“Do you smell that? Is something on fire in the kitchen?” Rylana waved for Sylin to keep dragging people into the street and jogged to check.
Flames burned heartily in the pantry as someone skulked away from it. A goblin in a cloak. For a confused moment, Rylana thought it was Rolf, but he was out front helping Gniknik.
“Fire!” the goblin blurted when he saw her.
He pointed at the pantry and tried to run out the door. Rylana intercepted him, suspecting he’d started it.
“Who are you?” she demanded, then called, “Zalani, bring your water bucket!”
That wouldn’t be enough. The flames were spreading, and Rylana grimaced, almost releasing the goblin when he struggled for freedom.
“I’m nobody,” he squeaked, flailing and trying to escape her grip. His head came down, and he bit her arm.
Rylana snarled and pushed him against the wall beside the doorway as Zalani ran in. “Who hired you?”
“Nobody!”
“You’renobody, andnobodyhired you?”
“Yes!”
“Fire!” someone called from the storeroom.
“Another one?” Rylana patted down the goblin, finding pockets with matches in them. She also pulled out a sack with what felt like sand inside. “What’s this?”
“Nothing! Let me go. I’m innocent!”
“As innocent as Rolf, I’m sure.”
Gniknik ran past in the hallway. “The whole building is on fire! Everyone out!”
“I need help, Rylana!” Zalani blurted, filling a pot and throwing water into the pantry.
The second time the goblin bit Rylana, his teeth grinding through her sleeve to tear into flesh, she yelped in pain and released him. She almost lunged after him, but the gong of a pillar sounding reached her ears. Peacekeepers might run inside at any moment, and she didn’t want to be caught pummeling someone. Besides, the fires were a greater concern at the moment. She did, however, stuff the sack of powder into her pocket before leaping to the sink to grab and fill a stockpot.
Meanwhile, the remaining amorous couples realized their danger and raced for the front door. Smoke hazed the air and made Rylana's eyes water, but at least the dining room wasn’t on fire yet.
“What is happening?” came a booming voice from the storeroom.
Jildarin.
“Two hells,” Rylana blurted, distressed that she hadn’t been able to fix the mess before he’d returned.
“He can help!” Zalani cried as she threw more water onto burning pantry shelves and flames licking an overhead beam.
Thumps, cracks, and shouts came from throughout the building. Feeling overwhelmed, Rylana filled and threw pot after pot onto the flames in the pantry. Fortunately, they’d caught the fire before it had spread into the kitchen, but she could tell from the amount of smoke in the hallway that greater flames had to be burning in the storeroom.
Jildarin roared. He still sounded human—barely.
“The peacekeepers are here!” came Gniknik’s yell from the dining room. It sounded as much a warning as a cry of relief.
“Give them buckets!” Rylana yelled.
Convinced the pantry fire wasn’t in danger of rekindling, Rylana backed out. She feared the ingredients stored within were all ruined, but she had Rolf’s bag full of ill-gotten coins. Maybe it would be enough to repurchase groceries. As far as fixing the fire damage… She had no idea what that would cost but grimaced and wished she’d managed to keep hold of the goblin for the peacekeepers to question. All she had was the sack of sand or whatever he’d been carrying around with the matches.
Carrying another pot of water in hand, Rylana headed into the hallway and turned toward the storeroom. The smoke was thicker in that direction, and she couldn’t tell if the fire was out. That part of the building wasn’t plumbed with water.
As she drew closer, the air wasn’t as hot as she expected. If anything, a great chill swept through the storeroom, stirring the smoke and raising gooseflesh on her arms. It was as if someone had opened the carriage doors as an arctic storm swept in from the north.
