Free Flames in the Midst (The Jade Hale Series) by Sarah Reckenwald

stun him enough for her to gather the others and escape.  I should have moved at that moment, but like Amy and Justin, I could not will my feet to move.
    “Spells won’t wo rk,” he interrupted the silence. “I told you I am done here, but I need something before I leave.”  The vent worked so well we could hear the rustling of paper moving between them.
    “What’s this?” my mother asked.
    “It is a contract.”
    “You want my abilities in exchange for my life?” she asked.  “You know my gift cannot be contracted.”
    “I know.  Nor can your daughter’s gift.”
    “Jade?” M y mother truly sounded worried now.  She sighed in resignation.  I noticed I sighed the same way, something I never knew about my mother and myself.  “I’ll sign over my abilities.  Just don’t hurt Jade.”
    “My dear,” Evan continued with mock surprise in his voice, “I don’t think you understand.  I can’t contract Jade’s gift, but I must have it.  As a firestarter, she is a very valuable asset.  If you want to live and want for your daughter to live, you will need to sign this contract for your abilities and your daughter.  I promise to take very good care of her , if it’s any consolation.”
    “No!” I practically screamed, and Justin moved quickly, placing his hand over my mouth to quiet me.  I stepped back and stared at the vent, but the conversation in the next room continued without interruption.  It was obvious this worked only one way.  We could hear them, but they could not hear us.
    “Jade?  A firestarter?” my mother laughed nervously.
    “Don’t pretend with me,” Evan sneered.  “Your ex-husband was kind enough to fill me in on the details of your divorce.  I knew she was special, but I didn’t realize what she was until I talked with him.”
    “Bryan?  Why would he?” my mother asked, more to herself than to the man who threatened her, but he answered anyway.
    “I can be very convincing.  Now, the question is, have I convinced you?  Will you sign the contract?”
    “You know I cannot do that,” my mother was emphatic.  She would not turn me over to this Shadow Ruler.
    “You would rather you both die than hand her over to me?”
    “Yes.”  There was no hesitation in my mother’s voice, and at that moment, I got my feet to work.  I had to do something or she would die as she had so long ago.
    Justin tried to stop me, but Amy made him let me go.  She must have seen the fever in my eyes driving me to do the impossible.
    “Do what you can and find Jade if nothing else,” she instructed me.  “We’ll wake Madilyn, and then we need to get out of here.  He could be coming for us next.”
    I didn’t have time to warn them about Cameron waiting in the bar.  They would be on alert anyway.  I figured they might not trust Cameron knowing his father’s secret.  They would have to be okay on their own.  I had to get to my mother.
    I raced back down the hall and around the curve.  I slowed down as I approached the first door on my left, the two doors I had ignored as I followed the sound of Amy’s laughter down the hall.  I couldn’t just bound in there and expect to accomplish anything without a plan.  Every ounce of me wanted nothing more than to rescue my mother, but deep down, I knew better.  I had to be certain there was a way to save her before I barged in to my own death.  When it came down to it, my priority had to be saving my child self and my aunt.  As much as I hated it, in reality, my mother was dead already.  I wasn’t sure I could change that.  I had to make sure the tragedy that happened tonight was not made worse by my actions.
    I tried to calm my breathing and slow my heart, which was beating like I had just put it through a marathon.  I pushed deliberately on the door so it only opened a crack.  Nothing.  It was dark.  I pushed a little more and revealed a small bathroom.  Not the door I wanted.
    I moved as stealthily as possible to