07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

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Then Meredith saw something that was not smoke or fire. Just a glimpse of a door frame—and a tiny
breath of cool air. With this hope to sustain her, she scuttled straight for the door to the backyard,
dragging Isobel behind her.
As she passed the threshold, she felt blessedly cold water somehow showering down
onto her body. When she pulled Isobel into the spray, the younger girl made the first voluntary sound
she had during the entire journey: a wordless sob of thanks.
Matt’s hands were helping her along, were taking away the burden of Isobel. Meredith
got up to her feet and staggered in a circle, then dropped to her knees. Her hair was on fire! She was
just recalling her childhood rehearsal of stop, drop, and roll, when she felt the cold water turned on
it. The hose water went up and down her body and she turned around, basking in the feeling of
coolness, until she heard Matt’s voice say, “The flames are out. You’re good now.”
“Thank you, Matt. Thank you.” Her voice was hoarse.
“Hey, you were the one who had to go all the way to the bedrooms and back. Getting
Mrs. Saitou out was pretty easy—there was the kitchen sink full of water, so as soon as I cut her free
from the kitchen chair we just got all wet and dashed outside.”
Meredith smiled and looked around quickly. Isobel had become her responsibility now.
To her relief, she saw that the girl was being hugged by her mother.
And all it had taken was the nonsense choice between a thing—however precious it was
—and a life. Meredith gazed at the mother and daughter and was glad. She could have another stave
made. But nothing could replace Isobel.
“Isobel said to give this to you,” Matt was saying.
Meredith turned toward him, the fiery light making the world crazy, and for one moment
didn’t believe her eyes. Matt was holding the fighting stave out to her.
“She must have dragged it with her free hand—oh, Matt, and she was almost dead before
we started…”
Matt said, “She’s stubborn. Like someone else I know.”
Meredith wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but she knew one thing. “We’d all
better get to the front yard. I doubt the volunteer fire department is going to come. Besides—Theo—”
“I’ll get them moving. You scout the gate side,” Matt said.
Meredith plunged into the backyard, which was hideously illuminated by the house, now
fully engulfed in flames. Fortunately, the side yard was not. Meredith flicked the gate open with the
stave. Matt was right behind her, helping Mrs. Saitou and Isobel along.