Read Smoke and Fire: Part 4 for Free Online Page B

stopped walking and concentrated, trying to pull up the memory that teased the fringes of her mind. It felt like forever before a flash tile flickered in her mind.
    The bathroom. Suddenly she recalled being nauseated and rushing to the toilet. There was nothing after that except waking up in the darkness.
    “Where are you, Ryder?” she whispered.
    Emotion choked her, but Kinsey refused to give in to the tears. She had to keep moving and figure out where she was. Ryder had said he’d protect her. She knew without a doubt he would find her, because that’s who he was.
    Kinsey began to shuffle her way forward once more with her arms out in front of her. Eventually she’d have to run into a wall or something. Until then, she would keep moving.
    “Ryder!”
    She gasped and halted as it felt as if the world was spinning around her a million miles a second. Her stomach rolled, and despite the darkness, she closed her eyes.
    Nothing helped. She could still feel it turning this way and that, rotating from side to side as if trying to dislodge her.
    Kinsey held out her arms to the sides. To her shock her left hand connected with a solid surface. She quickly put her back to it and slid down the wall until her knees were at her chest.
    She wrapped her arms around her legs and kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Added to the twists and turns was the odd sensation of feeling like someone had paused the world and then quickly pushed play again.
    “Kinsey? Can you hear me?”
    The male voice came through at a whisper. Disappointment filled her that it wasn’t Ryder, but she recognized the voice. Though she couldn’t put a name to it.
    “Kinsey, this is Tristan.”
    Yes, that was Tristan’s voice. What was he doing in her head, she wondered?
    “Listen carefully. It’s going to take a lot for you to answer me, but I need you to try.”
    What was he talking about? Hadn’t he heard her screaming for Ryder? The situation was becoming more and more odd. All she wanted to do was be back in Ryder’s room with his arms around her.
    She opened her mouth to say his name, but the spinning increased so she couldn’t even lift her head. Wind howled around her, pushing her back against the wall so she couldn’t move.
    “You’re in danger, Kinsey. I can’t help if I can’t find you. Say something. Anything,” Tristan urged her.
    She could barely hear him anymore. Fear took hold then, pushing her to act. Each time she lifted her head, the wind took her breath, preventing her from speaking.
    Kinsey had no choice but to keep her head buried against her legs. “Tristan! Hear me,” she yelled as loud as she could. “Please help me!”
    If Tristan responded, Kinsey didn’t hear him over the roaring in her ears.
    “Ryder, I need you,” she whispered.
    Was this how she would die? Huddled and scared? This wasn’t the woman she was, nor was it the person she wanted to be.
    Kinsey put her hands back against the wall. Slowly, she used her hands to help her get to her feet. Only by turning her head to the side away from the wind was she able to take a breath.
    “Ryder! Tristan! I’m here!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
    She jerked when it felt as if someone had touched her. Suddenly there were hands all over her, pushing and pulling her this way and that.
    “Ryder! Help me!” she cried.
    More hands found her, their fingers biting into her flesh. Kinsey fought against them, kicking and punching.
    As unexpectedly as it all began, it abruptly ended. With the wind no longer holding her, Kinsey fell face-first to the ground. The darkness vanished, leaving a room so white it blinded her.
    She pushed up on her hands and knees and looked around, wondering what to do now.
    “Kinsey?” Tristan called. His voice was louder, clearer now.
    “I’m here.”
    “You’ve made it through the toughest part. Now you just need to find your way back.”
    “Back? What are you talking about? Where’s Ryder?”
    There was a pregnant pause before