He turned away from her, catching his breath. He spied something shiny, metal looking and tested the surface with a finger. It was cool to the touch and did not send numbing tingles down his arm to indicate it contained iron. The relief was minoras he pressed the cooking pot against his cheek, but it was better than nothing.
A cup of water sat half full on a side table. He splashed it over his face before turning back to the apartment to check on Sera’s progress.
This apartment was a similar basic square shape as the others, but Sera was already examining the window. He’d never seen her so decisive and confident. Both traits suited her, but were more arousing than suited the situation.
“Aha, here we go.” She threw open the window and started to climb onto the sill. Because, of course she would. Why not dangle herself from a precarious ledge six stories above the ground?
“Kieran, I need you to brace here!” She pointed below her feet as she twisted on the sill so she was fully outside the window, holding on by the lip of the sill. When she realized he had already darted to hold her in place. She smiled. He, however, found none of this amusing.
“This is a step too far. You could fall.”
“It’s necessary. I promise,” she assured.
His eyes narrowed, but he trusted her judgment.
“Seth, screwdriver,” Sera called. “Kieran, you have to let me go. I need you to brace here.” She gestured with her foot.
Kieran locked his jaw as he released her, not entirely sure what he was supposed to be bracing. He could see the adjacent building from here and the window that aligned with theirs.
Sera started prying planks free along the outer wall above her, letting the wood fall to the earth below. The outer wall was apparently just as poorly constructed as the interior. Kieran felt more compelled to secure her legs than the wall, but he did as ordered. He could hear her mumbling to herself as she worked.
“The gap is about nine feet, most construction follows the same standard measurements… which should be tenminimum…” After a moment she called back to them in a clear voice. “I think that’s it.” She climbed back inside. “Since you’re taller, it would probably be best for you to do it.”
“Do what?” Kieran asked. “I have not had an inkling of your intent since you’ve arrived.”
The building shuddered. They all held their breath, then Sera pressed, “Just… reach up as high as you can and push.”
He did as instructed. After a moment of exertion that was way more taxing than it should have been, the wall gave to the pressure and Kieran threw himself backward to keep from falling with it. The outer wall tipped forward, but remained attached by its base and it was wedged between buildings. The fall knocked through the glass of the opposite window in the process.
A bridge.
“It’s not going to be super secure, but if we move fast and keep our weight distributed by crawling, should be fine. Seth, you first.”
Kieran marveled as Sera guided Seth to safety. Sera continually berated her intelligence, but they would never have escaped without her. Even as Seth reached the window, his shadow had pulsed and then disappeared as he landed on the other side. Safe. Because of her.
When it was her turn to go, she hesitated, biting her lip, fingers twisting. “You should go first,” she said, as he stared openly at her, though not with the intent of her discomfort. He was simply too in awe to do anything else.
“Do you truly believe I would go before you?” he asked, a smile in his words. Perhaps even on his face, he couldn’t tell any more. He’d smiled more in the past few days than he had in his entire life combined.
Her answering smile made him warm and satisfied, glad to be the cause of her humor. “I guess not, but then I don’t know why you’re standing around staring at me like that.”
He set a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. “Because you are astounding and, lately, I don’t much wish to stare at anything else.” He moved his hands to her back and guided her to the ‘bridge.’ “But this is not the time. I’ll be right behind you.”
She lowered herself and started to crawl toward Seth. She was halfway when the building shifted. Her scream echoed off the brick. Kieran leaped to reach her, attempting to keep his steps as light as possible before simply throwing himself through the opposite window, Sera tucked into his arms. Their bridge crumbled and fell into the street below.
Flat out on his back, Kieran held Sera to his chest.
It was like Death wanted herspecificallyand wouldn’t rest until it had dragged her into the afterlife. A grim prospect, not welcomed given he was no longer able to anticipate death on her. After this was over, he’d have to encase her in some sort of shielding if he didn’t want to die of worry. Or just never let her leave his sight. He buried his face in her hair, allowing her scent to calm him into moving. This wasn’t entirely over. Those flames could easily overtake this building once it consumed the other.
Kieran lifted Sera gently, checking her face for signs of distress or hurt.
Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she clung to him, resisting his attempt at distance.
“Just a moment… I… I thought I’d fallen to my death for a second there.”
“Is she okay?” Seth asked, startling him. He had forgotten Seth existed.
Kieran maneuvered himself to stand, not letting go of Sera—not that he had a choice. When he moved, she would adjust her grip, refusing to allow any gap between them. As he tookin the room, she remained clamped to his chest, breathing hard against his shirt.
