Page 114 of Three to Fall

I moved quick, making a wide circle around the group, stomping through the trees with Josiah’s encouragement in my ears, his words all fitting together so perfectly it was like he’d created them just for me.

The gasoline in the two hand containers ran out quicker than I thought it would, and I swore beneath my breath.

But I couldn’t use the container on my back and I had no others.

It would have to do.

I stepped away from the trail of accelerant, wiped my hands off on a rag, and then fished a tiny box out of my pocket.

The match scratched against the side, the little flame lighting up the end instantly.

I tossed it to the trail of liquid, eyes widening when the flame whooshed along the fuel, lighting up a wall of flame.

I waited for them to notice.

Three.

Two.

One.

The first scream pierced the night air, sounding exactly like the Devil escaping the souls who had him trapped.

30

KARA

A FEW MINUTES EARLIER

Ihad two left feet, but even I could handle swaying slowly in Grayson’s arms, smiling up at him while he repeated a joke Hayden’s nephew had just told him.

I laughed when it was clear from his expression that he’d gotten to the punchline, even though it honestly wasn’t funny. The happiness on his face was all I cared about.

He pulled me a little closer, until my chest was pressed to his and his arm snaked around my back, holding me tight. “Telling you bad jokes, while slow dancing to fast songs, might be my new favorite thing to do.”

“Mine too.”

“You seem happy.”

I twisted my fingers in his shirt. “I am. I’ve needed this closure. Needed to let her go so I can move on.”

He kissed my forehead softly, his lips lingering. “Good.”

Smoke tickled my nose, and I wrinkled it, Grayson making the same face and twisting us away from the grill Aloha was handling with an apron tied around his solid middle.

But the smoke didn’t get any better. If anything, it got worse.

Grayson paused.

I glanced up, following his line of sight.

It took a good second for me to understand what I was looking at. That the glowing red and orange in the woods was no longer the setting sun.

The sun was gone.

But flames flickered through the trees.

“Fire!” Grayson shouted.

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