by Ashlyn Chase
She had asked him how he could help her. He really didn’t think she was suffering from schizophrenia. He’d read up on it, and she didn’t seem to fit the description. It was largely an inherited illness, and she denied any knowledge of mental illness in her family. That would be a hard diagnosis to hide without a relative in the attic.
“Take me to your studio. I’d like to see that artwork of yours.”
* * *
Dante reached over and covered her hand with his. “Mallory, can I make a weird suggestion? You can tell me to mind my own business if I’m way off base.”
Weird? What could he be talking about? Mallory didn’t know how much more weird her life could get. “Uh, sure. I’ll be honest and tell you if it’s too weird for me.”
“Okay. Hear me out. A hypnotherapist came to our firehouse to do a relaxation exercise with the guys. He said it was something we could continue to do on our own, and it would help us sleep, stay calm in stressful situations, and get back on an even keel faster after a rough shift. I have his card. Would you be willing to talk to him?”
“Hypnosis?”
“Yeah. Decreasing stress might help. I was even thinking that maybe he can do some kind of posthypnotic suggestion to help you block out the stuff that’s not really there.”
She felt like she was grasping at straws anyway, so why not entertain the idea? “I guess I could try it. The only thing is, therapy is expensive, isn’t it?”
“He didn’t make it sound like a ton of sessions were needed. We only had one, and it helped a lot. If it’s just the money, I’ll pay for a session.”
Dante was so sweet, but she didn’t want to take advantage of him. They weren’t even dating. Not that she’d mind dating the handsome, brave firefighter, but her history with men was pretty abysmal. He was probably just feeling sorry for her. “I can probably afford a session or two. Maybe a quick chat with a therapist might help.”
“Okay. I’ll find his number when I get home and give you a call.”
“Dante, you probably have better places to be. I’m grateful for your help, but I’ll understand if you don’t call me after giving me the therapist’s number.”
He frowned. “Why on earth would you say that?”
“I—it’s just that…well, I come with a lot of baggage. I don’t expect you to carry my burdens.”
“Hey, I’m a big, strong firefighter. I carry full-grown men over my shoulder. What’s a little baggage?” He smiled, but she didn’t return it. “Look, Mallory. We all have baggage. Yours is a little unusual, but you act like you’re the worst person who ever walked the earth.”
“Sorry. I tend to beat myself up sometimes.”
“Ya think? Come here.” He rose and took her hand.
As he led her to the couch, her nerves kicked in. What was he going to do? Kiss her? Lecture her?
“Have a seat. I want to tell you a story.”
“Okay.” That was a scenario she hadn’t seen coming.
She got comfy, and he put his arm around her shoulder.
“Once upon a time, there was this young man—no. A boy. He was still just a boy. He had a great family and lots of good pals. But he didn’t have a girlfriend. He was shorter than a lot of girls in his class and on the shy side. Especially around the pretty ones.” He gave her a smile, and if she wasn’t mistaken, it was meant just for her.
“Well, there was this one girl in particular he had a crush on. But she didn’t even know he was alive. She was smart, beautiful, had a great personality and lots of friends. She seemed to have it all. The boy was so sure she was out of his league that he never even spoke to her.
“Then they graduated from school, and everyone went off to pursue their dreams. He never knew what her plans were. Didn’t know if she was off to college or some big adventure. He felt as if he had lost her, even though he’d never really known her. And he had no one to blame but himself.”
“Does this story have a happy ending? I hope.”
His striking chocolate eyes held her gaze. “I hope so too.”
Even though her world was falling apart and a lot of guys would take advantage of the situation, she didn’t think he would. If she wanted him to kiss her, she was going to have to initiate it.
She leaned in, and he tentatively leaned toward her but stopped.
“Are you going to kiss me?” she asked.
“Depends. Do you want me to?”
“Yes, please.” Mallory mentally rolled her eyes at herself. Yes, please? Lame.
She didn’t have time to finish chiding herself. He closed the gap and took her lips in a gentle but purposeful kiss. His lips were soft but insistent. He opened his mouth, and she opened hers at the same time. Their tongues stroked each other. Dante tasted like the wine they’d just had, plus something richer. Certainly not the boy he was describing. Something all man. This was the kind of man she could trust—and it scared the hell out of her. Anyone she’d trusted in the past had hurt her—or she’d beaten them to it.
Mallory started to shake and backed off a few inches. “Oh no…”
“What’s the matter?”
No, no! Not now! Mallory’s only experience with this feeling had been followed by running up a drain pipe and seeing a monkey in a puddle. She had been so scared of the police, she thought the shaking had to do with that. She wasn’t scared of Dante. What the hell was happening?
In seconds, she might be swinging from the chandelier in her foyer if she couldn’t get herself under control.
“I—I’m sorry…” That was all she had time to say before her arms and legs grew a thick brown coat of hair and she leapt from her spot on the couch—right out of her best black dress pants. She shook off the jacket and was soon running off to the upstairs bathroom wearing nothing but her pink lace bra and pink silk top. Her lace panties had fallen off one leg and looped around the other foot.
After hugging the toilet for a few tense moments, some maturity kicked in.
No. I’m not going to run and hide. I don’t want him to think he’s losing his mind or seeing things. He’ll probably dump me like a hot rock, but it’s only fair he should know. It’s not him. It’s definitely me.
She hadn’t heard the front door slam yet, so either he left it wide open when he fled, or he was frozen in shock somewhere.
She crept back down the stairway, her long arms and tail holding onto the railing. He was still where she had left him on the couch, so he must have been scared stiff.
He turned toward her and smiled. “There you are.” He seemed as calm as a summer breeze.
She didn’t quite know what to do. She hadn’t expected this reaction. He patted the couch next to him. “Relax. It’s okay.”
Her muscles sagged in relief, and her body returned to its normal size with her normal amount of body hair…but without her normal amount of clothes!
He grabbed her slacks off the floor, turned his head away, and held out the pants where she could reach them. She grasped and wriggled into them. Her blouse was still on, but she had to readjust the bra under it.
As soon as she was dressed, she murmured, “You’re still here.”
“Is that okay? We hadn’t said goodbye, so I wasn’t sure you wanted me to leave.”
“Uh…no, I don’t want you to leave. But I can’t imagine you’d want to stay. Are you…all right?”
He laughed. “I’m fine. In fact, I have a secret too. I’ll share it with you, if you can handle it at the moment, and also keep it to yourself.”
“If it’s about you being that boy in school, I think I figured that out.”
He laughed. “It’s not just that, but I’m glad you got the point. My secret is something like yours. Will you believe me if I just tell you, or are you someone who needs to see something with their own eyes?”
“I might need convincing, but I’d lik
e to be warned first. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the same consideration.”
“I understand. It looked like you weren’t able to control the shift.”
“You’re right. I couldn’t. It’s only happened once before—about a month ago. I had convinced myself it was an illusion.” She dropped onto the sofa next to him. He held out his hand for her to grasp or leave as she preferred. She laced her fingers with his. “Tell me your secret. If it’s anything like mine, I’m dying to know. I feel so alone.”
“I’m a shape-shifter too. A phoenix, to be exact.”
“Phoenix? Like the firebird that rises from its ashes? I thought that was just a legend.”
“Nope. Not legend or fairy tale. We’re a race that can be traced back to written histories from ancient Rome. Some say a phoenix came to this hemisphere with Columbus when he set sail from Spain. But the Native Americans have stories about firebirds that have been handed down too.”
“Are there many of you?”
Dante tipped his head as if thinking. “It depends on what you’re talking about. There are Fierros in Boston and some in Arizona, but I don’t think there are a lot of phoenixes worldwide. And I doubt everyone with that last name is a firebird.”
“Oh. So, what does a phoenix look like, exactly?”
“Why don’t I show you? Think you can handle a short demonstration?”
“You won’t set my place on fire, will you?”
His jaw dropped. “Absolutely not. I’m a fire fighter, not a fire setter.”
“Oh. Sorry. I guess that was a stupid question.”
“No. Considering the many legends that are incorrect, it wasn’t an unusual assumption. Don’t worry. We don’t spontaneously combust.”
“So, what do you do? I mean, is the reincarnation thing real?”
“If we die in a fire, we can reincarnate. It’s why my mother doesn’t freak out about having so many sons as firefighters. We do our best to avoid dying though.”
“Oh, good.”
“Where should I undress? I’ll give you a brief demonstration. Wait—I didn’t mean that like it sounded…”
She chuckled. “I know. Bathroom. Top of the stairs.”
“Okay. Before I go, I want you to know what to expect. I’ll be aware of who I am and who you are the whole time. I’ll look like a bird, about the size of a hawk, but with bright-colored tail feathers.
“I’ll only stay in bird form a short time. We age faster as birds, so shifting is highly discouraged. And showing humans the paranormal world is forbidden. But you’ve already promised not to tell anyone. Are you ready?”
“Yup. Ready and as curious as George.”
He grinned. “Okay then. On that note…” He ran up the stairs. A few moments later, a beautiful bird with colorful tail feathers flew down the stairway, circled the ceiling fan and landed on the back of the couch.
“Wow.” It wasn’t an eloquent comment, but the gift of speech had deserted her. She reached out toward him slowly, and he walked forward a few steps. Eventually, she patted his head gently with one finger. He didn’t flinch.
“I can’t believe this. Am I hallucinating again?”
He hopped away and flew up the stairs. A few moments later, Dante walked back down the stairs, fully dressed. “You’re perfectly sane. You’re just a shape-shifter. And by the way, you should never tell anyone what you are. I probably should have explained that first.”
She laughed. “Who would believe me? First I’m the crazy girl who talks to people who aren’t there, and now I’m a shape-shifting spider monkey. Your secret is safe with me.”
“And you’re safe with me.” He sat beside her.
She relaxed. “I do feel safe with you. I don’t know anyone else who would still be sitting here, talking to me like this. Most guys would have run.”
“You haven’t shifted in front of anyone else, have you?”
“No. I’ve been lucky, I guess. You’re the first person to see it happen. I don’t know what I’d say to anyone who witnessed it. They’d probably think they were going crazy.”
“You don’t think anyone would be concerned for you?”
“I honestly don’t. Remember how I said all my friends knew where my parents were and that’s why I had to call you?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, all my friends are scattered around the world now, living their own lives, and don’t know where I am, never mind my parents.”
“Seriously? I remember you having tons of friends.”
“Very few of them were close friends. Most were acquaintances.”
“You hung out with Marcy a lot…”
“She’s in Hawaii.”
“What about Belinda?”
“Backpacking across Europe.” Mallory sighed. “I feel like you’re my only friend these days. I’ve barely heard from anyone else.”
He inhaled deeply and rubbed her back. “Then they’re idiots.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked, sounding surprised.
She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “For being you.”
“I wish I could do more. Are you still willing to see the hypnotherapist?”
“I—I’d like to, but what if I shift in front of him?”
“If it happens when you’re nervous or afraid, you won’t shift. He’s going to put you into a deeply relaxed state. You just have to stay calm before that.”
She groaned. “I guess if hypnosis helps me stay calm and avoid shifts, it’s worth a try. At least if all I turn into is a monkey, I’ll have opposable thumbs to turn the doorknob and leave if he’s freaking out.”
* * *
Noah had set up their whole lab by the time Dante returned. It was almost time to leave for work, but he was proud of what he’d managed to accomplish in such a short time. As it turned out, he needed the distraction.
“Check out the spare room,” Noah announced proudly to his older brother.
“Okay, but we have to leave in a few minutes.” Dante strode down the hall to the last door on the left. When he opened it, he whistled in appreciation.
Noah stepped up behind him and viewed the fruits of his labors. A long collapsible table they’d bought for backyard parties was set up in the middle of the room, with a makeshift tin-foil top. A Bunsen burner had been duct-taped in place. There were droppers, a selection of measuring cups, a wooden rack that held glass beakers, and a few metal instruments for grasping the glass vials and holding them above the gas flame. There was a metal stand to hold a bulbous glass container mounted over the fire to cook for a while.
He felt like a proud papa. “All we need is a propane tank and some lead.”
“I’ll be damned. You’re actually doing it.”
“Did you think I was joking all that time?”
“Well, no. Not exactly…”
“What exactly did you think?” Noah asked.
“I guess I thought you needed a hobby. You know…until you find a girl to marry you and have your kids.”
“What? So you had no intention of helping me?”
“Of course I did. I will. I guess… All you wanted me to do was to translate the Latin for you, right?”
“Hell no. I want you to be here for safety reasons. No one should be alone in a lab. What if something goes wrong and I pass out from chemical poisoning? Or a fire starts? An extra pair of hands wouldn’t hurt when handling volatile substances.”
“Wait. Volatile substances?”
“You know…fire…chemicals…”
“Shit, yeah. I hadn’t thought about that.”
Noah shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
“Look. I’m sorry. I wish I knew more about this. But don’t worry, I won’t leave you to blow up our apartment alone.”
“Gee, thanks.”<
br />
Dante left the room and grabbed his car keys. “Are you ready to go?”
“I think I’ll walk today.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be upset. I said I’d help.”
Noah sighed. “It’s not you. Or it’s not just you. I was rejected by Kizzy.”
“Huh? I thought she was into you.”
“I thought so too. I sent her a friend request on Facebook, and she accepted it. So I sent her a private message. We started chatting, and that was going well, so I asked her out. Everything went quiet for a while, then she came back with a million excuses about being busy and helping her father with something, and her sister needing her, and whatever. The thing is, she turned me down.”
“I’m sorry, Bro. I really thought you two hit it off. Did you ask her to the basketball game?”
“No. I figured I’d take her out to dinner some night when neither of us had to work.”
“Maybe she’s tired at night. The game is on a Saturday. She can’t be working every weekend. Come on. Let me drive you to work. We can figure this out on the way.”
“No. Thanks though. I really want to walk.” Noah grabbed his Boston Fire Department jacket. “I need to think about the science experiment.”
“Okay. Call me if you want to talk it over.”
“Nah. I’ll be fine.” He dashed down the stairs and set off for his downtown firehouse. He had avoided the sting of rejection by setting up the lab, and now that he’d had time to process what happened with Kizzy, he wanted to be alone. Obviously, he’d done something wrong, but what?
Noah had dated off and on, but never had a serious relationship.
Just like his brothers, he had to find a woman he could totally trust with his and his family’s paranormal secret. That took a special kind of woman. Someone with maturity. His older brothers were lucky to have found their soulmates. The loves of their lives. He wondered if that kind of luck could continue.
Women were a puzzle, and not one as easily figured out as a chemical formula. Relationships could be just as volatile—if not more so.
* * *
Two members of the secret group in Brazil had been sent to Boston. The spell to make the developer leave hadn’t produced the desired result, and now their commandant was angry. Unlimited power would be theirs if they could only locate the companion occult books, so Wilhelm and Franz were selected to go. Franz was the commandant’s grandson and Wilhelm was a trusted advisor.
