Page 64 of Freed

Philip glances at her. “They’re okay, we got them all out. They are in the emergency vehicles over there.” He points to the far end of the parking lot, away from the fire and flames.

“Thank the Goddess,” Cherry says with a sigh.

I watch as the flames lick up the side of the building, seeming to resist the firefighter’s effort. “You think Zane and Dante could be inside there?” I ask with worry, but Finn surprises me by shaking his head.

“No. We searched it before the flames got too bad. They aren’t there.”

“But they are missing,” Alaric adds. “As is my cousin.”

“Casper?” Cherry asks in surprise, sounding dismayed.

Alaric glances at her and nods before turning back to the flames.

“Does he work here or something?” I ask.

“No, but I haven’t seen him much lately. He’s the one who called me to tell me about the fire.”

That surprises me. So Casper was here when the fire started, and now he’s missing, as are the other two. He must be connected somehow.

“How did the fire start?” Gage asks, but Philip is already shaking his head.

“We don’t know. As soon as we got here, we prioritized getting the animals out and searching for any people. But the staff who are still here had already called the fire department, so when they arrived, they forced us out here.”

“They must have left,” Finn says.

“I’m sure they had a good reason,” Cherry says, trying to be helpful, and I pull her into my side, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as she rests her head against me.

“I just wish I knew what it was,” Alaric says. “Casper… he’s not like us. He needs guidance. He’s a good guy, maybe the kindest person I know, but sometimes he doesn’t understand the ramifications of his words or actions.”

“Oh shit,” Chase says with raised eyebrows, before lowering his voice. “You think he might have started this fire?”

Alaric is silent for a minute before he finally speaks again. “If he did, he’d have a reason that would sound rational to him. I worry he’s gone into hiding.”

“It’ll be okay,” Finn says with a nod. “He can take care of himself. Besides, he might be with Zane and Dante.”

Alaric just presses his lips together in a tight line, like he doesn’t agree but doesn’t want to argue.

“Shouldn’t Cody be here? He’s the police chief, right?” Chase asks, glancing around the parking lot.

Finn sighs, shaking his head. “He hasn’t left his house ever since he took that Dr. Jahan back there.” That surprises me. Cody had never been to a facility before, and yet it seemed like his grudge was personal. I don’t want to think about what he’s been doing with him this whole time.

We stay with them for hours, until the fire is finally out. It looks like about twenty-five to thirty percent of the building was damaged beyond repair. I don’t envy the people who work here and have to face fixing this all up.

“Who runs this place?” Maddox asks.

“That’d be Clarke, he’s over there, the one with the blue dress shirt and rolled up sleeves,” Finn says, pointing to a man speaking with the firefighters. Maddox nods and gestures for Gage to follow him as they cross the parking lot to speak with him.

We watch as Maddox shakes his hand and speaks. Whatever Maddox is telling him, Clarke looks surprised. He runs his hands through his hair, turning to face the sanctuary before clasping Maddox’s hand and shaking it hard as he clasps him on the shoulder. He shakes Gage’s hand, too, then takes a card Gage passes him. After a few more words, the two of them head back over to us.

“What was that about?” Chase asks the moment they are close enough.

“We offered to pay for whatever their insurance doesn’t cover to get this place back up and running.”

“Seriously?” Finn asks, sounding surprised.

Maddox nods, glancing back at the burned building. “Yeah, this place is important. They do great work here. Plus, without it, we never would have found Starfall Haven.”

A piece of paper hits my leg and I pick it up, seeing something about a county fair and shoving it into my pocket.