AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Over hearty bowls of stew, we fell into easy conversation. I was fascinated by the stories of the brothers’ childhood adventures in the woods.
The way they bickered and teased each other reminded me of the camaraderie my fire crew shared. For the first time in forever, I felt like I was among family.
After dinner, we moved to the living room. The brothers began discussing the recent fires with an intimacy that surprised me.
They talked openly about the portal sites, ley lines, and rogue magic users. I listened intently, trying to understand this mystical side of their world.
Emmett put an arm around me, absently running his fingers up and down my arm in a distracting yet pleasant way.
“We need to monitor the portal network closely,” Axel said. “Especially after that fire at the Eastern gate. The topology is fluctuating.”
He brought up a 3D hologram map, overlaying it with a fantastical chart of the forest. I recognized it from the painting in Karl’s office. This was their true map of Silverpaw Hollow, depicting the magical portals and boundaries.
Axel enlarged the area where I’d been during the fire. “This is the site that collapsed, right Amber?”
I nodded. “I was doing a ground survey with my team after we contained the fire. There was this strange semi-circular section where all the vegetation had withered. Looked like something straight out of Mordor.”
Axel and Leif exchanged a tense glance.
“What?” I asked. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s your description that’s troubling,” Leif said.
Axel cursed under his breath. “The portal could already be destabilizing. I should have detected the flux earlier.”
“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Emmett interjected. “We don’t know anything for sure yet. No need to jump to conclusions.”
I looked between their concerned faces, completely lost. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what any of this means.”
Emmett gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay. We’re just worried that the recent fires, especially the one you described, might have damaged the portal structure. But like I said, we don’t know for certain.”
“What my melodramatic brother is trying to say,” Leif added with a pointed look at Axel, “is that we need to survey the area to assess whether the portal was compromised. Can you show us the location?”
I nodded eagerly. “Of course. I’d be happy to take you there.” Finally, a way I could help.
Axel was still frowning, his fingers flying across the hologram interface. “Once we get close enough, I should be able to pinpoint the frequency fluctuation,” he muttered.
I cleared my throat. “Actually, there’s something else you should know. We recovered some strange items from the scene that are now in evidence.”
The brothers looked at me sharply.
“A fuel canister, a book of matches, some engraved stones that looked like runes, and a cloth bag with a weird symbol on it,” I continued. “Looked like an arsonist’s kit to me. We’re testing for prints.”
“Son of a–” Emmett growled.
Axel and Leif wore matching looks of anger.
“This was no accident,” Axel spat. “Those pyro freaks are targeting the portals intentionally.”
A tense silence fell over the room. At that moment, the full gravity of the situation sank in. This was about more than fires. These people, my friends, were caught up in a battle to protect a magical world I was only beginning to grasp.
As the conversation turned to planning their next move, I watched Emmett, seeing him in a new light. He was so much more than the charming, playful man I loved. He was a protector, a guardian of this land and its secrets. And I knew my path was meant to intertwine with his.
But even as my heart swelled with admiration and affection, a sliver of unease crept up my spine. The arsonists–pyros–were still out there, and they were growing bolder.
I couldn't shake the feeling that we were all in danger, that the worst was yet to come.
I met Emmett's gaze, seeing my determination reflected back at me. Emmett’s arm around me tightened protectively.
