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ladyseaheart1668 · 5 years

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Endless Summer Book 4 : Daughter of Vaanu (Chapter 42)

Description: Alodia faces disappointment. Meanwhile, in Northbridge, Caleb finds himself in trouble.

Thank you to all my readers who show me such infinite patience when I don’t update for almost two months. I’m so sorry! ;_;

Tagging: @endlesshero1122 @mysteli @whatmcsaid @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @feartheendlesssummer @tigerbryn11

Chapter 42: Friendly Fire

Michelle

I am in Elyys'tel. I am concealed within a flower-draped marriage hut, naked in the arms of the man I love. Outside, the Vaanti city is cloaked in the tropical night, and the warm breezes that slip off the sea are trickling through the cracks in the hut's exterior. They hit my sweaty skin and I shiver a little, but Sean curls closer to me and pulls the blanket up to cover me.

“Well, Dr. Gayle. Here we are. Back in Elyys'tel.”

“Makes a change after a private jet and the luxury yacht,” I quip. “...But it's appropriate that we're here. ...We took the first steps towards healing the damage to our relationship here...”

“...This is the place where I fell in love with you all over again.”

“So soon?” I can't help grinning a little as I trail my forefinger over his chest. “I thought you spent most of our time here smitten with Alodia.”

He makes a face. “Am I ever gonna live that down? It was a passing crush, and you know it. She and I never would have worked.”

“No, you wouldn't have.” I kiss him. “She wouldn't have put up with half of your nonsense. And the half she let you get away with wouldn't have been very good for you.”

“Whereas you keep me firmly in my place.” He rolls toward me, cupping my cheek. “...Are you worried about her?”

“Aren't you?”

He shrugs, but his nonchalance is a little forced. “She's having a baby. Of course I'm worried. But you seem particularly distracted.”

I wince a little. “I...keep wanting to check my phone. See if they've sent news.”

He laughs. “Did you put your phone on silent?”

“...No.”

“I don't think we were loud enough that you wouldn't have heard it go off. Besides, they'll radio Seraxa if anything happens while we're here.”

I smile sheepishly. “They'll probably radio her anyway to check up on us.” I shake my head a little, clearing it. “Okay, you're right. Everything's under control and I'm not going to spend my whole honeymoon worrying.”

Sean grins, kissing me warmly. “That's my Michelle. Now, how about we head over to the village? Pretty sure I can hear the dinner horns sounding.”

Jake

I'm back in California the day before Alodia's appointment. I don't think she sleeps very well that night. I'm not sure if it's nerves, or if the baby is just making it hard for her to get comfortable, but I wake up several times to feel her shifting restlessly, and when I wake up in the morning, her side of the bed is already cooled.

I find her downstairs at the kitchen table, delicately eating a piece of toast with something green on top, a glass of orange juice beside her plate.

“What's that?”

“Avocado on toast.”

I chuckle. “With orange juice. Could you be any more California right now?”

She smirks back at me. “The orange juice is vegan.”

“Can orange juice be not-vegan?”

“Hell if I know. But this stuff is. Pretty sure the only way I could be more California right now is if I were smoking weed. But I don't think that'd be a good idea in my present condition.”

I make a face, shaking my head as I take the seat beside her. “I'm a little surprised that you're not having toast with peanut butter.”

She gives me a sheepish smile and holds up her toast to show me the edges. “What do you think I used to stick the avocado slices?”

I laugh. But then a thought occurs to me, and I feel my smile slip. “Is it okay for you to eat? With the procedure today?”

“They recommend I fast for six hours before hand. It's seven now, and the procedure's about three, so I think I'm good.” Abruptly, she puts down her toast and holds out her hand to me. I fold it between my palms and kiss her fingertips. “...You'll stay with me, won't you? While it's all going on?”

“You know I will. I won't leave your side for anything.”

“I'm scared, Jake.”

“'Course you are, Princess. Ain't no surprises there.” I scoot my chair closer so that I can reach out and stroke her cheek. “That's why I'm coming with you. Why I'll be there holding your hand the whole time. I don't think I can stop you being scared, but you won't be alone.”

This time, she's the one who scoots closer. Close enough that she can lean into my embrace. She lays her head on my chest, and I'm suddenly concerned she'll be able to hear how hard my heart is pounding. I don't want her to realize that I'm scared, too. She needs me to be strong right now. Anything I feel can wait.

* * *

We arrive at the hospital in the early afternoon. They want us there in case Alodia goes into labor during the procedure. They get her in a gown, and lend me a set of scrubs. Once we're changed, they run a battery of tests, checking on her and the baby before they give her an IV of something to make her uterus relax. We sit mostly in silence while we wait for the doctor to come back. I hold her hand and stroke her hair, and I think I murmur something comforting. At least, I hope it's comforting. She's smiling faintly at me while I mutter, but there's fear in her eyes, and it's making my heart ache.

When the doctor comes back, she's wearing a cheery smile. Her voice is bright as she asks how Alodia's doing, and if she's ready to start. Alodia puts on a brave face and says she's ready as her grip on my hand tightens. I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss her knuckles.

“You got this, Princess.”

“Not so sure I do, Top Gun,” she replies softly. “...This might be a moment where I have to let go.”

“Maybe,” I admit. “Just don't let go of me, okay? 'Cause I ain't letting go of you.”

“In case you haven't figured it out by now, McKenzie, I am never going to let you g-go...” Her breath catches and her grip tightens again as the doctor takes hold of her belly. I slip my free arm over her shoulders, leaning in close. She turns her head toward me, and I touch my brow to hers. We could be in for a couple hours of pushing and prodding. All I can do is let her feel me beside her.

Diego

Classes do a fairly good job of keeping me distracted so I don't spend the day worrying about Allie. But when I check my phone between lectures and see I have a missed call from Jake, I can't ignore the strong twinge of fear that lances through my belly. My breath feels a little shallow as I press the call-back button and put the phone to my ear. Jake answers before the second ring is complete.

“Hey, pup.”

“Hey...you called?”

“Yeah.” His voice is weary, and that concerns me. “Thought you might want an update.”

“From the sound of your voice, it doesn't sound like good news.”

“Alodia's fine,” he quickly assures me. “So's the baby. But they couldn't get her to turn.”

“Oh.” I feel my heart sinking, sharing the weight of their disappointment. “So...what now?”

“Doctor thinks we could try again in another week or so. But...after today, we ain't too keen on that idea.”

“Why not?”

Jake hesitates for a moment before answering. “...The procedure wasn't easy to endure. For her or me.”

I close my eyes, my heart squeezing in sympathy. “Shit...”

“What we're probably gonna do is just wait for her to go into labor naturally. Doctor says a natural birth might still be an option. Something about the way the baby's positioned now, and if she stays that way, she might still be able to come out safely without a C-section. But...the surgery's always an option, too.”

I exhale, my breath shaking. “So...are you guys home yet?”

“Not yet. They wanna keep an eye on her for a few hours. But then they'll let us go. ...Will you be late tonight?”

“My last lecture is over at seven. I didn't have any plans after that. Why?”

“I kinda think she's gonna need some extra care tonight.”

“...I'll come straight home after work. ...Can I talk to her now?”

“If you don't have to rush off, I'm sure it'd be a comfort to her. Hang on a sec.” There's a moment of silence on the other end. Then I hear her voice, weak and wobbling.

“...Diego?”

“Hey, sweetie. How're you feeling?”

“It didn't work.”

“I know. I heard. ...I'm sorry, Allie. I know that's gotta be disappointing.”

“The doctor said it doesn't help that it's my first pregnancy. Something about how my uterus hasn't been...broken in, I guess. They gave me something to relax my muscles before the procedure, but it still hurt...”

“Oh, Allie...”

“I just wanted everything to go smoothly...”

“I know. Of course you did. It sucks that you've been thrown this loop. But River is still healthy and strong, right?”

“...Yeah. No problems other than the fact that she's not upside down yet.”

“And you're strong and healthy, too. I know this is a bummer and it's not ideal. But you and River being healthy and safe is the most important part. ...Still, I won't tell you not to be disappointed or worried.”

“Good. Because I couldn't listen if I wanted to.”

“I'm probably going to be home before you guys. Anything you want me to pick up for you?”

“If you mean food-wise, don't bother. I can't think about eating right now, and I have no idea what River'll be demanding by the time I get hungry. I'll figure it out later.”

“What about not-food-wise? Painkillers? Earplugs? How are you on toothpaste? You want a pair of fuzzy socks? A magazine? A kitten? I could build you a blanket-fort in the rec room and load it up with Babysitters Club books.”

The nostalgic reference finally gets a weak chuckle out of her. “Maybe just load up every episode of The Crown and the Flame so I can watch it until I fall asleep.”

“Anything you want. ...Te quiero mucho, mi hermana.”

“Te quiero mucho, mi hermano.”

Caleb

I'd be lying if I said my hopes of getting in good with Tahira and her heroes haven't been fading since I accidentally figured out Talos' identity. It was one thing when all I'd done was run him through with a flaming sword, but I also tried to kill his mother. And she was my target, not just random collateral damage. At the least, I know it's gonna take more than information about their enemies to win Talos over. But what else do I got?

I swear I'm going through my smokes faster than ever these days. I've gotten to know the cashiers' schedules at the convenience store way too well. Not that there are many there. Dylan's there most times I go in. And he always works Tuesday evenings. Which is why I'm surprised that he isn't behind the counter when I come in on this particular Tuesday. Instead, the manager stands behind the counter.

“No Dylan today?” I ask as he rings me out. He raises an eyebrow at me.

“You a friend of his?”

“More like an acquaintance. Just kinda used to seeing him around here.”

The manager purses his lips and pauses, one hand on the six-pack on the counter in front of him, and one hovering over the keyboard where he's been punching in my items. He stays still long enough for it to be weird.

“...Something wrong?”

He shakes himself out of whatever stupor he was in, and punches in the price of the six-pack. “...Dylan was supposed to be on today, but he didn't show.”

“And he didn't call in sick or something?”

“No. That's what's worrying. He's never missed a shift before. He's only been late twice, and both times, he called to let me know he was coming. I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up.”

I feel myself frowning as I slide my cash toward the old man. “So...you think something's happened to him?”

“I hope not.”

I shrug, trying to ignore the nagging dread in my gut. “I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just playing hooky.”

“I sincerely hope that's all it is. Honestly, if he comes in for his next shift, I'll be so relieved, I'll let him off with a slap on the wrist.”

I mutter something vaguely optimistic as I pocket my change and snatch up the plastic bag with my shit in it. Fact is, I think the old man has reason to worry. If this were any other teenage guy, I'd say he was probably just blowing off work. But Dylan isn't working this job because he doesn't have enough allowance. I've gotten aquainted enough with him to know that even if he were desperate for a day off, he wouldn't just not turn up. I could see him calling up with a fake cough maybe, just to make sure the job would still be there tomorrow.

Weather in the middle of March is unpredictable as fuck. All day long it was sunny and pleasant. Now the sun's gone down, it might as well be winter. My hands shake with the cold as I pick at the edge of the cellophane wrapper with my thumbnail. I manage to wrestle it open and tap a cigarette into my palm. I place it between my teeth and summon a flame with a snap of my fingers. The flood of carcinogens into my systems and the warmth of the flame dancing over my skin immediately relax me. I let the fire spread over my hand like a glove, then draw the other hand out of my pocket and call a flame to that one, too. I lean against the store's facade, cigarette gripped between my teeth, inhaling on one side of my mouth, and exhaling smoke out the other, savoring the pleasant tingle of fire on my skin.

“Well. This is just too perfect.”

The voice makes me groan. I turn to scowl at Roach as he slinks out of the shadows.

“Fuck off, Roach. I got nothing for Gigi and I'm not in the mood for your shit, either.”

“Yeah, you're not in a position to be telling me to fuck off right now, Caleb. Gigi knows everything.”

I feel my blood start to turn cold in my veins. I scowl harder, hoping I can disguise any fear that may have crossed my face with cold anger.

“And just what kinda 'everything' is she supposed to know?”

“Just that you're sleeping with the enemy.”

“The fuck I am,” I scoff. “Can't even remember the last good fuck I had. Even Rosie Palm and her five sisters aren't so eager as they used to be.”

“Oh yeah? 'Cause word around the squat is you've climbed into bed with a dragon. And Gigi's super pissed. Sent me to find you and make sure you knew she's gonna teach you a lesson.”

I throw my cigarette down to the pavement, grinding it out under my heel. It's not even half gone, but for once, the fear that's tying my gut in knots has killed the craving for nicotine.

“...What kinda lesson?” I manage to ask, focusing all my attention on making sure my voice doesn't shake. I'm getting a real bad feeling I know where this lesson is gonna start. Where it already has started. Roach's smirk only solidifies my fear.

“Didn't know for sure you were gonna come by here tonight. Glad you did. Makes it so much more dramatic. You know how Gigi likes things dramatic.”

I lunge for Roach, grabbing him by the front of his coat and lifting him bodily off the ground. I take some satisfaction in seeing a look of panic skitter across his face as I pull him toward me.

“What the fuck has Gigi done with the kid?” I growl.

Roach grips my wrists, squirming in my grasp. “He...he's at the abandoned clock tower! The dragon's lair!” He manages a bit of a smirk. “Which you know already, don't you?”

“So it's a trap for Dragonness, is that it?” When Roach doesn't answer immediately, I shake him. “Answer me, you little cockroach! What's Gigi's game here?!”

“Sh-she's got liquid prism! Enough to take out Dragonness for good!”

“Oh, she thinks that's possible, huh?! She thinks she's got any kind of fucking chance?!”

“You think she doesn't?”

I don't answer that. I throw Roach down with a snarl, stalking away down the sidewalk. This is a trap. It's obviously a trap. The question is whether it's as simple a trap as it looks like. Not likely. But right now, that doesn't matter. Soon as I'm far enough away, I pull out my phone and call Tahira. She doesn't answer the first time. I don't wait for voicemail. I call back immediately. She doesn't answer the second time either. But the third time, she picks up on the fourth ring.

“...Caleb?”

“What took you so long?! Where the hell have you been?!”

She pauses briefly.“I'm not sure you want me to answer that.” There's enough cheek in her tone of voice for me to read between the lines, and I groan.

“Well, you're gonna have to get off your boyfriend's dick. ...Actually, on second thought, stay on him. Stay on him, and don't go anywhere. The clock tower's been compromised.”

“...What do you mean 'compromised'?”

“Look, I don't know how it happened, but somehow Gigi found out I've been talking with you, and she knows where you've been making your base. She's laid a trap for you there.”

“Wait, she found out you've been talking with me? Are you in danger?”

“Probably, yeah. Pretty sure this is as much about teaching me a lesson as taking you out of the picture.”

“So where are you? Are you someplace safe?”

“Not at the moment. But I will be. Just...stay where you are and warn Talos and Minuet. I'll take care of business at the clock tower.”

“Business? What business? What kind of trap are you walking into?”

“Not exactly sure.”

“You shouldn't be going there, Caleb. Any trap they set for me is going to be dangerous for you, too.”

I resist the urge to groan. I can't tell her they've got Dylan. Hero types don't really care about putting themselves in danger if they can possibly save an innocent.

“Right. Yeah. I'm sure you're right. Okay, I'll lay low. Just make sure you warn the others. I'll letcha go.”

“Caleb, wait! ...Does Gigi know who I am?”

“Not to my knowledge. At least, not that her lackey told me. But she might. Look, I gotta go. We shouldn't talk too long.” I hang up before she has a chance to reply. I don't know how much time we've actually got here. I'm not wasting any of it trying to convince a hero not to be a hero. I just had to try.

Tahira

“...That didn't sound good,” Grayson remarks needlessly.

“I can assure you it wasn't.” I give him a summary of the conversation I just had with Caleb.

“...Do you believe him?”

I frown. It honestly hadn't even occurred to me he might be lying. “Not sure what the advantage would be in telling me to just stay here with you. But I don't like how quickly he agreed to lay low. I definitely think there's something he isn't telling me.”

I throw off the blankets and slip out of bed, searching the pile on the floor for my underclothes. The backpack in the corner contains my supersuit, and I head for it as soon as I have my bra and panties back on.

“Where are you going?”

“I'm gonna call the others, and then I'm gonna go to the clock tower.”

“...Is that a good idea?”

“Probably not. There's a trap laid for me there. ...But the thing about a trap is that it's usually baited.” I turn back to him as I tug on my suit. “...Stay here, okay? Lock the doors and windows once I'm gone and don't open them until I get back.”

“I'll be careful,” he promises. He gets out of bed and comes to embrace me just before I slip my mask on, kissing me deeply. “Just make sure you're careful, too.”

“I'll do my best. I love you, Grayson.”

“I love you, Tahira.”

Caleb

My van gets me from the store to the clock tower. I park illegally and rush inside to pound up the stairs, pausing only to catch my breath a few steps from the top. It takes a few minutes to get my wind back. Maybe I oughta consider cutting back on the Camels.But I'll worry about that later. Right now, what matters is getting Dylan back where he belongs.

It's not easy to see into the tower loft from below without being seen myself. I almost wish I had let Tahira come along, if only for her powers of flight. But the tower room isn't so big that I can't get at least a decent look. And at the moment, all I see is Dylan—gagged, blindfolded, and bound to a chair in the middle of the room. I take the last few steps into the tower, and when no one jumps me after thirty seconds, I make my way over to the kid. He flinches at my footsteps, whimpering.

“Easy, kid. You're okay.” I bend down in front of him, reaching around to undo the blindfold so he'll be able to see me right away. “Just me, see?”

Dylan's dark eyes go wide as he starts to struggle against his bonds. He's trying to talk, sounding frantic, but the gag is getting in the way.

“Okay, okay! Calm down and let me get this gag off you. Won't take a second.” I tug apart the knot at the back of his head and feel him push the gag away with his tongue.

“My family!” he cries. “She's going after my family!”

“What?!” We both startle at the new voice as Dragonness suddenly swoops in from the balcony. “What did she say? Where are they?”

“I thought I told you to stay put!” I growl, earning myself a reproachful sneer.

“And since when do you expect me to take orders from you?” she snaps back. “Dylan, where are your brother and cousins? Do you know?”

“They should all be home tonight. But I don't know if she got to them before they got there, or...”

“Okay, say no more. I'm going to go ahead and check on the house. Caleb, you and Dylan follow behind, but keep Dylan at a safe distance until I give you the all-clear. It's the rectory at Saint Catherine of Siena church in Bayside!”

She doesn't wait for a response before she rushes out and takes to the sky. I roll my eyes. “Typical. She won't take orders, but she's just fine giving them and expecting me to obey.” I sigh, pulling a switchblade from my pocket. “Hold still, Dylan. I'm just gonna cut you loose.”

“She is the leader, isn't she?”

I roll my eyes. “She ain't my leader!” I slice through the bonds with a little bit of elbow grease, and pull him to his feet. “C'mon. I can't fly, so we're gonna have to get outta here the old-fashioned way. My van is parked outside.”

We take the stairs down two or three at a time. And who should we spy as we surge out the door at the bottom but Kenji Katsaros, getting off his motorcycle. I roll my eyes.

“Ahh, Jesus! Didn't Tahira even call you?”

Kenji freezes, and it suddenly hits me that he isn't in bronze yet. And he doesn't know that I know.

“...What?”

I snap out of it, shaking my head. “Look, I know. I know who you are. You can grill me on the details later, but right now, we gotta move. The kid's family is in trouble. Tahira's heading to the reflector house at St. Catherine's in Bayside and we gotta follow.” What is actually going through Kenji's mind as he stares at me is anyone's guess. As the silence stretches on, I start to fidget. “...Look, come or don't come. But we're going. I got a feeling Tahira's gonna need backup.”

“...How are you getting there?”

“I got my van.”

Kenji shakes his head. “Van can't make it through the shortcuts my bike can. I've got two helmets and enough room to squeeze you both on. Get on. Helmets, both of you, and hop on. No arguing.”

We're not interested in arguing. Though Dylan does hesitate as he puts the helmet on. “...Don't you need one, too?”

Before our eyes, Kenji's skin transforms, from flesh to bright bronze. “...No.”

Tahira

“Dragonness?” Kenji's voice crackles through my earpiece. “It's Talos. I ran into Caleb outside the tower, and he filled me in. I'll make sure Minuet's updated. You okay?”

“Fine,” I reply a little sheepishly. “I probably should have made contact myself, huh?”

“Probably, but never mind. We're on our way.”

“Thanks. I'm gonna go quiet now. I'm approaching the church. Marci, dim the lights for me.”

Marci obediently turns down the lights on my suit as I descend. The night vision feature on my mask casts everything in an eerie, unnatural green hue. From the sky, everything looks peaceful, but I know better than to trust a bird's eye view. I touch down on the lawn behind the darkened church, creeping through a garden of stone saints and angels toward the rectory. Everything is quiet as I approach. There are lights on at the front of the small cottage-style house. And now I'm wondering how best to proceed. Should I creep through the shrubbery to peek in the windows, potentially alarming Father Li and the kids and possibly alerting my enemies to my presence? Or do I definitely alert my enemies by just knocking on the front door? Ultimately, stealth seems to be the best option. I slip behind the shrubs and press myself flush against the brick wall, stepping carefully around twigs as I ease my way to the lighted window.

Everything looks peaceful inside. I'm looking into the living room, where I can see all four of the other children. Alex and Zig are watching television, Ysabel looks to be doing homework, and RJ is playing tug-of-war with the dog on the floor. I don't see Father Li anywhere, but no one appears to be in any sort of distress. And that makes me nervous. I ease out of my hiding place and make my way around to the front door. I don't see a doorbell, so I raise the brass knocker and tap it a few times against the door.

Immediately, I hear the dog barking, and RJ shouting from inside, “I'll get it!” Then one of the other children shouts something I can't make out. There's the sound of scrambling little feet and doggy claws. Then there's a long pause. Long enough for me to get nervous.

“Uh...hello?” I call. There's a soft creak and a click, I look down to see that the letter slot on the door has been pushed out.

“Who is it?” Ysabel calls through the flap. I have to get on my hands and knees to peer in the slot and show her my face.

“It's Dragonness. Can I come inside?”

“Sure, just a minute!”

The lock clicks, and the door opens. Zelda, her tail wagging wildly, pushes past Ysabel to sniff at my feet and scratch at my legs. I obligingly pat her, but my attention is focused on the task at hand. Something definitely feels off here. My veins are sizzling with a warning.

“Is Father Li here?”

“Uh-huh. He's in his room saying his prayers. He always says his Rosary after dinner.”

“Please show me which room is his. I need all of you to come with me, Father Li included.”

Ysabel frowns, exchanging glances with her cousin and brothers. “...Why?”

Oh, great. How do I explain the situation to an eleven-year-old without terrifying her and her family? Or sounding like the kind of sketchy stranger mothers warn their children about? Before I can answer, RJ wrinkles his nose.

“Eww, who farted?”

It's about then that everything starts to happen at once. The smell of rotten eggs hits my nose. Marci starts to shriek in my ear, “Warning, Tahira! Warning! Carbon disulfide is detectable in this environment! Immediate removal is recommended!” And then I catch sight of a shimmer in the darkened corridor leading to Father Li's room. A kind of shimmer that's become familiar to me in the time I've fought with and beside Eva. The shimmer of light reflecting off the surface of a stealth suit.

“Kids, get outside! Get outside! Now!” I hear them scramble for the door, and I lunge toward the corridor. “Father Li! Father Li, get out of the house!”

Before I can reach the priest's room, a massive wall of fire springs up in my path, licking rapidly up the walls, poised to consume everything in its path.

Eva

I arrive on the scene about the same time as Talos drives up with Caleb and Dylan. I don't immediately see the flames, but they become visible only a breath after Tahira stumbles out of the rectory with the other four kids and the dog, coughing into the crease of her elbow. Dylan immediately runs to embrace his family. Talos and I spring into hero-mode, rushing to confer with our leader. I can faintly hear the smoke alarm shrieking inside the house.

“Are you all right?” Talos asks anxiously. Tahira nods, gulping the fresh air with ragged breaths.

“Take a moment to catch your breath,” I advise her, but she shakes her head.

“No time,” she manages to croak. “The priest is still inside. Talos, you're with me. We're going back in. Minuet, I need you and Caleb to go after the arsonist.”

“Arsonist?”

“That's right. They're wearing a stealth suit, but they can't have gotten far. I'm counting on you two to catch them. Go!”

Tahira doesn't wait for either Caleb or I to answer before she rushes back toward the house with Talos behind her. I glance over at Caleb, who looks a little bewildered.

“You heard the woman, Fire Man!” I snap. “Come on! Fire's the perfect light to reflect off the stealth suit, and you can help me look for a trail! And I need one of you kids to call 9-1-1! Now!”

Talos

Even with me as her shield, Tahira is thankfully not reckless enough to charge right back into the burning rectory the same way she went in. We circle the rectory until we find a window into a dimly lit room at the back of the house where the priest lies unconscious on the carpet in front of a crucifix surrounded by battery-powered tea lights on a linen draped table. From the window we can see the glow of the flames under the door and the thick smoke pouring through the cracks underneath and on the sides to tumble toward the ceiling.

“I guess that explains why he didn't respond to the smoke alarm,” Tahira mutters grimly. “Whoever it was must've taken him out first.”

“You think he's alive?” I ask.

“Only one way to find out.” She grasps the edges of the window screen and rips it off without any visible effort, tossing it casually aside before she braces her hands on the window pane, gets herself into a lunge, and pushes upward. The locked window resists her efforts at first, but the locks are really not any match for her strength, and it's only a matter of seconds before they yield, twisting beyond repair as the window slides open, sending a cloud of smoke spiraling into our faces. In one graceful motion, Tahira sails effortlessly through the opening. I follow, less gracefully, and immediately run to the door while Tahira checks on the priest. I let the bronze fade away from my hand just long enough to place my palm gingerly against the door.

“He's alive! No visible injury. I don't really want to move him, but I don't think we have a choice. We need to get him out of the house.”

“Well, we're not getting out through the door,” I reply flatly, turning back to her. “It's hot. The fire's right on the other side.”

“Here. Help me get him onto his back. If you can support his head, I can get him up onto my back and out the window. Hang on, Father Li. We're gonna take care of you.”

Caleb

The arsonist may have been stealthy in setting the fire, but they aren't all that careful in making their getaway. Minuet and I follow footprints left in the grass until the flames dancing along the lengths of my fingers start to reflect a shimmer ahead of us.

Minuet throws out her hands, and the slow-motion field flows out of her in a visible shockwave. After a moment where she appears to be concentrating deeply, she begins to twist her hands, curling her fingers.

“All right, Caleb, I've got them trapped. Let's see about getting them unmasked.”

“...How do we do that?”

She rolls her eyes, glaring reproachfully. “You walk up to them and take the stealth suit off! How else?”

“But...does it have...like...a zipper?”

Minuet looks like she's trying not to facepalm. “For fuck's sake...”

A faint chuckle comes from the air in front of us. Both of us snap our eyes forward to focus on the figure shimmering vaguely in the light of my flame. And then comes the voice, feminine and familiar, with the annoying nasally pitch affected by particularly snobby teenage girls.

“Okay, Cal, you got me. But it was all in good fun, right?”

Samara. Another one of Gigi's proteges, and a particularly vicious one at that. She's only fifteen, but she's right up there with Roach as one of Gigi's most trusted. She's like the psychopathic teenager who was Lucy Liu's bodyguard in Kill Bill. Except slightly less likely to disembowl a teenage boy for flirting with her. Slightly. I grit my teeth, marching over to the shimmering figure and extinguishing my flames as soon as my hand finds her shoulder. As I search for a fastening, I'm careful to keep my hands out of the way of anything private, but she still titters.

“Ohh, Caleb, I never knew you cared.”

“Shut the fuck up, Samara! You're fifteen, and I'm a whole lot fucking older, so don't you dare! I'm not a fucking pedophile.”

I find the edge of a mask near her collarbone and tug it away from the collar of her suit. This seems to break some vital connection, because the rest of her becomes visible as I pull the mask off over her head.

She grins at me, her eyes glittering with malice. “So uptight. I thought you knew how to take a joke. Especially one that involves fire.”

“Minuet, any chance you can put her mouth in slow-mo, too?”

“Doesn't seem like it's possible. I can gag her, though, once I've got the cuffs on her.”

“Not that it matters,” Samara says blithely. “Since I've been caught, I'm going to be questioned. And I mean to make sure the police know Caleb helped me plan the whole thing.”

Minuet scoffs as she pulls the handcuffs from her belt and works around her slow-mo field to get Samara's hands behind her back. “You really think that's going to work? When three trusted supers are going to vouch for him?”

“Not to mention the manager at the convenience store,” I point out. “He's got no beef with me, no reason not to say where I was.”

Samara just shrugs. “Believe what you like. But I for one find it hard to believe that the cops won't still suspect you had something to do with it, Man of Fire. Even if it's only briefly. And even if they didn't, your past criminal record means they can still make your life very, very difficult. ...I wonder, do you have that much confidence in your new friends to protect you?”

Tahira

Father Li is still alive when Eva and Caleb return. He's alive, but he hasn't come around. Ysabel at least had the presence of mind to grab her cell phone before rushing out of the house, and she assures me that the fire department is on its way. I look back up at Eva and Caleb, approaching with what looks to be a teenage girl bound and gagged walking between them.

“One baby arsonist, bagged up and ready to go,” Eva quips mirthlessly. I frown.

“Was the gag necessary?”

“She was winding Caleb up. Suggesting that she was going to implicate him as an accomplice, and that her word would stand against ours.”

“She's not wrong,” Caleb declares grimly. “Me on the scene of an arson? I'll be arrested before you can get a word out. ...I gotta get the fuck outta here before the cops get here.”

“I agree,” Talos says, startling me slightly. I look up at him questioningly. “...It's better if we ease the DA into the idea that the three of us have been working with the Man of Fire. ...Considering that before we got you back, Dragonness, Minuet and I promised her access to the only prison that's ever held him.”

“You what?!” Caleb yelps.

“Relax. She doesn't have it yet. The point is, we need you to not be here as much as you need to not be here, so go.”

A protracted silence crescendos as Talos' words hang in the air, broken only by the roar of flames behind us...and then the distant wailing of sirens.

“They're coming, Caleb! If you're going to get out, this is your chance!”

And before I have a chance to protest or question, the Man of Fire is away like a shot.

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