Guardian of the Night

22

Bilain held back her emotions as she surveyed the destruction. A swathe of buildings, nothing but rubble, singed timbers and ash. The Weather Mages had arrived too late to stop the spread, but it could have burned for far longer without their help. The stench of fire quenched by conjured rains, and of burned flesh, lingered in the air. She should never have left The Sprawl in her wasted journey to confront someone who had nothing to do with the devastation.

"It was an accident. One of the guards panicked, dropped a lantern as we assaulted the building." Trenna, his features caked with soot, couldn't look Bilain in the eyes. "It was my fault. I should have taken greater care. I should have ..."

"This is not your fault, Sergeant." Her gaze had caught sight of a blackened arm, reaching up from the rubble, unable to tell whether it was a man, woman or a child. "This is the responsibility of evil, greedy people. And mine."

She had arrived back in The Sprawl as the Watch members had collapsed a building, creating a gap between the raging flames and further destruction. They had all performed well, giving everything they had to save the lives of their fellow citizens. Even had Bilain stayed to coordinate the assaults and arrests, she doubted the outcome would have happened any different, but that still didn't stop her blaming herself.

Kaluun had disappeared as soon as they reached the edge of The Sprawl, but Bilain had a feeling that the woman still lurked nearby, high above the gutted streets where people lingered in shock at the loss. The Sprawl had seen many fires over the years, and would most like see many more in the future, but Bilain had never seen such a fire caused for such a pitiful reason. The Sprawl used as a game piece in a disturbed play for money. For money!

"Captain, I will understand if you don't want me as your Sergeant." He hadn't heard her, or ignored her statement that he wasn't at fault. He took the blame upon himself and, for that alone, it proved he had the right attitude for her Sergeant. "Ghusz would have ..."

"Ghusz would have done nothing different. If I have to tell you once more that it wasn't your fault, then I will choose another Sergeant. Accept it. Remember this. Remember the people lost." The people. She hadn't wanted to ask, but she needed to. "How many? How many did we lose?"

"We can't say for certain. The Sprawl, it hides folks." He scratched his singed beard, fingers catching in the whiskers against hairs curled and melted by the heat. "We've found over a hundred dead, so far. Three times that injured in some way. There'll be more, for certain, and some we'll never find. Of that I'm sure. There'd be more dead if not for the Kannai."

Away to the side, the governess of the Lady En Lutar, Shurivno, sat upon a fallen timber, her clothing blackened by soot, her fur caked in blood and dirt. Bilain could tell how exhausted the woman was, but she showed none of it to those around her. Kaluun had said the Kannai's healing abilities were only limited, but she had performed far above what Kaluun's words would have her believe.

As though she knew Bilain watched her, Shurivno turned her head to Bilain and gave the slightest of nods before looking up to the rooftops. There were far fewer buildings to get in the way of that look, but Bilain knew who the Kannai looked for. Up there, somewhere, Kaluun looked down. A black stain against a sky where light had only begun to touch as the Sun began its journey across the skies.

"Continue searching. Find all that you can. For their families. For The Sprawl. We can't let any of them be forgotten." She looked around, tearing her eyes away from the rooftops, watching her Watch pick through the detritus. "Ilivno?"

"She left as soon as the fire came under control. She had two things to do. Your instructions were followed. All the remaining barrels are now awaiting your instructions and ... something else." The change in his tone disturbed her, his voice breaking as though he didn't want to continue speaking. "The two Watch members escorting your family. We had reports they were found. Dead. Of your family, there is no sign."