“Yes,” I say. “But not in the way I thought.”
For over one hundred years, the Ivanov mansion has stood like a cancer on the earth.
For over one hundred years, it has loomed and brooded.
It won’t last the rest of the night.
After we set it alight, Konstantin and I watch the flames blaze from a distance for almost three hours before the firefighters manage to put it out. The fire ravages the old mansion, turning its bones into ashes.
Just like I knew it would.
“Well, looks like the fun is over.” Konstantin tosses his empty beer bottle into the back of the truck and stretches. “What time is it?”
“Almost three in the morning.”
He whistles. “That explains why I can barely keep my eyes open. Time for me to hit the hay.”
It’s strange—I don’t feel in the least bit tired. But I get to my f
