Fire Wizard

By Lauralynn Elliott

When an arsonist sets a series of fires hotter than anything the local firefighters have ever seen, Finn McLain becomes the prime suspect. But all he’s trying to do is find out which of his fellow fire wizards is really guilty.

Niki Hansen is a firefighter who rushes into fires to save those trapped inside but always remains unscathed. She wants nothing more than to find out who’s setting these fires that burn everything down to ash, including the bodies of the victims.

When Finn sees Niki, he realizes she may be the first female fire wizard in a century. When she accuses him of setting the fires, he convinces her he’s innocent. But will he be able to convince her to embrace her unique abilities? While they try to find out who’s behind the fires, they end up starting a few fires of their own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lauralynn Elliott
• Release date: Sep 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310224379

Lauralynn Elliott

Lauralynn Elliott is an independently published author of paranormal and fantasy romance books, as well as some horror. She started the indie journey several years ago and has never regretted it, loving the freedom to publish what she wants when she wants. You will find everything from vampires and ghosts to elves and wizards in her novels and novellas. She enjoys putting a little bit of a different twist on some of the old ideas about our favorite fictional characters. Lauralynn lives in the southeastern United States with her husband of many years. She has two grown sons whom she adores. Reading, playing computer games, and spending time with friends are some of her favorite activities.

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Fire Wizard

Lauralynn Elliott

Smashwords Edition

Copyright© 2014 Lauralynn Elliott

Cover Design by Anya Kelleye

Cover Model: James Magnussen

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. All people, places, or events are purely products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is entirely coincidental.

A word of thanks….

There are a couple of people I want to thank. I’ll be brief. First, I want to thank my cover artist, Anya Kelleye. She’s been with me from the beginning of my career and has helped me in so many ways. I want to especially thank her for doing the photography with the cover model for this book.

I also want to thank the cover model, James Magnussen. He was a joy to work with, and he made the photo shoot go so smoothly for this book. Without his generosity, and the generosity of Anya Kelleye, this cover may not have come together so well. They both made it possible for me to have the cover I wanted.

Chapter One

Ten years ago

Niki Hansen sat on the edge of her bed, her pillow clutched against her chest, tears running down her face. She could hear her parents downstairs arguing, and she felt a pang of guilt, knowing they were fighting about her. She knew she shouldn’t have gone to that party, especially since she’d had to lie to her parents and tell them she was spending the night with Mindy. All the cool kids were supposed to be at the party, and Niki just couldn’t resist when she had gotten the invitation to attend. She had always been right there on the edge of the popular group but not quite in the circle. This had been her chance to get on the inside.

The voices coming from the living room got louder. Her father thought her mother was too lenient with her, and her mother thought her father was too strict. She wondered which one would win this time.

When her dad had found out where she was, he had rushed over to the house where he had discovered her in a lip lock with the most popular boy in school. Mortified, she wouldn’t look at anyone as her dad hauled her out of there by the arm. When they had gotten home, he ordered her upstairs, and she hadn’t dared defy him. But now that she could hear her parents in a heated argument, she grew angry. Didn’t she have the right to be down there with them to defend herself? With a sigh, she threw open her bedroom door and headed down the stairs.

What are you doing down here? roared her father. Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room?

Don’t I have a say in what’s going on? This is my life you’re talking about!

His eyes were angry as he said, You’re sixteen years old. What do you know about life?

I know plenty!

Yeah, I guess you do. At least it looked like you knew plenty when I found you making out with some lowlife.

Niki shouted, He’s not a lowlife! Brandon’s a very nice boy!

Her father snorted. I bet he is.

Come on, Bobby, don’t be so hard on her, her mother said. She’s just spreading her wings a little.

The next thing you know, she’ll be spreading her legs!

Niki gasped, and her face turned red with both embarrassment and anger. I can’t believe you just said that, Dad!

Her father turned to her mother and said, This is your fault, Susan. If you had taught her like you should have, she wouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place.

Niki saw tears spring to her mother’s eyes, and that just fueled the fire of her anger, which was quickly turning into rage.

Don’t talk to her that way! she said, defending her mother.

I’ll talk to her any way I like. You know, I think what you need is a good spanking. If we had used the paddle on you a little more often, you probably wouldn’t have been lying to us and going to wild parties.

Niki turned incredulous eyes to her father. She knew this man loved her, and maybe he was just afraid for her, but he was acting crazy. And she hated the way he talked to her mother. She tried to tamp down the rage before something bad happened, but she couldn’t help herself. She felt it building, burning inside her, wanting to get out.

Daddy, please, she said through clenched teeth. Let’s all just calm down.

Calm down? I think we’ve all been calm for too long, and that’s why this happened. Susan, I’m going to decide her punishment, and I don’t want you to say a word. Turning back to Niki, he said, You are grounded for a month. And I mean grounded from everything. No phone, no TV, no computer except for school work. You’ll be in bed at nine o’clock. No friends will be allowed to come over.

Niki sobbed. No, Daddy, please. It’s too much.

It should be more! Now that’s it. Go back to your room.

He turned his back on her, so Niki grabbed her father by the arm to get him to turn back around to face her. She wasn’t done talking about this. When she saw his face, she recoiled, but not fast enough. The slap wasn’t hard enough to knock her down, but it was enough to bring tears to her eyes. The rage that had been boiling inside her rose up and burst forth like a bird freed from a cage. Suddenly, the curtains caught fire, the flames licking up the wall quickly as they flickered red, orange, yellow, and blue with a hint of other colors within. The TV exploded, fire roiling out of the outlet where it had been plugged in.

Her mother turned to her, shock and terror on her face, her mouth working as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out. Her father stood still as if rooted to the spot where he was standing. He looked as if he was in a trance, and Niki wondered if the shock of what was happening was too much for him. This was all her fault, and she wailed at the destruction going on around her.

We have to get out of here! she screamed. Mom, Dad, let’s go!

Her father blinked, and then he was suddenly grabbing Niki and Susan, pulling them out of the burning house. Niki looked back as they ran to the front lawn, and she saw the house burning faster than any ordinary fire should have been able to do. Someone had apparently called the fire department because she heard sirens coming down the street. The firefighters grabbed the hoses and quickly hooked them up to the hydrant, but it was too late. The destruction was unbelievable. All they could do was hose down the house so the fire wouldn’t spread to any of the neighbors’ homes.

Niki collapsed on the grass as her parents stood with their arms around each other, watching in horror as the house they had built four years ago burned to the ground. The guilt of what had happened consumed her. This was her fault. She had done this. What would her parents think? They had to know this was no ordinary fire. How could they explain the way the curtains had caught on fire all by themselves? She would never forget her mother’s face as she had turned to her daughter in shock when the fire had leapt up the curtains as if it had a mind of its own. Did they know the truth? She buried her face in her hands, the grief overwhelming her. She was a freak, and right now she just wanted to die.

Niki’s father pulled her up from the ground and enveloped her in his big, strong arms. Then he pulled her mother into the embrace, and they all stood there together, their arms wrapped around each other. They were united in tragedy, but Niki knew she was different and would never truly deserve her parents’ love. If only she had just let it go, stayed in her room. Regret burned deep into her heart. If she had to, she would spend the rest of her life making this up to them.

Chapter Two

Present Day

The heat was intense, but this was part of it, the rush she always got when she was fighting a fire. Niki followed her fellow firefighters through the house, mindful of her surroundings, knowing part of the house could collapse on top of them at any time. There was a little thrill of excitement that went along with the fear, and she tried not to question the reasons for that. Most of her co-workers were outside, saturating the burning house with the water hoses, but she and three others were working their way through the house, looking for family members whom they were told should be here. She always volunteered for this part.

Niki turned a superheated doorknob with her gloved hand, then stepped back in case fire rushed out of the closed room. There was no blast of fire, so she entered the bedroom, looking around quickly for anyone who might be taking refuge in here. She heard a faint whimper coming from the closet, so she cautiously made her way to the door, keeping her eye on the bedroom door for fire coming that way. She opened the closet door and saw, cringing in a corner, a small girl in a yellow flowered nightgown. She took off her glove and reached out her hand to the child.

Sweetheart, I need to get you out of here. Come on, take my hand. The child shook her head vigorously and turned her head toward the wall. Please, we have to get out of the house. The fire will get worse, and then we won’t be able to get out. Do you understand?

The little girl looked at her with big brown eyes, and Niki felt her heart melt. She held her breath as she waited to see what the girl would do. She didn’t want to use force to bring her out, not wanting to scare her any more than she already was. But she would do what it took to save the child. Apparently, the girl saw the truth in Niki’s unwavering gaze because she finally took her hand and allowed Niki to pull her out of the closet.

What’s your name, Sweetie?

Tabitha, the girl said in a small voice.

Okay, Tabitha, you have to trust me, okay? The girl nodded. I’m going to carry you out of here. You need to hide your face in my shoulder, and no matter how hot it is, you need to stay in that position. Don’t look around or try to pull out of my arms. Do you think you can do that?

Tabitha nodded, and Niki took the little girl in her arms and lifted her up. Tabitha buried her face in Niki’s shoulder like she had been told, and Niki walked cautiously out of the room. She knew she was going to have to move through some hot spots, and she hoped the girl would stay still and make it as easy as possible. Niki carried her through the rooms she had come through to get to the bedroom, but she immediately saw the fire had spread to those areas. She turned around and moved back down the hall the other way, hoping there would be an alternative way out. She saw another firefighter, Drew, up ahead, and she moved toward him, trusting that he had found an exit that way.

Where’s the rest of the crew? she shouted over the roar of the encroaching fire.

They’re out already. They found the mother and got her out, but I’m afraid…. He glanced at the child in Niki’s arms. He didn’t have to say anything else. She knew they had found the body of the father. Come on, let’s go this way.

Niki followed Drew down the hall where a series of small fires had cropped up. See the way all these separate fires have started here? It looks like maybe there are small splashes of accelerant that have caused the fire to catch in these places.

Niki nodded as they continued to move through the small flames. Suddenly, a huge burst of fire shot toward them, and they both hit the ground, Niki careful not to injure Tabitha as she fell. At that moment, a piece of the roof fell, nearly missing Niki and the girl, but Drew wasn’t so lucky. He was immediately engulfed in flames, his fire retardant suit not withstanding the heat. Niki had never felt such intense heat in a fire, but for some reason, she remained unscathed. She didn’t have time to stop and consider that. She had to save the child in her arms. Niki rose from the floor, ignoring the rush of hot tears she felt on her face behind her mask. Clutching Tabitha to her chest, she ran through the fire, past the disintegrating wall, and out into the fresh air. When the other firefighters saw her, they grabbed the little girl, and Niki collapsed onto the grass of the front lawn. Her boss, Steve Hall, yanked off her mask and looked into her eyes.

Are you all right, Niki?

Drew…he’s still in there…dead…. she managed to gasp.

Are you sure he’s….

Yes! There’s no way he could have survived. The heat…it was so intense, worse than I’ve ever felt.

Are you sure you’re okay? he asked.

Yes. Except for the fact I just lost one of my best friends!

Steve reached out for her, but she shook her head. No, I have to be strong.

You know, you don’t always have to be the tough one, Niki.

But I do. She looked at him, the stubborn lift of her chin letting him know she