Ren paced the scullery, her feet making a frantic, rhythmic beat against the smooth stone floor. Left. Right. Pivot. Left. Right.
Bia and Las, the coral and albino snake females, sat perfectly still on a nearby stone table. Their heads swiveled in unison, tracking Ren's erratic movements back and forth as if they were front-row spectators at the world's most stressful tennis match.
"Damn it," Ren muttered under her breath as she ran both hands through her frizzy red hair. She stopped pacing, brought her thumb to her mouth, and began anxiously chewing on her thumbnail.
She had less than twelve hours to stage a flawless prison break. If she failed, Vex would be executed in the morning, she would not get the Northern Mountains logbook, and her womb would remain a barren wasteland forever. No pressure at all, though.
Letting out a frustrated, echoing groan, Ren marched over to the center island and slumped face-first onto the cold stone table.
