Phoenix Under Fire (Afterlife Book 5) Read online

  He still hadn't figured out why: was it her gypsy blood? Was it something else? Was it his heart telling him that he shouldn't use her like that? Maybe his powers were fading from lack of use. On one hand, that would be a relief. He'd no longer have to resist the temptation to use them when he met someone he found attractive and funny. On the other hand, it was part of his identity. If he wasn't a heart-stealing incubus, he didn't know what he was.

  "You're awfully quiet," Sarah said to Conner. "Something wrong?"

  "Just your face," Conner quipped. Sarah frowned at him.

  "Seriously," he said. "I mean, I liked your face after you transformed out of that fox form... I mean, you should have seen it. I didn't think anyone's eyes could get that large."

  Sarah made another face at him.

  Conner finished his hamburger before anyone else, and stood up to stretch. Harper finished next.

  "Hey," he said. "Let's go for a walk and explore that gift shop."

  "Sure," Harper said. She followed Conner away from the table towards where the gift shop was located. "You know these things are ripoffs. They over charge for everything, and besides, we don't need souvenirs from Vegas. We live here."

  "Yeah," Conner said. "I just wanted to get you away from the others."

  "What? Why?" she asked.

  For a moment, Conner felt like his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. He already regretted his decision to ask Harper to take a walk with him. He was being stupid. There was no way she could ever...

  "Conner?"

  "I was wondering, when we're in Phoenix -- I know we have a lot of work to do, but I was thinking..."

  "Spit it out," she said.

  "I was thinking we might go to a movie."

  Harper blinked. "A movie? Why?"

  "To watch it, obviously," Conner said.

  Harper shrugged a shoulder and smiled. "Sure. I bet everyone would love that. I mean, there's that new one out... I can't remember which one it is, something to do with superheroes. Of course, we'll have to deal with Brittney and Chloe making out in the seats behind us, so that'll be amusing. Why not?"

  Conner resisted the urge to sigh. Instead, he forced a smile in its place.

  "Yeah," he said. "Thanks, Harper."

  "No problem," she said. She picked up a trinket from one of the shelves, studied it for a moment, and then put it back. "Of course, it'll have to be a night show or we won't be able to take Alec. Though, I can't really see him sitting through a movie, can you? I mean, he doesn't even watch television."

  "You're probably right," Conner said. "It'll be fun, though. I'll even buy the popcorn."

  "With extra butter," Harper said with a smile. "Come on, we should get back to the others. Our flight is going to be boarding soon."

  Conner nodded and led the way back to the table.

  "Sneaking off for some romance?" Sarah teased.

  "Hardly," Harper said with a laugh. "We were just discussing taking the time to see a movie while we're in Phoenix. What do you guys think? Superhero movie?

  "Sounds good to me," Brittney said. "I've been meaning to watch that."

  Alec rolled his eyes. "Count me out," he said. "I get enough of that in real life."

  Sarah reached over and punched Alec's shoulder. "You're coming, you don't get a choice. It's a group activity and you're part of the group."

  "He is?" Chloe said. "I thought he was the outsider looking in."

  Conner knew Chloe was teasing, and he saw the way Alec's lips curved up into a smile.

  "Fine, I'll go," Alec said. "But if you think I'm eating that disgusting popcorn, you've got another thing coming."

  "I'm not eating it either," Sarah said. "That greasy stuff is terrible on your stomach."

  Harper shook her head at Sarah and Alec in disbelief. "How can you enjoy a movie without a giant bucket of popcorn? It's impossible. You're both impossible."

  "Hey," Brittney said suddenly. "Where are we staying?"

  Alec checked his texts. "They're putting us up in a five star hotel in the executive suites."

  Harper let out a whistle. "They're sure pulling out the stops for us."

  "They better be," Conner said. "If we're going to be fighting another group, the least we deserve is a nice place to stay during this trip. I've always wanted to stay in a luxurious hotel."

  "We can go swimming!" Brittney said. She flicked her now-black hair over a shoulder. "I'm a fish," she announced. "I deserve to be in water."

  "You're only a fish when you're drinking like one," Harper teased.

  Conner took a drink. "Well, I'm not a fish, but I wouldn't mind a dip in the pool either. It's been forever since I've swam. Did I tell you, when I was a kid, before I ran away, I used to be on a swimming team? My coach always said I could get a scholarship with my speed."

  He paused then, thinking of his parents. He'd run away when he was a teenager, unable to continue to live with his secret of being a demon. He didn't know why he'd been born one, and in his later years, he'd regretted it, just wanting to be normal. But it was an impossible dream. So he'd spent his youth seducing women and taking them to bed. He was proud of the fact that he'd never killed them, though, like many incubi would have. Still, he knew that he'd used and abused people beyond measure.

  Sometimes he still dreamed about it. Sometimes he thought of the parade of women who had been in his bed. He'd wake up, covered in sweat, wishing that he could die for the things he'd done. But he hadn't died. He'd lived, and he found people who understood that sometimes you did bad things, but they didn't define you. And it didn't define him, not anymore.

  He still felt guilt over what his parents must have gone through. Disappearing in the middle of the night without a word of goodbye. He hadn't even left a letter. He'd been so desperate to escape the small town he lived in, desperate to see the world. Now he was too much of a coward to contact them, to tell them that he was alright, that he was a good person now.

  Which led, of course, to thoughts of his son. He only discovered James recently. His mother didn't want Conner around him, even though he'd saved his life. He couldn't blame her. He just wished things were different. Maybe someday they would be. Maybe someday he'd get to know the little boy who shared his demonic nature. He wanted to teach him, to tell him never to give into his urges, to fight them, to be a better man than he had been.

  He knew he had to stop dwelling on the past. Everyone was looking at him, and he felt his face fill with color.

  "What? Do I have something on my nose?" he asked.

  "Brittney just asked if you wanted to race when we get to the hotel," Harper supplied.

  "Sorry," he said. "I was lost in thoughts of how I'm going to kick her ass. Yeah, I'll race. When I win, don't cry though, okay?"

  Brittney scoffed at him. "As if. You'll be eating my dust, Conner. Or rather, you'll be eating my waves. Either way, you don't stand a chance."

  "All talk," Conner said.

  "Yeah, we'll see." she said.

  Before they could discuss it more, the speaker went off. "Gate Four C from Las Vegas, Nevada to Phoenix, Arizona now boarding."

  "Guess it's time for us to go," Harper said.

  Conner stood, stretched, and picked up his carry-on bag. Like Alec, he'd packed light. He was fairly amused at the women trying to pick up their heavy bags. He thought they might not even fit in the overhead compartment. He bent down and scooped up Harper's before she had a chance, and went towards the loading gate.

  They waited in line, presented their tickets, and headed into the plane. Everyone paused just outside of it to check their seating arrangements. Then they climbed aboard and found the appropriate seats. Conner ended up sitting next to Chloe in the front of the plane. The others were behind them.

  "So, I know something," Chloe said.

  "What's that?" Conner asked. Before she could answer, the flight attendant gave her speech about how to use their seat belts, their flotation devices, and where the emergency exits were. She said the f
light was scheduled to arrive on time and there would be little turbulence.

  When she stopped talking, Conner repeated, "What do you know?"

  "That you like Harper," Chloe said.

  "What?"

  "I can tell," Chloe said. "You know one of the things about the fey is we all have a little bit of intuition when it comes to these matters. See, I'm not a love fairy -- or as the girls like to call it -- a cupid, but I still have some of that, well, I can't really explain it. I can just tell."

  Conner sighed.

  "It's nothing to be ashamed of," Chloe said. "I mean, Harper is pretty great."

  "I'm not ashamed," Conner said. "I just feel stupid. I know it won't work between us."

  "Why not?" Chloe asked.

  "Because she's in love with Alec."

  "Now there's a couple that really can't work out," Chloe said. "You and I both know that. First of all, she's going to want what he can't give her. Secondly, he's not going to let her get that close. You know Alec."

  Conner shook his head as the plane began to lift off. He glanced out the window and watched the ascent.

  "That's the thing, though. They are close. When she's around, he's not as moody. He's less secretive. He even jokes around with us. Do you remember Alec ever joking around before she came? He's always been our leader, but now he's our friend too."

  Chloe smiled. "She does seem to be a good influence on him, doesn't she? Brittney helps too. I'm glad we found the two of them."

  "Yeah, well, you got Brittney," Conner said moodily.

  Chloe reached over and poked him in the ribs. "Don't give up so easily," she told him. "If you like her, fight for her, Conner."

  Conner considered this for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "I've never had to fight for someone before. If I wanted someone, I could just have them. I've never been in this position. I don't like it. Maybe I should just go find someone else. Someone that wants to be with me."

  "You worry too much," Chloe said. "If it's meant to be, it will happen. You know that I had to betray the traditions of the fey to be with Brittney?"

  "Because she's a girl?"

  "No," Chloe said. "Because fey marry fey. It's always been that way. Something about keeping our bloodlines pure."

  "They count you as pure?"

  Chloe reached over and smacked him. Conner laughed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I couldn't help it."

  "I know," Chloe said. "But let's get back on track. You and Harper."

  "There is no me and Harper."

  "Not yet."

  Conner groaned. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

  "Tell me the truth," Chloe said. "When you asked her about the movies, did you mean it as a date?"

  Conner glanced out the window again. "I don't know what I meant it as. But I didn't think she would invite everyone else. She didn't get the hint, I guess."

  "I could tell her," Chloe offered.

  "No!" he whispered loudly.

  "Why not?"

  "Because, if she doesn't feel the same way -- and I'm sure she doesn't -- then I'll just look like a lovesick idiot, and I don't want that," he said. "No, I'd rather just stay friends. Things are working the way they are. We're a great dynamic. I don't want there to be awkwardness between us."

  Chloe just shook her head at him. "If you don't take a chance--"

  "--Chloe, leave it, please," Conner said.

  "Fine," Chloe said. "But when you die alone, don't blame me."

  "I'll definitely blame you," Conner said. "Just imagine, if you hadn't gotten with Brittney, we could have gotten married. The whole shebang. You in a white dress... Alec could have walked you down the aisle... of course, it would have to be at night. Harper and Sarah could have been your flower girls. I mean, we could be living the dream. White picket fence and all."

  "You're ridiculous," Chloe said.

  Conner just smirked at her. He reached down into his bag and pulled out a book. It was a mystery thriller written by one of his favorite authors. He opened the book, but before he could start reading, Chloe had snatched it out of his hands.

  "What's this?" she asked.

  "Give it back," Conner said.

  Chloe scanned the back, ignoring him completely. "What? You don't get enough excitement in our every day life? You've got to read about it too?"

  "I will kill you," Conner threatened.

  "Well at least it's not a romance," Chloe said. She gave the book to him, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. "Now be quiet, I'm taking a nap."

  FOUR

  Sarah and Alec sat in silence for most of the trip. The airplane hit turbulence and she clutched the seat of her chair till her knuckles were white.

  "We're going to die," she announced. "We're all going to die."

  Alec, who was sitting next to her, rolled his eyes. "We're not going to die, Sarah."

  She gave him a dark look. "We are if the airplane crashes."

  "Airplanes don't crash."

  Sarah stared at him, wondering if he was crazy. "Airplanes don't crash," she repeated. "Where did you hear that? Where did you hear that airplanes don't crash? Airplanes crash all the time."

  "All the time?" Alec said, his voice incredulous. "You realize that the chances of an airplane crashing are like... one in like every eleven million, right?"

  Sarah didn't answer. She was deathly afraid of heights. She usually kept it to herself, because she didn't want the others to think she was some kind of wimp, but even going up an escalator scared her. She preferred to take stairs, where she could get a death grip on the railing. She didn't know where her fear of heights had originated, she just remembered being terrified ever since she was a child. Her sister had always tried to convince her to go on carnival rides like the zipper or roller coasters, and she'd always refused.

  It didn't help that she had bad motion sickness. She wished they could have driven instead. It wasn't like Arizona was that far. It was only about four hours away by car. She'd tried to convince the others, but Alec's employer had already bought them tickets. She understood the gesture, but she hated it at the same time.

  "Seriously, Sarah, we're going to be fine," Alec said.

  The plane shook again, and her drink nearly spilled over. She grabbed it just before it could fall.

  "That's what you say now," she told him. "Just you wait."

  "Come on," Alec said. "Talk to me. It'll distract you. What do you think of Brittney and Chloe?"

  Sarah blinked. "I think they make a cute couple, don't you?"

  "Sure," Alec said. "But don't you think it'll complicate things with them both working with us? Maybe we should take Brittney off the team. We don't want Chloe getting distracted."

  Sarah shook her head vehemently. "You're kidding, right? Brittney has been nothing but an asset for us. Dealing with the FBI, going undercover to Trinity, supplying us with guns, helping with the goblins... she's risked her life time and again for us. We're not taking her off the team."

  "And what do you think will happen if it's a choice between finishing a job and saving Chloe?" Alec asked. "Or the other way around?"

  "Any one of us would make the choice to save our friends," Sarah said. "Don't pretend you wouldn't. If it was Harper in danger, you'd abandon all us to save her. You're in love with her."

  "I'm not," Alec said.

  Sarah studied his face for a long moment. His expression was always difficult to read. He'd mastered the art of neutral very well.

  "I don't believe you," she finally said. "You've changed since you met her, Alec. There's no sense in denying that."

  "I'm not denying that much," Alec said. "She reminded me of what it's like to be human. That doesn't mean I'm in love with her, though. Look, I thought I was, alright? And I don't want you to repeat this--"

  "--I don't repeat things," Sarah said. "I'm not a gossip."

  Alec nodded. "I thought I was in love with her, but the truth was, she just reminded me so much of Ileana, her great-grandmother. I thought I could
find Ileana again in Harper, but they're two separate people. I care a lot about Harper. How could I not? I've kept an eye on her since she was a baby. And she's risked her life for us, over and over, just like Brittney has. But she's not Ileana, and she never can be."

  Sarah understood what Alec was saying, but she couldn't work out whether or not she believed him.

  "Let's drop it," Alec suggested.

  "Sure," Sarah agreed readily enough. She'd never been one to force a topic someone else didn't want to discuss. "But keep talking, or I might get sick."

  Alec rolled his eyes. He thought for a moment. "So are there any new men in your life?"

  "As if I have time," Sarah said. "Between the jobs we have, and my other job helping abused women, where would I meet someone?"

  "Don't you want to?" Alec said.

  Sarah shook her head. "Not especially," she admitted. "I mean, sure, I've thought about it. It's not me, though, Alec. It never has been. I think that's why my sister and I have such a wide disconnect. She wants that for me because that's what she has. I think she feels guilty."

  Alec was silent for a moment. "Do you think it's because of what you went through when you were a kid? With your dad?"

  "I don't know," Sarah said. "Sometimes I think that must be it, but I'm not sure. I could just be one of those people who doesn't fall in love. They exist, you know."

  "Right," Alec said. "Sure. Until the right man comes along. Unless you're going to pull a Chloe and fall in love with a woman."

  Sarah smiled and shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm not going to pull a Chloe. I think she always knew, somewhere inside, she'd end up with a woman. But not me."

  "We'll be single together then," Alec said.

  Sarah laughed. "Two old maids."

  Alec glared at her and let out a small growl. "I am not a maid," he said sharply.

  "Whatever you say."

  "You know, everyone likes to tease me," Alec said. Do I just have that written across my forehead? Make fun of Alec, it'll be fun! Is that it?"

  Sarah gave him another simple smile. "No, Alec. That's just what friends do. We tease each other. You know how Chloe and Conner are. And you're adapting. You're getting to the point where you can joke around too. A year ago, I wouldn't have believed it possible to even hear you laugh."