"Nava?" she hiccuped.
I ran over to her, pulling the gag all the way off. "Do you remember how you got here?" Her face was streaked with soot, as were my hands.
"It was Samson. He told me Rohan wanted to see me. I felt like I had to come."
She babbled as I untied her ropes. "He said that when it came to envy, we humans were the architects of our own misery and it never ceased to amaze him the lengths people would go to to achieve their heart's desire. What was he talking about?"
Me. Lily was my gift. One to save or destroy and both choices came with a price. Fucking demons.
I helped her to her feet, taking her weight as she hobbled unsteadily. "We need to get out of here."
I eyed the window. Of course, it had to be the one that still had glass. But the outside wall brushed the edge of the circle so we had a chance of escaping without being burned alive. I hoisted the chair and heaved it out the window.
Behind me, Lily shrieked. The rush of oxygen had fed the fire. She was still safe inside the circle but all around it flames blazed hotter and higher.
I stepped to the window. Outside, on the ground, Rohan and Drio turned their faces up to look at me. It seemed like Drio was holding Rohan back from racing inside.
"Jump," Rohan yelled at me. He and Drio moved into position to catch me.
I held up one finger. When I returned, Rohan was glaring at me.
"Jump," he yelled again.
I moved Lily to the window. His face drained of all color.
Yeah, I get that I'm not the priority anymore, but thanks for sparing my feelings. I used my fist to smash out any glass along the bottom of the pane, ignoring the bloody gashes welling along my skin. "Lily, you need to do exactly as I say."
Her pupils were dilated in fear and she clung to me, paralyzed.
"Okay, we'll do this together." I maneuvered her so she sat on the pane. "I'm going to swing your legs out and –Shit!"
She grabbed my shoulders, her fingers digging in like talons, snagging my hair in the process.
"Rohan will catch you. You know that."
She nodded. Shaky and with more than a hint of disbelief, but she pried her fingers off of my flesh.
While the magic circle kept the flames out, the heat flayed the skin on my back. I couldn't stay in here another second, so I swung Lily's legs out the window and essentially shoved her out. I checked to make sure she'd landed safely, then, without waiting to see who'd be there to catch me, I hung off the window sill, pushed off the house, and dropped.
I looked at my rescuer. Drio held me, not Rohan. He was busy comforting Lily as she was examined by a Rasha paramedic. The two dead hunters from earlier now lay in body bags on the ground.
"Thank you." I rested my head against his chest, exhausted.
Keeping me in his arms, Drio walked in the opposite direction of the paramedic.
"Shouldn't I get checked out?"
"You will be. By the Rasha doctor on standby. We'll drive you over to him." He carried me to a yellow ambulance with red stripes. Mirek opened the door for us and helped position me on my stomach, inside on a gurney, before spreading some kind of cool salve on my back.
I grit my teeth against the million pinpricks of pain, simultaneously flushing hot and shivering with cold. It made me think of the vral claws fondly. The salve helped, numbing my skin somewhat. I propped my head on my chin, having a clear line of sight outside as Drio hopped out of the van. I tracked him over to Rohan. Drio said something and Rohan nodded, all his attention on Lily.
Mirek shut the ambulance door. The passenger door in front opened and closed and then the motor started and off we drove. I wasn't sure if I was happy or disappointed that I couldn't watch Rohan and Lily disappear from view.
I was kept at the doctor's clinic over the next few days so he could keep an eye on me. I slept a lot and let my healing abilities do their thing.
Rohan didn't visit me. Drio did once, after he left me in the doctor's care. A brief stop to bring my things over from the hotel.
"How's Lily?" I asked.
"Good as could be expected. She was worried about you."
I plucked at my blanket. "That's sweet of her. What did you tell her?"
"Nothing about demons. She thinks Samson had a grudge against Rohan." The best lies always had a grain of truth. Drio explained that he and Rohan had to deal with clean up and debrief and would see me back in Vancouver. They'd be busy providing evidence of Samson's death for the world. I got that.
Guess Rohan wasn't worried that I'd be targeted by the Brotherhood any more. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if he had made time for Lily. I tortured myself obsessing over whether they'd had their talk yet. Then I coughed up more vile black shit, tired myself out, and fell asleep again. The joys of having a routine.