Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
“That's only if you survive,” Ga-in calls back, her voice dripping with malice.
I snort. “What, planning to cook me? You might want to brush up on halfblood capabilities—I'm immune to fire, genius.”
“You may not burn,” she purrs, “but you still need to breathe.”
My blood runs cold as I hear the distinctive crackle of flames igniting in the hallway. Smoke begins seeping under the door, and I realize her plan with horrifying clarity. She means to suffocate me.
I reach for my power, trying to snuff out the flames, but nothing happens. The fire continues to build.
Ga-in's laughter filters through the smoke. “The room is warded. Your powers won't work beyond these walls.” A pause, then, “See you in hell, halfling.”
“You psychotic bitch!” I slam my shoulder against the door, but the wood holds firm. Again and again I throw myself at it, but it won't budge.
Smoke continues pouring in as panic claws at my chest. I'm trapped.
I pound my fists against the door until my knuckles split and bleed. “Help! Someone help!” My voice cracks as smoke burns my throat. The acrid smell of burning wood fills my nostrils.
Flames lick at the paper screens, turning them black. I blast the doors with my own fire, pouring every ounce of power I have into it. The wood creaks but holds firm against the onslaught. My lungs burn as I cough violently, eyes streaming from the thickening smoke.
“Please…” I rasp between coughs. Using my powers only makes it worse, each burst of flame consuming more precious oxygen. But panic overrides logic and I keep trying, hurling fireball after fireball at the doors, even as black spots dance in my vision.
Sweat pours down my face from the intense heat. The room has become an oven, smoke rolling across the ceiling in thick waves. I drop to my hands and knees, trying to find cleaner air near the floor. My chest heaves as I struggle to draw breath.
“Dohwan … Eunho…” Their names come out as barely a whisper. Fear claws at my insides as the reality of my situation hits me. I'm going to die here, killed by my own element. The irony would be funny if I could breathe enough to laugh.
Another coughing fit wracks my body. I collapse fully to the floor, cheek pressed against the hot wood. The smoke is everywhere now, filling my lungs no matter how I try to filter it. My limbs feel like lead weights.
Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision. A distant part of my mind screams at me to get up, to keep fighting, but my body won't respond.
The doors explode inward with a deafening crash. Fresh air rushes into the room along with a wave of intense heat as the hallway flames roar higher. Through my watering eyes, I make out two tall figures striding through the inferno, completely untouched by the flames.
My heart leaps as I recognize Dohwan's rigid posture and Eunho's fluid grace.
Dohwan's eyes blaze with fury, literal flames dancing in his irises as he takes in my crumpled form on the floor.
Without hesitation, he strides forward and scoops me into his arms. I cling to his chest, breathing in his familiar scent mixed with smoke as relief floods through me.
“I've got you,” he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough with barely contained rage.
As we step into the hallway, Dohwan flicks his free hand almost casually.
The roaring flames vanish instantly with a whoosh of displaced air, leaving only scorched walls and the acrid smell of smoke.
He moves swiftly through the corridors with Eunho right behind us, not slowing until we burst out into the courtyard.
A crowd has gathered, faces pale with shock as they stare at the smoke still billowing from the windows. Dohwan ignores them all, carefully setting me down on the flagstones. My legs shake as I gulp in the sweet night air between coughs that wrack my whole body.
Both males crowd around me, hands running over my arms and shoulders, checking for injuries. Eunho cups my face between his palms, his touch gentle as he wipes soot from my skin.
“Are you hurt?” he demands, dark eyes scanning my face.
I try to answer but another coughing fit hits me. Dohwan's growls vibrate through the stones beneath me, the sound so deep and primal it makes my bones rattle. His hands clench into fists at his sides as he looms over us, practically radiating murderous intent.
“What happened?” Dohwan's voice cuts through my coughing fit, sharp with fury. “We told you to wait for us.”
I swallow hard, trying to clear my smoke-ravaged throat. “I got a text from you.” Another cough wracks my body. “Room 374.”
Dohwan and Eunho exchange a loaded look. “My phone went missing hours ago.”
“She probably stole it.” The words scrape past my raw throat.
“Who?” Dohwan's question comes out as more of a growl.
“Ga-in.”
The name ignites something feral in Dohwan's eyes. He surges to his feet with a snarl that makes several nearby fae stumble backward. Before he can stalk off, I grab his wrist.
“Wait.” My fingers tighten around his skin. “We can handle her better than this. Make it hurt more.”
Dohwan drops to his knees in front of me, taking my face between his palms. His touch is gentle despite the rage still burning in his gaze. “Don't ever do that again.”
“What, lock myself in a literal oven?” I try for sarcasm but my voice cracks.
Dohwan pulls me against his chest, arms wrapping around me like steel bands. Eunho presses against my back, his lips finding my temple in a soft kiss. I let myself sink into their embrace, the terror of the past few minutes finally catching up with me.
I'm alive. I'm safe. I'm with them.
The thought settles something wild in my chest, and I close my eyes, breathing in their familiar scents beneath the lingering smoke.