Adelade

As soon as I threw open the door, a blast of heat threatened to push me back into the yard. Smoke billowed through the open door, dark and as black as the night behind me. I held my breath and peeked my head in, searching for signs of the fire. When I saw none, I took in another deep breath and pressed forward.

I immediately ran for the closet and, finding one of Lula’s thick shawls, I draped it around my arms and mouth, trying to protect my bare skin from the heat. I rushed towards the stairs, knowing that Lula and Rowan would most likely be in his room.

How had they not felt the heat?

Hopefully it was because Rowan was a skilled lover, instead of having already been visited by the Dark Angel of Death. As I rushed up the stairs, they creaked and moaned and I was afraid that they would collapse under me. I tried to make my movements light in order to not burden them further.

As soon as I reached the top of the stairs, fragments of the roof began to float through the air. I must hurry, or the roof may collapse soon. I ran to Rowan’s room as fast as my feet would carry me and I threw open the door.

I stared in shock at the sight before me. They lay naked on the bed, and Rowan was holding Lula in a gesture so intimate that I wanted to immediately flee from the room. But it was not the gesture that frightened me as much as the look of utter possessiveness that was held on Rowan’s face and the look of fury that it held at my interruption. He wanted to rip my throat out.

I tried to speak, to warn them of the fire, but the fear that had sparked in my chest spread up to my mouth and I could only move it like a fish gasping for air, unheard. I pointed towards the East side of the house.

Lula, whose back was arched delicately towards him fell back to the bed and turned towards me. She was pale and damp with perspiration. “Adelade.”

Smoke was now beginning to enter the room and I held the shawl over my mouth. Finally, my voice found me and I cried out. “Fire! The house is on fire.”

Lula scrambled off the bed tripping lazily, and I ran to Rowan’s closet. “Get dressed, or you’ll burn your skin.” I grabbed the first thing that came to my hand and ripped it from the closet. “Here.” I held them out to her and she dressed quickly.

I was particularly frightened for Rowan, for he would go up in a flame if a spark drew near him. I pulled more clothes out and threw them at him. He’d already managed to dress, but I insisted that he cover every part of his body.

We began for the door to his room and Rowan grabbed Lula tight. I gripped his arm, just before he made a mad dash for the front door. “We have to find Sophie.”

He turned towards me, a sneer on his face. “I won’t risk it.”

I dropped my hand like he was a hot poker, but I shook my head. I grabbed Lula’s arm this time. “She may die. We have to find her.”

The room was growing steadily darker. The heat began to burn me, even through my clothing, and I knew that we didn’t have much time. Lula’s eyes were wide. She was deathly afraid, but she nodded and began to push Rowan towards the stairs. “Meet me outside, we’ll find her together.”

Rowan’s hand snapped out and he gripped Lula’s arm tight. “What are you doing?” She struggled against his grip.

“You’re coming with me.” He pulled her into his arms but she turned and grasped at me. I grabbed her arms, unsure what to do because we were losing precious time.

“Rowan!” I screamed it, because the roar of the fire was louder now. “You don’t care if Sophie dies?”

He stood still for a second, and it was as if he were a statue. Then he blinked his eyes and turned his face to me. “She’ll be better off this way.”

In that moment, he was true to me. His mask was gone, and I knew him. He was the man of which the witch spoke.

Then in a blur he was gone, ripping Lula from my hands as he flew down the stairs and out of my sight.

It was then I heard the most blood curdling scream.

* * *

I went back into the room and grabbed all of the blankets off Rowan’s bed and ran back into the hallway and towards Sophie’s room. It was quite a ways down and I had to go into the darkest of the smoke to find it. As soon as I approached it, a flame caught my attention and I saw an outline of it in the smoke. A column made from wood was on fire, leaning against Sophie’s door. It was thick and heavy and would collapse into her room as soon as the door opened.

As I drew closer, smoke filled my lungs and I pressed my hand over my mouth in an attempt to keep from breathing it in. The heat was intense and I crawled on my hands and knees towards the door. As soon as I reached it, I called to Sophie, hoping that her strigoi hearing would aid me.

In a moment, her fingers gripped mine through the crack under the door.

“Move back! As soon as I open the door, it will catch on fire. You must move away from the door.”

I couldn’t hear any reply and hoped that she heard me. Her fingers disappeared and I crouched under the burning timber, ready to spring back as soon as I was able, and counted to five. Using the shawl to grasp the knob, I pressed it open and bolted back into the hallway.

The wood fell to the floor and the fire spread into the room. Darkness covered the hallway and I could barely see a thing. I grabbed the blankets and called to them to come. If they didn’t come now, the whole room would light on fire.

The figure of of a woman was made visible by the light from the fire and she vaulted over the fire. She was spry, even though certain parts of her were very large and I marveled at her skill. Her hair smoldered and I beat at it with the blanket. I wrapped her in my shawl and pushed her towards the front door, instructing her to move through the front entrance. I hoped it was still clear.

A blaze of fire raced towards me and I realized in horror, that it was Sophie.

* * *

She’d caught on fire as she raced through the door. Her strigoi speed had helped her, for only half of her body was on fire. Agony tore through me and I jumped on her, the remaining blanket spread out to catch her. She fell into my arms and the smell of her burning body hit my nose. I tried not to retch as I slapped at her arm and hair, trying to put out the fire. I stomped on her dress, hoping that I wasn’t hurting her worse as the last remaining sparks smoldered and died.

Her breathing was ragged and I was tempted to chastise her not to breathe. She didn’t need it as I did and it would only make the inside of her body worse. But I couldn’t find it in me. I knew that she was frightened and in great pain.

I pulled her up and she leaned on me as we began towards the front door.

It was dark now, and I couldn’t see my way. We stumbled forward and I made her walk slowly so that we could be given notice if the floor had given way under us. It would do us no good to tumble through it.

My skin was red and I knew if I didn’t get out soon, it would begin to burn, but I kept the blanket wrapped around Sophie, fearing that she would light up again.

In the darkness I grew afraid and suddenly realized that I didn’t know where I was. Sophie’s eyes were shut tight, trying to block out her immense pain, relying on me to guide her through the house. Abruptly, my feet tangled in the blanket and I fell to the floor, pulling her with me. She cried out and guilt spread through me knowing I had caused her more agony.

I held her tight, cradling her as softly as I could. From this point of view, I could see a thread of light, and I pulled her towards it hoping that it was the way to the door. As we drew towards the light, the darkness began to clear away and I began to feel hope that we were going the right way. As soon as I saw the front door I cried out with joy. I pulled Sophie up and dragged her out of the house and into the blessed midnight air.