't restocked my collection yet."

  Brittney shook her head, .I don't know how you managed to live without the right makeup. Here, I have a foundation that will fit your complexion really well."

  She rifled through her makeup drawer and pulled out a bottle and passed it over. For the next few minutes, they wasted time making themselves look pretty. Harper added extra eyeliner and mascara to lengthen her lashes. Finally, when they were done, they went back to the living room.

  "I just texted the others," Alec said. "They're on their way to the airport. Let's get going. There's a taxi waiting outside for us. I didn't want to have to leave one of our cars at the airport for so long."

  They headed out to the taxi, loaded their stuff in the trunk and climbed in. The taxi driver greeted them, they greeted him in return, and set off to the airport.

  Harper grinned at Brittney. "Looks like we still get our fall vacation after all," she said.

  "It isn't a vacation, Harper," he reminded her once again.

  "And you're a killjoy," Harper said. "So hush up and let us enjoy this, alright?"

  She glanced at Alec, saw that he was smiling, and laughed. "Fine," he said. "Fine. We'll have fun, alright?"

  "Yes," Harper and Brittney said together, and the two of them laughed. Alec hesitated a moment and then joined in on the laughter.

  "I've only been to Arizona once," Harper said. "It'll be nice to see somewhere new. Somewhere that's not Vegas. Somewhere that demons aren't hiring bartenders to kill us -- they have no idea who we are."

  "Yeah," Alec said. "I guess it will be nice."

  Harper leaned back in her seat, folded her arms, and let out a content breath. She knew they were going to have trouble to deal with, but for now, she was just contemplating the fun she'd have, and the people she'd be having it with.

  THREE

  "Wow," Conner said when they'd all met up at the airport. "Harper, you look beautiful."

  "I do?" she asked.

  "Yes," Conner said. For a moment, all he could do was stare. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off her, even though the others were all looking at him, expecting some sort of joke. He tried to think of one, so they wouldn't know what he was really thinking, and couldn't come up with anything. "Better than Chloe, at least," he finally said.

  Chloe stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck his back at out her,
glad the moment had passed. He knew that Harper had feelings for Alec, and he knew that his boss had the same feelings for her. It didn't stop him from wishing that Harper would see him, the real him, instead of the joker that he always presented himself as.

  He knew that wouldn't happen, though, and he swallowed back his feelings and smiled.

  "Thank you," Harper said to him. He shrugged and put an arm around her shoulders.

  "Better than you usually look," he whispered in her ear. He was rewarded with an elbow to his ribs. Harper shook his arm off, and went to join Brittney and Chloe at the counter. They ordered burgers and fries for everyone with iced teas on the side. Conner quickly stepped up.

  "Actually, make one of those ice teas mixed with lemonade," he said. "Half and half, please."

  "Sure," the waiter said. "So I've got six hamburgers, five ice teas, and a half and half. Sound good?"

  Harper nodded, and paid. They went and found a booth to sit at. They'd already cleared security, so they didn't need to worry about missing their flight. Conner was grateful that the airport had a restaurant after security. Even though he'd eaten at the girls' house, he felt ravenous. He didn't have a hangover, but something about drinking always made him feel extremely hungry.

  When their hamburgers arrived, Conner dug into his with a vengeance. Harper and Brittney both picked at theirs. The others ate cheerfully, talking about their plans for Phoenix. Except Alec. He ate silently, occasionally shaking his head. Conner knew that Alec took their jobs very seriously, but he couldn't help but feel a measure of annoyance at the boss. Sometimes he felt like Alec forgot they were people, and people couldn't work all the time.

  Conner had been excited for a few days off before their next case. He had been planning to invite Harper somewhere, maybe on a picnic. He wasn't big into them, but he knew girls liked them. It was strange; he'd never had a problem getting a girl he wanted before, when he still used his demonic powers to woo the women. But with Harper, he couldn't do that. Besides a betrayal of trust, his powers didn't work on her. She was naturally immune.