Heart of the Phoenix

by A. C. Arthur

  At that exact moment he seemed to notice she was looking at him because he shifted. Their eyes met and for a long moment, neither one of them moved. Had he not been her employee, had they not been in the middle of an auditorium full of children and scattered adults, Tayla was sure she would have chucked all other thoughts, aside and kissed him. And she was equally sure he would have kissed her right back.

  Then she finally put a name to the way he looked at her: hungrily. She wondered if she looked at him the same way.

  Thaddeus could have kissed her. All it would have taken was for him to tilt her chin just so, to lower his mouth so that it would fit perfectly atop hers. But he did not. He could not. Again he warned his body to listen to his brain. Common sense had to win the war between it and his libido. He was just about to draw back, to move a safe distance away from her while still staying close enough to be there if she needed him, when the lights and the television screen flickered and they were all thrust into complete darkness.

  As if on cue the children’s voices rang the panic bell by echoing screams of uncertainty and concern throughout the auditorium. Above their cries Tayla could hear the teachers trying to offer comfort that for some reason she didn’t feel herself.

  “Great,” she sighed. “That’s just what we need on movie night, a power failure.” Keeping her hand firmly on the wall she moved to take a step and collided with a solid barrier.

  “Where are you going?” Thaddeus’ senses were on instant alert as he tried to figure out a game plan to keep them all safe.

  “We need flashlights. There are some in the maintenance room and some in my office.” She couldn’t see him but instinctively knew those eyes were glaring at her. They’d most likely lost the twinkle she’d seen there just moments ago and were dark and ominous again.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “I know my way.” She tried to skirt around him, but in the darkness that was almost impossible. “Mr. Parsons?” she raised her voice and called for the janitor, Usef Parsons. Then she felt Thaddeus’ tight grip on her elbow while his other arm snaked around her waist, guiding her toward the back of the auditorium. The shades had been drawn over the windows to enhance the theatre effect for the children, but now Tayla wished they’d left them open. That would have offered them a small measure of light.

  His hands on her felt good, but not good enough to erase the growing anxiety. For days things had seemed strange. She’d chalked it up to the newcomer, the man who steadily invaded her dreams. But a part of her knew it was someone else. “Mr. Parsons?” Tayla called again.

  “Yes, Ms. Hampton. I’m right here.”

  Before Tayla could speak again a small stream of light appeared and she saw the wiry form of the school’s janitor. “You are a mind reader, Mr. Parsons.” She sighed again, with relief this time. “We need to get each teacher a flashlight. Can you go to the maintenance room and gather some? I’ll get the ones from my office.”

  “Sure thing, ma’am. Here, take this. I can find my way; besides, the maintenance room is closer than your office.” He thrust the flashlight in Tayla’s direction but, before she could take it, Thaddeus’ large hand grabbed for it.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered while keeping a firm grip on her arm.

  “Ms. Dudley,” Tayla called to the supervisor who had just approached them. “Make some sort of announcement. Try to keep them calm until I return with the flashlights.”

  “You’d think a big school like this wouldn’t have electrical troubles,” Ms. Dudley grumbled.

  Tayla would have responded but Thaddeus moved quickly, pulling her behind him. They moved through the long halls of the castle-like structure that was the main school building. High beamed ceilings and huge windows towered over them as they traveled through the darkness; the only light was the short stream coming from the flashlight.

  But Thaddeus could see just fine. He’d studied the building and knew all its hiding places and shortcuts. Because he didn’t like the feeling he was getting, he moved fast to get them to her office to retrieve the additional flashlights.

  Tayla thought this was a simple electrical failure. He knew that it was only the beginning.

  “You’re going the wrong way,” Tayla said from behind him before she tripped and stumbled.

  Thaddeus paused, holding her steady by her arm. “Are you okay?”

  In the darkness she frowned. “I’d be a lot better if you stopped dragging me around.” She tried to wrestle her arm free of his grasp, again to no avail. “And you’re going the wrong way. My office is back there, down that corridor.”

  She was okay, he surmised, then turned, pulling her in the same direction he’d been going.

  “Can you hear? I said this is the wrong way.” She was getting frustrated now. This was her school, her building. She knew where she was going and where her office was. He should be listening to her, not the other way around. She stopped suddenly, causing him to pull on her arm even harder. But she wouldn’t budge and she knew he wouldn’t physically drag her over the floor—or at least she prayed he wouldn’t.

  Thaddeus stopped again, clearly disturbed at her insistence. “Why are you stopping? We need to get these flashlights and get the children to safety quickly.”

  His voice was intense, definitely too intense for a simple power outage. “It’s just an electrical failure. We probably blew a fuse or something. I’m sure Mr. Parsons will have it fixed in no time. However, we’re never going to get to my office going this way.”

  Thaddeus didn’t need to shine the flashlight in her face to see those hazel eyes flashing at him or hear the edge to her voice. He knew there was more to her than that calm exterior she put on. “I know a shortcut.” He pulled on her arm again, gently this time. If he knew anything about females, he knew that once their temper rose you didn’t really want to be standing less than two feet in front of them, and Tayla would be no different. She wouldn’t cooperate if she was angry, and he needed her cooperation at this point. He could simply throw her over his shoulder and carry her to the office but thought this way was easier for them both.

  “How do you know a shortcut when you’ve only been here a week?” There was something strange about Thaddeus now, something stranger than what she’d been trying to forget all week. The flashlight was pointed at her, yet his form was outlined perfectly in a pale gold light, similar to the way it had been that first night in the forest. His voice had gone from tense terseness to a soothing chant that had thrown her.

  Conversing with her was taking too long. In the darkness danger loomed closer than he had realized. They had to move, now! “Tayla, we must go now.” He tried to remain calm but this time pulled her insistently until her feet began to move and they were once again on their way to her office.

  Before she could speak again they rounded a corner and, like magic, her office door was only a few feet away. She hadn’t even realized they were that close. As Thaddeus reached for the door, she made a mental note to check out this shortcut when the lights were back on.

  “I have to get the key,” Tayla said as she reached into her pants pocket. But Thaddeus turned the knob and the heavy oak door opened before them.

  Tayla stopped, staring at the creaking door as it moved. “I locked it when we left,” she whispered.

  Thaddeus remembered her doing just that. The base of his neck tingled as his grip on her hand tightened and he led them inside. The first thing they both noticed was the cool breeze rushing throughout the room. Thaddeus pointed the flashlight in the direction of the windows and Tayla gasped.

  On the far left wall were two huge floor to ceiling windows that had once been paned with copper-toned glass. All the panes had been broken and now the night air rushed inside, leaving an eerie chill in its wake.

  A thump in the right corner had them both stopping, turning in that direction. Thaddeus pointed the flashlight in that corner but did not see anything…or anyone. Tayla was behind him. He took a step back, reaching his arm around
to grasp her waist, then took another step backward, leading her to the wall. When he couldn’t move any more, he turned to her, placed a free hand over her mouth and leaned down close to her ear. “Do not move. I am going to check the rest of the room. I want you to stay right here.”

  Tayla swallowed the all-too-familiar feeling of fear and moved his hand from her mouth. “I have to get the flashlights.”

  “Stay here!” Thaddeus growled, then felt her stiffen against him. Silently he cursed himself. He did not want to frighten her. And speaking harshly to her did not sit well with him either. He sighed, then brushed a quick kiss across her mouth. “Just let me check the room out first. Then we will get the flashlights and get back to the kids,” he said in a more reasonable tone.

  Tayla was shocked by the kiss but didn’t dare speak again. She was also shocked by the sudden hint of accent in his voice. She’d had a feeling he wasn’t from the states, what with his stilted English, but she couldn’t readily place the lilt. She remained still. Thaddeus and his changes had her entranced and she wasn’t sure what she should say next. Instead, she plastered her back against the wall and nodded her agreement. He moved away from her and she instantly missed his warmth, his solidness—yet his kiss had left her tingly on the inside.

  It seemed like forever that she waited for Thaddeus to return to her side, or at least say something to her. In the meantime the cool air pricked at her skin, causing her to shiver. Outside the sky was deep indigo, no stars in sight. A vague outline of the tallest trees and the mountain a distance away added to the eeriness of the scene. The wind picked up, making a strange hissing sound, and fear clawed at her insides once more. What was going on? Where was Thaddeus?

  As if he heard her thoughts he appeared at her side, taking her hand in his. He’d turned off the flashlight when he stepped away from her, why she wasn’t quite sure, but then where Thaddeus Delos was concerned she wasn’t quite sure of anything. Now he flicked it back on and shone in it her face. She blinked furiously, then focused her attention on him.

  “Where do you keep the extra flashlights?”

  “In the closet behind my desk,” she said in a surprisingly steady voice. Then as she took a step to guide him toward the closet, the lights flicked back on, illuminating the room and increasing Tayla’s fear factor by another notch.

  “Oh….my…God,” she said slowly, taking in the mass destruction around her. Not only had all the panes been broken out of the windows, scattering shattered colored glass all over the place, but all the books from her shelves had been tossed to the floor, some ripped almost to shreds. The couch near the window where she had special conversations with her children was ripped with long jagged slices, with white foamy filling sticking out violently.

  She turned to her desk only to find more disarray. Files and knickknacks were thrown here and there, her keyboard had been splashed with some red substance, and her computer screen had a hole straight through it. Her chair had been slashed similarly to the couch. She took a step toward the desk, a hand coming to her throat. “What happened?” she whispered.

  Thaddeus had scanned the room as well and felt a sick swirling in the pit of his stomach. That tingle at the base of his neck grew into a blazing heat as he recognized this as a scare tactic. Then a flash of light caught his eye and he focused on something on the windowsill. As if his eyes sparked some sort of ‘on’ switch, the object produced music.

  The melody filtered throughout the room and Tayla turned slowly until she found the source. On the windowsill sat a pink music box, open, with a tiny ballerina spinning in its center. As she recognized the notes of the timeless tune, Tayla’s blood froze.

  Chapter 3

  Tayla slowly moved to the windowsill and reached out. Her fingers grazed the tiny figure, almost stopping it from spinning. She pulled her hand back, afraid she’d break the fragile ballerina. The music played on and on, stroking that private place where she held precious memories. Then, as if those memories refused to let her be, she thought of the night he’d given it to her.

  It was their first wedding anniversary. They’d had a spectacular dinner at some upscale restaurant and a limousine ride around the park where they’d met. The night had been perfect, Jerome was attentive and loving. Tayla had never been happier in all her life. After they’d made love in their lavish canopied bed, Jerome had announced one more surprise.

  “Close your eyes, darling.”

  He’d always called her ‘darling,’ and for a while it had made Tayla feel cherished. She’d closed her eyes and waited with the satin sheets drawn up and around her breasts as she sat propped up against numerous pillows. Jerome sat on the bed beside her, placing a box in her lap.

  “Open your eyes,” he instructed.

  A beautifully wrapped box with a huge bow lay waiting for her. Like an excited child she ripped at the paper, tossing it aside with humorous disregard. “Oh, Jerome. It’s lovely.” Her heart pattered wildly in her chest as she removed the tissue paper from the box and traced her fingers along the intricate design on the outside of the pink satin box.

  “I remember you said you had one when you were a little girl,” he told her.

  That meant he also remembered that her father had broken it one night when he was in a drunken stupor. She flipped the tiny silver latch and lifted the top. Inside was a ballerina in a frilly pink tutu. She twisted the latch at the back and smiled as the ballerina began to dance and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” began to play.

  She’d kissed Jerome, so filled with emotion she could no longer contain the tears. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “I just want to make you so very happy, always,” he’d told her.

  He’d sworn to always make her happy.

  He’d lied.

  A particularly chilly breeze decided to blow at that moment and Tayla shivered. Thaddeus came up to stand behind her, putting his thick hands on her shoulders. “I think we should get out of here,” he said in a low, rough voice.

  His touch, his warmth, his mere presence brought Tayla back to the present and she stiffened. She wasn’t married to Jerome anymore. She’d left him and his lunatic family two years ago. She’d found a safe place and she was building a new life for herself. But that hadn’t been enough. Jerome said he’d never let her go. It seemed Jerome planned to keep one of the promises he made to her.

  She shut the music box with what seemed like a really loud thump and turned to face Thaddeus. For a moment she was taken aback at the fierce look in his eyes, the surreal glow that outlined his body. She must be more stressed than she’d originally thought. Every time she looked at this man she saw things that couldn’t possibly be there. “I need to get to the children. I have to get them settled for the night.” She was the principal of this school first and foremost. She tossed the box onto the tattered sofa and moved around Thaddeus. She’d get her children into bed, then she’d deal with the implications of that tiny little box.

  Thaddeus grabbed her arm, pulled her back to him. He’d seen her thoughts as clearly as if he were there in the room with her and her husband. Peeping into a mortal’s mind was nothing new to him, yet he realized with her the power seemed to come and go. He’d felt her pain, the heavy darkness of dread that had fallen over her, and wanted to make it go away. He could take her away from here, take her to a place where her husband would never find her. Then she’d be safe. Of course that was against the rules. It was against their entire creed, the purpose of his being there, but he was quickly realizing that this was unlike any other assignment he’d ever been given—Tayla was unlike any other mortal he’d been assigned to. “I am here, Tayla. I will keep you safe.”

  This was the second time he’d called her by her first name. She didn’t know how she felt about that. Tayla wanted to accept the compassion in his voice, the sincerity she saw in his eyes, but the complete destruction of her office and that damned music box were vivid evidence why she couldn’t—why she’d never be able to trust another man again.
“I will keep myself safe,” she said with more conviction than she felt. “Let’s just get to the kids and get them settled.”

  Yes, the children. They needed to be kept safe also. Thaddeus almost swore. He hadn’t been given the details of this assignment. He’d only been told that this was his last job, his final journey before…No matter, it was a lot more detailed than he’d originally thought, and he felt that to adequately protect Tayla and these children, he would have to know the full story. And if Tayla wasn’t going to tell him, he knew someone who would.

  “You are right. Let us take care of the children.” He intertwined his fingers with hers. After giving her hand a little squeeze, he managed a slight smile, then led them out of the office.

  * * *

  “This has been an adventurous night,” Ms. Dudley commented when all the children were finally situated in their dorm.

  Tayla sighed. She was anxious to get to her own sleeping quarters, anxious to be by herself, to give some serious thought to her newfound circumstances. “Yes, it has. But things will be better in the morning. The children will have a free day to play, and if the weather holds up, maybe we’ll enjoy a nice nature hike into the forest.” She cast a glance out the nearest window, where surrounding a bright moon she saw the angry sky churning above them. A storm was definitely coming.

  “You and that nature stuff. I swear, you’d never guess you were a city girl the way you love the outdoors.” Ms. Dudley clucked, “I’m taking my tired bones off to bed. I’ll see you two in the morning.”

  Ms. Dudley had a thick waist and hips, a stern voice and caring eyes that put you in mind of a grandmother. She had been here when Tayla first arrived, and she’d been the closest thing Tayla had to a friend in the past two years.

  “Good night, Ms. Dudley,” Tayla said to the woman’s quickly retreating back.