Chapter 16
Tessie hollered to be released until her throat was hoarse, though Ruby did not answer.
In her hours alone she had tried to rest, though inspecting the window and the long drop below, she imagined plunging into the snow to make her escape. She had wrangled with the lock with no success, losing hairpins through the keyhole and having no idea what she was really doing. She couldn't blame Ruby for her caution, though the agony of being stuck was exhausting and endless. She needed Kyran's help and they were wasting so much precious time.
That evening as the afternoon’s dark shadow fell over the room, she heard Ruby's voice exclaim from the entrance. "Kyran! Dear God!" And Tessie’s chest burst with relief.
Pressing against the door, the low rumble of Kyran’s calm voice floated up
