Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Ayla I knew it was a stupid move when the smoke hit my lungs and stung my eyes. But I wasn’t turning back. I had made it halfway across the packhouse before the smoke obscured everything. I didn’t know what was in that bomb, but the smoke was thicker than it should have been. Even dropping to the floor didn’t help. The smoke was settling to the bottom. But I knew I was close to the kitchen. So I kept going.

“Annabelle,” I called.

I kept calling even as my throat began to burn. I felt my way along the walls. The kitchen had swinging doors, so I knew I had made it when the wood gave way, and I stumbled through a doorway. I tripped into a metal counter, slamming my shin against a crossbar. I tried calling out for Annabelle again. I took a few more steps into the room before I tripped over something else. This time landing on the floor and something soft.

It was Annabelle.

14 She lay prone on the floor. I was close enough that I could make her out. It looked like her head was bleeding. She must have fallen and hit her head somehow.

“Annabelle,” I croaked, tapping her face to wake her. I started coughing heavily. I had to do something about breathing the smoke, or I would pass out soon myself.

I reached along the counters around me. Finally, I managed to find a couple dish towels. I made it to the sink and wet them, covering my face with one as I made my way back to Annabelle. I tried rousing her again, this time getting a response.

Chapter 99. Ayla She started to groan, coughing as she regained consciousness.

“Ayla? What...”

“Come on, sweetie,” I said. “We gotta go. Can you walk?”

She pressed a hand to her head. “Yeah, I can make it.”

“Okay, good.”

1288 Vouchers I looked around us. There was no way we could make it back the way I came. The smoke was just too thick. It was hot, but I still hadn’t seen any flames. I took that as a sign that our biggest problem at`that moment was the smoke. It was thick, but it was white. So I could see the light from outside shining through the windows. Helping Annabelle up, I helped her toward the outer wall.

Another metal counter was lining the wall below the windows, which I discovered my running into again. I climbed up on it and tried to open the windows.

“They don’t open,” Annabelle informed me. “Hang on.”

She disappeared for a few seconds before I felt something heavy being pressed into my hand. It was an ice pick. I thanked the goddess and, wrapping my towel around my hand, used it to shatter the window. I had been hoping for a gust of fresh air, but the thick smoke billowed out too quickly.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing Annabelle’s arm to help her through. “You first.”

I guided my friend through the window, helping her avoid the broken glass as best I could. But my eyes were burning so badly I couldn’t see much. We were on the ground floor, so there was only a small drop once she was through. I followed after her. I was less successful at 288 Vouchers preventing cuts. My arm caught on a shard, slicing it open near my wrist. I dropped down, letting myself fall to the ground, coughing and gasping for clean air.

I heard voices approaching us. Hands started tugging at me, pulling me gently away from the smoke still pouring from the window. My eyes were watering, but my vision started to clear. Annabelle was next to me, receiving the same help.

I saw Jimmy sprinting in our direction, skidding to a stop before me. He looked me over before he slumped over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

“Woman,” he finally got out, “you scared the sh*t out of me. Are you looking to get me killed?’

A laugh sent me into a coughing fit, but I managed to get a hoa*se apology out. We were heading to the front of the packhouse when Theo rounded the corner. Everyone stopped from the energy radiating off him. He looked me up and down. He started to move toward me but hesitated, looking at everyone around us. I was having trouble reading his expression.

Suddenly, he marched toward me, dipping down to throw me over his shoulder without s****ing a beat, and hauled me off to the garden shed nearby. He slammed the door and set me down unceremoniously. Anger filled his face as he looked down at me.

Before I could say anything, he started pacing. Well, as well as someone his size could pace in a small shed.

“How...”

“She’s safe,” he interrupted, knowing I would ask about Mina. “He’s in custody.” He stilled, but his body was still full of tension.

“You’re bleeding.”

Chapter 99. Ayla 288 (Vouchers “Just a scratch,” I replied quietly.

More silence.

Then I was in his arms —

– his mouth slamming into mine — faster than I knew what happened. His tongue sought mine. The kiss was desperate and full of emotion. He was holding my face firmly, almost to the point of being painful.

“Don’t you ever fu****g do that again, Ayla,” he demanded. “Do you hear me? Never again.”

“Theo,” I sighed. “My friend was in there.”

“I’m not talking about helping people, Ayla,” Theo urged, letting me go. He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m talking about being reckless. There was a team of warriors around you. There was a team already inside. You don’t have to take everything into your own hands anymore, Ayla. You should have let someone else handle it.”

“Why?” I asked, getting frustrated. “Because I’m not capable...”

“Don’t you put those words in my mouth,” Theo snapped. “You know this has nothing to do with how capable you are.”

“Then why, Theo? Because I’m apparently so much more important than them?” I shot sarcastically.

“YES,” he bellowed. He loomed over me. His face softened some. His eyes fell closed. “Yes, Ayla. Because to me, you are more important. You’re more important than everything.”