Free Phoenix: The Rising by Bette Maybee Page A

in them. “I’m a quick healer. I told you that.”
    “Nobody heals that quickly.”
    “I do.”
    Flames of color filled the sapphire background of Eli’s eyes, like the mineral-rich flames of burning driftwood shooting tongues of orange, red, blue and green into the night sky. Just like the fire in the legend. The legend! Grace and Tina’s words raced through her mind as her breath quickened. The Fire-Child. It can heal itself. And others.
    Her breath became ragged as the words erupted from her throat. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
    Eli pulled his hand back and stood. “What are you talking about?”
    “You kissed me. My lip was healed by the next day.”
    Eli laughed. “Are you talking about the legend? The Fire-Child? You know as well as I do that’s a bunch of crap. Besides, the Fire-Child has red hair and green eyes. I most definitely don’t.”
    “But I do.” Julie’s eyes widened as she looked at the photo of herself taken just two years earlier. Her red hair and green eyes had caused her so much embarrassment when she was growing up. And now they might get her killed. She saw Eli’s eyes flit over to the picture and back to her. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To protect me. You saw the news about Jared White, didn’t you? You saw my picture, and you know I’m in danger. If they figure out that I really have red hair, they’ll come after me.” Eli walked towards the door, but Julie stepped in front of him and backed up against it. “But you don’t know who ‘they’ are, do you?”
    “Julie, you’re being ridiculous. For all I know, you could be the Fire-Child. You fit the description a lot better than I do.”
    “But I can’t heal myself.” She reached out and grabbed Eli’s hand, blinking as spots began to appear in front of her eyes. She breathed deeply and willed the spots to disappear. They subsided, but only slightly. Taking a breath, she held his hand and brushed his finger along the scar below her collarbone. His touch seemed to burn her skin, a sweet mixture of fire and ice. “I can’t, but you can.” She drew Eli’s hand close against her, cupping it with both hers, pulling him close. She lifted her lips to his ear. “Make the scar go away, Eli.”
    Eli’s hand tightened in hers, and she felt his lips brush her temple. He stood silently as she breathed in his sweet, euphoric scent. Finally, he whispered, “I-I can’t. It’s too late. The scar’s set. It’s a part of you.” 
    Julie’s heart raced as she sat on her bed, pulling him down beside her. His hand remained clasped in hers as their eyes met.
    “But you would—you could—if it were a fresh wound?” She raised her eyebrows, simultaneously anticipating and dreading what he was about to say.
    Eli’s eyes softened, and he nodded slowly. “Yes, I would, and I can.”
    Julie sat silently as the reality of his words sank in. “You mean ... you really are the Fire-Child?”
    Lights flared in Eli’s eyes, but instead of a pure sapphire background, an emerald green swirled in with the blue. The muscle of his jaw twitched, and Julie felt a new wave of electricity pass between Eli and herself.
    “I’m a Phoenix . Fire-Child is just the name I was given in the local legend.” He pulled his hands from hers, stood, and walked over to the window.
    Julie breathed deeply, trying to slow down her heart, which threatened to pop right out of her chest. She turned to Eli who stood staring out the window. “So, you’re immortal?”
    Eli turned to her and leaned against the windowsill. “I guess you could say that, although my time is almost up.”
    Julie shook her head, trying to make sense of what he had just said. “What do you mean? Grace and Tina said you’d be born again. So you could live on.”
    “I’ve been on this Earth as Eli Sullivan for almost 300 years, Julie, and when I’m born again, I’ll have no memory of the life I’ve lived. I’ll start out new ... with a clean slate. I’ll have a