but blackened beams and piles of charred rubble. The smell was like nothing else. A house fire, Lucy thought, had an extremely distinct aroma to it. Not the comforting smell of a campfire, a hearth or a wood-burning stove. No. A house fire smelled evil. It had a bite to it, a sourness that was hard to describe but impossible to forget.
The fire chief came over, and looked her up and down. “Do you know where the owner went?”
“To a friend’s,” she said. “It was too much for him. This was his dream house, you know.”
“Well, tell him for me that no one’s allowed any where near the place. We’ll have an arson investigator out here tomorrow, when it’s cooled down enough to poke around safely. The police are on their way now, but—”
“The police?” She was wanted by the FBI. She had to remember that.
“They’ll be a while. As I said, those vigilantes are keeping us pretty busy today. They probably won’t be able to do much for now besides tape off the scene, anyway. But they’re going to want to talk to the owner. Please pass along my regrets,” he added. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more. These damned idiots with their minds set on wiping out vampires, are making our lives hell. And the worst of it is, most of the people they’re burning out are just ordinary human beings, for cryin’ out loud.”
“Are you saying it would be all right if they were vampires?” she asked, and then wondered why she’d bristled in defense of the very people who’d ruined her life.
“Yeah, right,” he muttered. “Vampires. Like that’s for real.” He shook his head slowly.
“Shoot, boss, I know they’re real. I’ve seen ’em!” one of his men put in, overhearing as he passed by with a rolled-up fire hose over his shoulder.
The chief rolled his eyes. “You have somewhere to go, miss? You gonna be all right?”
“Fine. I’ll call someone to pick me up. Thank you.”
He nodded, then frowned. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
She shook her head. “I have one of those faces,” she said, wishing he would just leave. The others were winding up hoses, stowing equipment. A couple of the trucks had already pulled away.
“Are you sure? ’Cause I could swear—”
His radio crackled, and he yanked it from his belt. “Hell, this better not be another freakin’ arson. C’mon, boys! Let’s move it!”
Already the voice on the radio was speaking in a feminine monotone. Structure fire, possibly multiple victims inside, 2938 Oak Tree Lane…
The rest was beyond Lucy’s hearing as the firefighter dove into his truck and pulled away. His siren started wailing a second later.
She watched them all the way out of sight, then ran toward the spot where she’d seen James vanish. “Please, let them be all right. Please, please, please.” She got to the edge and looked down. Rocks and frothy water were all she saw. If there was a secret passage, she didn’t see it. And then suddenly a head poked out through the weedy vines that clung to the stone face, just above the spot where the waves were crashing in.
It was James! Relief flooded through her.
He looked up and saw her there, and she could have sworn he looked as relieved as she had felt at the sight of him.
“Are they gone?”
“Yes, but the police will be here next. Is everyone okay?”
“We won’t know for sure until nightfall, but I think so. Meet me by the boat.”
Nodding, she raced back along the shore to the end of the long, slender pier, then began untying the ropes that held the vessel in place and tossing them onto the deck.
James swam up to the pier as she worked, and she bent over, extended a hand and helped him up out of the water.
And then, without any warning at all, he pulled her right into his arms and kissed her on the mouth. It wasn’t a long kiss, or a passionate one. But it was firm and powerful. And when he stepped back, he looked her in the eyes and said, “You were wonderful. Thank you, Lucy. Thank you for helping me save them.”
She held his gaze, stunned, not by his gratitude but by that kiss. And as his eyes searched hers, he must have realized it, because he lowered his head again, and this time, he kissed her as if he meant it. It was long and slow, a soul-deep kiss. And when he stepped away, she wasn’t sure