“He doesn’t plan on coming back,” Aria murmured in a whisper. It was all she could manage.
“Right,” Harper agreed, “and there’s a good chance he’ll die there. The Cavendishes have friends on the council. If Grayson’s caught and charged with witchcraft, they’ll try to burn him. That’s why I’ve disobeyed my grandmother and come here. And that’s why I’ll bring you back to convince him to live here with you. I know he loves you, Aria. This isn’t what he really wants.”
“You’ll bring me to him? Really?”
Harper nodded, and then gave a short, soft laugh when Aria threw herself in her arms and hugged her.
“When should we go? Right now?” The sooner the better for Aria. She couldn’t wait to set her eyes on him. It felt as if a year had passed since she had.
“Alright, go tell your family you’ll be back in a day or two.”
Aria agreed and hurried off to tell her parents she’d be staying with Mrs. B’s granddaughter Harper for a few days. Before they left, she changed into a pair of leggings, a bustier-style top that was most similar to her eighteenth-century bodice, and a cropped hoodie.
She’d agreed to meet Harper outside in front of the building, but Harper wasn’t there when Aria arrived. At first, Aria thought she’d changed her mind and left without her, but then she saw Harper running toward her.
“We have to hurry,” Harper breathed, reaching her. “There’s trouble. A fire.”
Fire? Aria nearly fainted at the thought of them burning Gray…no. Please, God. “Wait!” She hurried to the door. “I have to go back up!”
“What for?” Harper asked impatiently.
“A fire extinguisher. If there’s a fire, we’ll need it. My brother bought one for my father the Christmas of 2021. It should still be in the kitchen. I’ll be right back!”
Aria sweated waiting for the elevator. She tapped her foot while it ascended, then burst out when it reached her floor, and the doors opened. She made up a ridiculous excuse about seeing one of the neighbors who asked to borrow the fire extinguisher. Without explaining further, she procured the extinguisher, kissed her mother on the way out and raced back to Harper.
“My key!” Aria gasped when Harper pulled the gold key from her pocket. “You had it all this time?”
“I couldn’t let you leave him,” Harper explained quickly while she pulled Aria back to the building’s front doors. “I wanted to give you both a few more days together. I knew he was losing his heart to you.”
She moved to insert the key, but Aria stopped her. “The key won’t fit that door—”
“It will fit any door,” Harper said, then turned the inserted key and pushed the door open.
Aria immediately smelled smoke in the air. It was midday and the sun still shone, but a mammoth charcoal cloud was slowly approaching. They stood atop the roof between the parapets of Dartmouth castle. The roof where she’d seen him dance for the first time. From their vantage point, they could see the smoke rising from the treetops in the north.
“Is that a forest fire?” Aria asked, her words snatched away on the wind.
But Harper caught them and pulled her gaze away from the smoke to turn to her.
They both knew in the same instant that if there was a fire that threatened his friends, that’s where Gray would be. Aria also knew that her measly fire extinguisher was no match against a forest fire.
Together they raced out of the castle not stopping to speak to anyone. Harper led her to the stables and helped her mount a strong young stallion. Harper leaped up in back of her and gave the horse a gentle kick with her heels.
It didn’t take them long to reach the tree line north of the castle, and the billowing smoke rising from the center.
Dismounting, Aria pulled the pin on the extinguisher, unlocking the lever. She’d be ready if they came upon flames.
They were about to enter the forest when they saw three men carrying fiery torches and walking along the tree line ahead of them. They were lighting more of the trees on fire! Aria raced forward with Harper close behind. When Aria reached the backs of the men, she lifted her fire extinguisher high over her head and brought the metal canister back across the man’s head. He went down almost instantly. She hoped she hadn’t killed him, but there was no time to check. The second and third men were coming for her. As the third grew closer first, she spun in a pirouette and smashed her foot into his face. When he paused and swooned, she brought the bottom of the metal extinguisher down into his jaw and knocked him out.
The second brute had Harper by the throat, her punches having no effect on him.
“Harper!” Aria called out. When Harper looked at her, Aria motioned for her to duck.
Sinking her teeth into her captor’s arm worked at loosening his grip. Harper was able to lower her head. It was enough for Aria to pull the lever and shoot a quick blast of extinguishing agent into the arsonist thug’s face.
They heard a cry in the air as the second man screamed and coughed and gasped for air.
Aria looked up. Toric! And then she saw movement within the trees.