Book Six: Chapter 76

“Tink!” Holly’s protest was barely a squeak.

“We go now.” Tink pulled free the hammer from her belt along with a screwdriver. “Krampus use tunnels, follow wind flow, find pretty elf.”

“But he has to be miles away!” Kisa ran up the ramp with Holly in tow as Tink walked into a corridor surrounded by shredded bags of flour.

“He’s fast,” Holly said. “He was distracted with Alabaster last time, but he’s on his way. You can count on it.”

“Shi...ush.” Kisa corrected herself, stretching the word abnormally long. They ran along the corridor, past tiny forklifts and wheeled trolleys. After a set of double doors with star-shaped windows, they were in a curved hallway with an incline.

“This is the outside of the cake,” Holly said. “We have to go up just a bit, and then around.”

“Whatever you say, cake lady.” Kisa looked back down the hall, half expecting to hear clawed feet scratching the floor.

The main bakery smelled musty, as if someone had spilled b