by Susan Illene
“Go. I will watch over them,” he said, voice firmer than expected.
The tension in the room dropped considerably. I wasn’t the only one worried he wouldn’t go along with the plan. Josslyn had tears of relief rolling down her cheeks.
“Thank you. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I said, hurrying to the door.
As soon as I stepped outside, I decided Bartol’s estimates were probably right. The smoke was thicker than when we’d first arrived and despite the cabin being in a clearing, I couldn’t see the sky at all anymore. Everything was dark, gray and ominous.
I took off in the direction I knew led to the highway, entering the forest once again. Fresh spring undergrowth hid potential obstacles for my abused bare feet. I should have asked Josslyn to lend me a pair of shoes, but in my haste to leave I’d forgotten about it. All I could do was suck up the pain and move as fast as possible. The highway was over a mile away, maybe farther since the path twisted along the way.
It was dark under the thick canopy. The farther north I went, the more the smoke thinned, but I still found it difficult to breathe. My nose and throat burned from the acrid scent, sending me into a coughing fit every time I dared to take a deep breath. There were no signs of life. All the forest animals must have fled when the fire moved into the area.
I’d never felt more frustrated than in that moment. The soles of my feet were cut and bleeding, my aching muscles protested every step I took, and dehydration was making me lightheaded. I’d become physically exhausted to the point my body threatened to collapse. The only thing that kept me going was the desperate need to find help before it was too late. How could getting home be this difficult? I couldn’t remember the last time anything in my life had been easy. It only got more complicated.
The highway appeared up ahead. When I reached it, I fell to my knees gasping for breath. No cars were in sight yet. I allowed myself a moment to rest and think about what I’d tell the random motorist I planned to stop. I didn’t have the ability to compel them, but it probably wouldn’t be necessary. People in Alaska understood forest fires. They’d take pity on me if they thought I’d barely escaped the flames and needed help rescuing my friends. It wouldn’t be too far off from the truth. Plus, all I needed was a phone to call Lucas, and he could take care of the rest. For once, I’d gladly hand all my problems over to him.
I stood and waved when a man driving a semi truck came barreling down the road, but he passed by without stopping. I ground my teeth in frustration and waited for another motorist to come along. Please, God, don’t make me stand on this road forever. All I wanted was to rescue Nik and the others and then go home. Was that really so much to ask?
Another few minutes passed before my senses picked up someone heading toward me. I recognized their supernatural signature as the local shaman, Ajax. It was all I could do to hold back tears of relief. There weren’t many reasons for him to take this highway unless it was to see Nik. Had Remiel warned him about the fire? No, that couldn’t have been it or Ajax would have called Lucas—who would have flashed over right away and found me.
Watching the curve in the highway, I eventually saw a white van come around it. I waved my arm. We were more like acquaintances than friends, but I’d never been happier to see him. The shaman stopped in front of me and hopped out.
“I thought you weren’t getting released until tomorrow,” he said, frowning as he took in my appearance.
It had been a few months since I last saw the native Alaskan, but he looked like he’d aged a decade in that time. He no longer had the fresh face of a normal twenty-five-year-old recently out of college. His black hair was getting to that unruly stage where nothing could be done with it, and he’d begun letting a beard grow. The weight of his responsibilities must have been getting to him.
“They let us out a day early because of the fires in the area.” I hobbled toward him. “What are you doing here?”
He pulled the side door of his van open. “I saw the news reports and thought I’d check on Nik and Josslyn. It appears like the fire is getting close.”
It was the local shaman’s duty to stay apprised of everything happening on his land. A forest fire would be something he needed to know about and monitor closely in case it got near people. And he had a special interest in keeping Nik safe. The master vampire was his main source of information on Charlie—the last shaman. Nik had gotten to know Charlie well over the decades they shared territorial responsibilities, and knew a lot about how he’d handled things. Considering Ajax didn’t get his powers until after the last shaman passed away, he had a lot of catching up to do.
“Yeah, it’s getting really close. We need to hurry, or they’re not going to make it out.”
“Here.” He tossed me a pair of rubber boots. “They’ll probably be a little big, but at least they’ll help protect your feet.”
“Thanks.” I slid them on. They were a little roomy, but that turned out to be a good thing since my feet were swollen badly. If I could have rested for a few hours they might have healed, but that wasn’t happening just yet.
Ajax pulled two black body bags out next. “We’re going to have to carry them out of here.”
“Can’t you call down some rain or something?” I asked. His grandfather had been able to do it during fire seasons before.
His shoulders slumped a little. “I’m afraid I drained myself the other day doing that for the last outbreak. It takes a lot of power for me to alter the weather and the fires seem to keep cropping up as fast as I can drench them down.”
Once again, I realized how dulled my senses had become in my current condition. I’d completely missed how weak the shaman felt. Then again, he hadn’t reached the strength of his grandfather yet, so I was still getting used to his natural power levels.
“How about a cell phone? Lucas and Micah could just flash them out of the cabin to somewhere safe.”
He shook his head. “I had a…accident when I called down the last rain storm. It’s fried and I haven’t had time to get a new one.”
I glared up at the sky. Fate or some higher power obviously conspired against me seeing Lucas and Emily again anytime soon. There was no time to drive to somewhere with a phone to call them, either. If this had been a busier highway, we could have tried flagging someone down, but it didn’t get that much traffic. We couldn’t risk waiting.
“Alright. Let’s get going then.” I limped toward the woods.
He caught up to me a moment later and nudged my shoulder. “Take this. You look like you need it.”
I glanced back to find him holding out a bottle of water. Dear God, I’d never seen anything that looked better. I grabbed the bottle and guzzled the whole thing down in less than a minute. It might not have been much in the scheme of things, but my dehydrated body gladly took in every ounce of water. Moments later, my steps lightened and a fresh burst of energy ran through me. It wouldn’t last long, but I’d make the most of it while it did.
“So what were you doing with body bags in your van anyway?” I asked.
“You’d be surprised at the troubles I’ve run into since I took over this job.”
I handed the empty water bottle back to him. “Yeah, I don’t want to know.”
Chapter Twelve
Melena
Ajax and I reached the clearing where Nik’s cabin was located and choked on the thick smoke surrounding it. Blinking my watery eyes, I caught sight of a figure standing near the edge of the woods. As we moved closer, my senses picked up on the spell he’d cast. Bartol was using what little power he had to keep the flames back, but he didn’t have much of anything left to give.
“Hurry!” he shouted, his voice raw and irritated. With the tinder burning nearby I barely heard him. “There’s no time left.”
We rushed inside to find Nik and Josslyn pacing the floor. She had their duffle bag on the table filled with their things. Surprise flashed in their eyes when they saw Ajax following behind me.
“Thanks
for coming.” Nik nodded at him.
“I told you I’d watch out for you,” the shaman said. He laid the body bags on the floor. “Both of you need to get inside quickly.”
The vampires only hesitated a moment before crawling inside. Ajax helped Josslyn. I knelt next to Nik and helped fit the bag around him.
“I detest these things,” he said with a grimace.
“Sorry.” I started to slide the zipper shut.
Nik stopped me just before it reached his face. “I am trusting you with my life.”
“I know,” I said, uncomfortable at the vulnerability reflected in the twelve-hundred-year-old vampire’s eyes. When I first met him, he’d seemed strong and confident, but right now he looked like a deposed leader whose empire had fallen apart—which it sort of had. “You’ll be fine.”
He took a deep breath he didn’t really need except to speak. “Zip it up.”
I finished closing the bag and found Ajax had done the same with Josslyn. Bartol crashed through the door a moment later. He was coughing and struggling for breath as he attempted to speak.
“We must go!” he wheezed.
I took hold of Nik and flung him over my shoulder. My muscles protested the extra weight, but between the water Ajax had given me earlier and the fresh burst of adrenaline pumping through my veins, I had the strength to handle it. I would hold onto Nik and get him out of here no matter what it took.
“Take that duffle bag,” I said to Bartol. “We’ve got the vampires.”
He was too weak after fighting the fire. For now, it was best to let him carry as little as possible. Ajax had already picked up Josslyn and appeared more than capable enough to hold her. He might be a young shaman, but like me he’d gotten added strength with his immortality.
Bartol pulled the duffle bag straps over his shoulders. “Let’s go.”
He led the way through the woods, following the trail I’d taken to the highway. I had to admit he impressed me. He’d used every bit of energy he had to push back the fire and save two people he didn’t know. When I’d left him earlier, I’d been half afraid he’d panic and take off. It was good to know he could rise to the occasion if needed. The real trick would be getting him to live life again once there wasn’t an emergency driving him. There had to be something left of the former man that could be drawn out.
We stumbled down the trail, barely able to see through the foliage and smoke. Some of the trees on the east side of us had already begun to burn. I ducked a few times when fiery leaves blew my way. The wind was picking up and making things worse. We hadn’t been going more than ten minutes when flames appeared on the trail ahead.
Bartol’s pace sped up. “We have to dash through it.”
I gritted my teeth, knowing he was right. In every direction I looked, I found fire burning trees and brush. We needed to hurry before the blaze got too far ahead of us. Bartol leaped through the arch of flames first, disappearing beyond my view. Ajax went next, holding Josslyn’s body bag tightly. I followed a few feet behind him.
As soon as I cleared the fire and made it to the other side of the path, a loud crack came from above me. Time slowed. I lifted my head and caught sight of a huge branch lit up with flames soaring down toward me. Though I could see it coming, I couldn’t get away fast enough. All I could do was dive down to the ground and cover Nik with my body. It crashed onto my back, blinding me with instant pain. For several precious seconds, I couldn’t move as hot tenders burned into my flesh.
“Get up, Melena. Get up!” Nik’s muffled screams came at me.
The urgency in his voice broke me out of my daze. I turned my upper body sideways and tried to get a grip on the limb, burning my hands as I searched for a safe place to grab. It had to be at least a foot thick with dozens of little branches protruding in every direction. There was no easy place to get a solid hold.
Hot cinder flew into my eyes, and I squeezed them shut. Tears of pain leaked out as I continued to search blindly for a way to push the limb off. I didn’t know if I could survive extensive burns, but I knew Nik couldn’t. I’d promised to protect him and dammit, he would not die on my watch.
Finally, I found a handhold. The skin of my palms melted into the bark as I dug for purchase. Letting out a pain-filled scream, I pushed the limb up with all my might until my elbows locked. I’d raised it about two feet, but I had no strength left to shove it away. Nik was underneath me, yelling and shifting around in his bag. He made it that much harder to keep my grip. How was I going to save us now?
The weight of the limb lifted of its own accord. I squinted through my still-burning eyes and made out the figure of a man tossing it away. A loud crash sounded half a dozen feet down the path. My vision was so blurry I had to rely on my senses to tell me Bartol had come to the rescue. It was about time.
“Sorry it took so long,” he yelled, coming to stand over me. “We had our own distraction.”
“What…do you mean?” I choked out, moving off of Nik.
Before he could reply, a rough tongue lapped at my face. It was Sable. How in the hell had she gotten here or known to look for me? She wasn’t in her usual lynx form—way too big for that. I couldn’t make out anything of her except a large fuzzy shape, but when I wrapped my arms around her big neck, I suspected she’d shifted into a black leopard. She could become any feline breed, though I rarely let her shift to anything not native to Alaska.
Sable must have chosen that shape because she thought it was the best one for the job. God, I’d missed her so much. The cat had risked a burning forest so that she could be with me. It was a silly thing, but I wanted to cry into her fur. There was something about her unadulterated love and loyalty that just shook me up. Wincing in pain, I held onto her as I struggled to my feet. My body felt as if it had been half incinerated.
“Check on Nik. My eyes are burned and I can’t see anything,” I said to Bartol.
I caught his blurry form kneel down. “There are a few singe holes in his bag, but it looks like you took the worst of the damage.”
“Good.” I let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s debatable, but I’ll take the vampire. I suggest you use the shape-shifter to help guide you.”
I gripped the fur at the nape of her neck. Sable might be an animal, but she was highly intelligent and could comprehend everything we said. She’d understand I’d need her help to make our way out of the forest since I couldn’t see anything except blurry shapes. I only hoped she didn’t get hurt in the process. The crazy cat shouldn’t have come out here—not that I wasn’t happy to have her around anyway.
Bartol grunted as he slung Nik over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
I limped down the path, following him as best I could. Sable did a surprisingly good job of guiding me over fallen limbs and away from burning bushes. A few times I stumbled over small things along the path, but she always positioned her body to catch me. Not once did she leave my side—even when the heat of the fire got rather close. I’d never been more amazed at her bravery.
Somehow, we managed to make it down the rest of the trail without any more terrifying incidents. Every one of us was coughing and wheezing for breath as we made it to the van. Thankfully, the flames hadn’t reached the highway yet.
Ajax opened the side door and deposited Josslyn’s body bag inside. My vision had only improved marginally, but I could still distinguish shapes enough to tell when Bartol finished settling Nik in the van. Sable and I crawled in next, settling next to the vampires.
“You can ride with me up front if you like,” Ajax offered Bartol.
The nephilim hesitated a moment. “What kind of automobile is this?”
“A cargo van. How long have you been away from civilization?” the shaman asked.
I wished I could make out the expression on Bartol’s face. When he didn’t answer right away, I did so for him. “Bartol’s been gone a very long time.”
To my blurred vision, it looked like the nephilim shook his head. “Automobil
es have changed a lot in the last century.”
“Well, this is a van. It’s designed for moving things.”
Bartol cleared his throat. “I think I’ll ride in the back with Melena.”
Sable and I scooted over to make room for him. Ajax slammed the door shut and went to the front to get the vehicle going. I sighed with relief as we left the forest fire behind. Every one of my aches and pains were rising to the forefront now that my adrenaline rush had ended. All my body wanted to do was shut down. Sable mewled at me, and I cuddled into her fur. I fell asleep to her licking my wounds.
Chapter Thirteen
Melena
Someone shook my shoulder, calling my name. I was surrounded by warmth and peace and didn’t want to wake up. Not to the real world. Not to the place where everything went wrong in a seemingly endless cycle of catastrophes.
“Melena, you must get up,” Bartol said, his voice still hoarse from the forest fire.
I curled deeper into the furry warmth next to me. “Go away.”
Sable growled. She must not have wanted to be bothered, either.
Bartol sighed. “You are home now. You cannot stay in this automobile.”
“I’ll get the vampires in the house,” Ajax said from nearby. “Can you take care of her?”
“If her cat will let me.”
Their conversation finally penetrated my foggy mind. I opened my eyes and found Bartol kneeling next to me on the van floor. Sable nestled close to my head. At least my vision had improved. Things were still a little hazy, but shapes and colors were more distinct than before. I only lacked being able to see the finer details such as Bartol’s scars. Beyond him, Ajax was pulling the body bags from the back of the van.
“I’m home?” I asked, lifting my head.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Where is Lucas?”
“I’m afraid no one is here. It appears there may have been some sort of incident.”
