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Danger!Sindari shouted into mymind.
Before I could do more than shove the vial in a pocket, an explosion roared, white light flashing as the windows facing the walkway blew into a thousand pieces. Glass flew everywhere, all the way to the kitchen where it pelted the side of my face even as I whirled away. Cracks and snaps echoed, and the living room wall collapsed. Flames roared to life, creating an orange wall of fire along thewalkway.
Instinct told me to go out the kitchen window and get far away from the building, but there might be neighbors in danger—including the man caring for Willard’scat.
Get the elf,I ordered Sindari and sprinted into thefire.
He sprang from the third-floor walkway and raced across the parkinglot.
My fire charm activated automatically, protecting me from the flames, even though I felt the heat as if I’d jumped into an oven. I ran to the next apartment, shouting warnings and banging on doors. The walkway creaked and groaned ominously under myfeet.
People raced out of their apartments and fled to the parkinglot.
“Is Dan here?” I yelled, not certain what Willard’s neighbor looked like or which door washis.
“Here,” came a call from a doorway at the end of the walkway. Smoke hazed my view as flames burned the exterior of the building and leaped up to the eaves and the roof. “I’m trying to getthe—”
Cat? I rushed to the door and found a chain still holding it most of the wayshut.
“Are you Colonel Willard’s friend?” Iasked.
“Look out,” hebarked.
Something furry darted through the crack in thedoor.
The man swore. I bent, reflexes honed from battling magical threats, and plucked up the cat. She raked me with her claws, but I grimaced and heldtight.
“Got her,” Isaid.
She raked me with her claws again, drawing blood. Lots of it. I understood she was scared, but I felt less bad about Sindari rubbing his butt on the duvetnow.
Dan opened the door fully, rushing out with a cat carrier. He must have been trying to captureMaggie.
“Thanks.” He hefted it, the little gate open. “Put her in—shit.” He stared at the flames eating their way closer and higher on thebuilding.
Sirens wailed. Fire engines on the way, Ihoped.
Getting the scared cat in the carrier was like stuffing a fat square peg into a round pinhole. A fat square peg with vicious claws. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a charm that could help with the task. Sweat gleamed on both of our faces and blood ran down our wrists by the time we got the catinside.
“Thanks,” Dan said again. “Uh, how dowe…?”
He waved to the stairs. They were blocked by the flames now, bits of the roof breaking off and burning on the treads. With my fire charm, I could run down them easily, but I doubted it would protect Dan or thecat.
“Over the side.” I pointed at the railing near his door. The roof above it wasn’t burning yet. “I’ll go first, and you can hand Maggie down tome.”
I hopped over the railing and slithered down the framework, pausing on the walkway railing below so he could hand the carrier down to me. From there, I jumped to the pavement. People were gathering in the parking lot, staring up at the flames. The air stank of burning wood and tarry roofingmaterial.
Dan almost fell on his way down, and I was glad I’d taken the cat carrier, even if Maggie was screaming so loudly that my ears were in danger of fallingoff.
“My place,” Dan moaned, backing up and staring at the third floor. “All my stuff. I didn’t even get mylaptop.”
With glasses and a lanky build, Dan looked to be barely out of school. I had a bad feeling about what the answer to my next question wouldbe.
“Do you have anywhere to go with… a cat?” I held up the carrier. Maggiescreeched.
Dan shook his head. “Only my mom’s place, but she’s allergic. Uhm, can you…? You’re a friend, right?” He snapped his fingers. “You knew her name. You mustbe.”
I wasn’t sure from his triumphant expression if he was delighted because he’d been afraid he couldn’t care for the cat now, or because the cat was so much work that he wanted an excuse to foist the duty off on someoneelse.
