Midnight Fire - Rise of the Dark Angel - Book One (11 page)

             
Phoenix w
anted to get outside so she’
d have time
to gather her thoughts
. She started cramming the food in, needing to leave before her emotions were clear for both
of them
to see.

             
“I’
m all finished and want to get changed so I can get
going
,” Phoenix told them as s
he stood quickly from the table
and flashed them a smile.

             
“Oh, you still have plenty of time,” Sadie whined a bit, trying to get her to stay
longer
.

             
“I only have s
o many hours I get to be outdoors
so
if I can sneak in an extra
minute
then that’
s
a luxury I don’t want to pass up
,” Phoenix said. She
blew Sadie a kiss
and
practically ran from the room. She didn’t know wh
ich one of them had started the
tradition
but
they always parted that way.

             
Phoenix
reached
her room, threw on
work clothes, grabbed her bag
and headed for the tunnel entrance. She had to get outside
, fast
. She knew she was supposed to wait for the others but she had her
radio on her
and they’
d all split up
once they exited the cave
, anyway
.

             
She started walking in the direction of
her favorite berry patch
. She loved picking the
juicy berries
because she could munch on them at the same time. There were also som
e wild herbs not far
and she’
d have at least a few hours to gather
the food, while still gathering her thoughts
.

             
She’
d been walking for about an hour when she heard a buzzing in her ear. She turned her radio up
, knowing she’
d been officially busted
and figuring she had to get the lecture over with.

             
“Phoenix
,
where are you!” John’s voice
demanded
.

             
“I’
m almost to the berry patch
,
John,” she said as if
she were
speaking to a small child.
If she acted as if nothing was wrong, maybe he would forget she’d broke
n
the rules. There was a fat chance of that, she thought with an inward sigh.

             
“Y
ou know the rules
,
Phoenix. Y
ou’
re supposed to wait for the rest of the group,” he snapped. She knew he was only mad because
he loved her so much, but still it annoyed her
. She both appreciated his overprotectivene
ss
and felt smothered by it
,
at the same time.

             
“I really needed some alone time
,
John
but
as you ca
n hear, I have my radio with me and I promise I’
m not getting close to the perimeters,” she said, praying he wouldn’t jog out to her. She just wanted to be alone for a while and not have to act
like everything was peachy keen. She certainly didn’t want
to
talk to
another person.

             
“I don’t like it,” he mumbled
but
she could tell he was starting to
cave
. She decided to drive the nail home.

             
“I know you
don’t
.
I’m glad you’
re my brother
and you
care about me
but
I heard Brian talking about an entire herd of
deer in the North Pasture
. Y
ou’
ll miss out on
them
i
f you come chasing after me. I’
m fine.
I promise you,” she said to her brother, knowing how much he loved bow hunt
ing
.

             
“An en
tire herd wandered in?” he said
and she knew
she had him. Luckily
,
she’
d overheard the elders talking to Brian earlier about the deer. They had plenty of food
but
the men loved to hunt
.
F
resh deer was a treat.

             
“Yep, sure did,” Phoenix answered.

             
“Well
,
I suppose you’
re okay
,
and other pickers will be in that area
soon
.
Please
remember
to leave
your radio on and if you need anything
,
all you have to do is holler. Don’t go any further, okay,” he
demanded
.

             
“I promise not
to
go wanderin
g off,” she said to her brother
,
while crossing her finger
s. She wasn’t so stupid she’
d leave the carefully set up
perimeters
,
but
she may explore a bit extra that day just to ensure she didn’t end up having to
pick
with anyone else.

             
“Okay then, I’
ll talk to you
later, s
is,” John said and then was gone. Ph
oenix breathed a sigh of relief
and picked up her pace. She reached the berry patch and picked
for a while
, tossing them
carefully
in
one of her containers. She wasn’
t planning on doing
a lot of picking
right then
but if anyone stumbled upon her she could at least say she’
d been working
and not be lying
to them
.

             
She filled
the container in no time
,
then started heading toward
the wild herbs. She found the
m
, picked
several
and then
headed toward the small pond she
loved
. John would be ticked about
her
going
so
far
but she didn’t care. It was an unu
sually warm
day
and she wanted to soak her feet for a while.

             
She got to the pond and grabbed the container of berrie
s
, munching on a few of the tasty treats. She loved the summer and fall because there was so much fresh
food
in the woods
.
B
eing a picker she could have her fill.

             
S
he took her shoes and socks off
and sat on the bank
,
dipping
her feet into the cool water. In
midsummer
s
he’
d wear her
swimsuit
underneath her clothes
. It was such a treat
to swim
but she couldn’t stay in very long because they were o
n such a strict time constraint.
P
lus
,
it was never good to be vulnerable when you were out in the open.

             
She
laid
down on the soft grass and closed her eyes
,
thinking about
Sadie
and
Brian. Phoenix had liked him for
a long time
but
was he
ri
ght
about her only thinking
she was in love with him
?
She’
d been surprised to see
Sadie and him
flirting
but
it hadn’
t devastated her.
It shocked her and she hadn’t really known how she felt
but
the more time she had to think about it, the more she
realized she wasn’t that upset. She loved them both
and found herself thinking if they wa
nted to be together
she’
d want them to be happy.

             
A smile
crossed
her features as she though
t of the two of them
and she knew she’
d much rather see them together
than see Brian
end up
with Jessica. Heck
,
if he were with
Jessica then she
’
d certainly come bet
ween the two of them.
Jessica would
never allow
Brian
to be friends wit
h
Phoenix, who
she felt threatened by.
Jessica was to
o
jealous
for that
. Maybe it was fate stepping in so they could all be together
,
forever. Maybe she really had just been infatuated with him.

             
H
er real fear was
most likely that
she’
d never be
attracted to anyone else
. She was afraid if she didn’t
find someone to be
with
,
she’
d end up
all
alone. In their world being alone was a
terrifying thing
because all
you
really had was
each
other
.
You didn’t have a career to focus on or buying a home. You had relationships, children and your chores.
             

             
There were a few adults
who
were single, whether it was because their spou
ses had died
or because they’
d never married
but
they always seemed to be missing out on something. In the real world
,
h
er being
seventeen
and single wasn’
t a big deal
but
in their new universe it was downright scary.

             
She shook off her
confusing
thoughts, telling herself
she was being silly
and she didn’t have anything to worry about. If they were still in the woods when she turned twenty five and she had
no one, then she’
d allow herself to be concerned. Phoenix drifted into an afternoon nap, smiling to herself
and feeling a sense of contentment
.

             
Jayden walked through the forest, aware of everything around him. He didn’t normally go out during the day, not because he couldn’t but because he had no desire to run across the people scampering through the woods.
It was much easier to be out during the night, when his senses were sharpened, and he was truly a predator. He liked being the only one who could see perfectly, relying on his senses, and hunting his prey.

             
But, sometimes it was nice to feel the sun’s rays on his skin and he’d been feeling restless over the last several years for reasons he didn’t understand. He’d never had a feeling before that he was missing out on something.
He shook off his errant thoughts. There
wasn’t
time for that.

             
The refugee camp wasn’t far from him, now. He was trying to figure out the best way of going in. He wasn’t worried about getting hurt, since humans weren’t capable of touching him. He
needed to
get in without blowing his cover. If they were to trust him he had to have a believable story.

             
Jayden
quickly climbed
a tree, scaling
it to the tallest branches.
He
looked out further than any human eye could possibly see. He spotted the people who though
t they were so carefully hidden. There was a mixture of refugees and soldiers in the woods
who were either hunting, collecting, or looking to kill.

             
He smiled at how ignorant they all were.
The soldiers really thought they were the deadliest beings in the world. They so quickly took control of those they deemed weaker than them, but with one twist of his hand they would be quickly disposed of.

             
Something caught Jayden’s attention, and he looked around, trying to focus on what put him on red alert. There was something out there, and his eyes narrowed when he couldn’t figure out
exactly what it was. He
’d
been taught to be
a predator, and for once in his life
he
felt like he was in the dark. He didn’t like the feeling.

             
Jayden climbed down the tree and followed his senses deeper into the forest. He didn’t know what exactly it was he was looking for so he was more cautious than normal. He followed the pulling in his gut and continued forward.

             
He slowed as he neared a stream. There was someone out there, he could feel the human, but he didn’t understand why he was heading in its direction. He thought of humans as nothing more than things. They were pathetic and weak. He’d never been drawn toward one before and didn’t understand why he would be, now.

             
He sometimes felt sorry for some of them and he even believed a few were good, though it was hard to remember that while the war was raging. He cautiously continued moving forward, a bit irritated with himself that
the pull was so strong but it continued to grow
and he seemed unable to turn back.

             
Jayden felt as if he was crawling, he was moving so slowly, though in reality he was moving faster than any human could keep up with. He was a hunter at that moment, though he didn’t know what he was hunting.
His expression was intense and intimidating; looking
like the Dark Angel he was, fearsome and lost. 

             
Jayden came to the
small
lake
leading to where the
stream
pooled.
His eyes zoomed
to a
girl
s
leeping on the
ground
. He shook his head in wonder at her complete lack of survival instincts.
Did she no
longer have a
will to survive?
There was so mu
ch danger all around her
and she
lay
in the middle of it all. None of the humans were aware
of the
demons,
who
freely walked the earth
but
they
knew
enemy soldiers
were
all around them
.
Y
et
,
she slept blissfully unaware.

             
He silently moved forward, irritated by the tug towards the insignificant girl.
Standing directly over her
he felt something inside him unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He should
be thinking she was easy prey, though he’d never liked hunting humans, or that she was
n
’
t worth his time.

             
A
s if his legs could no longer hold him,
Jayden knelt down. He’d never lost
strength
before. He was strong and knew what his purpose was each moment. He didn’t like the confusion. 

             
He pushed a piece of hair from her face, gently brus
hing it back from her cheekbone. He was
startled by her softness and the way her skin sent a
lick
of fire through his hand, up his arm, and straight to his chest. He brought his hand up and rubbed the spot, a look of wonder in his endless black eyes.

             
He coul
d hear the beating of her heart and
see the smal
l pulse
on
the side of her neck
. Her energy was so vibrant he could almost see colors surrounding her
. S
he was absolutely mesmerizing.

             
Jayden didn’t know how long
he sat there, stroking her skin
and wondering who she was
or
why he cared
but
he knew the second she started to wake
.
H
er breathing change
d
and her pulse
increased
. He
could feel
the small movements
of
her body most wouldn’t have noticed. He moved back, giving her space.

             
She st
retched her arms above her head
and let out a yawn
.
S
he
had to be a
bit stiff, due to her sle
eping on the hard ground. Human
bodies were weak and the smallest
occurrence
would hurt them. She finally opened her eyes and he watched in fascination as a s
mall smile appeared on her lips
as
she adjust
ed
to the bright light. She turned her head and
he chuckled as she jumped up
and sprang back.

             
He didn’t bother to chase her.
Staying in the same nonthreatening position, he watched as she eyed him warily
. She was quite attractive for a human, with her clear, smooth, ivory skin, and huge, scared eyes. She had luscious, almost red lips, and long dark hair. He looked at her quizzically as he felt his body respond. He’d never felt such an attraction to a human before but for some reason he wanted her.

             
He’d been with many humans to satisfy his needs, whether hunger or sexual but he’d never had the instant attraction he was feeling towards the small girl. It interested him enough that he couldn’t let her get away. He could
,
of course
,
capture her and forget all about his plans of infiltration but then she’d likely end up dead. Maybe, he could have the best of both worlds. He could spend time with her, find out why he even wanted to, while still spying on their camp and figuring out the best way to lead them astray.

             
“Wh
o
…
who are you?”
She
finally mumbled. He continued to stare, which increased her pounding heart. He held back
the sigh
wanting
to escape. He liked the sound of her strong heartbeat
and uneven breaths
. He paused a few more moments before giving her an answer
, feeling satisfied to do nothing more than watch her
.

             
“My name is Jayden,” he
finally
said.

             
“
Wh
…
what are you doing here?”
She
stuttered. She
was
having a difficult time speaking.

             
“I was walking through the woods
,
when I
stumbled
on you,” he told her. She instantly relax
ed
, which puzzled him. He didn’t see how she didn’t know the danger she was in
,
but
she
was
completely oblivious.

             
“You’
r
e an escapee,” she finally said
,
then giggled in relief. He looked at
her questioningly for a moment
,
then
realized what she was talking about. She was assuming he was another
person on the run from the rebel armies. Well,
it was
better
if she thought that
because
she’
d feel safe around him
.

             
“What’
s your name?”
He
asked,
lying
on
the smooth grass. He’
d never
take
n
time
to simply relax
and
think of nothing but the moment
. He was finding it a pleasant feeling.

             
“I’
m Phoenix
.
I must’
ve dozed off. My brother is probably
going insane
,
wondering where I am
,” she told him
and looked around. They both spotted the radio at the same time.
Jayden
found he wanted to keep it from her
.
He didn’t want anyone else to intrude.

             
She walked over to the radio and presse
d a button
.
A
frantic voice came over the other end. “Wher
e the heck are you
,
Phoenix.
I’
ve been trying to
reach
you for fifteen minutes,” the voice sho
uted.
She flinched, and Jayden had the urge to rip the person yelling at her apart, limb from limb.

             
“I’
m
sorry
,
John.
I was picking and
sudden
ly got really tired
.
I
sat down to rest
and
fell asleep
.
I’
m fine
,
I promise.
I’
ll finish getting the food
and then head
back. I‘
ll still make it on time,” she said soothingly. The voice came back over the radio much more calmly.

             
“I’m sorry about yelling.
I was just scared
,
sis,” the voice said, which seemed to make Phoenix giggle.

             
“You’
re such a worry wart. I love you and will see you in a couple
hours,” Phoenix said
,
before
set
ting
the radio down. She turned and looked at Jayden
,
who co
uldn’t
turn
his eyes
from her
.
H
er cheeks turn
ed
a
n
attractive shade of red. The blood rushing through her body caused a whole lot of hormones to go crazy
in his own
.

             
“Sorry about that
,
Jayden. T
hat was my brother and he tends to be over protective. Are you
alone out here?”
She
asked
as she started moving around, gathering her few items
together. Jayden got up
and without either of them saying anything
,
he followed her.