Page 12 of Cinder's Trial

“We climb,” Levi stated matter-of-factly.

I eyed the ladder and the distance to the next door, only faintly visible. Was now a good time to say I never managed a single pull-up during my bureau training? I wasn’t out of shape, per se. However, I didn’t exercise on a regular basis either, unless the stairs to my apartment counted.

Rather than orate my trepidation, I volunteered. “I’ll go first. Killian, you take the middle, and Levi will cover our rear.”

“And how exactly will you open the door, princess? Or are you packing more muscle than I can see?” Levi drawled, poking a hole in my plan.

“Good point,” I conceded. “In that case, Levi, you go first, then the prince, then me.”

Killian protested. “I don’t like the idea of you being at the bottom if those rats return.”

“I’ll be fine.” A lie, but an agent should be brave in the face of adversity—and they had a shot for rabies.

“Let’s move quickly.” Before he finished speaking, Levi began climbing, quickly reaching the next level, with Killian close behind. Since I didn’t fancy having my face pressed against his heels, I waited on the roof of the elevator.

Levi grunted. “This one ain’t budging. I’m going up to the next level.”

He climbed the ladder upward, and Killian followed, but I got distracted by a noise. Make that noises. Scratching and clawing. The rats were coming back.

“Um, Levi, I think we have company.”

“Climb!” he ordered from high enough overhead I couldn’t see him.

I grabbed the first rung just as the first set of red eyes peeked over the cab. I’d climbed a few when the hissing had me glancing down to see the entire roof of the elevator covered in squirming bodies. Worse, they tried to climb the ladder after me. At least the smooth walls kept them from moving up them spider-like.

“I’ve got the door open,” Levi shouted. “Move your asses.”

Killian clambered quickly to safety, but I struggled, the rungs slippery in my sweaty grip. It didn’t help that a rat suddenly latched onto my shoe.

I screamed and shook my foot until it flew off.

“What’s going on, princess?” Levi hollered.

“What do you think?” I huffed. “Rats. Lots of them, and they can climb.” They were also smart. I made the mistake of looking down to see them forming a rat pyramid, one that got higher as I watched. High enough one of them leaped for my leg.

I screeched. I know, not useful, and not something taught at the bureau’s academy, but I didn’t know what else to do but make noise as I swung my body sideways so it missed.

Something large fell past me and landed with a thump.

Levi had leaped from above and proceeded to kick the squirming rodents. They squealed as they scattered.

He barked, “Climb.”

I faced the ladder and heaved myself up a rung. Then another. I squeaked as something nudged my foot, and I instinctively kicked.

“Whoa, princess. It’s me. Stay still for a second.”

I opened my mouth to ask why, only to lose my voice as my breath rushed out. Levi shadowed my body, inserting his feet between mine, his body cocooning me from behind.

“I need you to face me and hold on tight,” he stated.

“I can climb.”

“Yeah, you can, but this will be faster.”

I might have argued, but he had a point. With his arms caging me, I turned around carefully so as to not dislodge us both. When my face brushed his chest, my arms went around his neck.

“Now your legs,” he advised against the top of my head.

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