Queen of Embers

XVII. Belonging

Fire ravaged the city, but did not wholly consume it. As soon as Sorne had rested, she was back in the streets, doing anything she could to help. Sir Petri was at her side, helping shift the rubble. Sorne had already made a mental note to reward him as well as she could for his work in organizing a response to the fire and putting himself in danger to save people.

Her supernatural strength was damn helpful. It distracted her from her worry and chilling fear. When she'd gone to check on Vipsania, she learned that the healers were working hard with her and there wasn't space for Sorne to go in and see her. As much as Sorne wanted to demand time and space, she didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize Vipsania's treatment.

Sorne lifted the main fallen beam of a badly burned house allowing Petri to slide in. It was a dangerous job, one Sorne would have preferred to do herself, but he couldn't lift the heavy oak wood. "Anyone down there?" she called.

"Bodies," Petri called up solemnly. "It looks like the smoke killed them."

Sorne sighed and turned, looking at Kepa. The guard who formerly worked for Ezkibel was covered in ash and soot, like all of them were. "Would you please help him with the bodies? Their friends or family will want them."

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said, immediately going over to the edge where Petri was waiting.

"Be careful, both of you," Sorne said. "Anything could shift."

It was a big inn that had once had a second story. Most of it had collapsed, but there was still a burned section that was precariously balanced. Sorne had been very careful when she moved the beam. Between the two of them, they could maneuver bodies out. When Sorne saw there were children among the dead, she felt like she was going to be sick with anger.

Sorne heard a cracking noise after the last body was removed. "Petri, get out!" she shouted.

Before he could, the remnants of the roof came crashing down. She heard a shout and then silence from the house. Sorne pushed the beam carefully to the side and moved over to where Kepa was digging in an effort to get to the knight. She waved over a few men who were moving with buckets. "We've got a trapped rescuer!"

They came sprinting over and helped dig. Sorne moved everything large, allowing them to pull smaller beams and assorted debris out of the way. "Petri!" she called.

There was a groan from the depths, but no words. Sorne slid down into the opening even though it put her at risk of being trapped too. It was hard to see in the dark, but she knew she'd slipped through the remnants of the main level into the cellar. Petri was alive and conscious, but he was bleeding from the head and seemed disoriented.

Sorne grabbed him and slung him over her shoulder so she could climb out with him. By the time she made it out of the basement, she saw that the main door had been wrenched open by Kepa. She hurried towards it, moving as gingerly as she could across the damaged floor. It creaked threateningly, but didn't give way.

Just as she made it through the doorway, there was another crack. The beam she had been holding plunged to the main level, demolishing the floor completely. "Is he alive?" Kepa asked.

"Just hit in the head," Sorne said, setting Petri down. There was a lot of blood, but that was to be expected with a scalp wound. She looked it over. "I don't see any broken bone."

"Punch-drunk, though," Kepa said as he helped the man to his feet. "Probably time to get him to the healers."

Sorne nodded her agreement and looked at one of the other men. "Please help him there. Kepa and I will move to the next building."