Consuming Fire

Chapter 21

Will squinted at the strange flare of colors he awoke to. It wasn't fluorescence or torchlight. The bed he lay on wasn't a bed at all, but some sort of couch. He could hear strange noises in the distance outside; birds taking flight and wind rustling through the trees. The house he was in looked cluttered, made of wood and filled with worldly possessions. Normal things like kitchen utensils, books, armchairs and fireplaces. Will was so shocked at what surrounded him that it was at least a minute before he realized he was not in the Death Caves anymore. He was not even in ICE.

He was free.

Will had no idea how he got there. The last thing he remembered was passing out after Jet had sawed off his wrist. He didn't need to look down to know it had healed.

Getting shakily to his feet, Will walked toward the wall of windows that faced a forest of lush, green trees. The smell of it filled his nostrils. The sun flickered across his body. With quivering hands, he opened the door and walked outside into the first break of day he had seen in a very long time.

Tears spilled out of his eyes. If he had some other way to express the overwhelming joy he felt inside, he would have done it. The fresh air was glorious. The enriching smell of morning washed over his body like the happiness that flowed through him. It was almost too much. He dizzily sat down on the steps of the porch, staring into the trees, noticing the glimmer of water between the scattered trunks. He shook from head to toe, a mixture of happiness and fear waging war inside him. Eventually he summoned the energy and stood, tripping down the path, feeling the rich dirt between his filthy toes. He couldn't get enough of the smell.

Stretching his hands out, Will was surprised at the feeling of the rough tree trunks as they scraped across his skin. He stumbled out of the clearing and came face to face with a giant lake that glimmered in the morning sun. A couple of birds swooped down from the blinding sky above him and touched the surface of the water, then playfully danced in the air around the shore. Will laughed at them.

Soon his eyes spotted a large plank of wood extended out across the water. There were two people sitting on it. They hadn't seen him. Will recognized Hunter's red hair instantly and something in his stomach lurched. He was unsure whether he was glad to see her or not. But that was something else to think about.

The moment of utter bliss was over, and now it was time to get answers. Will spun around and looked at the house he'd just woken up in. Concealed in the trees, it was clearly some kind of cabin. Perhaps this was the safe house that Dr. Rosenthal had offered them. That must mean ...

Fearne.

Will ran back to the house. Before he could make it, however, he felt his insides curl and suddenly he was leaning against a tree and vomiting. He couldn't remember eating last, but something was coming up. His vision blurred, but he didn't care. He was free and that's all that mattered.

When Will opened the door to the cabin, he saw that there were people in the kitchen. A girl with radiant golden hair in a jumper and denim shorts. It looked like Chantal, but not the Chantal he knew. Beside her was a boy in an oversized T-shirt that read 'I'M NERDY AND I KNOW IT'. Again, it looked a bit like Benji, but a more confident, mature Benji. They were both holding cooking utensils, frozen in his gaze.

And there, sitting on a kitchen stool on the other side of the bench, was Fearne. Like the other two, she was not dirty or shaven or anywhere near as hollow as she used to be. She had never looked happier than when she slipped off the stool and came running into his arms.

Will's heart practically exploded with ecstasy. He tried not to hold her too tight against him, but he couldn't help it. She was so small and light, wrapped around him. Her hair had brightened and grown out a little and she smelled like fresh soap and old clothes. His body shook with sobs as he buried his face in her hair and kissed her neck.

"I was so worried about you," he murmured.

"Don't be silly," she said. "We're safe here. Welcome to the cabin."

"How did I get here?" he asked as he pulled away.

"Ryo rescued you and Hunter last night," said Chantal. "Are you hungry?"

"I think he needs a shower first," said Fearne and she screwed her tiny nose up and laughed. "You stink."

Will's smile tipped to the side. "Of course I smell — you've all probably scrubbed yourselves clean of ICE by now."

"Come on," said Chantal. "We'll fix breakfast while you have a shower. I'll show you where everything is."

Gratefully, Will followed Chantal to the stairs.