Damien’s smile was warm and his green eyes were bright. Even covered in ashes, Evelyn wanted him to keep looking at her like that.
“Do you know what caused the fire?” she asked.
“No. They’re trying to figure out if it was an accident or not, but they’re pretty sure magic was involved.”
“Could it be connected to the four soldiers we found?”
“Maybe. We don’t know enough yet.”
“Do you have to tell all the families what happened? Like you did for the soldiers?”
“Not all of them, but yes, I’ll start contacting families after I leave you. It’s going to be a long process because we can’t—” Damien grimaced.
“Can’t what?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
“Tell me, please.”
Damien groaned. “We can’t identify everyone yet. The fire… some people were too close to it.”
Evelyn swayed with nausea. “How will you find out who they were?”
“The Healers might be able to help. Some of the fae from Lochmatten might have magic that can… I don’t even know. What we really need is a list of everyone who was in the bar last night.”
She thought of something else. “What about Angelina? Did she make it?”
All of the light drained out of Damien’s eyes. He didn’t look angry or mournful. His face was empty, which was so much worse.
“None of the bartenders survived,” he said, his voice as blank as his eyes. “The bottles of alcohol burst in the explosion, and the fire was more concentrated along that wall. They also couldn’t run away as easily, stuck behind the bar.”
“I’m sorry,” Evelyn whispered.
Damien’s eyes came back to life then, and he gave her a sad smile. “Me too, Princess. But right now, you need to rest. I’ll find a Healer to come check on you. They have potions that will let you sleep without dreaming. And I’ll tell Leo you’re okay.”
Damien kissed the top of her head like Evelyn’s brother used to when he wanted to be sweet instead of a jerk. Then he left, and the room was quiet again.
How many more people could have survived if I’d put the fire out faster? Could I have done more if I hadn’t passed out?
Two hundred and seventeen people died. Was it an accident? Or did someone attack the bar, knowing a princess was there?
Did Haydn get out in time? A few minutes of flirting doesn’t mean I know him, but I don’t want Haydn to be dead. To have burnedalivelike so many others did. And I definitely don’t want his death to be my fault.
13
Burns
When Evelyn woke again in the hospital room several hours later, her bruised hip and shoulder were less sore and her head had cleared.
She was alsostarving.
After grabbing her shoes at the end of the bed, she quietly opened her door. She was at the end of a long hallway and could hear voices coming from deeper in the building.
Evelyn walked down the hall and peeked into any open doorways. The rooms in her wing were all private, meant for injured officers or other important guests.
One occupied room had the door cracked enough to reveal a person lying on a bed. His whole body was wrapped in bandages, including his head. Gaps around his mouth and nose allowed him to breathe, but his eyes were covered. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest proved he was alive. Evelyn hurried along, not wanting a Healer to catch her.
Dread coiled in her stomach.
