“Fuck,” I snap, jerking my hand back. It’s too hot to grab.
Jory stares from the handle to me. “He can’t stop it,” she whispers. “He can only start it.”
I swallow. I don’t know what to do.
I remember the captain demanding to know why I didn’t call for help. I haven’t even done itnow.
“Guards!” I shout. “Guards!”
But no one comes.
I wonder if the assailants killed them first.
Something thumps against the door. A minute later, it’s pulled wide. The heat of the flames inside is intense, and we rock back.
Ky has a burning tunic wrapped around the handle, and he’s dragging a blistered body. He’s also panting heavily. The door falls closed behind him, and he shoves the body against the wall.
Then he drops himself right next to it. His hair is threaded with sweat, but he doesn’t look like he’s been injured.
“Asher,” he says to me. “Do you recognize her?”
That makes me look, because I hadn’t realized this was a woman. The burns are already too bad. But not only is it a woman, she’s still alive.
Barely.
“I don’t know her,” I say, but that’s more a factor of the injuries than anything else.
“Who sent you?” Jory demands.
The woman says nothing.
Ky rolls onto his knees and summons a handful of fire. “Talk,” he says.
The woman says nothing again, and Ky draws the fire closer to her face. She tries to flinch, but that must be painful, because she doesn’t move.
“Talk,” Ky says again. His voice is vicious, and it makes me shiver.
“He’s bargaining with Draegonis,” she gasps. “He’s killing you forthem.”
“The Guildmaster,” says Jory. “Is he directing this?”
“No,” says the woman. Her voice has grown very weak. “They want you back. That’s part of the...”
Her voice trails off. She slumps over.
Ky crushes the fire out of his palm and grabs her burned tunic, pulling her upright. But her head lolls. She’s dead.
Jory looks between me and the king. “They want me back? Did she mean Astranza?”
Ky frowns, then lets go of the woman. “Come,” he says to us both. His voice is tight. Hard. A military commander, ready to take action. He glances at the princess, then me. Assessing damage, looking for weakness. “I need to check Victoria. I’ll take you to a safe place.”
But Jory stands. “No. I need to check on Charlotte.”
Ky draws a sharp breath, and I can already see this is going to turn into a standoff. “I’ll go with her,” I say to him. “Go. See to your sister.”
He considers for less than a second, and then he gives me a sharp nod. Without a look back, he turns and departs.
THE HALLWAYS AREcool and dark, and I can hear Jory breathing heavily. We inhaled too much smoke, and my lungs feel tight and scratchy, so I wonder if hers are the same. We have to cross through the massive atrium to reach the other hallway, and our footsteps echo.
