Page 90 of Dark Obsession

Demetrius opened his mouth and Cody slid his finger between his lips. A bitter taste burst across his tongue, like he’d sucked on an old penny that had been buried in the ashes of a campfire. He made a face but swallowed, the taste coating the back of his throat as it trickled down.

Cody pulled his finger out and, still crouching in front of him, said, “Keep swallowing. It’ll help you feel better.”

The pain in Demetrius’s head eased, and a bright, cool nest of strength swirled together low in his belly. It spread out, extending into his chest to calm his racing heart before streaking along his limbs. In its wake, his muscles loosened and strengthened. The old ache in his neck, one he'd carried so long he'd stopped noticing it, quietly disappeared. He snapped his head up, eyes wide. Cody practically glowed where he squatted before him. The conversations within their group of friends running over each other were clearer, and he could see fine details in the mural across from them.

“Wow,” Demetrius said.

“It’s a rush, isn’t it?” Cody said, placing a hand along the side of his face. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

“So are you.” Demetrius stared at him, unable to look away or stop smiling.

Cody leaned in closer and whispered, “Welcome to Fang, baby. Let’s milk this ride for all it’s worth and end this motherfucker.”

When Cody straightened up, Demetrius stood as well. His legs felt strong and his back sturdy. He heard the crackle of radios from the first responders out on Main Street along with the freight-train howl of the fire. Together, it would be overwhelming, but now he could separate each conversation, each sound, more clearly. He grabbed Cody’s hand and looked into his eyes.

“Nice callback on Summertime Rules.”

Cody’s smile was big and glorious, and it sent Demetrius’s heart racing. “You liked that, huh?”

Demetrius laughed, surprising himself. Summertime Rules was something Cody had made up one summer when they’d been in elementary school. Whenever they had done an activity with a one-two-three countdown, Cody would take off at the count of one, usually beating Demetrius and calling out, “Summertime Rules!” as he laughed.

“Yeah. Come on, let’s go.”

They approached the group side by side. Lucia blinked in surprise when she saw him. “How do you feel?”

“A lot better, thanks,” Demetrius said. “Just needed a minute to get myself together.” He held his water rifle against his chest. “Amelia’s safe?”

“Yes, she and Otis and Eileen and Dieter are with Margie and some others down at Memorial Park,” Lucia said.

“What about Robin?” Clarabell asked, eyes wide behind her glasses.

“I haven’t seen them,” Lucia said. “Do you know where they were?”

“Robin was behind the counter at Hollow Grounds,” Cody said. “We saw them working when we left Margie’s.”

Lucia nodded then gripped Clarabell’s shoulder. “We’ll find them. There’s a lot going on right now, and more people are missing.”

“What’s the situation?” Demetrius asked. He was itching to move, to actively pursue Bastian and Annie and save Zenona. He felt like he could do anything, but he wasn’t sure how long that would last.

“Three firefighters and a deputy are unaccounted for,” Lucia said, her expression tight and grim. “We haven’t been able to locate Vicki Downing or any of the Hollow Grounds employees.”

Demetrius glanced at Cody, seeing his expression harden and his hands curl into fists. At one time, Cody had been attracted to Vicki, before he and Demetrius had shared their first kiss. Now the two had developed a warm friendship.

“Hollow Grounds and The Purple Orchid are both a total loss. Gayle’s going through each of the other shops and restaurants to make sure there’s no one left behind.” She shook her head and her shoulders sagged. “The wind’s against us. If it jumps to Casually Comfortable next door, we could lose that whole side of the street.”

“No,” Tracey said quietly.

“Did he start it?” Agatha asked. “That fucker who took Zenona?”

“Most likely,” Lucia replied. “One witness claims a jar full of accelerant with a burning rag stuffed in it was thrown through the front window of Hollow Grounds.” She swallowed and looked away before saying, “Firefighters found a couple of bodies in the coffee shop, burned too badly for identification right now.”

“No. Oh, no.” Clarabell’s voice shook, and she turned away, clutching her water rifle to her chest. Agatha put an arm around her shoulders.

“We can help,” Demetrius said to Lucia. “You know that.”

“I don’t have many silver bullets,” Lucia said. “And I’m not giving a firearm to a citizen.”

Cody held his arms out to show off the mess that covered him. “Does it look like we need silver bullets?”