She shook Astrid, willing her to wake up.
Astrid’s eyes opened. ‘Svanna? Not safe… Go now…’
‘You’re alive. Thank the gods.’
‘Stuck. We tried…everyone. Save yourself. Go.’ Astrid pointed with her finger. ‘Now.’
‘Save your spit.’ She tore off her mask. ‘Put this over your mouth and breathe. It might help. I’ll return. Hang on.’
Out in the cool air, she shaded her eyes, looking for help. Still no Sigmund. She had no idea what she would say to Maer if both had perished. She spotted Rand supervising a bucket brigade while he waited for news.
She rushed over and grabbed his arm. ‘You must help me now.’
Rand frowned at the interruption. ‘What is going on?’
‘My foster-mother is in there. Alive. Her leg is trapped under a table. I can’t get it to move.’ Her voice gave a little hiccup and she blinked rapidly, stuffing the fear down deep inside her. ‘We only have a little time. If we’re going to stop this disaster becoming worse, she must be saved. Send someone. Anyone.’
He tilted his head. ‘One condition.’
‘If I can give it, it is yours. My foster-mother must live.’
‘One single kiss.’ He gave a crooked smile, captured her chin between his forefinger and thumb and brushed his lips against hers.
A jolt went through her. She was tempted to touch her mouth but she kept her hands firmly away. ‘What did you do that for?’
‘Made a vow years ago when I escaped Agthir that if the chance ever arose, I’d kiss the Queen’s daughter. My mind is at rest. Finally. I’d have remembered something like that. Nothing ever happened between us.’ He put a hand on her shoulder. ‘Remain here,Ingebord.’
She shook her head. After that unexpected meeting of mouths, dogged determination replaced the blind panic which had engulfed her after Turgeis’s salute. ‘Absolutely not. She requires me. I said I’d return.’
He sighed and signalled to someone behind her before fastening on a mask. ‘I won’t try to stop you then, but I make no promises about your safety.’
‘I’m not asking for any.’
He nodded and plunged through the door. She shook off one of his men’s restraining hand and summoned her fiercest glare. The warrior retreated several steps.
Grabbing the closet bucket from a servant, she doused her apron with water and plunged into the building. The fierce intensity of the heat made her face burn and her throat hurt. She lifted the wet apron over her nose and mouth. With each heartbeat, she knew the rescue of Astrid was slipping away from her.
She forced her burning eyes open and breathed through the apron. The entire room glowed in an eerie light, but nothing else had fallen in the short time that she’d been gone. Rand gave her a brief nod.
Astrid lay still, her lower leg trapped under the table, but her eyes were open. Her lips turned up into a tired smile when Svanna approached.
‘If we move this whetstone even a little, we can pull her out,’ Rand said, beckoning her over. ‘A two-person task.’
‘If you lift, I pull,’ Svanna replied, dropping the apron from her face. ‘We don’t have time to get anyone else.’
‘Deal.’
He put his shoulder to the heavy stone. ‘One, two, three.’
It crashed to the ground with a thump. The entire hall shook. The oak beams started to creak and snap.
A renewed surge of urgency shot through Svanna. ‘The roof is going to come crashing down!’
Astrid groaned and turned her head in weary acceptance of the inevitable. ‘Svanna… Tell Ingebord that I love her. Go.’
‘You will be able to tell her yourself. Now, save your breath. Rand and I will rescue you.’
Rand lifted a brow. ‘You are not Ingebord?’
