Fabra moaned and rolled over. My throat went dry as my phone buzzed. I looked down, and the screen blurred as my brain caught up.
My house was on fire.
Ant.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
My house was burning, and there was nothing I could do. I was sick with thewhat ifs. I’d called Mrs. Finnegan, so I knew she was okay, but Antimony… I couldn’t go there. I had to believe she would have gotten out.
The rideshare had taken forever to pick Ranth and me up. Freddie had already driven Ori and Rose to her place as planned, so they re-routed to meet us.
Ranth slid an arm around me as the car weaved through the San Francisco streets. “It will be okay, Sorrel. Ant is very fast. Cats are survivors.” I leaned into him, visualizing sparkles of hope. He was right; Ant was quick and smart. But the gnawing worry didn’t fade.
My street was barricaded, and teams of firemen were hosing down the roof of our neighbors. Arson would take forever to investigate, and I’d either have to stay with Mrs. Finnegan or move up to Bud-Land, USA.
What if Antimony… She was wily. I was ninety-nine percent sure she’d be okay, but that one percent eclipsed everything.
My phone buzzed with a text.
Fabra
See what happens to silly witches? Everything they love goes poof!
Grimacing, I shoved my phone in my pocket. At least Fabra was occupied. Whatever or whoever the Marahk were, they wouldn’t rest until they’d burned my world down—or had Ranth. But once Ranth was back in the Garden, they’d leave me and my friends alone.
The car pulled up, and I leaped out. I got through the first barrier with ID, but the police said we couldn’t go past the next point. In my imagination, the house was smoking matchsticks, but from our viewpoint, the outside looked okay. The roof was intact and so were the walls. Maybe it had been a small fire. The officer asked if anyone was home or any pets and the cold misery of saying “my cat” tore my world apart. Tears burned my eyes as I called out, “Ant? Antimony?”
I made our favorite clicking sound with my tongue. My eyes were rainclouds. I couldn’t stop the tears.
Nothing. No chirrups. No flick of a gray tail.
There wasn’t anything else in the house except—well, everything. But without Antimony nothing mattered.
Ori hugged me, and I sobbed on her shoulder. She couldn’t be gone. She couldn’t.
Ranth pulled me against his chest, and I could not stop crying as he rested his chin on my hair and whispered, “I would tear the planes apart and drag down the stars to spare you this pain.”
“What if she was inside? What if I’ve lost her forever?” I choked on the sob, soaking his shirt as I buried my face against his chest. He wrapped around me, crushing me against him as if he could absorb all the hurt.
“All I can offer is my heart’s promise that I will bear this sorrow with you. You are not alone.”
Mrs. Finnegan rushed up to me as we passed the barrier. “Oh, my poor Sorrel. I’m so glad you are safe. I’m so sorry, dear. All your lovely things and your lovely garden. They won’t let you in until tomorrow, but you can stay with me until Bud arrives. It will be all right, though, honey. They were just things. You have us.” She hugged me in her paper-white flower-scented arms.
I rasped, “But Ant is missing.” I crumpled. Ranth’s arms caught me, and he sank to the ground with me. His energy traced over my skin. I had to be strong and believe in hope. Ori and Rose were talking to Mrs. Finnegan. I knew what I had to do. I pulled back from Ranth, not meeting his eyes.
“I am going to go look for Ant, but I have to get closer.” I pulled a maca root out of my pouch.
Ranth’s fingers curled like a manacle around my wrist. “Don’t. You are depleted, and you need your strength. I will go look.” He released his grip, and though I knew he was right, I couldn’t sit here and do nothing. I had to find her, and I had to know what was left. I crunched down on the bitter, caramelly root, and the plane slammed down around me.
I kept to the shadows on the plane—no popping in front of uniforms if I could help it. Ranth kept close. We skulked past the firemen, the police, and the barricade, and as we approached the fire, waves of anxiety crushed my insides. The basement hadstone walls, and it was possible some things could have survived the blaze. The grimoires were irreplaceable, but there was a good chance… The heat didn’t pierce the plane, but I hadn’t figured on the smoke. Hacking my lungs up, I got within ten feet of my front door and couldn’t go any farther. The kitchen was a ruin, but the rest of the house looked okay. My eyes streamed with tears, both real and smoke-induced. I dashed through the plane, and at the edge of the property, I spit the maca out. The nearest fireman gave a double take as Ranth and I appeared out of nowhere. Coughing, I sank to my knees. He dropped with me, his arms instantly around me.
Ori rushed over. “Sorrel, are you okay? Did you find anything?”
A loud meow answered. My heart raced, and I leaped up, scanning the dimness and clicking my tongue. “Ant?” I called out, my voice cracking with hope.
A scrabble of claws and the dark shadow of Antimony appeared at the top of a neighbor’s fence. I couldn’t breathe until I yelled, “Ant!” and ran for her.
I plucked her off the top of the wood uprights. She clawed up my shoulder, so I put her down at my feet. I dropped to the ground beside her, and she crawled into my lap and purred. My eyes were fountains as I stroked her gloriously unsinged, smoke-scented fur coat. She rolled sideways, baring her fine belly fur. My chest was close to cracking open. Snot strung from my nose.
