McKenzie threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly while Aiden latched onto my waist, his arms an unyielding band. I cringed at the pressure against my ravaged skin but didn’t refuse the hug. They both needed it, and the boy was crying, his face ashen in the light from the flames.
I rested a reassuring hand on his head. “It’s okay, Aiden, you’re safe.”
He only hugged me tighter.
“Your clothes…” McKenzie gasped, pulled back. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Just a few burns, already healed,” I lied, gently pushing her away. I surveyed her face and body, but apart from a myriad of scratches, she appeared unharmed. “How did you get out in time? Did you dream this would happen?”
She shook her head, lips wobbling. “No, it was Jack. He saved us. He woke Aiden up first, and they came running into my bedroom.”
“Did you see anything?”
McKenzie shook her head again. “No, but as soon as I awoke, I knew something was off. It felt…wrong. Like that day with Nora.”
I’d come to the same conclusion when sending my senses out as I fell through the window. There was nothing untoward, and I could still feel the shield from the wards around the Estate. They remained in place. Aside from the ripple from the wards, there was nothing. Whoever had started the fires was gone.
I narrowed my eyes against the expanse of trees on the other edge of the lawn. If the trees had eyes, they could tell us exactly what happened tonight.
“I’m sorry,” McKenzie said apologetically. “I should have investigated, seen what I could do to stop the spread of the fire, but my first thought was to get Aiden to safety.”
I gripped her upper arms and gave her a slight shake. “Nonsense. You did what needed to be done. Don’t ever be sorry for keeping your child safe.”
Her eyes welled. “But—the Estate! It’s gone!”
I brought my face close to hers. “Fuck the Estate! It’s you and Aiden I care about.”
Aiden sobbed against me. I gently extricated his arms from my side and bent down to crouch in front of him. “How are you doing, buddy?”
“I thought you were dead!” Aiden cried, eyes wide.
“It would take more than a fire to kill me,” I assured him firmly.
Aiden sniffed and stepped back, keeping his face averted. “Good.”
It appeared that was all he was ready to share, but I could see that my presence had bolstered his courage. The kid was strong. I turned back to McKenzie, giving Aiden the time he needed to get his emotions under control. “Where’s Jack?”
She pointed to the shadowed bush on their left. “He got spooked and ran off when the east wing collapsed.”
The smoke was wafting in our direction now, and I could feel the magical residue in the air; taste it on the tip of my tongue. Its smell was rancid and unnatural, as though the substance was a build-up of chemicals. It was a smell that was unfamiliar.
I’d initially had my suspicions that the hit had been Talorgan, but this wasn’t his signature. Nor was it any of Callum’s personal guards, as I’d memorized their scents. This was someone different—another player in the game. The question was, how had they bypassed the wards?
But there would be time enough to determine that later. Because, here, now, we were sitting ducks. The Estate had been compromised, and we had to leave immediately.
I turned back to McKenzie. “Call the dog; we need to go.”
She put her fingers to her lips and gave a sharp whistle. Seconds later, a yap was heard before a small Jack Russell darted through the undergrowth toward us.
“Jack, here boy!” Aiden called, opening his arms wide.
As soon as the Jack Russell jumped into his arms, I didn’t waste time. I hurried them along, maintaining a wide berth around the smoldering embers of the western wing. The flames were still surging, the heat intense. I looked up, catching the chain of wafting black clouds of smoke in the indigo sky above.
Given the wards remained in place, the Estate would still be shielded from prying eyes, but the smoke wouldn’t be. Dawn wasn’t far off, and the last thing we needed was someone coming to investigate.
27
Brydie
I watched Gage sprint into the castle. My heart was hammering in my chest, fear a razor blade down my back. I couldn’t think, couldn’t feel, not when I saw him disappear into the raging inferno.
Ian’s hands were clenched on the steering wheel, his face pinched. “Brydie—”
A thunderous roar cut him off. I saw it all unravel before my eyes. The west wing of the building had succumbed to the fire’s ferocity. Debris, embers, and smoke scattered into an internal vacuum. A split second later, the Rover rocked sideways as the force of the blast smashed into the vehicle. Bright orange flames, dark curling smoke, and sparking embers burst in all directions.
I screamed his name.
Then I was out of the vehicle, running toward the burning castle. My skin was scorching through my clothes, the heat on my face blistering. This close, the fire was incredibly intense. But I didn’t stop; I couldn’t. Gage was in there!
I opened my mouth to scream his name again, but a punishing force hit my right side, and the world tilted as I flew through the air. My back hit the ground in a tangle of limbs before I was jolted to a rough stop, the gravel stones of the driveway bruising my body.
“Stop it, Brydie!” Ian yelled, his spittle flying onto my face.
I blinked up at him. His hair was disheveled, glasses askew, eyes wide. “What are you doing? Gage is in there!” I shrieked. “We have to get him out!”
I bucked against his weight, lifting my hips and twisting my arms to throw him off. He cursed as I dislodged his glasses off his face. “Brydie—stop it!”
I refused to stop. Gage was in there; I had to save him. I shoved a knee in his groin area, and he grunted. I seized the moment, shoving him off me to scramble to my feet, but his hand snaked out and grabbed hold of my long braid, tugging sharply. I cried out as I was pulled backward, my back slamming into the gravel again. He didn’t pause in his attack, jumping on top of me to slap me hard across the face. I blinked, shocked at the level of violence he’d displayed.
Ian lowered his face within centimeters of my own. “You have to stop!” he growled. “Gage can control the fire. He’ll be fine—his element is fire.”
Gage can control fire. The words repeated over and over, eventually registering in my brain. “But what about the building?” I cried. “It collapsed, Ian! Who could survive that?”
Ian’s face was tight. “Gage would have gone straight to the west wing, where the bedrooms were. The west wing is still standing.”
“You really think they’re okay?” I asked hoarsely.
“Yes.”
His tone screamed a conviction I didn’t feel, but it was enough to cut through the shock, the need to blindly run into the burning castle. I twisted my head to stare at the burning conflagration. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could survive that heat. And Gage had walked through it like a fucking superhero! I giggled, unable to help the shrill peal. In the next breath, the giggles turned into uncontrollable laughter.
Ian swore. He jumped off me and swiftly yanked me upright by the lapels of my jacket. Hauling me to his side, he dragged me back to the Rover, in the opposite direction to the fire. As the burning heat reduced to a bearable temperature, my laughter gave way to silent tears.
“Get in!” Ian sharply ordered as he yanked open the passenger door and shoved me inside. Slamming the door, he moved quickly around the front of the truck and slipped into the driver’s seat.