Page 173 of At First Spark
Cold moves through me, not fear, but something more vengeful.
“She said it was supposed to make you remember her.”
I don’t respond because what the hell can I say to that?
“She also said,” he adds, quieter now, “that Lark wasn’t supposed to be there, but was glad she was.”
“What happened after that?” I ask.
“The ranting started,” Harris says bluntly. “Yelling. Saying she did what she had to. That you made her do it by ‘moving on like she didn’t matter.’”
I close my eyes for half a second.
Possession.
Escalation.
Exactly what I thought was coming. I just didn’t act fast enough.
“We’ve got her in holding,” he continues. “Arson, endangerment, trespassing, attempted murder—charges are stacking up.”
Doesn’t feel like enough.
But it’s something.
“She ask for anything?”
“Just you.”
That doesn’t surprise me.
“She’s not getting that,” I say, my hand clenching into a fist at her audacity.
“No,” he agrees. “She’s not.”
A pause.
“You did good,” Harris adds. “Getting everyone out. Could’ve gone worse.”
I look back toward the barn again. All blackened and collapsed. Almost nothing left.
“Yeah,” I say quietly.
“Could have.”
I lower the phone slowly, and for a second, I just stand there letting the news settle.
It’s over, or at least this part of it is. No more shadows moving around the property. No more second-guessing every sound after dark. No more wondering how far she’s willing to take it.
And somehow, it doesn’t feel like relief because some damage doesn’t undo itself just because the person who caused it is locked behind a door.
The screen door creaks softly behind me. Lark steps out onto the porch, stopping when she sees my face.
“What is it?”
I turn toward her.
“It’s done,” I say.
