“It won’t work,” Yeger said, grinding his teeth. Two hours of listening to Klara’s schemes had worn him thin. “Again, we don’t have enough people.”

  Across the armoury, Klara threw up her hands and Mikhail slumped against a bench, rubbing his eyes. Trubnikov had given up on them and left an hour ago, and Koskova Alchemist ignored them as she worked on extracts.

  “It has to work,” Klara said, “we don’t have anyone more we can get. Uncle Yuri was quite clear that his crew was off limits.”

  “What about Adamov?” Mikhail asked.

  Klara snorted and rolled her eyes. “He’s more concerned about his own skin than helping us.”

  “And I will not work with him,” Yeger said. “There’s no way this mission will succeed. We should just take Trubnikov’s offer and get the depths out of Serovnya.”

  “But what about Borovsk?” Mikhail asked.

  Yeger’s chest tightened, but he set his jaw. “There’s nothing we can do for Borovsk, nor do they deserve our help. The stariki treated us like yutzi muck, and Kozlowek Eagle-Eye tried to dishonourably discharge us after the Alchemists murdered two of our squad. They can go freeze in the depths for all I care.”

  Klara’s eyes flashed, and she took a step towards him. “That’s it? You just abandon everyone else because a couple of people wronged you? Why did you even try to join the Sentinels? Their entire mission is to sacrifice their lives for Serovnya, that includes people who have wronged us. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

  Yeger took a step, jabbing a finger towards the broad-shouldered woman. “Don’t you dare pretend you know me, or my motives.”

  Klara opened her mouth to respond, but Mikhail cut in, interrupting her. “Then why don’t you explain your motives, Yeger? Standing here pointing fingers and throwing accusations is getting us nowhere. I know you two don’t like each other, but we need to work together.”

  Yeger and Klara fell silent, scowling at each other. He would not back down.

  “Oh, for the love of…” Mikhail stepped into the middle of the room, putting himself between them. “Are you both serious? Because I have seen children with more maturity than you two. It’s really quite pathetic, and I don’t understand how you’d both rather be angry at each other than try to save Serovnya.”

  At last, Klara lifted her hands, palms out, and stepped back. “Fine.”

  With a nod, Yeger moved back until he lounged against the back wall. He folded his arms and said, “I will join you on this stupid mission, on two conditions.”

  “And what’re they?” Klara asked, eyes narrowing.

  “That we have one more person in the squad. And that I make the drop down the coal shaft.”

  “You’re the strongest fighter we have, Yeger, we need you with the squad. You’d be wasted going down the shaft,” Klara said.

  Yeger shrugged. “Those are my conditions. If you meet them, I will join you. You have my word.”

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  Klara pinched the bridge of the nose, her face deep red, the veins on her forehead pulsing. “All right,” she said. “Even though sending you down the shaft will probably doom the mission because we won’t have your muscle where it’s need, I agree to those terms.”

  Yeger gave a curt nod. “Good. But you still need another fighter.”

  Klara walked towards the door. “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll talk to Yuri, he will give us someone.” She reached the doorway and took a sudden step back as the Alchemist warrior, Adamov, stepped through.

  Recovering, Klara went to shove past him, but he held out a hand, restraining her.

  “You need another soldier?” he asked, his eyes lingering on Klara.

  Yeger pushed off on the wall. “What were you doing? Listening to private conversation at the door? This is none of your concern, Alchemist.”

  Adamov turned to him, regarding him coolly. “I believe that is for your squad commander, Koskova, to decide.” He turned his attention back to Klara.

  Klara was silent a long moment, studying the man, before she gave a sharp nod. “We need someone who knows their way around a weapon better than Mikhail.”

  “I’d be offended if it weren’t true,” Mikhail muttered.

  “He’ll get us all killed,” Yeger said. “Do you remember the last Alchemist soldier we dealt with? The one who betrayed us all and tried to abduct you? It’s bad enough we are trusting Adamov’s information, but believe me, if he comes with us, he will betray us. Handing us over to the Alchemists would certainly earn him forgiveness with them. He would no longer have to hide in sewers.”

  Adamov, Mikhail, and Koskova Alchemist all burst out laughing.

  Yeger’s face burned as he glared at them, though noted Klara appeared just as baffled as he was. At least he wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand these Alchemists…

  Finally the laughter died down and Mikhail wiped the tears from his eyes. “Yeger, the Alchemist Guild never forgives, and it never forgets. They remember every wrong anyone has committed against them.”

  “Did you ever wonder why there were no female Alchemist soldiers?” Adamov asked.

  Yeger hadn’t, but now it was mentioned, it did seem strange.

  “Grigory Yusupov, the old Grand Master, his mother was one of the original Alchemist soldiers. Legend has it she was a brutal woman who pushed Yusupov mercilessly. If he failed to achieve perfection, she would throw him outside at night without a coat as punishment. One night the frostbite was so bad that he lost three fingers on his left hand. He never trusted women since.”

  “No,” Koskova said, “that story is just a rumour. In his younger years he married an Alchemist soldier. They had a son, but over time, she claimed Yusupov loved their son more than he loved her. Eventually she murdered her son so Yusupov would love her again. When that didn’t work, she snapped and attacked him, cutting off his three fingers. Eventually, guards detained her. Since then he never allowed women to be soldiers.”

  “That’s not what I heard,” Mikhail said. “I heard—”

  “All right! We get the idea,” Yeger said. “The dead Grand Master never forgave. And he hated women. But now Voronin runs the Guild, and he raised a daughter damnation-bent on destroying the Sentinels, and he’s put her in charge of his army. But I don’t care about the sick people that lead the Alchemist Guild. What I know is that we can’t trust this man”—he gestured to Adamov—“and I refuse to fight beside him.”

  Klara glanced from Yeger to Adamov, a glimmer in her eyes. “You’re really willing to fight with us?” she asked Adamov.

  Adamov shrugged. “It seems I have little choice. You refuse to take me home, so here I am. I might as well try to increase your chance of success and getting me home.”

  “No!” Yeger shouted. “We can’t trust this man, and I will not fight with him!”

  “You already gave your word, Yeger Blinov,” Klara said, her voice iron hard. “You gave your demands and agreed to them. I’m letting you go into the mine—as you wanted—now you will work with Adamov. Or are you a liar?”

  Yeger clenched his teeth until his jaw ached. She had tricked him. He had been a fool to trust her, but he was no liar.

  “This will fail,” he said, storming towards the door and shouldering roughly past Adamov. He paused by Klara and dropped his voice. “When that Alchemist betrays you, our blood is on your head, Dragon Striker.” With that, he stormed out of the room.