Cooking Academy Fire: And Knives

The Headmaster approached him, looking not at Julian’s face, but at the charred leather roll clutched to his chest. "The dish is lost," Julian wheezed, his voice raw.

The fire was licking the edge of his workstation. In the chaos, a panicked student tripped, sending a heavy rack of cast-iron skillets crashing down. The exit was a wall of orange. To save himself, he had to move now. To save the knives, he had to reach through the veil of flame. Cooking Academy Fire and Knives

Julian didn't run for the door. He stripped off his heavy chef’s coat, soaked it in a bucket of ice water meant for blanching, and draped it over his head. The Headmaster approached him, looking not at Julian’s

He dove toward the heat. His fingers found the cold, pebbled leather of the knife roll. The metal was already hot enough to blister. He felt the singe against his palms as he yanked the set toward his chest. In the chaos, a panicked student tripped, sending

When Julian stumbled out into the cool evening air of the courtyard, he was soot-streaked and gasping. His coat was ruined, and his eyebrows were gone.