A Phoenix Never Dies (Afterlife Book 6) Read online

  Chloe glared at him, and he winked at her. She felt her skin flush a light red. She knew that Conner was only whistling her at her because he wanted to make her feel better about how she looked. She appreciated it. Wren set to work at once, combing and cutting her hair. Occasionally he'd splash some water in it, making a humming noise, and then brush it in a different direction.

  The others chatted lightly while her hair was being cut. They all seemed to realize it wouldn't be a good time to discuss what they'd need to do. So instead they talked about the weather, about their families, and stories from their youth -- Conner made them all laugh with a story about a teacher he'd seduced.

  Finally, Wren stood back. "Ta-da!"

  Everyone clapped. Conner whistled again.

  Chloe got to her feet, pushed past everyone, and went into the bathroom where there was a full mirror. Wren had taken her tattered looking hair and turned it into something beautiful. It was short, and framed her face, and he'd spiked up the back. Chloe felt tears sting her eyes, and was glad nobody had followed her to the bathroom.

  "Well?" Wren called out.

  She furiously wiped the tears away, took another look, and smiled. She might not win any beauty contests -- not till her burns healed anyway -- but she no longer felt like a wild animal at the zoo.

  Once she had herself under control, she went back in the room and did a small twirl that hurt her ribs but was totally worth it. "Thank you," she said to Wren. "It's wonderful."

  "I'm glad you like it," he said.

  "You look beautiful," Brittney told her.

  The others nodded their agreement.

  "So back to the problem at hand," Chloe said. "We need to figure out a way to get some eyes on the inside."

  Conner shook his head. "They knew what we were the moment we approached," he said. "Not like Harper, of course, but they knew we were supernatural. They're not going to let us get close."

  Sarah nodded. "He's right. They know our faces now too; at least that of me, Conner, and Wren."

  "And none of us are vampires," Samuel pointed out. "What would they want with us? For that matter, why are they even taking vampires? If they were killing them, they'd just do it."

  "Actually," Jeffrey said. "I'm a vampire."

  Everyone turned towards him.

  Chloe blinked; he'd been so silent in the corner that she'd forgotten he was even there. "No," she said immediately. "It's too dangerous, and you're just a kid."

  "I'm twenty-two."

  "Barely out of diapers," Conner scoffed.

  "Look, I'm a vampire. They're taking vampires. It's only natural that I should be the one on the inside," Jeffrey said. "I know it's dangerous, but I owe it to Alec."

  "You don't owe anyone anything," Harper said. "You saved Chloe's life. That right there is enough to earn enough points from all of us."

  Jeffrey shook his head. "It's not enough," he said. "Besides, I need him. I need to ask him questions and pick his brain."

  "How would we even do it?" Heather asked.

  Chloe glanced at Heather. "You're not really considering sending him in, are you? The rest of us are trained. He's just a--"

  "--Please don't say I'm a kid again," Jeffrey interrupted. "I'm doing this, with or without your help. I'd rather do it with then without."

  Chloe sighed. She didn't like it, but she recognized that he might be their only hope of getting eyes on the inside.

  "Alright," she said. "So how do we do this? If he's taken, I don't see how that helps any of us figure out what's going on."

  Harper cleared her throat. "I can be the eyes."

  "What?" everyone asked.

  "I can channel Ileana," Harper said. "Even though she's long dead. I become her when I do. If I can do that with her, it stands to reason I should be able to do it to Jeffrey. He can go in, and we can get a good look around by channeling him. Then we can figure out a way to get him -- and the others -- out of there."

  "Are you sure you can do it?" Brittney asked.

  Harper shook her head. "I'll have to try a few times before we send him in," she said. "But I think I can do it."

  "Alright," Chloe said. "Then that's what we'll do. Harper, start practicing with Jeffrey. The rest of you... go get some food. I'm starving."

  ELEVEN

  Alec woke up to bright white lights shining down on him. There was a woman standing next to him -- that's what woke him up. She was carrying a tray that she set down on the metal stand next to his bed. He assumed she was a nurse. He'd met several of them since he'd been taken into custody by the Guard.

  He didn't know how they knew he was a vampire. It was daytime when they'd taken them. He'd been walking, hands shoved deep in his pockets, enjoying the feeling of being vulnerable and weak. He wanted that; he wanted to pay for what had happened to Chloe. Several of them had come upon him, weapons drawn. They'd given him a choice; come with them, or die.

  Alec didn't bother moving from his prone position on the bed. He spared the woman a quick glance and then turned his attention to the ceiling.

  "Are you going to be reasonable today?" the woman asked. "I've heard you've been given the other nurses trouble. There's no reason for that."

  "No," Alec said. "I'm not going to be reasonable."

  She frowned. "If you cooperated with us, this would be much simpler, you know. We just want to run a few tests, but in order to do that, we need your cooperation. If you're under duress or if we drug you, our results will be wrong. You don't want that, do you? We're doing important work here."

  "You're all idiots," Alec said. "How many vampires have you taken? How many have you monitored? How many have you experimented on? And you're no closer to finding whatever is that you're looking for."

  The nurse sighed. "We're looking for a cure," she said. It wasn't the first time he'd heard this speech, and he mostly tuned out. "I thought that would be something you'd be interested in finding too. You can't pretend you enjoy being a vampire, unable to go out in the sunlight..."

  "You know, that right there, that's a common misconception," Alec said. "We can be out during the day, it just makes us weak and ill."

  "So you're saying you go out during the day?" the nurse asked, looking at his chart. "You were taken during the day, of course. That's what it says. Why would you be out in the sunlight if it does that to you?"

  "I don't want to answer questions," Alec said. "I want some food and water."

  "We provided you with an IV line with blood," the woman said. "I thought that would be enough for you. That's what you eat, isn't it?"

  "You watch too many movies," Alec said. "Besides, I'm uninterested in blood. I could go for a hamburger and some home fries, though. Think that could be arranged?"

  "If you cooperate, I can see what we can do."

  Alec huffed. He'd been locked up in detention for... well, he didn't know exactly. Ten days? Twenty? What did it matter? The point was the same; they were keeping him in a steel room with bars on the window. There were others too, he could hear them sometimes screaming from their own private rooms.

  He hadn't eaten in over a week. The nurse woman was right; he could survive off blood if he wanted to, but that was the problem. He didn't want blood.

  "How about this?" Alec said. "You let me out of here, and I won't kill everyone you've ever loved."

  The nurse ignored that.

  "You don't need me," Alec said. "I've heard the others. You have plenty of vampires here."

  "You're special," she said.

  "How so?"

  The nurse sat down on the edge of the bed. "From our last blood test, you're showing a significantly different genetic makeup. We're trying to determine if it's how you were born, or if it has something to do with how you live. You don't drink blood. That could be it. If we can replicate what's in your blood, we might be able to cure others of this affliction," she said.

  "There's no cure for being a vampire," Alec said. "If there was, don't you think I'd be human by now? I don't care if m
y blood is different. You can't keep me locked up here forever. I'm not going to cooperate, so you might as well put a stake through my heart."

  "You'll change your mind," the nurse said confidently. "Now, I need to check your vitals. Are you going to resist again?"

  Alec rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "No," he said. "Run your tests."

  The nurse went about the task, checking everything from his blood pressure to the size of his pupils.

  "Are you military?" he asked.

  "That's none of your concern," she said.

  "I'm curious," he said. "That makes it my concern. Come on now, you can tell me. Are you military or are you a private contractor?"

  The nurse looked around, as though expecting someone to be listening at the door. Then she shook her head. "I work with Doctor Larke," she said. "He's a scientist, and no, he's not military. He just happens to be working alongside them in this particular case."

  "Is that why Phoenix is quarantined? So you can pick people off the streets and run tests on them? Experiment on them?"

  "I can't answer that," she said.

  "Of course not," Alec said. "But it's pretty obvious. Look, let me out of here. I have friends who need me."

  "Other vampires?"

  Alec shook his head. He wasn't about to tell the nurse what they really were, of course.

  "No," he said. "They're just humans. Humans that I owe my life to. They saved me from my own demons, and I owe it to them to come back and make sure they're alright."

  He thought of Chloe, then. Sometimes he found himself thinking of her when he least expected it. He'd see a flower, and think of how she used to wear one behind her ear. He'd see a picture and he'd think about how much she'd enjoy it. And sometimes, like now, his mind turned to his crew and he thought of how he'd gotten Chloe killed.

  "So this doctor guy," Alec said, "why is he so interested in curing vampires? Trying to win the Nobel prize?"

  "I'll tell you what," the nurse said. "I'll answer a question for every drug you agree to take without complaint."

  Alec sighed. "I'm not a lab rat."

  "We're trying to help you."

  "Fine," Alec said. "You have a deal."

  She picked up a syringe and injected it straight into his IV. He felt a curious sensation of wetness and then burning and then nothing.

  "He's trying to find a cure because his son is a vampire," she said. "He's nine years old. He's been nine years old for the last five years. Doctor Larke wants to help him, and that help starts here."

  Alec pondered on this for a moment. He could understand the pain the scientist must be going through, having his own son become a vampire at such a young age. He'd never grow. He'd never hit puberty. He'd never go out on dates, or sleep with a woman, or get married. He was forever nine years old.

  "How did you get involved?" Alec asked.

  "I'll be back in two hours to take your blood," the nurse said. "I'll tell you then. Answers for cooperation, remember?"

  "Fine," Alec said. "But consider the hamburger please? I'm hungry."

  TWELVE

  After everyone had finished eating, Sarah changed into her work out clothes and went down to the hotel gym. She tied her hair up to keep it out of her face, and looked around the place. She didn't like this particular one; it had little room for free weight exercise and there was no boxing area.

  Still, beggars couldn't be choosers. The rest of the group hadn't wanted her to go out of the hotel alone, and she didn't particularly like the idea of someone tagging along with her today. She needed time to work out her feelings.

  Sarah went to the treadmill and began to run. She was happy Chloe was alive, more happy than she could ever say, but she still felt guilty about her attitude towards Samuel. The truth was, he was right; she had been afraid of getting close to him.

  That was the problem. Even with Chloe back, she still felt scared. What if she told him her feelings, and something happened to him? It was only too possible with the way the city was locked down and with hungry vampires all over the place.

  She tried to reason with herself that Samuel could protect himself. He wasn't a child, incapable of doing more than run away. He was a shape-shifter, like her, and could fight his way out of a bad situation.

  Than again, Alec was strong. He was stronger than most vampires, and yet they were working off the notion he'd been taken. If he could be taken, than Samuel could too. They all could.

  "Boo."

  She let out a small gasp, and turned around, preparing to shape-shift immediately. Samuel stood there, as though summoned by her thoughts, his hands stuffed in his pockets, a light grin in place.

  "Scared you," he said.

  "Not really," Sarah said. "Well... alright, a little. Don't go sneaking up on people, Samuel. It's going to end with you getting hurt."

  "Worth the risk just to see your face," he teased.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "Well, they're all still upstairs, watching Harper practice on Jeffrey," Samuel said. "But you slipped off, which definitely set a precedent for me to slip off, so here I am."

  Sarah shook her head. "You're not in gym clothes."

  Samuel shrugged. "I wasn't coming to work out."

  "Then what do you want?"

  "I want to talk to you," he said.

  Sarah sighed. "Samuel, I need time. I need to sort through my feelings, and figure out what exactly it is that I--"

  "--I didn't come here to discuss the two of us," he said. Sarah blinked, and felt her face fill with color.

  "Of course not."

  "I mean, we can talk about the two of us, if you want to," Samuel said quickly.

  "No."

  Samuel nodded. "Didn't think so. Get off the treadmill, and come sit with me for a bit, alright?"

  Sarah nodded. She followed him out of the gym into the lobby. Nobody else was there, so they took two seats that were close to the unlit fireplace and looked at each other for a long time.

  "If you didn't come down to discuss the two of us, what did you come down for?"

  "I want to talk to you about this plan that everyone has come up with."

  Sarah blinked. "What about it?"

  "I don't like it," Samuel admitted. "I don't like it at all. I think it's risky and that it puts that kid into a lot of danger. Even if Harper can see the inside, there's only a few of us, and there's a countless number of them. Plotting to take down a military base is a lot different than plotting to take down a wing of a gang."

  "Oh," Sarah said. She sat back and thought for a few seconds. "I don't like it either," she finally said. "But we don't have many options. Chloe is right; there's a good chance they have Alec. If it was any of us, he wouldn't leave us behind. We owe him the same. Plus all the other vampires that have been taken..."

  Samuel nodded. "I don't think we should leave him," he said. "But we're the strongest, Sarah. You and I. Can't deny that."

  "True," Sarah said.

  "And this plan doesn't involve us at all."

  "It will," Sarah said. "I mean, once Harper figures out the layout of the place, we can make some kind of plan. Some kind of real plan."

  Samuel shook his head. "And if she can't? If they kill Jeffrey? Or do something to him that stops Harper from channeling him? Or if they just lock him up right away and all we can see is the inside of a room? There's a hundred variables and any one of them could go wrong."

  "That's true of any plan we make."

  "Yes, but we could be doing more," Samuel said.

  "Alright, I'm listening," Sarah said. "What do you want to do?"

  "The two of us are going to infiltrate their ranks," Samuel said.

  "What?"

  He nodded. "We wait, and we take out two of the guards. Take their their uniforms. Go inside ourselves and see just what it is we're up against."

  "They know my face," Sarah said.

  "Good thing you're a shape-shifter then," Samuel said calmly.

  "Wait, what?"


  "You heard me," Samuel said grimly. "We're not just going to take their things," he said. "We're going to take their entire appearance."

  Sarah shook her head. "We can't morph into people!"

  "Why not?" Samuel asked. "Humans are nothing more than sophisticated animals. If we can change into bears, and panthers, and all kinds of other things, what's to stop us from turning into humans?"

  Sarah stared at him, trying to come up with an argument. "I've never tried it."

  "I haven't either," Samuel said. "But there's no time like the present, right?"

  He closed his eyes, and she saw him thinking fiercely. After what felt like forever he changed in that same split second way that he did when he turned into a bear. Sarah stared at him; he looked just like her.

  "Wow," she said.

  Samuel nodded.

  "I am sweaty," she marveled and then laughed.

  Samuel laughed too, and it seemed like a strange echo of herself. She reached out to touch him, to make sure he was real; it was too much like reaching out to touch a mirror though, and she let her hand fall away.

  "It's your turn," he said.

  "I can't," Sarah said.

  "You can," he told her.

  Sarah sighed. She closed her eyes, and thought of Samuel. Then she let her consciousness slip for a moment, just as she did when she transformed into a panther, or wolf, or fox, and she put forth a rush of energy, and then opened her eyes.

  She stared down at her hands; they were men's hands. She had done it. She looked just like Samuel. This time, even her clothing had morphed with her.

  "See?" Samuel said. It was creepy, though, to watch herself talk. "Now what do you think of the plan?"

  Sarah thought for a moment, and then nodded. "I think it's good," she said, and almost gasped when she heard Samuel's deep baritone come out of her mouth. "I mean, I think I'd rather find a woman soldier..."

  "Yeah," Samuel said.

  "I'm not even sure how to walk in this body, though," Sarah said.

  "Let your instincts guide you, the same way they do when you're a wolf, or whatever," Samuel said. He stood up, and took a casual look around. Then he began walking through the lobby. "It's simple," he said.