“Dylan, I have to carry you,” Charlie said.
She felt his hesitance; he believed himself too big to be carried by his mother, but they would move a lot faster if she could carry him.
“I’ll carry him,” Mike offered.
“No,” Charlie said. She was doing fine with him, and she didn’t want to part from him. “You can take care of any Savages we might stumble across.” She would also help him with that.
Dylan stared at her before raising his arms, allowing Charlie to lift him. When he wrapped his legs around her waist, she buried his head in her shoulder and nestled it protectively against her.
He was tall for his age, and running with him was awkward, but she was strong enough that his weight wasn’t a burden as she followed Mike through the inferno. Her throat burned and sweat dripped from her as the cloying smoke choked her airways and burned her eyes.
“Dylan, are you okay?” she demanded.
He nodded but didn’t speak as he kept his face buried in her shoulder. The smoke was making things difficult for her; she could only imagine what it was doing to him. They had to get out of heresoon.
Mike led the way around some boulders, and Charlie thought they were finally going to break free, but on the other side of the rocks, more trees had fallen to block their way. It took everything she had to keep her rising panic under control. She’d been sure they would get out of the fire, but they continuously found their way blocked by something new.
Dylan,she inwardly sobbed.Not like this. Not like this.
He was supposed to wait proudly at the end of the aisle for his bride and have fat babies with her. He was supposed to die an old man, in his bed, surrounded by his sons and daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He wasnotsupposed to die on this fucking island.
“This way!” Mike shouted over the growing cacophony of the raging inferno.
The ends of Charlie’s hair tickled her cheeks as currents of air lifted it around her and more trees crashed to the ground. The thunderous booms weren’t as noticeable now that the fire was so loud.
The earth shook as one tree after the other fell. Sparks danced all around them until the burning fireflies surrounded them. The air surged and rolled, rubbing her skin raw.
She cradled Dylan’s face closer against her as she tried not to think about the possibility of losing him. When Mike came up against a dead end and turned back to her, his eyes were bloodshot, his face florid, and sweat and ashes coated him.
He rested his hand on her elbow as he turned her around to head back the way they’d come, or at least she believed they were backtracking. She couldn’t tell one direction from the other anymore.
“Mom,” Dylan whimpered.
She had to get him out of here!
A branch landed two feet in front of her, pushing her back. Mike pulled her away from the limb, and they turned to face more fire.
Jack.His name was a sob of loss in her head.
“I amnotgoing to let Jack, you, your son, or my mate die because I do!” Mike shouted as he drew her closer. “Iwillget us out of this!”
Charlie tried to find some reassurance in his words, but it was impossible when walls of fire surrounded them. She had no idea which way led to the cliffs anymore. For all she knew, they were heading further inland. If they weren’t out of here soon, it would only be a matter of time before the fire completely took over and roasted them.
Then, through the flames, she saw a figure emerging. Charlie bit her lip when she recognized the graceful flow of the body coming toward them.No!
She opened her mouth to scream at Jack to go back, but he was too deep into the fire to turn back now. The ominous groan of another tree collapsing filled the air. Charlie looked frantically around to discover it coming down in front of Jack—or was it on top of him?
“Jack!” she screamed though her smoke-choked voice was barely more than a whisper.
Sparks and flames shot outward when the tree slammed into the ground, blocking Jack from view. “No!” Charlie lunged forward, but Mike held her back.
Dylan whimpered and buried himself closer against her as another tree hit the ground fifteen feet to the right of them. Charlie’s heart remained lodged in her throat while she gazed at the place where Jack had been.
Please don’t leave me, she pleaded.
“Mom?” Dylan croaked in her ear.
“It’s okay, baby,” she lied, but she didn’t know what else to say to him.
