The Phoenix Prophecy: Nova

The Viking and the nurse—who looks like he stepped out of the Baywatch movie—are talking on the other side of the door. I can hear their low, rumbling voices. Clearly, they’re trying to decide what to do with me.

If I hadn’t seen Kole before, I’d probably have been terrified of him. Standing there in the dark, glowering at me like he wanted to eat me, or suffocate me, or both.

But when I saw him in the street, and when our eyes locked together, something washed over me. It was like I already knew him. Like I knew he’d never hurt me. Fear pulsed in my ears when he stepped closer to me. But I still knew I was safe.

The nurse, Tanner, gave me a different feeling. A warm, bubbling sensation in the pit of my stomach. Like he was latching on to the small glimmers of happiness in my past and amplifying them just by looking at me.

Perhaps he was. I’ve heard empaths can do that; amplify people’s emotions. If he’s one of them, he could have been doing it deliberately. Putting me at ease. It could have all been an act, but something in the way he stumbled over his words when he spoke made me feel like it was genuine.

I’ve been around manipulative bastards long enough to know one when I see one.

And this guy, Tanner, feels like the opposite.

Standing up, I walk to the window and look out at the street below. It has stopped raining, but everything is quiet now. The cafe up the street is dark. The lights in the fountain have been extinguished.

My eyes flicker up and catch my reflection. For a moment, I think there’s someone else in the room. Then I realize it’s myself I’m looking at.

I peer into the mirror, grab a strand of my hair, and stare at it. It’s not red anymore. It’s gray. Like ash.

Beyond the door, the voices are more agitated.

I tear myself away from my reflection, adjust my collar, and check the buttons are still fastened tight because no matter how much I trust these two mages, if they find an Anti Magick Alliance crest on my skin, things could take a very different turn.

Looking down at my fingers, they twitch. When Tanner conjured that little white light, something pulsed in my fingertips. Heat. Like an electric shock moving in slow motion. Like my body wanted to do the same.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and the sensation disappeared.

“Nova?” The door opens and Tanner steps through. “Kole’s just fetching your water.”

I glance at the kitchenette and the sink in the corner of the room, but don’t say anything. Perhaps the Viking needs some alone time. Perhaps they had a fight.

“Have you decided what to do with me?” I fold my arms in front of my chest. Tanner flicks on a lamp nearby and the room settles with a warm orange glow.

He swallows hard. “Do with you?”

I raise my eyebrows and gesture to the door. “You and Kole, you were trying to decide what to do with me? Weren’t you?”

He blinks at me for a second, then smiles. “Yeah,” he says. “I guess we were.” He perches on the arm of the couch. “You’re sure you’re human? Not an empath.”

My fingers twitch. “Definitely human.”

“Well, human,” he says, drumming his fingers on his knees. “I’m guessing you don’t have a place to stay if this was an impromptu trip?”

I wrinkle my nose. “I was hoping to find a B&B.”

“There’s one down the street,” he says. “But it’s four a.m., and I’m not sure the Suckermans would appreciate being woken up at this hour.”

“No,” I reply. “I don’t suppose they would.”

“Well, Kole’s okay with you staying here until you figure out your next move.” He looks around at the small apartment. “It’s not much but…”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” I feel my eyes moistening and bite back the sudden clot of emotion in my throat.

Tanner swallows hard, rubs the back of his neck, then nods. “No problem.” He hesitates, then adds, “I can stay with you. If you’d like me to.” He gestures to the couch. “Sleep out here.”

I’m considering my answer when Kole strides through the door. He’s clutching a glass of water. It looks toy-sized in his giant hands. “Here.” He thrusts it at me. It sloshes onto my hand. He turns and goes to stand beside the kitchenette. He’s holding something else. A sandwich on a small plate. He puts it on the side and nods at it.

“Thank you.” My stomach lurches into a growl. I have no idea when I last ate.

Tanner watches me as I drink down almost the entire glass in a few gulps, but Kole doesn’t. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

“I needed that.”

Kole folds his arms. The movement makes his muscles twitch. “Have you decided if you’re staying?” he asks gruffly.

“Yes. Please.” I set the glass down on the windowsill.

Kole nods. “You can bolt the door from the inside.” He gestures to the silver lock at the top of the door frame. “There are towels and spare clothes in the bedroom. Water’s hot.”

He points to the hallway. It’s short, with just one door on either side. A bathroom and a bedroom. Then he heads for the stairs. When he reaches the landing, he stops with his back to us and simply says. “Tanner.”

Tanner glances at me.

“It’s okay. Go. I’ll be fine.” My voice catches in my throat. Why is it coming out like that? I will be okay. I don’t need a babysitter.

“We’ll come back in the morning.” Tanner looks past me to the window. The sky is already brightening on the horizon. Dawn isn’t far away. “Get some rest. We’ll help you figure out what to do tomorrow.”

I nod at him and watch as he walks away. He’s tall, lithe, athletic. Not as tall as the Viking, but taller than me by at least a foot. He pauses in the doorway and scrapes his fingers through his thick blond hair. Still damp from the rain.

For a fleeting moment, I think about telling him I’ve changed my mind and asking him to stay. But before I can, he’s closed the door and I can hear his footsteps on the stairs.

I stand and listen. The door downstairs clunks open, then shut. I look out of the window but don’t see either of them. The street is empty. Then, there they are. Tanner is driving a big, black truck. Kole is on a big red motorcycle. Their engines rumble off down the street, disturbing the town’s quiet.

When they’re gone, I hurry to the door and slide the bolt across. I try the handle to make sure it’s locked tight. Then I grab the sandwich and eat it in just a few large bites. I can barely swallow fast enough. When I’m done, I leave the plate and crumbs by the sink and head for the bathroom.

Inside, I turn the lock and lean against the door, breathing heavily. My skin starts to crawl. Itching like there are ants beneath its surface. I tug Sarah’s coat off and drop it to the ground. Then her sneakers. My charred jeans, my barely there shirt, and my underwear.

It’s dark. Only a sliver of light filtering in through the small, high-up bathroom window.

I don’t turn on the lights. Instead, I step into the bath, pull the curtain across, and turn the temperature up high.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

At first, the water is ice cold, but within seconds it heats up. Warm, but not hot. I nudge the tap. It’s up as high as it will go.

Steam billows up and wraps itself around my legs, but the water is still barely warm. I stand for a long time, waiting to feel the heat I know is there. But I don’t.

When I climb out, the entire room is full of steam. Through the mist, I wipe the mirror clean and stare at myself.

I’m different, and it’s not just my hair. My skin is still pale, but it’s softer. Glowing. Like I’ve rubbed some expensive scented oil into it or been to a spa.

The scar on my chest, however, is the same. Three scorched triangles with a blood-red teardrop tattoo in their center. If anyone in this town sees it, they’ll want me out. Worse than that, they’ll want me dead.

But something deep down in the pit of my soul tells me this is where I need to be.

Phoenix Falls is where I need to be.