Knock

ough Blackwood Manor

raced. The voice beyond the door had spoken with

almost

st w

chair so hard his knuckles had gone white. Volkov's eyes darted betwe

er, remained c

s gaze. "You know

didn't

final phase," she said. "T

e butler, whose expre

right?" sh

od. "Mr. Blackwood's game must

s great and all, but I'd like to kn

t but firm. "The game do

empty chairs-Fel

nts pi

ted in Victor's s

esn't just remove play

le

chessboar

ifted slightly on their

was now occupied

n had transforme

re the weight of a

eren't

n absorbed i

-

e house was trying to turn

said. "If we lose,

ed hard. "An

had an

"We'll find ou

ck to the board.

he had played before-shifting, adapting. The opponent's moves were al

ntage: he had studied

ad been brilliant, b

s rook. A bold,

, the board shifted again, and a chi

changed

a whi

eve

t coming from t

ming from

-

ife, casting flickering s

g just beyond the

igu

s clasped behind his back. His face was mostly obs

ediately who he

lackwood,"

ined his head e

d sharply. "He

pple through the room. The walls seemed to pulse, as

ere was something new in his post

himself. "Why

ips curled sl

h what I

ered. "And what hap

oser, his gaze falli

d, "depends on

-

is insane. We're literally

y from Blackwood. "The

d's smil

me con

next. Then Cel

or-a flicker of candlelight, a creaking o

to recogniz

carried a

d the temperature in the r

shadow moved along the

was test

was testi

-

wed. Only a handful

n-the flaw in Bla

e had a tendency to favor control, to lock his opponen

re was a weakn

es locked on the board. H

lickered. He under

ure the queen and leave himself op

ood he

st time, he

knew he

smile crept on

he

y. The house seemed to groan, as if some

's finger

moved

s a m

ounded. One more

ime. He neede

h

orward and m

ckma

rs left the piece, e

-

e room, like a deep exha

ove them shattere

tantly, plunging

he shadows

nger. No

rel

k its very foundation. The walls cracked. The ceiling gr

is teeth. "We ne

om his seat. Volkov bolted toward th

ai

lowed. The sh

th

g players

Magnus.

onto the floor,

caught in his th

toward B

stood still, his fo

me, his expressi

s gaze. "You'

ned his head ev

he van

-

r stepped

t-now creaked open, revea

over," the

exhaled

shed through the door, leav

the damp grass, he tu

was stil

h

door shut

that no one else would e

shake the feeling that Blackwood

this was always

-

-