“I didn’t realize we were so deep,” she murmured.

“Oh, the old Hulls took full advantage of the hill. Passageways trail up and down through it, somewhat like an ant nest.”

The image sent Margot’s skin crawling. An ant nest. And they were the ants.

The steps grew steeper. She became breathless. The walls seemed to squeeze in at either side, until even Andrew’s lantern couldn’t compete with their oppressiveness.

And then, finally, Andrew hunched as they reached a ceiling. A thin line of light exuded from a trapdoor, tracing around three of its edges, razor thin. Andrew placed the lantern down on one of the higher steps and withdrew a key ring from his pocket. “You’ll have one of these,” he said. “You’ll probably find it somewhere in your home. It’ll get you into all of the buildings and any locked passageways. Though I wouldn’t recommend exploring on your own. It’s easy to get lost.”

From far below, Kant’s voice drifted toward them. “Sealed.”

“We maintain an airlock,” Andrew explained as he slid his key into the upper door’s handle. “Just another precaution against damaging our main revenue.”

The lock clicked. A rubber seal seemed to sigh as it was pried loose, and Andrew shoved the trapdoor up and open. It hit the loamy earth outside with a heavy thud, then Andrew climbed out and offered his hand to Margot.

She blinked against the unexpectedly bright sun as she let him help her up the final few steps. The day had warmed up since they’d entered the cellars. A tang of pollen hung in the air. Margot tilted her head back, the overwhelming relief of being outside, of being free, making her muscles weak.

The block of staff buildings—the place she’d entered the underground labyrinth—was far enough away that she could no longer see distinct parts of the architecture, but only the glint of sunlight off the roofs and a blur of dark glass windows. She hadn’t thought they’d traveled that far.

Kant moved up the stairs behind her, and Margot stepped out of the way. He dusted his hands on his jeans as he exited, and Andrew heaved the trapdoor back over, letting it land with a resounding bang. The key went back into the lock and fastened it with a soft click.

“Right.” Andrew fit his keys back into his pocket. “I’ll need to get back to the office, unless you want me to stay around for a bit.”

“We should be all right from here.” Kant ran his fingers through his hair, getting it out of his face.

“Then I’ll see you around, Margot.” Andrew extended his hand one final time and Margot shook it. “When you’re ready to take a look at the numbers, come by my office. Kant can show you where it is.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that.”