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My mind raced with thoughts of Lucian, of the future we might’ve had together, if only we had a chance.
But as the flames consumed everything in the room, I knew I’d never get to see him again.
I dropped to my knees and crawled along the floor, hoping to find a path through the flames, but there was no way out.
And then a voice spoke from somewhere in the flames.
“Lucian can’t save you.”
It was a deep, raspy voice, and it seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing throughout the burning apartment.
I coughed and struggled to catch my breath, tears streaming down my face as I tried to find a path.
“He’ll never know what happened to you. You’ll be turned to nothing but ash soon enough.”
I screamed in frustration, clawing at the floorboards, trying to rip them up, but there was nothing I could do. I was going to die here, alone and scared as this otherworldly fire crept closer, the heat searing my skin, the smoke filling my lungs.
Then I heard a crash and saw the bedroom door go flying. A moment later, a dark figure with glowing eyes moved through the smoke and flames.
“Lucian!” I cried out.
He rushed to my side, his eyes blazing with fury as he took in the scene around us. He was in his hellhound form, his wolfish face twisted into a snarl as he assessed the situation. It seemed his eyes honed in on a way out, but he hesitated, looking me over.
One way or another, we would have to run through fire—an easy task for him, a potentially fatal one for me.
“Hold on,” he said, scooping me up in his arms and cradling me against his chest. “Hold your breath.”
With that, he rushed forward and through the flames enveloping the hallway, shielding me from the worst of it with his body as he charged through the burning apartment. The heat was unbearable, and I buried my face in his chest, trying not to scream as the flames singed my clothes.
He ran down the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time as he raced to get us out of the building. It seemed the fire had been isolated to my apartment alone, but the smoke was everywhere.
“We’re almost there,” he said, his voice strained with effort.
I looked out to see us bursting through the front entrance and into the cool night air.
I gasped for breath, coughing and wheezing as my lungs struggled to adjust to the sudden change in atmosphere.
Lucian gently set me down on the ground, kneeling beside me as he brushed the hair from my face. “Are you all right?”
I nodded weakly, still struggling to breathe. “I think so.”
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close as he held me tight. I could feel his heart pounding against my chest, hisbreathing ragged as he struggled to control his emotions. “I thought I had lost you,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
I clung to him, tears streaming down my face as I tried to process what just happened. “I did too,” I said in a choked whisper.
It was then that the rest of the world came into focus, and I saw the two fire trucks and my neighbors outside, their necks craning as they watched the fire blazing through the second-floor windows.
A few of them noticed Lucian in his hellhound form, and I could already see the accusation on their faces as the other firemen worked fast to contain the fire.
“I should shift back,” he murmured, then stepped away, a quick burst of smoke enveloping his body, until it subsided into his human shape. His fireproof uniform remained in-tact, sparing us a repeat of what happened back at the contestant tent.
Some of my neighbors were whispering among each other, their glares only getting more aggressive, until finally one of the firemen, who I recognized as Baptiste, came out and announced, “May I have everyone’s attention! The fire has been extinguished, and it seems the majority of the damage was concentrated to one apartment. However, for your safety, we recommend that you find alternate accommodations for the night.”
He was met with a chorus of groans and questions, everybody speaking over each other.
Baptiste held up his hands, saying, “We’ll need to bring in experts to inspect the structure and ensure it’s safe before allowing anyone back inside. If there is anything you need retrieved from your apartments in the meantime, we can assist you with that.”
He was barraged again with more questions, which he answered with patience, and I was momentarily relieved that the attention was off Lucian.
