Page 57 of Queen of Wrath

What's that smell?

I looked around, realizing the smoke was coming from inside my place as well. It began creaking all around me, and I knew I had mere seconds to get out.

My heart jumped into my throat. Ravana!

I ran into my guest room to find that she wasn’t there. I shouted to the skies, “Where is that girl?”

She was accustomed to coming and going as she pleased, especially at night.

Does that mean she’s out there?

All I could do was hope that she was okay wherever she was. I sent out a silent prayer to Lunaira as I darted out the front door. I reached into my pouch and grabbed a handful of Port Powder from it.

Useful stuff… Glad I invented it!

I threw the Port Powder at my feet and jumped into it.

I landed on the floor on the other side of the collapsed building, right next to the woman who needed my help.

By now, the fire had reached her legs, and she was kicking and screaming helplessly, desperate to get away from it.

The smell of her burning flesh turned my stomach, but it didn't deter me.

My hands slipped under the burning beam, and I groaned as I tried to lift it off of her. Fire bit at my skin, tearing through it like hot butter.

I let out a scream, the excruciating pain unbearable, but my claws unsheathed themselves and dug into the wood as I got a sudden burst of werewolf strength.

I flipped the beam away from the woman, and immediately began slapping my palms around her robes to put out the fires busy consuming parts of it. I only stopped as soon as I was sure no flame remained.

The woman sat up slowly, shaking with tears pouring down her soot-covered face. “You saved me… I don't know how I can ever?—”

“Repay me by getting to safety,” I interjected, pulling out a healing potion from my pouch to pour it on her burned legs. I watched with bated breath as her destroyed flesh began to repair itself before my eyes. “You should be able to walk now.”

I helped her to her feet, and held back a hiss, realizing how sore and burned I was myself after all that.

“Solara’s blessings to you, child! I won’t soon forget this.” She bowed her head down and thanked me before running in the opposite direction of the ever-growing blaze.

“Ravana, where did you go?” I mumbled to myself while looking around for her, or anyone else who might need my help.

My eyes fixed on a silhouette walking through the thick black smoke toward me, seeming unbothered by any of it.

“I was hoping I’d find you out here. You’re Jax’s new plaything, aren’t you?”

Even though I couldn’t make out his face, that voice was unmistakable.

I didn't know whether it was due to the adrenaline rushing to my head, or because there was a much more terrifyingly massive fire burning closer and closer to us, but I was nowhere near as scared of him as I had thought I’d be facing him again.

Diesel.

“Who are you?” I had to remember to play my part still.

Although the mission was coming to fruition, I had to remain on my guard.

“I find it hard to believe that you don't know who I am,” he said, seeming almost offended by my question.

Good.

But before I could think of anything to say to him in response, he stepped through the smoke, and I stumbled back on sheer instinct and alarm.

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