“This is the scanner you haven’t got because they’re illegal?”
“Do you want to hear the news, or not?”
I smiled. “I’m listening.”
“There’s been reports of fires breaking out on freeway verges near Strathmore, Keilor East, Calder Park Raceway, and another of a grass fire near Diggers Rest.”
“And?” I said, hoping there was more to the reports than just that. Spot fires weren’t unusual, especially along freeway verges. Cigarettes being thrown out of car windows started too many fires in the summer and autumn months.
“And,” he said, “all reports mention a figure seen fleeing the scene.”
I closed my eyes. Here it comes, I thought. “Was there any description?”
“Just one,” he said. “They all said the man was made of fire.”
Chapter 6
Damn, damn, damn!
Of course, there was always a chance it wasn’t Tao, but deep in my heart I knew it was a very remote one. While he wasn’t the only fire starter in Victoria, they all had one thing in common—even though they could make their entire body flame, they never appeared to be made of flames. Their features were always visible underneath them. If the figure seen fleeing the string of fires did appear that way, then there could be only two reasons why: Either a witch had conjured a fresh elemental, or Tao’s elemental was now in control of his body.
I rubbed my suddenly stinging eyes. “How long ago was the last report?”
“The Diggers Rest report came in about ten minutes ago.” Jak paused. “Ris, what’s going on?”
“Nothing that I can tell you about.” I swung around, walked over to the light screen, and quickly brought up Google Maps. I typed “Diggers Rest” in the search area and waited for the screen to respond. “When did the first report come in?”
“About twenty minutes earlier.”
Meaning it had taken him roughly twenty minutes to travel the twenty or so kilometers from Strathmore to Diggers Rest. At that rate, he’d be in Gisborne in ten minutes. I kept following the freeway up with my finger, but stopped when I hit Macedon. Oh, shit. The elemental was going home. Going back to where the witch had created the flames that had given birth to it. It had to be. What other reason could there be for it to be heading up to Macedon? Obviously, the witch fire was still alive, though how that could be after all this time I had no idea. That was a question Ilianna would have a better chance of answering than me.
“Thanks, Jak—”
“Don’t you dare hang up on me without—”
I hung up, then swung around to face Azriel. “I have to get out there and find Tao before he creates too much more damage.”
“You wish me to take you?”
I hesitated, then said, “No. I’ll go in Aedh form. It’ll be easier to spot him that way.”
“Remember, I cannot follow you or help you until you retain flesh form.”
I nodded, then grabbed my keys and gave Azriel a quick kiss. “Wish me luck.”
“I wish you safety,” he said. “Luck is not something either of us should depend on at this point of time.”
“True.”
Ilianna’s wards were still active, which meant I couldn’t actually change inside the apartment. I headed out to the street, making sure the apartment was locked and the alarm on, then gripped my phone and keys tightly and reached down for the power of the Aedh. It swept through me instantly, a force stronger than ever before, switching me from flesh to energy form in the blink of an eye.>“So how long would it take for you to get something like that to me?”
He paused. “Perhaps a day. I will have a Razan deliver it to you.”
“Thanks.” It stuck in my craw to actually say that, but being polite didn’t cost me anything, and it was certainly a better option than pissing him off in some way.
“Just ensure no one else gets this key, or I will not be pleased.”
“I’ll do my best.”