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“Stay here,” he ordered Layla, his voice tight with concern. “I’ll get her out. Do not run in there like you did earlier.”
“Be careful, Jake,” Layla replied, swallowing hard as she watched Jake disappear into the inferno. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew that he was doing what he did best—saving lives.
Inside the burning building, Jake moved quickly and efficiently, his years of experience as a firefighter serving him well. All around him, the heat threatened to become unbearable, but he pushed on, knowing that someone’s life was on the line.
“Help!” A woman’s scream pierced the crackling chaos, guiding him toward her location.
“ I’m here to help you,” Jake shouted, kicking down the door to a smoke-filled room. There, huddled against the far wall, was a woman with terror etched on her face. His eyes widened in recognition; she looked eerily similar to the woman Layla had described from her vision.
“Come with me if you want to live,” he urged, extending a hand toward her. She hesitated for a moment, looking back at the flames that crept ever closer, before finally taking his hand and allowing him to lead her out of the fiery hell.
As they emerged from the building, Layla rushed to their side, relief flooding her features. “You did it, Jake!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You saved her!”
“Thanks to your vision, Layla,” Jake replied, his admiration for her abilities growing stronger by the second. He turned to the woman he had rescued, his brow furrowing as a question nagged at him. “What happened here? Why was this fire started?”
“Betrayal,” the woman whispered, her voice trembling. “My husband...he found out about my affair and set the place on fire. He wanted me to die in there.” She shook her head. “He was yelling at me, and just for a moment, I thought he was someone else, but then he was him again. I have no idea what’s happening!”
The word echoed in Jake’s mind, confirming the eerie accuracy of Layla’s vision. Betrayal—it had been the driving force behind this night’s events.
As they stood amid the chaos of sirens and flashing lights, Jake wrapped an arm protectively around Layla. His trust in her abilities was starting to form, and he wasn’t sure that he liked it at all. He had a feeling there would be more visions, more danger, and more lives to save—but whatever lay ahead, they would all face it together.
Bella and Fiona each reached out a hand to bolster her with their strength. They’d been friends long enough that they all knew what it took out of her to see what she did.
“Let’s call it a night,” Fiona suggested. “We’ll meet back at the mansion tomorrow afternoon.”
Layla nodded. “Cold front is supposed to hit tonight,” she told them. “It may get down to eighty. Not bad for September.”
Chapter Three
The wind whipped throughthe trees, the leaves rustling like a chorus of whispers. Layla stood on the porch of the haunted mansion, her long hair whipping around her face as she tried to focus on the visions that came with the gusts from the north.
“Guys,” Layla called out, her voice barely audible over the wind. “I have something important to tell you.”
Jake, Max, Fiona, and Bella gathered around her, their eyes filled with concern and curiosity. Layla took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her latest vision pressing on her chest.
“Last night, I had a vision,” she began, gripping the railing tightly. “There was a man...he seduced many women in this town, but they were all murdered by his wife.”
