Heat enveloped me and wormed under my skin, sitting under my pelt with unbearable discomfort. A hellish glow burned between the trees, dancing out of the smoke in crackling, spitting embers. I could see it now—tongues of fire plumbing the forest, mounting the treetops and reaching toward the sky. A hot wind ripped through me, whisking the inferno into a storm. It was all around me, the thick smoke so harsh it debilitated my senses, smothering me completely.

I tried to run, but my legs ...