Holiday Magick (17 page)

“There aren't many of us, and even fewer full-bloods.” He pointed his chin at the peacock-like birds that now alit on the burnt float.

Us
. When he said “us,” I knew he was including me. It felt like the heat in my chest had reignited after it had been nearly drowned by Makaio's kiss.

“I was worried we would lose you tonight, too.” He lifted my chin with his fingers. “That's why I tried to stop you.”

The other phoenixes moved toward the new father and baby. Their coos were a mix of human and bird as they passed the child around. There were maybe two dozen of us, total. No, more. As I looked around, I saw a few of the
birds
as well. Four were on the remains of the
ninot
, but others' eyes glowed from the fire escapes.

With my now seemingly enhanced vision, I could tell their plumage was breathtaking. I wasn't too far off in comparing them to peacocks—but that didn't even begin to do them justice. Their colors shimmered with metallic light, as if made from fireworks, and each shift in movement changed the colors on their bodies. The ones on the ruins of the float started walking toward the new father and child, which, as it was passed around, switched from fussing baby to singing fluffy, golden chick and back again. The closest bird-phoenix stretched its neck and wings, making me gasp at the sight. The pinfeathers sprouted into tiny bursts of multicolored sparks and flames. As the four approached, the spicy incense smell intensified, blanketing us like smoke.

The birds, stretching their long necks and wings, reaching almost human forms…not quite, but close enough. Their skin still glowed iridescent, and their hair flared gold and copper. They were all naked, and may as well have been gods in their perfection. I couldn't quite tell if they were male or female—men or women just didn't seem right. They weren't…
human
. Rainbow-reflective heat waves obscured their more private parts, and all of them had the same length hair. Their androgyny seemed beautiful to me; had one of them pushed me into a kiss, I don't think I'd have stopped them.

Was I seriously somehow the same type of thing as…
them
?

As if he was reading my mind or something, my companion lifted my hand. I caught sight of it and saw that it, too, shimmered in the embers of the flames…or whatever light the phoenixes threw. Hints of metallic color radiated over my skin—my entirely unscraped-up skin. I checked my other hand and arm. Nothing. No scrapes on my knees. No pain anywhere. I reached behind me and felt only smooth skin on my back under the shirt (which I quickly yanked back down, remembering I had nothing else on).

The other phoenix birds fluttered closer, but only the four closest made themselves look human-like. The baby was handed to them. Each drew it close and kissed its head as it morphed from bird to baby form, and then they handed it back to the father. How he cradled it seemed to work, no matter what form it took. The four backed away and then launched into the air, disappearing into the night like sprays of fireworks.

As the air cooled around us and the rest of the
ninot
fell, its ashes taken by the wind, my companion pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. I pushed away, seeing tears in his eyes. I bit my lip. “Look…I…” What did I want to say? I was still a bit distracted by his body, but I suppose it made sense to have a well-muscled back and chest and arms if you could turn into a giant firebird. But my encounter with Makaio earlier still had me nervous. I had no intention of putting myself in that kind of situation again…despite the…
whatever
I'd experienced that night. In my own confusion, I blurted, “Idon'twanttosleepwithyou…” I gasped a deep breath. “Not that it's you, just, anyone right now. I'mreallysorry.”

“I…that…no, I was not thinking that at all!” The disgust in his face was a blow to my ego, which I felt guilty about. Without the fire or the light of the other phoenixes, I was pretty normal-looking. It was perfectly fine for a hot guy to not be thinking of sleeping with me…

“M'hija…Yo
…I'm…” His mouth moved for a few moments without sound, as if his thoughts were too complex for speaking…or at least speaking outside his native tongue.
“¡Éres mi nieta, dioses!”

My mouth dropped open and it was my turn, I'm sure, to look truly uncomfortable and disgusted.
Granddaughter?!
I'd been lusting after my
grandfather?! Eww!!!
Oh. My. God–Ew!

“Then why aren't you old?!” I accused, though, at this point, I knew the answer.

“I was reborn,” he said softly, averting his eyes. “I can…because my mother…” He nodded to the few smoking remains of the
ninot
.

I shook my head. “Your mother, what?” This was too much to take in! And I was kinda stuck on the whole
hot granddad
—did I mention
ew?!

He took a deep breath. “She gave herself to the fire completely, as Marta did tonight, so I might…always be reborn.”

“Why don't you look like…like
them
?” I gestured to the other birds still remaining. I wondered how I could deal if he also didn't look entirely human.

“
Prefiero
…” He paused, as if collecting his thoughts, then continued in English. “I…and others…prefer…to appear human. To live among them. The…
originals
and their true children…only return here once a year and will never look like us. But they created us…and this,” he gestured grandly to the city, “is what we do for them. To thank them for creating us, we celebrate their fire and what it means.”

I scrunched my eyes closed. I was related to the original phoenix? And—still ew ew—the hot guy in front of me was my grandfather who could die and get reborn whenever he wanted?

“And…me? And my…my birth mother? Cristina?”

“Your father was not one of us, and Cristina's mother did not choose…” He gestured once again to the burnt
ninot
. “She preferred to remain mortal and keep her child mortal. Cristina hardly knew me.” My grandfather—grandfather, really?!—turned away, and I saw more tears in his eyes. “But she knew we had a connection. We were close in the short time I was allowed to be with her.”

“She told me that. And she said you left, and was told you died.”

“Her mother was afraid of what we are. What I am. She wanted me to have nothing to do with our child…and I respected her wishes.”

I glanced again at the smoldering
ninot
. Yeah, I could see being scared of the thought of getting burnt alive…even if it meant your child would never die. Still…it was clearly a choice. Marta hadn't been tied down or anything.

I wrapped my arms around him. I could feel his sadness like heavy ozone around us. It was just us. The others had all left now, though I could still hear—more feel than hear—their song of joy.

“She, Cristina, sent me here. She doesn't have a lot of money, but she helped pay for me to come when she heard this was where my…my roommates…” Could I call them friends when they'd just left me with Makaio? “…were coming for spring break.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I sent her the money. I knew she had a child, and while you will not live forever, you may live a very long life. If you choose, it could be with us here, building and keeping the fires.”

“Cristina said…”

“I respected her mother's wishes and stayed away. I just wanted to give you, and her, a chance to know who you really are. I think she
knew
we had a special bond. Just as you knew to come here when the water dragon wanted you.”

“Water dragon?”

He smiled mirthlessly. “Phoenixes are not the only magical beings upon the earth, even in the city. Our territory is the heart, though. The water dragons have always made homes on coastlines or among islands. And it has always been agreed that the borders of each of our territories are open during our respective festivals.”

“He tried…” I bit my lip, not exactly wanting to say what I think he would have done if I hadn't escaped.

“He tried to douse your fire. It's in his nature to want you and want to do so.” He averted his eyes again and frowned deeply.

“I felt like I was drowning, dying…” I looked to where the sky was lightening with the first rays of sun.

“You would have lost the last spark of your immortality, the ability of the fire to keep you young and heal you. The ability to be with us in the flames. I
will
not let him hurt you again.”

“He won't…hurt me again.” As I said that, I
knew
it, too. I flexed my fingers, understanding the heat I'd felt in them earlier; a descendent of phoenixes was quite capable of protecting herself. “But—what about…about my roommates?” Yeah, they'd abandoned me, but I didn't want to think of something awful happening to them!

He held up a finger and closed his eyes. I saw the air around him shimmer with heat waves. A golden halo-glow surrounded his entire body. After a moment, he opened his eyes and smirked, still holding up a finger.

“Marie?! Marietta! Where are you?” It was Jillian's voice.

I glanced at him in surprise, and he folded his arms with a grin. “Kings, queens, emperors…they all seek out the phoenix for wisdom and insight. We
know
things. We're seers of the truth, past, future…and present.”

My mouth hung open another second before I heard Callie's voice. It sounded like she'd been crying when she yelled. “Oh God! Oh God! Marie, is that you? Please be you and please be all right?!”

The three ran around the corner. I looked once more at my—I seriously couldn't call him “granddad!”—then ran over to my friends, who all grabbed me in hugs. Their questions came in a garble of syllables, so I tried to answer as best I could.

“I'm fine…he…well, I got away. And um…ran into my…” What exactly
could
I call him? “My cousin found me and we were going back to…well, you know how I said my birth mom said I had family here? Anyway…I'm ok now, really.”

“We're so sorry we didn't notice that jerk-off pull you away!” Andrea said. “I would've…” She made a face and shook a balled fist.

“Jillian noticed first,” Callie continued, “and then we've just been running all night trying to ask people about you. And then this guy and girl said they saw an American girl running with her shirt torn and her hands bleeding, and we panicked. We couldn't actually find any police, and then someone else said they thought they saw you run this way, and you're here!” She threw another hug around me. I hugged her back.

“And you're not hurt?” Jillian, looked me over, brows furrowing when she noticed what I was wearing. She narrowed her eyes at my “cousin.”

“Makaio…tried to tear off my clothes. But…no, he didn't hurt me. My cousin…”

“Ramón.” He finally approached, holding out his hand to Jillian.

“He gave me his shirt. My clothes were pretty much shredded.” I smiled and that seemed to relieve her, so she shook his hand.

“We should probably get you back to the hotel, then,” she said.

I bit my lip. I was
not
ready to go back to the hotel. “I was going to visit with my family, actually.”

“Are you sure?” Jillian frowned, concerned.

“I'm sure.” And I was.

It took a few minutes and writing down Ramón's contact info to convince my friends they were not leaving me in peril again. When they finally left, he pulled me into another strong hug and kissed both my cheeks. “Just tell me, and I will bring you here whenever you want,
cariña
—if I may call you that?” He winked at me mischievously.

“Yeah.” I figured he understood my apprehension earlier now. “Ramón?”

“I suppose
‘abuelo'
would be a bit odd, eh?”

I raised an eyebrow at him, but my stomach still curled.
Grandad?!
“Just a little bit.”

“
Pues
, Ramón.” He offered me his arm. “
Ahora, mi cariña
, shall we retire with our family to celebrate the immortal birth of your cousin? And see if another of your cousins might lend you something…more decent to wear?”

I linked my arm through his, laughed, and gave him a little hug. “Por
supuesto. Vámonos.
”

And, I knew I was going somewhere I belonged.