threw it open. Smoke choked the hallway. Panicked passengers fled from their rooms. “The boiler must’ve exploded.”
Cager shoved his belongings into his bags and closed them in less than a minute. “You think?” he asked, dipping in sarcasm. “That’s the trouble with these damn converted steamboats. They were built for coal, not murcarbonite. All it takes a little too much pressure, and boom.”
Diah’s mind immediately turned to Oni. What if her room was close the boiler? “I have to find Oni.” He ran out into the hallway, but his brother pulled him back into the room.
“I’ll get her. You pack up what you can and meet me on deck.” Cager disappeared into the haze, taking his bags with him.
Diah wasted no time grabbing the case with the vials of black fire. The alchemy equipment could be replaced, but he needed to get the black fire off the boat before the flames ignited it. He shivered at the thought of the devastation that would cause. He threw the rest of his things haphazardly into his bags and ran to the door. Cager waited for him on the other side.
Diah scanned the corridor. The smoked choked his lungs and stung his eyes. “Where’s Oni?”
“I don’t know.” Cager led them to the deck and the fresh air. “I went to her room, but she had already left. She’s probably already on the deck. Forget about her and save your own skin.”
His heart rose into his throat as he cast a glance at the thick smoke pouring from the direction of her room. “I hope you’re right.”
Outside, the low clouds glowed red with the dawn. Flames danced around the wreckage of the boiler. The Big Sky Belle had run aground, and the deck slanted to the nearby riverbank. Crowds of people huddled around the railings with their belongings, staring at the dark swirling water below. The crew’s shouts jabbed the high-pitched wails of the passengers like a bass drum over a piccolo’s melody. They herded the masses toward the gangplank that dove into the river and the two overcrowded rowboats that were tied to it.
Diah searched the crowd for Oni. Fear paralyzed his body when he didn’t see the familiar contours of her face.
“Don’t be an idiot. Get off this damn boat before that case blows up in your hands.” Cager turned and jumped into the river.
“Diah,” a voice said behind him. He turned to see Oni standing there clad only in a thin nightgown. The wind whipped her long black hair around her shoulders, and soot streaked across her face. But she was safe. His muscles finally loosened, and he reached for her.
She dropped her bag on top of the case of black fire. “Here, take this. I’ll get it from you once we get ashore.”
“Oni, what the hell are you doing?”
She disappeared into the crowd without answering, and worry whipped his heart into a frenzied pace. He didn’t want to leave without her. His arms began to ache under the weight of all the baggage. He inched closer to the edge, lingering on the boat as long as he dared.
A dozen horses stampeded across the deck, throwing him off balance and into the river. The cold water knocked the air from his lungs. He clung to the straps of the bags, even though the current tugged at them and threatened to pull him under the surface. He’d never been a good swimmer, and the prospect of surviving the fire only to drown became all too real.
“Diah, hold on. I’m coming,” Oni shouted from the deck. She led three horses down the gangplank, speaking to them in soothing tones while they stomped their feet and rolled their eyes in fear. Once she coaxed them into the river, she swam to him and helped him drape the heavier bags over the horses’ backs. “You all right?”
The muddy water choked him when he tried to answer. Black spots danced in front of his eyes. She clasped his arm with her free hand and steadied him, easing his terror just from her touch.
“Just keep kicking,” she said in the same tone she used with the horses. “We’re almost to
Cager shoved his belongings into his bags and closed them in less than a minute. “You think?” he asked, dipping in sarcasm. “That’s the trouble with these damn converted steamboats. They were built for coal, not murcarbonite. All it takes a little too much pressure, and boom.”
Diah’s mind immediately turned to Oni. What if her room was close the boiler? “I have to find Oni.” He ran out into the hallway, but his brother pulled him back into the room.
“I’ll get her. You pack up what you can and meet me on deck.” Cager disappeared into the haze, taking his bags with him.
Diah wasted no time grabbing the case with the vials of black fire. The alchemy equipment could be replaced, but he needed to get the black fire off the boat before the flames ignited it. He shivered at the thought of the devastation that would cause. He threw the rest of his things haphazardly into his bags and ran to the door. Cager waited for him on the other side.
Diah scanned the corridor. The smoked choked his lungs and stung his eyes. “Where’s Oni?”
“I don’t know.” Cager led them to the deck and the fresh air. “I went to her room, but she had already left. She’s probably already on the deck. Forget about her and save your own skin.”
His heart rose into his throat as he cast a glance at the thick smoke pouring from the direction of her room. “I hope you’re right.”
Outside, the low clouds glowed red with the dawn. Flames danced around the wreckage of the boiler. The Big Sky Belle had run aground, and the deck slanted to the nearby riverbank. Crowds of people huddled around the railings with their belongings, staring at the dark swirling water below. The crew’s shouts jabbed the high-pitched wails of the passengers like a bass drum over a piccolo’s melody. They herded the masses toward the gangplank that dove into the river and the two overcrowded rowboats that were tied to it.
Diah searched the crowd for Oni. Fear paralyzed his body when he didn’t see the familiar contours of her face.
“Don’t be an idiot. Get off this damn boat before that case blows up in your hands.” Cager turned and jumped into the river.
“Diah,” a voice said behind him. He turned to see Oni standing there clad only in a thin nightgown. The wind whipped her long black hair around her shoulders, and soot streaked across her face. But she was safe. His muscles finally loosened, and he reached for her.
She dropped her bag on top of the case of black fire. “Here, take this. I’ll get it from you once we get ashore.”
“Oni, what the hell are you doing?”
She disappeared into the crowd without answering, and worry whipped his heart into a frenzied pace. He didn’t want to leave without her. His arms began to ache under the weight of all the baggage. He inched closer to the edge, lingering on the boat as long as he dared.
A dozen horses stampeded across the deck, throwing him off balance and into the river. The cold water knocked the air from his lungs. He clung to the straps of the bags, even though the current tugged at them and threatened to pull him under the surface. He’d never been a good swimmer, and the prospect of surviving the fire only to drown became all too real.
“Diah, hold on. I’m coming,” Oni shouted from the deck. She led three horses down the gangplank, speaking to them in soothing tones while they stomped their feet and rolled their eyes in fear. Once she coaxed them into the river, she swam to him and helped him drape the heavier bags over the horses’ backs. “You all right?”
The muddy water choked him when he tried to answer. Black spots danced in front of his eyes. She clasped his arm with her free hand and steadied him, easing his terror just from her touch.
“Just keep kicking,” she said in the same tone she used with the horses. “We’re almost to
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