Beautiful Dead 02 - Arizona (6 page)

They dismounted from their bikes and strode into the diner, boots

clunking, leather jackets creaking. For a while I thought Brandon wasn't going to say hi but then he came and sat down at my table.

One of the gang went tip to the counter to order food. Like Brandon, he was in his early twenties with Brandon's machismo and then some.

'Hey, Darina.' Brandon took his time to unzip his studded jacket and

sling it over the back of his chair. 'How do you like your car?'

'Cool.' It was a pity I hadn't finished my Coke and moved off five minutes earlier. Now I was tied into a conversation I didn't want to have with Phoenix's older brother.

'Hey, Kyle, meet Phoenix's girl. Darina, this is Kyle Keppler.' Brandon introduced his buddy at the counter. 'What do you know -

talking with her is like getting blood from a stone.'

'Hey,' Kyle grunted without even turning to face me.

Brandon was on a rol . 'I find Darina the best convertible around and al the girl gives me is one lousy word - "cool".' He leaned across the aisle to draw in a couple of the other guys. 'Byram, Aron meet Darina.'

I recognized Byram as the older rider who'd been kind to Zoey at Bob Jonson's wake. 'Stick with Brandon - he'l take good care of you,' he'd advised me.

I was practical y drowning in male hormone, I can tel you. And, as

usual, the connection between Phoenix and his older brother overwhelmed me. It was the same gene pool that had given them their height and broad shoulders, their dark hair and crooked smile.

I have a love-hate thing going with Brandon Rohr. I love him for the

fact that he's Phoenix's brother, hate him because he led the fight where 41

Phoenix was kil ed. I would bet good money that it had been Brandon's reputation that set up bad feeling between the gangs in the first place.

Not

that I have any proof - only a mass of conflicting information and my

own suspicious mind. So, even though Brandon is finding me cars and taking care of me because Phoenix asked him to with his dying breath, it's more hate than love if I'm honest.

'You wouldn't know it, Darina,' Brandon said, putting his arm along

the back of Kyle's chair as Kyle sat down next to him, 'but you and my

buddy here have something in common.'

I doubted that, and the look on my face told them so.

'Hear me out,' Brandon insisted, keeping me firmly on the hook. The thing you share is you both lost someone close to you.'

I looked down at the table, trying to block out his voice.

'You lost Phoenix, Kyle lost Arizona.'

I looked up with a start. 'You mean ... no way!' Kyle was a mil ion

miles from Arizona's refined type - he was broad-featured, blond-haired and, like I said, twenty-plus. His fingernails were chewed.

'You bet,' Brandon said. 'It's a year and Kyle's stil secretly broken up over her. They were together longer than you and my brother, for Christ's sake.'

So now there was a boyfriend and a brother I didn't know about -

thanks, Arizona!

It was getting late but I left the diner and drove out to Foxton anyway. The first stars appeared in the sky, along with a new moon over the neon cross on Turkey Shoot Ridge. By the time I reached the end of the track and set off on foot towards the water tower hidden among the aspens, I couldn't even see where I was putting my feet.

'Shoot!' I tripped against a rock and scraped my shin. Next time, wear

jeans, I reminded myself. A short skirt didn't cut it in these conditions, neither did pointy shoes. And bring a flashlight, I added.

After a lot of stumbling, I reached the tower, glad of one thing - that

there was no force field set up by the Beautiful Dead to keep me out. 42

Tonight I didn't have the energy to battle the wings and the death-heads.

Instead, Hunter had sent the new kid, Lee Stone, to greet me. He stepped out from under the tower without speaking.

I jumped back in shock. 'It's good that I've developed nerves of steel,' I told him. 'Couldn't you give me some warning instead of springing out like that?'

'Hunter said to watch out for you,' Lee said. 'He knew you'd come.'

'Hunter knows everything,' I said drily. 'It's the one thing you can be sure of.'

Up there on the ridge, the stars and moon gave me just enough light to take a closer look at Lee, who was dressed in a dark T-shirt and a jacket I recognized as belonging to Phoenix most likely the one he was wearing when he was stabbed between the shoulder blades. 'Turn around,' I whispered. Sure enough, there was a jagged tear in the leather. I tried to cover up a smal gasp and the shudder that ran through me.

'Where are the others?' I asked.

'They're in the barn, holding some kind of meeting.' Lee looked like he stil hadn't got used to the idea of coming back from the dead. 'They said for me to keep a lookout.'

'Wel , here I am. Shal we walk down and join them?'

Lee shook his head. 'The meeting isn't for far-siders. It's some kind of ritual they need to go through.'

'What kind of ritual?' It was the first I'd heard of this. And I started to resent Lee blocking my path down the hil . 'I need to talk with Phoenix,' I explained. 'It's personal.'

Lee refused to step aside. 'Hunter said no.'

'Oh wel , if the overlord forbids it!' I turned on the sarcasm, even

though he didn't deserve it. 'Tel me, Lee. Don't you object to the

absence of free wil around here?'

'I'm sorry. That's the way it is.' He looked dejected and there was stil that edge of confusion in his voice. 'Hunter gives the orders.'

'It's OK, I know.' Closing my eyes for a second, I relented. 'Sorry. Sometimes it's hard to bear.'

'What is?'

'Obeying, keeping secrets, being left out of the loop. Did Hunter say when he would let me speak with Phoenix? If not tonight, then when?'

Lee shook his head. 'I have no idea. Sorry.'

'Don't be. It's not your fault.' For a moment I managed to put myself in Lee's shoes. 'Did they find time to explain things to you?' I asked.

' Some,' he mumbled. * 1 found out that I wait in line after Arizona,

Summer and Phoenix. Waiting's a tough ask, especial y since I know there's something here on the far side that needs an explanation.'

I nodded. 'They have a word - revenant. You're back here on a temporary basis, with al these crazy powers.'

Lee's puzzled grin of acknowledgement lifted his face and made me realize for the first time that he was a good-looking guy. 'I could zap your mind and wipe your memory clean, isn't that cool?'

'Yeah, but don't try it,' I said, quickly moving on. 'You have no heartbeat but you do have super-hearing, if that's any consolation.'

'I heard your car way beyond Turkey Shoot,' he confirmed.

So you're one of the Beautiful Dead.' I looked directly into his eyes

and the conversation slowed as I reached forward to put a sympathetic hand on Lee's arm. 'Don't worry. It'l make sense in the end.'

'Aah, sweet!' Arizona said, stepping out of the shadows. 'I'm sorry -

did I interrupt something?'

I withdrew my hand as if Lee's arm was red-hot.

'So how come you never told me you had a baby brother?' I chal enged. The same goes for the boyfriend with the muscles, Kyle Keppler!'

Arizona hadn't given me any answers, natural y. She'd body-swerved my big questions and told me that their ceremony was over and Hunter had given permission for me to go down and meet with Phoenix.

.

Boy, Darina, do you have some explaining to do!' she'd laughed,

turning the tables on me as she led me and Lee through the barn door.

The barn was lit with oil lamps that cast flickering shadows over the 44

wal s and floor. Most of the Beautiful Dead were stil there, though Hunter was missing, I noticed.

Phoenix sat quietly on the hayloft steps, with Eve and baby Kori. Seeing me, he stood up and came across, took my hand and walked me out into the dark night.

'We need to talk,' we both said in the same instant, then we smiled awkwardly.

He took me towards the house, where he picked up another oil lamp

before we walked on along the creek.

'What's happening?' I asked, hardly recognizing my own quiet, shaking voice. I felt smal under the vast sky. Phoenix's hand was cold as the icy stream. 'I told you I loved you and you didn't tel me back. Why

was that?'

He refused to look at me. You explain it to me, Darina.'

Speak your fear. Get it out in the open. 'I need to know am I losing you? Did you stop loving me?' If he said yes, my world would end.

Everything would come crashing down. But stil I had to know.

Phoenix let go of my hand and walked a little way ahead. 'What makes you say that?'

You're blocking me, you're not sharing. I never felt you keeping me at this distance before.' Hearing him take a deep breath, I caught up with him. 'I've thought of everything these last two days - maybe there was something I did wrong, I don't know. Or maybe it's you, Phoenix. Is this what happens to the Beautiful Dead? When you first come back to the far

side you have feelings the way you used to. You stil loved me. But gradual y, bit by bit, those human feelings fade and you can't do anything to stop it. Is that what's happening between us? If it's true, I can't bear it, but you have to tel me so that I understand.'

The light flickered over his lovely, smooth face, his eyes shadowed, a smal nerve in his forehead jumping. You think I don't love you?' he murmured, as if the words were spoken in a foreign language he didn't understand. The creek ran at our feet, shining silver under the stars.

My heartbeat quickened. There'd been some mistake. Everything was

going to be cool. 45

This isn't easy,' Phoenix confessed. The last time you came, I thought you were the one who seemed different. I couldn't get through.'

'You didn't try,' I recal ed. 'It was you. You weren't letting me in.'

'Lee arrived. Stuff was happening.'

'You wouldn't look at me. I was scared.'

'You seemed distant. I read what you were thinking and I saw your

mind was al on him.'

I sprang to my own defence. 'Lee was in pain. You remember that first journey back from limbo you said it hurt like hel .'

'He noticed you from the start. He liked you, Darina. I saw inside his

head too.'

'You're blaming me for that!' 'Arizona noticed it too.'

'You talked to her about me? You let her misread the situation and get to you!' Everything wasn't going to be cool after al . We were splitting apart, flailing our arms like drowning men.

Phoenix dropped the oil lamp and began to run up the hil .

I watched him go. What was he talking about - me, Lee, Arizona,

liking and loving? 'This is crazy. I thought you people were Grade A mind-readers!' I yel ed after him. Not drop-out failures!'

Phoenix had broken free and was picking up speed. I began to fol ow. 'You imagine I have feelings for Lee?' I cried. 'How shal ow does that make me?'

He stopped running until I came within ten paces. 'What am I saying? What am I doing?' he begged through breathless gasps.

'You're crazy.' And my faith was shaking, my trust was being stretched.

'Darina, I thought I was afraid ... '

'Of losing me?' I realized in a flash. 'No way, Phoenix.'

He came slowly towards me. 'Every time you go away, I feel I can't bear it. It rips me apart.'

'Me too.'

Closer and closer under a mil ion stars. 'It's too difficult. Sometimes I

think I'l leave the far side just give in and go back.'

'Don't!' I pleaded. I caught hold of the col ar of his jacket.

'I think of you back in El erton, living your life. Al I want is to be 46

with you.'

'Don't!' My voice broke down completely.

'I don't want anyone any other guy to come near you.' 'I won't let them,' I promised.

He held me too tight. 'I love you and I can't have you.'

I eased free and took his hand, placing it over my heart. 'Don't speak any more,' I pleaded.

It was only then that we noticed smal yel ow flames on the hil side where Phoenix had dropped the lamp. They licked at the dry grass and thorn bushes, darting across the ground in quick, flickering fingers.

Then Hunter came running out of the darkness below, taking off his jacket and using it to beat down the fire until it died in a shower of red sparks and a cloud of smoke.

Hunter stood astride the burnt patch of ground, arms folded. There was so much anger in his face that I had to take a step back to protect myself.

'Did you ever see a forest fire take hold?' he asked us. 'Do you know how fast it travels?'

'We're sorry,' I stammered. 'I'ns sorry. It was my fault.'

Phoenix came and stood between me and Hunter. 'Don't listen to her. It was me - I dropped the lamp.'

'You think I care about the details?' Hunter's voice stayed threateningly calm as he walked slowly towards Phoenix. Stil I expected his rage to explode. 'There are more important things here. Did I say that you could bring Darina out here?'

Phoenix shook his head. You said to talk with her in the house, but

we needed space so I decided to walk by the stream.'

'You decided?' Hunter turned the phrase around on his tongue. 'Since when did you get that kind of choice?'

I was shaking now he was stil stony calm but the anger burned like those flames, deep inside him.

Phoenix didn't answer. Power seemed to be seeping from his body.

'Man, I ought to finish this,' Hunter sighed, walking towards Phoenix. 'What's to stop me zapping you out of here, right back where you belong?' 47

'No, don't!' I cried, rushing forward to seize Hunter's arm, only to find myself swept back as if I weighed no more than a feather. I fel into the warm ashes on the ground. Phoenix made as if to run towards me, but his legs buckled and he fel to the knees.

'I gave the order,' Hunter reminded Phoenix, summoning up a storm of invisible wings to reinforce what he was saying. 'Word for word, I told you, "Take Darina to the house. Talk with her, find out what her problem is." Simple enough, even for you.'