A wheeze escaped her, and she opened her blurry eyes before turning onto her backside. A wall of heat slammed against her, and she scrambled away from the flames crawling up the side of the inn. Screams filled the air as people ran from the building.
She yelped as she spotted flames dancing along the edge of her hem. Lia tossed a handful of snow on her dress, but the flames only flickered, growing bigger somehow.
An oil fire, the back of her mind whispered.
She kicked at her skirt, trying to get away from the fire, yet it did nothing but spread. Lia’s head pounded, and fear seemed to take control. All she could do was watch helplessly as people ran by, none stopping as the fire began to slowly consume her.
Her mind screamed for her to run, to do anything, but she couldn’t move.
A giant skidded to a stop next to her and tossed a handful of dirt over her dress before stomping on the fabric, smothering theflames. He moved to the side and knelt beside her, pulling her dress up to reveal her singed leggings, patchy and reddened skin peeking out.
That broke through the fear as the very real danger of discovery overwhelmed her.
Lia kicked at him and scampered backward on her hands, barely feeling the ice and snow beneath her.
Felix faced her, concern creasing his aqua face. He held up his hands and rumbled, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” she mumbled. Flaming streaks in the night sky seized her attention. They lit up the darkness like giant glowing falling stars. There were so many. Too many. There would be no escape.
“Incoming!” a deep voice shouted.
Chills erupted along her arms at the sound of the voice. She’d know that voice anywhere.
Neve.
As if she were underwater, she glanced to the left, watching as the Loriian army swarmed the main street. Her heart raced as she searched the sea of warriors for the king. She caught a glimpse of Olwen right before she was tackled to the ground. The breath wheezed out of her as Felix covered her body with his own.
Explosions erupted around them.
Lia trembled when Felix grunted, and his face contorted into pain above her own. She clutched the front of his leather vest, her hands shaking as more flaming stones slammed into the ground around them. The past and the present blended together.
Her mum’s head made a sickening crack against the stone and yet she still crawled toward Dahlia, until she caged the girl beneath her body.
“Mama!” she sobbed, clinging on to her rough-spun dress.
“It’s okay, my sweet,” her mum slurred, the pupils of her eyes looking weird. She almost looked like a Haunt, her eyes were so black. “I love you. We’ll be okay...”
The blows kept coming.
A warm hand cupped her cheek. “Holly!”
She jerked out of the memory, Felix’s worried face staring down at her.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded slowly, her head aching with the movement. The city of slate and stone seemed to be on fire around them.
It wasn’t safe. They needed to find shelter immediately.
“We need to move,” she shouted, her ears ringing.
The aqua giant nodded, his teeth gritted together. He heaved himself off her and pulled Lia to her feet. Dahlia swayed, her vision darkening around the edges. She grabbed his bicep for balance and immediately let go when he grimaced.
Lia blinked and held up her hand. It was covered in silver blood. “You’re hurt,” she shouted, taking a wobbling step around Felix who still knelt on the ground, body heaving with his breaths.
She gasped at the state of his back.
Chunks of wood, stone, and crystal were imbedded everywhere. He’d been turned into a pincushion.
