“I'll take care of her.”
I sigh, “I love you, brother.”
“I love you too, little sister.”
This is the most painful goodbye.
“FIRE! FIRE!” I hear a man scream.
Just as the alarms are triggered and water sprays directly on the guests, I begin to feel the cold drops on my warm skin; I feel relief; I feel...something new! I lean out of the balcony and see Magno, walking through a multitude of screaming people and moving like a stream in the sea, aggressive and aimless. He’s with the man I saw before and Sarah; they run until they reach the secret door; I know why they were going there; they are going to get the child, but that would take a lot of time.
I don't know what to do, whether to go with my new acquaintances or wait for them to come out. When I turn to ask to my brother, they're already gone.
I suddenly feel loneliness.
This is on me now, from now on my freedom is my responsibility and mine alone. I turn my eyes towards the entry. My father walks around with bodyguards, my nails buried themselves in the wooden railing, the cold runs down the back of my neck. Next to him, my horrible brother Kaled, looking for someone. Could he be looking for me? Perhaps Magno?
“You! Search over there!” He points to the nursery.
My father walks to the fire alarm lever and deactivates it, ending the rain, the alarm, the panic and my hope.
The slaves leave through the secret door, running desperately in different directions, but the guards knock them down one by one, forcing them to stick their foreheads to the ground.
This can't be happening!
Any minute now, Magno will come out that door and he's going to be put to death, I can't let that happen.
What do I have to do?
“Mistress?”
I turn quickly, my nerves are on edge. A slave stands in her uniform, holding a tray under her arm.
“Where do you come from?” I demand.
“From the kitchen, mistress,” she points over her shoulder.
“Take me there, now!” My uneasiness frightens her, but she leads the way, anyway. “If you do what I am about to ask you, you will have your freedom today.”
I don't have time to plan much, I just hope the timing is on our side otherwise we won't get out of here alive.
This is me acting out of desperation. This is a woman craving for her freedom.
I practically blow out the entire kitchen; the first explosion causes enough noise to get everyone's attention, including my father's; the second explosion makes the place go wild.
The fire slips so quickly through the carpets and curtains that I hardly have time to go down the stairs, everyone runs in different directions, but I run in one direction only.
The only road ahead, the one that takes me to Magno.
