tanker truck, holding water. Ignoring the way we were staring after her in confusion, she ran towards her office, stumbling as she yanked open the door, then disappeared behind it.
Nix gave me a baffled look and we both stood up, trailing after her. Within seconds, she was out the front door, keys and phone in hand. She sprinted to her car and, after a few seconds of cranking the engine, she reversed out of the parking lot. She shot off in the same direction as the fire trucks, leaving us behind without so much as a goodbye.
13
Blayde
Panic bled through me as I skidded around the corner, my tires screeching across the asphalt. As soon as I heard the familiar sound of the trucks from the fire station down the street my mind went to Lennox. If he didn’t have his emotions under control, fires broke out. And the last major one burned down my parents home, with them in it.
I called Lennox, terror making me grip the steering wheel harshly.
No answer.
I tried again and again, then texted him. Maybe he was sleeping or taking a shit, or even screwing some chick. I’d completely forgotten to get him more pot. He’d still had a little bit though, enough to last him through the night. At least.
In the distance, a glow of hazy orange and grey smoke licked the sky. My stomach sunk as I raced down his long driveway, tailing the firetrucks the whole way. We cleared the bend in the dirt path, fear making it hard to breathe as his blazing trailer was revealed.
I’d barely put my car in park before I jumped out, my feet slamming into the grassy lawn as I sprinted towards his front door.
“Lennox,” I screamed out, racing around two firemen who blocked my path, the hose already rolling from the truck. This wasn’t a regular fire. The purple tinted edges betrayed its magical properties. This was ashfire, the inferno of demons. Somewhat rare but not entirely extraordinary; it was also something my brother could’ve easily conjured.
I jumped over the bushes and fence, effortlessly clearing them. Seconds felt like hours as I raced across his lawn towards his front door. I could barely hear the shouts of the firemen, yelling at me to stop.
Smoke billowed from broken glass windows and I could see an eerie orange and black haze behind the torn and burning curtains.
I scrambled up the stairs, still screaming his name in panic. Just as I was about to grab the doorknob, the door yanked open. Smoke poured out of it, masking the form of someone in the doorway.
For a single moment I felt relief.
Thank fuck; he was okay.
Then the smoke cleared and instead of Lennox’s form, another fireman blocked the doorway. He was wearing a full uniform with a helmet, and a breathing mask that hid his face.
How the fock did he get in there before me?
Dismay bled through me and I stepped forward and into him, shoving him to the side. I had to find my brother. “Get out of my way!”
His arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me off my feet. Throwing me over his shoulder, he rushed down the stairs. I slammed my fists into his back. “Let me go! I need to find Lennox!”
He didn’t even seem bothered by my punches so I tried harder. He kept going, running all the way towards the gate. The other firemen waited for us, still yelling at me to calm down. The fireman carrying me dumped me to the ground, then, leaning over, said something to me. I shook my head, not understanding. It didn’t even matter. I had to find Lennox; I didn’t have time for this nonsense.
I jumped to my feet, trying to race around him again. His arms caught me again. This time, he slammed me to the ground.
The air left my lungs in a huff, and I sucked in a deep breath. I kicked at him, crying out in frustration. The need to make sure my brother was safe was too ingrained in every molecule of my body. I didn’t care about anything else.
He leaned over me, blocking me in, forcing my attention back to him. I glared up at him, trying to calculate how to get around him. I could keep myself protected with a spell in the trailer, but, of course I couldn’t tell him that.
He was pulling at his mask, presumably to yell at me, wasting his time when he should be saving Lennox.
I decided