“Prepare yourself,” she warned.
* * *
Zandra woke up coughing. Her frightened eyes couldn’t see anything in the darkness, and the overwhelming smell of smoke was making it hard to breathe.
The kitten jumped on her bed, frightening her even more as it mewed helplessly. Zandra slowly reached out to stroke it, wanting to soothe the only friend she had.
“Mommy? Daddy?” Her scratchy voice first came out as a small whisper, almost as though she was afraid of drawing their anger as the smoke filled her room. They would be mad and punish her if she woke them, but her fear of not breathing overruled her fear of them.
Her voice rose in volume. “Mommy? Daddy?”
The small house was already engulfed in flames when Broni and Rhys arrived. With a glance, they took in the gasping couple catching their breath on the grass, making no attempt to save their daughter within the inferno taking over their home.
Broni looked at the husband and wife, wanting to slap them silly for the indifference they were showing while the tiny child’s screams could be heard over the night air above the crackling and hissing of the flames.
Broni knew exactly where the child was, and while still holding Rhys’s hand, she transported them there in an instant. The child had stopped screaming; whimpers now were the only sound to escape her lips. Broni could not touch the child, yet she could give her the knowledge of how to escape and that time was slowly drawing to a close. If the child didn’t get out soon, she would die.
“Zandra, get off the bed and slowly crawl toward me.”
The little girl didn’t move.
“Zandra!”
Still no movement. The little girl didn’t even turn her head to acknowledge Broni’s presence.
“Rhys, she can’t hear me. I don’t understand.” Broni turned to him frantically. She had been called to save the child, yet she was powerless to do so.
Rhys’s voice boomed out, startling Broni with its intensity. “Zandra!”
The little girl cried out in fright at the sound of his voice.
“Who are you? You’re not my daddy.”
“No, but I am here to help you. Slowly slide off your bed and crawl toward me. Hurry, Zandra, there isn’t much time,” Rhys urged.
“I’m scared.” Her little body scooted to the end of the bed. She turned onto her stomach, edging off until she was able to reach the floor then Zandra began to crawl across the room.
“I know, baby, but I am here to help you. Just a little farther.”
As the child crawled, the flames began to slide under the closed door, running across the carpet toward the little girl. Someone was directing the flames, wanting to destroy her.
Broni stood by helplessly. She wanted the girl to hurry, but Zandra was unable to hear her, and Broni wasn’t even able to direct the flames away for the few precious seconds it would take to save the girl.
The child screamed when the flames reached her.
“Roll toward me, Zandra. Roll.” Rhys remained calm, giving the directions to save her life.
When Zandra lay helplessly at Rhys’s feet, he reacted by trying to pick her up in his arms, but they passed through her. At that point, her screams of pain were driving all thoughts from Rhys’s mind.
Fate appeared. “Focus, Rhys. You have the power to save her, or she wouldn’t have heard you. She must survive.”
Fate turned toward the flames, waving her hands, and they fell back a few inches, though they did not disappear.
Rhys knelt down next to the sobbing child. “Zandra. Get up, baby.”
“I can’t,” the little girl whimpered.
“Yes, you can.”
Broni pointed at the window, drawing his attention and showing him how to manipulate the little girl.
“Your kitten needs you to get her out.”
“Max?”
“Yes. Max needs your help, okay?”
“Okay.”
Whimpering, the trembling child managed to get to her hands and knees, crawling toward Rhys who had moved to stand by the tiny window.
“Now what the fuck do I do?” Rhys yelled. There was no way the girl could reach the unopened window.
Opening his senses, he disappeared outside, leaving Broni with the little girl in the bedroom. He transported himself to the girl’s father.
Kneeling by the son of a bitch, Rhys threatened him with a cold, deadly voice he hadn’t known he was capable of. “Get your ass over to that window and save that child or I will tear you apart limb from limb.”
Will had never been much of a man, led by the nose by his domineering bitch of a wife, but the voice in his ear threatening him with violence sent fear coursing down his spine.
“Now!” Rhys yelled in his ear.
Spooked, Will jumped up, going to his daughter’s bedroom window.
“Get something to break the fucking window!” Rhys wanted to strangle the stupid man, however he tried to remain calm, giving the man directions until finally, the sound of glass breaking fell on Rhys’s welcoming ears.
“Reach in and pull her out. She is by the window.”
Wanting to pick the man up and throw him inside, Rhys watched as he slowly reached in and pulled out the girl. She was unconscious but still breathing. Sirens could be heard drawing closer. The mother ran to grab the father, moving him away from the now flaming house.
The kitten flew through the window just before flames began billowing out.
When Broni and Fate materialized beside him, Rhys, unable to help himself and knowing it would do no good other than to make him feel better, walked to the man and kicked him in the ribs. Expecting his foot to pass through him, he almost tripped when his foot connected with a meaty thunk. The man’s scream of pain brought a vindictive smile to Rhys’s face.
“Get her away from the house.”
Watching the man stumble toward Zandra holding his ribs, Rhys noticed Fate’s huge smile and didn’t need to wonder further how he had managed to kick the neglectful father.
“If you could let me kick that no good piece of shit, how come you wouldn’t let me help her?” Rhys snapped angrily.
“That kick couldn’t change the future; her life will.”
They stood and watched as a fire truck and ambulance arrived. Despite the worthless parents wanting aid first, they were ignored while the girl was stabilized. The only one not ignoring them was the police officer and fire chief wanting explanations of how the fire had started. They looked more frightened by the questions than they had of the fire.
Rhys and Broni left then, materializing back in Rhys’s room without Broni having to touch him.
“I no longer need your help to transport?” Rhys questioned.
“Apparently not.” Broni shrugged, unsure of how or why he was able to do so without her aid.
“Jericho does. I’ve seen him,” Rhys said.
“Yes, but he’s a demi-God. His power was inherited, yours are not,” Broni explained.
“Then why?”
“Mother must have decided that will be one of the powers she gifts you with,” Broni said with a frown that Rhys didn’t understand.
“Will Zandra be all right?”
“I don’t know. I’ll ask my mother, however she may or may not answer my question.” Broni wrinkled her nose. “You smell like a chimney.”
“You’re not much better.”