Chapter Ninety-six

Izabella grabbed the doorknob. It burned her hand, and she pulled back reactively, pressing the key into the hole. The door swung open, and the entire room was aflame. The wall had crumbled away, and the flames were shooting outside toward the roof. There was a body laying not far away from the kids. The smoke was thick, making it hard to breath. Izabella grabbed them into her arms, hugging them close.

Gabe carried Rose, and he was kneeling on the ground when Izabella let go of Devon and Sarah and wrapped her arms around him. “Come on, your father is waiting for us. Let’s get out of here.” She turned on her heals, grabbing Devon’s hand, knowing Gabe would follow.

Scarlet grabbed her arm. “Wait, we need to know who here has magic.”

“Getting out of the burning building is more important right now.” She glared at Scarlet. Izabella still didn’t trusted Scarlet, not after what happened at the castle.

“Where did you get that ring? How are you using shadow magic? Do you know how dangerous—” Scarlet was saying as Izabella ripped her arm away from the other woman’s grasp.

“Look,” she turned away, storming down the hall toward the exit, “I appreciate that you came to let us out since Bram couldn’t, but we’re not doing this right now.”

“If the shadow user is here I have to find them. And now! Where does that ring lead to?” Scarlet’s words were wild, her eyes wide with excitement and fear. “I have to know right now!” She grabbed Izabella’s shoulders and shook her.

Devon turned, and fire shot up between her feet making her yelp and dance away. Izabella stared at him in shock, pulling him away. When she went to continue walking, she ran into an invisible wall which made her stumble. “Hey!” Izabella spun back around. Scarlet really wasn’t planning on letting them go.

“Right now.” Scarlet’s words were quiet and dangerous. “I can’t let you leave if I have a chance to get them. Does that ring lead to a shadow room? Do you have it now because it’s where Father Corvino kept his secrets? Do you know how many people are searching for that room? Or what that’s worth. Or how dangerous it would be for my son to know about it?”

Izabella pushed the children behind her, swallowing hard. As terrified as she was of Scarlet, she wouldn’t give away her father’s secrets. She didn’t trust Eudom, but she trusted Scarlet less. She’d already proven she wanted to hurt Bram. And Eudom, though a trickster, didn’t leave her with the impression he was looking to hurt her. Hadn’t he even told her that there were things in that room simply to make sure they are hidden from those who would use them? The idea Bram could be one of those people seemed ludicrous to Izabella. She felt like that would have been something Eudom would have confided, knowing how close they were.

“It is from my father. And you cannot have it. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Shadow user.” She scoffed. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Izabella pointed to her room. “I only found one thing that seemed interesting in the room after he passed. It’s in my room. Do you want me to show it to you?”

Scarlet’s eyes were hungry, but she seemed taken back. “Why weren’t you wearing that ring when you were with Bram at the castle?”

“I left it here when I moved out. I’d forgotten all about it. I remember it when I came back.” Before, she could feel Scarlet moving around in her head, reading her thoughts, and though she could feel that magic trying to get in, she could feel the push back too. Scarlet was trying to read her mind. She wondered if it was Eudom who was preventing it.

“Anything. I’ll take anything from that room.” She followed Izabella into her bedroom. The smoke had gathered in here, and Izabella’s eyes watered as she made her way to the bed, reaching down underneath. Eudom was right about one thing. She would need to keep this closer from now on.

Before pulling the box out, her hand opened the lid, sliding a dart out and into her palm. Holding the box in a way Scarlet couldn’t see what was in her hand, she held it out. Scarlet didn’t take it right away, lifting the lid instead. Her eyes looked in, hungrily, as she smiled. “And what special powers do these little dearies have?” Her hands rested on either side of the box, and Izabella moved so that the dart punctured the fleshy bulge under her thumb.

Scarlet dropped to the floor in a heap, screaming. Izabella tucked the box under her arm, turning in the doorway. “These little dearies take away magic from users for some time. Now that the fire can kill you like the rest of us, I suggest you get out.” Izabella ran out, grabbing Rose, “Gabe, can you drag Scarlet down? We can’t just leave her here.”

“She’s not going to try to fry me or anything, will she?” He asked, hesitating.

Izabella shook her head, “I stole her magic for a little while. She’ll get it back, but it shouldn’t be too soon.” Gabe did as she asked. Scarlet glared at her as Gabe put her arm around his shoulder to help her out. Izabella ignored it, pulling the kids down the stairs and away from the fire. As she broke through into the night air, they all gasped, coughing.

Bram was on the other side of the gate still, looking like he was about to jump out of skin, as he watched them all gasp for air. The moment he saw her, he was pacing back and forth. She hurried toward him, looking over at Pastor Tom as she went. She could see the hurt in his eyes as she ran toward Bram. Devon and Sarah hot on her trail, as Gabe helped his mother. The moment she crossed over the threshold; Bram wrapped her in his arms. Falling to his knees in relief, and held her and Rose close, pulling them down with him. A moment later, every one of the kids piled on top of them, holding close as Izabella cried, kissing each of the kids in turn. Gabe was the last in the huddle, pulling them all in closer.

Bram wasn’t as emotional as he kissed the kids, but once Izabella was done fawning over them, Bram pulled her close, kissing her deeply. The kids disbanded quickly after that, someone even snagged Rose away from between them. “I was so scared.” Sirens blared as the church continued to go up in flames. Everything her dad ever had was in there, and it broke her heart to know that so much of it was going to be gone. She could only hope the shadow room would be safe. “Come, lets get out of here.” Bram got to his feet, pulling Izabella up with him. In the chaos with the church now having caught fire, a very bizarre and unexpected fire, which was blue no less; no one seemed to care about them. No one except Pastor Tom, whose eyes followed as Bram shuffled his family away.

Leading everyone a few blocks away, Bram took them all toward the busier parts of the city. Izabella and Devon each held onto a hand. He led them around a few blocks, constantly looking around and behind them. Izabella couldn’t help but cling to him. She couldn’t go through any of that again. She already knew that. Bram was keeping an eye out around them, but she was keeping her eyes on the kids. There was no way she would let them out of her sight again.

Devon was carrying the box Eudom had given her, and Scarlet was eyeballing him hard from where Gabe still helped her walk. Izabella was pretty sure Scarlet was biding her time until she could try to throw Izabella under the bus to Bram. She would have to explain everything before his mother got the chance to avoid any unnecessary miscommunications. Not that she worried he would believe his mom over her, but she didn’t want to give him any reason to doubt her. Especially with the news she had.

Knowing they were pregnant and that she had let the baby go accidentally had nearly killed her. She couldn’t imagine how Bram would react. He wouldn’t say it, but she could tell it was something he wanted. The morning after they had first made love, he’s mentioned being afraid that he’d forgotten the condom, but when she had said that they would figure it out if anything came to fruition, he’d held her so close and seemed to revel in the idea for a while. Izabella had been afraid of him before, but she was terrified to tell him this. Too afraid of how it would impact him.

Finally, they seemed to come to a place where Bram felt secure enough to bee-lined for a hotel. There was a line at the counter. “I hate to be that guy, but with seven children nearly half dead from an extremely tiring day, anyone standing in line that lets me go first will get their stay here paid by me.” He stated. There wasn’t a person in line that didn’t take the offer, moving aside so he could check in. Handing the card to the clerk, he smiled. “Just keep it. You’ll be running it more for everyone else. I’ll pick it up in the morning once all these fine people are paid for and you don’t have to worry about it not processing.”

“Do you have any idea how expensive it’s going to be to pay for those people?” The man behind the counter frowned at Bram. Clearly irritated by the work he was in for.

“I may not look like much at the moment, but did you know that I’m a multi-millionaire who doesn’t give a shit right now? That card has access to more money on it than you’ll make in ten years working here as a manager.” Bram snapped. Another person came out from the back asking the man what was going on. When he told him, the woman smiled brightly at Bram.

"Well, hello sir!” She scooted him aside, and this seemed to pacify Bram for a moment. Izabella looked back at the others.

“We need a minimum of three rooms, and your mother needs to have her own single room. I don’t want her with us.” Izabella looked up at Bram seriously. The woman behind the counter looked nervous for a moment, as if expecting a fight to break out, but when Bram gently touched her cheek and quickly agreed, that worry fled.

“Of course, love.” He glanced back at his mother and turned away quickly when she opened her mouth to argue. “Give me the most comfortable room you can for eight. My mother needs an interior room without a window please.”

When the woman’s eyes looked back at Scarlet, she looked so sorry when booking the room. “Seriously Bram? I’ll get my own room then.” Scarlet scoffed.

“You can do whatever you like. What you did today may be appreciated, but as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t make up for the childhood you gave me. And you know exactly what I mean.” Turning back to the clerk, Bram frowned. “If she wants a better room, then please, by all means, make sure she pays for it herself.”

“Of course, sir.” The clerk nodded. “Your room will be our third best, on the top floor. It’s a suite with six bedrooms. It’s the best room I have available. How many nights would you like it for?”

“A month.” People behind him were now talking. “Others may be coming and going. I’ll call with a name if anyone else needs to stay, and don’t book the room for a month after that. I’ll pay a deposit for that if needed. I don’t know if I’ll need it or not.”

“And you’re okay with the room being $900 a night, correct?” Bram just waived a hand. “Does your card have any limits we should be concerned with?”

“It shouldn’t. Would you like me to give you another four to make sure? Look, I don’t care what you have to do, I want my room, and I want it now. I’ve had a hell of a day. I’m tired. My wife and children were caught in a fire and are also exhausted. We want a shower and a bed. Do I make myself clear?”

“I’m sorry sir.” The woman bulked at him a little. “We do need to keep your card.”

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**We haven't done two chapters in a day in a while, so SURPRISE! Happy reading.**