Erase and Rewind (Full Book)

Chapter Thirty Nine: Home

The world went from tipsy to a blaze of glory.

Carlisle sucked a breath and stormed inside the library; Noah scrambled to get out of his way and stood on steady feet. The air was becoming acrid, chemically infused as the heat continued to rise. Splinters and glass crashed from inside the library. Gasps erupted from the ground below, a couple in sharp dinner suits, were transfixed at the sight of the fire.

"Get everyone out," Noah rasped almost choking. "Leave."

The couple disappeared in a panicked flurry, the younger man rattled orders into his phone between huffs.

A louder shattering of glass boomed and Carlisle yelped, another boom echoed somewhere below in the kitchen and shrieks followed. The manor groaned as the fire ate at it from inside out, its ancient pipes burst from the assault. Noah blinked and ducked as shards came flying above his temples, he huddled closer to the rails and found himself surrounded by flames ready to scorch him to a cinder.

There was no escape, anywhere he looked doom called. He'd spent so much of his miserable life terrified of fire and what did he do? How did it end?

The irony.

"Jump," a voice that sounded identical to Malik yelled.

Noah had heard how most normal people thought the insane were not aware they had loose screws in their heads. Since he'd gone back to the manor, Noah had been seeing the dead and he was bone-tired of trying to recognize reality from hallucinations...but the vision of the man who owned his soul both comforted and tormented.

The vision outstretched his arms wide. "Jump and I will catch you."

Noah stomped his feet, they were still feeble and trembled with the effort. If he did jump and didn't land right, he risked breaking his neck.

I want to see Malik one more time.

"How do I know?" Noah did his best to yell back, coughing into the frayed sleeve of his shirt. Where was Rami's ghost?

"Know what?"

Noah's grip tightened on the rails. "Are you real?"

Malik arched an eyebrow. "Last I checked, yeah."

How could he be real? how was he able to find him?

"Prove it."

Malik gaped at him. "Fuck am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know," Noah trembled. "You might be my suicidal thoughts."

The smoke was getting denser and the expression on Malik's vision was hidden in passing shadows. "If you don't jump now...trust me, okay?"

Burn to a crisp or smash bones?

Noah swung one leg over the over and looped his hands as the vision approached Noah's dangling feet.

"I got you."

Noah let go.

Another boom and crash went sailing in the exact spot Noah had been dangling from. He squeezed his eyes shut to...

A body. Physical, warm, and very much real, cushioned his fall and held him tight.

"You're here," Noah whispered inhaling the cinnamon and mint lacing Malik's skin.

Malik kissed his forehead. "Sorry, I'm late. Can you walk?"

"Yes," Noah said and grudgingly allowed Malik to set them apart. "How did you get past security?"

Malik grinned. "I socked a couple of dudes then they ran to put out the fire. Funny coincidence."

Noah glanced up at the scene from hell. "I have to go up."