I slowly back away. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Fear was spreading as my hands started to shake. “I swear.”

Mrs. Haywood clutched her chest and stared at me. “Fin?”

“I didn’t,” I pled. I saw the doubt in her eyes.

She pushed my foster sisters behind her.

“I didn’t hurt anyone. I didn’t do anything!” I exclaimed.

“What has he done?” Mrs. Haywood turned to the governor.

“Fin created fire.” Reese pointed at me. “It came out of his hands. The beast in the mountain cursed him.”

She backed away from me, covering her mouth. “It can’t be.” She shook her head. “I raised this boy. Edgar?”

The governor showed no emotion. He seemed pleased with the discovery. “Shapeshifters are not to be trusted.”

“But if he was cursed,” said my foster mother, “I’m sure there is a cure. We can fix him. I can get Hobbs.”

“No,” stated Mr. Lockhart. “We can’t afford to let him live. What if the fire shapeshifter comes back looking for him? The whole town could be burned to the ground.” His eyes fell on me. “Kind of reminds me of the pile of ash a young baby was pulled from some eighteen years ago. Well, almost eighteen,” he chuckled. He started toward me.

I mimicked his action in the opposite direction.

“You been hiding something haven’t you, Fin?”

Shaking my head, I looked behind me to see more town people starting to gather. “No. I promise I haven’t. Honest, I didn’t mean to. It just happened.” I looked at Mrs. Haywood, feeling my eyes start to burn. “Please.”

“Shapeshifters can’t be trusted, can they, Fin?” said Lockhart.

“I’m not one,” I stated with a tremor in my voice.

“Then how do you explain fire coming from your hands, leaving behind no burns?”

I swallow the panicked cry building in my throat. “I was mad. I didn’t hurt him. Why don’t you understand? It was an accident.”

They were all starting to close in on me.

“Yes, this time no one was harmed,” said the governor, “but what about the next? If someone makes you mad, are you going to set them on fire?”

“No,” I choked. “I wouldn’t. I don’t even know how it happened. I didn’t…”

I glanced at Mrs. Haywood, who was holding the girls close with tears falling down her face. No one was going to come to my rescue. The closest people to family I had were all turning on me. Hell, Reese had been the one to turn me in. I was a monster to them, a shifter.

“I’ll leave,” I stated as a last effort. “I’ll leave this place. I won’t come back; I promise.”

“And let this curse spread to another innocent town?” the governor smiled. “I’d rather kill you now.” He let out a sharp whistle, one I had heard before on shapeshifter hunts.

The first man made his move and I quickly made mine. Shoving Mrs. Haywood at him, I pushed my screaming foster sisters out of the way and ran for it. They had only left me one choice, and that was the cliffs. I could hide there and then escape to the higher mountain. I would be okay as long as I didn’t let them catch me.

I dipped and weaved through the streets, knocking a few confused people out of the way. Crashing into an old man, I sent him flying into a bread rack. I clambered back onto my feet as loaves fell on top of me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Reese leading the mob. He was the closest thing I had to a brother. His betrayal hurt more than I expected.

“Kill the shapeshifter!”

“Stop him!”

They were really going to kill me. The town who had raised me, lectured me. Half the women I passed had given me a swat for stepping out of line. They knew me. Yet now, that was all forgotten. I skidded down the embankment to the junction.

“Block the trail!” yelled Reese. “Stop the shifter.”

Panic spread through the men in the area as they looked for the monster. Their eyes landed on me. Some looked shocked, but they all still formed a barricade to the mountain pass, clutching their pickaxes. I ducked around the tower and skidded to a halt at the rock barrier. All that sat in front of me was the endless drop of the canyon. The crowd grew still, and I turned around to see the men forming a half circle around me. All were ready to fight. The tears were real now. In one morning I had lost my family, and soon I would loose my life.

The crowd parted, making room for the governor. I had never liked the man, but now I realized his truly sadistic nature.

He glanced around the gathering with a look of pleasure on his face. “The boy was cursed by the fire demon. It is no longer human.” He locked eyes with me. “For a creature of fire, we shall cut off its head and burn the remains.” He removed a sword from its sheath.

Covering my mouth, I gagged on my breath and nearly threw up. My body was shaking. I dropped to my knees as I felt a small ember ignite in my chest. Something was wrong, or maybe this was just what happened when someone was sentenced to death. My sight went hazy. I noticed two men at my side. They grabbed my arms and pulled me away from the ledge.

My body wasn’t responding. I didn’t even fight. I just let them drag me through the dirt and toss me at the Lockhart’s feet. Sweat was dripping from my chin. The heat was turning into a sharp pain. I was ready to die if it would end whatever was happening inside me.

He raised the blade overhead as I laid collapsed on the ground. I just wanted it to end. No more hiding, no more pain—finally an end to this constant cold.

“I send you back to hell. May the gods accept your tortured soul.” He swung the blade.

My eyes snapped shut, and I felt a rush around me. The pain in my chest poured through my skin, and I was wrapped in warmth. I felt at peace. If this was hell, I wished they had sent me sooner. My suffering was over.