The Guardian Queen

Chapter Seven pt. 2

~ Ember

*

An uneasy silence filled the room seconds after a deafening tremor shook the castle walls, banishing all sense of security. Sadie, Jasmine, and I simultaneously tossed our snacks and blankets aside and jumped to our socked feet. Sadie and Jasmine didn’t waste a second. Their survival instincts being more defined than mine, they were already reaching for their shoes before I could shake off my confusion. Seeing them quick to act, I grabbed my phone to call Phoenix, but my shoulders fell in disappointment. “No reception.”

*

Sadie crouched down and placed her hand on the floor. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“Whatever that was came from the room below,” she answered.

“She’s right,” agreed Jasmine.

“I don’t feel anything unusual.” Sadie rose and added, “But I don’t think it’s worth taking any chances; we should go. Minnie, Ember needs shoes.”

“Got it,” she replied without missing a beat. With a snap of her fingers, a pair of boots appeared beside me, and I sat to pull them on.

*

Finishing with the second boot, I froze and said, “Do you smell that?” They inhaled deeply before Jasmine declared, “Something’s burning.” My worst fear confirmed.

“But the entire castle is outfitted with sensors,” Freya pointed out. “Surely if anything was amiss, the alarms would be going off.”

“Is it possible for them to be disabled?” Her eyes flickered with uncertainty. When no one answered, I said, “All the more reason we should err on the side of caution.”

“I concur,” Sadie acknowledged, already leading the way out the door.

*

Just as we reached the hallway, a secondary blast rocked the floor beneath us. I braced myself against the wall while Freya frightfully seized my arm. Before we took another step, her grip tightened, and she exclaimed in panic, “Winnie!”

“Don’t worry, Freya,” I soothed, suppressing my own rising concern. “I’m sure Phoenix will ensure the servants’ quarters are evacuated.”

“You don’t understand. Winnie wasn’t in our room when I left to check in with you.”

*

“Ember, we need to move,” Jasmine urged. I nodded and turned back to my trembling lady’s maid. “Freya, where would Winnie go this time of night?”

“That’s precisely what terrifies me. Lately, she’s been spending much of her free time… in the chapel.”

“Ember,” Sadie said gravely.

“I know, I know. We need to go.”

“No… I mean, yes, but… Ember, the chapel is directly beneath us.” My mouth fell open as her meaning hit me.

*

“Freya, go with Sadie and Jasmine,” I instructed, straining to keep any trace of fear from my voice. “They’ll see you to safety while I make my way to the chapel and find Winnie. Don’t worry.” Despite my assurance, she still looked frantic. “But what about—”

“Do as I say, Freya.” My maid knew I wouldn’t get stern with her without good reason. She stiffened with resolve and moved toward the others.

*

Jasmine took Freya’s arm, but Sadie approached me, saying, “There’s not a chance in hell I’m letting you go alone. If you insist on marching into danger, then I insist on going with you.” Any argument with Sadie would have wasted precious time and changed nothing. Therefore, I reluctantly nodded. We looked at Jasmine, and understanding passed between us. She snapped her fingers one last time and passed us a pair of kerchiefs to protect our mouths and noses from smoke. “Good luck,” she expressed, grabbing Freya’s hand and leading her north, away from danger.

*

“Let’s go,” Sadie urged. “Before I come to my senses, knock you unconscious, and drag you out myself.” Ignoring her empty threat, I tied the cloth around my neck, and headed for the central staircase.

*

Down to the second level, we were enveloped by smoke almost immediately. We spared each other a sobering glance and raised the kerchiefs over our noses. Then, Sadie took the lead, charging through the smoky haze down the most direct path to the chapel.

*

Swiftly passing room after room without incident, I grew optimistic that we’d find Winnie unscathed and, together, make it to safety unimpeded. My hope was promptly dashed, however, when, just as we neared the chapel doors, a third blast blew out the wall directly in front of us. Acting on instinct, I telekinetically pulled Sadie backward, out of the way of flying debris, catching her in my arms as she shielded her face from the flames bursting through the gaping hole.

*

I looked down at Sadie. When she met my eyes, I saw real fear in her typically composed face. “Thank you,” she said as I helped her upright.

“Anytime,” I answered. She pulled her kerchief down a smidge to inform me, “At least now we know where the disturbance originated.” She coughed and pointed to the room, now missing a wall. “That’s the stateroom.”

“Thank God Winnie wasn’t in there.”

“It won’t make much difference if we can’t reach her.”

*

At the far end of the hallway, some thirty feet beyond the rubble out of reach, I stared at the chapel door. I wrenched my kerchief down to ask, “Is there another way?” Sadie shook her head, then moved toward a portion of the stateroom wall that was still intact. I watched in awe as she channeled power into her hand. Ice slowly spread over the gap, blocking the wild flames from spilling into the hallway. She added another hand, and the sound of creaking and popping reverberated down the corridor as the ice barrier solidified.

*

“You’re incredible, Sadie,” I admired as she braced herself on her knees, recovering from the power drain required to grant us a path forward. “I know,” she replied breathlessly. Seconds later, she stood and added, “Better get a move on. That won’t hold forever.”

*

Repositioning our kerchiefs, Sadie and I hurried over and around pieces of wrecked wall. On the other side, we paused just long enough to assure one another that we were unharmed before racing toward the chapel. At our approach, I flung the doors open with a wave of my hand, and we simultaneously rushed into the room.

*

Thick smoke had already infiltrated the sanctuary. Through the smog, on the far side of the room, a heap of iron and glass littered the floor, the remnants of a chandelier. Seizing my arm, Sadie warned, “That’s not a good sign, Ember. We need to leave before anything else collapses.” I nodded in agreement, pulled down my kerchief, and called, “Winnie!”

“What makes you certain she hasn’t already fled? Anyone with sense would have.”

“There’s fear in here. I can feel it.”

*

A faint whimper echoed amidst the wooden pews on our left. Listening hard, I zeroed in on Winifred’s sounds of distress and hurried down the center aisle, searching the pews along the way. Suddenly, a glimpse of fair hair stopped me in my tracks. Crouched low beneath a seat, Winnie covered her face with her hands, shaking fearfully.

*

“Winnie!” I exclaimed in relief. Her head jolted up at the sound of my voice, revealing her tear-stained cheeks. “My lady?” she squeaked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Never mind that,” I said, reaching for her arm. “Are you hurt?”

“I fell and hit my head. What’s happening? Is it over?” Sadie took hold of Winnie’s other arm and replied sharply, “Not even close.” I sent her a warning look. Like Freya, Winnie was easily frightened.

*

“We can figure out what’s happened later,” I said. “Right now, we need to get out of here.” On her feet again, Winnie wobbled a bit, and Sadie answered my look of concern, saying, “She probably has a concussion.”

“I’m sorry, Winnie,” I said, giving her all of one second to take a breath before I pulled her toward the door. “But it’ll take too long for me to heal you now. Once we make it outside, I’ll take care of your injuries.”

“Don’t worry for me, my lady,” she replied as she fought to keep up with my pace. “I can manage.” Sadie glanced at me and muttered, “Let’s hope that’s true.”

*

Back in the corridor, the fire in the stateroom had already devoured Sadie’s ice barrier. I looked to her and asked, “Any chance you could make a way for us again?” Shaking her head, she replied, “The fire’s gained too much momentum. We’ll have to go a different way.” I turned to Winnie and asked, “What’s the most direct way out?”

“This way,” she said with renewed resolve. “Follow me.”

*

Winnie led us down the servants’ stairs, which let out near the backside of the dining room. We cut through the butlers’ pantry and into a welcome smoke-free hallway on the west side of the palace. I began to think we were in the clear when a loud and ominous cracking stopped us in our tracks. The fire had spread through the floor above and was rapidly compromising the structure’s stability. All at once, I realized the ceiling was about to give way when Sadie shoved me forward with great force.

*

I landed hard on my side several feet away, the air knocked completely out of my lungs. “My lady!” Winnie yelped, hurrying to my aid. “Are you alright?” But I paid her little notice as I righted myself and desperately searched for my savior. At Sadie’s sudden disappearance, my stomach dropped.

*

“SADIE!” I screamed in alarm when I found her knocked to the ground by the remains of the upper floor. A massive beam had her pinned down. Unconscious, she lay on her stomach with one arm outstretched toward me. Sparked into action by fear and sheer force of will, I rushed to her side.

*

Throwing myself to the floor, I frantically assessed the situation, then looked up at Winnie. “Quick, give me your belt!” She fumbled with the buckle while I tossed aside what rubble I could, clearing some space around Sadie’s upper body. Once able to get a better view, I breathed in relief upon the deduction that, although she was trapped, the bulk of the beam’s weight was balanced between what remained of the walls on either side. If I could get a hold of her, I could slide Sadie free without exacerbating her injuries.

*

Winnie passed me her belt and I quickly but carefully threaded it under one of Sadie’s shoulders, around her back, and under the opposite shoulder. “Winnie, take her hand,” I ordered, nodding to the free one. “On the count of three, pull. Ready? One… Two… Three!” Blessedly, Sadie’s feet weren’t caught up under anything, and we managed to slip her out of the wreckage without consequence.

*

Ever aware of the raging fire devouring the castle, I couldn’t spare a moment to examine Sadie’s condition apart from verifying that, to my immense relief, she was breathing. I pulled her into a kneeling position, trying to ignore the way her head lolled lifelessly to the side, and wrapped her arm around my neck. When I failed to lift Sadie, my gaze turned to Winnie, who was wincing as she rubbed the back of her head. “Winifred! Listen to me,” I pleaded. “I know you’re tired and you’re hurting. But I can’t get Sadie out of here without you.” Nodding, she knelt beside us and said, “Tell me what to do, my lady.”

*

“Get under her other arm,” I instructed. “I think I can take on most of her weight… if you can just keep her steady. Can you do that?”

“I… I think so.”

“Good.” I took a split second to catch my breath. “Because we don’t really have any other choice at the moment.” Lord, help me, I thought as I prepared to summon every ounce of strength my body had to offer.

*

“Here we go,” I said, after another count to three, Winnie lifted Sadie with me. Carrying the limp weight of an unconscious person was its own challenge. Doing so with a diminishing amount of breathable air was another. Gasping and coughing, I willed my legs onward with all the urgency I could muster. More creaking echoed down the hall, the ominous telltale sound of the castle’s losing battle to remain standing.

*

With nothing for it, I exclaimed, “Let’s go, Winnie!” She didn’t answer but did her utmost to match my stride. In all the chaos, I’d lost track of our direction. When we came to the end of the corridor, I shouted, “Which way?” Without hesitation, Winnie cried out, “Left!”

*

Around the next corner, our surroundings became familiar, and I was able to reorient myself as we charged toward the library, fueled by nothing but determination and adrenaline. After another left and a right, I internally rejoiced at the sight of the veranda doors and their promise of freedom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~