Hidden: House of Night: Book 10

them into the school grounds and away from the flaming stables, and then he ran back into the flaming mouth of the building.
    Everything within Lenobia came alive as the sight extinguished her fear and doubt.
    “No, Goddess. Not again. I am no longer a frightened girl. This time his end will be different!”

CHAPTER TWO

    Lenobia
    Lenobia bolted from herchamber, raced down the short stairwell that led from her quarters to the ground floor and the stables. Smoke was seeping snake-like from under the door. She controlled her panic and pressed her palm against the wood. It wasn’t warm to the touch, so she yanked open the door, assessing the situation rapidly as she moved into her stables. The fire burned most fiercely at the far end of the building in the area where the hay and feed were stored. It was also the area closest to Mujaji’s stall as well as the large foaling stall the Percheron, Bonnie, and her Travis had taken up residence in.
    “Travis!” she shouted, lifting her arm to shield her face from the heat of the growing flames as she raced down into the stables and began opening stalls, freeing the horses closest to her.
Out, Persephone—go!
Lenobia nudged the roan mare, who was frozen from fright and refusing to leave her stall. When she darted past her and through the exit, Lenobia called again, “Travis! Where are you?”
    “Gettin’ the horses out that are closest to the fire!” he yelled as a young gray mare bolted from the direction of Travis’s voice and almost trampled over Lenobia.
    “Easy! Easy, Anjo.” Lenobia soothed, steering the terrified horse to the exit.
    “East exit is blocked by flames and I—” Travis’s words broke off as the tack room windows exploded and hot glass shards flew through the air.
    “Travis! Get out of there and call 911!” Lenobia yelled as she opened the closest stall and freed a gelding, hating that she’d not grabbed her phone and made the call herself before she’d run from her room.
    “I justdid!” replied an unfamiliar voice. Lenobia looked through the smoke and flames to see a fledgling jogging toward her, leading an utterly panicked sorrel mare.
    “All is well, Diva,” Lenobia calmed the horse automatically, taking the rope from the girl. At her touch the mare quieted, and Lenobia unhooked her lead rope, encouraging her to gallop through the nearby doorway after the other escaping horses. She pulled the girl back with her, away from the increasing heat, saying, “How many more horses are—” Lenobia’s words broke off as she saw that the crescent on the girl’s forehead was red.
    “I think there are only a few left.” The red fledgling’s hand was shaking as she wiped sweat and soot from her face, gasping the words. “I—I grabbed Diva ’cause I always liked her and thought she might remember me. But even she was scared. Real scared.”
    Then Lenobia recognized the girl—Nicole. She’d had an aptitude for horses and a natural seat, before she’d died and then undied and joined Dallas’s rogue group. But there was no time to question the child. No time for anything except getting the horses—and Travis—to safety. “You did well, Nicole. Can you go back in there?”
    “Yes.” Nicole nodded jerkily. “I don’t want them to burn. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”
    Lenobia rested her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I just need you to open the stalls and get out of the way. I’ll guide them to safety.”
    “Okay, okay. I can do that.” Nicole nodded. She sounded breathless and frightened, but without hesitation she followed Lenobia and they jogged back into the swirling heat of the stables.
    “Travis!” Lenobia coughed, trying to see through the increasingly thick smoke. “Can you hear me?”
    Over the crackling flames he yelled. “Yes! I’m back here. Stall stuck!”
    “Get it open!” Lenobia refused to give in to her panic. “Get them all open! I can call the horses to me, to safety. I can get them out. Follow them. I can guide you all out!”
    “Got ’emopen!” Travis yelled a moment later from the pit of the smoke and heat.
    “These are all open, too!” called Nicole from much closer.
    “Now follow the horses and get out of the stables! Both of you!” Lenobia shouted before she began sprinting, backward, away from the fire and to the double doors of the exit she’d left open wide behind her. Standing in the doorway she lifted her arms, palms open, and imagining she was pulling power directly