Chapter 28 - Fire and Rain
"Victoria, stop!" Emily shouted, stepping into the parlor light.
Victoria paused, the flare hovering inches away from the flammable fabric. A twisted, triumphant smile spread across her face. "Ah, the little princess. Come to watch your inheritance turn to ash?"
"You think you’re destroying my grandmother's legacy," Emily said, her voice incredibly calm despite the terror screaming inside her mind. She took a slow step forward, keeping Victoria’s eyes locked onto hers. "But this house isn't her legacy, Victoria. Her legacy is the love she left behind. It’s the strength she gave me to stand up to people like you. Even if you burn these walls, you still lose. You will always be an outcast, running from your own crimes."
"Shut up!" Victoria screamed, her hand shaking. "You know nothing about her!"
While Emily kept Victoria distracted, Julian silently moved through the shadows of the adjacent dining room, positioning himself behind the heavy velvet drapes near Victoria's flank.
"I know she spent the last twenty years of her life praying you would change," Emily continued, taking another step. "She didn't hate you, Victoria. She pitied you."
"Liar!" Victoria roared, lunging forward to throw the flare onto the floor.
Before the flame could touch the gasoline, Julian erupted from the shadows, tackling Victoria to the ground. The flare flew out of her hand, skittering across the hardwood floor toward a puddle of fuel.
Emily didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, grabbing a heavy wool throw blanket from the sofa, and slammed it down over the rolling flare, suffocating the sparks just as the fabric began to catch fire. She stomped on the blanket with all her might, ignoring the smoke stinging her eyes, until the red glow died completely.
On the floor, Julian successfully pinned Victoria’s arms behind her back, wresting a second lighter from her grip. Victoria thrashed and screamed, cursing their names, completely consumed by her own madness.
In the distance, the wail of police sirens cut through the storm. Aunt Marlene, who had grown suspicious when Emily didn't answer her text messages, had called the police to check on the property twenty minutes prior.
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As four police officers burst through the front door with flashlights, they found Emily standing tall amidst the smoke, the brass candlestick still in her hand, while Julian held the defeated villain on the floor.
The siege of the Darcy estate was officially over.
