Page 45 of Passions Ignite

Zoey laughed, easing slightly. “So, after all this goes away, after here?”

“Why don’t we wait until after here to figure it out?” Lux said.

“Is it me or does it feel hotter here?” Lux asked.

Zoey squirmed. It did feel hotter than it was a few seconds ago. She looked around suddenly on alert. It was burning orange in the distance and heading uphill fast. Thick, brown smoke was already filling the sky.

“How did it get this far so fast?” Zoey asked, shocked.

“Trade winds, Zoey. Phoenix Ridge gets a lot of them blowing uphill.”

“We have to move,” Zoey said.

“We have to hope Jay and the team get here as soon as possible.”

17

LUX

Lux heard the faint sound of a helicopter approaching. The noise grew louder, and she looked over at Zoey, who was already on her feet, staring up at the sky.

“It’s getting closer,” Lux said, her voice steady.

“We need to signal them,” Zoey said. The helicopter was getting closer, the sound now a deep, pulsing thrum that seemed to echo off the trees around them. Zoey’s heart pounded, her senses on high alert.

Zoey turned her head sharply, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the flames surging toward them faster than she had ever seen before. The fire had found a new fuel source, and it was barreling toward them with a force that made her stomach drop.

“Lux, we have to go,” Zoey shouted, her voice carrying over the roaring flames.

Lux spun around. She came back toward Zoey, her eyes locked on the approaching danger.

Zoey moved frantically. They couldn’t stay here any longer. The fire was too close and approaching too quickly. She glanced back toward the sky, but the flames and smoke made it impossible to see anything clearly.

“Run!” Zoey yelled.

“But, Jay,” Lux said. “She’s still up there.”

“She clearly can’t land. Hopefully, if we get to higher ground, she’ll be able to rescue us.”

“We should?—”

A branch snapped and crashed to the ground. Lux moved just in time, pulling Zoey along with her. She looked up, trying to locate the chopper, but the smoke was too thick above them.

They took off, their feet pounding against the dry, cracked earth as they ran through the forest. Her eyes stung and her lungs burned, but she didn’t slow down.

Zoey was just ahead, her movements quick and agile. Lux could see the strain on her face and the way her jaw was set with determination. They both knew their lives were at stake.

As they ran, Zoey’s foot caught on something, and she stumbled, falling hard to the ground. Lux was there right away, pulling her back to her feet.

“Come on, Zoey.”

The flames were closer now, licking at the trees around them, the heat so intense that it felt like it was burning her skin. She didn’t dare look back, afraid of what she might see.

They reached a small clearing, and for a moment, Zoey thought they might have found a safe spot. But the fire was relentless, consuming everything in its path. She could hear the crackling of burning wood, the roaring of the flames, and above it all, the distant thrum of the helicopter still searching for them.

“We have to keep going,” Lux said, her voice tight with fear. “We can’t stop here.”

Zoey nodded again, her throat too dry to speak. She followed Lux, her legs heavy with exhaustion. They had been running for what felt like forever, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up.

---