Phoenix Under Fire (Afterlife Book 5) Read online

  Alec folded his arms over his chest and said nothing.

  "I'm serious," Sarah said. "You have no idea how nice it is to see. You're our leader, but you're more important than just our friend, or our employer, or whatever you want to call yourself. We love you."

  She could tell that she'd struck a chord with Alec because he reached over and took her hand. He squeezed it softly.

  "I love all of you too," he said. "You brought me back to humanity; something I once considered impossible. When I'm with you guys, I don't feel like a vampire that's killed hundreds. I feel like a man."

  Sarah started to say more, but the speakers buzzed and the pilot started talking. "Ladies and gentleman, we are about to descend to Phoenix, Arizona. We are looking at an easy descent but I'd like to remind you all to put on your seat belts and push your trays back into place. The weather is sunny and we should be landing in about ten minutes."

  Sarah and Alec were silent once more for several minutes before she glanced over at Alec. "How are we supposed to find this other team, Alec?"

  Alec shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "If it were us, we'd be easy to find because of Afterlife, but I highly doubt that they're also operating a nightclub as a cover."

  Sarah laughed. "No," she agreed. "I doubt it."

  "Don't worry though," Alec said. "We'll find them and we'll stop them. Look, Sarah, I'm not going to lie. This isn't going to be an easy job, and it's not going to be like any others we've done before. They're like us; they're strong, they work together as a team, and they've done a lot of good."

  "Yeah," Sarah said. She felt her stomach swoop as the plane hit the runway. She covered her mouth with a hand and tried taking deep breaths.

  "Hey," Alec said. "It's alright. We're going to be fine, alright?"

  "I know," Sarah said.

  "Are you sure?" Alec asked.

  She nodded. "Yes."

  Once the plane had stopped, he took off his seatbelt and waited for everyone else to start departing. Sarah did the same. She grabbed the carry-on she'd packed and stood. There weren't many people on the flight; it took a few minutes for the other people to get off the plane. There was an elderly couple a few seats away, waiting for an opening. When Sarah got to them, she stopped and motioned them forward.

  "Thank you," the woman said. She picked up her bag with some effort and followed her husband off the plane.

  "You know," Alec said, "you're a really good person, Sarah."

  Sarah gave him a small smile, but in her mind she was thinking of the time she'd become a fury and wreaked havoc on the city. She'd tried to kill one man, and had succeeded in killing two others. Sometimes she tried to justify it to herself; there was a good chance that the men would have killed Brittney and Harper if she hadn't shown up. They weren't good men.

  The justification didn't help, though. Sometimes she still dreamed about it, about killing them. She'd snapped their necks like it was nothing, and she couldn't quite forgive herself. It didn't matter who they were. They were human beings and she'd taken their lives. It made her feel conflicted about their mission in Phoenix. The other team was meting out their own justice, just as she had done.

  Alec gave her a scrutinizing look, and Sarah realized some of her feelings must have been showing on her face. She put her smile back in place, and just shrugged.

  The rest of the team was already off the plane, waiting for them at the exit gate. They each had their bags and looked impatient.

  "Took you long enough," Brittney said.

  Alec and Sarah ignored the comment.

  Sarah stretched her arms over her head and looked around. "So, where will we be staying?"

  "I told you, they set us up in a hotel," Alec said. "Let's just get a couple of taxis and head over there."

  Everyone nodded their agreement and Alec called and ordered two cabs. It took about fifteen minutes for them to arrive, and during that time Sarah amused herself by looking around the airport. It wasn't any different than the others she'd been to, but the gift shop caught her eye. She knew everything there was just junk for tourists, but she ended up buying a snow globe anyway. She found it ironic they'd sell snow globes in Phoenix.

  Once the taxis arrived, she climbed into hers with Chloe and Brittney. Conner, Alec, and Harper took the one in front of them. Alec gave the driver instructions on how to get to the hotel. After they started moving, Sarah sat back and enjoyed no longer being on a plane. If she had her way, she'd never fly on one again.

  FIVE

  Once everyone was settled into their suites, Chloe decided to go for a walk outside. Both Brittney and Sarah offered to come with her, but she wanted some time alone. Eventually her walk became faster and faster till she was running. She didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of her feet hitting the ground over and over.

  Part of the reason for her run was her nerves. She was in love with Brittney, but she couldn't stop thinking about what her parents would say if they were alive. Would they have supported her? Would they have been disappointed that she'd broken tradition and decided to date someone who wasn't fey?

  It didn't matter, of course. They were long dead and Chloe had abandoned the rest of her people to live with humans. Sometimes she missed the land of the fey. She'd grown up in the woods in a small home settled next to several other cabins. There was a very strong community presence. Everyone knew everyone else, and they were all willing to lend a hand whenever it was needed. Beauty was important to the fey, and it could be seen everywhere; from the homes themselves to the decorations mounted throughout them.

  Music mattered too. Every child learned how to play and sing at their mother's knee. Chloe could play the flute, the violin, and the drums. She had a sense of rhythm that was matched only by Conner. If her parents had ever heard him sing, they would have loved to have him become part of the family.

  Chloe loved Conner dearly, but he was more of a brother to her than anything else. She felt the same about Alec, but sometimes he felt more of a father to her than anything else. Sarah was her best friend, and she loved Harper, her sense of morality, and her impact on Alec.

  Lost in her thoughts, Chloe wasn't paying attention and tripped over a curb. She landed on her face, scratching it up, along with the palms of her hands. She sat back on the pavement, and stared at the scrapes on her hands. She could heal them if she wanted to, but there was something about the pain that brought clarity to her mind.

  It didn't matter what her parents might have thought of Brittney. She loved her for many reasons; they were both so similar in their likes and dislikes. She was beautiful with her alabaster skin and now-black, long hair. Chloe loved to look in her eyes and count her long eyelashes.

  "Excuse me, miss," someone said. "Are you alright?"

  Chloe looked up to see a man in a suit standing over her. "I'm alright," she said. "Just tripped. Wasn't paying enough attention."

  "I know," he said. "I saw. You have a cut on your forehead that might need stitches."

  Chloe could have told him it was unnecessary, that the wound would be faded by that evening, and likely gone by the next day. But that would reveal her as one of the fey and she didn't want anyone to know what she was. It only caused trouble if they weren't supernatural, and if they were, it gave her away as a potential enemy.

  So instead, she took the hand he was offering down and came to her feet. "I'll put some gauze over it," she promised. "My friend was a med student. She knows how to do stitches."

  "Are you sure? I don't mind driving you if you don't have a car."

  Chloe shook her head. "I'll be fine," she assured him.

  "At least let me give you a ride back to your house," he said. "You shouldn't be walking around bleeding everywhere. You might attract the wrong kind of attention."

  Something about the way he said it gave Chloe pause. "Surely people have seen worse in the city," she said cautiously.

  The man looked from side to side, and then stepped
close to her. "There are things out here worse than the people in daylight," he said. "And night is coming. Your blood might attract the wrong sort of attention."

  Chloe stared at him. "You're talking about vampires, aren't you?"

  The man flinched at the word, glanced around again, and then nodded. "I know it sounds ridiculous," he said. "You probably think I'm some sort of nut, but it's true."

  "I don't think you're crazy," Chloe said. "I've seen enough in my lifetime to know they're real."

  "Then you know how dangerous it is to be out at night," he said. "Especially in these times."

  Chloe shook her head. "Actually, I'm just visiting," she said. "I'm in town from Las Vegas, and while there were plenty of them around, they knew better than to mess with people on the streets."

  "That's how it used to be here," the man said. "But you have to understand. There's an army blooming in Phoenix. They don't care about being found out any longer. They're taking over the city, and they don't leave anyone untouched."

  For a moment, Chloe was speechless. Then she smiled. "You're joking with me, right?"

  "No," he said. "I'm deadly serious. There's a woman leading them, and she allows them to do what they please."

  Chloe considered for a moment. "Is it just vampires? Or are there other things too?"

  "We shouldn't be talking about this in the street," he said. "It's not safe. There's a coffee house right up the road. Why don't you let me walk you there, we can clean you up, and I'll tell you what I know."

  "Sure," Chloe said. Part of her was apprehensive about going somewhere alone with a stranger, but she had her own protections, and felt like this was information the team would need to know. So she followed him to the coffee shop. He ordered them both iced coffees and chose a table way in the back, away from everyone else.

  "My name is Allen," he offered.

  "Chloe."

  "That's a pretty name," he said.

  "Thank you," she smiled back at him.

  "So, Chloe," he said. "You want to know what's going on around here? I mean, I don't want to scare you out of Phoenix. I've just made it my job to make sure that everyone knows what they're up against."

  "Trust me," Chloe said. "Allen, I've dealt with worse. Do you want to know a secret?"

  For a moment, she teetered on the edge of revealing her secret. He seemed so nice, though, and he was telling her about the underworld of Phoenix. She leaned close and whispered. "I'm a fairy."

  He stared at her.

  "I help fight against creatures of the night," she continued. "That's why I'm here in Phoenix. I heard something was going on, but I didn't know it was a large scale. I thought there were just a few rogue demons going around and taking out those they felt had wronged someone in some way."

  Allen shook his head. "Maybe it used to be that way, but it's not like that anymore. Now, it's not safe to even go out at night. If you do, you're going to get attacked. Sometimes by a vampire, sometimes by a beautiful woman who flies like a bird, sometimes by a man who shifts into other forms."

  "How long has this been going on?"

  "I don't know," he admitted. "A while, now. It seems like every street in Phoenix is home to someone who wants to hurt others. Even the supposedly safe neighborhoods. The only ones who seem safe are the children. There haven't been any attacks on them yet, as far as I know."

  Chloe nodded. "Because children are innocent," she explained. "If these people think they're doing good, then they wouldn't attack a child."

  "But if they think they're good, then why are they attacking random bystanders?" Allen asked.

  "Do they die?" Chloe asked.

  Allen shook his head. "Not usually. Sometimes they're badly injured, though, and have to spend weeks in the hospital. From the research I've been doing, I've decided that they only injure someone long enough for a vampire to arrive. Then the vampire turns them. The lucky ones get help before that, but most of them aren't lucky."

  Chloe frowned, considering all of this. "I appreciate the information, Allen. I want to assure you, I'm here to help solve the problem. We're going to make sure the city is safe again."

  "We?"

  "Yes," Chloe said. "I'm here with a team."

  "Thank God," he said. "I've been terrified for my wife and daughter. I don't let them go out alone at night anymore, even if it's just down the block. I don't want to risk them getting hurt or turned."

  "Allen, can I have your number? I want to be able to reach you if we need more information."

  "Sure," Allen said. He pulled out his phone and they exchanged numbers. "Call me if you need anything," he said. "I'll help as much as I can."

  Chloe nodded. "For now, stay safe. Carry a piece of sharpened wood with you. If you get attacked, fight for your life. Right in the chest, that's where you aim against a vampire. If it's something else... don't try to fight. Just run."

  Allen nodded. "Thank you."

  Chloe finished her coffee and stood. "I should be getting back. My team is probably worried about me, and I want to tell them what you've said."

  "Let me drive you," Allen said. "My car is right down the road."

  Chloe shrugged. "Sure," she agreed. She dabbed at her forehead with a napkin. It was still oozing blood, but it had slowed down considerably.

  "You don't look like you need stitches anymore," Allen said in wonder.

  "It comes with being a fey," Chloe explained. They walked out together and down to his car. She gave him directions to the hotel they were staying in, and he drove them there.

  "So how are you going to stop them?" Allen asked.

  Chloe shook her head. "I don't know yet," she admitted.

  She paused, and gave it some thought. As usual, when she thought of the creatures they'd fought, she felt a pang of guilt. She really didn't do that much to help the group. Conner and Alec were both strong enough to take on any creature that came at them. Sarah could shape-shift into something that would allow her to fight just about anyone and win. Harper had the Sight, and Brittney was becoming stronger every day, and she was a good shot with a gun. Chloe, though, had no real fighting talents. She could track someone, she could cast protection on her friends, and she could levitate.

  She remembered hearing all about how the crew had gone underground to hunt goblins in the sewers. When they found the missing pieces of art they were after, they had been at the top of a pile of junk. If Chloe had been there, she could have levitated up and retrieved them. Instead, her friends had to knock down the whole pile and dig through it.

  Meanwhile, she'd been having fun with Nick. Looking back at the incident filled her with embarrassment. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she still felt bad that the team had to work without her.

  When they arrived at the hotel, Chloe got out, reached over, and shook Allen's hand. "Remember what I said," she told him. "Keep your family close and safe. Don't take any chances. If something happens, call me."

  "Thank you," Allen said.

  Chloe smiled at him, then headed for the hotel doors. It was a beautiful hotel, probably the most expensive one she'd been in. She made her way past the indoor pool and hot tub, vowing to herself that if she got a chance, she'd drag Brittney, Harper, and Sarah down into the hot water where they could relax. She already knew Conner and Alec wouldn't want to go.

  She went up to her room, checked on her stuff, took a shower, changed into comfortable clothing, and went over to Alec's suite, where she assumed everyone would be gathered. Just as she thought, when he opened the door, everyone was gathered together on the chairs and the couches in the room. Harper was laying on his bed, arms folded behind her head.

  "You were gone a while," Conner said. "What'd you do? Decide to walk around all of Phoenix?"

  Chloe shook her head. She quickly told everyone what Allen had told her.

  "So they're building an army," Alec said. "Great. Just what we needed. Looks like this is going to be harder than we thought."

  "It's a shame," Chloe said. "I wa
s really looking forward to a vacation."

  Alec glared at her. "For the last time, we are not here to have fun!"

  "Buzzkill," Chloe said, and stuck her tongue out at him. Then she flopped down on the couch next to Brittney, put her arm around her and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. Soon her wounds stopped hurting, the cut on her forehead faded, and the scrapes on her hands disappeared.

  "Don't worry," Brittney promised. "We're still going to have fun while we're here. Whether Alec likes it or not."

  SIX

  After a few hours of lounging around, the group decided they'd start working on the case in the morning, as they all were tired from the flight and the day's activities before that. Brittney went to her suite and laid down on the bed. She wished they were sharing rooms like they had in the last hotel. She would have enjoyed the company of either Harper or Chloe, or even Sarah.

  Despite how popular she always made herself out to seem, and how Harper had always viewed her, Brittney had come to realize in the last few months that she had few true friends. Instead, she had surrounded herself by people who enjoyed partying, enjoyed the money that Brittney had, and enjoyed luxurious lifestyles. This was a hold over from her high school years when she'd been a popular cheerleader who'd had her choice of lackeys to hang around her.

  Her only real friend was Harper. Best friends and next door neighbors since they were children, they'd always been there for each other throughout any troubled parts of their lives. That was part of the reason that Brittney had insisted on being allowed to be a member of Afterlife; the other reason was almost selfish in nature. She wanted the opportunity to do something worthwhile with her life. She didn't want to end up like her mother: raising a family, throwing lavish parties, and taking care of a home. She wanted excitement, adventure, and to know she made a difference in the world.