Avery sat on her bed and stared at the wall, picking her cuticles. Her leg bounced uncontrollably. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm down while she waited for Gabe to come get her.

Having no idea how he planned to execute the breakout, she didn’t know what to expect. Would he walk her through the front door, or maybe out through the kitchen? How would he explain his presence in the prison in the middle of the night when he wasn’t on duty? Would Madge help him somehow?

At least Danica had been quiet the past few hours—a nice change. Avery didn’t think she could deal with the anxiety of escaping jail and Danica’s taunting, too.

She gasped when she glanced up and noticed Gabe standing at the bars dressed in jeans, black work boots, and a black hoodie. She hadn’t heard him enter solitary confinement. He placed a finger to his lips. She nodded.

Here we go. I have to trust him.

Gabe eased the key into the lock, then slowly pulled back the bars. Where was the night guard? Why wasn’t he rushing to stop Gabe?

As if that wasn’t enough to fear, she worried Danica would wake at the noise, but her cell remained silent.

Gabe stepped aside. She moved into the hallway. Even though she was still in prison, in her heart she felt lighter than she had in days, the taste of freedom thrilling her.

She took a few steps toward the elevator, but Gabe grabbed her arm and shook his head, pointing in the opposite direction.

So much for going out the kitchen or the front door, unless there was some staircase she didn’t know about.

Avery followed him down the hall, past the guard station where the night duty officer slept soundly, his head lying on the desk. Certainly, he’d hear them pass, but his soft snores remained consistent.

When Avery had first been led into solitary confinement, she’d thought the area ended at the desk. As they entered the shadows beyond it, she noted two more cells, both with the doors open.

Gabe walked into the second, the furthest from her cell and the elevators. She checked around and over her shoulder before she went in, worried they’d be caught. The corridor remained empty, but she did notice a camera up in the very far corner.

She quickly stepped in behind Gabe and tapped him on the shoulder.

He leaned over so she could whisper in his ear. “What about the cameras?”

His lips brushed against her earlobe, his woodsy smell tickling her nose. “They’ve been disabled for now. I’ll turn them back on when I return.”

He turned and grabbed the sides of the toilet, then pulled.

The sound of metal scraping against concrete seemed deafening to her, and she grimaced. Avery expected no one upstairs could hear the noise, but Danica and the guard were a different story. She fully anticipated the guard to come after them, or for Danica to alert him, but the silence continued.

She glanced back where the toilet had been. Gabe pointed to the hole about two feet wide, and her whole body tensed in panic. The scent of stale air tainted with sewage invaded her nose.

He wanted her to go in there?

Gabe sat at the edge of the hole, his feet dangling inside. His shoulders seemed wider than the space, and she had no idea how he’d fit through. Bracing himself with his hands, he slowly lowered his body down, and disappeared, except for his fingers. She watched in horror as those slipped out of sight, too.

She stared down the hole and couldn’t see anything. It was as if he’d descended into the jaws of darkness and had been swallowed up.

Taking a step back, she tried to muster the courage to follow him. Could there be anything worse for a Fae? A tiny, black hole where she couldn’t see the bottom? An invisible hand gripped her lungs as she fought for air.

There was no way she could do this.

“C’mon, Avery,” Gabe said, his voice low and tinny. “Just slide through. I’ve got you.”

She shook her head, assuming he could see her. “I-I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t go in there.”

Gabe cursed, and she imagined him running his hand over his face and hair in frustration. A small flashlight turned on, giving her a little confidence now that she could see him and the space beyond.

“I’m right here, Avery. Nothing is going to happen to you. Get in here. We’re running out of time, unless you’d rather go back to the cell next to Danica.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and her knees weakened as she forced herself toward the hole. Sitting on the edge as he had, she allowed her feet to dangle. Peering down, she couldn’t see anything but Gabe’s face. For all she knew, this was the entrance directly into Hell itself.

“Hurry up,” Gabe hissed.

She scooted forward and felt a hand wrap around her ankle. When her butt had left the concrete, and she was suspended in air with her arms taking all her weight, she realized she wasn’t as strong as Gabe. She couldn’t lower herself with the grace and ease he had. No, she would have to simply fall and hope he caught her. Maybe she should turn around and inch down into the hole on her stomach?

“Jump,” Gabe commanded, his voice harsh and demanding.

Her arms wobbled, ready to give out.

“Now, Avery. We don’t have all damned night.”

She closed her eyes and allowed her elbows to bend. For a second, she fell through space, and a scream lodged in her throat as she waited to hit the ground below. Arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her freefall and gently setting her on her feet.

When Avery opened her eyes, she was surprised at the large, cement circular piping. In the distance, she heard water dripping, but the area around them was dry. The smell of sewage wasn’t as strong as she had expected and easy to ignore.

“Let’s go,” Gabe said. “Stay close.”

Avery followed him, calmer now that she’d conquered her fear of the darkness.

“How did you find that hole?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“We had a very smart vampire prisoner a few years ago. Turned out she worked for the city and knew about these underground tunnels that aren’t used any longer. She dug the hole under the toilet with the plan to escape. I caught her just as she finished it.”

She furrowed her brow. “The prison didn’t patch it?”

“No. I never told them about it.”

“Why not?”

He sighed and abruptly stopped before turning to face her. “Because I work in a prison. If things were to go haywire in there and suddenly everyone got their magic back, I wanted to have a way out.”

She stared at the hard angles and planes of his face. He’d said his ethics were questionable; hell, he was breaking her out of prison! She shouldn’t be surprised by this revelation.

“A smart, self-preservation tactic. So much for duty though,” she muttered.

“I’d rather save my ass,” he said.

A few moments later, the air changed. It didn’t taste as stagnant, and she realized they must be getting close to the outdoors. She grinned and bit her lip to keep from jumping up and down, her excitement was almost overwhelming. Mother Earth awaited her, and she planned to embrace her with open arms. Avery couldn’t wait to get out of this hellhole, and she made a promise to herself that she would do everything in her power never to return.

They reached the end of the tunnel, and Gabe shined his small flashlight upward. She followed the glow and saw a manhole cover about eight feet up. Checking her surroundings, she wondered how they would get up that high. She expected Gabe to have a ladder stashed somewhere, but she didn’t see anything nearby. Who plans a breakout without a way to get beyond the last step to freedom?

“Get on my shoulders,” he said, dropping onto one knee.

She stared at him a moment, then looked up again. If she did as he asked, that meant she would be the first one out. She had no idea what lay beyond the circular steel, and her anxiety returned.

“What’s out there?” she asked.

“Your freedom and my revenge. Now get on.”

I have to trust him.

She swallowed heavily, then slung her right foot over his shoulder. He grasped her thigh as she held onto his head, trying not to pull his hair.

“Swing your other leg over,” he commanded. “I’ve got you.”

She lifted her left leg and wrapped it around his neck. He now had both thighs tight in his grip, and he slowly rose to his full height.

“Watch your head.”

She bent forward.

“Here I thought I would throw my back out or something with this plan, but you’re actually really light.” His voice held a lighthearted tone as if he were smiling.

Not really knowing how to respond, she remained quiet. This was a strange, intimate situation she’d found herself in. Since she’d had a shower a couple of days ago, she hoped she didn’t stink too badly. If she bent forward just a little bit more, she could have kissed him. For a brief moment she wondered what it would be like to have those full lips on her own, but she grimaced as a chill traveled up her spine. She’d never kiss a shifter, but Gabe’s mouth did appear sensuous and sinful.

He leaned his head back and tried to see past her to the manhole cover.

“Pull your hair out of the way,” he said. She let go of him and grabbed as much hair as possible at the nape of her neck.

Gabe took one step to the left, then said, “Okay, lift yourself up slowly. Don’t knock your head.”

She gradually straightened her torso before putting her hands above her head. Avery felt the cool metal on her palms before she could fully extend herself.

“Now push,” Gabe urged.

She strained as she tried to stretch her arms straight, but the metal circle wouldn’t budge.

“Keep trying, Avery.”

She thrust again, squeezing her thighs around Gabe’s head to try to get more leverage.

“Use your back.”

Instead of pressing her hands up, she extended her upper torso. The metal dug into her shoulder blades. If her actions resulted in bruises, they would just be another reminder of what she’d been through on this journey.

Finally, the cover started to budge.

She reached up and shoved with her palms, easing it almost enough. A waft of fresh air caressed her face as beads of sweat ran down her back.

They were so close. She was so close to freedom.

Avery wrapped her fingers around the edge and, with a groan, used every bit of strength she could muster, her muscles straining and aching as the lid slowly slid to the side.

More cool, crisp air rushed in, and she inhaled it deep into her lungs, the smell of freshly-fallen rain giving her even more energy.

When it wouldn’t move any farther, she glanced up, expecting to see the sky painted with millions of stars, maybe a moon hanging out to greet her.

Instead, disappointment railed through her at the sight of thick, grey clouds. But, thanks to Gabe, she’d have other nights to enjoy the gorgeous nighttime sky Mother Nature could offer Seattle on a clear night.

“Pull yourself up,” Gabe ordered from below as he relocated his hands to her butt, then pushed.

She grabbed the edges of the manhole and felt something wet and slick. As she tried to get a solid grip, she realized it was grass. Gabe thrust her upward, her arms once again strained as she tried to crawl out. The cool earth greeted her, the dampness adding to the difficulty of dragging herself out of the hole.

When her chest was out, Gabe let go of her feet, and she lifted her left leg. Avery tried not to think about Gabe’s view from below, or her lack of grace. This wasn’t the time or place to worry about either.

Once above ground, she didn’t see anything but a long stretch of grass in either direction and a large grove of fir and cypress trees about a hundred yards in front of her. She had no idea where she was or where the prison had been located. She figured they’d walked through the tunnels for about ten or fifteen minutes, and that wasn’t nearly enough space between her and the hellhole.

As she climbed to her feet, she tried to wipe off the jumpsuit, but the front had been soaked. Still caught up in her own emotions, she’d forgotten that Gabe might need help getting out of the tunnel. Instead, he had lifted himself up and out on his own. His agile moves reminded her of a dancer or gymnast, while she imagined her own resembled those of a three-legged elephant.

“Let’s go,” he said while sliding the manhole back in place. Without another word, he broke into a sprint.

He ran toward the trees with her close on his heels.

When they reached the tree line, he held out a hand for her to stop. She tried to catch her breath and listen for any sign of life around them.

“This is where it starts to get tricky,” Gabe whispered, breathing hard.

“All that back there wasn’t the hard part?” she asked.

“Nope.”

Crap!

Then an idea came to her. “Why don’t we use our magic? You can shift, and I’ll see what I can fling at anyone who tries to stop us.”

He shook his head. “We’re still on prison grounds. We won’t be able to use any magic yet because of the faery dust.”

So much for great ideas.

“What do we need to do?” she asked.

“When I tell you to, run like hell.”

She followed him into the forested area, trying to be careful where she stepped, so she didn’t make more noise than necessary.

Once they’d reached the other end of the grove, he stopped again and leaned over to her, his lips brushing her earlobe.

“Over there is the prison parking lot,” he whispered, pointing to the left. “We need to pass through it to get to where my car is parked.”

She nodded and tried to swallow the anxiety building in her chest.

“This is where we can get caught, Avery. So, when I say run, do it. Follow my every move, and we’ll be able to get out of here.”

“Okay.”

“Ready?”

She took a deep breath. It was probably best she didn’t give the question any consideration. If she truly thought about it, she worried the answer may be no.

“Yes.”

He sprinted toward the parking lot at full speed. She fought to keep up with him, her arms pumping, legs burning. After being locked up, the exercise energized her body as her heart raced and the blood rushed throughout her limbs. Despite being scared to death, she had to admit, the exhilaration of fresh air and freedom felt good.

Gabe stopped abruptly behind a tree at the edge of the parking lot and hunched down. She did the same, watching him and waiting for the signal to continue. A moment later, he motioned to go again.

This time, he ran bent at the waist. She mirrored him and followed him into the parking lot.

An alarm sounded then, its high-pitched blaring so loud, she froze in her tracks.

No! They couldn’t get caught… not now!