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  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Paige Tyler. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Dallas Fire & Rescue remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Paige Tyler, or their affiliates or licensors.

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  Consumed

  Consumed

  A Soulful Hearts/Dallas Fire & Rescue Crossover Novella

  Acknowledgements

  A huge thank you to my beta readers who help pull this story together as well as my amazing editors Chelle Olson and Paige Prince! Love you guys!

  Dedication:

  LL, you have been a constant supporter of all things me. The late nights, the tossing and turning, and stealing of blankets. Allowing me to constantly pick your brain with what if questions. Thank you. I love you and all the things you do for me. I appreciate you.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Prologue

  The light of your true one will only shine brightly for you. She will be half of Terra and half of Wraith. She will usher in your awakening.

  Those were the words from his Telling that stuck out. That was what Bael remembered.

  He was going to Terra. For the first time in over three hundred years. He couldn’t stand humans, but it seemed that one of his Enforcers had decided to take up with one. A female who’d given birth to a half-breed, a Nefas. Nefas were an abomination. The thought of what Herba had said to him all those years ago, sat forefront in his mind. His light would be Nefas. But it couldn’t be Feur’s daughter. It can’t be that easy.

  The last half-breed had been responsible for the Big Burn in 1910, killing hundreds of humans—not to mention a handful of Enforcers. All because of a little boy. A child who couldn’t control his temper. It had been a female Enforcer, who’d left Wraith to go and be with a human. The outcome, she’d birthed a male Nefas who was uncontrollable. As a result, hundreds of people were killed.

  There had been many other fires throughout history. Boston and then London. Two for London. There was also Rome. That had been an interesting one. Chicago in 1871, and San Francisco in 1906. There were a host of other memorable ones, but Bael wasn’t in the mood to take a trip down memory lane.

  He detested the thought of being the one required to go and clean up the newest mess, namely, a little slip of a girl name Abrihet. Her mother of Ethiopian descent, chose an apt name for the half-breed. Abrihet meant, she shines. And shine she did. Like a bright fucking homing beacon for demons. There was a reason Fire Demons didn’t live on Terra. If someone were to learn their true names, they could be controlled. And in the wrong hands, that control would be all kinds of fucked. For all involved.

  Bael paced the confines of his quarters as he listened while his second-in-command gave him the information he needed to infiltrate and then dispatch the unwanted half-breed.

  “She lives in what the humans call an apartment complex. Her half-brother pays her bills.”

  “I am to become her neighbor, then?”

  “Yes, but we’ve given you better credentials. The owner of the building suddenly fell to his death from a twenty-story roof in New York. You are now the owner of the apartment complex, called Sunnydale. It was his time, so I took it for the boon it was. Nasty thing, those falls.”

  Sunnydale. What a joke.

  “What floor is she on?”

  “Bottom unit, directly across from yours.”

  “Anything I should be aware of?”

  “Not really,” Ranore replied.

  “What name am I going by?”

  “Bael,” Ranore said as if that were the obvious choice.

  “Seriously? We’re using my given name?” It wasn’t his true demon name, but it was pretty damn close.

  “These are different times. Humans are more accepting of names such as yours. Even mine.” Ranore chuckled to himself as he flipped through the pages of intel on Abrihet.

  “They don’t use their given surnames anymore?”

  He’d kept up with what was going on topside. Had to. But he didn’t remember ever hearing about a human who went by one name. Unless it was Prince, or the artist formerly known as Prince. Who wasn’t human at all but a Suren, or male Siren.

  “No, they do. You just won’t. Consider it my way of making you part of the ‘in’ crowd.”

  Beal’s hands fisted tightly at his sides. Ranore was young, and the younger Fire Demons enjoyed Terra. Some of them even ventured outside the confines of Wraith for what they called a democation. Or demon vacation.

  “Just give me the girl’s file. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Ranore took a step back, shaking his head. “I know you’re the boss’s son, and that you’re taking a true interest in this particular case because of Feur, but keep in mind, we only kill those who pose a threat. New rule. The one you came up with after that fiasco in Running Springs. Remember…observe. If she proves to be a hazard, then you detach her soul from her body and bring her here to Wraith to live as a Pastlife.”

  He knew the rules. Was well aware of them. But Feur had been aware, too, and still he’d fallen for a human. To fire demons love meant weakness. Bael had never fallen under anyone’s so-called spell. He’d fathered a few hundred demons and demonesses in his time, but they were all purebred. Which was why it pained him that a demon he considered more brother than friend would procreate with a human. But in the back of his mind, he remembered his Telling. Wondered if maybe the old woman who lived in the forest was crazed. Maybe her sight held no truth and she’d given him a false Telling.

  “Where is Feur?”

  “He’s headed to the blood bath.”

  “Still, he’s going?”

  “Yes, he says he will continue to go until the mother is returned to him.”

  It would never happen. She lived in an asylum.

  It had been close to thirty human years since Feur had seen Adanech, but he still felt a pull towards her. She’d been the one to summon him all those years ago. Unknowingly, was her excuse when confronted. But Bael felt she’d known exactly what she was doing—summoning Feur because of her dead husband. She’d been seeking retribution for his death at the hands of a rival village. Adanech had prayed to everyone and anything, eventually whispering Feur’s true name. It had bonded them together, pulling him into what Feur called the happiest moments of his entire existence. Now, the male went to blood baths. A place of torture, where the attendees were whipped or beaten until they could no longer stand. They would simply sink into their own blood.

  “I’ll have a talk with him before I leave.”

  “I’ll see that he receives you properly, Bael.”

  Ranore handed over the file containing Feur’s offspring’s information and left him to study the females’ habits. There were no pictures of her. Just a description, in detail. Along with notations about her place of work, family, and friends.

  Chapter 1

  Fire licked up the sides of the wall. The flames had long since destroyed most of what was left of the building. The
smoke would cloud anyone’s ability to see. But not Abrihet’s. She remained un-affected. Even in the uniform she was forced to wear and the helmet shield covering her face, her vision was clear. Playing along was the only way the others would keep from guessing her secret. Fire had no effect on her. Never had. The protective gear she wore made things more difficult to navigate as sweat dropped into her eyes. She could hear the screams. Each one distinct and different. There were at least three more people in the building. Abrihet was going to get in a shit-ton of trouble for going in after them without backup. Her captain had already warned her on more than one occasion about putting herself in harm’s way. He thought she was just trying to be “one of the guys.” It was the furthest thing from the truth.

  She wasn’t trying to prove anything. Though, if she could take the suit off without bringing attention to herself, she would. She needed to get to the three innocent people trapped behind a door that was red-hot in a building currently going up in flames.

  Abrihet knew she was different. It was kind of hard to miss. When she’d realized fire had no effect on her, she’d tested it out in stages. She was resistant to even the hottest of fires. Her skin didn’t melt on contact, and there were times the flames themselves spoke to her. But, tonight, all she could hear were the cries of the three people trapped behind the door. None of the other guys had been able to get up through the hole that was created in the ceiling that led to the second floor. It left only her. She had to be the one to go. She had to try to save the people.

  Although the guys had said they couldn’t hear any screams, Abrihet could. They’d entered through the back door, but when half of the second floor collapsed, it had left them with very few options. She’d heard the call for help all too clearly. Even if the guys couldn’t hear them, she could, and they weren’t going to tell her she couldn’t go up there. It was their job to save people.

  Kole was going to kick her ass, and Samson was going to give her the cold shoulder for a week for pulling this stunt. Abrihet could picture him tugging on the ends of his brown hair with one hand as the other rested on his hip. Samson was quite the character. And friends with her brother and Kole Brandt, who worked over at Station 58. Fuck. I’m so screwed. Yeah, she was. Because Samson didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. She’d bet her last Double Stuf Oreo cookie that the man was seconds away from ratting her out. Something he frequently did. She loved him, and Kole, and they kept an eye on her for her brother, Keenan, who was still an active member of the military. Kole and Samson were no longer active duty.

  She saw the support beam ahead, covered in flames. It was bending to the fire’s will as it protested and groaned. She had maybe a couple of minutes’ tops to get in and get the people out. Abrihet walked right through the blaze, her jacket singeing as the fire licked at her. But as she pushed through, the fire parted, allowing her to pass. If she didn’t know any better, she’d have said she was in complete control.

  She didn’t have time to test that theory.

  Bad shit would happen if she did. Every time she tried to control the fire, a mysterious man popped up and started speaking to her in a language she knew she shouldn’t understand, but did. The look in his eyes told her he was upset by her knowledge of what she could do, and he warned her to stop lest there be consequences. She could talk herself into thinking it was some sort of dream. But that would mean her entire life was a dream. Because no human could control fire. Not really. Maybe in the movies, but in real life… No. That just didn’t happen.

  But she wasn’t dreaming. This was real. And she could control the element. Therefore, the mysterious man must exist, as well. And she should heed his warnings. As it was, she had to downplay her abilities, constantly lying to her fellow teammates. Once, she’d literally been caught with her hand in fire. When confronted by one of the guys, who was clearly confused, she’d confessed to having a fascination with flames. Somehow, she’d convinced him that her hand wasn’t in the fire, only close to it. But still, he asked questions. Like, why wasn’t her hand covered in blisters, or at the very least red?

  Her only response to that was that she’d covered her hand in fire retardant gel. He’d accepted her answer after some convincing. Whether he actually believed her or not was an entirely different question.

  Abrihet was right up on the door now and called out to those trapped. “Can you hear me? I’m going to get you out of there, but I need you to stay calm, okay?”

  More screams, and this time, the urgency in the tone ripped through her. Pushing through the door, Abrihet made sure not to grab the handle. Her gloves were heat resistant, but she wasn’t going to chance it. She needed this to be a mistake-free rescue. As the door opened, Abrihet froze in shock. There wasn’t anyone in the room. Not one single person.

  “Hello?” she called. “Anybody in here?” She knew there wasn’t because she could see clearly. But she called out anyway, hoping she was wrong.

  Again, no one answered. She was in the room alone. The roar of the flames was at her back as it rushed the room and engulfed her. Shit. She was hearing voices again. Could it be the flames calling out to her? Abrihet didn’t want to get caught up in the voices again. Last time that happened, she lost her best friend. Sara.

  They’d been playing in the woods. Every summer, Sara’s mom would take them camping. That year, the forest had caught fire. It had been a freak accident. Trapped in the flames, the girls had screamed for help, but no one came. That was when Abrihet had first heard the voices. She’d been too young to understand what was happening. The flames began to speak, guiding her, pulling her towards safety and freedom. She still wasn’t sure what would have happened if no one had found her when all was said and done, but she’d listened to those voices, and in her eight-year-old mind, she’d assumed that if she could walk through the flames, so could Sara. Her friend had died from third-degree burns and smoke inhalation.

  She knew now: she had a gift, and she needed to use that gift for good. I couldn’t be there for Sara, but I can be there for others. It was her fault that Sara was dead. It was her responsibility to atone for that. Abrihet shook the memory from her mind as she began to slowly back out of the room. Each step was a practiced movement. One wrong move and the floor could collapse. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, she was falling. She was impervious to fire, but broken bones…not so much.

  Her left arm bent at an awkward angle when she smashed into a support beam on her way down, causing Abrihet’s vision to blur from pain as she tried to grab hold of anything that would stop or possibly break her fall with her good hand. The landing was no better, maybe worse, and the sharp pain that radiated from her ankle all the way to her hip caused her to cry out. I’m so screwed. As the agony coursed through her body, the building began to crumble and collapse around her. There were people shouting. Different people, not the phantoms from before. Her team, she was sure of it. In front of her, a figure began to take shape, but barely. The one thing she could see clearly was the eyes. A black void filled with hatred.

  A moment of stark fear coursed through her, tingling down her spine, but it quickly evaporated as she felt hands tug on her shoulders but not before the dark figure took hold of her legs. It was like a tug of war. One end pulled against the other, and as the building continued to crumble, she heard someone shout her name as she was pulled back into the fire.

  Chapter 2

  There was a moment when her brain and her limbs were in perfect synchronicity. When her body obeyed her commands. As it should. Like second nature, without thought or feeling, just a series of movements. She felt the motion of air around her as it whooshed past her ears. Felt the heat of the flames as they scorched her back. She had on her turnout gear, but the heat was still intense. Her mind tried to recall what had happened, but all she could remember was the mysterious figure. He’d grabbed her and pulled her back into the burning flames as the house came toppling down. But after that…she couldn’t remember. However, she did feel pain. Lots
of pain. This was the first time she’d felt true agony. Marrow-deep anguish. Every second she endured felt like a lifetime. As if her body were making up for all the times her skin should have succumbed to what a fire would offer any ‘normal’ person. It liquefied her from the inside. There was nothing she could do about it except endure.

  Is this what dying feels like?

  Abrihet had always pictured dying as a quiet calm. Not a dark figure grabbing her and pulling her back into the flames. She felt suspended in her moment of pain until her body gave out. The reality was worse than what she’d pictured, but she didn’t scream. Shouldn’t I be screaming? But she couldn’t. There was no air; she had no control over the breath her body kept trying to grasp. She was frozen as the fire repeatedly licked at her skin, melting away her clothing, ripping into her dermis, and agitating her nervous system over and over again. She was able to see the horror unfold in front of her as it happened.

  I’m only suffering instead of dead because of my gift.

  That had to be the reason she hadn’t turned to ash. It was due to her ability to withstand fire. Not so much now. And where was the bastard who’d pulled her back into the flames? Why was everything just still? She was alive. Barely. And that was putting it nicely. Can bone actually hurt? Yes, yes it could. She was at the point to where it began to burrow deep. And she’d started hearing voices again. The same voice she’d heard in the fire. It was him.

  “Abrihet.”

  How does he know my name?

  She had to be hearing things. The voice sounded like her elusive new neighbor, Bael, but she couldn’t be sure. A looming figure got closer and closer until it was right next to her. How was she even able to see? Maybe the eyes were the last to go, along with the brain. Or maybe, just maybe, she was already dead.

  “Abrihet, listen to me. I am going to get you out of here.”