Read TheCharmer for Free Online

pump with a careless splash and began pumping with all his might.
    Rose bumped him, shoving a large pot beneath the stream of water that gushed from the spout. In an instant it was full and she replaced it with another. Without a word, she ran with the two full pots into the next room. Collis continued pumping with his deadened arm, watching it closely in the unfortunately increasing light flickering from the other room. Now he could smell smoke, even in here.
    They were going to burn down the school. Dear God, they were going to burn down
London
! With the other hand he reached blindly over his head for any container in reach that he could fill.
    Rose came back, pushed the empty pots at him, and disappeared with the ones he'd filled. They worked like this in panicked and breathless silence for what seemed like hours. Collis felt the water run over the sink into his boots but never let up the pumping. Rose blew past him, tossing empty pots into the water with a splash that soaked them both and pulling full ones dripping from the sink.
    Collis wanted to help but stayed where he was. Rose was faster. He was stronger. This was the best way to do it. He could only carry one pot without spilling it—his dead hand never seemed able to keep a grip unless he was looking at it.
    Finally, he felt a small, cold hand rest on his good arm. "Stop," she breathed. "It's out."
    Sure enough, there was no more dangerously flickering light, although the kitchen was choked with smoke. He reached out one arm to support her, letting his dead hand slide from the pump handle. She sank against him for a moment.
    Now that they weren't in a panicked frenzy, Rose realized how cold and wet she was. Her clothing was soaked through, especially where she'd been forced to douse her own trousers to protect her legs from the heat of the flames.
    But Collis was warm and he felt as solid as a tree in the smoky darkness. She wanted to rest her head on his shoulder and shake with all the relief and leftover panic welling inside her.
    Surely he wouldn't mind, after what they had just gone through together? To lean on someone strong… just for a moment…
    "Bloody
hell
!" The roar came from the arena.
    The smoke had roused Kurt.
     
    Rose watched warily as Sir Simon Raines tapped a finger on his lips while he walked slowly about the room surveying the damage done to the
Lillian
Raines
School
for the Less Fortunate. The former spymaster turned headmaster was usually a cheerful man, quite willing to be teased by his pretty wife, Agatha.
    This early dawn, he was not so merry. In fact, Rose had never seen the man so grim as he eyed them both. Collis was standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the very post that had once held the rope to the giant chandelier. His expression was one of buoyant unconcern. His knife still protruded from the wood above his head, just out of reach.
    Rose couldn't decide whether to run screaming into the dawn or throw herself at Sir Simon's feet and beg for mercy. The devastation surrounding them was bloody phenomenal.
    It had seemed bad enough in the darkness and panic. Now, in the bright light of the several carriage lanterns hastily hung about the chamber, it was much, much worse.
    The giant mat was ruined. Not only had it torn down every seam from the impact of the chandelier, but it also bore a great charred hole in its center. Rose tried not to think about the way it also squelched wetly beneath his lordship's every step.
    In the middle of the room, the wreckage of the giant oak wheel looked like the last siege of some medieval fortress. Great spokes pointed skyward like broken spears raised toward the pall of smoke that still drifted through the beams.
    Around the perimeter, the dummies lay sprawled like the dead warriors of that fortress. Dimly Rose remembered knocking them down a few hours ago— had it only been such a short time? Now they were ruined as well, soaked by the volumes of water she had thrown on the smoldering