I filed an insurance claim. Of course, there was no proof of anything. No sign of an accelerant – but a fire giant wouldn’t need one.

The investigators were going to be at it for a while, which meant I wouldn’t get money to replace my stuff for a while either. I did manage to find a new apartment, which was even slightly bigger, but the only furniture I could find was a second hand futon and a third or fourth hand table with chairs that wobbled.

It would have to do for now, and Kanesha was right. We were more important, and we were fine. Nothing that couldn’t be replaced had been lost. I bought her a new laptop, but then I was pretty much out of money.

Oh well.

I could eat ramen noodles for a while if I had to. And I got a surprising amount of sympathy at school. Especially for this happening right before graduation.

Even Peter came over, “Do you need anything?”

“Nah. Kanesha made me back everything up.” Finals would be a pain, but…

“Are you sure?”

“I’m insured, I’m making money, I’ll get back together.”

“Did they find out what caused it yet?”

I shook my head. “No. Probably an electrical issue somewhere or other. Probably wasn’t anything to do with me.”

“Probably something with the mechanics. Was there an elevator?”

I nodded. “A very grumpy one.”
“Yeah. Building electrics have a lot more voltage than anything in your apartment and elevators…use a lot of power.”

“Especially old and grumpy ones, I’d imagine.” And where I was would be better once I replaced everything.

Besides? I wasn’t going to let threats or messages get to me. Pretending I saw it just as some stupid accident would drive whoever was behind this crazy.

And drive them into making a mistake, I hoped. The police would never find anything, but I might. Find something or just…wait for them to poke their nose out.

Which they did, as I left my new place.

“Like the new digs?” A sardonic female voice.

“Gambling I won’t beat you up right now?”

“Gambling you want information more than revenge.”

She was probably right. “I wouldn’t mind knowing why you did something so petty.”

I saw her shoulder shrug. She had strawberry blonde hair, worn in a single braid. “People get attached to things.”

“Yes, but you didn’t manage to take anything away from me that I can’t replace.”

“Really?”

“I don’t have a past here to have things to get attached to.” Which was true. And I’d given the horn back, which might have been damaged by supernatural fire.

“Keep telling yourself that. But it was a warning. Anything you have, I can take any time I want it.” Then she vanished in a puff of flame.

I wanted to learn that trick. Quite badly.