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Zaria looked green, already wheezing. She felt it, too.

“We can’t stay long.” I pulled a shirt out of my bag, passing it to her.

She took it without complaint, covering her face.

I took one for myself and tied it, trailing behind Zaria as she walked into what was left of all she’d ever known. She walked like she was in a dream state, and I found myself at a loss for what to say or how to provide comfort. What could even be said? There was no excuse for what took place here.

I slipped my hand into hers when she stopped at the ashes of a large building. I searched my memory, trying to recall what the building had looked like when I’d picked her up, but it had all happened too fast.

“It’s all gone.” Her voice trembled.

“I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t think...” She trailed off, bringing her hand to her mouth.

“What?”

“I didn’t believe it would all be destroyed like this.”

“Neither did I.”

“I thought… I thought they’d get it under control and put it out.” She moved forward, and we walked between burned out building foundations, taking it all in.

“There was too much destruction. There was no bringing it under control. Their only choice was to run or die fighting a futile fight.”

“What I don’t understand is why they were going into a cellar when all of this was happening above,” she mused, half to herself.

“What do you mean?”

“My family and others. They were gathering in a storage cellar, like that would be a safe place from all of this.” She waved her hand at the scene around us. “They took me there, but there were sacks of the herbs—Dragon’s Bane—down there, and I panicked. They were bringing in more as I ran out, like saving that was more important than saving the village. It made no sense.”

“That’s when I found you?”

“Yes.”

“Why would anyone trap themselves underground rather than run away from the fire?”

“It was over that way.” She took off, dragging me by the hand deeper into the village. Determination made her strides faster and faster.

I coughed, the jog forcing me to breathe harder. The cloth didn’t block out the fumes enough, and Zaria stopped and doubled over, her breathing ragged, too.

“We can’t stay here much longer. If we both are incapacitated, we’ll be in trouble.” And Kol was too far away to help us if I called. We were truly alone here. We had only each other to rely on.

“I have to—” Her breathing cut her off, coming in labored gasps.

“Are you okay?” I asked, ready to force her out of here again before it made her truly sick.

She nodded, stabilizing herself. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“I am. It’s just a little farther.”

“Kiera will have my arse if I land you back in the healers for this.” I followed her deeper into the wreckage.

There was a building still soldering. After months?

What had they kept in there that would burn for weeks? Some kind of fuel, maybe? I had the nagging feeling all of this was even more dangerous than I’d even imagined.