“Kill them before they kill you. Do you want to know how you really win the Game? How you ensure it? You don’t play nice, Nikolai. If you’re smart, you’ll think of the Game like a chess match. You could take your time, plotting moves to frustrate your opponent, prancing about the chessboard and showing off your abilities while trying to paint the other enchanter into a corner. Or . . .” Galina’s smile grew sharper. “You could go straight for the king. The girl, in this case. Use your magic to kill her and end the Game yourself. Don’t give the tsar the chance to choose anyone but you.”
