by Debra Dunbar
I huddled under a towel dispenser, readying my energy as the fire rolled along the wall where I’d just stood. I prepared to fight – and to die – but Pele must have decided that vengeance could wait for a drier opportunity. With a wave of her hand, the fire coalesced into a humanoid shape and slid to the door, burning right through it.
Cleo ran, and I saw what was on the other side of the door. Panic. Patrons running and slipping on the wet floor as the staff tried to hustle them out. Hibachi grills steamed, and damp clouds of gray filled the air, hindering the evacuation. The servant had burst through the door like a fireball then split into several beings, each intent on consuming the restaurant as quickly as possible.
I stood, completely soaked and barely able to see from the heavy downpour of the sprinklers and the fog of steam. The sinks were white blobs in a dark, shapeless countertop. I grabbed an edge, envisioning the bathroom layout in my mind as I felt my way along the counter.
The doorway was hot, crumbling into charcoal under my hand. Once into the main room of the restaurant, I hesitated. Which way was out? I could see glowing red lights, but the steam and smoke made them indistinct blurs. Were they exit signs or the decorative neon lining the room? Taking a chance, I headed toward one, banging my hands and legs on chairs and table corners as I made my way forward.
A hand grabbed my arm, and I nearly had a heart attack.
“Amber! Damn it; where have you been? The whole place is on fire.”
Duh. And what did he mean ‘where had I been’? I’d told him I was going to the bathroom and never returned. But now wasn’t the time to get into an argument.
“Can you see? I’m disoriented from the smoke and can’t find the exit.”
He picked me up, tossing me over his shoulder in a very uncomfortable and unromantic move. Then he blew a hole through the wall. The explosion shook the building, and I covered my head as lamps and ceiling tiles rained down around us. Concrete debris filled the air, eliminating whatever scant visibility remained. Irix walked forward, climbing over chunks of rock, cement, and metal rebar as we exited the building. Then he kept going until we were well away from the action.
By the time he sat me upright on the ground, I was coughing and spitting, wiping thick white dust from my skin and eyes. My entire body, dress and all, were covered with wet white ash. And Irix was just as bad. Looking down at me, he smoothed the wet hair from my face then kissed me lightly.
“Next time you go to the bathroom, I’m coming with you.”
Chapter 19
People were clustered in groups outside the restaurant, huddling near their cars as they watched or looked for family members. Smoke poured from the building, flames visible through the big windows. Fire sirens screamed over the building alarm.
“She accosted me in the bathroom,” I told Irix, clutching my arms around my chest with a shiver. “We were talking, and I think we were actually getting somewhere when she got angry. Not as angry as I’ve seen her before, but mad enough to smoke. That set the sprinklers off, and she thought I did it on purpose, like a declaration of war.”
I turned buried my head in Irix’s chest. “It was going so well, and now it’s even worse than it was after our lobby argument. She thinks I attacked her.”
He rubbed my hair, swaying as he held me. “You’re going to need to humble yourself to make this right. That’s not easy for a demon to do, and it’s darned near impossible for an elf to do. Can you?”
I thought about how short my temper had been when it came to Cleo. This was a misunderstanding. I hadn’t attacked her, never meant to go on the offensive. If I had to do a bit of groveling, I’d just need to suck it up and do it. “Gifts? Demons like gifts, and I’m assuming goddesses do too.”
I felt him nod. “We’ll strategize later. Right now there’s at least one fire servant tearing through the restaurant that the fire department isn’t going to be able to stop, and given Pele’s mood, I doubt she’s going to call it back.”
Pulling away from Irix, I turned toward the fire. Kristin had said the offering would make it stop, but I didn’t know who the summoning mage was, let alone what he used as an incentive to wake Pele.
“Should I try my plant magic?”
Irix shook his head. “You’re going to need every ounce of energy, in case things with this goddess go even further south. Let’s observe, see what happens, then I’ll blow it up once the humans are safely out of the way.”
Blow it up. The first little explosion of Irix’s at the beach fire had worked, but the one at the ranch hadn’t. In order to make sure these fire servants left and stayed gone, he was going to need to pull out all the stops. It would take a big explosion, probably a series of big explosions, to make this all go away. And that would definitely alert the angels to his presence.
Cleo couldn’t mean to burn the whole island down. She’d have to stop eventually. Although, by the time her temper cooled, a significant portion of West Maui could be nothing but ash.
“Let’s wait. Maybe it will die down after the building falls.”
We watched as the fire trucks arrived, moving the people further back. There was confusion as nearly two-hundred diners plus staff tried to find their families in the crowd. The professionals got right to work, breaking windows and doors down to send the water shooting into the fire. One man spoke to a woman in a suit, calming her as she gestured wildly toward the building.
I crept closer, trying to listen in. Irix gripped my arm, ready to yank me back if I decided to do something reckless and suicidal.
“—came out of the bathroom like a fireball. We’d gotten a lot of the diners out by then, but it was so steamy and smoky, I don’t know if everyone made it out.”
I wondered what they made of the huge hole Irix had punched in the side of the building. No doubt they were going to think this was the product of some terrorist attack – fireballs and exploding walls.
The fireman turned and motioned to his crew. Three grabbed tanks and axes, heading for the door. They were going to go in. I winced, hoping there was no one left inside and that they got the heck out once they realized this fire was unstoppable.
I turned to Irix. “You can’t blow it up with the firemen inside or this close to the building.”
Obviously. We were just going to have to wait and hope the fire didn’t spread beyond the restaurant. I hated that idea, though. What if it got stronger? There were three servants in there instead of the usual one. If we let it go on any longer, would we be able to stop it at all?
“I know you’re somewhat flame retardant, but could a demon actually stand in the middle of a fire?”
Irix’s hand tightened on my arm. “No. We need our physical bodies to house our spirit-selves, or we die. Most demons can suffer some pretty intense burns and recreate our flesh, but remaining in the flame would kill me. Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Is there any way you could get in and blow it up from the inside without burning to death? Maybe if you do several small explosions from inside, it would be more effective and not as likely to bring a host of angels down on us.”
Irix frowned, thinking. “Possibly. Of course, I could find myself trapped in there with a pissed-off fire spirit.”
“Three.” I winced at his expression. “There are three in there.”
“Three.” He shook his head. “As much as I love you, Amber, I really don’t want to burn to death. Let the building burn. The other fires eventually died out. This one will too.”
The flames doubled in size, roaring out the window as if they were attacking the streams of water. The firemen shouted into walkie-talkies, and two of them came stumbling from the building. Backing away, I shielded my eyes. Damn, that thing was hot.
There was a groaning sound, and then part of the building collapsed a shower of debris and sparks filling the air. Everyone screamed.
Three firemen had gone in, but only two had made it out. My suicidal rescue impulses leapt into action. I took a few steps for
ward before Irix grabbed my arm and yanked me back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.
He knew what I was doing. “One of the firemen is still inside. He didn’t make it out.”
“Are you joking? There’s no way you can go in there.”
He was right. The heat practically blistered my skin from fifty feet away. I couldn’t save the man without burning to death, but by the time the other firemen got the blaze under control, this guy would be dead.
I grabbed Irix’s arm. “Can you go in and save him without dying?”
Irix glanced toward the partially collapsed building. “You’re joking me. It’s collapsed. I’m not going to be able to get in and out without burning to death.”
“Okay.” I squeezed his hand and watched the fire burn out of control. I loved Irix. If it came to a choice between him and a fireman, Irix would win every time. I hated staring at the fire, knowing someone was going to die, but neither one of us could walk through that and live.
Irix made a frustrated noise. “Touching a charred porch, dashing across some burning coals barefoot – yeah, I’ll do that, especially if you ask nicely. And I will risk my life, go to the depths of Hel to save you and make you safe. But I’m not going to waltz into a wall of flames and carry out a two-hundred-pound human.”
“I said ‘okay’. Seriously. I don’t want you to die. I looked around the perimeter of the building. Maybe if I grow a bunch of oak trees, it will shelter him from the fire enough for his buddies to get him out. Kind of like what I did at Kai’s surf shack.”
“No. I need you to save your energy. He’s got some kind of breathing apparatus on. He’s suited up. They’ll get him out.”
I felt so helpless. “Maybe my elven skills extend to fire? I seem to be getting some control over water in the last few days. I can try and see if I can manipulate it, reduce it or make it vulnerable to the extinguishing chemicals.”
Irix grabbed both my arms. “Stay here. Elves burn. Their control over the elements doesn’t extend to fire, and I’m not about to allow you to risk your life in the hope you can fix yourself. You’re staying right here. If the guy dies, he dies. This fire will eventually stop, just like the others did. And you are going to stay right here.”
I recognized that tone of voice. It meant that if I tried anything, he’d physically drag me to safety. Irix wasn’t above knocking me over the head either. He’d never done it, but I knew how ruthless he could be.
“This is the first time the fire has taken a life.” I put my face in my hands. “It’s one thing to watch it burn down Mr. Lee’s house or Kai’s shack, but I can’t just stand here emotionless while someone dies.”
“You can’t do anything about it. It’s not within your skill set, and I’m going to keep you from doing something about it. So your conscience is clear.”
No, it wasn’t, but try explaining that to a demon. I looked over his shoulder at the blaze, winced as more sections of the overhang came down. That poor man was in there, trapped under something and slowly burning, slowly suffocating as his gear failed.
Irix released me with a harsh curse. “You owe me, Amber. You owe me, and I’m talking more than just a favor here.”
What the heck was he talking about? “Owe you for what?”
“I’m going to go in and try and save your guy. No promises, but I’ll try.”
I stared at him. “Irix, don’t. I feel helpless. I’m angry and frustrated. But that’s nothing compared to how I’d feel if you died in there.”
He scowled at the fire. “I won’t die. I’m just going to burn for the third time this vacation. It hurts like fuck. It smells horrible. And I rather like this suit. But for you, I’ll do it.”
Grumbling something under his breath, Irix moved me back into the shelter of the ladder truck. “Stay here. I mean it. Do not follow me in. If I find you one step closer than this, you’ll spend the rest of our vacation locked in the bedroom. Got it?”
I bit back a smart reply and nodded, watching as he darted around the truck and into the flames. The fire chief yelled out then threw up his hands, mumbling something about fools and suicide.
Fire roared, flickering through the broken windows and the splintered roof joists. I couldn’t see the fire-beings, had no idea which of the myriad of flames devouring the building were supernatural and which were regular. Seconds seemed like hours. What the hell had I been thinking to let Irix risk his life for somebody I didn’t even know?
Another beam crashed and the crowd screamed. I slapped my hands over my mouth as a figure wreathed in flames appeared in the doorway. Something fell from his arms, rolling across the singed ground – the fireman, his suit smoke-blackened. His colleagues ran to him, and the figure, Irix, inexplicably turned around and went back into the inferno. What the fuck was he doing? I clenched my fists, wishing we’d just walked away. Screw this island and its humans. I didn’t want to lose the love of my life, the being I hoped to spend tens of thousands of years with to a stupid goddess’s temper tantrum.
A series of small explosions shook the building, and for a second, the fire died, becoming an enormous cloud of smoke and debris. Then, like a movie in reverse, the smoke was sucked back into the building with a burst of light. As if angry it had been denied, the fire roared with increased vigor. Firemen shouted, trying to target the largest flames with their hose. Irix appeared again, this time carrying a bundle wrapped in soaked towels. The flames snuffed out from the few remaining scraps of his clothing as he staggered across the lawn while onlookers and firemen stared open-mouthed.
I stared too. He was practically naked, his skin black and smoking. Handing the bundle to a paramedic, he faced me and grimaced. The remaining skin around his mouth cracked and oozed. Fear stole my breath. What if he couldn’t fix himself? What if...?
“Gorahuptit.”
Huh? I stared at him horrified. He looked like something out of a zombie movie. I knew he was a demon, but I couldn’t wrap my head around the thought that he could be walking and somewhat talking, that he could survive this, let alone ever look like Irix again.
In a flash, he stood before me, gorgeous and unmarked – and completely naked. “I said, the explosions took out two, but there’s still one of them in there, and it’s pissed. Oh and I found a little kid unconscious under a table.”
Oh, God. He’d saved a little kid as well as the fireman. I wanted to jump him right then and there. Irix might be a demon, might steal stuff without a qualm, be selfish, but he was the most amazing man I’d ever met.
“Hand me a blanket or something, will you, love? No sense in distracting these good humans from their work with my godlike body.”
Sheesh. I rolled my eyes, but, in all honesty, I was thrilled to see his godlike body, the skin flawless without a hint of burn. I reached for one of the blankets and froze. The fire had become fiercer — as if it were angry. As if it were a living thing.
“Amber. Blanket. Sometime before I start an orgy, please.”
“Look.” I exhaled the word, pointing as a wall of flames detached from the building and strolled across the stream of water as it headed toward the crowd – toward us. Strolled. As if it had legs. Shit, this fire-being got stronger and more resistant to our attempts to stop it every time it appeared.
Irix let out a stream of atypical profanity and grabbed me, shoving me behind him. I’ll admit, it was a nicer view than I’d had before, and I appreciated his act of protection, but who would protect all those people?
The onlookers ran. The firemen changed tactics, shouting orders as they targeted their streams of water into the fire creature. It was unaffected, reaching out toward a man who ducked under the ladder truck. I felt the heat of it, unlike any natural fire I’d ever experienced.
“It’s spreading. And it’s not just burning everything in its path, it’s trying to grab and kill people.”
Irix had done all he could with his small explosions, and a large one was still out of the question
with all the people nearby. I looked around, frantic to find some type of plant I could erupt into a jungle, but the fire had already taken out all the containers of flowers around the entrance. The nearest green thing was a scraggly Kukui tree nearly two-hundred feet away. By the time I managed to grow a grove through the blacktop of the lengthy parking lot, I’d be too tapped out to smother the fire monster.
And then I’d be completely vulnerable to anything Cleo decided to launch at me later. Unlike her, I didn’t have limitless resources.
Every one of my muscles tensed, releasing as I saw the man roll out from under the ladder truck seconds before flames surrounded it. The firemen redoubled their efforts, but the smell of burning rubber and electrical wire went up with a wave of black smoke. One by one, the giant tires blew, the enormous truck creaking as the heat from the supernatural flame melted metal.
“What do we do?’ I whispered, desperately wanting to cover my eyes and wish it all away. “It’s going to kill people. What do we do to stop it?”
“Nothing.” Irix grabbed my arms, hauling me away from the fire. “We don’t have a plan, and I’d kill more people than the fire servant with an explosion big enough to take it out. We can’t do anything to help, and I’m not about to watch you worry yourself into doing something stupid.”
“We can’t leave!”
“Oh, yes we can. We’ll leave, call Kristin, do research. Regroup and face it all when we’ve got a snowflake’s chance of success.”
“What if the fire servant doesn’t stop? We may not have time to regroup.” I dug in my heels and tried to gain leverage against Irix’s momentum.
“I don’t care.”
He spun me about, tossing me over his shoulder in an impatient move I’d come to recognize as oh-so-Irix. As I bounced against his back, I saw a figure walking toward the fire – a guy in worn jeans and sweat-stained shirt with a ball cap on his head. Something about the way he moved, the profile of his face in the flickering firelight stirred my memories.