her elbows. She was still hyperventilating.
“It’s okay,” I told her. “You won’t hurt me.”
“Yes, I will,” she said.
I looked directly into her eyes. “No, little sister. You won’t.”
She tried to breathe normally. We needed to get out of here, but I couldn’t force Dro in this state.
“You can make it stop, just like you did at Owl Creek.”
Dro blanched when she heard the name of the camp where our parents had been killed. But the fire was starting to die down from her hands. She was a tiny bit calmer. The fire dwindled until it was gone. She shuddered once and gasped sharply. I walked toward her and put my arms around her. She tensed at first, then relaxed and hugged me tightly. The burns on my body were pulsing and tender, but Dro was more important.
“We’ll get through this, Dro,” I whispered. “I promise, we’ll figure it out.”
She stiffened before she pulled away from me. She wiped her eyes and quickly walked to the car. I watched her carefully, my eyes turning back toward the burning motel.
Dro didn’t believe me. After seeing what she had done, I could understand. I wouldn’t believe myself either. There are some things you just can’t forget...
The smell of smoke was strong when the dream ended. I didn’t know why, since in the dream we were leaving the motel...
Wait.
I shot upright from the floor, taking one deep breath.
Smoke.
That was enough to have me moving faster than lightning.
My sudden motion caused Warrick to stir. He was coming out of sleep, moving faster as he realized something was very wrong. I wasn’t waiting for him. I was yanking on my clothes, boots, and grabbing a backpack to throw over my shoulder.
It was reflex, but one I hadn’t needed to exercise in months. Dro’s nightmares had stopped a little while back. She’d had control.
I was stupid to think that luck would last.
I could hear more shouts, and Warrick was trying to tell me something. He was trying to keep up, but I wasn’t listening. The moment I had everything I could carry, I darted for the door. I stopped and looked over my shoulder. Warrick was behind me, looking confused yet ready for anything.
“Find Max and Sephiel. Make sure they get out.”
His lack of understanding was clear. “What about you and Dro?”
I held his eyes. “Dro’s the one causing this.”
Before he could reply, before I could even attempt to read his expression, I turned and yanked open the door.
A smothering wave of heat and light crashed into me. Dry smoke curled off the walls and ceiling, dancing away from the red and orange flames shivering on every surface. The fire was unforgiving, dredging sweat out of my pores and making my eyes water. I turned out of the room, coughing and choking as I tried to remember where the stairs were.
Over the crackling roar of angry flames and creaking wood, I caught the sound of screams.
Dro’s was only one of them.
Oh no.
I pushed myself harder, barely taking in how close the flames were getting to me. I could feel them peeling off the walls, teasing the edges of my hair and clothes. Through the haze of smoke and fire, I noticed Sephiel climbing the stairs. He held an arm over his mouth and he needed to squint, but I knew he saw us.
I was coming up to the spare bedroom when something tumbled out of it. A body, one arm covered in fire.
I skidded to a stop and fell beside it, automatically batting out the flames without seeing who I was hitting. Their voice was hoarse and filled with pain. They curled in on themselves, clearly never thinking they would be burned so severely. My eyes went to the person’s face, and my heart sank.
Max probably never expected Dro would burn him.
Warrick and Sephiel stood over me and the partially burned prophet, carefully lifting him to his feet. Max cried out again, unable to think past all the
“It’s okay,” I told her. “You won’t hurt me.”
“Yes, I will,” she said.
I looked directly into her eyes. “No, little sister. You won’t.”
She tried to breathe normally. We needed to get out of here, but I couldn’t force Dro in this state.
“You can make it stop, just like you did at Owl Creek.”
Dro blanched when she heard the name of the camp where our parents had been killed. But the fire was starting to die down from her hands. She was a tiny bit calmer. The fire dwindled until it was gone. She shuddered once and gasped sharply. I walked toward her and put my arms around her. She tensed at first, then relaxed and hugged me tightly. The burns on my body were pulsing and tender, but Dro was more important.
“We’ll get through this, Dro,” I whispered. “I promise, we’ll figure it out.”
She stiffened before she pulled away from me. She wiped her eyes and quickly walked to the car. I watched her carefully, my eyes turning back toward the burning motel.
Dro didn’t believe me. After seeing what she had done, I could understand. I wouldn’t believe myself either. There are some things you just can’t forget...
The smell of smoke was strong when the dream ended. I didn’t know why, since in the dream we were leaving the motel...
Wait.
I shot upright from the floor, taking one deep breath.
Smoke.
That was enough to have me moving faster than lightning.
My sudden motion caused Warrick to stir. He was coming out of sleep, moving faster as he realized something was very wrong. I wasn’t waiting for him. I was yanking on my clothes, boots, and grabbing a backpack to throw over my shoulder.
It was reflex, but one I hadn’t needed to exercise in months. Dro’s nightmares had stopped a little while back. She’d had control.
I was stupid to think that luck would last.
I could hear more shouts, and Warrick was trying to tell me something. He was trying to keep up, but I wasn’t listening. The moment I had everything I could carry, I darted for the door. I stopped and looked over my shoulder. Warrick was behind me, looking confused yet ready for anything.
“Find Max and Sephiel. Make sure they get out.”
His lack of understanding was clear. “What about you and Dro?”
I held his eyes. “Dro’s the one causing this.”
Before he could reply, before I could even attempt to read his expression, I turned and yanked open the door.
A smothering wave of heat and light crashed into me. Dry smoke curled off the walls and ceiling, dancing away from the red and orange flames shivering on every surface. The fire was unforgiving, dredging sweat out of my pores and making my eyes water. I turned out of the room, coughing and choking as I tried to remember where the stairs were.
Over the crackling roar of angry flames and creaking wood, I caught the sound of screams.
Dro’s was only one of them.
Oh no.
I pushed myself harder, barely taking in how close the flames were getting to me. I could feel them peeling off the walls, teasing the edges of my hair and clothes. Through the haze of smoke and fire, I noticed Sephiel climbing the stairs. He held an arm over his mouth and he needed to squint, but I knew he saw us.
I was coming up to the spare bedroom when something tumbled out of it. A body, one arm covered in fire.
I skidded to a stop and fell beside it, automatically batting out the flames without seeing who I was hitting. Their voice was hoarse and filled with pain. They curled in on themselves, clearly never thinking they would be burned so severely. My eyes went to the person’s face, and my heart sank.
Max probably never expected Dro would burn him.
Warrick and Sephiel stood over me and the partially burned prophet, carefully lifting him to his feet. Max cried out again, unable to think past all the
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