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Niko’s human shape contorted, expanding and reshaping into the formidable form of a wolf, dark fur bristling along the powerful lines of his body. His piercing blue eyes, now glowing silver with an animalistic intensity, locked onto the retreating djinni.
He launched himself forward with a snarl that reverberated off the walls, the sound chasing the djinni like an avenging specter. The chase was on, and I felt a flare of excitement.
“Go get ’em,” I cheered under my breath, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. Or maybe he could; werewolves had freaky good senses, and Niko was nothing if not freaky. And good.
“Come on,” I urged the others, breaking into a jog to keep pace with the supernatural hunt unfolding before us. “We can’t let our favorite furball have all the fun.”
Despite the danger, despite the seriousness of our mission, I felt a spark of exhilaration. This was what we did best: hunting in the shadows, threading through the unseen world that hummed with secrets just waiting to be uncovered.
“Let’s hope he catches it before it alerts the others,” Cairo said, his words punctuated by the distant sounds of claw meeting stone.
“Otherwise,” Riker added, brandishing his blade, “things are about to get even hotter around here.”
“Great,” I said, pushing myself to run faster. “Just what I needed—some cardio with a side of potential fiery death.”
Suddenly, a blast of heat rushed toward us, a hungry predator made of flames. “Incoming!” I yelled, my voice barely rising above the roar. With nothing but instinct and adrenaline to guide me, I hurled myself into the nearest shadowy alcove that had once been a quirky shop selling who-knew-what. Maybe quirky overpriced magical items. Maybe pretzels.
The fire whooshed past, greedily devouring the oxygen in its wake. The heat was so intense it felt like the world’s most aggressive sauna. Sweat trickled down my back as I crouched. I peeked out, half expecting to see my eyebrows singed off in some cruel cosmic joke.
“Everybody okay?” I called, wincing as the pitch of my voice bounced oddly against the silent walls.
“Still got all my parts,” Riker grumbled from a few feet away, dusting off his jacket with a scowl. “Though I can’t say much for the state of my hair.”
I scanned the dimness for the others. My heart did a little tap dance of worry. Where was Niko? He’d been closest to the fire. His werewolf form could probably take the heat better than any of us, but even Big Bad Wolves have limits.
“Niko?” I called out.
“Here,” came a strained reply, and I exhaled in relief as Niko’s human shape emerged from a former bookstore, slightly singed but otherwise intact.
“Nice of you to rejoin the party,” I said, trying to shake off the icicle of fear that had lodged itself in my chest. “You look hot—and not in a good way.”
“I always do—but usually in the good way,” he shot back, smirking despite the danger we were in. That’s Niko—always ready with a comeback, even when his fur’s on the verge of becoming roast werewolf.
“Elijah? Helen?” I called out.
“Here,” Helen replied from somewhere behind me. “Both of us.”
“Where’s Cairo?” I asked, looking around again. My voice echoed back at me, ominous and taunting.
No answer.
“Cairo?” Riker called out louder, worry creasing his brow as he stepped out into what used to be a bustling hall of commerce, now just a mausoleum of memories and ash.
“Dammit.” Niko paced, his eyes darting around as if he could will Cairo to appear just by sheer force of will. “He was right behind us.”
“Maybe he found a better hiding spot?” I offered, though the pit in my stomach told me it was wishful thinking.
“Or maybe,” Niko said, eyes turning cold, “he didn’t hide at all.”
I raked a hand through my wild curls, the strands sizzling with static from the close call with the fireball. “Well, isn’t this just dandy,” I muttered under my breath, scanning the debris-strewn corridor for any sign of Cairo. “We came here for one, and now we’re leaving with a buy-one-get-one-free deal.”
Riker’s voice cut through my sarcasm. “We need to find Cairo and Poppy. Fast.”
“Right, right. Two birds, one stone—or in our case, two supernaturals, one big mess.” I squared my shoulders, trying to push past the knot of worry tightening in my gut. “Any bright ideas on how to spring two of them without getting incinerated?”
“First things first,” Niko interjected, his gaze hard as obsidian. “They know we’re here. Stealth is out the window.”
“Great.” I rolled my eyes. “So much for my ninja skills.”
