Tethered (A BirthRight Novel) (29 page)

The instant the first words leave his mouth, we see flames emerge in the front room of the house.

Everyone bolts to their feet and Gram grabs the nozzle, spraying us down like a mad woman. Just as rehearsed, Dru, Dhelia, Ash, Aidan, Aunt Morgan and I, form a circle and join hands. Gram begins chanting something in the background, but the only thing I’m able to focus on is the sight of Hunter shape shifting into the most enormous bird I’ve ever seen. He darts across the lawn, gracefully taking flight as he makes it into the Russo’s yard.

As Aidan begins teleporting, the rest of us link-in with him—then disappear in a flash. The last thing I see is Hunter landing on the Russo’s second floor balcony, changing back into his human form before kicking the window in.

We’re blinded by darkness for only two seconds.

In the blink of an eye, we’re standing in the middle of a burning room. The first thing I see, is the scaffolding they’d been using to paint, had fallen in front of the closed door, barricading any possibility of escape.
Now
I understand how they became trapped in the first place.

I try scanning the room, but I can’t see through the clotting smoke.

My eyes burn like they’re full of acid as I struggle to find Michael’s family.

Cries for help draw our panic-stricken attention to Mrs. Russo, Natalia, and two men, huddling together on the floor for protection from falling debris. As we move closer, the flames grow hungry, demanding something to feed on.

My chest constricts—from both fear—and polluted air. I brush it from my mind as screams come from somewhere close. As Dru, Ash, and I work our way towards the women—Aidan, Aunt Morgan, and Dhelia move towards the screams in the opposite direction.

“Help us, please!” Mrs. Russo cries out in tortured desperation.

I lean down beside her. “That’s why we’re here. Where are the others?”

Mrs. Russo and her daughter try looking around, but the noxious scene before them makes it difficult to see.

“Ash, can you conjure up some wet rags?” I ask.

In a flash, he hands them dripping wet, white towels, which they use to cover their faces.

As we try moving them from the corner, a loud cracking sound of breaking wood gets my attention. I look up, just as a large beam begins falling from the ceiling. “Dhelia! Above you...look out!” I shout.

She turns as the beam loses its last hold, falling right towards them. Her eyes light up like a neon sign, sending the flaming piece of timber flying into the wall in the opposite direction.

Oh, thank god. That was close.

“My girls!” Natalia cries out, pulling the cloth away from her face. “They’re in the attic. Please help them.”

“Don’t worry. Someone is already looking for them.” I try to calm her, but I remember Hunter’s only looking on the second floor.
Not
on the top floor. Bile rears its ugly head at the thought of something happening to them. Or
him
!

“Dru, can you please do your thing?” I ask, hoping he can calm them long enough to get out.

“Consider it done, Sis.”

As he works his magic, the rest of the group appears with four other people.

“We need to get out of here
now
!” Aidan shouts, lifting his arm to block his face from the growing flames beside him.

We push them together, forming a protective circle around them. “Grab on to one of us...hurry!” I holler.

In a flash, Aidan’s teleportation zips us outside the blazing house and back on our front lawn. Everyone coughs to clear their throat, but it doesn’t look like anyone has injuries beyond a few scrapes and misleading soot smudges.

Wow! How’d we get so lucky?

“Is everyone okay?” I ask, scanning their faces for something I might have missed.

“Yes, we’re okay.” Mrs. Russo’s voice sounds hoarse and irritated.

As if somehow I feel his presence getting closer, I look up towards the balcony, just as Hunter appears through the broken window. “I can’t find them,” he shouts, “Where are they?” Trepidation remolds his handsome face.

“They’re in the attic! It’s two doors down from where you are on the right!” Natalia yells, wincing as she squeezes her raw throat, while tears stream down her ashen cheeks. “Dear god,
please
help him find my girls.”

My heart goes out to her. I know how unbearable it was to lose a parent. But a child? How does one come back from that?

Hunter’s chiseled face, ingrained with alarm as he takes in the state of his surroundings. The entire house is in flames. He turns, leaping back through the window in search of the sleeping children.

“Peter! Where’s Peter?” Mrs. Russo yells, desperately searching the people around her.

Everyone stops to look.

What the.... We missed Mr. Russo? “Aidan, please take me back inside. He’s still in there.” Dread now controls every inch of my body like a puppeteer.

“Chloe, no! It’s too dangerous,” Aidan says.

“The fire trucks won’t be here for a few more minutes yet,” Gram cuts in.

“We
can’t
leave him in there, Aidan.” I place my hands on both sides of his face. “Please, we
have
to save your grandfather. Trust me, you don’t want this on your conscience.”

I
know
Aidan. I
know
what’s going through his mind.

But I can see in his eyes he knows I’m right.

He bounds to his feet the same second I do, then we join hands and disappear.

Once our feet make contact with the ground again, the searing heat warns me we’re too close to flames.

“Mr. Russo! Where are you?” I scream at the top of my lungs while pulling down the sleeves of my wet shirt.

“Mr. Russo? Where are you? Granddad?” Aidan yells, taking me by surprise.

“I’m h... here,” says Mr. Russo, so faint I’m surprised we even hear it.

As fast as we’re able to cross the room through the flames, we make it to where he lay in a charred heap on the floor. He’s beneath a large beam, burned more than you’d think possible for someone still breathing.

The pain this man must be in. My god, he didn’t deserve
this
.

Tears flood my eyes as I see Aidan’s horrified face. His bottom lip trembling.

We join hands, leaning down to lay our free ones upon Mr. Russo’s scorched flesh. How is this man even still alive?

Seconds later, we’re back with the others in the yard. I hear Mrs. Russo from behind me,
screaming
the instant she sees the overwhelming state of her husband. “Oh Peter, what have you done?” She cries, falling to her knees beside him.

“I...I’m so sorry.” His words are faint. Breathy and forced.

Aunt Morgan grabs my arm. “Chloe, please do something.”

I scan the faces of those who will surely know about my power if I choose to save him. But it doesn’t matter. I have no choice. Despite the horrible things he’s done to my family, I know I must save this man.

He has burns covering half his body. He
shouldn’t
be alive.

I squat down on the ground next to him, placing one hand on his blistering, half-mutilated forehead—and the other against the melted fabric barely covering his seared chest.

His eyes open.

“C...Chloe?” As he recognizes my face, tears fall down his blackened cheeks.

I inhale past a scratchy throat, closing my eyes to let the healing power flow from my body, down through my fingertips. My head tingles from the energy and my palms feel like they’re on fire. Is it warmth from the healing, or from the wounds lifting from his body? It’s
so
hot.

Gasps and awes surround me, but I ignore it. I continue my mission.

But then a high-pitched scream from the distance breaks my concentration.

I look up to the second floor balcony where I’d seen Hunter two times before. He stands there out of harm’s way, with Emma and Isabella in his arms. The girls tremble, but otherwise seem okay.

“He found them. Thank god,” cries Natalia.

As everyone looks up with relief stretched across their faces, the most spectacular, majestic, ivory wings emerge from Hunter’s back.

My mouth falls open in awe.

He leans down, whispering something to the adorable little girls that brings a smile to their faces.

Hunter looks back down towards us before stepping off the balcony in one fluid motion.

Just as these magnificent wings with at least a ten-foot-span glide them through the air, the full moon appears from behind him—like he’s surrounded by a glowing orb of light. I’ve never seen a more breathtaking, exalted vision in my life.

He looks like an Angel!

My
Angel.

As if caught in a gentle breeze, they soar through the air, falling like a weightless snowflake unable to catch up with time.

All eyes transfixed on this image, as if being sent from above to answer their prayers.

He lands on the ground just a few feet in front of me. With my hands still on Mr. Russo, he sits up. His eyes glued to Hunter.

“Holy mother of God,” Mr. Russo mutters. “It’s a miracle.”

I shake my head. “No, Mr. Russo. It’s
magic!
”

With a smeared, ashen face, he turns to me. “How could you save a man who wanted to destroy you? Who has hurt your family so many times over the years?” His voice is almost a whisper.

“...because it’s not your fault. People fear what they don’t know. But now you
do
know, right?” I send him a sweet smile.

“Yes, I believe I finally do.” He coughs. “I think I need to get up now,” he says, trying to move.

“Not yet. You aren’t completely healed yet.” I try to hold him down.

He coughs a laugh. “That’s okay. I need to suffer a bit for what I’ve done. A painful reminder will do me some good.”

“Are you sure?” I can’t leave him like this. It wouldn’t be right.

“Yes, I’m sure. Thank you, Chloe.” He looks up at Hunter. “And thank you, Agent Payne. I had
no
idea what you were.”

Hunter retracts his iridescent wings, looking at Mr. Russo with an innocent grin. “I’m
whatever
you need me to be, Mr. Russo. And you’re welcome.”

I catch Hunter’s meaning, but it flies right over Mr. Russo’s head. His assessment of Hunter isn’t
entirely
accurate, but there’s no need to open
that
can-of-worms right now. If
he
wants to believe he’s actually an Angel—I’ll let him. No one needs to know he’s a Shape-shifter.

Loud sirens interrupt this monumental moment. Only a little late, three fire trucks and two ambulances pull in. They rush to hose down the house, but it’s unclear how much they’ll be able to save. It’s in pretty bad shape.

Gram and Pap brought a cooler with bottled water from the house, knowing we’d all need it from breathing in so much smoke. And because she’s always on the ball, she even brought wet rags for everyone to wipe off their hands and face. She’s
always
ten steps ahead of the game.

While the paramedics check everyone out, the group thanks us for saving them. Both Mr. Russo and Father Gabriel apologize
profusely
for their actions, but now seem relieved they were wrong about who we are.

Gram’s kindness even surprises me. She told the Russo’s they were more than welcome to stay with us, but they declined considering everything they’ve already put us through. And what we’ve already done for them.

Hours later, everyone but the Russo’s have gone home, and Mr. Russo asks if he can talk to us before he leaves. Even though it’s late—we agree. Mostly out of curiosity to hear what he has to say.

Natalia and Tony decide it would be best if they head to a hotel to settle in. It was a traumatizing night for the girls.

Father Gabriel also decides to take off. He’s had more than enough excitement and desires the solace he can only receive behind the sacred walls of his church.

As we walk in the house, Hunter comes up from behind, wrapping his arms around me. Right now, I can’t imagine there’s
anything
that would feel better. Well, other than a bath that is.

Everyone takes a seat in the living room and Mr. Russo gets right to it. “I’m sure most of you don’t know this, but more than three-hundred years ago, this land was shared by both of our families, just like it is now. The only difference, is that our family’s belonged to the same
coven
. Apparently, they fled to New York just before the Salem witch trials in 1692, but they didn’t actually own this land until sometime in the 1700’s.” He pauses, looking around the room at our shocked faces.

I can’t tell who’s
more
surprised. Gram or Mrs. Russo.