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Woven into the intricate paint striping on the motorcycle were a number of protective symbols, some visible and others not. Vic felt a sense of relief wash over him as he straddled the bike and came within its wards, but he knew that neither the sigils nor his amulet could completely protect him from all harm, and he stayed alert.

Although summer was peak time in Myrtle Beach, the attractions and events had grown so popular that there really wasn’t an off-season slump. Vic wove through traffic, mindful that most drivers didn’t take motorcycles into consideration. Just as he pulled up beside the now-defunct Dragon’s Cave mini golf complex, the creak of metal warned him to swerve just in time to avoid crates falling from the back of a truck into the road ahead.

Swearing under his breath, Vic veered sharply. Horns blared as he did his best not to get hit by a car while he was avoiding being hit by falling debris. The car behind him didn’t dodge quickly enough and ran into the pile of crates, then exploded.

Flaming bits rained down, catching in the dry grass. Some of them landed on the closed mini golf attraction, and soon the dragon and its lair went up in flames as well.

For just an instant, Vic could have sworn he saw a large lizard in the fire before the wind shifted, and it disappeared. I’m seeing things.

Traffic snarled and sirens wailed. Vic parked his bike, pulled out his badge, and ran toward the car, but the flames kept him back. Anyone inside hadn’t had a chance.

Was that meant for me? he wondered. Why the explosion and fire? That shouldn’t have happened.

For the next hour, Vic pitched in wherever he could lend a hand, helping the cops, EMTs, and firefighters. He watched the burned-out wreckage of the car get loaded onto a flatbed and towed away. By the time the mini golf fire was finally out, not much remained.

“Can you tell us anything about how the fires started, Detective D’Amato?” one of the cops asked, recognizing Vic from down at the station.

“I’ve seen wrecks before that didn’t go up in flames,” Vic told him. “I don’t know why this one did. Pieces of the burning car and crates caught the old golf course buildings on fire. It went up like tinder.”

“Thanks for your help,” the cop said. “We’ll handle it from here.”

Vic looked at the smoldering ruins, convinced that the incident wasn’t truly accidental. But was it the hotel spirit? How much can the hotel spirit do beyond the boundaries of the Ocean Visions complex?

He didn’t relax until he got home and felt the protective wards wrap around him. Vic parked the bike and sat still for several moments, shaking as the near miss sank in.

I guess the good news is that I must be on the right track, or I wouldn’t be a threat. But it’s going to be hard to fight back until we have a better idea of what we’re up against.

Simon came out to look for him, and Vic realized he had taken longer than he intended.

“Are you okay?” Simon’s worried look told Vic his partner had a psychic clue to the recent danger.

“I am now.” Vic hated that his voice shook. He locked up the bike and took off his helmet as he followed Simon into the house.

Simon took him into his arms. “I felt danger. What happened?” He pushed Vic back and looked him over from head to toe.

“It might just be a coincidence…”

“Probably not,” Simon countered.

Vic sighed. “No, probably not.” He told Simon about the falling crates, exploding car, and burning dragon castle.

“There’s something else you’re not saying,” Simon remarked, and Vic knew better than to hold out on a psychic.

“It’s stupid.”

“Tell me.”

Vic took a deep breath. “Okay, for just a few seconds when everything was burning, I could have sworn I saw a flaming lizard or salamander in the fire. Then it vanished. It must have been the wind, or smoke in my eyes⁠—”

Simon shook his head. “You’re the second person to mention it. There’s got to be a reason.”

“Whatever made the crates fall and the car explode was never in sight,” Vic pointed out. “Nobody was around. If it was meant for me, there’s no way anyone would have known I’d go that route because I took the long way today.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. I think this kind of thing is going to keep happening until we can find out for sure what’s going on, what’s causing it, and how to make it stop,” Simon told him. “So please, be extra careful.”

Vic could tell that his close call scared Simon and made him angry, which just reinforced his own belief that the attack was supernatural and intentional.

He gave Simon a long, slow kiss and reached for his hand as his partner tugged him toward the kitchen. “Come on. I got takeout. We can eat, and I’ll fill you in, and then we can spend the rest of the evening pretending there’s nothing interesting going on.”