Telling her she's not prepared to face something is like waving red in front of a bull. It only makes Zoya want to get to work even faster.

But she stays as calm as possible with a roll of her shoulders. Like a bull, Zoya wants to snap when Nikolai waves red in front of her face. Knowing her is different to telling her he knows her well. There are some things he needs to keep to himself!

"I'm not an idiot, Nikolai," she says evenly. No, she's hot-headed and ridiculously passionate. She looks at him, narrowing her eyes in a manner one could describe as playful. "Maybe what's out there should be afraid of me."