The guards were looking for them, and Jess voted for confronting them, and zapping them into a hundred pieces. Will voted for leavening quickly, and, much to Jess's dismay, she was the leader and what she said went. Jess wouldn't challenge her for anything. The girls slunk out of the Infinite City with cloak disguises, so to be inconspicuous. Jess held Sunny close to her chest, her hand binding her muzzle to keep her quiet. Cornelia was looking around nervously, pulling her cloak around her body.
"What is it, Cornelia?" Jess asked.
"What if they do find us?"
"Eh, we can take'em. They're not very smart, and we have six viable brains on our side, not to mention, powers." Jess put a reassuring hand around her shoulders. "And what do they got? Clubs."
Once again, Jess was wrong.
Will suddenly pulled the girls behind the brick wall as Cedric passed by them. Jess felt Sunny growl behind her hand. "Oh great, we're screwed," she hissed in Will's ear. Will gestured for her to be quiet and Jess's grip on Sunny tightened. She wasn't about to let her dogchild get eaten by Cedric. Sunny's growls became more audible as Cedric's tail whipped around, cracking the stone wall they hid behind. Out of shock, Jess dropped Sunny, who lunged at Cedric, sinking her teeth into his tail. The girls pulled off their cloaks and prepared to fight.
Jess flew forward first, grasping Sunny and tossing her safely into a nearby barrel. Cedric yowled as Taranee burned him to prevent him from striking Jess, and Cornelia summoned vines from the earth to wrap around Cedric's body, preventing him from moving. The girls darted away, Jess grabbing the dog from the barrel.
"Find them!" Cedric hollered to his guards. "Burn the city if you have to." The guards nodded, malicious glints in their eyes. Jess's throat constricted with fear and Sunny was growling again as Will motioned them to split up. Jess, Hay Lin, and Taranee separated from the group and ran towards the south end of the city. Jess yanked the girls behind a wall. All three girls were panting heavily and looking to Jess as if expecting her to make a decision.
"What are we going to do?" Hay Lin asked her, her eyes heavy with worry. Taranee's chocolate brown eyes were asking her the same question.
"Who elected me leader?" Jess asked.
"Well, you always seem to know what your doing. You're always in control." How can you say that? Jess thought furiously. She had never had any control in her entire life. She had no clue what she was doing. Every time she survived a fight it was by luck. I'm not mature enough for this, she mentally fussed. Hay Lin and Taranee were looking to her now, scared and confused, they needed her. Jess sighed.
"Let's head towards the portal. That's where the others will go." She put a hand on Hay Lin's, and the girl was reassured. She stood. "This way." The girls flew in search of the portal when something caught the corner of Jess's eye.
A few buildings had become a roaring inferno, no doubt on Cedric's orders. Jess saw Irma and the others trying to put the flames out. "Let's go help," Jess said and the girls nodded. Jess sat Sunny on the ground, hoping her animal instincts would keep her away from the fire. Jess scanned the faces of the people who stood nearby, watching the scene in horror. Jess saw a face she recognized and she darted over to a little boy with mouse colored hair. She recognized him as on of the orphans.
"Jess!" He yelled when he saw her, and several other children came running to her, putting their small arms around her, whimpering. "Jess, they're still inside," he cried, pointing to the orphanage.
"Who?"
"Nadia and a few others." Jess turned her determined amber eyes to the building, her mind made up. She bolted up the stairs and reached for the doorknob, receiving a burn on her hand. She tried once again to heal it like she had Sunny, focusing her energy to the burn, but failed.
"Jess, what are you doing?" Will yelled.
"I'm going to save the little kids." She grabbed the doorknob again, and, ignoring the pain that sliced through her hand, she wrenched it open. "Nadia!" Her yell was stifled as she breathed in a mouthful of hot smoke and ash, making her cough. Something beside her fell, sending hot sparks flying at her. She felt them touch her bare leg and swore as the searing heat blistered the skin. Jess saw that the stairs had collapsed, but that didn't matter. She fluttered her wings, shooting up the stair well. After a quick scan of the first floor, she discovered that no one was there, nor were they on the second floor. She landed on the third floor, shouting for the children again.
"Jess!" She heard a little voice say and she recognized it as one of the little girls she had read to.
"Cindy?" she called and the little girl giggled happily, telling someone that they were safe. Jess bolted to the room she had heard the voice from, as a little more of the floor collapsed. Nadia, Cindy, two little boys Alex had called Bobby and Sam, and a little baby were huddled in the corned, trying not to touch the flames. The baby was screaming and Cindy was trying to calm him as well as Nadia. She's blind! Jess realized with horror. She must be terrified. Nadia stood and ran to her voice, and Jess lifted her up off the ground, giving her a reassuring hug. She felt the other children wrap their arms around her body, seeking comfort and protection.
"I'm scared!" Sam cried.
"Me to," Cindy said. The wall behind them groaned, threatening to break.
"We have to get out of here." Jess took the baby in one arm and hoisted Nadia on her back. She told the other children to hold hands and she took Cindy's hand, flying them all down to the ground floor. Several beams were collapsing around them, but Jess could see the door. She handed the baby to Cindy and instructed Sam to help Nadia, the burn on her leg growing unbearable. She couldn't hold them any more. "Hurry! Run! The exits that way." She gave them a gentle shove and they bolted to the door.
"Jess!" Nadia cried, and Jess smiled, having never heard the little child speak before.
"Go baby. I'll be fine. I promise." Sam jerked her out the door. A beam fell in front of Jess, blocking her exit. She back tracked, heading for the back door. Suddenly, in a shower of sparks, another beam fell on top of her. Jess cried out in pain, feeling the flames burning her back. This is it, she thought. I'm not making it out alive. She was crying, more from fear then pain. Her hand suddenly clenched as her body felt cold all of the sudden. She closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.