Chapter 13
Kristine landed on the lawn beside the woods and shimmered into her naked human form. Before she sprinted for her clothes, she turned back to be sure they’d succeeded. The mansion was engulfed in flames. So far, no one had come out…no one. She glanced around, looking for Jayce.
Where the hell is he?
Perhaps he was perched in a tall tree or circling high above, watching. Regardless, she had to get dressed before the fire department showed up. They’d certainly be there, and soon. Someone had to have noticed and called them.
Once dressed, she began searching the trees and sky for her lover. “Jayce,” she whispered loudly.
No response.
He had paranormal hearing, so he must have been far off—or…Holy shit. He wouldn’t have gone inside, would he? That wasn’t part of the plan.
The roar of sirens split the night, growing louder with every second. Kristine began to panic. She was supposed to meet Jayce on the beach, so she ran away from the fire and jogged beside the ocean until she was sure he couldn’t have or wouldn’t have gone that far.
By the time she returned to the scene of the crime, fire trucks and police cars had arrived. Oh yes, she had committed a crime. A big one. Arson.
But considering all the crimes she was stopping, she was convinced it was the right thing to do. Where the hell was Jayce?
Firefighters were unrolling hoses and sprinting toward the house. She heard orders being shouted and knew they were assessing the situation before charging into the building. Soon streams of water were attacking the fire from the outside.
The roof had caught, so they didn’t have to worry about getting firefighters up there to cut a hole, letting out the toxic gases. A steady stream of water prevented a widespread cave-in. So far the captain hadn’t felt comfortable sending anyone inside. Kristine’s stomach knotted as she witnessed her thorough work. She didn’t know whether to be proud or horrified.
At last enough of the fire had been extinguished so firefighters were able to work their way inside and look for survivors. Their shouts were not met with any answering cries for help. Jayce had said they were in there. Perhaps they were overcome by the smoke and were unconscious or already dead. Kristine hoped for the latter.
As she waited, she grew more and more concerned. If only she could shift and storm in there in dragon form. She’d be completely fireproof and safe. But what if they saw her?
At last the radio crackled, and a firefighter said, “We have some possible survivors in the basement. It looks like some kind of Battle Royale took place here. Four men, all beat to hell, bloody and unconscious. Oh, and one is in a cage.”
A cage! Oh no! That has to be Jayce.
She grabbed her hair in her fists and closed her eyes.Count to ten, Kristine. Don’t do anything rash.Before she got to five, she dashed off toward the woods where she’d left her cell phone. She knew her love could reincarnate in fire. She just didn’t knowhow.His family would know—but she didn’t know his family!
All she could think of to do was to contact the B and B and hope someone would know what to do. She found her fanny pack behind the rock and dug out her phone. Her mother was only a quick call away. Hopefully, she was at the B and B and not gallivanting around Boston with Conlan.
“Hello?” Amy sang on the other end of the connection.
“Mom! Please tell me you’re at the B and B. I need help!”
“Oh dear. What kind of help?”
“The kind that needs to know how to reincarnate a phoenix, still in man form, and in a cage…in the basement of a building on fire!”
Her mother’s voice dropped an octave. “Where are you? Long Island?”
“Yes.”
“Crap. Hold on. Let me talk to Amber.”
“Why Amber? Isn’t she human?”
“Hold. On,” Amy said forcefully.
Kristine tried to slow her breathing. She couldn’t help anyone if she passed out. The three minutes she might have been waiting seemed like a lifetime. She edged her way toward the house and sneaked a peek at the scene on the front lawn.
A firefighter exited the building with a limp body draped over his back. EMTs rushed over with a stretcher. She watched as they did a quick examination and then shook their heads.
She felt a few taps on her right shoulder and jumped. When she whirled around, she was greeted by Amber. “Where did you come from?”
