The Phoenix Prophecy: Nova
: Chapter 15

The room is almost pitch dark. Just a few slivers of light seeping in through cracks in the blinds that shield the office from the hall.

I let the door close, then feel my way to the desk and flick on the lamp. Thank God, he has a landline.

My heart is still pounding. Seeing Nico on the TV, I thought I might pass out. Images of Johnny, and the flames, and the sound of his screams… so loud I could barely breathe. But not just him; memories from before. From a life I can barely remember. A family I can see but whose voices I can never catch hold of. Whose faces blur in my mind because I have no pictures to help me recall them.

With shaking hands, I pick up the phone and dial the only number I know by heart. The pharmacy. I worked there for three years. Please, someone, answer…

“Hello?” Rhiannon’s nasal tone is impossible not to recognize.

“Rhi? It’s Nova.”

There’s silence for a moment, then, “Jesus. Nova? Where are you?” She hisses down the phone.

“I can’t tell you. But I’m safe.”

“The entire town’s looking for you. Cops are looking for you. They came here. They’re saying you ran off? After the fire? They’re saying you started it, Nova.”

I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath. “Rhiannon, is there any news about…” I trail off, hoping she’ll get what I’m asking; for news about whether Johnny made it out alive or in a body bag.

“About what?” I picture her tilting her ditsy blond head to the side and tapping her fingernail on the receiver.

“Never mind.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. I need to talk to someone who knows what’s going on. Someone I can trust. “Listen, can you do me a favor?”

“I dunno, Nova. I don’t want to get into trouble.”

“All I need is a number. My neighbor. Sarah Borello. Can you find it in the system? She’s one of our patients.”

“Nova, that’s a breach of…”

“I know.” I snap at her, then try to soften my tone. “I know, Rhi. I’m sorry. I just need to speak with her. It’s important. I swear to you, I didn’t do anything wrong. Johnny attacked me.”

Rhiannon clicks her tongue. I wonder if she’s thinking about all the times I turned up for work with bruises on my wrists, or the time she had to help me cover a gash on my cheek, or when Johnny came into the pharmacy drunk and trashed the place because he thought I was flirting with our manager Ted.

“Okay,” she says reluctantly. “Give me a minute.”

As she starts searching the computer system for Sarah’s details, I scour Kole’s desk for a pen. It’s a big wooden desk. The kind that looks like it would be more at home in a fancy library than the back room of a bar. And it’s crazy neat. No paperwork. Just a closed laptop. I tug the top drawer. It doesn’t open. Then the next. At first, this one doesn’t open either, but when I give it a thump, suddenly, it does. I put my hand in and snake my fingers around the inside.

“Ready?” Rhiannon is whispering.

“Ready.” I’m about to write on my arm when I stop, bend down, and write on my leg instead; I can’t afford for anyone to see the Ridgemore dial code.

“That’s it, Nova. I can’t help you no more.” Rhiannon doesn’t even say goodbye, just hangs up.

I listen to the dial tone for a moment, then put the phone down and lean back onto the desk. I can hear the hum and chatter of the bar. The muted thud of whatever music is playing from the jukebox. I’ve been in here too long already; I’ll have to call Sarah tomorrow.

I slip the pen back into the drawer, then try to close it, but it’s caught on something. It won’t close all the way. I crouch down and reach inside. Something at the back is stopping it from shutting properly. I pull it loose and hold it to the light. It’s a small glass vial about half the size of my little finger. And it’s full of… I flinch and almost drop it.

Is that blood?

The liquid inside is dark red. Thick and slow-moving. I swallow hard and look back at the drawer. Then I hear voices.

Male voices.

In the hall. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I turn around, searching for somewhere to hide, but there’s nowhere and no way out.

The doorhandle is moving. Shit.

I dive under the desk, gripping the vial, tucking my legs up beneath my chin. The door opens and the voices enter. I’m shielded from view by the thick wooden back panel of the desk, but I’m still shaking.

“For fuck’s sake, Tanner. I can’t just leave the bar.”

“Luther’s taking care of it. Kole, we need to talk about this.”

I suck in a slow, silent breath. Kole and Tanner. They already have suspicions about me. If they catch me snooping, find out I called someone in Ridgemore, find out I’m from anti-magick territory…

I press my lips together and try not to move or breathe.

The door closes sharply. I look up. I can see them reflected in the window. They’re facing each other. Kole is at least a foot taller than Tanner. He folds his arms in front of his chest and the tattoo that peeks out from beneath his black sleeve ripples over his bicep. It’s an intricate pattern made of symbols I can’t interpret.

He’s staring at Tanner. If he was looking at me that way, I’d be terrified, but Tanner doesn’t flinch. Instead, he moves closer and puts his hand on Kole’s arm.

“You shouldn’t have given her the job. Being close to her…”

“I have to be. If she’s the one we’ve been looking for…”

“It’s not a good idea. I could feel it as soon as I walked in.” Tanner sounds worried.

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t go fishing around in my head?” Kole flexes his fingers. His fists are clenched. So, Tanner is an empath.

“I didn’t have to. It hit me like a two-ton truck.” Tanner is keeping his voice calm and steady, but my heart is beating so fast now that I’m convinced they will hear it.

They’re talking about me. It’s not a good idea for Kole to be around me? Why not? And who is it they’re looking for?

“I can handle it.” Kole’s jaw twitches.

“Can you?” Tanner moves a step closer. “How do you feel right now? With her so close? How do you feel?”

I swallow down a whimper. For a moment, I think they’ve realized I’m in the room with them, but then I remember they think I’m upstairs changing.

In a low rumble, Kole says, “I feel hungry. Like I want to scratch my own skin off. Like the only thing that will satiate me is her.”

A chill runs down my spine. His words feel dangerous but also exciting.

Kole licks his lower lip. But from the way he’s talking, I can’t figure out if he wants to fuck me, kill me, or…

My mind flashes back to the glass vial in his desk.

I swallow hard, my chest constricting. Only vamps drink blood, right?

Tanner and Kole are staring at each other, but they’re not speaking. It’s as if something is passing between them. A silent understanding.

Still not speaking, Kole leaves Tanner standing in the middle of the room and walks toward the desk. For a moment, as he steps around the side of it, his reflection disappears. But then there he is. In front of me.

I shrink into the darkness of my hiding place and turn sideways so I’m pressed up against the wooden back. Kole’s legs, thick like tree trunks, in black tight-fitting jeans, are right there within touching distance. The toe of his shoe is barely an inch away from my thigh.

He opens his desk drawer, the second one, and puts his hand inside. I look down at my hand. The vial is now warm from the heat of my skin. What will he do if he realizes this is missing?

But that’s not what he’s looking for. Instead, he pulls out something different. Bigger. A black plastic bottle. He holds it down by his side and I tilt my head to read the writing on the label.

Jesus H Christ, is that lube?

“Lock the door, then come here.” Kole’s fingers tighten on the bottle. He’s blocking the window, so I can’t see Tanner moving, but I hear him cross the room, turn the lock, then walk back.

Kole turns sideways. His hips are above the level of the desk by a few inches, so all I can see is his legs. There’s a small thud as he puts the bottle down on the desk. Then he unfastens his belt. The leather makes a gentle slapping sound as he flicks it open.

“On your knees.” He steps back a little. Then Tanner is there. On the floor in front of him. In one swift motion, he tugs his shirt off and drops it to the floor. His chest is smooth, but there’s a light dusting of hair that leads from his belly button to his pants. I bite the inside of my cheek. Suddenly, I can think of nothing better than tasting him. Licking that line all the way down.

The sound of Kole’s pants being unzipped makes my heart jump in my ribcage.

Tanner’s hands snake around Kole’s legs and up. He’s grabbing his ass. He’s grabbing his ass. 

As Kole lets out a deep, rumbling groan and starts to rock back and forth, I realize his cock is in Tanner’s mouth, and my clit starts to tingle.

Every inch of me is quivering. My skin feels like it’s on fire. I turn away and try not to look but when Kole mutters, “Deeper. Show me what a good boy you are,” I can’t handle it any longer. I inch forward, leaving the vial on the floor behind me.

I know if Tanner sees me — if either of them sees me — I’ll be in a world of trouble, but I can’t sit here, hearing what they’re doing, without seeing it. I have to see.

I’m close enough to catch a glimpse of Kole’s hands gripping Tanner’s shoulders when suddenly he pulls back. “Bend over the desk and spread your ass for me.”

Tanner springs to his feet. His cock is straining against his pants, but then they’re dropping down to his ankles and he’s kicking them aside.

He bends over the desk. He’s rock hard and inches away from me. He fists his dick and groans until Kole slaps his hand away. “I said, spread your ass for me.”

Tanner leans further onto the desk and reaches back with both hands.

There’s silence for a moment, then the sound of the cap being removed from the little black bottle. I scramble silently backward and lean against the inner wall of the desk. My legs are trembling, my nipples hard against my shirt. I slip a hand inside it and tug down my bra.

I’m imagining Tanner’s tongue on my breasts when he lets out a deep, throaty cry and juts forward into the edge of the desk.

“Quiet,” Kole commands. “Don’t make a sound until I tell you to.”

I can’t take it any longer. I unfasten my jeans and slide my fingers down between my legs. I don’t think I’ve ever been this wet in my life.

As I touch myself, Tanner’s cock pulses. What would happen if I took him in my mouth? Would he stop me? Or would he fuck my mouth while Kole fucked him?

“Please.” Tanner’s voice is shaky. “By the stars, please, touch my dick.”

“Please, what?” There’s a slapping sound, but I have no idea which part of Tanner’s body Kole has punished.

“Please, Sir.”

Kole’s hand appears. He wraps his thick fingers around Tanner’s length and rubs his thumb over the bead of moisture that has appeared on top, smoothing it all the way down.

Then he stops.

Tanner takes over, his hand moving up and down, up and down, then squeezing the base as if he’s trying to delay the inevitable.

I bite down on my arm. I want to scream. I’m going to come and they’re going to hear me, and just the thought of it brings me even closer.

One of them punches the desk, and it vibrates above my head. Tanner lets out a loud cry. He’s coming. It spurts from him and hits the underside of the desk. I reach out and swipe my index finger through it. As I put my finger in my mouth and taste him, an orgasm rocks through me. My entire body feels like it’s on fire.

Then I realize it is; there are sparks on my skin. Flickering up and down.

Panicked, still reeling from the most intense feeling I’ve ever had in my life, I pat at my arms. I breathe out, slowly, silently, begging the sparks to die down.

Above me, there’s quiet.

Neither says a word.

Then Tanner straightens up and reaches for his pants.

Kole’s are around his ankles. He pulls them up, then returns the bottle of lube to the drawer.

Tanner turns his back to the desk. His shirt is in his hand, and he’s not as broad as Kole, so I can see his reflection as he tugs it back on.

“Feel better?” Tanner asks, looking to his right, a cheekiness in his voice that makes me smile.

Surprisingly, Kole replies, “Yes.”

Tanner stands up and crosses out of sight. Then I see them both reflected in the window, almost at the door. “Maybe Nova working here isn’t a bad thing after all.”

Kole waits for him to explain.

Tanner smiles at him and shrugs. “Figure you might need a few more sessions than normal.” He raises his eyebrows. “And I’m not going to complain about that.”

Looking Tanner up and down, Kole strokes his beard. “You might be right.” As he puts his hand on the door, he adds, “Leave this open. It’s hot as a fucking sauna in here.”

Tanner glances back at the desk. There’s a strange expression on his face that makes me shiver. Does he know I’m here?

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