Just like me.
My phone rings, and I ignore it, not wanting to let it distract me. I can barely see the road in front of me. It’s pitch black, no lights, no moon, nothing but my headlights shining into the bleak darkness with the rain coming down in sheets, making it so I can’t see past the hoodof my car.
I let out a frustrated cry when my phone rings yet again. I take the chance to look at the screen to see it’s Baba calling me. He won’t stop until I answer him, so I press the answer button on the steering column. Before I can say anything, though, he’s speaking.
“Tell me you pulled off and aren’t driving through this storm.”
“I’m driving, Baba, I can’t talk now.”
“Find somewhere to pull off and let the storm pass,” he orders.
“I’m fine, Baba, I’ll call you later,” I tell him and end the call, wishing I hadn’t hung up on him like that.
I blink more tears away, not needing to cry anymore. Not now, at least.
Starting my descent to the other side of one of the many mountains I have to pass, I let the car coast, not needing to press the gas, not with this decline grade. Gravity is doing it for me.
I do keep my foot leveled over the brake just in case.
The ringing of my phone has me screaming, but I don’t answer it. I can’t. One second, everything was okay. Next, my car is spinning, something had hit the side of the car, sending me spiraling.
Fear clogs my throat, and I can’t regain control of my car.
Glass shatters. Metal creaks, bends, and crumbles. Everything seems to happen at once, yet in slow motion as the car rolls.
My legs are pinned under the steering column as the car is upside down. I can feel the blood. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt, well, I have but not in a long time, radiates throughout my body.
So many things swarm in my head as darkness comes over me. One of those being how I wished I could have proven my brother wrong and that I wasn’t a coward, but I was, and we both knew it. The other is wishing I’d been able to see the dragon from the sky one last time.
FOUR
PYRO
“Inferno,”Francie comes running, eyes full of panic, her hand outstretched toward her mate.
“What’s going on?” My brother comes out of his seat, his face full of concern for his mate. “What’s wrong?”
“Ph-phone,” Francie’s breath hitches, tears filling her eyes, “Bamba’s on the ph-phone.”
In the distance, I can hear the sounds of a dragon’s roar, which isn’t unheard of. But something in the sound and the look in Francie’s eyes has my back going straight, and I don’t know why.
Inferno had come back to the clubhouse pissed, and several of us, including Heat, Brimstone, and Fire, were sitting with him, waiting for him to tell uswhat the fuck was going on with him. He only said that his sister left, and he’d gone off on her for it.
My dragon hadn’t liked hearing that his sister had left. He wanted to go after her, but I fought the desire. Now, listening to the distant roaring of a dragon, my own is clawing to be released.
“Bamba,” Inferno says into the phone. “What? No. Fuck. This storm? You gotta wait. Francie will go with you when it passes. I’m going now. I’ll catch Baba.” He hands the phone back to his mate and ol’ lady, then turns to us. “Can one of you get Francie to my grandparents. I have to go.”
“What’s going on?” Heat asks.
“My sister,” he barely manages to say.
“She’s been in an accident. Police called Baba and told them they were still on scene trying to get her out of the car,” Francie finishes for him.
I get to my feet without thinking. “I’ll go with you.”
Inferno’s eyes meet mine, and he nods.
“Where at?” Heat demands. Getting to his own feet.
