streams of smoke curled over the guttering. He jumped down first, then reached his hands up to her. “Dulce, give her a hand down.”
“I can do it.”
“C’mon,” Dulcinea said softly. “Now’s not the time to break something. Grab hold of my wrist.” She held out her hand.
Harlow took it, clasping her gloved fingers around Dulcinea’s wrist as Dulcinea did the same to her, then Dulcinea lifted Harlow and lowered her over the side until Augustine caught her around the thighs.
“Got her,” he called up.
Dulcinea released Harlow and jumped down next to them.
Harlow planted her hands on Augustine’s shoulders and looked down at him. He still held her around the waist. “You can put me down now.”
“I know.” He loosened his grip so she slid down his body. “I just don’t want to.” He looked toward the pond. “I’m tired of losing people.”
She held on to his arm. “We all are. Look, you call Fenton. Dulcinea can look after Cy and I’ll see what I can do about the fire, okay? After you fill him in, come help me in the house.” Bright orange fire danced behind the sheers covering the windows. “You’re part smokesinger. You should be real comfortable in all those flames.”
He nodded, a gentle smile forming on his face. “All right then.” His serious demeanor took over as she walked toward the house and heard him say, “Call Fenton.”
She tried the door. Locked. She picked up a rock and smashed one of the French door’s panes, then reached through and unlatched the door. As she pushed it open, a wave of heat hit her. Inside, flames licked the walls and smoke pooled on the ceiling. She blinked and got her bearings.
Plants filled the house. The kitchen was off to the left and to the right was the sitting room. Zara’s feet were visible on the other side of a large leather sofa.
Harlow almost felt sorry for her, but the woman had tried to kill her and planned to kill Augustine. She’d gotten what she’d deserved. Harlow made a run for the kitchen and started digging under sink cabinets for a fire extinguisher. She found it behind a stack of towels. The crackle and thrum of the flames grew louder. She grabbed the extinguisher and stood, about to run down the source of the fire, when Dulcinea dashed into the house.
“We’ve been calling you. Forget the house.” Her face lit up. “Cy’s alive.” With a tip of her head toward the garden, she left as quickly as she’d come in.
“What?” Harlow dropped the extinguisher and ran after her. As soon as she got outside the house, she realized how much smoke she’d been breathing in. Augustine crouched by the edge of the pond, obscuring Cy’s body, which didn’t look any more alive than the last time she’d seen it.
She jogged to catch up with Dulcinea, trying to ignore the bloated, floating corpses of those who hadn’t made it. As they rounded the tall growth of reeds and grasses on the pond’s backside, she realized that while Cy was still lying down, he was talking to Augustine.
She fell to her knees beside him. “Cy! How are you still alive?”
A massive smile greeted her. “You’re not going to believe this, but I think Father Ogun had a lot to do with it.”
“Really? After he sold me out to the witches?”
“But he didn’t know they were going to turn on him, too. He had no love for them, I promise you that.” Cy coughed, spitting up a little water. “Once he came to, he spent the rest of our time down there chanting spells over both of us and drawing lines of protection around us in the dirt. Did he make it?”
Harlow looked at Augustine. He glanced toward the pond for a moment, then back at her and shook his head.
“I think you’re the only survivor,” Harlow said. “Queen Jewelia, a voodoo mambo I talked to, said you might not be affected by the witches’ spell the same way as the humans because you’re fae. Ogun’s voodoo doesn’t seem to have had the same benefit.” Harlow grabbed Cy’s big hand and squeezed it. Sirens pealed through the air. The good guys were on their way. “Whatever the reason, I’m so happy you’re still alive.”
“Might need a few days of recovery.” He smiled weakly. “Feel like I’ve been run over by a jun-jun.”
She laughed, knowing she was the only one who’d get his reference to the enormous, armor-shelled beast that roamed the badlands