Phoenix Tonic (19 page)

She reentered just as he scraped the bottom of the bowl.

“Hi.” He smiled. She smiled back. Okay, good start. “So, what have I done wrong now?” She took the tray and he couldn’t help but brush his fingers against hers. She didn’t jump toward him, or away. “Hopefully it’s not all that bad. I mean, you seem like you’re in a pretty good mood.”

She shrugged and set the tray on the coffee table. His eyes drifted lower on her bent form and he forced them back up.

“Were you just checking out my butt?” Her head cocked to the side.

“Um, yes.”
Great, did I just blow the moment?

“Huh.” She sat beside him on the cushioned recliner she’d drug over earlier.

“Huh? Is that all? I would think that would deserve a ‘you pig’ or a slap in the face, or at least a bowl of noodles on the head.”

She smiled disapprovingly. “Stop trying to change the subject. We’re going to talk about what you’ve been hiding from me.”

Kallian’s smile faded slightly. Hiding? He was hiding a lot from her, but which one was she hinting at? “My memory’s a little fuzzy. How about you tell me what happened while I was out.”

Her brows peaked as she sat back, crossed her legs and got comfortable. “I ran into an old friend of ours at the airport. He was actually waiting for us when we landed.”

“Oh?” He ran through his mind all the mutual acquaintances of the past. No one came to mind. “Can you give me a hint?” He playfully ran his finger around the rim of his water glass.

Her lips quirked. “Redding.”

Kalian’s finger stopped its circling. She had his full attention. “What happened?”

“We had a little chat.” She leaned to the bedside table and poured herself a glass of ice water. “He wanted to talk to you. But one thing led to another, and we ended up talking
about
you instead.”

His head lowered. He did not like where this was going. “I can assure you Hailey, whatever that activist freak said about me was a lie.”

She cracked a half smile. “Maybe. I can’t be one hundred percent certain on the things he said about you.” Her head tilted back as she took a long, slow drink from her glass. “However, all the things he said about me were true. Like how picking you up would be easy for me.” Her eyes glinted. “Turns out I’m still the ever amazing freak. Funny how he seemed to think me being your wife would suddenly make me stronger, huh? He also said you couldn’t get sick, until he realized it was October. He said it was ‘your time.’ Oh, and he mentioned he couldn’t believe how ignorant you’d left me, or that I didn’t know what you really were.”

He stared at her. The last two comments could be about anything. But, Redding knew she would become stronger by marrying him? And he knew he didn’t get sick until October? It wasn’t possible. He shouldn’t know that. No human should know that. Couple that with the mention of her ignorance and his true self, and he couldn’t deny it. Redding knew what Kallian was.

A cold sweat broke out when he realized Redding had been studying his family, making threats, and had been in the Eden facility.
He could be a low ranking Phoenix sent to check up on me
. But his actions as a human put the facility in danger. A phoenix wouldn’t have done that. They would have just asked him to shut it down. This could be very, very bad. “Hailey, I need you tell me exactly what happened. Word for word.”

She easily retold the encounter, smiling and playing with her glass of water as she did so. As his brow drew deeper, hers raised. Whatever Redding was, he was hiding vital information. He knew Kallian’s time of burning, and probably exactly what he was doing with the animals. But he hadn’t printed those things in the paper. He seemed concerned about the humans and a certain level of privacy. But what did he want?

With a confident air, she propped her feet on the mattress. “So it looks like I figured out what I am. Uh, I mean what we are.”

Hailey’s words snapped Kallian from his thoughts. “You have?” Her knowledge of the truth could complicate things.

She nodded, smiling ear to ear. “You gave me your blood and suddenly I can use fire and I’m super strong. And ever since you left Eden you started getting sick. It makes sense if the animals are your food source. I mean, you wouldn’t want to get caught slurping on humans, right?”

His lips turned down as he backed away from her giddiness. “What are you talking about?”

She bit her lip and shyly rubbed her hands together. “We’re vampires…”

What?
He stared at her huge smile and a grin of his own grew.
Did she just call him a vampire?
Then, the laughter exploded from him.
The poor innocent thing
. His sides heaved as he bent over, covering his howling with his hand.

Her gazed melted from elated to disappointed. “So… we’re not vampires?”

His sides ached as he shook his head and racked with laughter.
Where on earth had she gotten the idea?
“Tell you what.” He gasped for air as Haley grumpily crossed her arms over her chest. “You offer up your neck to me and I’ll show you.” He let a few more waves pass before trying to speak again. “Or you could just kiss me and check for fangs yourself.” He gulped down more air. “Come on,” he winked, “I know you want to be sure. Giving my mouth a good once-over would be the sure way.” He chuckled a little less as he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Shut up, Kallian. I’ve kissed you before. And according to some stories, not all vampires have fangs.”

She pouted miserably under his teasing. “I’m sorry.” He forced himself calm. But he could not wipe the smile from his face. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no, we are not vampires.”

“Then what are we?” She threw her hands in the air. “He kept saying I needed to keep the humans safe. Which means I’m not human. Which means I’m something, and please don’t tell me I’m just some science experiment. I could throw you across the room for goodness sake.”

He gulped down another glass of water before answering. “I can tell you that you are definitely not a science experiment, Hailey. But I guess I can tell you who we are.”

Her eyes widened and her legs dropped from the bed. She scooted to the edge of her seat.

Kallian cleared his throat. “You are Hailey, and I am Kallian. There, I told you who we are. Feel better?”

She tossed a throw pillow at him. “You’re such a jerk, Kallian.”

He playfully tossed the pillow back at her. “Look, tell me how Redding treated you when you first walked out of the plane.”

She thought for a moment. “Well, he was kinda rude.”

He nodded. “And after he realized you were ignorant?”

Scratching the back of her neck, she blinked. “He tried to help me. He pitied me, and then he was nice.”

Kallian nodded. “That’s exactly how things need to stay for now. I’ve done some things that may come back to haunt me. And there’s this Redding guy. As long as you stay the way you are, you won’t be blamed for my mistakes. I cannot tell you. Not yet.”

~***~

Hailey stared at the phone in her hands. Without Kallian to torture, and with no Kira, the house loomed over her in silence. She wanted to help. She wanted answers. She wanted her dad.

But would they talk to her? The emails had trickled to a couple a week. She hadn’t responded to them since she signed the papers and moved in with Kallian. But her dad made the deal to save her. Had he known all along what she’d become?

Swallowing her anxiety, she dialed his cell number.

His voice came through on the second ring. “Hello, this is George Simmons.”

Her muscles tensed. “Um, hi, Dad.”

For a moment, only his breath came from the other end of the line. “Comet! Baby girl, how are you? It’s been forever since I heard your voice. Are you okay?”

A small smile escaped as her chin dropped. He really had missed her. “I’m okay. Really. I just needed help with something. And I needed… answers.”

“Ask me anything,” he said quickly. “If I don’t know the answer, I will find out all I can.”

And she knew he would. But first, the difficult stuff. “Did you know what would happen to me, when you made that deal with Kallian to save my life?”

He sighed. “Not exactly. He told me it would be difficult on all of us. But he believed you were strong, and you’d survive, no matter what. But after what your mother and brother have told me, I’m not sure it was the right decision. And now you’re married….”

“Don’t worry about that, Dad.” She bit her lip. “Everything is better on your end now, right?”

He cleared his throat. “I never meant for you to suffer. You’d already suffered so much. I know it was selfish on my end. I just didn’t want to lose you, Comet.”

She nodded. “I know. I know you did what you thought was right. And I am okay. I’m getting better every day.” She adjusted her legs so she sat more comfortably on the bed. “I need you to look up something for me. There’s a man. His name is Redding….”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Hailey scrambled to quiet Kallian’s phone. She muted the ringer then gasped at the name on the ID. Her finger pushed answer. “Malachi?”

“Hailey? Is that you?”

“Yeah.” She sighed. Thank goodness he called. Maybe he could help her, being family and all. “Kallian isn’t doing so hot. So I’m taking his calls.”

Rustling sounds came from Malachi’s end of the phone. “Of course. But I have some information he’d asked about yesterday—”

“You mean about Redding? What did you find out?” She knew she shouldn’t delve too deep. There existed a whole world out there that she didn’t understand. It seemed Kallian was trying to protect her. But now that she’d had a taste of what she could do, her curiosity could not be quelled.

He paused. “It seems all his information only goes back five years. Driver’s license, social security, address. He didn’t exist before that.”

She nodded. “That’s what my father’s people came up with, too.”

“What’s going on with this guy, Hailey? Kallian wouldn’t tell me.”

She sighed. Maybe she should try and work Malachi the way he’d worked her? “He’s not telling me much, either. But he’s determined to keep everyone safe from his ‘bad choices’ or something like that. Do you know what that’s all about?”

“All too well.” A click and puff of air revealed he was only smoking a cigar, not contemplating the truth. “Is he still going away?”

“Yeah.” She grimaced. “He’s got a sky-high fever, but I can’t talk him out of it.”
Come on Malachi, tell me what he won’t…

“Don’t worry. He always leaves around this time of the year. He’ll be back.”

Oh really?
She began pacing the hall. He was responding to her worry for Kallian. Even though she did have sympathy, probably more than she’d let herself admit, she could also play it up for her dear brother-in-law. “Doesn’t he understand he has people here that depend on him? If he gets worse, who knows what could happen? Jeez, what is so important he’d risk his health like this?”

Malachi’s hushed voice dipped to a dangerous low. “He moonlights as a drag queen, Hailey. He wouldn’t miss this pageant for the world.”

Silence. Hailey gulped. “You’re joking. Right?”

“Yes, I’m joking.” His chuckled had her pulling the phone from her ear in disgust.

“Ugh, you suck, Malachi.”

His humor slowed enough for him to answer. “Unfortunately, I’m not as creative as you when it comes to jokes.”

With feigned innocence she pouted at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Malachi. You believe me, don’t you?”

He laughed. “Not for a minute, my dear. But,” His voice took on a more serious note, “please take care of him. Give him a break until he comes back around.”

She shrugged. There went her attempt to get the truth. “We already called a truce. I’m being nothing but civil to him. And I’m doubling as a maid as well.”

Gulping came from his end and Hailey could practically see him reclining in his chair, cigar in one hand, mug of coffee in the other. “I appreciate it. And please tell him I haven’t made up my mind, but I’ll stay on at Eden until he returns from his trip. That should help take a little weight off him.”

She chewed on her lip. She didn’t know what he was talking about, but it sounded like something he needed to hear. “I will, Malachi. I hope you’re doing well.”

“Oh? You’ve forgiven me, then?”

And here was her last ditch effort find out what Kallian was hiding from her. “I will forgive you if you tell me what I am. Or what Kallian is.”

Malachi paused for a heartbeat. “And with that, I’ll be going.”

“As I said, you suck, Malachi.”

He chuckled again, as Hailey glared at her phone. “I know. Call me if you have any problems. And tell Kallian if he needs me I’ll come right out.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Goodbye, little sister.” She could hear the smile in his voice as he said that last line. It was strange to think of Malachi as her brother. He could be old enough to be her father.

She let herself back in Kallian’s room. Her heart sank as his red rimmed eyes opened a slit.

“So, what did I miss?” he rasped.

“Nothing. Don’t talk, just go back to sleep.” She set his phone back on the table.

His slight smile took effort. “Is my voice too sexy for you?”

“Oh yeah, baby.” She rolled her eyes at him. “You sound like crap.” She poured a glass of water and shook out two pills from a bottle. “Take this. Hopefully it will help with the fever.”

He eyed her and the medicine, but drank the pills down anyway. “Those aren’t going to work on me.”

“I don’t care.” She sat his glass back down. “That was Malachi on the phone. He said he’ll stay on at Eden until you come back from your stupid trip. Oh, and he found the same stuff out about Redding. So, no news there.”

His closed his eyes. “I’d rather Malachi just quit. Dawn can handle it.”

“Well, he’s trying to help keep stress off you by working until you feel better. So be happy with his offer and rest.”

With a resigned nod he settled back into the pillow.

Hailey hesitated to leave his side. “I’m going to go feed Ian and Sapphire, then I’ll bring you dinner.”

“You don’t have to.”

She made a “zip it” motion with her hand over her lips. “You think I haven’t noticed you aren’t eating anything? You just push the food around the plate. You’re going to eat something whether you want to or not.”

He pursed his lips, but didn’t argue.

Downstairs, she took the koalas out to do their business. Dark clouds drifted on the horizon, bringing a chilled wind with them. Hailey pulled her jacket closer to her body as the koalas tumbled in the grass. “Come on, guys. Hurry it up. It’s getting cold out here.”

Almost as if they understood, Ian ambled off to the nearest tree and emptied his bladder. After another minute both little gray fur balls crawled up Hailey’s sides. She tucked an arm around each as the first drops of icy rain hit, and she hurried for the door.

As the warm lights of the kitchen welcomed them, Hailey put the koalas on the floor. “Can you guys be good for me while I make Kallian’s dinner?” They looked at her inquisitively. “If you do I’ll take you to go see him.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a head of lettuce, and an onion. “I know how much you guys like him.” She cut some butter and tossed it in a frying pan, with a few slices of turkey. “He’s the original, after all. I’m just a…” She sprinkled in some chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Then she stopped and glanced as the koalas explored the floor. “Well, I don’t know what I am. Do you?” Ian scratched at a cupboard and crawled in to inspect the pots and pans.

“Yeah, I just want to hide, too. But guilt has me taking care of your favorite person in the world.” After she had a pair of turkey-and-Swiss sandwiches assembled, she set them both on a tray, open faced. Adding a mug of tomato soup and a half pickle, she started up the steps. “Come on, guys.”

Hailey’s little companions hurried after her. She couldn’t help but giggle as they climbed one stair after another, almost slipping a few times. Thank goodness these stairs were carpeted. They would have gouged claw marks into the wood of the grand staircase.

As she reached the top, she waited another moment before heading down the hall, to Kallian’s room. “Here is your dinner, Mr. Markham.” She set the tray on the bed next to him, forcing a tight smile. She didn’t think it was possible, but in the hour she had been busy, he looked worse. Shadows rimmed his now hollowed cheeks, and even his hair seemed to be graying a bit.

His eyes opened and he smiled up at her. “You’re back.”

Her knees softened at his gentle surprise. “Yeah, I’m back. I told you I was bringing dinner, which you had better eat.” She shot him an evil look that made him smile again. “And I brought you a couple of friends.” She turned to pick up her two little shadows, but they weren’t there. “Ian? Sapphire?” She took a step back and looked out at the hallway. Ian peeked his little nose around the doorframe.

Kallian leaned forward to see him. “Well hi there, big man. Are you taking care of your ladies?” And just that fast, Ian turned around and scampered away.

“Is it that time already?” Kallian frowned.

Hailey ignored the remark. “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen him do that to you.” She hurried to the hall to watch both Sapphire and Ian climbing back down the stairs. “Hey, wait, you guys.”

“They’re smart,” Kallian croaked as she walked back to his side. “You’d do well to follow their advice and stay away from me. Besides, I’ll be leaving tonight—”

Hailey helped him sit up. The heat of the sheets resembled removal from a super-heated dryer. “You are not.”

“You can’t stop me.” He slowly took hold of one of the sandwiches and bit into it.

I can’t believe he’s being so stubborn.
“I told your brother I’d take care of you. Besides, I have too many questions that need answering. And if you kill yourself with this obsession to go… where ever, then I’ll just… I’ll kill you. Yeah.” She grabbed her own sandwich and bit into the corner, ignoring his entertained gaze.

He set the food down and took a little drink of water. Hailey almost grabbed the glass from him. His hand shook so much it almost hit the table. “So you’re gonna kill me if I kill myself?”

She nodded as she chewed. “I’ll stay up all night, too. If you leave, I’ll catch you. I’ll make the driver take you to the hospital instead of where ever you want to go. You’re just not gonna win.”

Kallian cleared his throat, but it came out as a rattling cough instead.
Jeez, he really does sound like he’s dying.

“I don’t think anyone can win against you, Hailey. Not even death himself.” She sighed and crunched on her pickle. “But, what I must do isn’t a game. I get this illness all the time. I’ll be like a brand new man in about a week. I promise you.”

Hailey snorted. She wanted to believe him, but Kallian just looked so bad. “Eat your food. I’ve gotta go down and find the furballs.” She swallowed her last bite of dinner and stood up. “And if you’re not here when I return, I’ll kill you.”

He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. “Yes, my fair and gentle maiden.”