SERGEI LEFT THAT NIGHTย on theย Ibis, the cargo barge that had been pressed into service while theย Pelicanย was being repaired. Nikolai had offered him a place at a quiet way station near Duva where he could recuperate and be of some help to the smugglers passing through. Heโd even offered to let Sergei wait and take shelter in West Ravka, but Sergei had simply been too anxious to leave.
The next morning, Nikolai and I met with Mal and the twins to figure out the logistics of pursuing the firebird in the southern Sikurzoi. The rest of the Grisha didnโt know the location of the third amplifier, and we intended to keep it that way as long as we could.
Nikolai had spent the better part of two nights studying Morozovaโs journals, and he was just as concerned as I was, convinced that there must be books missing or in the Darklingโs possession. He wanted me to pressure Baghra, but I had to be careful how I approached the subject. If I provoked her, weโd have no new information and sheโd stop my lessons.
โItโs not just that the books are unfinished,โ Nikolai said. โDoes Morozova strike anyone as a little โฆ eccentric?โ
โIf by eccentric you mean insane, then yes,โ I admitted. โIโm hoping he can be crazyย andย right.โ
Nikolai contemplated the map tacked to the wall. โAnd this is still our only clue?โ He tapped a nondescript valley on the southern border. โThatโs a lot riding on two skinny pieces of rock.โ
The unmarked valley was Dva Stolba, home to the settlements where Mal and I had been born, and named for the ruins that stood at its southern entranceโslender, wind-eroded spires that someone had decided were the
remnants of two mills. But we believed they were actually the ruins of an ancient arch, a signpost to the firebird, the last of Ilya Morozovaโs amplifiers.
โThereโs an abandoned copper mine located at Murin,โ said Nikolai. โYou can land theย Bitternย there and enter the valley on foot.โ
โWhy not fly right into the Sikurzoi?โ Mal asked.
Tamar shook her head. โCould be tricky maneuvering. There are fewer landing sites, and the terrain is a lot more dangerous.โ
โAll right,โ agreed Mal. โThen we set down in Murin and come over the Jidkova Pass.โ
โWe should have good cover,โ Tolya said. โNevsky claims a lot of people are traveling through the border cities, trying to get out of Ravka before winter arrives and the mountains become impossible to cross.โ
โHow long will it take you to find the firebird?โ Nikolai asked. Everyone turned to Mal.
โNo way of knowing,โ he said. โIt took me months to find the stag. Hunting the sea whip took less than a week.โ He kept his eyes on the map, but I could feel the memory of those days rising up between us. Weโd spent them in the icy waters of the Bone Road with the threat of torture hanging over us. โThe Sikurzoi cover a lot of territory. We need to get moving as quickly as possible.โ
โHave you chosen your crew?โ Nikolai asked Tamar.
She had practically broken into a dance when he suggested that she captain theย Bitternย and had immediately set about getting familiar with the ship and its requirements.
โZoya isnโt great at working in a team,โ Tamar replied, โbut we need Squallers, and she and Nadia are our best options. Stiggโs not bad with the lines, and it canโt hurt to have at least one Inferni on board. We should be able to do a test run tomorrow.โ
โYouโd move faster with an experienced crew.โ
โI added one of your Tidemakers and a Fabrikator to the roster,โ she said. โIโd feel better using our people for the rest.โ
โThe rogues are loyal.โ
โMaybe so,โ Tamar replied. โBut we work well together.โ
With a start, I realized she was right.ย Our people.ย When had that happened? In the journey from the White Cathedral? The cave-in? The
moment when weโd faced down Nikolaiโs guards and then a king?
Our little group was splitting up, and I didnโt like it. Adrik was furious at being left behind, and I was going to miss him. Iโd even miss Harshaw and Oncat. But the hardest part would be saying goodbye to Genya. Between crew and supplies, theย Bitternย was already weighted down, and there was no reason for her to come with us into the Sikurzoi. And though we needed a Materialnik with us to form the second fetter, Nikolai felt Davidโs best use was here, putting his mind to the war effort. Instead, weโd take Irina, the rogue Fabrikator who had forged the cuff of scales around my wrist back on theย Volkvolny.ย David was happy with the decision, and Genya had taken the news better than I had.
โYou mean I donโt get to go tromping through a dusty mountain range with Zoya complaining all the way and Tolya regaling me with the Second Tale of Kregi?โ Sheโd laughed. โIโm crushed.โ
โWill you be all right here?โ Iโd asked.
โI think so. I canโt believe Iโm saying this, but Nikolai is growing on me.
Heโs nothing like his father. And the man can dress.โ
She was certainly right about that. Even on a mountaintop, Nikolaiโs boots were always polished, his uniform immaculate.
โIf everything goes well,โ said Tamar, โwe should be ready to leave by weekโs end.โ
I felt a surge of satisfaction and had to resist the urge to rub the bare spot on my wrist. But then Nikolai cleared his throat. โAbout that โฆ Alina, I wonder if you might consider a slight detour.โ
I frowned. โWhat kind of a detour?โ
โThe alliance with West Ravka is still new. Theyโre going to be feeling pressure from Fjerda to open the Fold to the Darkling. It would mean a great deal for them to see what a Sun Summoner can do. While the others start scouting the Sikurzoi, I thought we might attend a few state dinners, shear off the top of a mountain range, put their minds at ease. I can take you to join the others in the mountains on the way back from Os Kervo. Like Mal said, they have a lot of territory to cover, and the delay would be negligible.โ
For a moment, I thought Mal might speak up about the need to get in and out of the Sikurzoi before the first snowfalls came, about the danger of any delay at all. Instead, he rolled up the map on the desk and said, โSeems wise.
Tolya can go as Alinaโs guard. I need practice on the lines.โ
I ignored the twist my heart gave. This was what I wanted. โOf course,โ I said.
If Nikolai had been anticipating an argument, he hid it well. โExcellent,โ he replied, slapping his hands together. โLetโs talk about your wardrobe.โ
* * *
AS IT TURNED OUT, we had more than a few other issues to handle before Nikolai could bury me in silks. He had agreed to send theย Pelicanย to Keramzin once it returned, but that was just the first item on the agenda. By the time we were done talking about munitions and storm patterns and wet weather gear, it was well past noon and everyone was ready for a break.
Most of the troops ate together in a makeshift mess hall that had been set up on the western side of the Spinning Wheel, beneath the looming watch of the Three Foolish Sons and the Bear. I didnโt feel much like company, so I grabbed a roll doused in caraway seeds and some hot tea brimming with sugar and walked out to the southern terrace.
It was bitterly cold. The sky was bright blue, and the afternoon sun made deep shadows in the cloud bank. I sipped my tea, listening to the sound of the wind rushing in my ears as it ruffled the fur around my face. To my right and left, I could see the spikes of the eastern and western terraces. In the distance, the stump of the mountaintop Iโd severed was already covered in snow.
Given time, I was sure Baghra could teach me to push my power further, but she would never help me masterย merzost,ย and on my own, I had no idea where to begin. I remembered the feeling Iโd had in the chapel, the sense of connection and disintegration, the horror of feeling my life torn from me, the thrill of seeing my creatures come into being. But without the Darkling, I couldnโt find my way into that power, and I couldnโt be sure the firebird would change that. Maybe it was simply easier for him. Heโd once told me he had far more practice with eternity. How many lives had the Darkling taken? How many lives had he lived? Maybe after all this time, life and death looked different to himโsmall and unmysterious, something to be used.
With one hand, I called the light, letting it slide over my fingers in lazy rays. It burned through the clouds, revealing more of the jagged, ruthless cliffs of the mountain range below. I set my glass down and leaned over the
wall to look at the stone steps carved into the side of the mountain beneath us. Tamar claimed that in ancient times, pilgrims had made the climb on their knees.
โIf youโre going to jump, at least give me time to compose a ballad in your honor,โ said Nikolai. I turned to see him striding onto the terrace, blond hair shining. Heโd thrown on an elegant greatcoat of army drab, marked with the golden double eagle. โSomething with lots of sad fiddle and a verse devoted to your love of herring.โ
โIf I wait, I may have to hear you sing it.โ
โI happen to have a more than passable baritone. And whatโs the rush? Is it my cologne?โ
โYou donโt wear cologne.โ
โI have such a naturally delightful scent that it seems like overkill. But if you have a penchant for it, Iโll start.โ
I wrinkled my nose. โNo, thank you.โ
โI shall obey you in all things. Especially after that demonstration,โ he said with a nod to the lopped-off mountain. โAnytime you want me to take off my hat, please just ask.โ
โLooks impressive, doesnโt it?โ I said with a sigh. โBut the Darkling learned at Baghraโs knee. Heโs had hundreds of years to master his power. Iโve had less than one.โ
โI have a gift for you.โ โIs it the firebird?โ
โWas that what you wanted? Should have told me sooner.โ He reached into his pocket and placed something atop the wall.
Light glinted off an emerald ring. The lush green stone at its center was bigger than my thumbnail and surrounded by stars of tiny diamonds.
โUnderstatement is overrated,โ I said on a shaky breath.
โI love it when you quote me.โ Nikolai tapped the ring. โConsole yourself knowing that, should you ever punch me while wearing it, youโll probably take my eye out. And Iโd very much like you to. Wear it, that is. Not punch me.โ
โWhere did you get this thing?โ
โMy mother gave it to me before she left. Itโs the Lantsov emerald. She was wearing it at my birthday dinner the night we were attacked. Curiously
enough, that was not the worst birthday Iโve had.โ โNo?โ
โWhen I was ten, my parents hired aย clown.โ
Tentatively, I reached out and picked up the ring. โHeavy,โ I said. โA mere boulder, really.โ
โDid you tell your mother you planned to give it to a common orphan?โ โShe did most of the talking,โ he said. โShe wanted to tell me about
Magnus Opjer.โ โWho?โ
โA Fjerdan ambassador, quite a sailor, made his money in shipping.โ Nikolai looked out at the cloud bank. โAlso my father, apparently.โ
I wasnโt sure whether to offer congratulations or condolences. Nikolai talked about the conditions of his birth easily enough, but I knew he felt the sting of it more deeply than he admitted.
โItโs strange to actually know,โ he continued. โI think some part of me always hoped the rumors were just that.โ
โYouโll still make a great king.โ
โOf course I will,โ he scoffed. โIโm melancholy, not daft.โ He brushed an invisible piece of lint from his sleeve. โI donโt know if sheโll ever forgive me for sending her into exile, especially to the Colonies.โ
Was it harder to lose a mother or to simply never know one? Either way, I felt for him. Heโd lost his family piece by pieceโfirst his brother, now his parents. โIโm sorry, Nikolai.โ
โWhat is there to be sorry about? Iโve finally gotten what I wanted. The King has stepped down, the path to the throne is clear. If there werenโt an all- powerful dictator and his monstrous horde to attend to, Iโd be opening a bottle of champagne.โ
Nikolai could be as glib as he wanted. I knew this wasnโt how heโd imagined assuming leadership of Ravkaโhis brother murdered, his father brought low by the sordid accusations of a servant.
โWhen will you take the crown?โ I asked.
โNot until weโve won. Iโll be crowned in Os Alta or not at all. And the first step is consolidating our alliance with West Ravka.โ
โHence the ring?โ
โHence the ring.โ He smoothed the edge of his lapel and said, โYou know,
you could have told me about Genya.โ
I felt a wash of guilt. โI was trying to protect her. Not enough people have done that.โ
โI donโt want lies between us, Alina.โ Was he thinking of his fatherโs crimes? His motherโs dalliance? Still, he wasnโt quite being fair.
โHow many lies have you told me,ย Sturmhond?โ I gestured to the Spinning Wheel. โHow many secrets have you kept until you were ready to share them?โ
He tucked his hands behind his back, looking distinctly uncomfortable. โPrinceโs prerogative?โ
โIf a mere prince gets a pass, so does a living Saint.โ
โAre you going to make a habit of winning arguments? Itโs very unbecoming.โ
โWas this an argument?โ
โObviously not. I donโt lose arguments.โ Then he peered over the side. โSaints, is he running the ice stairs?โ
I squinted through the mist. Sure enough, someone was making his way up the narrow, zigzagging steps along the cliff side, his breath pluming in the icy air. It took me only a moment to realize it was Mal, head bent, pack on his shoulders.
โLooks โฆ bracing. If he keeps this up, I may actually have to start exerting myself.โ Nikolaiโs tone was light, but I could feel his clever hazel eyes on me. โAssuming we best the Darkling, as Iโm sure we will, does Mal plan to stay on as the captain of your guard?โ
I caught myself before I could rub my thumb over the scar on my palm.
โI donโt know.โ Despite everything that had happened, I wanted to keep Mal near. That wouldnโt be fair to either of us. I made myself say, โI think it might be better if he was reassigned. Heโs good in combat, but heโs a better tracker.โ
โYou know he wonโt take a commission away from the fighting.โ
โDo what you think is best.โ The pain was like a slender knife gliding right between my ribs. I was cutting Mal out of my life, but my voice was steady. Nikolai had taught me well. I tried to hand the ring back. โI canโt accept this. Not now.โ Maybe not ever.
โKeep it,โ he said, curling my fingers over the emerald. โA privateer learns
to press any advantage.โ โAnd a prince?โ
โPrinces get used to the wordย yes.โ
* * *
WHEN I GOT BACK to my room that evening, Nikolai had more surprises waiting. I hesitated, then turned on my heel and marched down the corridor to where the other girls were lodged. For a long second, I just stood there, feeling shy and foolish, then I forced myself to knock.
Nadia answered. Behind her, I saw Tamar had come to visit and was sharpening her axes by the window. Genya sat at the table, sewing gold thread around another eye patch, and Zoya was lounging on one of the beds, keeping a feather aloft with a gust from her fingertips.
โI need to show you something,โ I said.
โWhat is it?โ asked Zoya, keeping her eyes on the feather. โJust come and see.โ
She rolled herself off the bed with an exasperated sigh. I led them down the hallway to my room, and threw open the door.
Genya dove into the pile of gowns laid out on my bed. โSilk!โ she moaned. โVelvet!โ
Zoya picked up aย keftaย hanging over the back of my chair. It was gold brocade, the sleeves and hem embroidered lavishly in blue, the cuffs marked with jeweled sunbursts. โSable,โ she said to me, stroking the lining. โI have never loathed you more.โ
โThat oneโs mine,โ I said. โBut the rest are up for grabs. I canโt wear all of them in West Ravka.โ
โDid Nikolai have these made for you?โ Nadia asked. โHeโs not a big believer in half measures.โ
โAre you sure he wants you giving them away?โ
โLending,โ I corrected. โAnd if he doesnโt like it, he can learn to leave more careful instructions.โ
โItโs smart,โ Tamar said, tossing a teal cape over her shoulders and looking at herself in the mirror. โHe needs to look like a King, and you need to look like a Queen.โ
โThereโs something else,โ I said. Again, I felt that shyness creep over me. I
still didnโt quite know how to behave around the other Grisha. Were they friends? Subjects? This was new territory. But I didnโt want to be alone in my room with nothing but my thoughts and a pile of dresses for company.
I took out Nikolaiโs ring and set it on the table.
โSaints,โ breathed Genya. โThatโs the Lantsov emerald.โ
It seemed to glow in the lamplight, the tiny diamonds twinkling around it. โDid he just give it to you? To keep?โ asked Nadia.
Genya seized my arm. โDid he propose?โ โNot exactly.โ
โHe might as well have,โ Genya said. โThat ring is an heirloom. The Queen wore it everywhere, even to sleep.โ
โToss him over,โ Zoya said. โBreak his heart cruelly. I will gladly give our poor prince comfort, and I would make a magnificent queen.โ
I laughed. โYou actually might, Zoya. If you could stop being horrible for a minute.โ
โWith that kind of incentive, I can manage a minute. Possibly two.โ I rolled my eyes. โItโs just a ring.โ
Zoya sighed and held the emerald up so it flashed. โIย amย horrible,โ she said abruptly. โAll these people dead, and I miss pretty things.โ
Genya bit her lip, then blurted, โI miss almondย kulich. And butter, and the cherry jam the cooks used to bring back from the market in Balakirev.โ
โI miss the sea,โ said Tamar, โand my hammock aboard theย Volkvolny.โ
โI miss sitting by the lake at the Little Palace,โ Nadia put in. โDrinking my tea, everything feeling peaceful.โ
Zoya looked at her boots and said, โI miss knowing what happens next.โ โMe too,โ I confessed.
Zoya set the ring down. โWill you say yes?โ โHe didnโt actually propose.โ
โBut he will.โ
โMaybe. I donโt know.โ
She gave a disgusted snort. โI lied.ย Nowย I have never loathed you more.โ โIt would be something special,โ said Tamar, โto have a Grisha on the
throne.โ
โSheโs right,โ added Genya. โTo be the ones to rule, instead of just to serve.โ
They wanted a Grisha queen. Mal wanted a commoner queen. And what did I want? Peace for Ravka. A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. An end to the guilt and dread that I woke to every morning. There were old wants too, to be loved for who I was, not what I could do, to lie in a meadow with a boyโs arms around me and watch the wind move the clouds. But those dreams belonged to a girl, not to the Sun Summoner, not to a Saint.
Zoya sniffed, settling a seed pearlย kokochnikย atop her hair. โI still say it should be me.โ
Genya tossed a velvet slipper at her. โThe day I curtsy to you is the day David performs an opera naked in the middle of the Shadow Fold.โ
โLike Iโd have you in my court.โ
โYou should be so lucky. Come here. That headpiece is completely crooked.โ
I picked up the ring again, turning it over in my hand. I couldnโt quite bring myself to put it on.
Nadia bumped my shoulder with her own. โThere are worse things than a prince.โ
โTrue.โ
โBetter things too,โ Tamar said. She shoved a cobalt lace gown at Nadia. โTry this one on.โ
Nadia held it up. โAre you out of your head? The bodice might as well be cut to the navel.โ
Tamar grinned. โExactly.โ
โWell, Alina canโt wear it,โ said Zoya. โEven sheโll fall right out of it onto her dessert plate.โ
โDiplomacy!โ shouted Tamar.
Nadia collapsed into giggles. โWest Ravka declares for the Sun Summonerโs bosom!โ
I tried to scowl, but I was laughing too hard. โI hope youโre all enjoying yourselves.โ
Tamar hooked a scarf over Nadiaโs neck and drew her in for a kiss.
โOh, for Saintsโ sake,โ complained Zoya. โIs everyone pairing up now?โ
Genya snickered. โTake heart. Iโve seen Stigg casting mournful glances your way.โ
โHeโs Fjerdan,โ Zoya said. โThatโs the only kind of glance he has. And I
can arrange my own assignations, thank you very much.โ
We sorted through the trunks of clothes, choosing the gowns, coats, and jewels best suited to the trip. Nikolai had been strategic, as always. Each dress was wrought in shades of blue and gold. I wouldnโt have minded some variety, but this trip was about performance, not pleasure.
The girls stayed until the lamps burned low, and I was grateful for their company. But when theyโd claimed the dresses they liked, and the rest of the finery had been wrapped and returned to the trunks, they said their goodnights.
I picked up the ring from the table, feeling the absurd weight of it in my palm.
Soon theย Kingfisherย would return and Nikolai and I would leave for West Ravka. By then, Mal and his team would be on their way to the Sikurzoi. That was the way it should be. Iโd hated life at court, but Mal had despised it. Heโd be just as miserable standing guard at banquets in Os Kervo.
If I was honest with myself, I could see that heโd flourished since weโd left the Little Palace, even underground. He had become a leader in his own right, found a new sense of purpose. I couldnโt say he seemed happy, but maybe that would come in time, with peace, with a chance for a future.
We would find the firebird. We would face the Darkling. Maybe weโd even win. I would put on Nikolaiโs ring, and Mal would be reassigned. He would have the life he should have had, that he might have had without me. So why did that knife between my ribs keep twisting?
I lay down on my bed, starlight pouring through the window, the emerald clutched in my hand.
Later, I could never be sure if Iโd done it deliberately, or if it was an accident, my bruised heart plucking at that invisible tether. Maybe I was just too tired to resist his pull. I found myself in a blurry room, staring at the Darkling.