Kissing Phoenix Page 5

  “Where does your friend work?” Lilith asked even though the answer loomed five stories high in front of them.

  “Our Lady’s Grace.” His eyes never left the road, but his knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel.

  “I can’t afford that.” It was one of the most expensive private hospitals in London.

  “It’s a favor.” Aidan glanced at her, daring a challenge. “Theo and I served together.”

  “World War I vets?” She’d seen the medals on display, but could picture him in uniform. It didn’t suit him. He didn’t behave like a ‘follow the rules’ type.

  Aidan didn’t respond.

  “What did you do in the war?” She was chattering now, anything to keep her mind off meeting another Vampire. The Vampire who would decide her fate. Her fingers flexed, unable to keep still.

  “Doctor,” he said through clenched teeth.

  She whipped her head around to face him. “Really?” If imagining Aidan in uniform was hard, imagining him doing something so serious was almost impossible. “Why did you give it up to become a musician?”

  How could he quit healing? Just walk away while people died? She loved going to work. Even if she didn’t like the owners, she liked the pets—even the neurotic Doberman that kept chewing its own feet.

  Aidan parked the car and turned off the ignition. “I’ve had many jobs over the years. Now I do what I enjoy.”

  “You don’t enjoy helping people?”

  He pulled out the key and studied it as if he’d never seen it before, testing the weight in his hand. “When it mattered, I couldn’t help.” He looked at her. “I came home from war and Eve was dying. She had a tumor.” He clenched his fist, examining the size. “It was large. I could patch strangers so they could fight another day. But for Eve I could do nothing but watch her die.”

  He got out of the car and slammed the door, dragging his emotional baggage with him. Vampires came with a Heathrow of baggage. And she was the understudy for Eve.

  She raced to catch up with him as he strode toward the entrance, the first heavy drops of rain breaking on her hair. “You said Vampires don’t get cancer. What’s your friend’s specialty?”

  Aidan turned. “Cancer in Weres.”

  “I’m not a Were, what’s a…” Her stomach tightened and rose into her throat. She did not want to be right. “Were?”

  He went through the glass doors without answering.

  “Aidan?” Her voice was high and thready. The only Weres she knew of were in horror films. Half man, half beast, terrorizing the town and tearing people apart.

  “Theo will explain your options better than I can.”

  She crossed her arms. “You explain. What aren’t you telling me?”

  He glanced around, his lips parted slightly so she could see the tips of fangs. “Now is not the best time.” He held out his hand to her.

  Lilith cast her gaze across the reception area. The patients and nurses paused to watch the brewing drama all looked human. But so did Aidan. The chill that wrapped around her gut told her she was the only human in the building. Our Lady’s Grace wasn’t just expensive, it was exclusive. For a heartbeat she was frozen, her feet stuck to the shiny blue linoleum floor. She hadn’t realized the enormity of Aidan’s secret society.

  It wasn’t just a couple of Vampires in a band. There were others, other things that weren’t human, but looked human and that had their own hospitals and who knew what else. How the hell did they stay hidden? How did no one know about them? The gazes of the staff narrowed and hardened as if they knew she didn’t belong.

  She reached out and took Aidan’s hand. The tension that had been forming in reception like a sheet of ice on a slow moving river cracked and broke up. Those who had been staring at them went back to whatever they were supposed to be doing. What was she doing here?

  Aidan stabbed the up button and they waited for the elevator. He looked as if he were chewing glass just being here, the muscle in jaw working.

  The hair on her arms spiked. She really shouldn’t be here. The cure she would find here was secret for a reason. No human should be crossing this line. As she took in the tense line of Aidan’s shoulders, she knew he had the same doubts.

  “If you don’t want to do this…” She was happy to leave. Except if she did she would be giving up on her last chance and she wasn’t ready to quit. Even though she knew there would be consequences for coming here. Humans didn’t belong here and it was only a matter of time until she got busted. Only this would be worse than getting caught trying to sneak into a nightclub underage.

  “I have to.”

  Because of her or because he wanted to heal a ghost?

  She touched his arm. “It won’t bring Eve back.”

  He sighed. “I want to let her go.”

  The elevator chimed open and they got in with a young orderly. The doors closed and the orderly moved a fraction closer, then sniffed. Lilith stiffened. He took a step closer. There was a glint in the orderly’s odd brown eyes that she’d only seen in a dog with more bite than brains. Aidan pulled her to him. His arm slid around her waist as he gave the orderly a cold, fanged smile.

  The orderly cocked his head. She held her breath. Aidan growled, a low rumble that vibrated in her chest and rolled through her body. Instead of terrifying her, the sound reassured her as if her mind recognized and welcomed the primitive response to danger. The orderly stepped back and looked down. If he’d had a tail, it would have been between his legs. The elevator had to be the slowest one in England, crawling up the three floors while the orderly kept his eyes on her feet. She refused to shuffle out of his line of sight.

  The doors opened on a bland hospital corridor and Lilith let out the breath she’d been holding as they shut behind them with the orderly on the other side.

  “What was that?” She pulled on Aidan’s hand until he turned to face her.

  He raised his brows. “What?”

  “With the fangs and the growl?”

  Aidan shrugged. “He realized you are human. I pointed out you were mine and my responsibility.”

  Mine. The word sent a shiver of heat down her back. But he hadn’t said that, he’d flashed his fangs like an animal scaring off a competitor. Here, being Vampire meant more than loving nips, it meant danger even to the other not-so-human humans. She wasn’t sure what had unnerved her more, her reaction, Aidan or the orderly. “You couldn’t use words?”

  “Not here. The rules are different.”

  Lilith licked her lower lip. She was the only human in a building full of…others, and she hadn’t read the etiquette handbook. She’d woken up in her own personalized horror film. Her hand gripped his a little tighter. “Am I in danger here?”

  “Not with me.” He led her down the corridor.

  Her heart was pounding like a bad soundtrack as the doomed girl went blindly forward to meet the monster. If she didn’t go through the door, she couldn’t be saved, but going through the door could kill her. “Are you breaking some kind of rule by bringing me here?”

  He stopped. “A few.”

  “What’ll happen to you if you’re caught?”

  “Let’s hope we don’t find out.” He touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers. “Let me give you this choice.”

  She nodded and swallowed. Whatever the choice was, it was one he’d never given Eve, maybe because Eve had never known about Vampires.

  They went around a corner and into a waiting room.

  Aidan spoke to the nurse behind the counter. “Ms. St. Jack for Dr. Godwen.”

  “He won’t be long. Take a seat.” The nurse indicated the chairs near Dr. Godwen’s door. Several other specialists also had offices off the waiting room.

  They sat on the ubiquitous lightly padded hospital vinyl chairs, waiting for the Vampire doctor who specialized in Weres and had a possible cure for humans with cancer. Yeah, there was nothing weird about this visit. She rubbed her palms over her skirt.

  I have n
othing to lose by being here. The doctor can’t give me worse news.

  Not knowing what news the doctor would give her was almost as bad as hoping for an impossible cure. She couldn’t help herself hoping. Aidan wouldn’t bring her to this hospital otherwise.

  Lilith took a few deep breaths to center herself. Antiseptic almost masked the scent of illness. She’d spent too much time in hospitals to not recognize it. The way it leeched into anything and anyone who dwelled for too long near illness. She tried to project the same air of calm that Aidan had around himself. It was an act. His hands lay flat on his thighs, his fingers too stiff. He was as tense as she was, but to the casual observer he appeared relaxed.

  Lilith tried to give him a smile, but her lips stuck to her teeth. Her heart was racing, part nerves and part fear at what the possible cure would entail. Before she could ask Aidan again, the doctor stepped out of his office. He looked barely thirty and too young to be a specialist. Fit, healthy, Vampire.

  Now that she knew about Vampires, it wasn’t hard to pick one out of a crowd. They had an aura of life, extra life, which drew people to them. The myth of Vampires being seducers of women was true. She proved that by falling under Aidan’s spell the moment she’d first seen him in her clinic.

  Aidan stood. It had been years since he’d seen Theo. Partly because Theo didn’t agree with the choices he’d made, namely abandoning medicine for the life of an unemployed musician. While Theo’s research project had sounded tempting, the offer hadn’t been enough to lure him back. What he was about to ask should slam the lid closed on that coffin forever.

  “Aidan.” They shook hands. “You haven’t aged a day.” Theo laughed at his own joke. “It’s good to see you again. It’s been too long.”

  Aidan managed a nod. Lil came to stand next to him. “This is Lilith St. Jack.”

  “Yes, pleasure to meet you.” Theo held out his hand to Lil, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was trying to work out what type of non-human Aidan had dragged in. “I’m Theo Godwen.”

  Lil shook his hand without flinching. “Aidan has mentioned you.”

  “Only the good bits I hope. Come through.” Theo held the door open for them both.

  His smile shone for Lil, but as Aidan passed, it slid to a frown, which Aidan chose to ignore. Whatever Theo wanted to say, he would wait until the door was closed. They owed each other that courtesy. It was that loyalty Aidan was counting on today.

  Everyone sat. Theo shuffled his files. Aidan was sure it was for show. He would’ve had everything in order before they’d arrived. Theo never had a piece of paper out of place. Ever. Even in the middle of field surgery under fire he’d kept everything in order.

  Lil wiggled in her seat. Her pulse was a rapid hammer both Vampires in the room would be listening to. Her uncertainty may not have shown on her face, but it was revealed by the way she moved and the way her heart pulsed. He couldn’t do anything to settle her. He couldn’t tell her about Theo’s research without his emotions clouding the discussion. He was too involved to be impartial. He wanted Lil to live—regardless of the cost. She may not agree and he didn’t want to force her into a life she couldn’t cope with. The potential cure had to come from the doctor.

  “I’ve read your file Ms. St. Jack.” Theo tapped the open file on the large wooden table. He would’ve sourced her medical records as soon as he’d hung up the phone.

  Lil glanced at Aidan, one eyebrow raised, but he kept his gaze on Theo. He had to act as if he had every right to be here, instead of pulling century-old favors. Vampires had long memories and debts could be carried for decades, yet there was no guarantee Theo would help even though Aidan had something Theo would be interested in. Lil.

  “I’m curious why you didn’t come here to start with, you are a…?” Theo let the sentence hang for Lil to finish.

  It was the question Aidan had expected Theo to start with. It was where he would start if he were on the other side of the table.

  “Human?” she ventured.

  “Yes, we all are,” he laughed. “But what type?” Theo pressed.

  “Lil is plain human.” Aidan voice was flat and smooth like polished steel. He couldn’t let emotion slip out and make him stumble. Theo would hone in on any weakness and that would be it, appointment over. Fendrake called in. Theo had his own skin to think about, just visiting was dangerous.

  “Aidan. You should know better than to bring a human here.” Theo closed the file and the air in the room froze. “There’s nothing I can do for a human.”

  Lil slumped into the chair as if she’d been hit. Aidan didn’t reach for her. He didn’t move. This was why he was here. It wasn’t Lil’s cancer that could be cured. It was her fragile humanity.

  “I know.” Aidan had been through this argument a hundred times in the car on the way here. A hundred times before he’d even picked up the phone. Somehow it had been easier when Theo wasn’t glaring at him as if he was the lowest form of rat-sucking Vampire who’d just crawled out of the nearest sewer covered in shit. “As a human she is untreatable. I’m aware of this. I’m also fully versed in your research. I turned down your offer ten years ago, but I have followed your success.”

  Theo blinked and a small smile turned the corner of his lips. He’d always appreciated flattery.

  “Hang on, have I got this right? You won’t treat me because I’m human?” Lil put her hands on the desk as the understanding that her last chance was being decided for her pushed down on her fear.

  “As you have been told, your cancer is untreatable. I can’t perform miracles.” Theo spoke as if he were speaking to a child.

  “No. But you can perform transformations.” And that was all Aidan was asking for. If Lil wasn’t human, she would live.

  “That’s illegal and you know it.”

  Aidan pushed on. He wasn’t going to let Theo brush him off. “Explain to Lil why Weres don’t get solid mass tumors.”

  “This is not a path you want to travel, either of you. Stop trying to save Eve.”

  He could never have saved Eve. Eve would never have accepted the existence of Vampires and Weres. While he’d loved her with all of his heart, he could never be himself with her. He’d rushed into marriage thinking it would solve their problems. It hadn’t. The outbreak of war had given him an out and he’d taken it rather than explain to Eve why she wasn’t aging. He wasn’t here for Eve. He was here to prove he wasn’t a coward and that he’d do anything to save the woman he loved.

  “I’m here because of Lil. Let us make that decision.”

  “No, you’re still second guessing—”

  “What has cancer in Weres got to do with me?” Lil interrupted.

  Theo’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t told her?”

  “I thought it best to come from you, it’s your research.” And Aidan couldn’t be lover and doctor. He wasn’t even sure he wanted Lil to take this chance. It was illegal and dangerous, but the alternative was worse—death. She had too much life and too much good in her to let her die. She was everything he loved about humans. The way they could care for no reason and love without holding back. Lil deserved all the facts, every choice and every chance.

  “Were children are susceptible to the same cancers as human children. However, if they survive to adolescence, the shifts halt the growth, in some cases the tumor actually shrinks.” Theo paused to let Lil soak up his words. “Aidan would like to turn you into a Were, Ms. St. Jack.”

  There it was, nice and simple. A solution to a deadly problem. If Lil became a Were of any kind, her cancer would stop growing, it wouldn’t choke off her artery and she would survive to live a long life. Hopefully with him, unless she decided to never speak to him again which, given the dark look in her eyes and the heavy thumping of her heart, was becoming quite a strong possibility.

  “You want me to do what?” she spoke to Aidan.

  “If you become a Were, your cancer won’t kill you.” It was the only solution he had. Not even non-humans could cure
all diseases.

  “A Were. As in wolf?”

  “There are other forms,” Theo added unhelpfully.

  “Seriously, there are really Were-wolves in London like the song?” Lil let out a little giggle. “Do they eat Chinese?”

  “This is why we don’t bring humans here. Get over the human obsession, Aidan.” Theo picked up her file and stood. “This discussion is over. I won’t take part.”

  Aidan stood. He wouldn’t let Theo leave without at least giving them a chance. “I’ll run the risk, Theo, I only came for a correct blood sample.”

  “You’ll lose your license.”

  “I haven’t practiced in nearly eighty years.” If our friendship ever meant anything, give me this.

  Theo glanced at Lil, then back at Aidan. He nodded even as he dismissed them. “I understand your plight and I’m sorry I don’t have a magic bullet. This way will bring only madness and death.”

  The door clicked closed behind the doctor. The weight of the air threatened to crush Lilith. She couldn’t breathe. Aidan hadn’t lied; he’d just left out the truth. A great big slice of unholy, impossible, hairy truth. She pushed her chair out and fought her way to the window. From here she could see the park, half hidden by rain. Now she knew what the rain hid. It had been easier not knowing the creatures who crept through horror films also shared the suburbs. She pressed her palms and then her forehead to the cool glass.

  “A Were-wolf.” They wanted to change her in to a Were-wolf. A cold, clammy hand stroked her back. The cats in her clinic would love that. The cold hand slid around her throat and tightened as she realized what she was thinking. “Were-wolves seriously exist.”

  Vampires existed, so why the hell not?

  “What else exists?” Her fingers slid down the glass. “What other monsters are hiding out there?” She spat out the words and turned to face Aidan. “Maybe I’d be better suited to being one of them.”

  He shoved the chair back. “You have nothing to fear from us. Humans have killed more non-humans than we have killed humans.”