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Chapter Twenty-Seven
The studio was on fire and she had to save it. Ariadne thought nothing past that as she rushed toward the small building. Around her, people were shouting in alarm, as the fire could easily spread nearby. Ariadne thought of the lamp that she had left on the working table just this morning before being rudely interrupted by the constable. It was her father’s greatest invention and his dying wish to get it to the people in need.
If she could at least reach it and the notebook which contained all of her father’s inventions, she would be able to replicate the inventions and make them anew. That was the only way to save her father’s legacy.
“Ariadne, don’t go in there.” She could hear Edward at her back, calling out her name but she had already made up her mind. She rushed inside the heart of the flames. For one moment, she couldn’t see anything at all. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dazzling brightness.
Trying to save herself from the choking smoke, she covered her mouth as she slowly walked further inside the room. She leaped back as a log of wood holding up the roof fell just in front of her, brushing the skin of her hand. She screamed at the searing pain but gritted her pain against it and stepped forward. The fire had spread to every crook and corner of her room and she was trapped inside its ring.
“No, no, no,” Ariadne said to herself as she watched years of her father’s work go up in flames. She tried to take another step forward when something fell just behind her, knocking her off her feet. Ariadne tried to scramble away but her foot was caught under a fallen log of wood.
She was pinned below the heavy log and unable to move at all. The smoke blackened the entire room, making her eyes burn. She tried to inhale but the smoke congested her lungs and made her unable to breathe. She was choking to death as the poisonous air of the fire pressed down on her chest. Tears blurred her vision and she knew she was going to die there.
For one moment she found peace. She wouldn’t have to fight every living moment of her life, she could just give up—
But just as her eyes closed, there was a ringing voice somewhere above her. It was almost as if someone was calling her name, but she couldn’t be sure. She tried to pull herself up but her body gave away. It had stopped fighting. She felt as heavy as a rock. Something was trying to pull her away from the awfulness of the fire and into the peace of the light. She could almost hear her father, she could almost see him standing in front of her with his hands outstretched. She wouldn’t have to worry about anything else.
“Ariadne please, please stay with me,” another voice, but this one didn’t belong to her father. She tried to latch on to it as she navigated the darkness that was gradually swirling down on her. A weight was lifted off her back and she had the vague feeling of being turned over. And then there was that voice again. There was nothing patient or hopeful about it. It was desperate and pleading. “Ariadne please I can’t watch you die. Dear God, help me.” It almost sounded as if the voice wanted her to stay. But there was so much agonizing pain.
She opened her mouth and only a moan came out. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t tell him not to worry, that she was right there. She was lifted from the scalding floor. She could feel the warmth of his arms, not raging fire as he carried her out the door and into the night. Once away from the worst of the fire, he laid her down on the cold ground. It was wet but it brought her momentary relief from pain.
More voices now, all around her. Someone was crying. “Is she all right? Is she all right?”
“She’s breathing.”
Ariadne’s eyes fluttered open for a moment and she saw amber eyes looking down on her with deep concern. “I—” She couldn’t bring herself to finish her own words and drifted off into darkness once more.
* * *
When Ariadne came to her senses, she was lying on somebody’s lap. She groaned trying to move to her side so that she could be more comfortable, but it just brought her more pain. She hissed at her discomfort.
“Easy there Ariadne,” Leda said in a soothing voice. Ariadne relaxed at her sister’s voice. “You have been unconscious for more than a few minutes.”
Someone was crouched next to them. Ariadne realized it was Edward when he spoke. “She inhaled a lot of smoke in there.”
“It was a miracle that you were able to bring her out,” Emma said. “My heart was so afraid for her when she walked into the flames.”
The studio on fire…Ariadne’s eyes flew open at the realization. Her bones ached and the skin below her shins was terribly painful but she cut past all of that to look around. The fire had settled down and only blackened ashes covered where the studio stood. “It's gone,” she whispered under breath. Everything her father had worked for over his lifetime was destroyed, just like that.
“Ariadne,” Edward’s soft voice called out to her. She tore her eyes away from the awfulness and looked at Edward. Soot stuck to his coat and face. He put his hand on her cheek and rubbed slowly. “I thought I almost lost you.”
“It was very irresponsible of you to go in there like that. If Lord Whitely hadn’t gone after you. I shudder just to think of it,” Leda said. “I’ve already lost Mamma and Papa. I didn’t want to lose you too.” She was crying by the end of her sentence. Ariadne sat up straighter with Edward’s help and looked at her sister.
“I’m sorry, Leda. I’m here now. I went in there looking for Papa’s notebook, the one that contained all his inventions in the hope to save it.” Her shoulders slumped. “But I couldn’t reach it in time.”
“Your life is far more valuable than anything else in there,” Edward said. Ariadne looked at him. She couldn’t believe that he had risked his own life to go after her. She couldn’t tear her gaze off him. For one hopeless moment, she had thought she had lost him forever, that he had betrayed her. But he had come for her, he had saved her life. She knew everything he spoke before was true. He truly loved her.
Ariadne tried to get up but hissed in pain as she finally noticed that she wasn’t entirely unscathed. The fire had managed to burn some of her skin just below her shins.
“Let’s get you upstairs before you catch a cold or worse,” Edward said gruffly. He didn’t care that people huddled around them, watching the entire thing as he lifted her easily in her arms and carried her toward the flat. Even when he deposited her on her bed, he didn’t let her go.
“Let me clean her up,” Emma said. But even though he gave her space to work, he still hovered around.
“I’m fine,” Ariadne said. She tried to smile but her eyes watered at the pain as Emma cleaned up the minor wounds where the fire had managed to touch her. “Thankfully Lord Whitely was able to save you before things got worse. You’re very, very lucky Ariadne.”
“I think a physician needs to see her,” Edward said in a worried voice. He nodded to himself. “I’ll go bring one.” He left the room but returned moments later. He was scowling and he wasn’t alone.
His cousin was with him and he had a man secured with his arms pinned to his back. “I found the scoundrel.”
