Page 29

What if they run away? There’s no way I’ll catch all of them again, and then they’ll freeze to death.

Or burn in the flames.

No, no, no positive thoughts. They will be okay.

I want to jump out of the car and run the rest of the way, but I know staying seated and letting Evan drive will be a lot quicker.

Finally, we pull onto the main street, and he floors it. The car comes to a stop with screeching brakes, the engine not even off, when I already tear the door open and jump out.

All of Kinstead is gathered on the street in front of my shelter. Okay, Brooke. Breathe. They’re facing away from the shelter, there are no flames on the building whatsoever.

Thank fucking God. My knees buckle and I blindly reach for the car again to stay upright.

Fire engines block our sight to the main square. I catch glimpses of police tape through gaps in the crowd. Uniform-clad men are running around carrying hoses and shouting all kinds of stuff I can't make out.

But all I care about is my shelter, and it appears to be fine. Holy shit.

"Hey, girl!" Rebecca approaches me, her face set in worry.

"What happened?" I ask her with a knot in my throat. The fire is still going. Flames reach far up into the sky and lick at branches and trees. Male voices shout. Smoke scratches the back of my throat.

Okay, Brooke. Focus. Find out what’s going on first.

Wait. Do I have to get the animals out of the shelter? How am I even going to transport all of them? The dogs barely fit in my car, and Evan’s is still at the shop.

Stop. This is not the time to let emotions take over. I inhale a deep breath and try to center myself.

"Some tourists thought it would be fun evening entertainment to light fireworks in the main square." She grimaces and points to the police car, halfway hidden behind one of the fire engines. Erik is pacing in front of it, two guys I’ve never seen leaning against his cruiser with their hands behind their backs.

As far as I know, Erik lives in Wayward Hollow. Damn, I'm amazed he got here faster than Evan and me.

"Nobody got hurt, thankfully,” Rebecca adds.

"Not at all?" I ask, slowly lifting an eyebrow.

Her annoyed expression tells me everything I need to know.

I'm not one for violence, and of course I’m glad nobody got seriously hurt. But if a tourist comes to our small town, lights the main square on fire, and endangers my animals? I do think some light burns would've been karmic justice.

"Brooke." Evan appears next to me, out of breath.

"Where did you go?" I tilt my head. "And why do you have ash on your face?" I pull up my sleeve and try to wipe a black dot off his forehead.

"I was at my shop." He grabs my wrist and pulls my hand away from his face, not knowing he has a Simba-like mark on his forehead. "Which, apparently, was right in the smoke's way. The entire façade is pitch black, and I'll have to see about smoke damage."

My hand freezes in the middle of the air and my face falls. "Oh, fuck."

I was so caught up in the relief of my shelter not burning down, I completely forgot about the smoke.

"Relax. I talked to the firemen, and my side of the square took the brunt of it. They have the fire under control now, and they're already documenting everything to formally charge the tourists."

"Poor Erik." I startle at the new voice right behind me.

Slowly, I turn around. "Kieran? What are you doing here?"

"I don't know yet." He shrugs, not meeting either of our eyes. For once, I’ll forgive him the white lie.

"And what do you mean, poor Erik?"