Sera’s heart squeezed with worry, her fingers itching to twitch. She answered, “I don’t know. I’ve never tested the explosive force of it before. Three grams is enough to fire a bullet so…”she started ticking through equations then stopped. “Actually, it doesn’t matter, we need pressure. All the way.”
They scooped powder until the mold was filled, then Sera stuffed a scrap of cloth in the hole to act as a fuse before twisting the cap in place. When she struggled to secure the clamps tight enough Kieran wrapped his hands in a spare rag from the ground and took over. It wouldn’t work if too much air escaped, she needed to make sure everything was fastened as tightly as possible.
Once Kieran finished, he fell backward, staggering on his feet. His body hit the wall and he bent forward, hands on his knees.
“I’m alright. I’m fine.” He held a hand over his mouth like he might be sick.
Sera ran to his side, helpless and unsure what she could do for him. She couldn’t make the air colder or remove the iron when they still needed to move her contraption into place. Black powder marred Kieran’s hands and the ends of his snowy hair were stained in soot. He had never looked more ragged, and yet, she had also never found him more attractive.
His faith in her, his easy acceptance of her every suggestion, was filling her with a confidence in herself she’d never experienced before. It was exhilarating. It made her stomach clench with giddy butterflies. Traces of adrenaline still pumped through her system, adding a frantic, tingling sort of excitement to the moment.
His condition threatened to unnerve her. But he’d never stay behind, and she had to keep going.
She helped him back to his feet.
His eyes dropped, lids half closed. “Apologies. Touching it directly and the heat… I’ll be fine. I haven’t eaten since yesterday, so I doubt heaving will yield much more than air.”
Sera let him lean on her. “I’m going to help you out of here then figure out a way to move the container on my own.” Therewas no way to lift the container without his help. She had to find another option.
She helped him brace against the outer wall of the supply shed and then did a quick survey of the street. This was the craftsman district, which meant there were… her eyes scanned until they landed on the Blacksmith forge.
She could do this.
Sera raced to the shop outside the forge, thankful that the commotion had called everyone to either flee or help, so there was no one around to stop her from taking what she needed. First, she located one of the carts they used to haul heavy materials and equipment. Then she searched the forge for glacite. Occasionally, people here got their hands on a fae element that would make their work easier. There was a strong chance she could find…
Yes! A single, small crystal had been placed near the cooling barrels, likely to keep the water from getting too hot with repeated use. She grabbed a set of gloves to pick it up and set it on the cart before returning.
“Here, I found this in the smith shop. It’s really small… will it be enough?”
Kieran took the offered crystal and shoved it against his forehead. He closed his eyes, breathing out with obvious relief. “Thank you.”
Sera quickly adjusted the cart, aligning it so she merely had to push the container onto it. The wood groaned and she heard the crunch of slivers forming, but it only needed to hold for a few more minutes.
Kieran was still ashen, his body moving with less fluid ease than normal, but his eyes were brighter. Alert. It took several minutes to return to her old street where Cole was still entrenched in his fire shield.
“How do you propose we get this near him?” Kieran’s tone was once again clear and even. He had settled the glacite into a pocket.
“Well, first, we’re not aiming for Cole.” Sera began to position the cart, aiming for an adjacent building. If she knocked out the support on that side, the entire structure should fall just where she wanted it. There were no more evacuations in process, which meant all the buildings on this block were clear.
“The building?” Kieran asked. “You’re going to bring the whole thing down on top of him?”
She shrugged as she continued her adjustments and studied the cart for a way to create acceleration. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on her target. “Any shadows?”
Kieran didn’t move. “He’s too far and there’s too much fire to see, but I can assure you without looking that Death has marked his end.”
Sera looked at him, the flicker of flames dancing over his profile. “You sound very sure.”
His eyes turned to her, fingers reaching out to feather along her jaw. “He sealed his fate, Sera.”
“No. I know how you feel about death, how significant it is for you. I don’t want you to change because of me.”
“I’m afraid it is far too late for that, Seraphina.” The air whooshed from her lungs. “I continue to take my responsibility seriously, but Cole’s violence is inexcusable. I don’t like it, but I also would not have hesitated to take his life if the opportunity arose.”
His words were more romantic than any ‘I love you’ or sappy confession. She would have swooned on the spot if there wasn’t fire warming her cheeks.
“But you are the architect of this contraption, and so I defer to you. I have every confidence it will hit its mark. So. What do we do next?” He waited for her direction.
And she wasn’t sure she could get used to the feeling of someone like Kieran having that much confidence in her.
