Dime Store Magic

death. The horror of that thought-the very idea of curling up and surrendering to fear-restored my senses.

Ignoring the pain, I flipped the clasp and opened the trapdoor. A moment later, I had the second backpack. I seized the straps, yanked it from the cubbyhole, and started to creep backward, crablike, toward the door. I'd barely gone two feet when Cortez grabbed my ankle and dragged me out.

'That way,' he said, pushing me forward. 'To the door. Don't stand up. Oh, shit!'

He tackled me, knocking me to the floor just as I felt flames lick my calves. As he beat at flames on my back, I twisted to see that the hem of my skirt had also ignited. I kicked against the wall, but the sharp movement only made the flames burn brighter. Cortez slapped out the fire with his hands. Then he grabbed the knapsacks from my hand.

'I have them,' he said. 'Don't look back. Just keep moving.'

I started forward. The rear of the house was ablaze. Tongues of fire licked across the house toward the front and, when I passed the living room, I turned to see the drapes ignite. Breathing through my mouth, I pushed forward, willing myself to crawl over small pockets of fire in my path. At the front hall, I paused to glance over my shoulder for Cortez. He waved me forward. I crawled to the open back door and toppled outside.

A man in a uniform caught me and shoved a cloth over my nose and mouth. I inhaled a deep breath of something cold and metallic. I grabbed the man's arm, gesturing that I could breathe without medical help. Above me, his face wobbled out of focus. I wrenched around, looking behind me for Cortez. I saw the open doorway and empty hall. Then my limbs gave way and everything went black.

Chapter 41

Package Deal

I AWOKE WITH A HEADACHE THAT FELT LIKE A CHISEL striking behind my eyes. When I lifted my head, bile rushed to my mouth and I hunched over, gagging and spitting. Every time I tried to rise, nausea forced me down. Finally I gave up and collapsed.

Where was I? When I opened my eyes, I saw only darkness. The last thing I remembered was drifting off to sleep with Cortez beside me. Flashes of nightmare illuminated the darkness. The taste of smoke made me retch again. As I did, my fingers clenched the sheets and I hesitated, running my thumb over the cloth. These weren't my sheets.

'Cortez?' I shifted onto my side. 'Lucas?'

As I squinted into the darkness, my eyes adjusted enough to make out shapes. Another twin bed to my left. A nightstand above me. I reached for the light and flicked the switch, but nothing happened. My fingers crept to the bulb and found an empty socket. I jumped up, stomach lurching with the sudden movement.

Across the room Savannah muttered in her sleep.

'Savannah?'

She made a noise, half-stirring.

The door swung open. A woman stood in the entrance, illuminated by the hall light. I blinked twice but my eyes wouldn't focus.

'Finally. We thought you girls were going to sleep all day.'

With that voice, my heart stopped. Leah. I flung myself from the bed and tried to locate Savannah but my legs buckled under me and I fell to the carpet.

'Stay in bed,' a man's voice said. 'You won't be ready to walk yet.'

I tried to push myself up from the floor, but couldn't. Leah and her partner stood outside the door, neither making any move to help me. A staccato series of beeps filled the silence, then the man murmured something.

'A cell phone?' Leah said when he finished the call. 'Jesus, Friesen. He's in the next room.'

'Standard communication procedure. Mr. Nast wants to see them immediately.'

The man-Friesen-moved into the light and I recognized him as the 'paramedic' who'd helped me out of the burning house. Early thirties, dirty blond brush cut, with the oversized build of a quarterback and the misshapen face of a boxer.

But who was Nast? I should have known, but my brain wouldn't focus any better than my eyes. I repeated the name in my head, my stomach clenching with each iteration. Nast was… wrong. Someone I didn't want to meet. My gut told me that. But…

'My throat hurts,' Savannah said.

'We'll get you a cold drink in a sec, kiddo,' Leah said. 'You just lie there and relax.'

Savannah. Nast. The connection fired. Savannah's father. Kristof Nast. Oh, God.

'Sa-Savannah?' I managed, struggling to my feet. 'I have to ta-talk to you, hon.'

'No talking,' Friesen said. 'Mr. Nast will want her to save her energy.'

I made it to Savannah's bed and sat down on the edge. I had to swallow several times before my throat would open. 'Nast is-' I stopped, realizing I couldn't just blurt it out. She needed to know more. 'Kristof Nast. He's a sorcerer. He's the head… no, the son of the head of the Nast Cabal.'

She blinked. 'Like Lucas?'

'No, not like Lucas.' At the mention of Cortez's name, I remembered the last time I'd seen him, crawling behind me in the burning house. I hadn't seen him get out. Had they-? Oh, God. I swallowed hard and tried not to think of that. 'The Nast Cabal-'

'Enough,' Leah said. 'If you haven't told her by now, we should leave it for a surprise. Do you like surprises, Savannah?'

Savannah glared at her. 'Don't talk to me.'

'Savannah, there's something else-' I began.

'Nope,' Leah said, grabbing my shoulders and propelling me off the bed. 'It's gonna be a surprise. Trust me, kiddo, you're gonna love this one. You've hit the genetic jackpot.'

Before I could argue, Friesen lifted Savannah up, ignoring her protests, and took her from the room. Leah followed. I stood there, staring at the partly open door, waiting for it to close. A moment later, Leah popped her head back in.

'Those drugs make you stupid, girl?' she said. 'Come on.'

I only looked at her.

'I told them they OD'd on the stuff,' she said. 'What are you waiting for? Shackles and chains? You aren't a prisoner here. Nast wanted to talk to Savannah and this was the only way he figured he could do it.'

'So… so I can leave here? I'm free to go?'

'Oh, sure.' She grinned. 'If you don't mind leaving Savannah behind.'

She disappeared. I followed.

Nast may have been 'in the next room' as Leah said, but he must have decided to hold the meeting elsewhere because we headed downstairs, taking a circuitous route to the living room.

During the walk, my mind cleared. My head and throat still felt like they were stuffed with cotton, but at least I could think and take in my surroundings. We were in a house. A farmhouse, judging by the vista outside the windows. The windows were unbarred, some even propped open. We passed a front and side door and neither Leah nor her partner so much as glanced back to see if I'd make a break for it. They didn't need to. As long as they had Savannah, I wasn't going anywhere.

Any hope that I could still tell Savannah about Nast vanished when we walked into the living room. Sandford stood by the fireplace. Seated next to him was a tall man with thinning blond hair and broad shoulders. As we entered, he turned and smiled, and I found myself looking into an exact replica of Savannah's big blue eyes. My heart dropped and I knew then that Kristof Nast was indeed Savannah's father.

'Savannah,' he said. 'You have no idea how long I've waited for this.'

'Tell this guy to let me go!' She wriggled, trying to get free. 'Put me down. Now!'

Nast waved for Friesen to release Savannah. 'My apologies, princess.' He chuckled and glanced at Sandford. 'Still any doubt she's mine?'