Noble strode forward at the same time as Naeve.
How could he let someone not from his clan dive into the chaos if he was not willing to go too?
Opening her mouth to object, Noble was suddenly silenced by a light so bright that the fire dimmed by comparison. A man wreathed in the brilliance exited the flames with a boy in his arms.
"Marlin!" The child was released into the arms of his mother. His clothing was in tatters, but his skin still glowed with the healing light of his rescuer.
Noble's heart leapt with joy to see the starlit Saint.
"Saint Aether! I'm so glad you are alright!"
He blinked at her, the far-off gaze dissipating.
"Forgive me." Aether frowned. "Do I know you?"
Noble's ears burned. "I-I was told you were in there. I tried to lift you, but you wouldn't budge."
Aether's eyes opened wider.
"That was you? I did not realize. Marlin needed my help, and I could not leave him."
"This is Master Noble," Naeve spoke while lifting his daughter off of Helios. "Master Noble, as you seem to have guessed, this is Saint Aether. Master Noble rescued Rhode and Dawn from the explosion."
Glancing at the blood trickling down Rhode's leg, Noble wished she had come sooner. If she had thought of them after the first attack, then maybe she would have been able to warn them in time.
Aether dipped his head in a modified bow. "Thank you for your assistance, Master Noble." Straightening, he held out his hand and placed it on Rhode's injured leg. "Please hold still, little miss."
Starlight enveloped the man's hand and then covered the wound. Soon, only the blood was left behind as evidence that the injury had occurred.
'He has gotten more efficient.'
Noble watched with fascination. She had been so elated to see her former cohort member, and now she was even happier to see that he had begun to perfect the skill he had unlocked in the Nightmare.
Fully healed, Rhode wiggled out of her father's arms. She was too big to be held like that anymore, and her concern was for the woman lying on the ground.
"Mom!" The girl cried as she took up her mother's free hand. "Saint Aether, help her!"
Unable to resist the plea of a lady in distress, Aether dropped to his knees and placed his hand on Dawn's brow.
A soft glow formed on her forehead as the healer began his work.
"I've got this, Saint Naeve," Aether assured his fellow legacy. "If you would take care of the others…"
Aether had politely tended to Naeve's daughter and wife without tending to his own interests.
Naeve understood immediately. He was the only other Saint there from the House of Night, and someone needed to take charge.
"I'll check on your family and bring you the rest of the wounded, Aether. Master Noble, are you sure there is no one else inside?"
"I can't sense anyone inside the flames. I would feel their emotions."
"That is helpful, thank you."
Naeve reluctantly turned away from his wife and daughter to address the rest of the group. "Find your loved ones! We need to know who is missing!"
As he spoke, sirens blared in the distance.
"I called them like you said." Rhode pulled the communicator from her pocket with her free hand.
Taking the device, Noble smiled down at he child. "You did a good job. They will put out this fire in no time and get things sorted."
The girl frowned. "I don't understand. How did this happen? Daddy said no one would find us here."
"It's obvious we were sold out." The lady across from Rhode scowled.
"But who would do that, Auntie Ralia?" Rhode's question was so innocent that her aunt seemed reluctant to answer.
"I don't know." She said at last. Ralia's eyes landed on Noble. "Thank you for the rescue. How did you find us so quickly?"
"I was, uh, in the process of knocking when everything went sideways. It's possible that I set off a trap." Noble could not help but think that the timing was too perfect. The enemy knew they were here and hadn't wanted them to leave.
"Why were you knocking?" Ralia looked down as Dawn groaned before growing still once more.
"There have been other attacks on the House of Night today. I was concerned for Saint Naeve and …his family." Noble had been very concerned about Aether as well, but sadly, that would be too complicated to admit. "I flew across the city looking for Saint Naeve's emotions. And, well, I found them."
Those listening accepted her explanation, returning their attention to Dawn.
"Aether, why isn't she waking up?!" Rhode squeezed her mother's hand.
The polite Saint sighed and took his hand off of his patient. "I have healed her wounds. The rest is up to her. But take heart, little miss. She is strong. If you worry too much, you might forget to tell your mother that she was saved by Queen Bee…"
Noble glanced at Aether, a clear look of surprise on her face. He hadn't been a fan of the Dreamscape before…
"Queen Bee?!" Rhode tore her eyes from her mother to look at the Master.
"In the flesh." Noble released the braid in her hair and let her eyes swirl with colors. "I suppose I look a little different without my mask."
"If you are Queen Bee, then th-that's Helios!" The girl's face was suddenly full of wonder. She had been on the back of her favorite Dreamscape echo without even realizing it!
"Rhode…Naeve…" Dawn coughed out the words as her eyes fluttered open.
Aether's smile grew wide. "Look at that, Little Miss, your excitement woke your mother! Welcome back, Lady Dawn. Allow me to call your husband for you. Saint Naeve!"
The man with the bluish hair came running from the rest of the group. The relief on his face was profound as he watched his wife slowly sit up. "My love!"
"I'll be fine," she smiled weakly as Naeve kissed her hand and gave their daughter's shoulder a squeeze. Dawn looked around. "Did everyone make it out?"
"Only Master Neris is missing. Thanks to Noble, everyone else is here." Despite the good news, Naeve's expression was grim.
"We need to warn your uncle." Dawn slowly stood with the help of her sister. "He needs to know it isn't safe!"
"I cannot reach him. I cannot reach any of them. But we have a bigger problem." Naeve glanced at Aether, who nodded.
"Master Neris would never have perished in that explosion. He will turn up, and if he doesn't, well then, I suspect he is the one who did this."
"Neris would never—he knows what's at stake!" Ralia clutched her hands to her chest.
"It had to be someone who was already here or they never would have found us. We took so many precautions." Aether didn't like the implications, but he also needed to be realistic.
Ralia shook her head, her dense curls moving with her like a halo. "Noble found us… Who's to say someone else didn't?"
"We can talk about blame later. With or without my uncle, we have to move forward with the plan. Our safe house has been blown. We have to go before..." Neave fell silent as the remaining part of the structure collapsed on itself.
"Look!" Beyond the flames, Rhode pointed to a figure standing proudly on the far wall.
Noble could not see the man's face, but she didn't need to in order to know who was watching them just now.
It was Mordret.