The Phoenix Prophecy: Nova

Luther and I are sitting opposite one another at the kitchen table. Mack puts a pot of tea down between us and folds his arms.

The kitchen is a mess. Scorched walls, flooded floor, and two smashed chairs from when Snow barreled us into them so hard they shattered beneath our asses.

“Tan, I’m sorry, man. I know you like her.” Luther can be sincere when he wants to be. He holds out his hand and I shake it, then stand up and lean into his shoulder, patting his back.

“Yeah, I’m sorry too. When I saw you coming for her…”

Luther nods and looks up as Mack pours three large mugs of tea. “Good. Now the apologies are out of the way, maybe we can have a sensible conversation about how we move forward.”

As Mack sits down, Luther clears his throat and says, “Only way forward, as I see it, is for her to tell us what involvement she has with the A.M.A. and how she escaped a raging inferno unharmed.”

Mack nods and glances at me. “Let me talk to her.” I take my phone out of my pocket. Kole being the one to run after her probably wasn’t a good idea. “I’ll tell her to come back, if you promise to treat her…”

Luther raises his palms at me. “I’ll play nice. I swear.”

I’m halfway through typing when the phone starts to ring. Seeing her name relieves the tension in my chest. I smile and pick up. “Hey, little star. It’s safe. You can come back.”

“Tanner?”

I bolt to my feet. Her voice isn’t normal. She’s scared.

“Tanner, you’ve got to help. Kole’s…” She stops speaking and lets out a high-pitched yelp. There’s a banging sound in the background, and then I hear Kole.

“Open the fucking door, Nova! Let me the fuck in!”

“I’m at the apartment. Tanner. Quickly…”

“Get in the bathroom and lock the door. We’re coming.” I don’t even look at the others, just head for the door. They’re both on my heels. “I think he’s turned. Kole. Sounds like he’s trying to smash down the door.”

“Fuck.” Luther unlocks the car. “I’ll drive. Get in.”

It takes far too many minutes to arrive at The Cross. The vines snaking across the parking lot from the trees tell me Kole’s earth affinity is in overdrive. And that he’s lost control.

The rear door is unlocked and we’ve barely made it to the stairs when we hear Kole’s raging cries vibrating through the place. Mack nods at me. His shoulders start to ripple. Luther and I stand back as he pushes past us, now a huge white bear instead of a fifty-two-year-old man.

Snow pounds up the stairs and they creak under his gargantuan weight. There’s an earth-shattering growl, then Kole’s body comes flying down the steps. His head meets the wall at the bottom and he falls into a heap. I jolt toward him to help him up, but when he raises his eyes, they are nothing but blackness.

Pure ebony.

Black veins snake across his face, pulsing, moving.

He opens his mouth and his tongue darts out to lick his lips. “I tasted her.” He groans. “She tastes so good.”

I look at Luther and he jerks his head at the stairs. “Go. Help her. We got this.”

As Snow thunders back down the steps, I dodge past him and head for the apartment. I hear Luther shout a restraining spell. Then the roar that means Mack has truly set Snow loose. They’re herding Kole back into the bar. As far away from Nova as they can get him.

I pull out my phone and dial. When she picks up, she’s sobbing.

“I’m here. Let me in. He’s gone.” I press my hand to the door. It’s hot. I step back and realize it’s charred. Like it’s been on fire.

There’s silence for a moment, then I hear footsteps. She unbolts the door. How the hell did she manage to bolt it?

As it opens, her face appears. She wipes her cheek with the back of her hand, then crumples into my arms. I kiss the top of her head, moving her slowly into the room and letting the door close behind us.

We stay like that for several seconds, then I usher her to the couch. She’s wrapped in a blanket, but as she sits down, a flash of creamy skin tells me she’s not wearing much else underneath it.

“Nova, what happened?” She pulls the blanket tighter around her, then untucks her hand and puts it into my lap, palm up. There’s a large red gash, like a lifeline, across its center. It’s deep, and she’s still bleeding. But there’s something else too — ink.

Staring at the blood, there’s no time to ask any more questions. “I’ll grab your things. We need to get you out of here.”

I head for the kitchen, pick up a dishcloth, and wind it around her hand.

“I…” Her eyes widen.

“Kole can smell you. I need to get you to the mansion and patch you up.” I stand and help her to her feet. “Wait here.”

She looks panicked at the thought of me leaving her side, but she waits all the same. When I return, she grabs my arm and presses herself close to me.

In the hall, I glance back at the door. Did she do that?

We pad quietly down the steps. At the bottom, I strain my ears. There are muffled sounds coming from the bar, but it sounds as if Luther’s sedation spell is working.

“This way.” I put my hand on her back and guide her out toward the truck. The keys are in the ignition where she must have left them.

She’s silent as I start the engine. I glance at her as we pull away from The Cross, but she’s staring out through the windshield. Lost in her own thoughts.

I flex my fingers on the steering wheel. I’ll let her stay lost for a while. But before today’s over, we’ll all need some answers.