Page 6 of Cold Foot King

She jumped up again and pulled herself up into the vent shaft to make sure she had the correct information about it. Thankfully, it was tall and wide enough for Raynah to fit through.

She dropped down and linked her hands, braced herself. “Climb up, facing that way.” She tilted her head to the right. “I’ll be right behind you.”

The alarms were blaring and a red light was flashing through the room, and now they could hear yelling in the hallway. “Shhhit. Hurry,” Katrina said.

Raynah glanced back at the open door quick, then placed her hand on Katrina’s shoulder to steady herself, then pushed up off her hand and reached for the edge of the vent. Katrina had to fully extend her arms to help, and it took some effort because of Raynah’s swollen belly. They had to be careful. A few seconds later, and Katrina was up in the vent and settling the dented cover back into place.

“Straight ahead,” she whispered.

Raynah started moving, but the vent shaft dented in with a loud clanging sound.

“Careful,” Katrina whispered. The shouting had reached the room, and it wouldn’t be long before someone noticed the damaged vent cover over the bed.

It was dark and dusty, and this place felt freaking haunted. She wouldn’t be surprised if it actually was. So much bad had happened here.

A roar shook the building hard enough that it flung both her and Raynah to the side. Smoke filled the vent shaft from behind them.

“Oh my gosh, go!” Katrina uttered, panicking.

She could feel the heat on her legs as she scrambled forward after Raynah.

She coughed as the thick smoke filled her lungs. Raynah was going fast now, and Katrina was doing her best to keep up.

“Which way?” Raynah asked from up ahead.

Katrina stopped behind her and looked around. The vent shaft forked. What had he said? What had he said?Think!

Straight, and then…left? Or straight still?

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine the conversation, but she had been distracted by…by…

“Katrina, which way?” Raynah choked out.

“Left.” She hoped.

On hands and knees, Raynah scrambled into the left shaft and pushed forward fast, allowing room for Katrina to follow. The smoke was getting so bad. Were they headed into the fire? And who was stupid enough to set the fire? The prisoners? The dragon? It felt like the prison was burning from the inside out.

Raynah shrieked in pain and flinched back. She clutched her hand, and Katrina could clearly see the blisters. “Oh my gosh. The fire must be under us.”

“What do we do?” Raynah asked, panicked.

“We have to go back.”

Katrina moved backward, but her knee hit burning-hot metal and she yelped. “Fire’s behind us too!” Her eyes were burning so bad, and it was getting difficult to breathe.

Frantic, she angled herself to the side and kicked at a vent.Kick, kick.Shoot, the metal was thicker here.Kick. Kick.

Raynah was kicking too. “Help!” she screamed.

The entire shaft jerked down, and Katrina screamed as they fell. She hit the floor hard, knocking the wind out of her. She wheezed desperately, trying to inhale oxygen into her shocked lungs, but smoke was all that existed here.

She didn’t understand. There was movement through the smoke, and Raynah was holding her shiv out, screaming something Katrina couldn’t understand.

And then she saw it—the massive hand that rested on its knuckles near her face. Struggling to breathe, she looked up slowly to see his face.

King had Changed.

As he leaned down slowly, exposing his sharp canines, she froze in terror.

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