Controlled Burn

Chapter 11: I Need It

Cade woke slowly, groggy and disoriented, his body feeling like it had been put through a grinder. Every inch of him ached, and it wasn't the satisfying burn from a hard-won fight. No, this pain was deeper, raw and jagged. He could feel it in his bones, like his body was screaming for something it couldn't have. The fire inside him stirred, restless and hungry, and Cade's heart quickened, the familiar weight of panic creeping in as reality settled over him.

Accelerant.

The thought struck him like a hammer to the chest. He hadn't taken it in—how long had it been? The fight. The underpass. Lucian. Cade's breath hitched as the memories slammed into him, all jumbled together with the blur of fire, ice, and desperation. But there was no Accelerant. No cool vial in his pocket. No relief waiting to smooth out the jagged edges of his fire before it tore him apart.

He needed it. Now.

A cold sweat broke across his skin, and Cade's fingers twitched involuntarily. His muscles tightened, his chest constricting as the fire within him rumbled to life, its hunger gnawing at him from the inside. His flames wanted out. They always did. But without the drug to dull them, to keep them tethered, Cade knew what would happen next. He'd been here before. Too close to the edge.

His body jerked violently as a wave of heat surged up from his core, and Cade bit back a cry, gritting his teeth as he tried to hold it together. Hold it down. His hands trembled, his heart hammering in his chest as his body revolted against itself. Every second felt like it dragged on forever, the fire gnawing at him, pushing against the limits of his control.

He could feel it—the withdrawal.

His skin crawled, slick with sweat, his muscles spasming as the fire beneath his skin began to rage out of control. Cade clenched his fists, fighting to keep the flames from spilling over, but it was like trying to hold back a flood with bare hands. His vision blurred, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps as his body trembled uncontrollably.

The room felt too small, the walls too close. Cade's chest tightened, his heart racing as though it was trying to escape his ribs. He was burning up from the inside, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He stumbled to his feet, the cold of the containment cell biting into his skin as he struggled to maintain his balance. His legs felt weak, shaky, as if they might give out beneath him at any moment. But the fire inside him wasn't weak. It was relentless, clawing at his insides, threatening to spill out in violent bursts. Cade pressed his hands against the freezing glass wall of the cell, trying to ground himself, trying to focus on anything but the flames roaring inside him.

But all he could think about was the Accelerant. The cool, numbing relief that the drug gave him. How it took the edge off his fire just enough so he could breathe without feeling like he was about to explode. Without it, he felt exposed, raw, like the flames were scraping away at his insides, burning him alive from the inside out.

Cade's vision swam, his breath coming in rapid, shallow gasps. His mind raced, panic threading through every thought. The flames inside him were already starting to flicker out of control, and if he didn't get the Accelerant soon—

No. He couldn't think about that. He had to stay focused. But the fire, the withdrawal, it was suffocating him. Cade pressed his forehead against the glass, his breath fogging it as he struggled to keep it together.

His pride screamed at him to find another way, to handle this on his own. But he had nothing. No Accelerant. No control. Nothing but the rising heat inside him, and the sickening fear that he was going to combust if he didn't get help.

His heart raced faster, his body trembling violently now as the fire churned beneath his skin. His hands pressed harder against the cold glass, his knuckles white with tension. He hated the thought of what he was about to do. Hated it. But he had no choice.