14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

M ara

My heart is beating so wildly I wonder what will kill me first, my fall or a heart attack. I have just enough time to catch Krull’s gaze and hear him yell, “Stay put!” before the step I’m standing on sheers off and falls into the waiting water below with an alarming splash.

My feet are hanging in thin air as my grip tightens on the scabby, flaking metal handrails. My upper body strength is pitiful, but maybe terror makes me stronger because somehow, I manage to hang on long enough to lift my body, bend at the waist, and place my feet on the last remaining step.

It’s a long way down, and the unstable fire escape is now vibrating. Between the earthquake and age, it’s lost its structural integrity.

“Hang tight! Try not to move. We’ll figure this out,” Krull calls, but his lowered brows and pinched lips show his desperation .

For what seems like the tenth time in the last day, I fear I’m going to die, but this time feels more terrifying, more imminent, than the others.

Suddenly, a little rescue boat stops across the street in front of my gallery. One of the crew of Others must have spotted Krull, because they make a wide turn in the middle of the street and pull up next to him.

The moment Krull points to me, clinging to this unstable fire escape, things move fast. Along with Krull, three huge orcs and a shaggy male who must be a wolven slosh full speed through the water toward me.

“We’re going to get you down.” This is the oldest male, looking worried but thoughtful. It must be Chief Brokka. Seconds later, he’s giving orders. “Thrall, Ragnor, and Krull, I want you standing on each other’s shoulders.”

To their credit, they don’t ask questions, don’t protest, they simply follow his orders.

“If we had our fire truck, we’d use the ladder, and you’d be down already. Nothing over the last twenty-four hours has been simple, though.”

It seems as though it takes less than a minute for the three orcs to be standing on each other’s shoulders under where I’m hanging on for dear life.

“Not tall enough!” Krull shouts from the top of the stack. “I don’t want her to fall. Too risky.”

As they stand, trying to think of a way to get me down from here, my mind is looping with the question of whether I can safely make the jump into his arms. I trust him with my life, but it’s a long way down if this doesn’t work .

Krull calls to the wolven, “Bold, climb to my shoulders, and help her down.”

I focus on the wolf-like male’s name, Bold, rather than my ramping fear. Seconds later, the agile male who is wiry as opposed to stocky like the orcs, has scrambled to Krull’s shoulders and reaches toward me.

We’re not close enough to touch, but he’s close enough that I feel more comfortable making the leap. Just as I’m about to jump, a helicopter with a local TV station’s call letters emblazoned on its side, whips in close, obviously excited to catch this on film.

Bold extends a clawed hand, vivid blue eyes burning into mine. “Jump!”

The fire escape protests again, bolts strained to their limit. Steeling my nerve, I release my hold. Arms pinwheeling, I slam into Bold’s chest. Clawed fingers dig into my hips with preternatural strength, stopping my momentum.

“Gotcha!” Bold’s triumphant grin reveals a flash of sharp fangs. Gripping his shoulders, I cling on for dear life as he clambers down the orcish ladder.

“Sure would have been easier if we’d had the aerial ladder truck,” someone mutters as Bold sets me gently on my feet. Seconds later, Krull’s warmth envelops me and profound gratitude swells in my chest toward my bizarre band of rescuers.

“Nice catch!” Thrall bellows, clapping Bold on the back. The orcs grin at each other, clearly thrilled to have helped in my rescue.

As we board the RHIB, the metal structure gives a last, shrieking groan and releases its tenuous hold on the building. It crashes into the waiting waters below, creating a wake that rocks the boat and practically knocks me out of Krull’s arms.

We’re all silent for a moment, probably thinking the same thing.

“Wow! That was close,” Bold murmurs.

Yeah, I guess we were all thinking the same thing.

As we motor away, the males’ chatter resumes. There’s camaraderie and purpose resonating from this crew as well as unspoken questions about what’s going on between Krull and me.

It’s probably not rocket science for them to figure out we’re a couple. Although we’re smashed into the boat and things are tight, there’s really no reason for me to sit in his lap other than that neither of us can keep our hands off each other.

Before the boat speeds off, I take a last look at The Art Box.

“I wonder if I’ll ever see it again or if the building will explode into smithereens.”

“I opened all the windows before I climbed out. Also texted Kam back at the firehouse. Hopefully, he’s gotten ahold of SoCalGas. Other than that, it’s in the Goddess’s hands.”

I snuggle against Krull’s wide chest as we make our way through the choked and flooded streets, wondering where my life is leading, where I’ll live, and what will happen with my devastated gallery.