Page 74 of Star-Crossed
In this question, he heard the first filament of fear.
Lyra looked Cy directly in the eye. “We’re sure.”
We’re.
We. Are.
Myrtle’s voice came back on the line, a note of relief laced through it. “Okay, I’ll let him know. You both stay safe.”
Lyra hung up and turned to Cy. “Let’s go,” she said.
They scrambled back into the truck, and Cy gunned the engine, heading back down the road toward the property.
As they neared the fire, they could see the volunteers working together, digging the trench and battling the blaze.
“Can I ask you something?” Lyra said, turning to face him.
“Sure,” he replied, trying not to notice how her soot-streaked cheeks only added to her allure.
“Cy, I—” she began, but was cut off by a sudden, deafening crack.
The ground rumbled beneath their tires as a huge tree, consumed by flames, came crashing down.
“Watch out!” she shouted.
But it was too late. The burning behemoth of a branch slammed into the ground, sending up a shower of sparks.
And cutting off their path to escape.
FIFTEEN
Burning Times
1000 C.E. THROUGH 17TH CENTURY WHEN NINE MILLION+ PEOPLE WERE TORTURED AND BURNED BY CHURCH AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS FOR ALLEGED WITCHCRAFT.
They were goingto hit the tree.
Lyra tucked into herself, covering her face with her hands.
The ground seemed to shake as the truck skidded before Cy wrenched the wheel, rapidly accelerating as they left the asphalt and careened parallel to the burning tree. Lyra felt her heart race, and every muscle in her body tensed up as she braced for impact. But instead of smashing into the blazing obstruction, Cy managed to swerve around it at just the right moment, avoiding disaster by mere inches.
The truck wheels hit a rut and veered wildly off course, skidding sideways on the grass before finally coming to a stop before a ditch. The sudden jolt caused Lyra’s head to hit against the window with a dull thud.
“Fuck. Lyra, are you okay?” Cy shouted, ripping his seatbelt off to get to her.
Lyra coughed as acrid smoke stung her eyes and throat. Flames licked at the twisted metal of Cy’s damaged truck, the fire roaring like a hungry beast.
“I’m okay,” she said, blinking and testing her muscles to make sure.
“We have to stop it before it reaches the road!” Cy shouted over the blaze. “Everyone else is focused on the fire racing for Townsend Harbor, but the backdraft will ignite every farm, ranch, mill, and cabin from here to the coast.”
Lyra’s mind raced. They needed water, and lots of it. The creek was on the other side of the fire line, and on this side, the high-powered hoses and well pump at Vee and Myrtle’s place were too little and too far away.
Then she remembered something.
They’d passed a ruptured water main up the road, gushing gallons of water into the ditch a day or so ago. Judging by the depth of the water in the ditch, the utilities department were still as back-assward as they used to be, and they’d yet to bother fixing it.
She grabbed Cy’s shirt. “The water main over by the highway.”
