Klara’s squad shifted behind her, leaving her to guard the rear as they disappeared through the door down into the tower. Six Alchemist soldiers approached, knives and short swords up, though wary.

  She risked a glance to the right at Yeger, at the far side of the control room. He locked eyes with her and gave her a nod. Then his sclera faded to black. Deep, impenetrable black that glowed with the red light of the control room.

  Yeger’s throaty bellow ripped through the destroyed control room as he charged, a rampaging Nishkuk amongst the hapless soldiers.

  The two soldiers closest to him leapt out of the way, but the six closing on Klara didn’t turn in time. Yeger smashed into them. He got his hands on one, and the sickening crack of a back being snapped joined Yeger’s roar.

  For a moment, Klara hesitated. If she left Yeger now, he would be killed or captured. Neither she could risk.

  Suddenly, Nika and Matvei surged past Klara. They singled out one soldier with his back to them and hit from behind. Maybe a dirty move, but the only way to fight someone on reflex extract.

  Great, they were all going to die… With a resigned sigh, Klara leapt into the fray.

  The metallic stench of blood bit at her enhanced senses, threatening to overwhelm her. Screams of pain, terror, and rage. The clash of blades, the crack of bones.

  A soldier caught sight of Klara and spun to face her, his black coat flicking around him. His eyes glinted pale blue only a moment before fading completely to black. Just like Yeger’s. Klara cursed as the now raging soldier rushed her.

  The world slowed as reflex triggered. For a moment she saw Mikhail’s face transposed over the soldier’s. Black eyes wide beneath his white hair.

  Klara shook her head and sidestepped, barely slipping past his clutching fingers. Her hearts thundered in her chest, blood pulsing through her head, muting her hearing. Her hands shook, palms slicked with sweat.

  She whirled to face the soldier as he skidded to a stop on the shattered glass. She could do this; fight a rager. He was only two hundred and fifty pounds of pure, unadulterated fury wrapped in a layer of impenetrable muscle.

  Then Yeger shot from behind her, angled at the raging Alchemist soldier.

  The two men collided, weapons dropping and fists flying. Klara spared a second to watch as Yeger locked the soldier in a grappling hold and slammed his knee repeatedly into the man’s ribs.

  Strength extract, even while raging, only did so much.

  A crack. A scream of pain sharply cut off. Then Yeger was on to his next victim.

  Klara shivered, the chill racing up her spine having nothing to do with the frigid mountain air whistling through the broken windows.

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  She rejoined the fight, now down to four Alchemist soldiers versus her, Yeger, Matvei and Nika.

  Blades flashed, visible to invisible in the constant move from reflex to normal. Red light glinted off steel and soaked into black coats. In seconds, the fight was over, the four soldiers falling quickly before the overwhelming power of the raging Yeger.

  “Let’s go!” Klara yelled, jerking a thumb to the stairs. Matvei and Nika jogged to the door and disappeared down the stairs, leaving Klara with Yeger. The huge man stood in the centre of the room, his shoulders heaving as he sucked huge lungfuls of air in. His sclera were still inky black, two demonic pits glittering beneath the shadow of his hood above his predatory half-mask.

  Klara sheathed her knife and held her hands up, palms up. “All right, Yeger, you can come back now, we’re done. They’re all dead.” She glanced around at the broken bodies scattered across the floor. Very dead…

  Yeger took a step towards her, his gloved hands twitching, blood dripping from his finger tips.

  “Hey, snap out of it!” Klara shuffled back, edging to the door, ready to run.

  Yeger took another step. Then the black faded from his eyes and his shoulders slumped. He staggered and Klara darted forwards, slipping an arm around his waist. “Come on,” she said, guiding him to the door, “let’s get out of here before the Alchemists realise the assault failed.”

  Their assault shouldn’t have failed. Superior numbers against a squad that had barely trained together. Indeed, three of them weren’t even Sentinels. So why? Why had it been so… easy? Something was wrong, very wrong. She didn’t for a second believe her team were so strong as to survive a full on assault by trained Alchemist soldiers so easily. Unless…

  Klara pulled the door shut behind them and descended the stairs with Yeger. The rest of the squad waited below, eying Yeger anxiously.

  “We may have just struck lucky,” Klara said, as they reached the bottom step.

  “How?” Nika asked, visibly relaxing as she studied Yeger’s face, evidently seeing he was no longer raging.

  “I think the Alchemists have pulled all their best trained soldiers away to fight the Sentinels, leaving the inexperienced recruits here.”

  Mikhail cocked his head. “That would explain how we survived being outnumbered.”

  Yeger grunted and dragged himself upright, away from Klara. “Or we’re a better squad than we give ourselves credit for.”

  The room fell silent. Then Matvei half snorted, half chuckled. “Nice thought, but doubt it.”

  Before Yeger could respond, Elana cut in. “Regardless, we won’t be so lucky twice. That Alchemist squad arrived with none of us hearing them, and they knew to stay out of my range until the last second. When that squad doesn’t report success, they’ll send more—and I doubt they sent all their best soldiers to attack the Sentinels. This is their most prized facility. There will be at least one squad of their best here.”

  Klara nodded. “Then we need to move fast. The train is on its way, and Yeger needs to be on it—without the Alchemists realising. If they get even a hint at our plan, then it’s over.”

  “How long do you think it’ll be before they realise the squad they sent failed?” Mikhail asked.

  “They should know by now,” Klara said. “The question is: how long will it be before they get another squad—or more—here.”

  “And how long until the train?” Yeger asked, inspecting his shoulder and chest. His white coat was stained red.

  Klara eyed him with concern, noting several more slits in his coat, also surrounded by red. “Only ten minutes now, I should say. But you’re hardly in a position to go jump down a shaft.”

  Yeger snorted. “They’re only skin deep. I’m fine. Once I renew strength and the ironhide extract, I won’t even notice the cuts.”

  “It’s true,” Elana said. “Ironhide should heal most of that damage as it reinforces his skin. Much the same way that strength will repair damaged muscles.”

  Still sceptical, Klara nodded. “All right. Yeger, get down to the tunnel and prepare to board the train. The rest of us will need to hold the tower, distract the soldiers until we can escape up to the mine and begin the assault.”

  Suddenly Elana spun, looking north. “We’re too late. Another airship just entered my range. They have forty more soldiers.”