Page 67 of Wild Fires

I gave her an even more skeptical look. “Why? You had no issues intervening with Gia and especially with Elias. Why are you being okay with this?”

She shrugged. “Guess you could say I have a soft spot for orphans. That poor girl has been through so much. I know she lost her parents in a car accident. The whole thing went up in flames and Gracie walked away unscathed.”

“What?”

“Probably how she learned about that wonderful gift of hers, but she wasn't able to save her parents. I like to think that's why she goes above and beyond to save others now.”

I had never even considered that. I knew Gracie had lost her parents, but I'd never heard the story about how. My heart ached to go to her and pull her into my arms and let her know that everything was going to be okay. I wanted to promise her the world, yet I still held back.

“Maybe just something to consider,” Mom said as she started to walk away. “Oh, your dad and I have dinner plans, so if you're sticking around, you're on your own. Or maybe you could just stop being a chicken and go clear things up with your mate.”

My jaw dropped, but she flitted out of the room before I could come up with a response.

When my phone rang it made me jump.

“Ryan Davenport,” I answered as if on autopilot.

“Hey Ryan, it's Vance. Just got a call in I thought you'd want to know about. There's a wildfire in the forest south of town. All units and volunteers have been alerted.”

“How big?”

“I don't know yet.”

“Has anyone done a flyover yet?”

“Don't know. I'm heading there now.”

“You're not already there?” I asked, and then I wanted to smack myself because I could hear Gracie's voice in my head and see his name written at the top of our list.

“Nope. Will be in ten though.”

“Where were you?”

“Calm down, man. You sound like this is an interrogation. I don't know any more than I already told you. And I was on a date. You can confirm it with your sister even.”

“I didn't mean it like that, Vance,” I said guiltily. He was my friend, and I should have defended him better. Of course he wasn't an arsonist. But this little voice in the back of my head whispered reminders of why he'd made the list in the first place. At least this time he had an alibi.

“I'm just messing with you. I'll call in with an update when I'm onsite.”

“Thanks, man. I may head over there myself.”

My first instinct was to call Gracie and tell her to stay home. That wasn't fair though. As much as I wanted to protect her, this was her job. And I knew she loved her job. It wasn't something I wanted to come between, but damn, my need to keep her safe was nearly unbearable.

I knew I had to be there. No matter what happened, I couldn't just sit by and wait for news to come.

Without saying goodbye to anyone, I left the house and raced to my car. I was halfway through town, speeding beyond what was sane, before I even knew what I was doing.

I supposed I was just lucky I had managed to stay in my skin. My raven was going crazy and making me anxious thinking of all the things that could go wrong and how many dangers Gracie could face.

I didn't want to care, but I did. There was no way to deny that. It wasn't that I didn't love her, I just didn't know how to get past everything that happened.

As I got closer, I was forced to slow down. I could see the plume of dark smoke billowing above the tree line.

“Come on!” I screamed, laying on the horn.

It earned me the finger. Normally I found it ridiculously funny when a bird shifter gave the bird, but right now it was just pissing me off.

I honked again when traffic came to a complete stop.

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