Page 22 of The Heart of a Villain

Fear etches on Rafael’s features. He clenches his fists, and I know similar thoughts are playing in his head.

“Mom,” we both say in unison and then dart to the door, ready to save her this time around before he kills her or something, when the door opens wide, bouncing loudly against the wall.

We gasp at William standing in the doorjamb as another lightning bolt brightens up the space.

“Thank God you’re awake,” he mutters and grabs my elbow, pulling me out of my room and into the dark hallway as my brother follows. More screams echo in the distance, accompanied by a horrible smell polluting the air that makes me cough into my arm.

My eyes water as smoke surrounds us, blocking most of the view, and the floor vibrates under my feet as if people are running all over it, either trying to escape or assess the damage.

A few more gunshots rock off the walls, and William mutters something under his breath before pressing us to the wall, waiting for the firing to stop, and I cough again, the scent disturbing my nostrils and making me want to sneeze.

“Hide your nose, Rush,” William instructs, and I do as he says, his splayed palm pushing me toward the stairs, judging by the two columns peeking through the smoke as heat surrounds us. “Rafael, do the same, and walk beside your brother.” He presses a finger to his mouth. “Not a single word.”

My brows furrow, and I wipe my eyes. Why, all of a sudden, has it become so hot inside the castle? Aren’t we in the middle of a tropical storm, during which everything blooms and gives temporary reprieve to the sweltering land?

And why are we running anyway?

My head becomes a little dizzy, and I sway to the side, where Rafael catches me and gives me a push. He laces his hand with mine and gives it a squeeze, grounding me in the moment.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, his voice trembling. “We need to find Mom.” I nod, even though he can’t see it, and then look around, but the smoke grows stronger while the smell makes me gag.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone intentionally tried to poison us or something in order to get the castle, but that would be straight out of a book or movie.

Besides, who would do such a thing? Everyone on the island loves us.

William doesn’t let me dwell on it, though. When another piercing scream fills the night, accompanied by several gunfire-like sounds, he orders, “Run, boys. Run!”

Quickly racing down the stairs, my eyes widen at the destruction awaiting us there as everything is on fire, the intense orange and blue flames consuming everything in their wake, contrasting with the pouring rain outside.

Both extremes are so powerful it sends chills down my spine, and panic envelops every cell in my body, ordering me to hide somewhere so none of these forces of nature will kill me.

People race to the main door, bumping against each other and even kicking one another in order to save themselves, screaming their lungs out.

“Stay human. Just, all of you, stay human!” George yells, picking up someone from the floor and pushing them to the door. He then swings his head toward us, exhaling in relief and reaching us in two strides.

We end up in George’s strong arms in a second. He lifts us up and looks ahead, and that’s when my ear detects the familiar crying sound.

Lavender.

William joins us, holding our crying sister, who rubs her eyes while wrapped in a white blanket, and then she wails some more.

“Shhh, Lavender,” Rafael says, patting her back, and she blinks, still whimpering a little and then hiding her face in William’s neck. “Shhh, little baby.”

A curtain falls in the living room with a loud thud and spreads more fire all over the perimeter, making us gasp and shy away from it. All the staff run toward the door, abandoning whatever they tried to salvage.

“George, take them out of here!” My mom’s voice makes my head shoot up. Seeing her through the smoke leaning on the stairs’ railing, I notice her clothes are stained with something red, and she grips the banister hard. “Take them all out of here!” She glances over her shoulder and then turns her attention back to us, swiping her gaze over all of us, and repeats, “Take them all out of here!”

“Madam—”

She interrupts William’s protest. “Now!” And then she spins around and screams when someone grabs her by the hair and yanks her, something silver akin to a metallic cane glistening through the smoke.

“Mom!” I shout, but it comes out muffled when Rafael covers my mouth, his hand trembling.

Gunshots pop in the air, followed by her screams, chilling my blood, and I snatch Rafael’s palm away, while George mutters, “Dear God.”

Unfamiliar people start to talk, their voices adding to the fear slowly polluting my mind and creating pain in every cell of my body.

“Where are the fucking kids?”

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