At last the block of warehouses came into view. Luckily there didn't appear to be any smoke coming off it yet.

  Kyra had feared she'd be too late because it had taken longer than expected to get here. So much of the land in between was fenced off for large-scale earthworks that she had to take the long way around.

  Normally she would have been winded from sprinting so far, but becoming a hunter had done wonders for her fitness.

  She was searching for a way onto the property when she noticed someone approaching.

  "I thought you didn't believe me," she said.

  Tristis was casually strolling toward her without any particular hurry.

  "Sam does come here from time to time," he said. "I'm not a big fan of it because they're unlicensed. Your words got me a little spooked, so I had to come check it out."

  "You've gotten him out?" she asked. "Where is he now?"

  "There's no such thing as magic, and there's no such thing as time travel. But there is such a thing as arson."

  "Where's Sam?" she demanded.

  "They hold raves here all the time and nothing ever happens. Yet you seem so confident that tonight is going to be different."

  She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you suggesting I'll be the one responsible for the fire?"

  He shrugged. "Did you know that some firefighters are arsonists? They have a need to play the hero, so when there's no emergency, they have to start one themselves."

  "I'm not playing around, Tristis. You have to get your brother out of there right now."

  He was close now. She guessed that the entrance was back the way he came.

  "My brother. You keep talking about saving my brother. But what about all the other victims of this so-called fire? Are you really okay with sacrificing all their lives?"

  Though he meant it in a different sense, it was a question Kyra had to grapple with when formulating her plan. This fire happened in every timeline unless someone intervened. A lot of people were going to die. Her plan was to save one of them to win Tristis over to her side.

  Did she have the responsibilty to save more?

  Tristis said, "If you really were a time traveler, you could find the source of the fire and stop it from ever happening. No fire, no deaths."

  "Then let's strike a deal," she replied. "You agree to help me and I'll prevent the fire."

  "And if I don't, you're really willing to let all those people die?" he said. "Why should I trust someone so heartless?"

  "There's more at stake than a warehouse of partygoers. If you'd listen to me, you'd understand."

  He scoffed. "Say we make the deal and you go in there and nothing happens. How will I know a fire was ever going to break out?"

  "Now you understand why my plan only involved saving your brother. Let me get on with it before it's too late."

  He moved to block her way. "Let's both wait here."

  "You'd rather let your brother die?" she demanded.

  "I feel like you're the reason there will be a fire if I let you pass," he replied.

  She crossed her arms. "Fine. We wait here."

  They were close enough that she could faintly hear the bass from inside like the building had its own beating heart. It was hard to imagine how tonight could have gone any worse. Was Benny done with his other business and waiting for her call? He must be wondering why she was taking so long this time around. Unless the other Kyra had botched it as badly as she had.

  Tristis broke the silence. "Why don't you tell me a bit about this crisis?"

  "It's the extinction of the human race," she replied.

  "We've been on the precipice for a century. What else is new?"

  "This one I can do something about. Only I can't do it alone."

  "What's so special about me and my brother?" he asked. "You can take your magic and your knowledge of the future to someone who can make a real difference. Like the president."

  "The president's path didn't end well."

  "What can we do that the president of Charais Gamor cannot?"

  "Why don't you just thank your good fortune that the president failed?" she retorted. "For in the other timelines, your brother dies here tonight. And just to be clear, I don't need him, only you."

  He looked ready to make a rebuttal when screams rose in the distance, drowning out the bass. Hot smoke billowed from the warehouse, invisible against the night sky, were it not for her infravision.

  Cursing she pushed past Tristis. How careless to be caught up in his questions and forgetting to pay attention. This lapse could cost her the night's goal.

  At last they came to the end of the chain-link fence only to find rows of commercial trailers parked in the way. Running around them added precious seconds to the delay.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The next problem was getting to the right warehouse. The rave was being held at the third one on the block, which just happened to be arranged in a way that forced them to run down the length of another warehouse to get to there.

  At a full sprint they made it in less than a minute. But even in that short time, the blaze had already spread to the warehouse entrance. What had they been keeping in there—fertilizer?

  The partygoers lucky enough to escape were milling helplessly about the yard. Tristis grabbed one of them. A girl.

  "Have you seen Samiel?" he cried.

  She shook her head frantically. "I-I think he's still inside."

  Tristis ran to the entrance. The shutters were up, but the red-hot flames were an effective barrier. He couldn't get close no matter how desperately he tried. The heat was too much.

  "Where did you see Samiel last?" Kyra asked the girl.

  "H-he said he was heading to the bathroom. But that was maybe five minutes before the fire."

  "How can I recognize him?"

  "Um. He's like Tristis but with long hair and a piercing on his right ear. Oh! And he was wearing a purple wristband."

  Tristis had snatched a spare water bottle and soaked his jacket, which he was using to shield his face. With this he tried once more to get through the warehouse entrance.

  Kyra grabbed his shoulder and tossed him aside. The foolish kid was just going to end up in the body count. Then taking a deep breath, she plunged in through the flames.

  Immediately she regretted it. While the ring of fire resistance kept her from burning up, the heat still brought unbearable pain. Worse still was the smoke clawing at her eyes and tickling its way toward her lungs. Smoke inhalation is just as dangerous as the fire itself, and the ring wasn't going to protect her against choking to death.

  She had to get this done before her breath ran out.

  Dividers had been set up inside the warehouse to create artificial hallways and rooms. The effect had effectively been to line all the escape routes with fuel, allowing the fire to shoot past the panicked guests like a super rail.

  With all the smoke it was hard to find her way. Infravision didn't help when everything was blazing hot. She couldn't see the floor and tripped. She might have regained her footing had the object been small, but when her next step landed on something squishy, she knew right away it was a body.

  She stumbled into a divider and the wind was knocked out of her. Instinctively she took a breath.

  Agony.

  This brought her down to her knees amid a coughing fit, sending even more smoke into her burning lungs.

  Forget about the boy. He's already dead. She had to hurry back outside.

  Crawling along the floor, breathing was bearable as long as she only took short, shallow breaths.

  But she'd lost her orientation. Which way should she turn?

  The notification was surprising as she didn't understand what poison had to do with her current predicament.

  The answer came a couple of doggy steps later when her breaths started coming in easier. The smoke assaulting her eyes and lungs had been reduced to a minor irritation.

  Back on her feet, she ran down the halls.

  Somewhere along the way, her infravision had also improved. The glowing mess around her had sharpened with detail, and she could tell apart the different grades of hot.

  She came across the entrance onto the main dancefloor. But there was no way through. All it had taken was for too many guests, in their panic, to push through the opening at once. This created a plug, dooming them all. Those trapped at the back had tried climbing over, but it didn't seem like any of them made it.

  Kyra averted her eyes from the gruesome stack of bodies and spied a sign pointing to the bathrooms.

  Unlike the other parts of the venue, which had probably been thrown up for the night, the bathrooms were built into the structure, complete with masonry and tiles. This meant that the fire hadn't spread inside them as fast, though her hopes were quickly dashed when she found all the bodies sprawled across the men's bathroom.

  There were far more bodies than there should have been. Some must have taken the wrong turn toward the exit and ended up trapped when the fire cut off the only way out. She hadn't seen any emergency signage at all since entering the warehouse. Whoever set it up simply hadn't bothered.

  Searching for Tristis's brother with appraisal, a knot formed in her chest when she discovered that most of the people here were still alive. A few could maybe still be saved.

  Samiel was in one of the stalls. She found him curled up on the floor, clothes soaked and with a second shirt pulled over his head. The toilet bowl was open, no water left.

  His eyes peeked through the shirt when she tried to move him. He was still conscious.

  "I'm going to carry you out of here," she said.

  It looked like he nodded, but she didn't really care. She tore open the toilet cistern and soaked her jacket before draping it over Samiel.

  "Take a deep breath and hold it until we get outside. Ready? Go!"

  She hoisted him onto her shoulder in a fireman's lift. And she ran.

  Out of the bathroom, along the dividers. Blazing on both sides. The searing pain was back but she can bear it with the ring. What about Samiel? Even her jacket might not be enough. Too late to worry about it now.

  Follow the toilet signs in reverse. At the next junction, was it the left or the right?

  Why were men so heavy? Her hunter's strength was falling short. Benny drilling her to train harder. Her back crying under the weight.

  The logjammed opening to the dancefloor. Hustle past the melting pile.

  No more signs. Only her memory now. Better not trip. Step over the bodies.

  Taking too long. More heat at shoulder level, more smoke. Was the boy still alive?

  Wait. A different breeze. This way!

  Follow the breeze. Follow the smoke. The smoke wants to escape. There—the familiar roller doors.

  She burst outside to astonished gasps. Hands were grabbing at the boy on her shoulders. His weight off, she dropped to the ground and sucked in a lungful of the blissful cold night air.

  A bottle was pressed at her lips. She drank.

  Behind her the warehouse creaked. How long was she inside? Looking around, there were no fire engines yet.

  She rubbed her hands over her cheeks. Her neck. Her arms. No blisters, no burns. The ring had even protected her clothing. Not perfectly, as her dress had a few holes burned through, but it was only E-rank.

  There were still all those unconscious people inside the bathroom. Could she risk one more trip?

  But the agony of the fire was still fresh and she couldn't bear to endure it again. Not for a stranger.

  She looked over at Tristis, bent over his brother's body. Still alive, though you wouldn't think it by the look of him. The jacket hadn't been enough after all.

  At last the sirens arrived. Fire trucks. When what they needed was an ambulance.

  Tristis met her eyes. His were deep with anger. She looked away, wanting to avoid another argument.

  "Thank you."

  His words caught her by surprise.

  He'd come over, taking her hands. "Really. Thank you."

  His anger wasn't with her. It was with himself.

  "I wish I could have done more," she croaked.

  "I had you all wrong. I should have listened. Had I just listened to you, Sam wouldn't be like this."

  "Don't blame yourself. My story is too outrageous. Nobody would have believed it."

  His determination was reflected in the strength of his grip. "But I believe it now. If I follow you, will I be able to do what you just did? Will I be able to save people?"

  "There will be time for that later. Right now be here for your brother."

  Tristis nodded obediently and returned to Samiel's side. It could very well be their final moments together. It shouldn't be interrupted with talk of saving the world.

  At last the first ambulances arrived. Tristis was swift to his feet and ushering the paramedics over.

  Before hopping in to join his brother in the ambulance, Tristis turned to her. "How will I find you?"

  "Be with your brother. I'll find you."