1
Soot coated my face, no doubt streaked with sweat. I both loved and hated it when the Duchess assigned fire duty to me. There was something comforting about being faced with the slowly dying embers, then building them up for when the next day dawned once more. Fire burned away the bad things, and left what it didn't need behind. It was simple. And while wild, it was also predictable. At least, it was to me.
I checked over my shoulder to make sure no one else was in the kitchens. The whole night would pass before the cooks arrived to bake the morning bread, and I was going to make the most of it. I held my hand out in front of me and clicked. A tiny flame leapt up from my fingers, flickering and casting tiny shadows across the hearth.
Before I could even fully appreciate it, the flame
