Page 26 of A Memory in the Flame

The entire structure is enveloped in smoke and flames. They’re spreading dangerously fast, destroying everything in their wake. Sirens echo in the a distance, but they’re still too far away.

Suddenly Noah appears at my side. He grabs my arm and pulls me back. “Don’t even think about it,” he says. “You’re not going in there.”

“People are hurt! They’re dying!” I cry. What I mean, though, is thatDrewcould be hurt.Drewcould be dying. I try to turn back, but Noah holds me firm.

“Death happens, princess,” he snaps. “You can’t be the hero of every tragedy.”

“Letgoof me!”

His grip doesn’t loosen. “I’m not going to let you run in there and get yourself killed. You’rehuman, Charlie, which means you’re weak.”

“Screw you,” I snarl as I try to break free, but I only end up pressed against him, and I no longer enjoy the feeling.

“Charlie?”

My head whips around so fast the world spins for a second before Drew’s panic-stricken face comes into focus.Oh, thank god. I turn back to Noah to demand he let me go, but he finally frees me. The instant his hold is gone, I rush over to Drew and throw my arms around him. Any awkwardness from our breakup is gone—I’m just grateful to see him.

“Are you really here?” he asks with a dazed expression.

I sob and cup his face. “What were you doing in there, Drew? What the hell happened?”

“I have no idea.” It’s hard to hear him over the screaming and crying. “We were shopping in town. The three of us. We lost track of Garrett, and I saw him sneaking into this place. He… he probably wanted to see the vampires feeding.” Drew blinks quickly, as if he’s trying to get the smoke out of his eyes. “Nina ran ahead. I started to go in after them, but then the entire building just… exploded.”

As he finishes, a window shatters nearby. We both flinch. “Drew, we need to move farther—”

“Drew!”

We turn to find Nina running toward us. She’s carrying Garrett—or trying to—in her burned arms. She’s limping, there’s a deep gash on her forehead, and her hair is singed in several places. The rest of her is covered in ash. Drew and I rush toward her, and Nina hands Garrett off to him. The moment she’s no longer holding the younger boy, she sways on her feet.

“Is he—” Her voice cuts off as she starts coughing again and ends up gripping Noah’s arm to stay upright. I look at the boy Drew has laid on the sidewalk, and my eyes well as they fall on his soot-covered face. His hair is matted with it, as well, along with his clothes. I swallow a sob at the absence of his heartbeat.No. Please.

“Check his pulse,” Nina tells Drew, then breaks into another coughing fit.

I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood as my tear-filled eyes swing to Noah. We both know what Drew is going to find—nothing. Garett is gone.

I open my mouth to speak just as a second bomb goes off.

END OF VOLUME THREE

---