Page 141 of Killaney Fire

"Keep going," Octavian says, his voice hard.

We run down this old tunnel, my feet hurting from the rough ground, and we finally reach a wall with light bleeding through a gap.

"Through here," he says, pointing at it. "Hurry."

I turn sideways and squeeze through the gap, the rough wall scraping against my skin, tearing at my dress even more.

It's tight, so tight I can barely breathe, but I push through, gritting my teeth against the pain.

On the other side, I stumble into a stairwell, the air marginally cleaner.

Octavian follows, grunting as he forces his larger frame through the gap.

The moment he's through, he presses his shoulder against the wall and shoves.

He yells as his muscles strain, his face twisting with effort, and then the wall shifts, grinding shut with a heavy thud.

"Up the stairs," he says, pulling his gun back out.

I don't wait.

I start running, my hand fumbling with the phone he gave me.

I dial Declan, my fingers shaking so badly I almost drop it.

"We need help!" I yell into the phone as I climb, my voice echoing in the narrow space. "We need help!"

"Keira?" Declan's voice comes through. "Where the hell are you?"

"We need help!"

"Where are you?" he repeats, sharper now.

"I don't know! In a fucking stairwell, Dec!"

"Can you get outside?"

I turn, still running, and look back at Octavian.

"He's asking if we can get outside."

Octavian doesn't answer, just points up with his free hand.

We reach the top of the stairs, and he holds up a hand, stopping me.

He inches the door open, peering through the crack, then he looks back at me and nods.

"Yes. Come on."

"Yes," I repeat into the phone. "Be ready."

I hang up before Declan can respond and grip the phone tightly.

We burst into a hallway and keep running. Octavian is pulling me through doors, around corners, down hallways that all look the same. We weave through so much I can't track where we are.

"Are you sure we're getting out?" I gasp.

"Yes. I wouldn't let..." He trails off.