Citadels of Fire

  Chapter 28

  Taras got little sleep that night. After Inga bandaged his arm, he found a place to lie down. A small patch of ground, mercifully left un-burnt, lay beneath the charred skeleton of a tree. Inga followed him out and left a wad of bandages and a water skin with him, telling him to make sure he changed the bandage every few hours. Then she went back to work.

  “Inga.” He took her arm as she turned to leave. “If you get a chance to sleep, come here and sleep beside me.” She asked no questions, only nodded, then rose and walked slowly away.

  It wasn’t only that he missed her—though he felt her absence like a gaping wound in his side—but the palace grounds were more dangerous than ever. People mourned, shocked by what happened. Few fully controlled their emotions. Those who did could easily take advantage of others, and Taras did not want Inga hurt. The last few days had been hellish enough.

  He slept fitfully on the hard ground with a constant, lancing pain in his arm. Inga never returned.

  When he awoke, he walked around, looking for a familiar face. The fire’s carnage looked worse by sunlight, revealed in all its horrid detail. A putrid smell permeated the air.

  He went to the makeshift hospital and asked for Inga. Yehvah came out instead.

  “Inga is busy and cannot be disturbed.”

  “She has to sleep some time.”

  Yehvah’s mouth formed into a hard line, then softened. “I know. But my girls are sleeping in shifts.” With no other explanation, Yehvah turned her back on him.

  With a sigh he left the hospital. He needed to find his commander. He didn’t find the man directly over him, but instead ran into Andrey Kurbsky, one of the tsar’s foremost and most loyal generals.

  “You there, soldier.”

  Taras touched his right fist to his chest. “Yes, sir.”

  Kurbsky glanced behind Taras, searching for others. “Have you none of your men with you?”

  “No, sir. Just looking for them.”

  Kurbsky nodded. “Well find them. I have a job for you. Report to Sparrow Hills within the hour.”

  “Sparrow Hills, sir?”

  “Yes. No doubt the tsar wishes to visit the churches—those still standing—to pray and see the damage for himself. There are simply not enough men guarding him for that. Too many of his bodyguard had to fight the flames. Round up as many men as you can up there to help guard the tsar.”

  “Yes, sir.”