Page 87

My head snapped up. That sounded like—

“Where the hell is she?”

It was Roan, shouting on the other side of my prison.

“Roan!” I scrambled to my knees and pressed my mouth to the stones. “Roan, I’m—”

I broke off, coughing.

Nothing.

“Roan, help,” I tried again. “I’m here!”

But my throat was damaged and weak. I was gasping, coughing, unable to shout. I’d taken in too much smoke. My voice wasn’t loud enough.

“Help,” I whispered.

“Fen!” he shouted. “Fen, are you there?”

I couldn’t die like this.

That was all I could think. And then I knew what to do. My heartbeat slowed, and a tear slipped down my check, even as the hope surged in my chest. I tipped back my head, sipped a small breath—and howled.

The sound was smoother on my blackened lungs and my raw throat. I could sustain it, and I could grow it louder. I sputtered a cough and started again, picking up the note once more.

“Fen.” I heard him say. “Quiet! I can hear her.”

I howled with everything I had. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I wobbled between notes, between coughing fits, between fear and hope.

“She’s in the crawl space,” I could hear him say, his voice growing closer. “Fen, don’t stop.”

I howled until I heard his voice was just on the other side of the stone.

“Roan,” I squeezed out. My throat burned. “I’m here. Help.”

“I’m here!” he echoed. “I hear you. I’m gonna get you out. Hold on, just hold on.”

I leaned against the stone and listened to the sound of him fumbling and cursing. The fire was painfully hot on my back, and the smoke was building, despite my low vantage point.

“Someone get me a maul!” he was shouting.

I wasn’t sure how much time I had left and if he would get to me before it was too late, but it felt good to know someone else was working to help me, that I wasn’t all alone.

Then his words were in my ears.

“Fen, you need to get back.”

I barely had time to scramble to the side before the first strike came. The crack made me flinch. The fire roared to my right, and the smoke poured, thick and black. It burned my eyes. I coughed violently, and thesecond strike came, followed by another and another. I couldn’t see for how blurred my vision was, and I couldn’t tell if it was working, if he was getting through the rock. All I could feel was heat on my skin and smoke in my lungs until I felt—him. His hands. They wrapped around my arms and pulled me forward, towards the foundation, until he was pulling me out, into cold air and—rain.

He pulled me into the rain and into his arms.

Chapter Forty-Two

Roan

The hut had been nearly engulfed by the time I’d reached it. Only the backside had a wall that wasn’t a wall of flames, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it was taken too. One door on fire, no windows. Sides made of logs, as thick as a man. A stone foundation that rose to my waist where the hill sloped down, rocks so tightly stacked my fingers could find no weak spots.

I’d never felt so hopeless in all my life, so worthless. A light rain started up. It did nothing to soothe the angry flames. Everything stretched before me, and it felt unreal. She could not be in there; I could not be losing her.