"I'll get your bow William!" Aria shouted as she raced past them to the kitchen. "Daniel go out the backdoor and find the soldiers, Timber and Abe go with him and take the boy."
William thrust something into Hannah's hand. Instinct almost caused her to drop the stake but she curled her hand around it before that could happen. "How many of them are there?" she asked nervously.
"Thirty to forty, it was difficult to get a good look though. Timber, Daniel, have some of the soldiers go across the street. I have a feeling Calvin's central focus is going to be on this building. If we can surround his men we'll have a better chance," William ordered.
Timber nodded and turned quickly to leave with Daniel leading the way. They passed Aria as she reemerged from the kitchen with her and William's weapons. A growing sense of dread filled Hannah as more of the patrons moved away from the entry. Xavier stepped inside the building and closed the door. Xavier's eyes landed upon Hannah and the stake clutched awkwardly in her hand before moving on to Lucas and Ellen beside her. Though she knew that she and Lucas were inadequately prepared for what was about to come through that door, Ellen's lack of strength and speed made her far more vulnerable.
"You should go," Hannah said as she turned toward her friend. "You can slip out the back Ellen; you don't have to be here for this."
Ellen frowned fiercely at her as she shook her head. "I'm not leaving you guys here."
"Ellen..."
"I'm staying Hannah and that is final."
That wasn't what she had hoped to hear but there was little time to argue with her friend as the ringing of the bells came to a stop. Hannah listened to the footsteps that sounded over the porch. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she braced herself for men to come rushing in at them, but no one appeared in the doorway. Aria and William raised their bows as the footsteps moved past the door again.
"After what we saw in that dungeon you can shoot first and ask questions later," Aria grated from between her clenched teeth.
"I have no problem with that," William replied with a wild grin that Aria returned.
They were all crazy, Hannah decided.
The boots stopped outside the front door again, Hannah's fingers curled more firmly around the stake as she became certain that Calvin was about to enter the building. She was so focused on the front door that when three of the shutters burst inward simultaneously and a loud bang sounded from the kitchen, she released a startled cry. She was still trying to process what was going on when something was tossed through the windows.
Smoke was just beginning to stream in from the kitchen when the horrifying realization of what was going on dawned on her. Calvin wouldn't be coming inside; he would be forcing them to go outside. Even though she didn't require air, she could already feel the acrid smoke burning her throat and eyes as two of the three torches thrown through the broken windows had set fire to the scarred wood floor.
Most of the patrons fled out the front door. Daniel leapt forward and stomped on the third torch before its flames could cause any more damage. Hannah ripped her apron off and wrapped it around her hand; she began to beat at the flames licking up the walls. The heat of the flames blistered her skin and burnt her face but she refused to back away from the growing inferno. The fire roared around her, she could barely hear anything over the crackle of the spreading flames. It singed her hair but she was determined to save her home.
"It's useless!" Lucas shouted over the fire surrounding them. He grabbed hold of her shoulder and tried to pull her from the crumbling wall but she jerked away from him.
"We can save it!" she yelled at him.
"Hannah we have to get out of here!"
The charred remains of her apron slipped from her lose fingers. "It's no safer for us out there!" the words sounded like a frog's croak as they issued from her scorched throat.
"There's no other choice Hannah, not anymore. Staying here is certain death; we may have a chance if we can stay in the shadows but there is no escaping this fire."
She nodded but even as she was turning away from him, William was seizing hold of her arm. "Second floor!" he shouted as he pointed above them.
Hannah caught a brief glimpse of the fully engulfed kitchen as she ran past the burning door. Aria was already waiting for them on the stairway with Xavier and Ellen. Xavier was trying to pull Aria onward but she remained unmoving on the stairs. "Hurry!" she called over the growing chaos raging around them.
Hannah could feel her eyelashes singing as her hair curled around her face. Sparks and flames shot into the air around them. A beam above them released a loud groaning noise seconds before it crashed onto the floor with enough force to shake the entire building. She had to grab hold of the stair rail in order to keep her balance as another beam swung down and crashed against the side of the stairs with a resounding bang that made her ears ring.
Hannah began to tremble as she was seized with the certainty that she was going to be devoured by flames like her parents had been. An ember landed on her cheek, she slapped it away as it seared her skin. She placed her hand in Ellen's back as she pushed her friend faster up the stairs. Even with Ellen right in front of her, she could barely make out her friend through the thick smoke choking the building.
"Hurry!" Lucas croaked from somewhere behind her.
Coughs sounded continuously around her as William choked and gagged, she didn't know how much longer any of them would be able to hold up if they didn't get to some fresh air soon. She stretched her hand back and took hold of William's arm as he had a harsh coughing fit that she worried might break one of his ribs. He stumbled behind her but she was able to keep him upright as she dragged him into the upper hallway.