Eternal Flame (6 page)

Harris licked his lips. “They were … on a motorcycle….”

“He’s got a concussion, Captain,” one of the EMTS said, breaking through Harris’s words. “We need to get him checked at the hospital.”

In a minute
. Antonio didn’t move.

“I just stopped them … because they didn’t have on … helmets. I stopped … them.” A hard swallow. “And he attacked.”

But that didn’t make any sense.

“Sir
…” The EMT’s face was flushed a dark red. “He needs to be in a hospital.”

Clenching his teeth, Antonio moved to the side.

“You never said”-Harris’s voice had grown weaker- “she had a … partner.”

Because he hadn’t known that Zane was working with the woman, and he sure hadn’t expected the hunter to attack a cop.

What are you doing, Zane? What the hell are you doing?

Antonio turned away and marched back to his car.

Threw me ten feet… but I-I swear I never saw him… move
. Harris’s words echoed in his mind. The cop didn’t understand. Zane hadn’t actually moved. He was such a strong demon, he didn’t need to move. With just a stray thought, Zane could have thrown the cop. With a wave of his hand, he could have killed the guy.

But he hadn’t. Zane had let the cop live, and he’d protected the woman.

“Sir!” Another uniform hurried toward him. This time, the officer was female. The uniforms were swarming the scene like bees now. “Do you want to launch a search in the area for the woman?”

Antonio let his stare drift down the road. No sign of a motorcycle now.

“And what about the man?” she pressed. “Do we need to put out an APB for him—”

“Forget the man. Just concentrate on her.”
Jana Carter
.

“But a cop was assaulted, one of our own.” Her red brows snapped low. “We need to—”

“You need to do whatever the hell I say.” He sounded like a prick, but she’d have to deal with it. “I’ll take care of the man. You focus on
her.”

Before he threw his friend to the wolves-or the cops-he needed to find out exactly what was happening with Zane. If he found out that the demon had crossed the line, well—

Then I’ll be the first one in line to take him down
.

Zane eased the motorcycle to a stop near the curb. The Night Watch building waited, just a few blocks away. He could easily see the stark lines and the old bricks of the hunting office.

He braced the kickstand and killed the motor. This was it. Time to turn in his bounty.

Zane looked over his shoulder. Jana’s face was as smooth and blank as marble. No heat in those dark blue eyes. No fiery emotion on her face. Just… blank. Empty.

He didn’t like that. The woman was many things, but “blank” wasn’t one of ‘em.

“Come on,” he said, rising. “It’s time to get you inside.” But, dammit, something felt
wrong
.

I burned that pit to the ground and I didn’t care that they were inside
. Hard words, but when she’d said them, Jana’s voice had trembled.

He stared down at her hand and frowned when he saw the dark skin around the handcuff. “Fuck.” He reached for her wrist, lifting it lightly. A circle of dark bruises had already formed on her flesh.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, and her voice was as cold as her face. “I bruise easily. A human trait. We just aren’t built strong enough.”

His fingers feathered over her skin, and Zane heard the soft rasp of her breath. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He’d thought she would be deposited at Night Watch less than an hour after he’d cuffed her. He’d never planned on all … this.

Her gaze held his.

The woman was beautiful. No,
sexy
. He could still taste her, and he wanted more.

But…
killer
. If the file was right, he was staring at a cold, calculating killer. One who torched for money. An assassin.

Until now, she hadn’t struck him as cold. With her face locked in that icy mask, with her eyes so blank-yeah, frigid came to mind.

Before, though, she’d been a different woman. Wild. Passionate. Never cold. And when she’d talked about New Orleans …

His fingers curled around her right wrist. “Tell me about New Orleans. Tell me what really happened.”

Night Watch waited just over her shoulder. The place could keep waiting.

Her smile was sad. “Why? Are you going to save me, demon? Are you going to help me? Turn your back on everything you know and protect me?”

That last line caught him. “Just what do you need protecting from?” Not what, who.

She didn’t blink, but the right side of her mouth kicked up, just a bit. “No one. I’m the badass Ignitor, remember? The world needs to fear me.”

She was, but she was also right about something else: Humans were weak. So easily broken. Killed.

She tugged away from him, shifting her body to face the Night Watch building. “Let’s get this over with. If we stand around out here, we might as well paint bull’s-eyes on our backs.”

“I can help you
. “ The words were torn from him. It didn’t have to be this way. She didn’t have to keep charging up, didn’t have to keep killing. There was more to her. He knew it.

Jana tossed him a quick look over her shoulder. “No, you can’t.” The cold glass had shattered in her eyes. He could see her pain and sadness now.

Then she looked away, and he felt like she’d slugged him. “Jana…”

The doors to Night Watch burst open. Three hunters ran out and headed for them. Jude led the other two men, his blond hair shining in the sun as he charged for Jana and Zane.

“Guess that’s the welcome party.” Her attention focused on the hunters. Her silky black hair dipped down her back. “We don’t want to keep them waiting.”

She stepped forward, tugging him with her. His eyes focused on Jude. This was what he wanted. What he had to do.
Turn her in
. They’d take her inside Night Watch and—

The explosion shook the street. The blast threw the three hunters to the ground as the windows of Night Watch exploded and fire blazed from the windows. Car alarms screeched down the street, and smoke billowed into the air.

And Jana just stood there, staring at the burning building. The building that housed his co-workers. His friends.

She’d gone back too easy
.

“Fuck!” He spun Jana around. “What the hell did you—” Horror was reflected in her wide eyes. Shock. Her eyes- they were blue. Not the red of an Ignitor charging up.
Still blue
.

She hadn’t set the fire. If not her …

His gaze flew to the building. People were running out, coughing, screaming.

He raced for the building.

“Zane!” Jana stumbled after him. Shit,
the cuffs
. “We’ve got to stop it!” They could. Or at least they could push the flames back long enough to get the people to safety. But, dammit, those flames were so hot that he could already feel their breath on his skin.

Pak stumbled out with ash coating his face. He had his hands around one of the female hunters, and they were both gasping. Charmers didn’t have the enhanced strength of the shifters and demons. They were almost as weak as humans.

And there
were
humans inside that building. Humans who wouldn’t last long-humans who were probably already dead.

Too hot
.

He sent a blast of power at the flames, forcing them back. “See if you can get control of it,” he told Jana. “We’ve got to get them out, we—”

Jude surged to his feet. His fangs were out, his claws ready to rip and slash. “What the hell? That bitch burned Night Watch!” He lunged for Jana.

Zane stepped between them.
“It wasn’t her.”
He shoved his left hand against Jude’s chest. “Dammit, shifter, stand down. We can help!”

Jude growled at him.

“Trust me,” Zane snapped right back.

Jude’s eyes searched his. Then the shifter inclined his head in a grudging nod.

They all ran for the building, with Zane in the lead. They plunged right into the smoke and the screaming flames.

Survivors
. They had to find the survivors and get them out. The heat scorched his skin and Zane threw his power at the fire, sending the flames sputtering back. Jude grabbed an unconscious hunter from the office on the left and threw the guy over his shoulder.

Jana coughed behind him.
Human. Weak
.

He glanced at her, his eyes watering. Her stare was red now, reflecting the flames, and he knew she was using her power to control the flames. No, to make her
own
fire in an effort to gain control of the other flames. Fighting fire with fire actually fucking worked.

They advanced slowly, painfully, through the smoke and fire. He passed two bodies. A secretary and a hunter who wouldn’t be making it out. Then they found a demon, low level, cowering in the storage room. They pushed back the fire and sent the guy running for safety.

The fire had eaten too much of the walls. Groans echoed from above them, and Zane knew the roof wouldn’t last much longer.

Jude was back, coughing and panting beside him.

“Anyone else?” Zane had to shout the words.

Jude’s head tilted to the right. That shifter hearing was far stronger than a demon’s.

The shifter pointed. They raced for the door. Ripped it open.

Penelope Evans, a new hunter, lay slumped on the floor. Her red hair stuck to her face. Jude grabbed her and hoisted her into his arms.

“Anyone … else?”

A hard shake of Jude’s head. “Not alive.”

The ceiling groaned again, and plaster fell to the floor. Time to get out of hell. Zane waved his hands, shoving back the fire as Jude raced for the door.

“Come on,” he told Jana, covering his mouth with his left hand, “let’s—”

She slumped beside him. Fell into his arms.

Too much smoke
.

Dammit, how dumb could he be! Ignitors could start the fires, they could shoot out those flames, but their bodies couldn’t handle the smoke. That’s why they worked better from a distance. Long-range assassins. See the target, send the flames, escape.

He held her tight against his chest and ran for the door, dodging the lingering flames and the falling debris.
Hold on, baby. Hold on
.

Zane burst through the broken remains of the front entrance just seconds after Jude. He rushed forward, nearly slamming into the firefighters who charged toward the building.

EMTs were there. They tried to take Jana from him. Tried to pull her from his arms. “No, dammit!” He coughed and tasted ash. “We’re cuffed!” They weren’t taking her any place without him. He held her tighter and hurried to the ambulance. She’d need oxygen, fast. She needed to breathe clean air. Her mouth and nose were stained with ash. He put her on the stretcher. The EMT placed a mask over her face.

“Get her a blanket!” Zane held her hand, probably too tightly but screw it. “She’s freezing.” Her body had begun to shake. “Jana?”

She moaned into the mask.

He was such a fucking idiot. She couldn’t handle the heat. He
knew
that.
All
the
Other
knew that about Ignitors. They could bring the heat, but the smoke-hell, it was fucking poison to them.
They could control the flames, not the smoke
.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Pak staring at Jana.

“It wasn’t her!” Zane fired. “Look, I know what you’re thinking,” what he’d thought, “but it wasn’t her. She helped me. We saved as many as we could!” But Zane had seen the dead, and he would remember them for the rest of his life.

Hollings, the charmer who had a way with the ladies. Giles Lang, the hybrid demon who’d been trying to fit in. Stacey Keith … ah, hell, she’d been a year away from retirement.

All gone.

His thumb brushed over Jana’s knuckles. “She didn’t do it,” he said again.

“Then who the hell did?” The fierce question didn’t come from Pak. Jude had stalked up to the ambulance, and he watched Jana with eyes that glowed too bright. “There was no accelerant. I didn’t catch so much as a whiff of scent—”

Jana’s fingers tightened around Zane’s. His gaze snapped back to her face. Her eyes were opening, slowly, and the twinge of red still remained.

“A fucking Ignitor.”

She flinched at Jude’s snarl.

Zane hunched over her. “Back off!” He took a breath. Her eyes were on him. “It’s okay.” His voice was still rough, but softer, for her. “You’re going to be all right.” She looked so vulnerable. So defenseless. Another one of her tricks? A quick deception?

No. She’d fallen in that inferno. She’d sagged in his arms, and fear had iced his heart. “Just breathe, baby.”

But she was shaking her head. She shoved off the mask and started coughing.

“Jana!”

Tears leaked from her eyes. “How … many dead?” His lips thinned. “At least three.” The fire had been too strong.

As he watched Jana, the vulnerability slowly disappeared. She swiped away the tears from her cheeks. The fear and the horror disappeared from her face until … nothing remained.

Now she’s pretending
. The mask was back, and he didn’t like it one bit.

She pushed up on the gurney and the blanket fell away. “We need to get out of here,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from the smoke. “This was an attack, it was—”

“Wynter!”

Aw, hell.
Not
what he needed right then. His gaze flew to the left. Jude was already edging back, and Captain Antonio Young was shoving his way through the crowd to get to them. The guy’s badge gleamed on his hip, and the butt of his gun poked from the holster on his side.

“Zane?” A thread of worry whispered in Jana’s voice. “A cop?”

Their last encounter with a cop hadn’t gone so well. But this time would be different. He realized he still had a hard grip on her hand. Zane forced himself to let her go. “It’s okay, baby, he’s on our side.”

Then Tony was there. His glittering eyes swept over the group and lingered on Jana. “Ms. Carter?”

She nodded. The red still lingered in her gaze. Her eyes appeared bloodshot now.

“Jana Carter, you’re under arrest.” Tony reached for her hand and hauled Jana to her feet.