“I...I don’t understand.”

“Your sister is remarkable in that she is self-aware. Imagine if someone could communicate with upyri. If someone could control them and all the revenants.” Koschei’s silken baritone echoed in the chamber of my skull, low and irresistibly compelling. It stifled even the hatred I felt at the sight of him, until a part of me wanted desperately, inexplicably to nod along to his every word. “No one would dare raise their hand against an empire with that power at its helm. It would spell the end to all wars.”

It was even worse than I had thought. He didn’t just want the key to immortality—he wanted absolute power to go along with it.

“You’re mad,” I whispered, and he smiled.

“I am a visionary. The upyr will become a martyr to this cause. I will find the secret behind her sentience, and once I do, I will learn how to harness and control it.”

“She’s just a child!”

“What is the life of one child compared to the rape and butchering of millions? That is what war becomes.” His gold-striated eyes regarded me. “Despite what you may believe, I want only the best for this country. After all, as a soldier, I devoted my life to it.”

“You think you’re fooling anyone?” A hoarse, jagged laugh pushed from my lungs. I leaned forward, forcing myself to confront his unforgiving gaze. “I saw what you did to those Otzvuk soldiers. The only thing you care about is power and control.”

Ignoring my accusations, he rose to his full height. “While I appreciate your spirit, you are unfortunately of little use to me. You have potential, but that makes you a threat.”

As he stepped past me, I writhed against the ropes. “Wait, come back here! Don’t you dare hurt her, Koschei.”

“Lieutenant, why don’t you reacquaint her with her friend?” he said, parting the tent’s fold. “The rest of you, get ready to move out once the Tsar is stabilized.”

“Get back here!” I screamed as Dronov stepped back into the tent.

“Don’t forget to dispose of the parts properly and do it far from here,” Koschei added indifferently, as an afterthought. “Kill any animal that gets within ten paces of her. A koldunia’s blood will only spoil the earth.”

Then he was gone, and I was alone with the lieutenant.

Dronov stopped in front of me, eclipsed by the lantern light. When he bent down to tie a spare rope around the cord connecting my wrists, his eyes gleamed like those of an animal. I could sense it in the way his tongue anxiously flicked over his lips and his nostrils flared in urgent breaths—he felt the same wild tension that made me want to bite and thrash and spill his blood. Anything to survive.

Once the makeshift lead was secured, he cut the cords around my ankles. I resisted the impulse to run, knowing I’d never make it out of the tent with my wrists bound. Every second counted, but so did every action I took. I needed to prepare myself.