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Nick froze. Those words seemed loaded with more than just an inquiry about what to do next.
He had to look away from his brother, so he put his eyes on the strip mall. “I don’t want to cause damage to someone else’s property. There have been enough fires.”
“Let’s go back in the woods. Burn some leaves.” Gabriel fished a lighter out of his pocket and tossed it.
Nick caught it. “Why?”
“It’ll lure him out. If he’s a pure Elemental, he’ll sense it.”
“Even from here?” They were at least a hundred feet from the parking lot.
Gabriel nodded and started walking back into the dense darkness of the woods.
Nick followed, sliding the lighter between his fingers. “What if he ignores it?”
“Then he’s not a full Elemental and I can go punch that mofo in the face.” He stopped once they were out of sight and pointed to the ground. “Here’s good. The leaves are dry underneath and they’ll smoke more. I don’t want anyone to see it from the road yet.”
Nick held up the lighter. “You still need these?”
“No, but you do. I don’t want him to sense my power.” He paused and glanced around, surveying the area. “It might be better if he thinks you’re alone.”
“So we’re setting a trap.”
“Yeah. See if he’ll come after you again.”
“Lucky me.”
Gabriel studied him again, as if trying to figure him out. “Do you not want to do this? We can say screw it and get coffee or whatever.”
Yes. Let’s.
Wait. No. Talking would be a bad idea.
Nick cocked an eyebrow. “You want to run from a fight?”
“No, Nick!” Gabriel snapped, closing the distance between them. “I want you to tell me what the f**k is going on.”
Nick ignored him. He flipped open the lighter and struck the igniter. Then he dropped and touched the flame to the dead leaves trapped under the damp ones. The fire caught immediately, sending smoke curling between them, turning the air hazy.
“Go,” Nick said. “Hide.”
Gabriel swore, but he turned his back and walked. He didn’t go far. Nick could still sense his presence nearby—like he could still sense his agitation. No, his fury.
It was probably a good thing Nick had the car keys.
He fed oxygen to the fire, and thicker smoke bloomed from the smoldering leaves. Nick called for a gentle breeze to push the smoke toward the strip mall, despite Gabriel’s assurance that Tyler would sense the presence of his element.
It wasn’t necessary—or maybe it worked too well. In less than a minute, Nick sensed another presence in the woods. He pulled wind through the trees, asking the air for information.
Nicotine and male sweat. Curiosity and irritation. Tyler.
Nick thought of the way his skin had practically melted off his wrist, but he held his ground.
“Starting a little fire?” said Tyler.
“Something like that,” said Nick. He kept his attention on the burning leaves. Tyler hadn’t reacted to the fire, and Nick sensed no power in the space between them. Maybe he was wrong.
“Don’t tell me,” said Tyler. “You think you owe me one for messing with your brother.”
