firefighters were quickly knocking down the blaze before
it spread to the wharf or other buildings, but a good-sized portion of the
floating restaurant was severely damaged. A column of black smoke rose like a
pillar into the blue sky. People were being treated onsite for smoke
inhalation, and ambulances were speeding from the parking lot with the most
seriously affected people.
With Samael at
her side, Claire sat down on the asphalt and watched it all, trying to take it
in. She was swept up by a powerful sensation that none of this was really
happening.
How could it
be?
She had to be
dreaming…or imagining this.
News and
camera crews were already on the scene—
How did they
get here so fast?
—and were busy
interviewing survivors while filming the blaze.
“Do you want
to go to the hospital?” Samael asked after a long, silent moment.
“Not again,”
she said, lowering her head.
It struck
Claire as rather odd the way he was surveying the situation. With his arms
folded across his chest, he was smiling faintly—a look of what Claire could
only describe as contentment or, perhaps, thinly veiled amusement. The
firelight flickered wickedly in his eyes, making them appear golden.
“Amazing…absolutely
amazing,” he said, shaking his head slowly from side to side.
Claire still
couldn’t get over the simple fact of what had happened and the crazy…yes,
crazy…and dangerous way they had escaped. Her stomach ached with a cold, hollow
dread whenever she thought about how they might have died in there.
Finally,
Samael looked at her earnestly and extended his hand to help her stand up.
Claire was certain her legs—especially her wounded foot—weren’t going to
support her, but somehow—with Samael’s help—she stood up.
There was a
sudden roar as flames tore through the restaurant where the kitchen,
apparently, had been. Moments later, a large portion of the outside wall
collapsed inward, sending up a spiraling shower of sparks. They looked like
fireflies dancing in the daytime. The restaurant barge lurched to one side and
then suddenly began to sink in the shallow water. It went down fast and came to
rest with the upper deck lying at the water line. Blackened debris and a wide
oil slick rose and fell on the gentle swell of the water.
Claire looked
at Samael and was about to say something about how unbelievably lucky they were
to make it out of there alive when her stomach suddenly lurched. A cold, sour
taste filled the back of her throat, and then—without any more warning—she
dropped to her knees, hitting the pavement hard, and began to vomit.
Chapter
4
Trapped
“I think I’ve had enough
excitement for one day,” Claire said as they stood outside the door to her
apartment.
Before leaving
the scene, they had to give statements and leave their names, addresses, and
phone numbers with the authorities. Obviously, the Fire Marshal would have to
investigate to find out what caused the fire. After that, Samael drove Claire
home. It was time for her medication, anyway, and she knew she should lie down
and rest. The thought crossed her mind—several dozen times, in fact—that she
should invite Samael upstairs, but there was no way she felt like
entertaining…much less consider jumping into bed together.
Besides, he
had ditched her twice already, so if he felt a bit of rejection, let him. If he
thought taking her to a fancy restaurant and then saving her
life—literally—when a fire broke out was his ticket into the sack, then—as her
mother used to say—he had “another think coming.”
Still, Claire
lingered in the entryway of her apartment because she didn’t want to say
goodbye to him just yet.
The truth was,
she did feel safer and more secure when he was with her. She couldn’t begin to
identify what, exactly, she was feeling, but it both frightened and intrigued
her.
Attraction?
Hell, yes.
Just look at him. Who wouldn’t be attracted to
it spread to the wharf or other buildings, but a good-sized portion of the
floating restaurant was severely damaged. A column of black smoke rose like a
pillar into the blue sky. People were being treated onsite for smoke
inhalation, and ambulances were speeding from the parking lot with the most
seriously affected people.
With Samael at
her side, Claire sat down on the asphalt and watched it all, trying to take it
in. She was swept up by a powerful sensation that none of this was really
happening.
How could it
be?
She had to be
dreaming…or imagining this.
News and
camera crews were already on the scene—
How did they
get here so fast?
—and were busy
interviewing survivors while filming the blaze.
“Do you want
to go to the hospital?” Samael asked after a long, silent moment.
“Not again,”
she said, lowering her head.
It struck
Claire as rather odd the way he was surveying the situation. With his arms
folded across his chest, he was smiling faintly—a look of what Claire could
only describe as contentment or, perhaps, thinly veiled amusement. The
firelight flickered wickedly in his eyes, making them appear golden.
“Amazing…absolutely
amazing,” he said, shaking his head slowly from side to side.
Claire still
couldn’t get over the simple fact of what had happened and the crazy…yes,
crazy…and dangerous way they had escaped. Her stomach ached with a cold, hollow
dread whenever she thought about how they might have died in there.
Finally,
Samael looked at her earnestly and extended his hand to help her stand up.
Claire was certain her legs—especially her wounded foot—weren’t going to
support her, but somehow—with Samael’s help—she stood up.
There was a
sudden roar as flames tore through the restaurant where the kitchen,
apparently, had been. Moments later, a large portion of the outside wall
collapsed inward, sending up a spiraling shower of sparks. They looked like
fireflies dancing in the daytime. The restaurant barge lurched to one side and
then suddenly began to sink in the shallow water. It went down fast and came to
rest with the upper deck lying at the water line. Blackened debris and a wide
oil slick rose and fell on the gentle swell of the water.
Claire looked
at Samael and was about to say something about how unbelievably lucky they were
to make it out of there alive when her stomach suddenly lurched. A cold, sour
taste filled the back of her throat, and then—without any more warning—she
dropped to her knees, hitting the pavement hard, and began to vomit.
Chapter
4
Trapped
“I think I’ve had enough
excitement for one day,” Claire said as they stood outside the door to her
apartment.
Before leaving
the scene, they had to give statements and leave their names, addresses, and
phone numbers with the authorities. Obviously, the Fire Marshal would have to
investigate to find out what caused the fire. After that, Samael drove Claire
home. It was time for her medication, anyway, and she knew she should lie down
and rest. The thought crossed her mind—several dozen times, in fact—that she
should invite Samael upstairs, but there was no way she felt like
entertaining…much less consider jumping into bed together.
Besides, he
had ditched her twice already, so if he felt a bit of rejection, let him. If he
thought taking her to a fancy restaurant and then saving her
life—literally—when a fire broke out was his ticket into the sack, then—as her
mother used to say—he had “another think coming.”
Still, Claire
lingered in the entryway of her apartment because she didn’t want to say
goodbye to him just yet.
The truth was,
she did feel safer and more secure when he was with her. She couldn’t begin to
identify what, exactly, she was feeling, but it both frightened and intrigued
her.
Attraction?
Hell, yes.
Just look at him. Who wouldn’t be attracted to
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