The words of the woman on the staircase distracted her, and Scarlett missed it when the masked man doubled back around the statue, only realizing her mistake when he hooked his arm around her waist.
“No!” Her shrieks filled the air as he threw her over his shoulder. Reaching for his head, she tried to smack him, but his hold on her was too tight. She screamed and hit his back as hard as she could with her fists. He didn’t even react.
The theater guards were rushing toward them, but they were still too far away to help her.
The man started to walk, with her over his shoulder, toward the staff entrance from which they’d come. He’d have her outside in a van in minutes if no one intervened.
“Brayden!” Her voice reached a new octave as true panic set in. She twisted, trying to see what was happening, as blood rushed to her head. Seeing Brayden on his knees, she let out a sob, sure she was losing him and unable to do anything to stop it. She was being carried away.
No. This can’t be the end.
“Scarlett!” bellowed Brayden, his gaze locking onto her.“Scarlett!”
The lights flickered and went out.
Cass?
A second later, a brilliant inferno erupted.
Screams filled the room. Scarlett gasped at the heat of Brayden’s flames. The men holding him collapsed with cries of pain as his flames climbed the bloodred drapes lining all the walls of the lobby.
The man holding Scarlett whirled toward the fire and was consequently taken by surprise as security guards tackled him. A shot, and her captor screamed and collapsed to the floor, still holding on to her. Scarlett cried out as her body slammed into the marble, the man’s weight crushing her legs.
The lights flickered back on—not that it made much difference with the flames growing around them.
Cass stumbled toward Scarlett, free of her bindings. “Are you all right?” Her face was full of concern.
“Help Brayden,” Scarlett yelled as one of the guards helped her off the ground while the other cuffed her assailant.
Before Cass could, Brayden rushed toward them. He’d freed both his hands. The cuffs and part of the tuxedo’s sleeves had been burned off, but to her relief, he appeared unharmed. Small flames danced across his skin—the aftermath of whatever he’ddone. She gaped at all the assailants he’d laid out with his fire, their masks and their clothes burning away as they writhed and moaned in pain.
Brayden took her face in his hands and looked her up and down. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, coughing as she inhaled smoke. “I’m fine.” But a sudden wave of nausea said otherwise. She willed her stomach to cooperate as she grasped his hand, pulling him toward the exit.
He used magic. What should I do? Nori, help me. We can’t run, can we?
“There’s nowhere to run,” said her light.“What’s done is done. You both survived—that’s all that matters. Keep breathing.”
A fire alarm sounded, and the sprinkler system went off above them. Scarlett shivered as water rained down. The flames had spread up the fabric along the walls and were licking the ceiling, but the sprinklers halted their progress.
The alarm was still blaring in Scarlett’s ears as she and Brayden emerged onto the rainy street, followed closely by Cass. Three police cars pulled up, along with a fire truck and an ambulance. Brayden held Scarlett as she breathed in the fresh night air. Knowing they probably only had seconds, she grasped him tightly, pressing herself into his chest.
“I almost lost you,” he whispered in her ear. “We should have gotten the North Star runes. You’d be so much safer.”
She coughed. “I’m just glad we’re both alive.”
“Me too, but the smoke wouldn’t be making you cough right now if you had my powers.” His voice shook as she held on to him.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said. “I’m sorry you had to. I don’t know what the police will do. Maybe under the circumstances they’ll minimize the charges.” But a fresh wave of nausea rose as if to contradict her. She knew they wouldn’t belenient.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad I was here tonight. No matter what happens next.”
Firemen rushed past them with a large hose. Cass pulled out her phone, and Scarlett heard her speaking to Tyler.
“There,” said a woman. “The one holding the lady in red. He started the fire.”
Two officers rushed toward them, guns in hand.
