“I hate to cut our reunion short, but I’d rather not get killed a second time,” Vanya said, and hurried into the next room. We passed through the laboratory, where I snatched up the lit oil lamp.

The brown-haired scientist thrashed on the floor, muffled shouts straining through the medical gauze Vanya had shoved in his mouth. His eyes flared in terror, pleading silently with me as I passed, but I barely even looked at him. If the collapsing fortress didn’t kill him, the Otzvuk would. Seven years in the wilderness had hardened me and opened my eyes to one truth—kindness would save no one, least of all myself.

Down, down, down into the cold limestone vaults. By the time we entered the cavern filled with the remnants of barrels and shelves, the world above had gone silent. No time to rest. Who knew if these tunnels might survive the castle’s destruction?

“Galina!” I coughed, my throat still hoarse and scratchy from inhaling plaster dust, not to mention the throttling Koschei had given me. “Galina, where are you?”

She crawled out from behind the crossed trestles, carrying an oil lamp in one tiny hand. Tears glistened on her cheeks as she set down the lamp and threw herself at me, sobbing my name.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” I murmured, running my free hand through her hair. “You’re safe. I’m here now.”

“Galina?” Mikhail said in quiet awe.

“Up we go,” Vanya said, and scooped her into his arms. “Sorry, Tsar, but you’re going to have to save your questions for later. I’m not waiting around to see if this hill can withstand whatever artillery the Otzvuk’s been lobbing our way.”

We descended deeper into the caverns. At times, Vanya was forced to set Galina down and bow over to avoid scraping his head on the ceiling. The oil lamps provided insufficient light, and halfway down, Mikhail’s elbow jostled me and I accidentally dropped mine. In the darkness, the tunnels felt even longer and more convoluted than they had been before, as if they might stretch on forever.

Finally, I spotted a patch of light.

“That’s it,” I said. “We’re almost there.”

I stepped between the rows of stalactites and emerged into the night. The tension drained from my limbs as I took in grateful breaths of fresh air.

Finally. We were free.

Suddenly, an intense glow emerged from the trees. Men surrounded us in an instant, yelling for us not to move.

I pushed Galina behind me, shielding her with my body. “Wait, don’t hurt us! We have a child!”

As she clutched at my skirt, I blinked rapidly, struggling to adjust to the sudden glare after so long spent in the dark. The fiery glow was moving...and growing.

Slowly, it dawned on me the glow wasn’t from a lantern, but a man. A mustached man cloaked in an inferno and still standing, peering down at us with a haughty scowl as flames cocooned his limbs.

At his side stood a uniformed woman whose skin gleamed like polished iron, her blue eyes cold and merciless. On the breasts of their coats, embroidered in black, were the crossed sword and wheat sheaf of the Otzvuk.