Page 117 of Prodigal Son

“Anna said you feel indebted. Let this be the balance. You protect Cybil while I’m gone. See that she reaches adulthood and is unharmed, and we will be even.”

Adam frowned. “I don’t understand this connection you feel to the girl.”

“She trusted me when no one else did. If I let her down, what good is my word? What good am I?”

“In truth, she’s father’s responsibility—”

“No, Adam. I’m asking you.”

His brother hesitated. What Cain asked would require a commitment for less than a century. There was no comparison to the eternal sacrifice Cain had made for him. He couldn’t say no.

“All right. You have my word. In your absence, I will watch over the mortal transition and see that no harm comes to her.”

Cain shook his brother’s hand, trusting his vow without reservation. Adam truly was one of the most honorable, dependable males he’d ever known.

“And when the debt is paid, we will be even.”

Cain loosened his hand and Adam’s grip tightened. “Make it worth it, Cain. Don’t just love her, learn to love yourself. That’s where a true sense of belonging begins.”

CHAPTER 33

Cain followed Adam out of the store after compelling the clerk to forget their presence. His nose twitched at the scent of burning materials in the distance. “Do you smell that?”

Adam scowled. “It’s not the incinerator.”

“Too strong,” Cain agreed.

They searched the sky, and Cain’s heart punched through his chest at the black cloud of smoke rising over the direction of the farm.

“Fire!”

He ran toward the farm, leaving his buggy in town, and Adam followed. The closer they came to their land, the more certain they were that fire was on Order property. The acrid air was not the earthy scent of leaves burning. Black ash and flaming shingles fell from the sky, carried by the wind.

“Cain, they need water!” Adam yelled, seeing the rising flames gather angrily on the horizon.

Cain opened his mind and commanded the skies to unleash. Heavy drops fell from the heavens, soaking their clothing and saturating the ground. He held the wind, hoping to contain the fire, but all of his concentration made it difficult to run.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

Adam disappeared. The blaze attracted the neighboring fire companies and sirens blared. Although their kind could not be killed by fire alone, it left them vulnerable to injury and other risks. Fires attracted outsiders’, and if one of theirs got burned, it would be difficult to avoid medical attention. Once healed, questions would follow and things could quickly get out of control.

When Cain reached the farm, the reckless blaze had run rampant, spreading to fields and igniting barns. Horses and livestock scurried outside as members gathered in horror, watching buildings burn.

Cain’s eyes burned from the air as he scanned for the source. Following the thick plume of black, billowing smoke, his heart plummeted. His family’s house was ablaze.

He crossed the distance in a heartbeat. “Where is Mother?” Cain scowled at the sight of Larissa, her distended belly covered in soot as she held a cloth to her face. “You shouldn’t be out here. Get back!”

“I can’t find her!”

He flinched at the fear in her voice, and searched the chaos. He didn’t see her. Nor did he see his father.

Adam raced out of the house, holding Gracie in his arms as she coughed and choked. “There’s Adam.”

“Go help him.” He was gone before Larissa finished the command.

Inside, searing flames engulfed the walls. The tinder of the wood stoves combusted and crackled as the rafters whined and the house moaned. The heat was unbearable, burning his eyes and making it impossible to see.

“Adam!”

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