Fighting the Flames (Firefighter Romance #1)(47)

“What change?” She looked up at him, wrinkles etched deep into her forehead and her hand curled into his shirt.

Oh hell. Why was it his place to tell her what was going on? Ever since the damn Brotherhood had paid him a visit and demanded that he keep an eye on her, he'd worried about how to explain what was happening to Jacqueline. Dreaded it, actually. He wasn't fit to be the guardian that the Brotherhood wanted him to be. Drunks and fighters—that was his specialty, not a gorgeous woman with supernatural powers and emotional problems. He wasn't even sure she was ready to know.


How did he backpedal out of this potential disaster?

“The change. You know the change in life.” He regretted the words as her fist thumped his chest and her nostrils flared.

“Change?” He voice shrilled. “The change in life? Do you think I'm old enough to be going through menopause?” Jacqueline stood up, placing fisted hands on curvaceous hips.

“Well, you must be pushing at least… forty?” He shrugged, hoping the fire he saw in her eyes wouldn't turn physical again. After carding her the first time he’d served her, he knew she was younger.

“Forty? You think I'm forty? I'll have you know, *”—Jacqueline jabbed at his chest—”I'm only thirty-one.”

“My mistake.” He offered his hands in defeat.

“I think I should be going,” she said. “Thanks again for letting me rest for a few minutes.”

“Anytime.” He meant it too.

“Forty…” She stomped out of the room, swiping at the tears left on her face.

Jacqueline muttered as she walked through the bar and he grinned. Well, at least he hadn't needed to explain what was happening to her. He scratched his chin and stood. True, telling her that she was going through menopause may not have been the best idea. But hey, crying damsels in distress weren't his bag either. They were just so… teary. And sad. And needy. Though he had to admit, holding her hadn't been terrible. A long time had passed since he'd done that for any woman.

A scream of terror cut through his reverie. Toby ran into the dark bar, already whispering a defensive spell he’d learned as a child. Jacqueline halted in the center of the room, her gaze fixed on the window. He sucked in his breath, seeing the creature floating on the other side.

An old woman, what the old books would have called a hag. Thin, stringy hair rose and fell in the breeze outside. The skin on her face was weathered and wrinkled, and as he looked closer, Toby saw that some of it was rotting. Actual bone peeked out in some places. A green glow illuminated her body, covered in a torn and tattered black robe.

“Toby?” Jacqueline said. “Toby what is that?”

The hag raised her arms, revealing more twisted and warped skin. Long, black fingernails scratched on the window, sending shivers along his spine. The hag's deep green eyes searched through the pane, peering into the darkness of the closed bar. Her jaw worked anxiously, opening and closing as if hungry.

“Jacqueline, don't move,” Toby whispered. Her body stiffened, but she didn't turn away from the disturbing sight. “Be still. I'll take care of this.”

Toby inched closer, hoping that his dark black shirt cloaked him from the hag's powerful gaze.

“Toby, what the hell is that?” Her voice shook. “Do you think someone escaped from the old folks' home down the road?”

He bit his cheek. “It's a hag, a dead spirit, a seeker of lost souls.” Toby muttered something about listening to him under his breath. “It's looking for someone's essence to take.”

A hand covered her gaping mouth, but a single word escaped. “Shit.”

“I feel the same,” he said with a small smile. “Just don't do anything that will attract its attention.”

But the power shifted in the room much as it had earlier. Toby winced as Jacqueline said, “Um… I don't know if I can do that,” she gulped and looked at him, “I'm feeling… strange again.”

“Don't sing,” Toby said, but his gut twisted in knots. The hag’s stench burned his nose; its taste tainted the air. He had a good idea what the woman wanted, but the Brotherhood asked him to prevent it from happening. If Jacqueline sang, he didn’t know if he held enough power to stop the hag from taking what was rightfully hers.

“The urge is… so strong.” Her voice took on a detached sound.

In that moment, Toby was going to have to reveal his powers. Damn. Why did all the charity cases come to him? Now she'd never look at him the same way. “Okay. I'm going to do something that may shock you.”

She snorted and he paused. “Doubt you can surprise me.” A dreamy quality hinted in her tone despite the snarky remark. He was losing her. The green crept into her eyes, illuminating the darkness concealing their presence. “Things have been really weird for me this past year.”

The hag continued staring into the darkness. Toby assumed the whipping wind had covered their voices, but he could not risk Jacqueline if he didn’t face the haggard woman. The longer he dallied, the greater the risk of the hag finding her. He cursed, glancing between them.

“I'm going to go outside,” he said clipping his words and stepping toward the entrance. “Stay here and close your damn eyes. I'll deal with this—”