My mouth felt dry. “What do you mean, best for them?”
Florence looked across at the driver. “Chris.”
Chris reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He offered it across the roof and Florence took it from him and unfolded it. It consisted of several sheets stuck together, obviously an official document.
“These are instructions to take Alex and Jo Collier into the wardship of the city of Lusteer,” Florence said.
My heart stopped beating. Had I saved Jo only to lose both of them?
Jo took a step backward. “You are taking us away from Rune? You don’t know what he did for us.”
Florence didn’t look down at Jo. Instead she held my gaze. “Rune, I know how much you love them. And I know how much they love you. But sometimes that isn’t enough. Are you able to promise me that you can keep them safe?”
I started crying. It felt stupid but I couldn't help myself.
Florence took me in her arms. I threw my arms around her and let the warmth of her wash over me as the tears continued to flow down my face.
“Chris, help the two kids into the backseat of the car.”
Alex skipped backward and away from Chris. “Rune, stop crying like a baby. Old people are slow. We’ll get away. You are losing all those awesomeness points you earned.”
I dried my eyes and stepped out of Florence’s embrace. I wanted to ask for a reprieve. A few days more. If the three of us could return to Ten-two and play some soccer and Alex and I could get beaten by Jo in board games a few times. But I knew it wasn’t to be. “Alex, get in the car.”
Chris opened the door for them.
“Fine.” Alex shrugged, then climbed into the backseat. “We’ve escaped from Gorlam’s before. We’ll be out again in no time. Jo, come on.”
Jo glanced up at me, then followed her brother into the car.
Florence touched my forearm. “Rune. You know that’s what they’ll do unless you persuade them otherwise. How much do you love them?”
“‘How much do you love them?’ Such an evil social worker thing to say. And just when I was warming to you.”
She didn’t reply, just held my gaze. I rubbed at my cheeks, drying the last of the tears. Beelzebub, why did she have to be right? When I had helped the two of them escape from Gorlam’s before, it had been to make amends. But I had caused Jo to become possessed by an elemental. Alex, unknown to me, had been working for the Whites. And, having come into sentinel powers, things were going to get worse before they got better. I shut my eyes and strengthened my resolve. It was clear what I had to do. It was going to be harder than anything I had done before.
“I’ll take care of it,” I told Florence.
I sat in the car beside Jo. She put her hand on my arm but I brushed it away. “There’s something I have to tell you two.”
The grin on Alex’s face died. “What is it?”
“I should have told you before. It was just... There is no excuse. I didn’t tell you because I was too scared to. I was a coward.”
“It’s about the night our parents died,” Alex said.
I couldn’t look at them, turning instead to stare into the darkness out the back windshield. “It wasn’t Williams who started the fire which killed your parents. It was me.”
“Get out.” Alex’s voice was wooden, emotionless. Cold as night.
“You have to understand, I didn’t...”
“Get out,” he repeated.
I wanted to plead for forgiveness but decided against it. What I had done wasn’t something that could be explained. It wasn’t something that could be excused. I had killed their parents, then lied about it.
I stepped out of the car, glancing back. Alex stared away from me, but Jo had a pleading look in her eyes. Tell me it’s not true, those eyes said.
A sob caught in my throat, and I closed the door.
“What did you tell them?” Florence asked.
“What I had to.” The truth will set them free. The ugly truth. “They now know to stay away from me.”
I walked away. My left leg dragged behind me, throbbing with renewed agony. I embraced the pain and held it close.
I didn’t try to get a taxi back to Ten-two, all thought of hurry gone. I no longer had anything to go back to.
Further Information
Keep an eye out for Fire Summoning, Book 2 in the series, which will be released in October.
Rune, Alex, and Jo (plus Findley, Duffy, Flavini, and Tyler) meet up for the first time just after the Collier Mansion fire. If you’d like to read the full story of that incident (and spend more time with all those loveable rogues), you’ll have to read the prequel Fire Starter.
When Rune is blamed for starting a fire, he has to investigate to clear his name. What he discovers will shake his worldview and change the course of his life.
It’s only available by signing up to my mailing list. See below:
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Get Fire Starter, plus prequels to two other series: http://davidjnormoyle.com/sent-readers-list/
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this story. Consider leaving a review on your favorite book site. I always love to hear from readers so send an email ([email protected]) or message me on FACEBOOK if you want to get in contact.
To discover more about me and my books, check out my WEBSITE
COPYRIGHT
FIRE SORCERER
Copyright © 2016 by David J. Normoyle
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Art © 2016 by Rebecca Frank http://bookcovers.rebeccafrank.design/
First eBook edition: September 2016
Published by David J. Normoyle
www.davidjnormoyle.com
Page
Table of Contents
Fire Sorcerer
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Further Information
Author’s Note
COPYRIGHT
Fire Sorcerer (The Sentinels Book 1) Page 16
