The dust from the collapsed chamber drifted slowly through the reinforced corridor like fog.
Vanessa leaned against the stone wall, breathing steadily as she listened to the sound of falling debris settling behind them.
Chunks of broken stone still rolled across the floor of the ruined room they had just escaped.
Marco coughed beside her, waving dust out of the air.
"Well," he said hoarsely, "that room was fun while it lasted."
Vanessa brushed stone powder from her sleeve.
"They didn't want the room."
Marco frowned.
"Then why destroy it?"
Vanessa looked toward the collapsed entrance.
"They wanted to remove our strongest defensive position."
Marco sighed.
"That's annoyingly smart."
Gale stood silently a few steps away, his eyes fixed on the rubble where the Circle soldiers had retreated.
His expression hadn't changed.
But Vanessa could tell he was recalculating the situation.
The mansion had been designed as a fortress.
