Page 176 of Axis of Fire

One look at my face was enough.

He'd already understood.

“Get in the car. We’ll drive over to them.”

I quickly did as he said, gathering our paintings as I went. Before getting into the car, Airis placed Dwayne’s precious easel in the trunk.

“They might be armed,” I said, gripping the edge of my seat as I kept my eyes fixed on the approaching Audi and our friends.

I silently prayed they would notice them in time.

“So are we.”

I was glad that three members of Airis’s squad were with my friends.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried.

“Who are they?”

“A group of people we had a falling-out with.” I bit my lip. “One of them stole Dwayne’s idea for a painting, put it up for auction, and claimed it as his own.”

For Dwayne, it had been a blow below the belt. The idea Ethan Larson had stolen came from something deeply personal to him.

She was his light.

That was how Dwayne had described the painting.

“So Gwendolyn and I set fire to the shed where he kept his paintings.”

I wasn’t proud of what we’d done.

Yes, it had been cruel. Maybe even inhumane.

But I didn’t regret it.

Unfortunately.

Airis let out a heavy, almost theatrical sigh.

“We made sure nobody was inside first.”

My eyes remained fixed on the approaching Audi.

“Only the paintings were destroyed.”

“Did you use magic?”

“No.”

The answer came far too quickly.

“Just gasoline and matches.”

Airis went silent.

And I found myself biting the inside of my cheek.

Again.