“Ava,” Jasik says softly.
His voice pleads with me, as though he is afraid of what I might do. But what can I do? The damage has been done. I cannot save my house, but the people inside… My mother… I have to believe she made it out. A strong spirit witch has the ability to tap into the elements—any one of which could have saved her.
Something prickles in the back of my mind. Something I know I am supposed to remember. But every time I search my memory to unveil the secrets there, the crystal at my chest burns against my skin. I wince at the pain, even as I welcome the distraction.
I step closer, ignoring the voices of reason behind me. Drowned out by the thickness of the air, my allies are suppressed. I cough and blink excessively, but my eyes still sting; my lungs still ache. And my feet continue moving forward, as if I am no longer in control, driven by a force I cannot see.
“We can’t go inside,” someone shouts. I think it’s Malik, but I am not sure.
I am only a few feet away from the sliding glass doors that once led to the dining area off the kitchen. The glass is gone, shattered and scattered across the grass. It crunches beneath my feet, burrowing deeply into the soles of my boots. Somehow, I know they will remain lodged there, even if I try to dig them out. A small piece of the beauty this house once embodied, they will remain with me for years to come.
Something occurs to me. What if my mother is trapped upstairs? It’s late. She should have been asleep when the fire was cast. I glance up, moving my arm to shield my eyes from the bright orange flames that lick the side of the house. The fire is warm and radiant as I try to locate the bedroom windows. They too are gone. Flames flutter through the open squares, dancing to silent music heard only in my mind. It is a sickening song, but I sway to it as I try to steady my footing.
Someone grabs my arm. I feel the firmness of his grasp, and I turn to face him. The vision of Jasik is blurred before me, and this is when I realize I am crying. I did not feel the tears, even though I am engulfed in the pain. I collapse against him, erupting in anguish and anger. I scream against his chest, but his solid, muscular frame swallows the sound—almost as if I never made a noise.
“We need to leave,” Malik says, and I feel Jasik’s body jostle as he nods in agreement.
The exact moment I want to argue against leaving, I remember what the intensity of this fire made me forget. The crystal at my neck cools as I remember, and I grab on to it, making certain it is still there. The sudden flash of truth—that this crystal made me forget this horror—floods me with fear.
“Let’s go, Ava,” Malik says when I don’t move.
But I can’t leave. Don’t they understand? I can barely move. I am rooted in place, secured by the realization that I did this. I might not have struck the match that lit the flame, but I left them powerless. As much as I hate my former coven for the hell they put me through, I would never have condemned them to this, to being burned alive. The irony overwhelms me, igniting my own internal blaze.
I push Jasik away, stumbling backward. As they approach, I shout at them to stay away from me. They think I am upset with them. I can see the pain and confusion strewn across their faces, but that’s not why I need space. I’m afraid that if they get too close, I’ll hurt them. Not because I want to. Because I have to. The sensation to commit an evil act is bubbling inside me, fueled by the fire encircling us.
I ball my hands into fists at my sides, squeezing so hard I am certain I will crush the tiny bones there. I dig my nails into my palms until I bleed, and I let the smell of my own blood wash over me. The sound of my grumbling stomach calms me, helping to steady my breath. Focusing on just one sense, when they are all rapid firing, helps to clear my mind.
But I am still angry. Only now, my anger has turned to hunger. I crave answers in a way I have never before experienced, and I know I will discover the truth, even if I have to let this whole town burn in order to find it.
“Ava, we must leave,” Malik says. “Humans are already starting to gather out front. I can hear them. Focus on that sound. Let it ground you.”
He holds his arms out before him as if to caution me. His eyes are wide, but the loud beat of his heart echoes in my mind. He is afraid. But why? Is he afraid of me or of what I plan to do?
“Listen to them,” he says again.
I nod, and taking his advice, I listen. My senses stretch out around me, cascading through the house until I reach the front door.
And that’s when I hear it.
A dozen tiny voices screaming for help.
The witches.
I suck in a sharp breath, my eyelids jolting open.
Something flashes behind Jasik’s eyes—maybe fear or the desire to stop me—but I am gone before he can protest. I sprint into the house. I make it to the front door, steering to the right to take the stairs two at a time.
Halfway up the creaky stairs, I slam my foot too hard against wavering wood, and my leg falls through. I drop down, catching myself before my entire body plummets into the embers beneath. Still, the flames dance across my boot, and my feet swell and sweat at the intense heat ravishing below. As I try to gain better footing to free myself, I wiggle my moist toes. Sweat dribbles down my forehead as I pull myself up, grunting so loudly I am shocked the others don’t come to my aid.
Out of breath and dizzy from hunger, I crawl up the rest of the stairs until I reach the top landing.
Standing tall, I swipe away the sticky sweat at my temples and stumble forward. My boot and jeans are singed, exposing the burnt flesh beneath. It is raw and bruised, and I grind my teeth as I carry on, ignoring the stabbing pain in my calf, knowing it will eventually heal on its own. But my mother won’t be so lucky.
I open my bedroom door, finding no one, but still, I whimper as I watch the few belongings I once possessed perish in the fire. I leave it open and limp to the guest room door—again, I find it empty.
I hobble to my mother’s room and reach for the knob. I suck in a sharp breath and yank my hand free. The emblem on the doorknob is burned into my flesh, so I ball my fist and bang on the door, screaming for my mother. No one responds.
I step to the side, resting my palms against the warm wood walls, and use my good leg to kick open the door. A blast of flames erupts into the hallway, and I stumble backward, just out of reach. I throw my arms up in defense, summoning enough air magic to steer the blaze away from me. It bursts from my palms, shooting as cascading puffs of icy wind. It quickly smothers the flames meant to tarnish my flesh.
Weakened, I crawl to the door, the heat within the bedroom so intense I can barely keep my eyes open.
Peering into her room, I whisper her name. No one responds. I call louder, my chest heaving, gasping for breath. Still, I receive no response. My gaze settles on her bed, which is doused in fire. But she is not there.
With every room cleared, I claw my way to the stairs. I pull myself up using the railing, and when I place my foot on the first step, the floor crumbles beneath me. I teeter, nearly falling into the fiery abyss, but I manage to maintain my hold on the rail long enough to leap down.
I land awkwardly, and something in my ankle snaps. I shriek and stumble forward, landing on my behind. I lean against the front door, grabbing hold of my ankle as I close my eyes, my head spinning. I curse inwardly, the pain almost too much to bear.
Already my bones are mending, using my heightened vampire abilities to heal the torn flesh. But I try not to focus on my wounds. I will survive this fire, but I know others won’t be as lucky. I listen for the voices I heard earlier—except now, I can only hear my vampire allies. Jasik and Malik are arguing outside.