Damned bird was going to be the death of them both. “Stay here.”
He eased toward the splintered floorboards. There. Just at the edge—the faint outline of the cage. He took a half step toward it and the boards beneath him flexed with a conspicuous crackle. Fire curled around the edges of the hole and he ground his teeth together—it wouldn’t hold much longer. Another step. The entire floor shifted beneath him, tilting downward with a threatening creak. The cage began to roll.
“Damn it,” he hissed.
With a burst of motion, he lunged forward, hooking a finger through the wire as the floor buckled. He threw himself toward the wall, clutching the cage to his chest as yet another crash split the air behind him. Flames erupted where he’d stood only seconds before. Behind him, a ragged cough cut through the roar of the fire.
Josephine sagged against the wainscoting. “I can’t breathe.”
His own vision swam as he darted across the hall, the fumes making every breath feel like a fight, and he braced his hand on the wall next to her. They had seconds left. “We need to get into a room. Find a window.”
She coughed again, weaker. “Abigail’s room has a tree next to the window. I climbed down it before.”
Good.
With one arm around her waist, he shuffled backward through the smoke-filled corridor, the cage scraping against the wall. They reached a door frame. Was this the right room, or had they already gone too far? It no longer mattered. He shoved through the doorway, heart hammering in his chest.
He stumbled, nearly going down on one knee, but gritted his teeth and caught himself. “Come on.”
But Josephine fell, her body going limp in his arms.
Pain flared behind his eyes, but he willed himself to stay conscious.Almost there. He shoved aside the fog that clouded his mind, the heat in his lungs burning like the fire itself. One foot in front of the other, he kept moving across the room, dragging her toward the faint outline of the window. His chest was tight, the weight of her in his arms almost unbearable, but he couldn’t stop. Not when they were so close.
He leaned his head out, taking a gulp of precious air. “Samantha!” His voice came out in nothing more than a croak.
But blessedly, she answered. “I’m here.”
He braced himself and heaved the suddenly heavy cage over the windowsill. “Catch.”
It slipped from his weak fingers, falling into the darkness below. With a strangled grunt, he lifted Josephine into his arms. Her head lolled against his shoulder, her weight slack and terrifying in his grasp.
He climbed over the sill, smoke curling thick around them like a noose. The fire shrieked behind them in an otherworldly scream. Rough twigs scraped his palms as he reached for the nearest limb. He braced one foot onto a lower branch, then the next, easing down. Vision swimming, his boot slipped. He slammed into the trunk, gritting his teeth as the bark tore at his side.
He hit the ground hard, knees buckling as he collapsed. Josephine fell from his arms and he pressed his forehead into the damp grass next to her. The night air hit like ice, too cold, too sharp. His chest heaved as he tried to draw breath. Bile surged up, and he doubled over,retching onto the earth. The earth swayed beneath him as his stomach clenched, his throat raw.
Samantha’s voice broke through the haze, sharp with worry, and he jerked his head around to find her beside him, leaning over Josephine’s prone form. She lay still and motionless. Too still. His hands trembled as they reached for her face, the soot and grime of the fire smearing beneath his fingertips as he cupped her cheeks.
“Josephine. No.” He gave her a gentle shake, his fingers sliding down her neck, searching for any sign of life. Nothing. She didn’t stir. Didn’t breathe.
“Please.” His voice cracked, the plea escaping in a raw whisper. The burn of tears stung his eyes as a tremor of something unspeakable surged through him.
Unable to stop himself, he dropped his head to her chest. The silence was deafening, his own raging pulse the only sound in the suffocating stillness. He held his breath, praying, begging for any sign.There. He pressed his eyes together as the faint beat of her heart fluttered against his cheek.
“Isaac?” Her eyes fluttered open, glazed. “Where am I?” A violent round of coughing overtook her and she curled forward with the force.
“Shhh.” He held a finger to her lips. “You breathed in a lot of smoke. It’s best if you don’t talk right now. Try to take deep breaths.”
She shook her head. “I thought… I thought I died—thought we died.”
He dropped his head and pressed his lips to her sooty forehead. “You’re safe.”
She tried to sit, clawing at Isaac’s shoulders for a grip as she struggled. “What about Lola?”
Samantha set the cage down next to them. “She’s right here. She’s alright. Though I’d say she’s not very happy.” More gray than green, the bird sat on a perch, feathers puffed out.
“Oh, thank goodness.” The viselike grip of her fingers loosened and she slid back to the ground. Isaac kept his eyes on her chest as it rose and fell with each breath.
He glanced at Samantha. “The pirates?”
