The Thief King

44 | Red Dawn Rises

Sera woke. Her room was still dark and for a moment she wondered what woke her. She lay in silence, her eyes still closed; her body being coaxed back to sleep by the warmth of the bed.

She would have allowed her dreams to swallow her back up - dreams of a shadowed figure with surprising blue eyes, but short black hair, covered in shadows -  but she smelt smoke. Her eyes fluttered open. Her room was dark, save for a fiery light that crept in from the window in the next section of the house. 

“Sera?” Hannah’s voice caused her to sit up. Koltin’s sister was loitering at the entrance to the room, her hair still in a wild tangle from sleep.

“What’s the time?” Sera asked, rubbing at her eyes. “Are you making breakfast?”

“Something is burning,” Hannah said. “Outside.”

Sera took a few moments to focus her thoughts. When she felt like consciousness was taking a firm grip of her senses, she pushed the covers off and walked to Hannah. “So you are not burning porridge this time?”

“Sera, it is barely dawn.”

“Then why are you up?”

Hannah sighed, marching to the door and yanking it open. “Look outside.”

Sera did, shuffling slowly to where Hannah stood. Outside, the sky was heavy with clouds, tinged in the whispers of the rising sun. But that was not what was causing an orange glow to everything. Something in the distance was billowing smoke, and not far away either.

“See,” Hannah said triumphantly. “Something is burning.”

Sera nodded. Voices brought her attention to nosy neighbors coming out of their dwellings, wrapping coats around their middles and slowly walking to investigate the source of the smoke.

“Stay here,” Sera instructed, retreating back into her room for her boots and coat. When she came out, Hannah was ready by the door, coat, boots and gloves already donned. “Hannah, it might be dangerous.”

“If you leave without me, I will just follow you. If you take me with you, at least you will know where I am.” Hannah grinned. 

Sera felt a stab in her heart. Hannah was becoming more and more like her brother every year. She wondered how long she could keep Hannah’s focus away from the underworld. How soon would the girl be demanding to dedicate her life to her brother’s vocation?

“You are worse than your brother at times,” she said softly. “Come along then. Let’s go see what the matter is.”

They walked with a crowd, Sera keeping a hand on Hannah at all times. Soft mutters and short discussions took place but nothing was really said. Some questioned if this was another attack like the parade. The notion was disregarded, for the fire was clearly in The Lowies sector. Anything that may be burning was not going to be missed.

They rounded a corner and could just make out the pinnacle of the flames above the buildings. Sera frowned, the building must have been tall and by the direction they were headed, it had to be close to The Dancer.

Her assumption was proven true a few minutes later when the burning building came into view. The Dancer was ablaze. Violent flames waved frantically out of the windows and the door was a gaping hole of heat and smoke.

Sera closed her gaping mouth after hearing those around her cough. The smoke was thick and the air hot. Some men were aiding the Peacekeepers and guards in throwing snow and water onto the buildings closest to the tavern. Others were throwing pales of water onto the flames themselves. Boys ran to and fro carrying knew buckets of stale water from the canals.