Page 74 of Consumed By Fire

The world is instantly a slightly better place. I have no time to revel. I need to finish Ranger, and then I need to get up those stairs. It’s too quiet up there. I don’t like it.

Ranger makes a whining noise as he continues to suck in air in quick, short gasps. His chest is a crumpled-in mess that he most likely won’t recover from. The male is still trying to stand, but his legs won’t work. I consider leaving him. He isn’t the brains behind any of this. Unfortunately, I can’t risk him making a recovery. I know that the male would have partaken quite happily in the debauchery these males had planned for my people. I don’t want any witnesses.

Within seconds, I have his heart in my hand. I crush it like an overripe fruit and drop it on the floor with a plop.

Then I run up the stairs, taking them three at a time. I’m shocked that I haven’t seen Igor. Why not? I expect to find him hiding behind Trinity when I burst into the only bedroom with a closed door. I would expect nothing less from a coward like him.

I was not sure what I was going to find. A silent bedroom is not it. There is someone under the covers. What the fuck is going on? My nose twitches as I catch the coppery tang of blood. I pray I’m not too late as I pull the blanket open, preparing to fight.

It’s Igor.

He is dead.

From the amount of blood pooled below him, I would say that he bled out. Those look like stab wounds to me. I look around the bedroom. My first instinct is to tear open every closet to find her. To find Trinity.

“It’s me, Little Red,” I say. “It’s Octane.”

The door to one of the closets opens, and Trinity steps out. She is clutching a knife in her hands, holding it out in front of her. Her hair is a little wet. It’s also congealed with blood on one side. There are spatters of blood on one of her arms. Her face is filled with determination. As soon as she sees me, she makes a small, choked noise, looking stricken.

“You’re safe now,” I tell her as she falls into my arms. Tears stream down her face. “I’ve got you.” I hold her close.

23

Trinity

He’s warm against me. It’s him. It’s Octane. I can hardly believe it.

“It’s you. It’s you,” I murmur several times into his shoulder because I still can’t quite believe it.

He’s here.

It’s Octane, and he’s larger than life. I wasn’t sure what was happening. I heard yelling and crashing downstairs, and I hid. I didn’t know what else to do. I thought I was done for. I never expected him to come, and now he’s here.

I’m crying. My heart is pounding. I’m a hot mess. I can’t help it. I’m not sure if they’re tears of relief or tears of horror because of what happened.

“It’s me. I’m here.” He rubs a hand up and down my back. “No one is going to hurt you. They’re all dead.”

“You came,” I choke out, trying hard to stop the tears and failing dismally. “You saved me.”

“It looks like you did a good job of saving yourself.” Octane pulls back, looking me in the eye. “Of course I came. I will always come for you, Trinity.”

My heart does a somersault in my chest.

I gasp as realization sets in. “You’re on Mistveil. It isn’t safe. If they catch you—”

“We’re leaving now. You’re packing a bag, and then you’re coming back with me,” he says in a deep voice. “We’re going back to Draig.”

I shake my head. “No! This is where the madness ends. You need to go back to Draig on your own, and I will stay here.” I cry harder because I hate the idea.

“I don’t want to leave you. Pack and come with me…please.”

“You have to go.” I sniff. “Your friend Dagger was right. I don’t belong on Draig, just like you don’t belong here on Mistveil.” I wipe my nose, trying to hold back the blasted tears.

“I really like you, Trinity. I feel responsible for you. I’m starting to fall in—”

“Don’t say it. You can’t say it,” I tell him in a clipped tone. I want to hear the words so badly. But I know that if I do, I won’t be able to say goodbye, and I have to. I don’t want to see him hurt, which means he can’t stay. I need to think of my baby, which means I can’t go with him, either.

This ends today. It should never have started in the first place.