After a warning rumble, the ground shook, and it shook hard. Maki automatically reached out, putting his arm around Echo’s shoulders. She huddled into him as they were forced to their knees and then their hands. Casting a barrier around them, Maki checked on the rest of their group.

  Maeve was under a table with Luke. They were fine. Cali, not fine, was huddled in the middle of the floor with her hands holding her ears flat.

  Instead of lessening, somehow the earthquake grew stronger. The noise it made became louder. Something in the building cracked, and there was nothing Maki could do about it.

  He held Echo tighter, wanting to get to Cali, but she was just too far away. He wanted to shout directions at her, but his voice would be a whisper under the sound of the earth ripping itself apart.

  Not for the first time, he wished he’d taken psychic magic instead of fire magic. Being able to contact someone telepathically would be very useful.

  The ground, after what felt like hours, finally settled down. That noise faded, replaced by the sound of the building groaning. Maki’s head shot up as something in the ceiling cracked and crashed down.

  “Go!” he shouted, dismissing the barrier and pulling Echo to her feet. “Outside! We have to go!” He grabbed Cali under her armpits and dragged her out of the inn as Maeve and Luke dashed out from under their hiding place.

  “Wait- Wait!” Cali yelled, struggling away from him. “Suzy!”

  It took Maki a moment to remember that was the name of the innkeeper, and not some random dog or something. “Can't you tell her to come out?”

  Cali hesitated, ears flat and tail thrashing. “I can't- I can only order her. Not talk.”

  Maki cursed, then cursed louder as the roof of the inn began tilting.

  “I'm sure everyone would understand,” Maeve said.

  “I’m not,” Luke hissed. He grabbed Cali’s arm. “Where is she?”

  “In- In the kitchen. Under the table, I think.”

  “Right.” He dashed back into the building.

  Cursing once again, Maki ran in after him.

  Now that he was paying attention, he saw cracks widening as they made their way up the wall. The building was not stable; it was very much not safe to be in here. The floor so far was solid, but he wouldn't put money on it staying that way long.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Miss Suzy!” Maki called, shoving the kitchen door open. “Are you there?!”

  “Here,” came a squeaking voice from inside a cupboard.

  Luke hissed wordlessly, pulling the door open just before something above them cracked and the whole building shook. A window exploded outwards, a few shards landing near Maki’s feet.

  “Leave me here,” the innkeeper whimpered, visibly trembling. “I'm safe here. Leave me here. Just leave me here-”

  “Nope!” Maki snapped. He grabbed the cupboard’s frame, dug in his claws, and wrenched the whole front of the cupboard off, tossing it aimlessly behind him.

  Suzy screamed then sobbed as Luke dragged her out of her hiding place. Suddenly there was a crash directly above their heads, and a huge beam burst through the ceiling.

  Maki put his arm around the woman’s waist and half-lifted her off the ground, breaking into a run. “Out, out, out, out, out!”

  “Window!” Luke snapped, a pulse of magic going out of him as another window burst into thousands of pieces. Maki wasn't sure precisely what Luke had done, but it slowed the incoming glass to non-lethal speeds.

  He nodded in thanks, almost to the door. The floor buckled. He tripped, taking Luke and the innkeeper with him. He saw a shard of wood right where his face would land, and prepared himself for pain.

  Instead, cold air blasted towards him, and they were caught in a blanket of snow. Maki couldn’t move, but he wasn't hurt. Before he could get seriously alarmed, the snow began moving, pulling them out of the building and into the middle of the road.

  The snow stopped moving just as the building gave a last, ominous creak, and half the roof vanished inside. Suzy scrambled to her feet and immediately fell to her knees, staring at her crumbling building in shock.

  Maki tried to get up, but ended up collapsing back into the nice, cool snow as his heart rate slowed back to normal. Maeve came into his field of view and made one of the “secret” hand signs they’d come up with as kits. This one was asking if he was ok. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she stepped around to check on Luke. Echo moved into view.

  “Did I catch you in time?” she asked, kneeling down next to him. “Did I make the snow soft enough? I saw the floor break, and you fell, and…”

  “I’m fine,” he said, sitting up to pull her into a hug. “Seriously. You saved my life back there. Thanks.”

  Cali was talking non-stop to the innkeeper, who was now openly sobbing. There was another crash from somewhere in the town, followed by a scream of grief.

  Maki slowly got to his feet, reluctantly letting Echo go. He was a Guard. He had to make sure everyone was safe. If there was someone trapped in a building, he had to find out.

  And he couldn't do that with fire magic.

  “What are you thinking?” Echo asked, watching him nervously.

  Cali was still doing her best to comfort, or possibly just distract, the innkeeper. Maeve had found some glass in Luke’s arm, and was busy tending to him. They couldn't help.

  Reluctantly, Maki opened his inventory and pulled out the golden pen Goddess Bonnie had placed in there when all this had started. He’d promised himself he’d never use it to ask for anything, but there were more earthquakes coming. More people would be in danger.

  Maki sighed, looking at Echo. “I think… I need psychic magic.”

  Something cracked in a building behind them. Someone started yelling for a healer.

  Echo frowned at the pen, realized what it was, and nodded at Maki. “Do it.”