Phoenix Under Fire (Afterlife Book 5) Read online

  "Yeah."

  "You know what?" Alec said. "Maybe I'll go a little later. I could use a workout or two."

  EIGHT

  Harper and Conner ended up going to his room, because it was slightly larger than Harper's. There was a king size bed instead of a queen, and they both sprawled out on it. Harper picked up the room service menu, studied it for a minute, then passed it to Conner.

  Conner wasn't exactly hungry, but he decided to humor Harper anyway by ordering something to eat. He decided on spaghetti, same as her, and made the call to get it delivered. He went ahead and put in an order for a bottle of red wine too, though he wasn't sure if Harper had been joking when she'd mentioned it.

  He felt oddly nervous around her; a feeling he didn't like and didn't like to admit, even to himself. He hadn't been nervous around a girl in his entire life. He'd always known that whomever he wanted, he could get. Except Harper, that was. Besides being immune to his demonic charm, she seemed immune to his own personal charm as well.

  He worried he'd been put into the friend zone that men always complained about. He knew she had feelings for Alec -- everyone knew it -- but he also knew that the two of them the had decided not to pursue anything. Nobody had told him this, it was just obvious by the way they acted around each other.

  Part of Conner hoped, though, that she could move on from Alec. He wasn't sure what drew him to her so much... other than her decent sense of humor, she didn't put up with nonsense, and she was courageous even under dire circumstances. The same could be said for Chloe and Sarah, though. Yet, he didn't feel anything for either of them except brotherly love.

  Harper put her head on Conner's shoulder and let out a relaxing breath. "Can I tell you something?"

  "Sure," Conner said. He put an arm around her, trying not to alter his breathing in any way.

  "I hate movie theaters," she said.

  "Why?" Conner asked. He couldn't help but to laugh.

  "I don't know," Harper said. "I always end up needing to go to the bathroom during the good parts, I find them way too loud, you can't talk about the movie as it's playing, and there's always some jerk with a phone a few rows up ruining it for everyone behind him."

  Conner laughed and Harper joined in.

  "Harper Hawthorne," Conner said. "Girl wonder. Only girl on the planet who can resist the lure of movie theaters. You know, Harper, there's actually a lot of good parts about theaters that outweigh the bad. You know, getting to see heroes and villains duke it out on the big screen. Unless, of course, you're more into sappy romances."

  "No, that's Brittney," she said. "I like my horror films."

  "Oh, do you?"

  "Yes," Harper said.

  "Don't get enough of that in real life?" Conner teased.

  "Well... maybe now," Harper admitted. They both shared another laugh, and Conner felt himself relaxing. "But probably not," she said. "I mean, we haven't encountered anything as messed up as some of the gruesome movies I've seen."

  "I thought you meant real horror, like psychological thrillers."

  Harper laughed. "What are you now? A critic?"

  "I would have you know I am a connoisseur of all movie genres," he said. "I will admit, I like the occasional chick-flick. Something light, something funny, something where boy meets girl, boy almost loses girl, and then boy gets girl in the end."

  Harper shook her head. "No, you don't."

  "I do," Conner said earnestly. "Scout's honor."

  "Somehow I doubt you were ever a Scout."

  Conner smirked at her. Before he could come up with a witty reply, she'd turned on the television and began browsing through the channels listed. He focused on that, trying to decide what sounded good to watch. In the end, they settled on a kids cartoon. He felt like a small child all over again, but it was a good feeling, a warm feeling, a feeling like coming home. Before long, the room service had arrived and they were both eating spaghetti and laughing like loons at the show.

  They each had two glasses of wine, and Harper was definitely tipsy about halfway through her second. She put her glass down, leaned in next to Conner, and let out a long breath.

  "You know, I can't remember the last time I was this happy," she said.

  "What? You like this show that much?"

  "Not the show," she said. "Just... being here, with you guys. The whole crew. You feel like family already. I don't know how to explain it. It's like..."

  "It's like everything you've ever known before this was a lie," Conner said quietly. "Like your entire life was leading up to this, to being part of this. Like you've finally found the people who you don't have to hide around, the people who will accept you for exactly who you are. It's more than that, though. It's like you found your destiny. Like everything you've ever been through, all the troubles you've ever faced, all the things you've ever done, it was like they were all building until this moment, this moment in time and space. This perfect moment where you feel like--"

  "--Like you've come home after a long hike and your legs are sore, and you just want to sprawl on your couch," she said. "And when you sit down, someone brings you a glass of water, and massages the aching muscles in your legs, and then you get to take a bath and relax, and let all the stress drain out of you. That's how I feel about coming in to work when you all are there."

  "Yes," Conner said. "Exactly that."

  For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Conner leaned forward, put a hand on Harper's cheek, and pressed his lips softly to hers. At first, she didn't respond. Than she kissed him back, and it felt like every single moment of his existence had been meant for this. Every moment of his existence had been meant for her.

  When they broke apart, they stared at each other for a long moment.

  "I'm sorry," Conner said. "I shouldn't have done that."

  "Yes," Harper said. "You should have."

  "Yeah?"

  "Yeah," she said.

  "I thought you were in love with Alec," Conner said.

  "I am... or I was," Harper said. "But the truth is, Alec and I could never have worked. You and I, we can. At least, I think we can. I don't really know. I mean, that kiss... that kiss was something, Conner."

  "Yes," he agreed. "It certainly was."

  "But I think I'd have to try it again to be sure," Harper said coyly.

  She leaned in, and this time, she kissed him. Conner was caught up in the moment, and slid a hand around her waist, pulling her closer. Their kiss deepened, and suddenly he knew. He knew this was right, that this was real, that they belonged together.

  He wasn't the kind of man who'd ever believed in soulmates. He'd taken advantage of too many women to believe in that. But with Harper, it felt like maybe they could be real.

  Then he remembered the wine. He pushed her slowly away. "I think you should go back to your room," he said.

  "What? Why?" Harper asked.

  "Because, I don't want us to happen like this, not when you're drunk," he said.

  "But Conner..."

  "No buts," he said. "Back to your room with you, m'lady. Look, I'll even walk you there. But you need to sleep this off, and get ready for tonight. We have a lot of work to do."

  Harper looked upset, but Conner couldn't take back what he'd said. He knew it would be wrong to take things any further while she was intoxicated, and he'd been telling the truth. If something happened between the two of them, he wanted it to be when they were both fully in control of themselves.

  He got up, put out his arm, and led her back to her room, just as he promised. Before he shut the door on her, he pressed his lips lightly to her forehead.

  "Go sleep," he told her.

  "Fine," she said. He stared into her eyes for a moment, and then gently closed the door on her. For a moment, he couldn't convince himself to walk back to his own room. Than he saw Alec standing in his doorway, watching the scene. They stared at each other for a moment.

  Then Alec slammed the door. Conner felt his heart lurch. Alec was his best frien
d, and in a way, he'd just betrayed him. He didn't know what to do, or what to think.

  He went back to his room, finished the wine, and laid down. The cartoons weren't as funny without Harper there. He closed his eyes, and replayed the afternoon over and over in his head until he'd fallen asleep.

  NINE

  When Brittney and Chloe were done having lunch, they went to a few different stores to stock up on what they'd need for the night. They bought pepper spray -- with a stern warning from the clerk on how to use it -- wooden posts that could be sharpened into stakes, water bottles, crucifixes, ping pong balls, aluminum wrap, some lighters, and a pack of pencils.

  "What are the ping pong balls for?" Brittney asked.

  "Homemade smoke bombs," Chloe explained. "You take one of the balls, cut a small hole in it, then cut others up into pieces. We fill the ball full of the pieces of plastic, then stick a pencil in the hole. Wrap the entire thing in aluminum. Then you slide the pencil out, and hold a lighter to the aluminum. Creates a nice, thick smoke."

  "Nice!" Brittney said. "Where'd you learn that?"

  Chloe shrugged. "When you're on the job as long as we are, you pick up a few things," she said. Then she grinned. "Also, the Internet."

  Brittney snickered.

  "Hey, you never know what you can learn on there," Chloe said. "Now, let's find a Catholic church."

  "Why?"

  Chloe gave her a look.

  "Oh, right," Brittney said. "The holy water. We have to get it blessed, right?"

  Chloe nodded. "Also, it wouldn't hurt to have a prayer said over our holy crosses. Every little bit of protection helps. You navigate, I'll drive."

  "Sure," Brittney said. They climbed into the rental car they'd gotten after leaving the hotel earlier, and Brittney pulled up a list of churches on her phone. She settled on one that opened for confessions daily and gave Chloe directions on how to get there. When they arrived, they took the bag full of crosses and water bottles and went into the church.

  There were several people sitting in the pews praying. Some of them looked up and around when the doors opened, looked to who it was, and returned to their prayers, clutching rosary beads and crucifixes in their hands. Chloe remembered what Allen had said about the attacks in the city. She wondered if there were more people than usual here, praying for their safety and the safety of their loved ones.

  A priest stepped out to greet them, bowing his head. "Have you come to give a confession?"

  Brittney and Chloe exchanged a glance.

  "Not exactly. My name is Chloe, and this is Brittney." Chloe said. "Father, can we speak in a private area?"

  The priest frowned. "Forgive me, my child, but right now we are focused on confessions of sin. If you have something else you wish to discuss, I can give you our schedules and our phone numbers so that you can call in and make an appointment."

  Chloe shook her head. "Father, this is an emergency," she said. "I understand your protocol, but you've heard what's going on in the city, have you not? The deaths? The turnings?"

  The priest looked at her for a long moment, then turned and beckoned them to follow. "I am Father Gary," he said as they entered a private room in the back. He took a seat at the table there, and gestured for them to do the same. "We're quite busy as you can see, but you seem as though you are in true need. It is written on your faces."

  "Thank you for seeing us, Father Gary," Brittney said. "We appreciate your time."

  "We are busy every day," Father Gary said. "It is troubling times in Phoenix, but surely you know that, as you spoke of the things plaguing God's children?"

  They both nodded.

  "What do you know of it?" Father Gary asked. He looked at Chloe, so she was the one to speak.

  "We know that there are demons loose in the city," she said. "Demons that feed on the blood of the innocent. Demons that are turning more and more of your children over to the dark side. They are building an army, Father. We don't know why, but we know they're not going to stop unless someone does something."

  Father Gary leaned forward and took each of their hands in one of his old, wrinkled ones. His grip was light, and Chloe thought she could almost see the arthritis in his joints.

  "Tell me, are you the ones who will end it?" he asked.

  "Yes," Brittney and Chloe said together. Brittney added, "But not without your help, Father Gary."

  "I am an old man," he said. "What can an old man do to help you with this fight?"

  Chloe reached down beside her, picked up the bags, and put them on the table. "Give us your blessing, Father. Bless our water, and pray over our crucifixes."

  "You truly believe such things will stop the monsters of the night?" Father Gary said.

  "They've stopped them before," Chloe said quietly.

  "Then you shall have my blessings," Father Gary said. He unpacked the bags in a slow, methodical manner. Then, one by one, he blessed each item, gently placing his fingertips on each as he did so. When he was done, he said a silent prayer, his eyes closed, and his mouth working. When he was done, he opened his eyes and took their hands again.

  "Please do not let us down," he said. "Phoenix cannot survive this plague much longer."

  "We won't," Brittney said.

  "And those who have been turned, will you save them?" Father Gary asked. "Will you bring them back to God's light? Will you show them their sins, and grant them absolution in the face of their ever-loving God?"

  "I don't know if we can," Chloe said. "I don't know if there's a way, Father. If we can, though, we will certainly try our hardest."

  "Please do," he said. "Those people are innocent. They have been seduced with evil magics, and their transformations are the faults of those who changed them, not their own. Many of them are parishioners here. Many of them have husbands, wives, children. Entire families that rely on their return."

  "We'll do what we can," Brittney said. "We promise."

  Father Gary nodded. "Before you leave, let me absolve you of your sins," he said. "Sit through confession."

  "Oh, no," Brittney said, shaking her head. "No, Father, that's alright, thank you."

  "I will," Chloe said softly.

  Brittney looked surprised. Father Gary nodded and stood. He took Chloe by the hand and led her out of the small room and into a confessional. She tried to get comfortable, but it was difficult in the kneeling position by the screen that separated them.

  Chloe had to think back. "Bless me father, for I have sinned. My last confession was seventeen years ago. I was twelve when I last sat through one, right after the death of my parents."

  "I'm sorry for your loss," Father Gary said. He then read a passage from the Bible. "Tell me the sins you remember. Start with the ones that are most difficult to say. After confessing all of the sins you remember since your last confession, you may conclude by saying, I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."

  For a moment, Chloe could only think of the last time she'd sat through an act of contrition. She'd been twelve, as she'd told the priest her parents had just died. She'd been searching for something, anything, to bring them back. Somehow, she'd believed if she confessed her sins, that God would take pity on her, and allow them to return to her. It was a childish wish, and it hadn't come true. She'd never come to a church again after that moment.

  "I have killed God's children," Chloe said. "Those infected by the curse of the night, those who walk with the moon and sleep with the sun. I did so with little remorse for my actions, simply seeking out one kill after another until my taste of blood was satisfied for the moment. Then, when I woke again, I would return to my killing. I never tried to save them, Father. I never gave them the opportunity to become something more, something better. Never. And I didn't do it to protect people. I sought them out for revenge, nothing more. I relished in their deaths."

  There was a long silence.

  "Is this the only sin you wish to confess?" Father Gary asked.

  Chloe nodded. "Yes, Father. T
his is the sin that weighs heavily on my soul. I don't wish to consider myself a murderer, and it's so easy to say that they were demons, that they didn't matter or count, but the truth is, if it had been mortals who'd killed my parents, I would have sought them out too. It had nothing to do with them being demonic in nature."

  "Revenge is something that is very human," Father Gary said. "And something that we all seek out in one point or another in our lives. It has clouded your vision for far too long. You must let it go."

  "I have," Chloe said.

  "Have you truly?"

  "Yes," Chloe said, but she wondered. She hadn't killed Alec and she hadn't been off seeking out vampires to kill, but wasn't she a bit too happy about their current mission? Wasn't she all too ready to pick up her stake again, and return to killing those who'd once done her wrong?

  "No," she said. "I have not acted on my urge to seek revenge for several years, but I worry that it still taints my heart."

  Father Gary let out a deep sigh. "Revenge always does," he said. "It will control your life if you let it."

  "Yes."

  "Your sins are not insurmountable. You have done much good for God's children, despite your intent. God forgives those who are truly remorseful. Are you remorseful?"

  "Yes," Chloe said, and realized that she was crying.

  In that moment, she missed her mother and father more than she could ever put into words. She wondered what they would say if they could see who she'd become. The others, they all had their share of sins, but Chloe didn't think of them right now. She only thought of herself, and the things she'd done. The men and women she'd killed without a moment of hesitation.

  She wondered if there had been some like Alec, some who'd turned their lives around, some who were living for the right side of things again, and she'd come along and stolen their lives from them. How was she any different from the beasts who'd murdered her parents?

  "You must pay penance for your deeds," he said.

  "Yes," Chloe agreed readily. "Yes, Father, I'm ready for absolution."

  "Absolution will not come as easily to you as it does others," Father Gary said. "You have much to make up for. If you wish for God to forgive your sins, you must save those who have been turned. That is your penance. That is the price you must pay for absolution. You must not kill them if at all possible, but offer them a chance to return to their lives."