Zane struggled to keep up with the string of fires erupting through different neighbourhoods—some so far apart it defied logic. Whole houses were swallowed in flames, while others were just a single tree burning inexplicably.

"It's not working!" Yara shouted, hands shaking as she fumbled with the hose, struggling to twist it onto the fire hydrant's rested threads.

"Keep trying!" Talia urged, helping others douse nearby flames.

So far, they'd managed to contain most of the fires, but three houses had already collapsed into blackened wreckage.

Zane gritted his teeth, muscles aching as he aimed the hose at the roof of a blazing house. Smoke poured into the sky as two terrified kids burst out the front door, coughing and screaming.

"Stay back!" he shouted, throwing his arm out to stop people from getting too close.

"Why is Ashley trying to burn down houses?" Colby Miller asked.

"Because she's crazy!" Talia snapped, barely sparing him a glance.

Zane dropped the hose as the last of the flames curled into smoke. He rushed to the front steps, kicked the blackened door open, and stepped into the scorched interior.

Charred furniture leaned against the soot-stained walls, and the ceiling sagged above him. They'd managed to contain the worst of it, but just barely.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm, his body completely drained. His eyes stung from the smoke, and every breath felt like it scraped raw in his throat.

Talia stepped beside him, wiping away at her face with the sleeve of her jacket. The tears weren't from sadness, but from the heat and smoke that clung to everything. Yara had laughed at her earlier when they first realized they weren't emotional, just chemical.

"I could never be a real firefighter," Yara sighed, dragging a heavy hose across the street.

"Dealing with fires every day? No thanks. Why can't it just rain already?" Talia groaned, her eyes bloodshot.

They were good help, but Zane wasn't sure it would be enough if more fires broke out. A few other kids had joined when the chaos first started, usually showing up only when multiple blazes flared at once.

After loading the hose onto the truck, Yara climbed into the front passenger seat while Talia settled in the back. They'd become Zane's unofficial crew ever since Jason got tied up dealing with Greyson and the growing unrest of town.

"Nobody!" Colby shouted, scrambling into the back.

Zane eased the fire truck into reserve, steering carefully as if navigating a narrow culvert on a construction site. He'd done plenty of side jobs like this for extra cash ever since his mom lost her job.

"Why does Ashley want to kill most of us?" Talia asked aloud, her arm dangling out the window.

"Because she's dumb," Colby said.

"I thought this nightmare would last a day," Yara groaned, twisting in her seat. "It's been two weeks!"

"Do you think we'll get out soon?" Talia asked quietly.

"I have no clue," Zane admitted.

Would it be weeks? Months? Years? He didn't know, but it dragged on much longer, they might not survive at all. Ashley's destruction wasn't slowing down, and Divina wasn't exactly sane either. He'd have to come up with something fast before they lost more than just houses.

"It's kinda fun doing whatever though," Colby said with a shrug. "I learned how to boil water on the stove."

"Stop!" Yara suddenly screamed as Zane slammed on the brakes.

In front of the truck, Esme stood hunched over gasping for air, with Emma beside her with wide eyes. The two staggered forward like they'd been running for miles, collapsed onto the asphalt.

"I can't keep healing her feet," Emma gasped, her face pressed against the pavement.

"And the stuff in the fridge is gone," Esme blurted, waving her arms wildly. "My head's still spinning."

Zane crouched and helped Emma to her feet, steadying her as her eyes darted around, unfocused. "Do you know who took it?" he asked.

"Preston," Esme said, glancing sideways at Emma. "Why didn't I realize that sooner?"

"You've been dragging me around for three hours," Emma moaned, slumping her shoulders.

"Heal my feet again," Esme insisted, lifting one bloodied foot. "I know where he'll be."

"No," Emma said sharply. "I'm going with Zane."

Talia reached out and steadied Esme by the arm, keeping her from toppling. Clearly neither girl had a firm grasp on where that purple substance was—or they were just terrible with directions.

"It won't take long, Emma!" Esme pleaded.

"Can we catch a ride with you guys?" Emma asked, glancing between Zane and the others. "Esme can sit on the ladder."

"I'll sit on the ground!" Esme declared with a grin, winking at Talia as she helped Emma into the back.

"Where's Preston?" Zane asked as Emma leaned back in her seat.

"He's usually invisible," Esme said, half-leaning out the window. "Either spying on girls or gathering information for Greyson."

"What on earth happened to your feet?" Colby asked, eyes wide.

"I was going too fast," Esme with a crooked grin. "Speed demon, that's me."

Zane had seen Esme's battered feet before—scars and fresh wounds earned from rushing into sinkholes Ashley had tore open. All these supernatural powers were being used to their advantage, but everything was still a giant mystery.

"Wait, shouldn't we ask Tumbles?" Esme asked, glancing at Emma.

Zane felt like he was trapped in a never-ending game of manhunt. The only difference was the sky above still looked normal—daylight fading into night—an illusion he hoped that should last.

"Tumbles is probably at the daycare," Esme said.

The fire truck engine hummed steadily as they rolled down the long street toward the daycare.

"Here, we'll go," Talia said, hopping out.

Esme slid backwards out of the truck, almost face-planting on the pavement. Emma caught her just in time, steadying her wobbling friend. Zane followed close behind, stepping cautiously into the building.

"Emma!" Ilya called from her seat, dark circles under her tired eyes. "Zane, and Esme too."

"Is Tumbles here?" Zane asked, scanning the cluttered play area.

Ilya nodded and led them toward the play area. Outside, a small playground sat with swings stood beside a shed overflowing with outdoor toys. Soft wood chips cushioned the ground, while a winding cement path weaved through.

They found Tumbles slumped on a plastic stump, dabbling at the fresh blood beneath her crooked nose.

"Tumbles!" Esme exclaimed but tripped again as her shoes barely held together. "We need to know where Preston is."

"He's doing something for Greyson," Tumbles said, gripping the gated fence to steady herself.

Emma knelt beside Tumbles, gently placing a hand on her cheek.

"I think..." Tumbles began, pinching the bridge of her nose—bent sharply to the left, as if smashed by a hammer.

"What's he doing?" Esme asked.

"I don't know," Tumbles admitted, wincing. "But Scarlett and Maverick are involved."

Zane's stomach dropped. If Scarlett and Maverick were involved, things were about to get worse. He already suspected that Scarlett was hiding the substance, and he didn't want to experience the illusion of drowning underwater. Still, they needed to get it back.

"We need to find one of them," Zane said firmly.

"Or we could just confront Greyson," Esme interjected, holding her bloody feet.

"Greyson won't tell us anything," Emma said quietly, looking at them.

"Maverick's probably guarding the hardware store," Esme sighed. "Scarlett could be anywhere by now. Well, I'm going to grab some water before diving into that hell."

Ilya turned toward Zane and sighed. "I never imagined I'd become a mother to these kids," she admitted quietly. "But, it's been enjoyable."

Zane glanced around and spotted a group of children gathered around a boy close to his own age. The boy held a picture book in his hand, reading aloud to the preschoolers listening.

"Angel is a huge help," Ilya added as the door creaked opened.

Esme's body trembled as she clutched several CDs in her hand. "One Direction CDs!" she exclaimed.

Emma seemed to forget all their worries as she dashed over to the CDs. The two girls bounced around, barely able to contain their excitement.

"Look!" Esme cheered, holding out three sets of One Direction albums.

Emma took the albums, staring at them as if she'd just uncovered a hidden treasure. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Oh my gosh!" they both screamed, spinning and jumping around.

Zane glanced at Ilya, unsure just how big fans the two girls were, especially since One Direction hadn't been together for years. The last thing he'd heard about them was from someone concert videos a long while ago.

"It's the Midnight Memories album!" Emma exclaimed with a wide smile on her face. "Where do we play them?"

The two girl exchanged a puzzled glance. "Doesn't a radio play them?" Esme asked.

"It might work in the fire truck," Zane offered.

Everyone knew all radios were useless—they wouldn't stream music, and turning up the volume only brought silence. The dial spun stations but never played a sound.

"Thank you," Zane said with a faint smile, glancing at Ilya.

As he walked around the small crowd of children, he stepped outside and spotted Esme and Emma hunched over the fire truck's radio.

"Doesn't it go in there?" Esme asked as she pointed at the narrow CD slot.

Zane hurried to open the truck door, where Emma was pointing toward the CD player tucked beneath the dashboard. Esme slid the disc in, and they all held their breath. After a moment of silence, nothing happened.

"Wait, let's start the truck!" Talia exclaimed.

He nodded and turned the engine of the fire truck over. The moment it roared to life, "Story of My Life" blasted through the speakers at full volume.

"Yay!" Esme cheered.

Without hesitation, she screamed the lyrics at the top of her lungs, leaning out the window and flashing a peace sign to the onlookers. Most were either on evening patrol or wandering around.

"At least we have music!" Esme cheered, raising her arms high in the air.

Zane had heard of party buses, but never a party fire truck.

Esme yelled the lyrics more than she sang them, while Emma and Talia joined in with softer voices. Nearby, Colby and Yara laughed at their behaviour.

Zane cracked a small smile but remained focused on the task. They needed to find Preston, since Tumbles had said it was Greyson's idea.

"Still so stupid," Divina taunted.

Ashley clenched her teeth, turning her head behind. Her gaze landed on a small cement statue of a man clutching a hockey stick. The figure wore a tiny helmet, a blue jersey, jogging pants, and scuffed skates.

"Don't you know most houses have fire alarms?" Divina sneered.

"You're nothing but a statue," Ashley snarled with a smirk.

As she stared, the statue's hands creaked to life, moving slowly with a sharp clank. She clamped her hands over her ears, teeth grinding, while Divina tightened its grip on the hockey stick like a baseball bat.

In an instant, Ashley was hurled into the fences of nearby houses. When she landed on the hard ground, sharp pain flared through her limbs. Pieces of broken wood dug into her skin, leaving deep scratches across her arms and legs.

Ashley stretched out a trembling hand, summoning Vickie and David to attack. Both lunged at Divina, but vanished the moment they touched the statue.

She knew her stupid followers stood no chance against Divina. But she still possessed the power to kill those around her.

Divina sprang in front of her, wearing a sly smile. "I found a loophole."

"Loophole?" Ashley echoed, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

She searched inwardly for understanding but found nothing. She couldn't grasp why this mind lacked knowledge of the word. All humans were supposed to be the same.

"An easier way to stop you," Divina said with a mocking sigh. "Honestly, I forgot just how stupid you are."

"Are you going to be a fish?" Ashley spat.

Divina's grin widened, stretching across the gaping mouth of the large statue before her. Suddenly, an invisible force into Ashley, knocking her down and sending her tumbling across the grass.

The impact seated like a hot knife pressed against her temple. She screamed as the pain overwhelmed her. She dug her fingers into the grass, trying to rise, but her limbs refused to obey.

"Yup, I'll be a goldfish," Divina shot back, mocking her with a sly grin.

If Divina truly became a fish, Ashley could easily kill it—acid to burn it or fire to scorch it. The only challenge would be locating the fish within the large lake.

Divina laughed with that same wicked grin. "Doesn't even get sarcasm."

Suddenly, the statue thumped loudly as it hopped toward her. Ashley raised her palm, ready to summon another of her dead slaves.

"What if I'm human?" Divina taunted. "I can put out those fires and fill the holes."

Ashley lunged to grab the statue, but it vanished before her fingers could close around it.

"Too slow."

It struck Ashley in the back of the head.

She collapsed onto her stomach, face-first in the muddy ground. She spat out a mouthful of dirt, struggling to push herself up into a sitting position.

"I control everything," Ashley hissed.

A sly smile curled on Divina's lips as its form began to change, morphing into the illusion of boy. Pale skin, shoulder-length black hair, and icy eyes that glowed ominously when they met Ashley's. He wore a black shirt and pants that clung tightly to his thin frame.

"Maybe I'm a boy," Divina began, the illusion shifting again. "Or maybe I'm a girl."

The girl shared similar features: shoulder-length black hair, round glowing icy eyes, uneven eyebrows, and thin lips pressed into a straight line. Instead of the casual clothes, she wore a black dress cinched with a dark blue belt.

Both illusions stood side by side, with the boy wearing a sly smile while the girl wore a glare.

The female illusion merged into the boy's form, who slammed his foot onto the back of Ashley's neck.

"Maybe you'll die choking," Divina laughed.

Ashley gasped as an invisible grip tightened around her throat, choking off her air. She reached out and summoned another follower. The attack forced Divina to shift away, as she coughed violently.

Divina smirked, running a hand through his jet-black hair. He looked the age of this human body.

"Are you going to do something?" Ashley spat.

"No, I'm just going to sit back on a bench and watch the birds," he laughed mockingly.

Ashley seethed, her rage simmering at his pathetic attempt to be funny. She watched as Divina yanked the hockey stick from the statue, which effortlessly grew to the size of a baseball bat.

"This isn't a sports game," Ashley growled.

"That's right," Divina sneered, slamming the stick hard into the back of her neck. "Going to start crying? What a pity."

He grabbed the collar of her shirt and dragged her down the street. Tears welled up in Ashley's eyes. It was pathetic to let human emotions take hold. Pain shouldn't affect her. What she needed was a healing ability, but that wasn't possible yet.

With a grunt, Divina hurled her into the cold fountain at the centre of the plaza. She hit the water with a splash, soaked in dirt and soggy leaves. The cement structure above shattered, pieces crashing to the ground.

Panic screams erupted as people scattered in different directions.

"See? You're so ugly, they run," Divina sneered, effortlessly lifting a heavy chunk of debris. "Bye-bye."

Suddenly, someone struck the chunk of fountain from his hand, sending it clattering loudly to the ground.

Divina's smirk vanished instantly, as he turned to glare at Jason and Bella.

"Get lost," he hissed.

Ashley smiled inwardly. This was her chance. If she played it right, she could fake being the feeble human Jason still believed in. If she pretended that the weak child still had some control, she might be able to slip away.

"This isn't a war zone," Jason said firmly.

Divina raised an eyebrow. "Well, would you prefer fires everywhere instead?"

Without waiting for a reply, Divina seized another chunk of the shattered fountain. It expanded in his hands to the size of a transport truck, then hovered effortlessly above the ground.

Ashley slowly rose from the ruined fountain, glaring hard. That thing needed to die. Humiliating a god was beyond idiotic, especially when she was the most powerful.

"Can't you just leave?" Ashley yelled before the wind was knocked out of her.

"You're lucky I can't shrink you," Divina snarled.

Divina extended his hand toward Collin, who shifted into a purple blob. Pinching his two fingers together, Divina aimed them at the substance, draining from the centre of downtown.

"How unfortunate," Divina sneered, pulling her head up to lock eyes with him.

Tears streamed down Ashley's cheeks as she covered her face with one hand. Emotions weren't meant for gods. Crying was for weak, pathetic humans.

Divina shifted back into her female illusion with a wicked smile on her face. "Need a tissue?"

Ashley was yanked from the fountain and dragged roughly toward Jason and Bella. Her back scraped against the ground, and her head slammed hard onto the road. Through the haze of pain, she noticed they were near an apartment that burned down. It might be smart to burn down buildings.

"I brought you a dog," Divina sneered as she bent down. "Maybe it will bark."

"No," Ashley spat back.

Divina's smile widened as she grabbed a handful of Ashley's ginger hair. Without warning, an unseen force slammed her into the road. Her chest burned, as if someone had punched her lungs.

"The land will be healed soon," Divina said coldly.

"Liar," Ashley spat, wiping tears from her cheeks.

She twisted free from Divina's grasp and threw herself sideways. Slowly, she forced herself upright, pain flaring through every bone. Blood trickled from her right arm, but she didn't care. Injuries meant nothing when no one could kill her with the power she wielded.

"Stop toying around," Ashley spat.

Divina cupped a hand to her ear mockingly. "Keep toying around? That sounds entertaining."

Ashley felt herself lifted high in the air, struggling to wiggle free, but it was no use. She needed to gain abilities fast, because her followers weren't going to get her far anymore.

"See, I'm not a psycho," Divina said, appearing behind her. "I just want you dead."

Divina had an inward smile on her face and joy throughout. In an instant, Ashley's body dropped quickly to the ground. She landed on her back with blood spewing out from her mouth. Her entire head ached but something cracked, seeing her right arm twisted like a pretzel.

"Well, time to go," Divina said, vanishing into a swirl of dust.

"Jason, what's that?" a voice asked from the crowd nearby.

Jason and Bella just stared at her, but refused to help her. These humans were starting to understand she wasn't a feeble child, but that needed to change. She needed to kill more people that would worship her and assist with her own plans.

"Something everyone should avoid," Jason said.

Whispers spread throughout the crowd, some gasps and screams as they caught sight of her injured arm. Would it heal on its own? No, she still had to wait. It wasn't that she had everyone's powers that she could use to her advantage.

With Vickie's assistance, Ashley pushed herself to her feet. "Did we loose Collin?" she whispered.

"Yes," Ashley hissed, staring down at her arm that dangled uselessly like a wet noodle.

If Divina were to find a different method for securing a body host, Ashley knew she would be screwed. Even worse—not just Divina getting a body, but someone developing all the goddess powers. No, she restricted anyone from obtaining those. If such a person existed, she'd have to kill them. They couldn't know how to use all of her powers.

A sudden blow to the back of her head sent her crashing to the ground. She tried to raise herself, but her neck throbbed, barely able to hold her head up. Divina's attacks and targeted her upper body, leaving her weak and wore.

"Imagine if someone acquired my power," Divina's male voice taunted in her mind. "You'll be dead."

Seeing Scarlett walk toward him with a smirk never meant good news. "We found something you'd want to see," she said, sitting down on a chair.

The house sat on a dead-end street near Simcoe High, abandoned ever since Luke raided it days ago, dragging out anyone who hadn't sworn loyalty to Greyson. Since then, it had been locked down, off-limits to everyone except those who answered to him.

James furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" he asked.

"The substance and what your trip will require," Scarlett said, holding up two fingers before resting an olive-toned hand against his cheek. "We wouldn't want to keep the Dauntless Leader waiting."

James shot to his feet and followed her, lips pressed together. He hated being ordered around like a dog, but Scarlett still held the power to expose his ability to Greyson, and that was leverage he couldn't afford to challenge.

He opened the door of one of the waiting SUVs and froze for a heartbeat. Preston sat in the backseat half-invisible, his body slightly transparent. As James in, anxiety washed over him when he realized that Greyson was behind the wheel.

"I need you to test this," Greyson said, turning just enough in his seat for James to catch the cold glint in his eyes.

Preston held out a test tube, the liquid inside swirling in slow, violet spirals. James took it carefully that was warm to the touch. He squinted through the glass. At first, it looked like a chemical suspension, until he spotted the dark smear settling at the bottom. Blood.

"We're going to test it on someone," Greyson said coolly as they pulled up outside the mayor's office.

James stepped out of the SUV, eyebrows knitted. "Test how exactly?" he asked.

"We'll have someone drink it," Greyson said with chilling calm.

James's voice cracked with disbelief. "The consequences of this is that someone could die! This stuff is mostly acid."

He had pieced together enough from research to know this substance was tied to Ashley, and whatever dark entity now dwelled inside her. Its corrosive heat promised only devastation; exposure meant severe burns at best, death at worst.

Greyson leaned back in his chair, biting his pinkie nail. "Who can we use for the test?"

"Just use one of Henry's thugs," Scarlett suggested nonchalantly.

Greyson snapped his fingers. "Trevor. He the perfect candidate."

James knew who Trevor was. He'd been humiliated after failing to feed the freaks.

Oscar stepped into the room, his eyes flicking between them all.

"Get Henry and his thugs to bring Trevor to the gym," Greyson ordered.

James glanced at the test tube again. "I'll need something to hold this steady."

Greyson barked at Preston, "Fetch a test tube rack from the science lab. Now."

A flicker of doubt gnawed at James. Would Preston understand the request? The boy had only just turned ten two months ago, and James couldn't recall if the test tube rack was even part of their science lessons yet.

James kept his gaze on Preston. "I'll probably need tongs, too."

"Okay, boss," Preston agreed, turning invisible again.

Scarlett crossed her arms. "Why don't we test it on a plant or an animal instead?" she challenged Greyson directly.

James knew Scarlett held back her own opinion with Greyson. This wasn't snark one mockery—she was trying to steer him away from the dangerous test he insisted on.

"No," Greyson said, shaking his head. "It makes more sense to have someone drink it."

"Fine," Scarlett spat, giving James a smirk.

Before long, James knew he'd have to warn Jason how to prevent himself from disappearing on his birthday.

"We'll do it at Uden," Greyson said, locking eyes with James. "No one can know about this."

Scarlett had kept much of their conversation under wraps, but her orders were clear and not to be ignored. Part of James wanted to tell Jason—Esme trusted him enough—but Scarlett's hold over James was too strong to break.

"Once we run this test, I'll be closer than ever to uncovering the substance's true connection," Greyson remarked.

"Let's go, James," Scarlett said, already moving toward the door. As he closed the door behind him, she smirked. "Don't forget about our agreement."

Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "Why aren't you telling Greyson?"

Scarlett glanced over her shoulder as she descended the stairs. "It would be quite boring without the Dauntless Leader."

James trailed behind her, his mind racing as they made their way to Simcoe's school. He needed to check if Preston had actually completed his task.

He couldn't bear the thought of watching someone die again. When David nearly shot Scarlett, Greyson had reflected the bullet back. It wasn't technically murder, but it was still taking a life. Both Greyson and Luke had both called it suicide, though anyone paying attention knew the truth.

Now, James faces a grim question: how would they carry out this experiment? If the purple substance was as truly lethal as he feared, whoever ingested it could be facing death.

Don't forget to comment and vote!
-Lexi