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Lux glanced at Jay. “You take the controls. I’ll guide you from the back.”

She nodded, taking over as Lux unbuckled and moved to the back of the helicopter. She grabbed the binoculars, scanning the ground below as they approached the fire line.

“Zoey, I’m going to do a flyover and give you a better assessment,” Lux said.

“Understood.”

They passed over the fire, and Lux saw the full extent of the damage. It was worse than she thought. The flames were climbing the hillside, and there was a thick line of smoke making it hard to see the edges of the fire.

“Looks like the fire is spreading faster on the west side,” Lux reported. “You need to shift your team to cover that area or it’s going to cut off your exit.”

“We’re on it,” Zoey said, and Lux could hear the determination in her voice.

Lux relayed the information to Jay, and they banked left to get a better view. The fire was relentless, but so was Zoey. Lux could see her moving, directing her team with precision. It was like she was part of the fire itself, bending it to her will.

Only, she couldn’t turn it off.

“They’re doing a swell job down there,” Jay said.

“This looks like a swell job to you?” Lux asked, staring at the flames climbing uphill.

“If they weren’t so damn good, we’d be choked for cover up here.”

Lux knew she was right, but Jay hadn’t grown up with a veteran firefighter for a father. It’s everything or nothing. Until the last flame is put out, don’t commend yourself.

As they swung around for another pass, Lux couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t doing enough. Thatshewasn’tdoing enough. She should be down there on the ground, not up here in the sky, detached from the heat of danger.

It was either that or she was completely losing her head over the new lieutenant.

“Zoey, I’m coming down,” Lux said before she could second-guess herself.

The moment the rotors slowed down, she spotted Zoey standing a few feet away in full fire gear, her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed at the approaching machine. Lux took a deep breath, steadying herself. The tension between them had only grown since the last time they’d spoken, and now she had to bring Zoey on board—literally and figuratively.

Jay stepped out and grabbed a hose. That left just enough space for Zoey.

Lux unbuckled her harness, pushed open the door, and hopped down onto the rough ground. Dust and ash swirled around her feet as she approached Zoey and gestured toward the helicopter. ”Get in.”

Zoey shook her head. “I’m better off staying with my team. We’ve got ground to cover.”

Lux squared her shoulders. “You’re wasting time. You need to see this from above to make a real plan. We’ll be quicker, more efficient.”

Zoey’s jaw tightened. “My team is already stretched thin. If I leave now?—”

“You won’t be any good to them if you don’t have the full picture,” Lux interrupted, stepping closer. “You can direct them better from up there.”

Zoey glanced at the helicopter then back at Lux. The hesitation was clear. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

Lux softened her tone, trying to bridge the gap between them. “It’s not about whether it’s a good idea. It’s about what’s necessary. Get in. Let’s do this.”

For a moment, Zoey seemed ready to argue again, but then she nodded, her face set in determination. “Fine. But this better be worth it.”

Lux turned and climbed back into the cockpit, feeling Zoey’s presence close behind her. As they strapped in, Lux handed Zoey a headset. “You’ll need this.”

Zoey took it without a word, adjusting it over her ears. Lux powered up the helicopter, the rotors spinning faster, kicking up more dust and debris. They lifted off the ground, the noise of the engine drowning out everything else for a moment.

Once they were airborne, Zoey leaned closer to the window, staring at the burning landscape below. The fire had spread farther than Zoey had anticipated, swallowing acres of forest and inching closer to the small town that lay beyond the hills.

“You see?” Lux said, her voice crackling through the headset. “We need to get ahead of this.”