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“You’ll be fine. I think I’m screwed.” Gabriel considered what had happened in the hallway, the way Hunter had pulled a gun on a fireman though he’d lost the weapon in the water. “I don’t think I’m the only one, either.”
Hunter sat a few feet down the wall, damp hair trailing into his eyes. He hadn’t said a word since they’d been arrested.
“I can say it was me,” said Nick. “We can switch ”
“No,” said Gabriel. “I know what I did. I don’t need you to cover for me anymore. I can take it.”
But he kept thinking about Calla Dean. He should have been worried about other Elementals in town, about her threats of war, her purposeful attempts to draw the Guides near. He should have been worried about how she was the real arsonist, but he’d never be able to prove it.
Instead, he kept thinking about what she’d said to Hunter.
So we can destroy them. I think you might know about the last two.
The last two. Hunter’s father and uncle.
He opened his mouth to say something, but then remembered that Hunter had never been his friend. Not really.
Gabriel shut his mouth and faced forward.
A policeman came to the gate, a ring of keys jingling in his hand. “Hunter Garrity?”
Hunter got to his feet, his expression resigned. “Yeah.”
“You’re out. Your grandfather is here to pick you up.”
Hunter’s eyebrows went up. “I’m what?”
“Turns out the fireman who reported you with a gun changed his story. Said he made a mistake in all the smoke, and since we didn’t find one at the scene . . .” The officer paused. “He also said you helped pull half a dozen kids out of that library.”
Hunter stood there staring at him, like he wasn’t sure if he should trust this stroke of luck.
“Go,” said Gabriel. “Get out while you can.”
But Hunter sat back down against the wall. “I’m not leaving until they do.” He jerked his head toward Gabriel. “I didn’t pull those kids out. He did.”
Gabriel didn’t look at him. He swore under his breath.
“Don’t do me any favors.”
“Doesn’t matter,” said the officer. “You’re all out.”
Now Gabriel and Nick snapped their heads up at the same time. “What?”
“Your brother is here to take you home. Seems the librarian heard that Ryan Stacey boy admit the whole thing. Too bad the smoke got to him before he finished his little design.”
The officer didn’t sound like there was anything too bad about that at all.
“He’s dead?” asked Nick.
“He’s in the hospital.” The officer didn’t sound too broken up about that, either. “You kids coming or what? I’ve got real criminals to book.”
Gabriel was ready to face Michael in the waiting room of the police station.
He wasn’t ready for the firefighters.
More than a dozen men, plus Hannah and one other woman.
Most of them, including Hannah, were wearing fire pants and suspenders, their faces smudged with soot, though a few just wore Tshirts with the fire house insignia and jeans.
