chapter four . . .

WE ARE THE FOXES

To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry

Run (Leona Lewis)

︵‿.•‧⋆·☪︎·⋆‧•.‿︵

In the next morning Vasilisa woke up with such a headache she swore that she would not go out today. She barely found energy to speak to her maid who brought the breakfast to her bed when she saw that Vasilisa was not feeling well.

To make sure she didn't raise any suspicions, Vasilisa walked around the property.

She approached a window and looked out at the bright sky. It wasn't snowing but the grounds were still covered by it like a white blanket. Her gaze then landed on a group of police officers below her. They seemed to be passionately discussing something.

"Are you excited? We'll finally catch those bastards!" Vasilisa heard a chorus of voices but didn't try to hide. It was her home after all. At last, two men dressed in police uniforms spotted her. "Oh, hello, madam."

"Hello," she replied, "anything new?"

"Nothing intriguing for you, madam, I fear," one of them waved his hand. "It's just that we'll finally catch those filthy thieves. Got a perfect plan."

"I see," Vasilisa kept a neutral face. "Well, I wish you luck."

"Thank you."

The two men walked away and Vasilisa remained alone. And she knew that she couldn't stay at home all day as she had originally planned.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

Vasilisa was dressed in some of her finest clothes. Unfortunately, she couldn't get all the details without raising any suspicions so she could only hope that her plan B would work if anything went wrong. The original plan was to go and warn them but then her maid came in and when she was finally left alone, she knew it could be late already.

This time, she didn't use the secret passage. She exited through the main gate. And on her way out, she also grabbed a purse for herself.

The way to the market felt like an eternity. She feared it was already too late. All this time, she had been protecting them from getting caught and if she disappointed them... she wouldn't be able to live with that guilt.

Vasilisa arrived. She instantly looked around but thankfully there was no sight of the police yet. Everything seemed normal. For now.

She kept looking around until she found a face that brought her so much relief. On the bridge, Alex was standing but hadn't seemed to notice her yet. She hurried toward the man to talk to him.

"Alex," she said and he immediately turned around, surprised to see her.

"Svetlana," he looked at her outfit, "you're not in disguise."

Vasilisa went to stand beside him. "Alex, something's wrong. The police are planning something."

He looked down at the market and she followed his gaze. There was a man standing by the stand that sold alcohol. He was dressed in fine clothes as well, signaling that he was wealthy. He kept shouting about how rich he was. Then Vasilisa noticed Fly and the rest of the gang roaming around the rich man. They were planning to rob him.

"Marusya!" Alex suddenly shouted right when Fly was about to get to him and that instantly stopped him. "Marusya, where are you going? You'll fall and hurt yourself!"

"This stinks," Vasilisa murmured.

"It does," Alex agreed.

Suddenly, a carriage with Vasilisa's family's emblem appeared near them and she froze. Alex noticed it too.

"They can't see me here... with you," she stuttered.

And then Alex did something that shocked Vasilisa. Maybe it shocked even him. He wrapped his arms around her to cover her. Vasilisa stilled, not daring to make any moves but slowly dived into the hug. She knew it wasn't an honest, heartful hug. It was only to make sure she wasn't seen. There was nothing more to it. Why would there be? Right?

Still snuggling to each other, they looked down to check the situation. Unfortunately, Fly didn't get how serious it was and he grabbed the man's wallet. Vasilisa's heart sped up – which was surprising because she didn't think her heart could beat quicker than it did during the hug – as soon as it was revealed that the man was indeed working for the police and the thief was handcuffed in seconds. Vasilisa quickly glanced at the carriage and saw the count exiting it. He wasn't wasting time because he reached for something inside and then was already on his way.

"He's gone," Vasilisa told Alex and pulled away, breaking their hug. As much as she wanted it to last longer, they had more important matters to take care of.

The couple was soon joined by Chingiz who also wore a concerned look.

"Hurry home," Alex instructed him, keeping his voice calm but it was obvious that he was at the edge as well. But Alex had to repeat his command and only then did the boy leave. Alex focused on Vasilisa. "You too."

"I'm here to help," she insisted. "If you don't drag me home yourself, I'm staying."

Alex took one look at the commotion below him and then back at Vasilisa. He saw the determination in her eyes and immediately knew that she was right. "Fine. Be careful."

Alex and Vasilisa then split up, both going in different ways. When the girl neared the ice, she pulled out her skates from her bag and put them on in a hurry. But although she was as quick as she could, the two thieves had already been chased by the policemen. Vasilisa pursed her lips, trying to come up with a solution. She looked where they were headed and noticed the other bridge with the lights on it. She skated toward it. She felt that one of her skates was put on poorly which made her moves even harder. But she had no time to correct it.

Now, Vasilisa had the bridge behind her back and was prepared to let her quick plan get started. As soon as Matvey and Fly were in her sight, she casually held out her hand with the fancy bag and hoped that they would understand her intentions. She acted like she was looking at the big sign while waiting.

And then she felt that strong pull when her bag was yanked out of her hand. It was her turn. But that was the moment when that loose skate broke under her foot, causing her to stumble and fall even without making herself. Matvey and Fly kept going forward while she stayed on the ground.

And that's when the pain in her ankle came. Her original plan was to only act like her leg hurt but now she didn't have to pretend anything. That was karma.

In a different situation she would have stopped her scream from coming out but she had to distract the policemen so she let it out. The men instantly stopped when they spotted the girl on the ground, not wanting to hit her. Vasilisa yelled at them to help her. She shouted that her ankle was broken. She did everything to stop them from carrying on.

At last, the count arrived. "What's happening here? Vasilisa?"

"Sir, she claims that her ankle is broken..." one of the men informed him.

Arkady clenched his jaw, his eyes on Vasilisa. Then he pointed at one of the police officers. "You. Get her to the palace. Now. The rest, catch those bastards."

⋆·☪︎·⋆

Vasilisa had been brought back to the palace and immediately checked out by a doctor who soon informed her that her ankle was only sprained and would heal in a few days if she gave it enough rest. The girl's ankle had been bandaged and she also received a walking stick in case she'd like to leave her bedroom.

But Vasilisa knew this was not the end. Every minute she was expecting her father to merge into her room and scream at her for ruining his plan because from what she'd gathered, Arkady couldn't catch neither Matvey nor Fly and the count returned to the palace with a gunshot wound. Her sources were very limited though since she had been stuck in her own bed.

However, after some time a servant entered her room and informed her that her father wanted to see her. Nikolai must have heard about her condition and ability to walk because he invited her to his office. Vasilisa got up and with her stick she headed toward her father's room which used to belong to her grandfather.

She was nervous. She didn't know what mood he was in and she wasn't looking forward to finding it out. With her heart in her throat she knocked on the door and when she heard her father's voice, she went in.

"Vasilisa," he greeted her, "please take a seat."

The man was sitting behind his desk with a bunch of papers in front of him. The same way her grandfather used to seat himself in that place. Vasilisa could still clearly picture that scene in her head. But she'd never felt this anxious before entering this room.

"You wanted to see me, father?" Vasilisa spoke and took a seat in a chair before the desk.

"I've heard you had quite an eventful afternoon," he said while he signed a paper.

"I was only at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And how did you end up at the wrong place at all?" he questioned and his cold eyes aimed at the girl.

"I simply went for a walk–" she started but was cut off by Nikolai.

"You went for a walk? And who has given you permission?"

For a moment Vasilisa was speechless. "Father, I was not aware I needed permission to go for a walk."

"You should have asked. But you didn't." The man then slowly got up from his seat and walked over to the window. He remained there for a few seconds, looking at the falling snow until he turned back to his daughter. "I understand you lived with different rules while my father was still alive, may he rest in peace, but I'm the lord of this house now."

The girl clenched her fist but quickly covered it with her other hand so that the man wouldn't notice. She was walking on thin ice and she knew that but so was he. He was pushing her, testing her patience.

"In other news, your sister will be getting married," he announced out of nowhere.

"What?"

"The count hasn't proposed yet but I believe it will happen in the upcoming days," the man continued, "which means it's your time to find a husband for yourself."

Vasilisa's mouth opened in shock as she stared at the man. She had suspicions that he had other, for her unknown, reasons for this meeting but this announcement? She wouldn't have dreamed of it in her darkest nightmares.

The girl took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and only then did she speak. "Father, if I may ask, what's this rush?"

"You've been doing whatever you wanted for too long now. It's time for you to settle down and learn to live by the rules given to you. And tomorrow, we'll start searching for a hopeful husband for you."

Something exploded in Vasilisa. She couldn't bear listening to her father's plans for her anymore. Arranged marriage was something she loathed. She remembered hearing all those stories about it when she was only a child. And when she shared her concerns with her grandfather, he promised her she would never have to go through one.

"You have no right–"

"I have every right! And I swear to your mother's grave, I'll make sure it happens," he stopped her, raising his voice. "All these years you've lived under my name's protection despite your unworthiness." He was referring to the different blood in their veins. Of course he was.

But Vasilisa wasn't ready to get married. She wasn't ready to give up her freedom because she knew that the man in front of her would make sure her husband would not tolerate disobedience. He'd put a leash on her, dictate her. She called her current home a prison – her future would be a cage with no openings for air. She didn't think she could ever live such a life.

Vasilisa had to collect every ounce of bravery she had in herself to say the next words. "You want to find me a suitable man. But what man would want a bastard child to be his wife?"

Nikolai understood the unspoken threat. But he was not going to let her play with him as she liked. "Fortunately, that fact will remain between these four walls. Or else your sister might suffer the consequences."

Vasilisa took in a sharp breath. Nikolai knew her weak points. And he used them against her. Even though it was hard to believe he'd make Alisa's life harder in any way, she didn't doubt he'd do it to keep his name clean.

"Am I free to leave?" she asked through her gritted teeth after a few seconds of silence.

Nikolai inspected her as if to make sure his threat had done its work. He must have been satisfied with what he saw because he agreed. Vasilisa did not waste a second as she limped out of the office.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

With anger and frustration, Vasilisa went back to her room and slammed the door after herself. She'd had a lot of patience. But she didn't have any more. If she were to spend more time in this palace – more like a cage for her – she would go insane.

In a rush she packed her things – mostly jewelry and clothes. Since her skates had been taken away by her father, she couldn't find them. She wouldn't be able to use them properly with her still hurting ankle anyway. Right now, she could barely stand on her legs. Vasilisa hoped she had enough energy to get to her destination.

But suddenly, her actions were interrupted by a knock on the door. Vasilisa panicked and rushed to close the door of her bedroom where the packing was happening. She couldn't allow anyone to discover her plans.

She could make it just in time because in the next second Nikolai stepped in.

"Vasilisa," he greeted her as if their previous conversation didn't happen. He must have been waiting for the girl's response but she didn't forget and she was not going to call him her father again because he didn't deserve it. "I forgot to tell you something earlier. Your punishment for your interruption in a serious police matter will be your absence at today's performance."

The girl didn't answer. She wasn't even disappointed to hear that she wouldn't have to go. Besides, that made her own plans even easier.

The man turned to leave the room but before he closed the door behind himself, he spoke once more, "And you're not allowed to leave your chambers until I say the opposite."

The door closed and a click sound followed it. Vasilisa was locked in her own room. However, it didn't cause her any trouble and with a new wave of anger she returned to her bedroom where she had her bag. It wasn't big but the most important things fit into it.

As always, she used the secret passage under her carpet and successfully sneaked out from the estate.

She knew she needed to find the Ice Gang. She figured that they had already left the market after today's events so she straightly went to the ship. Her ankle was not making things easy for her either. At first, the pain was acceptable but now... the more steps she took, the more it hurt.

Finally, she reached the ship. It hadn't changed at all. She could see the dimmed light coming out through the openings.

"Alex?" she weakly called out. Nothing. She tried again, this time louder. "Alex?"

A few seconds passed but finally a shadow appeared in one of the windows. "Svetlana?"

"Alex," she whispered and neared the ship even more, knowing that he recognized her. Her limping was impossible to ignore though.

"Hey, are you all right?" he called out to her. It took him a second to realize what happened to her. He watched her when she fell at the market. But he thought she was only pretending to hurt her ankle. And now seeing her below him, injured because of his gang, it brought up guilt in him – a feeling he was not used to. "Wait there!"

Alex disappeared and when he came back, he was holding a rope and tossed it out. He instructed Vasilisa to climb up with its help and she obeyed. The girl took a deep breath and started climbing. When she was near enough, Alex grabbed her and pulled her in safely.

"What's happening here?" Fly appeared with a bottle of beer in his hand. "Oh, it's you."

"A little thank you would be appreciated," Vasilisa said through gritted teeth because of the pain in her ankle. But she showed a bit of a smile.

Alex picked her up and took her further to the fire where it was warmer too. Lastly, he set her down on one of the chairs.

"What happened to you?" Chingiz popped up.

"Nothing serious," Vasilisa replied.

"But it needs ice," Alex remarked as he examined her ankle. When he touched it, the girl hissed.

"On it," Chingiz said as he left the room.

A couple of minutes later, the man returned with ice wrapped in a cloth and gave it to Alex who put it on Vasilisa's injury. She relaxed as she felt the calming coldness.

"Spill, what are you doing here?" Fly asked the question everyone was craving to ask for a while now.

"Fly," Alex warningly said.

"No, that's okay," Vasilisa put her arm on his hand to earn back his attention, "he's right." She took a deep breath and shifted to make herself more comfortable. "I ran away. From my father. We... we got into an argument."

"Help, my daddy and I had an argument!" Fly spoke in a mocking tone but was shushed by Chingiz.

"Hate to break it to you but my life's not as perfect as you think!" Vasilisa snapped at him. "When he found out I helped you, he was furious. He locked me in my own room! He swore to my mother's grave that he will find me a man that will make me his prisoner!" she paused to take a breath. But she was not done. "Yes, my daddy and I had an argument. But I don't want to live a worthless life with a man that will dictate what I can and can't do!"

When Vasilisa finally closed her mouth, tears were glistening in her eyes. She didn't want the men's pity. She wouldn't ask for it or their help. If they wanted her gone, she would leave. She would find herself a place where she could live by her own rules. Right now, she had no idea how, where or when because when she left that estate, the only help that she could think of was the Ice Gang. Maybe she was wrong to think she would get it here.

Fly seemed to be shocked by her words. His mouth was left wide open, shaping an O, his hand with the beer bottle still. Chingiz, on the other side, had taken one of the seats and was now looking at the girl with sadness and a little bit of pity.

Seeing their expressions, she clenched her fists. She didn't dare to look at Alex who was beside her. She didn't want to know if he had the same opinion as Fly. But the last thing she wanted was to be pitied.

"Stop," she said, not knowing herself what she was talking about. "I– I will leave if that's what you want."

To prove her words, she carefully moved her leg.

"No."

That voice stopped her. One word and she obeyed. Despite her brain telling her to go and leave this ship, her body did what it wanted. She looked up at Alex.

"You don't have to leave," he clarified himself then glanced at Fly, "right?"

"But Alex... she's─"

"Part of the Ice Gang."

Vasilisa was left speechless. Those words were so simple but so meaningful at the same time. This was the first time ever he claimed she belonged here. Vasilisa never asked to be accepted into their group. But hearing Alex's words warmed her chest the way not even the fire could.

Alex continued: "She has helped us countless times. She's proven herself. That she belongs with us."

To Vasilisa's surprise Fly didn't say anything.

Chingiz stood up. "I agree with Alex. And I'm sure Count would, too, wherever he is."

Now, six eyes were expectantly on Fly who was glaring with pursed lips. Few seconds had passed when he finally showed a reaction. He shrugged. "Seems like I'm outvoted." He approached the table and got closer to Vasilisa in the process. He put down his now empty bottle and pointed at her. "But just because you're a good player."

Vasilisa couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her lips. If it wasn't too painful, she would even stand up. But she knew this was an important moment in her life. Because this was the moment she officially became a part of the Ice Gang. And right now she felt unstoppable.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

Vasilisa finally felt relaxed. In the presence of the men around her, she felt carefree. She had completely forgotten about her ankle as she played cards with them. She needed to hold back her triumphant smile and keep her poker face so that the others would not find out what kind of cards she had. But that didn't mean they didn't have fun. They did, very much indeed. Fly kept talking about how they should have seen the police's face when they managed to get away right from under their nose.

During those minutes, they forgot to wonder where Count had been hiding. They just all assumed in their heads that he was currently with a woman.

At last, their peace was interrupted by a new visitor who turned out to be Matvey.

"Matvey!" Vasilisa greeted. She was back in her cheerful mood again – which was partly thanks to the beer she had drunk as well.

At first, the boy was surprised to see her here amongst them but he quickly shook it off and returned to why he originally came here.

While Alex was sitting at the head of the table with Vasilisa beside him Matvey started pulling out money from his coat pocket. The girl was confused but unlike Alex, she even showed it on her face. Alex was just blankly staring at him.

"You keep that," he finally said.

"I have to return it," Matvey said. Vasilisa could see that behind his actions, there was a sadness. She could see it in his eyes. Only if she knew the reason but her drunk brain was currently too slow to process anything. "I've made a promise. To my dad."

There was a dead silence.

Fly came back with another round of alcohol and started pouring some into the empty glasses. Alex leaned to him. "Where's Count?"

His voice alerted Vasilisa too. For a while, they had been ignoring his absence but it was starting to get too suspicious. He surely must have known they were worried about him – especially after today's events.

"He'll show up."

Alex focused on Matvey again. "Is this your final decision?"

He nodded. Alex stood up slowly. "Then why are you here?"

"Let him rest, Alex," Vasilisa piped up.

But Matvey didn't seem to be intimidated. "Because I wanted to tell you this in person."

Silence settled down again. Vasilisa reached for one of the full glasses on the table and poured its content down her throat.

Chingiz joined in and stabbed the knife in the table. "The promise made to a father is sacred. He can never break it."

⋆·☪︎·⋆

Matvey stayed for the time being. Vasilisa offered him a drink to cool down his nerves but he refused. It seemed like the cheery mood had disappeared. Alex was pacing around, deep in thought. Vasilisa did not have the right words to calm him down because as much as she wanted to believe that Count was all right, she doubted that too.

Suddenly, noises of someone entering the ship were heard. Vasilisa immediately straightened up and looked at the boys. Could it be Count? But when the two figures appeared, everyone was surprised. The woman who Fly had made out with and Alisa stood there.

"She was looking for you in the bar," the woman – whose name was forgotten by Vasilisa – said.

"Alisa." Matvey got up and went to greet his girlfriend.

"I ran away. I'm going to Paris so I can study chemistry at the world's best university," Alisa started explaining, "I have my jewelry for the train ticket and your dad's treatment too."

She stopped talking when she noticed Matvey's emotion on his face. That was the moment when Vasilisa realized what made the boy so sad. She instantly felt pity for the boy who lost his dad. And she mentally facepalmed herself for being so ignorant and not realizing it sooner. Just like her sister, Alisa knew it too and pulled him into a warm hug.

After a few seconds, Vasilisa started getting up but struggled a bit. Then she felt a gentle but strong arm on hers and when she looked up she found out it belonged to Alex who helped her stand up. Giving him a thankful smile, she approached her sister.

"Alisa," she softly greeted her.

"Vasilisa," the girl went to give a hug to her sister, "I wasn't sure you'd be here."

"I am," she whispered, "and we'll never see that man again. We're free."

⋆·☪︎·⋆

After the unexpected arrival of Alisa, Alex offered his room to the sisters – even though he was planning to do that before Alisa came as well.

Vasilisa carefully walked beside her sister to the room where they both sat down on the bed. Matvey put the wood into the fireplace to make the air warmer for the girls.

"Thank you," Alisa told him.

Vasilisa didn't miss the exploding chemistry in the room. The glances the couple sent each other wasn't really what she desired to be a witness of.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said and got up.

"No, no–" Matvey protested but was stopped by Vasilisa's hand.

"That's fine. You can talk."

The girl left the room right after she sent one last smile Alisa's way and left Matvey and her sister alone to do whatever they had in mind.

"What are you doing?"

Vasilisa's head shot up when she heard Alex. He wasn't wearing his dark black coat anymore. He was dressed in a pitch-dark shirt. His head was covered by his furry hat. But what drew Vasilisa toward him the most was the look in his eyes. They didn't hold the same emotions like when he faced other people. The Alex in front of her wasn't armed with all of his walls. Some had still remained but at that moment she knew he cared about her. And the visible concern that showed as he kept glancing on her aching leg just proved her thoughts.

At last, she managed to find the words in herself to reply. "I'm just leaving the two lovebirds alone."

She couldn't miss how he tensed when she slowly walked to him with a little limping. To reassure him that she wouldn't collapse right in front of his eyes, she slightly smiled at him.

"I'll have to burn the mattress after this," Alex remarked.

"Is it the alcohol that does the talking for you? Because if you set it on fire, then this whole ship burns down," Vasilisa smirked.

"You and I both know that you've drunk more than me," he replied.

"Cannot disagree."

Vasilisa's smile widened a bit. Then their eyes unexpectedly met. For a few seconds, they stood there, staring at each other until the girl broke the moment.

"Let's join the others, shall we?"

"We shall."

Vasilisa accepted Alex's offered hand to make walking easier for her.

When they came back to the big table, they became witnesses of Fly kissing his girl.

"Hey, get a room, you two!" Vasilisa told them, annoyed by their actions, while Alex sat down in his chair.

Scratch the kissing, it was getting more intense.

"I have no desire to watch you make out, Fly," the girl continued as she finally sat down. She breathed out in relief because her ankle could finally rest.

"Then go away," Fly snapped back, not even looking at her. "Or you can join us with Alex."

Vasilisa scoffed. "You know what? I'm leaving this room. Such immoral things should not be witnessed by a lady like myself."

Before she could fully get up though, a man's voice could be heard from outside, making everyone freeze. "Gentlemen! You've been surrounded. There is no way out. Any resistance would be useless." Everyone's eyes instantly filled with terror, shock and fear. Even Fly pulled himself away from his girl, completely forgetting what they were doing just mere seconds ago. "One by one come out with your hands high in the air or we'll be forced to act strictly. You have thirty seconds."

Fly flew out of his chair and ran to the window. "The police are here."

"What are we going to do?" Chingiz asked.

Alex rapidly stood up and reached for his coat and put it on.

"Alex?" Vasilisa asked softly. It took her so much energy to stop herself from panicking. If they found her, that would mean that they would give her back to her father.

No.

"Gather your things, we're leaving," he swiftly said and everyone started running around. Except for Vasilisa. She stood up and approached Alex.

"Do you have a plan?"

Instead of an answer Alex gave her her own coat. "Here, put it on."

She did as he told her but she wasn't done. "Alex..."

"Your time's up, gentlemen!"

Vasilisa looked at the window just like Alex.

"I'm scared," she admitted in a whisper but he still caught it. She didn't want to return to her father. To live by his rules. Just when she thought that she was finally free everything had to go down to hell unexpectedly.

"Hey, we'll be fine," he assured her, his intense eyes never leaving her face. Then he raised his hands to gently caress it. "I promise."

Vasilisa's eyes filled with fear met Alex's cold ones. Despite that it was the only thing that managed to calm her down among all the chaos happening around them.

"The ship's on fire!" Fly called out. "We are surrounded. They're everywhere."

"The police are here," Matvey announced out of his breath as he appeared among them with Alisa by his side.

Alex let go of Vasilisa and headed toward the couple. "Just in time to flee." He turned to his girl. "Alisa, remember how you said you'd give up your privileges for the sake of the folk?"

It took Vasilisa less than a second to understand the meaning of his words. She instantly approached the trio and stepped between Alex and her sister, facing the man. "My sister's not getting involved in this!"

"She is our only chance," Alex hissed back, taking one step closer. But Vasilisa wasn't intimidated at all.

"Then what am I, eh? I am a freaking aristocrat too! Remember?" she shouted back, not even noticing the curse that left her mouth.

"You're not the one getting married to that stupid, self-absorbed count!" he returned, raising his voice as well.

Vasilisa kept her face neutral. But truth to be told, she had three things on her mind about her next moves. First, slap him for even getting the idea of taking advantage of her sister's presence. The second was jumping at him and wrapping her arms around his neck because she knew that his embrace would be the only thing that could make her feel safe right now. She wanted to feel his body on hers just like that night on the nice. When he held her by her waist, their eyes locked...

She chose the third option.

After getting reminded of the seriousness of the situation by the suffocating smoke which made her cough her lungs out, she took a couple of little steps back and told her sister to run.

"Svetlana..." Alex tried again, this time gentler.

"You are not using my sister, Alex!" she snapped back and showed her back to him as she motioned for the couple to take the stairs. She didn't turn back. But it took her a lot of will to ignore Alex's cries after her which were getting fainter as the distance became bigger.

The trio hurried upstairs but didn't dare to relax – not even when they got to the top of the ship. Luckily, they had the best view they could have right now. They saw the bunch of policemen standing there with flaming torches as the ship was burning before them.

But thanks to their position, Vasilisa saw a spot that couldn't be seen by the police. A perfect escape.

"There," Vasilisa spoke and pointed at the edge of the ship. She reached for her sister. "You need to escape there."

Alisa and Matvey nodded at each other as they both headed toward it. But after a few seconds, the former realized that her sister was not following them at all. "Vasilisa?"

"Go," she urged them.

Alisa's lips parted at the realization that her sister was not planning to go with them. She jogged back to her. "Vas–"

"Alisa, you need to go," the girl sternly said through her teeth.

"No, not without you," Alisa demanded. Vasilisa's face softened. She tried to be strong at least on the outside while on the inside it took all in her to stop herself from panicking right on the spot.

She reached for Alisa and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I want you to be happy. Live the life you deserve. Go and study at that stupidly smart university." At the end she took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment to stop the tears that had been threatening to pour out. She pulled her hands away. "Go."

"No. No!" Alisa grabbed her hands, rapidly shaking her head as panic rose in her.

"Matvey," Vasilisa ignored her sister's pleadings and turned to her boyfriend. "Please promise me you'll take good care of her."

Matvey wanted to protest too. He saw how much Alisa cared about the girl. And he did too. But when he looked at her closely, he couldn't miss the desperation in her eyes. In that moment he knew there was nothing that could make her flee with them. He could either save one or neither of them.

The boy extended his arms to grab Alisa by her waist which was quite struggling because the girl didn't want to say goodbye. Carefully he started pulling her away from her sister but Alisa was not making his task easy. She wanted to get out of his grip. But she couldn't.

Vasilisa watched as Alisa's pale hand lastly slipped out of hers. It felt like a part of her heart was being taken away. A part of her soul. Half of her. She didn't even pull her arm back to herself. It remained outstretched in her sister's direction.

She glanced once again at Matvey. "I promise." Vasilisa gratefully nodded. She knew he would keep his promise.

Her eyes returned to Alisa who hadn't stopped resisting. She kept shouting after her and tears were glistening on her red cheeks.

"I love you, sister," Vasilisa whispered into the night. She wished to share one last hug with her sister. One last squeeze, one last laugh, one last smile. But now, all she had were memories of the two of them together. The chance that this was the last time she was seeing her was dangerously too high.

She knew she couldn't follow them. If she did, the police would catch them in no time. And Alisa wasn't the only one on that ship Vasilisa learned to care about. She had her friends there. And Alex.

"Where are they?" a new voice called out, making the girl turn on her heels. But at the sight of Alex a weak sob escaped her lips. No, she couldn't break down. Not yet. It was so very hard though because she knew that the next few minutes would break her heart into tiny pieces – if not both their hearts.

"You don't need them. I'm here," Vasilisa replied but her voice was shaky.

"Svetlana, we lack options!" Alex exclaimed desperately as he hurried over to her, waving his hand around. Only now Vasilisa noticed that he was holding a gun. But with the chaos around them, the fire lightening the darkness, it was the last thing she thought about.

"Listen to me, Alex," she spoke and neared him a bit. She had collected all the strength that was left inside her to keep her voice steady. "I have a plan."

But Alex had read her mind. He must have spotted it in her eyes because she didn't need to say another word about it and was already shaking his head. "No. No way."

She took another set of steps toward him, getting as close to him as possible. Until the distance between them was cut entirely. She raised her hands and put them on his face, gently caressing it. Almost the same way he did mere minutes ago to her. Neither of them was bothered by the coldness of her fingers despite the fire burning around them.

Then Alex slowly lowered his head so that their foreheads were touching. Vasilisa let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She didn't say it out loud, but that touch meant the world to her. She didn't say it, but she wanted this moment to last forever. Her mouth didn't speak but she was carving the feeling of his skin on hers deep into her brain where no one, no one, could take it away. Not even her father. Whatever life he had planned for her, whoever he had chosen to marry her off with, this was a thing that belonged only to the two of them. No man could ever make her forget about all the happy moments she had the chance to share with the man before her. Every smile. Every touch. Every laugh. Every second of happiness – her light in the darkness.

And Vasilisa didn't need to say any of those things out loud. Because Alex knew. He knew.

"You need to do it. I'm the only one who can save you. All of you," she whispered to him but her eyes remained on his dark coat. If she looked up now, he would see the rolling tears on her cheeks. Vasilisa had reached her breaking point. Alex was her breaking point and salvation in one. "You need to pull out that winning card."

Alex shook his head again but didn't escape from her hands. Instead, he leaned into her soft touch even more and wrapped his arms around her body to pull her closer. He knew very well that they were doomed. But he should have known from the very beginning that their meeting was just a happy short moment among all darkness and sadness the life offered. All this time, he had watched Matvey, thinking how naïve the boy was to believe that he could ever have a peaceful life with Alisa. But little did he know that he had been doing the same thing. When she came to them and asked for help that night, deep down he truly believed that they would be together. That she would stay with them. He would be the king and she would be the queen. His queen.

Why did the world have to be so cruel and take away every ounce of hope the couple had?

"I promise you," Vasilisa choked out, "in this life or the next, I will find you."

Alex pulled one of his arms back and gently grabbed her chin and made her look up at him. Finally, their eyes met. Vasilisa's teary eyes and Alex's blue ones full of pain.

Vasilisa was the first to make a move. Alex just followed. She reshifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck and Alex gave in.

Their lips met.

It wasn't a soft, tender kiss. It seemed like both of them had collected every feeling – passion, desperation, fear, love – they had inside them and put it into their kiss, letting it all free. Vasilisa welcomed Alex's tongue as it slipped in her mouth. She could feel the taste of the beer they both drank earlier but she didn't mind it.

The fire around them was warming up their bodies. They ignored the sparks that were flying around them. The couple was barely noticing the flames because they were already burning inside. Fireworks of chemistry were exploding in their bodies.

At some point Alex's hand appeared on the back of Vasilisa's head, bringing her closer. He wanted their kiss to be eternal.

But nothing could last forever. Vasilisa put her hands on Alex's chest and slightly pulled him away. At first the man protested but it took him only a moment to return to reality. Now that their attention wasn't only on themselves, the shouts from the others were getting to them.

"It's time," Vasilisa said, still out of breath. But the good thing was that her confidence seemingly rose after the kiss. "Where's your gun?"

Alex started looking around the floor until his eyes landed on the weapon which must have fallen out of his hand at some point. He picked it up, although his brain was telling him to drop it.

Vasilisa was watching his every move with eyes filled with sorrow.

"You can do this," she encouraged him but he didn't reply.

The couple slowly approached the railing where they had a clear view of the policemen. Vasilisa nodded to Alex.

He wrapped his arm around the girl's body and with an even heavier heart he raised his hand with the gun and put it to her temple. He wanted to throw it away but he reminded himself that Vasilisa was trusting him. She believed in him. But he didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

"I have a hostage!"

Vasilisa watched with anticipation as the policemen immediately looked at them. She made herself keep her eyes open when she saw all of her friends being held down by the men. Everyone was handcuffed and pushed into the ground as if they weren't humans with their rights anymore.

"An aristocrat," Alex continued, "in fact, a daughter of a minister! Her name is Vasilisa."

They waited. Alex and Vasilisa both saw the guns that were aiming at them. But when they realized that the count ordered his men to lower them, the couple knew their plan was working. Good.

"Let her go right now!"

"Let my friends go and we can talk."

The fire was getting more intense. Now, Vasilisa could feel the air around her becoming hotter. Behind her, something fell, making Alex take one step forward which meant they were now closer to the edge.

Vasilisa was becoming nervous with each second that had passed. If the count didn't make his decision in the next moment, they would both burn alive.

"You better hurry or there won't be anyone to be saved," Alex called out.

Finally, the policemen acted. They started helping the gang stand up.

"I want him, too!" Alex exclaimed and pointed at Count who was only now noticed by Vasilisa. She couldn't see it very clearly from the distance but one thing she knew for certain was that he looked like a mess.

"He's a filthy traitor!" Fly shouted angrily.

"Yes, but our traitor," he returned, "you see how much they... tortured him."

"Now it's your turn."

"I have to know you'll truly let them go."

"I give you my word as a police officer."

But the thieves were still in the police's hands.

"It's getting hot here!" Alex tried again.

Vasilisa sighed in relief when her friends were free to go.

"Okay, grab the rope," Alex whispered and pulled away his hand with the gun. But Vasilisa's attention was on the count. She examined him. And something was telling her that as soon as she was in his arms, he would send his soldiers after the others. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't miss a perfect chance like this to catch the thieves.

"No," she said and faced Alex, "Alex, he won't let you run away."

"There is nothing else that we can do."

Vasilisa thought a bit. He must be wrong. There needed to be something...

She had an idea. A very terrifying idea, in fact, but its chances to work were much higher than their current plan's.

"Aim your gun at me, Alex," she instructed out of a sudden.

"What?"

"Do it," she insisted. And he did. Because he trusted her.

Vasilisa raised both her hands, playing her role of the victim. And as she expected, her actions instantly drew the police's attention on them again. They heard the shouts coming from below but they ignored them.

"What are we doing?" Alex asked.

Vasilisa didn't give him a satisfying answer. "When the police are distracted, you run. All right?"

"Svetlana, what are you saying...?"

"Do you understand, Alex?" the girl repeated her question.

"Yes but–"

He never got to finish his sentence. As soon as Vasilisa headed toward the plank without giving any warnings beforehand, Alex shut up and yelled after her. He reached out for her, completely forgetting about the gun he was holding. He didn't even hear the others' shouts either. With his heart in his throat he ran to the plank which was now empty. Alex fell down and looked at the unfrozen ice below him. His eyes kept uncontrollably scanning the darkness to find a trace of the girl lost in the deep water somewhere. But he couldn't see anything.

The count started giving out orders to search for the girl. As much as he wanted to arrest the Ice Gang, Vasilisa was his priority. Every policeman carefully stepped on the ice, sweeping away the snow with their hands. Their task was even more complicated because they needed to watch out where they walked because they could end up very easily under the ice as well.

For a minute – even though it felt like an eternity – Alex had remained in his lying position on the wooden plank. He stared at the ice, still in shock caused by Vasilisa's actions. But then he remembered what she told him right before she jumped. She wanted him to run. She sacrificed her freedom – if not her life – so that he and their friends could get away.

With a set of curses leaving his mouth, he stood up and hurried to the spot where Alisa and Matvey escaped earlier. The flames were too close for his liking but this was the most secure way down. He grabbed the rope and jumped.

⋆·☪︎·⋆