AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And all of a sudden, the smoke wasn’t as dense. He could see flames billowing from the bookcases above him, but the smoke was moving away, toward the entrance.
Nick. Nick had to be doing that.
But fire was everywhere. Bookcases lined the walls, blazing like suns against the cinder block.
Except for the small alcove, where the carpet was on fire.
And Gabriel could see two figures there, just barely out of reach of the flames.
He surged forward, sprinting through the fire. He slid to his knees into the alcove and sent the fire away, creating a bigger space around them.
Layne was crumpled against the wall. Nick was crouched beside her, his eyes clenched shut, his hands in fists. The air here was freezing and thin, and all of a sudden, Gabriel almost couldn’t breathe.
“Nick,” he gasped. “I’ll hold the fire. I need to ”
He didn’t have to finish the sentence. Nick let go. A blast of cold air rushed through the vents. The fire rejoiced, flaring higher.
Gabriel sent it away, toward the entrance, toward the ceiling, promising better things to burn.
And suddenly smoke billowed around them.
Only to retreat when Nick sent it away again.
Gabriel pulled Layne into his arms. She was limp, her skin clammy and warm. Her head flopped onto his shoulder.
But she was breathing.
“She’s okay,” said Nick. His voice was rough and worn. “I made sure she kept breathing. I just couldn’t keep her conscious.”
“Come on. We need to get out of here.”
Gabriel cleared fire from their path, and Nick pushed the smoke ahead of them, working together wordlessly, the way they always had when they played with fire for fun. He headed for the north entrance to the library, knowing firemen would be waiting at the south side.
Layne made a small sound and shifted against him.
“You’re all right,” he said. “We’re getting out.”
Her eyes opened a crack. “Gabriel?”
The sound of her voice almost made him cry with relief.
“Yeah. I’ve got you.”
Her eyes fell closed again. “You’re supposed to . . . math test.”
“I thought maybe this was more important.”
She pressed her face against his neck. Her skin was flushed and hot, but the whisper of her breath against his skin was the greatest feeling in the world because it meant she was alive.
He ducked his head so he could speak into her ear. “Did you see who started the fire?”
She nodded but Nick grabbed his arm and hauled him to a stop.
“Yeah,” said Nick, an odd note in his voice. “It was him.”
Gabriel looked up. They’d made it to the center of the library, an open space under a skylight. Ryan Stacey was lying in the middle of the floor.
Surrounded by a pattern blazing into the carpet.
