Page 85 of The Magic of Revenge
"Saige," she cried. "My house, it's burning. Oh gods, Annie... I don't know where she is. Khol—" she choked on her words and my stomach lurched.
"We'll be right there, okay? Don't move," I told her, disconnecting the call.
"What is it?" Cam asked.
"Miranda's house is on fire, we have to go. She doesn't know where Annie is. Oh fuck," I cursed, fear rising in my veins.
"Guys! Get in here now!" Cam barked out and soon all of my mates were in my room. Tears were already streaming down my face. "Miranda called Saige. Her house is on fire and she can’t find Annie. We need to get there now. Kai, Faris, and Bram, go ahead of us since you can all get there faster. Fischer will follow in the car. Saige and Sloane, I need you two to stay here. Those WISP agents could show up at any time and we can't leave Laurie on the property without supervision."
"But—" I started, but Bram pulled me against him for a quick hug.
"Don't argue, Goldie. Let us help your friend. You and Sloane hold down the fort. Cam can help douse the flames with his storm magic, okay?"
I nodded, he was right. This wasn't the time to get indignant over not being invited to the cool kid's club. "Just go, now! Find Annie, please. Please."
"I'll jump Cam with me. His power will be most beneficial. I could take more of you, but it drains me quicker," Bram explained and Cam moved to stand beside him. A second later, they were gone, Faris included. Kai kissed my lips and then Bagheera exploded into the room, tearing out of the house with a roar.
"We'll be back. Stay safe,” Fish said to us. "This could be an accidental house fire, but given the situation, we shouldn’t be taking any chances."
"We'll be fine. Keep us posted," Sloane told Fischer. With a nod, he took off, and a minute later I heard the SUV speeding down the gravel driveway.
I didn't even realize I was wringing my hands until Sloane grasped them between his own. "I'm scared," I breathed.
"I know, Red. I know. But the best team in the world is on their way there now, plus Khol. I feel sorry for whoever set that fire, if it was intentional. They should be very fucking scared," Sloane's voice darkened and his eyes flickered with flames.
"What are we supposed to do now? Fuck." I paced my room, feeling like ripping my hair out.
"Well, what were you going to do before this happened?" Sloane asked.
"I was going to take Laurie some food and water. I feel like I need to talk to her before they take her. She needs to hear me. I want her to know what I think about her and that this will be the last time she will ever see me," I confessed, my own voice sounding eerily calm.
"That's a good idea. Come on. I'll help you get the food and stuff together," Sloane offered, holding his hand out for me. When our hands connected, he smiled softly and he almost looked boyish.
I let him lead me out of my room and down the steps to the kitchen. He sat me on the counter while he made a sandwich and put some broccoli without dip on a paper plate. When he was done with that, he handed me a bottle of water. "I think that is good enough, what do you think?"
"There’s some ranch dressing in the—” I stopped talking when he shot me a look that said‘really?’He was right. She didn’t deserve dip. “Thank you for making it. I uh... I need to talk to her alone. Is that okay? Khol said he's been giving her the affinity paralyzing serum daily and she's bound to a chair. I'm not scared of her."
Sloane paused, and I could tell he didn't like it. His phone started vibrating across the counter and we both scrambled for it. Catching hold of it, he frowned and silenced the call.
"It's the prison again." He pinched his nose and sighed in annoyance. "Okay. I understand that you want to talk to her alone. I'm going to watch from right here. I'll be able to see you, I can see the barn. If anything feels off, call me. And remember, you don't need to listen to anything she says. You're strong, Red. She's a weak and jealous bitch."
I found myself nodding, appreciating the pep talk. "Thank you, Sloane." I rose up on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'll be right back," I told him with a soft smile and grabbed the food and water.
My mind was spinning, thinking about the fire. Were they okay? I knew I could call but I didn't want to risk distracting them if they were doing something dangerous. Which, knowing them, they would be. No, I would do what needed to be done here. Finishing this bullshit.
Stepping out into my yard, the lush grass welcomed me as I crossed the flat ground and made my way to the small barn Laurie was being held in. I looked back over my shoulder at the house and saw Sloane standing exactly where he said he would be. He nodded once, and I knew what he was telling me.You got this.He was right. I did.
Taking a deep breath, I slid the barn door open with my hip and slid inside. We had a few horse stalls, but it had been a long time since we had any kind of farm animals on the property. I knew Laurie was being held in the one at the back. There was a soft light coming from a few overhead lights, but it was still pretty dark in here. I didn't hear her, maybe she was sleeping.
You can do this. You can do this.
My feet moved across the uneven wooden floorboards; creaks and groans that shouldn't have been very loud at all were suddenly deafening in the quiet of the barn.
When I reached the end of the little pathway, I closed my eyes and took a few calming breaths. My heart was racing and I noticed my hand that was holding the plate was shaking.Okay, Saige. Just tell her off and then the guys will be calling to say everything is okay with Miranda and Annie. Do this and you can be done with her.
I stepped forward. "I brought you some water and—" I froze, the plate and water slipping from my hands and hitting the floor. There was nobody there. The chair Laurie was supposed to have been secured to was toppled over and there wasn't a soul in sight.
"What the fuck?" I hissed, backing up and heading for the door. A shadow spilled into the barn through the crack in the door, the silhouette of a person. Scrambling backward, I slipped into one of the empty stalls and crouched down. I couldn't hear any talking or movement, but I knew what I had seen. Someone was out there. Was it Laurie?
