The vial shattered on the bathroom tile right next to my head. A sharp, sweet smell instantly filled the air, mixing with the smoke.
As the new vapor hit my lungs, my heart gave a massive, violent thud, and the paralysis suddenly broke. A surge of agonizing energy ripped through my limbs, but my vision began to turn completely white.
Arthur leaned forward through the smoke, his voice cutting through the roar of the fire, cold and mocking.
“Tell Daniel,” Arthur whispered, “that the real debt is settled tonight.”
Before I could process his words, before I could reach out for Noah, a massive explosion rocked the front of the house. The living room windows blew outward, and the floor beneath me tilted violently as the support beams groaned.
The ceiling above the bathroom cracked, and a heavy, flaming wooden beam broke loose, plunging directly down toward my son.
