Phoenix Tonic Read online

  “Interesting. She is like you in that regard.” Kira looked up at the ceiling as she thought.

  Kallian shook his head, curious. “How is that?”

  Kira’s expression went unreadable again. “She forms unreasonable attachments to items as you to animals. One will wear out, while the other will eventually die. And yet, you still allow yourself to suffer when you could have avoided the connection in the first place.”

  Kallian flashed a bittersweet smile. “Yes, it does seem foolish. But sometimes the joy an animal, or a person brings, is greater than the pain.” He turned back around and continued ordering items for Hailey. “I’m sure you’ll understand one day. Maybe you should try to make a friend.”

  Kira glanced away. “I’ve had friends in the past. I do not care to repeat the experience.”

  Kira’s empty voice brought sympathy from Kallian. Her time with humans ended in tragedy, at Kira’s expense. After two hundred years it seemed she still hadn’t gotten past it. Poor child, she was less than a dozen lifetimes old. Hopefully she’d grow out of it in this one.

  Chapter Eight

  Hailey blew out a deep breath. She had this Minesweeper puzzle in the bag. Just three boxes left.

  A knock came from the door.

  She ignored it and studied the numbers on the laptop in front of her. Her finger hovered above the touch pad. When the next knock came she jumped, her finger tapping the computer. The digital explosion made her jaw clench. She tried not to throw the computer as Kira finally let herself in.

  In seven days that was the closest she’d gotten to beating it the master level.

  The thought brought a disgusted smile to her face. “It’s official, Kira. I’m going insane.” The teen was the only person she saw day in and day out.

  Kira closed the door behind her and began sweeping the floor. “Why do you believe you have become unbalanced?” Her monotone voice annoyed her more every day.

  “Because Minesweeper, Bejeweled and Super Mario Brothers have become the highlights of my day. Markham has reduced me to a game addict.”

  “You have other forms of entertainment,” she said.

  “Oh, the books!” Hailey feigned excitement as she pulled her favorite novel from the shelf. She held up a half burnt shell of binding and pages. “You mean this kind of entertainment?” She dropped it in the garbage with a thunk. Her fake smile disappeared. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

  “You have your letters.” She swept the invisible dirt into the dust pan and set the broom outside the door.

  Hailey narrowed her gaze as she sat back on her stiff bed and brought up her email. “Yeah, hearing from home is so nice. Just listen to what good ol’ Dad has to say-

  “Dear Comet, The weather here is nice. We are all well. I’m glad you’re alive. Love, Dad.”

  She rolled her head toward Kira. “Doesn’t that just ooze warmth? My Mom’s letters have even less, because she doesn’t send any! After what Markham did to me she’s obviously scared to death of me. And my brother’s are even better. His hostility over the whole situation gets worse every day. He seems to think what you’re doing to me is wrong.”

  Kira didn’t bother to look up. She never did. “I am doing nothing to you.”

  A part of her wondered if Kira cared about anyone, or anything. “He wants to see me.”

  “That would be inadvisable.” Kira went to the metal mounted shelf and checked the contents. The small plastic cup filled with three ounces of liquid sat, untouched, on the corner. “You still refuse to take the suppressant?”

  Hailey didn’t break her gaze from the computer. “Does it suppress the fire?”

  “No,” Kira said simply.

  “Then I will not take it.” Hailey clicked the mouse a couple of times. “I refuse to let Markham suppress any part of me. He’s taken so much as it is and I refuse to give any more than I already have.”

  Kira replaced the old cup with a fresh one and went about the room as she did every morning. She carried in a new set of clothes, and collected the old ones. She also emptied the waste basket and placed a new liner in it.

  Hailey glanced over the laptop as she watched the emotionless creature. Kira inspected the accordion style partition that had been placed between the cameras and the toilet. It was a place she retreated often when her emotions got the best of her. And the burnt black spot on the backside was proof of that.

  “I will order you another partition,” the girl said flatly. She glanced over the rest of the room once before heading back to the door.

  A new partition? That would be nice. Actually, Kira was right. She’d never really done anything to her. She was just the only person around to take out her frustrations on.

  “Uh, Kira?”

  She stopped, with her fingers on the handle.

  “Thank you.”

  Kira turned back to look at Hailey. “For what are you thanking me?”

  Hailey closed her laptop. “I’m, uh, thanking you for coming in here every day. You clean up and replace things for me. And I’m sure all these things are your idea. My room is livable with the matching bed set and furniture. And the drapes covering the stupid metal walls are helpful. Thank you.”

  Kira blinked and cocked her head. “You are mistaken. It is Kallian Markham who is your caretaker. I simply do his bidding. Your praise belongs to him.”

  Heat rose in Hailey’s face as she thought of her jailer, her warden. She wanted that man dead more than any other person in the world. He’d taken the company from her family, and her freedom. But beyond that, he’d taken her humanity. She’d become a freak who couldn’t even go out in public without committing manslaughter. She could never thank him. She would rather poke her eye out than praise the man.

  Hailey shook her thoughts away when she suddenly sank three inches. She looked around to see her anger had caused her body to burn right through her new mattress. And her clothes were gone. She growled in frustration and her body flared up farther, melting the laptop as well. When she realized the destruction she was causing she struggled for control.

  Kira simply shook her head. “I will replace the mattress for you, again, Miss Simmons.”

  ~***~

  Seven days later Hailey couldn’t take it anymore. Watching Kira frightened her. She resembled an adorable teenage robot. She didn’t speak unless she was spoken to, and seemed almost frigid. But underneath that cold exterior, raged the same fire that lived inside her. And that meant she had answers.

  When Kira walked through the door that day, Hailey was right there to meet her.

  “What have they done to me?”

  Kira closed the door and stared at her.

  Hailey grew impatient. “I know you know what’s going on. You’re like me. What did they do to you? How did you get out?”

  Kira moved around Hailey to continue her chores. “I cannot help you with your questions. You will have to ask Lord Markham.” She pointed to the ceiling. “Just speak and he should hear you.”

  Hailey couldn’t believe it. The jerk had completely brainwashed the poor girl. He even had her calling him “Lord.”

  Her rising pulse forced her to breath slower until her explosive heat leveled out. “Kira, what has he done to you? You’re acting like he’s a God. And he isn’t. He’s just some man who’s turned us into science experiments.”

  Kira didn’t grace Hailey with eye contact. “I am not a science experiment.”

  “Okay, maybe that was inappropriate.” She really needed to connect with this girl. Hailey focused on her breathing. “Look, I know you feel indebted to him, but I’m trying to help you. You’re calling him “Lord.” It’s like you’re trying to justify your existence by believing Markham is above you and serving him. It’s not healthy.”

  Kira picked up Hailey’s PJ’s from last night. She changed the bag in the trash can and inspected the corners for residual ash, all the while ignoring Hailey.

  She sighed. “Kira, please answer me.”

&nbs
p; Kira finished what she was doing, straightened up and locked her gaze on Hailey. “I am not a servant. I help the Markham’s because I choose to. I know Kallian Markham isn’t a God. He is a Lord. And I will not betray them. Ever.”

  Hailey raised her eyebrows as Kira’s gaze bored into hers. “Okay…” Guess she wasn’t cracking the frost queen this way. Maybe she should to try another tactic? But for now, there was something else she was dying to get out of Kira…

  “I need a shower.”

  Kira walked around Hailey, heading for the door. “Your constant flaring up is keeping your body free from any impurities.”

  Hailey sighed. “That’s not the point. I need a shower. It’s something I used to do every day. It calms me. Plus, I don’t care for my current perfume of smoke and charred cotton. Or for the growth of hair all over my body. How is it that my hair is immune to fire?” She shook her head when Kira didn’t answer. “It’s been two weeks! I want shampoo, conditioner, a bar of soap and a razor.”

  Kira opened the door and said over her shoulder, “You’ll have to talk to Lord Markham about your requests.”

  She closed it just in time to watch Hailey go up in smoke. Again.

  ~***~

  After wiping off the remaining ashes from her last set of clothes, Hailey put the new jeans and t-shirt on. She took a long drink of water and slowly sat on her bed. Her palms rested flat on her thighs as she stared forward.

  “Okay, Markham. I know you can hear me. It’s time to show your cowardly face.”

  It was only moments before she heard a man’s voice from a small speaker. “I’m here, Miss Simmons. How can I help you?”

  Hailey looked for a speaker on the wall to the right of her, but only smooth metal reflected back at her.

  “I’m on the computer, on the table.”

  Hailey turned to see Markham’s face on the new laptop screen.

  Her eyes widened in horror. “Have you been spying on me through the Skype camera?”

  “No.” Markham quickly answered. “I haven’t turned it on until this very moment. We try to keep your monitoring to a minimum. We understand you need your privacy.”

  His rugged face and golden skin made her think, for just a second, that he was much more handsome than she remembered. But the thrilling memories of the handsome man sweeping her off to New Zealand just weeks after meeting him were dangerous. She had never fallen for a guy so hard, so fast. She had also never hated a guy more vehemently two weeks later. She never wanted to remember the joy he brought her, and the best way to do that would be to leave this place.

  “Give my father back his company.” Her clipped tone didn’t faze him as he looked to the left, then back.

  “I don’t think this is a good topic of conversation at the moment. Any answer I give you will only make you angry. And, my instruments say your temperature has already jumped several degrees since you started talking to me.”

  His sweet, congenial voice irritated her to no end. But, she didn’t want to burn her clothes off while talking to the jerk. “Alright, Markham. You win. I’ll stick to the non-flammable subjects.”

  He flashed a smile. “Good. Now what can I do for you?”

  She sighed. “I want a shower.”

  “Have you taken the suppressant?” Markham leaned closer.

  There he goes with the stupid suppressant. Hailey’s jaw set. “As far as I know my father only wanted me to have the tonic. A suppressant was not part of the deal.”

  “Neither were showers,” Markham fired back. They stared at each other for a moment before Markham reclined in his chair. “The ‘deal’ was that you would do whatever we told you to do, and we’re very kindly asking you to take the suppressant.”

  Hailey inched closer and sent a black gaze into the camera. “I’m not taking the stupid suppressant, Markham. Get over it.”

  Markham looked to the side, and Hailey could easily guess that her temp had spiked again.

  He sighed. “I cannot stress the importance of taking the suppressant. Believe me, you’ll wish you had at some point.”

  “Well that point isn’t now. I need a shower, and I’m not negotiating.”

  Markham stared stone faced at her for a moment. “Okay.”

  Hailey gave a curt nod as she backed away from the laptop.

  “I’ll have Kira escort you.” He paused before he said his next words. “I want you to know that you will be hooded for your trip to the shower.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What?” Were her surroundings really that secretive?

  Markham stared, unwavering. “This is not an option, Hailey. If you try to remove the hood before you get to the destination, or you burn through it, you will be sedated and immediately returned to your room.”

  Hailey’s eyes narrowed. “What the freak! You made me like this, but you’re treating me like a terrorist? All I want is a shower. I’m not going to do anything.”

  Markham continued to stare at her. “Take it, or leave it.”

  Hailey’s jaw jutted forward. She didn’t want to give the man any more than she already had, but she really wanted that shower. “Fine. I’ll take it.”

  ~***~

  The hood jutted out at ridiculous angles. She could barely breathe as the overwhelming scent of coffee beans permeated the fabric and assaulted her nose. The heavy fabric gathered around her neck by a pull string. “Do you need to hold my leash Kira, or am I allowed to roam free?”

  Hailey heard the door open. “I will guide you,” Kira answered. Her hand grasped Hailey’s forearm, and gave it a tug.

  Door after door opened, announcing itself with a click and slight whoosh of air. Finally heat and the breeze on her skin, made her realize she was outside. The ground gave slightly under her flip-flops. And every once in a while, grass would tickle her toes.

  She wanted so much to breathe fresh air. The tin can she called home reeked of the stale pipes that brought it in.

  As she carefully followed Kira’s lead, her body stiffened as the energy surged around her. Someone else watched her. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt comfortable with whoever was near her. She almost didn’t want to leave.

  The squeak of a door let her know they were in a different area. The hard, level pavement made itself known just before they started up a set of steps. She held the cool metal railing until they reached the top, where she entered another door.

  The huge presence that she’d been aware of the moment before vanished. Kira let go and the hood disappeared from her head. Thick, warm air assaulted her lungs. Hailey sighed and rubbed her eyes. If she were claustrophobic, she would have had a meltdown by now.

  She took a deep breath of the musty, blue painted locker room. Rows of lockers lined the room, and beyond them stood the steel showers. Almost everything in the area shone metal, except for the smooth cement floor.

  Kira pointed to the left wall, where stacks of white towels and mats sat, folded on top of each other. “You can get what you need over there. Shampoo, conditioner and soap are in the first stall.” She turned, locked the door they had just entered from, and headed to the other end of the room. “I will be standing outside this door if you need anything. You have thirty minutes.”

  Hailey stood for a moment before testing the handle of the door. Yep, locked. Well, she had to try. She sighed and headed down the aisle of lockers, peeking through the slats as she walked by. Almost every locker had items or clothing in them. Where ever she was, there were a lot of other people around. The realization made her that much more embarrassed. She wondered if scores of people watched her on the screen, passing around a tub of popcorn, laughing every time she burnt her clothes off.

  Her temperature began to rise and she pushed the thoughts away. Though impersonal, the locker room offered the first moment of privacy she’d had in a long while. She stripped just outside the first stall and groaned as she stepped under the steaming water. The soap and razor were the first thing in her hands. As she pulled the blade over her legs, her
brows rose when they shaved the same as always. Since her hair now seemed to be fire-proof, a part of her thought this little task would have changed. But thankfully, it remained the same.

  She sniffed the shampoo and shrugged. The generic name didn’t ring a bell, but she wasn’t about to complain. It didn’t stink, and it got the job done. After fifteen minutes she shut off the shower and wrapped a stiff white towel around her mid-section.

  While wringing the remaining water from her hair, a rattling behind the lockers brought her head up. She froze and looked around. “Kira?”

  A man’s voice whispered from the doorway she’d entered from. “Comet? Is that you?”

  Only her family called her Hailey’s Comet... She blinked and rounded the shower stall carefully. “Brian?” Her brother stood in the doorway she’d come in. Despite the khaki colored uniform he sported, his sandy blonde hair and wide blue eyes were unmistakable. He apprehensively walked through the locker room, squinting at her through the low lighting.

  She had to be imagining this. How could her brother be here?

  As he moved forward his body breathed a sigh. “Oh my gosh, I actually found you.” He rushed forward and threw his arms around her. “We have to get out of here, now. I have a spare suit for you to change into—”

  Hailey’s body stiffened in his grasp. She knew the importance and danger of him being here. But the thoughts drifted from her mind. Her skin warmed everywhere her brother’s made contact. All of her senses picked up ten-fold. She could smell the perspiration from his body, and it thrilled her. The hiss of his whisper filled her ears like a foreign melody. She wanted more. She noticed how attractive his etched cheekbones and strong jaw were…

  Her lips turned down at the corners and she shoved him away with all her might. “Get away from me!”

  Brian staggered back and blinked at his sister. “Hailey, we don’t have time. They told us that you’re too volatile, and that they may never release you. I’m here to get you out.”