Chapter 20: The Fire and the Birth
The heat was instantaneous.
It wasn't the slow creeping warmth of a summer day. It was a physical blow. The flames that erupted at the base of the steel door climbed the treated logs like a living creature. Black smoke, thick and oily, rolled across the ceiling, choking the little air left in the sealed cabin.
I coughed, dropping to my knees. The smoke burned my eyes, turning the world into a blur of orange and gray.
"Kaelen!" I screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the roar of the fire.
I crawled backward toward the bed. The heat was blistering. I could feel the hair on my arms singeing. The golden collar around my neck began to heat up. It was no longer a symbol of possession; it was a branding iron.
Sizzle.
I gasped as the metal seared my ski
