THE DOORS FLEW OPEN.ย I threw out my hands and let light blast into the passageway. A cry went up from the people lining the tunnel. Those who werenโt already kneeling fell to their knees, and a chorus of prayer washed over me.
โSpeak,โ I muttered to the Apparat as I bathed the supplicants in glowing sunlight. โAnd make it good.โ
โWe have faced a great trial this day,โ he declared hurriedly. โOur Saint has emerged from it stronger than before. Darkness came to this hallowed placeโโ
โI saw it!โ cried one of the Priestguards. โShadows climbed the wallsโโ โAbout thatโฆ,โ murmured Mal.
โLater.โ
โBut they were vanquished,โ continued the Apparat, โas they will always be vanquished. By faith!โ
I stepped forward. โAnd by power.โ
Again, I let light sweep through the passage, a blinding cascade. Most of these people had never seen what my power could truly do. Someone was weeping, and I heard my name, buried in the cries of โSankta! Sankta!โ
As I led the Apparat and the Priestguards through the White Cathedral, my mind was working, turning over options. Vladim went ahead of us, to see my orders done.
We finally had a chance to get free of this place. But what would it mean to leave the White Cathedral behind? Iโd be abandoning an army and leaving them in the Apparatโs care. And yet, there werenโt many options open to us. I needed to get aboveground. I needed the firebird.
Mal dispatched Tamar to rally the rest of the Soldat Sol and search out more working firearms. My control of the Priestguards was tenuous at best. In case of trouble, we wanted guns at the ready, and I hoped I could rely on the sun soldiers to stay loyal to me.
I escorted the Apparat to his quarters myself, Mal and Tolya trailing us.
At his door, I said, โIn one hour, weโll lead services together. Tonight, I leave with my Grisha and youโll sanction our departure.โ
โSol Koroleva,โ the Apparat whispered, โI urge you not to return to the surface so soon. The Darklingโs position is not a strong one. The Lantsov boy has few alliesโโ
โIโm his ally.โ
โHe abandoned you at the Little Palace.โ
โHeย survived, priest. Thatโs something you should understand.โ Nikolai had intended to get his family and Baghra to safety, then return to the fight. I could only hope heโd succeeded and that the rumors of him wreaking havoc on the northern border were true.
โLet them weaken each other, see which way the wind blowsโโ โI owe Nikolai Lantsov more than that.โ
โIs it loyalty that drives you? Or greed?โ pressed the Apparat. โThe amplifiers have waited countless years to be brought together, and you cannot wait a few more months?โ
My jaw clenched at the thought. I wasnโt sure what was driving me, if it was my need for vengeance or something higher, if it was hunger for the firebird or friendship with Nikolai. But it didnโt much matter. โThis is my war too,โ I said. โI wonโt hide like a lizard under a rock.โ
โI beg you to heed my words. I have done nothing but serve you faithfully.โ
โThe way you served the King? The way you served the Darkling?โ
โI am the voice of the people. They did not choose the Lantsov Kings or the Darkling. They chose you as their Saint, and they will love you as their Queen.โ
Even the sound of those words made me weary.
I glanced over my shoulder to where Mal and Tolya waited a respectful distance away. โDo you believe it?โ I asked the priest. The question had plagued me since Iโd first heard word of him gathering this cult. โDo you
really think Iโm a Saint?โ
โWhat I believe doesnโt matter,โ he replied. โThatโs what youโve never understood. Do you know theyโve started building altars to you in Fjerda? Inย Fjerda, where they burn Grisha at the stake. There is a fine line between fear and veneration, Alina Starkov. I can move that line. That is the prize I offer you.โ
โI donโt want it.โ
โBut you will have it. Men fight for Ravka because the King commands it, because their pay keeps their families from starving, because they have no choice. They will fight for you because to them you are salvation. They will starve for you, lay down their lives and their childrenโs lives for you. They will make war without fear and die rejoicing. There is no greater power than faith, and there will be no greater army than one driven by it.โ
โFaith didnโt protect your soldiers from theย nichevoโya. No amount of fanaticism will.โ
โYou see only war, but I see the peace that will come. Faith knows no border and no nationality. Love for you has taken root in Fjerda. The Shu will follow, then the Kerch. Our people will go forward and spread the word, not just through Ravka but through the world. This is the way to peace, Sankta Alina. Through you.โ
โThe cost is too high.โ
โWar is the price of change.โ
โAnd itโs ordinary people who pay it, peasants like me. Never men like you.โ
โWeโโ
I silenced him with a hand. I thought of the Darkling laying waste to an entire town, of Nikolaiโs brother Vasily commanding that the draft age be lowered. The Apparat claimed to speak for the people, but he was no different than the rest.
โKeep them safe, priestโthis flock, this army. Keep them fed. Keep marks off of the childrenโs faces and rifles out of their hands. You leave the rest to me.โ
โSankta Alinaโโ
I held open the door to his chamber. โWeโll pray together soon,โ I said. โBut I think you could use a head start.โ
* * *
MAL AND I LEFT the Apparat secured in his chambers and guarded by Tolyaโwith strict orders to make sure that the door stayed closed and that no one disturbed the priestโs prayers.
I suspected that the Apparat would soon have the Priestguards, maybe even Vladim, back under his control. But all we needed were a few hoursโ start. He was lucky I didnโt cram him into a damp corner of the archives.
When we finally arrived at my chamber, I found the narrow white room packed with Grisha and Vladim waiting at the door. My sleeping quarters were among the largest in the White Cathedral, but it was still a challenge to accommodate a group of twelve. No one looked too badly off. Nadiaโs lip was swollen, and Maxim was tending to a cut over Stiggโs eye. It was the first time weโd been allowed to gather underground, and there was something comforting about seeing Grisha crowded together and sprawled over the meager furniture.
Mal didnโt seem to agree. โWe might as well travel with a marching band,โ he grumbled under his breath.
โWhat the hell is going on?โ Sergei asked as soon as Iโd dismissed Vladim. โOne minute Iโm in the infirmary with Maxim, the next Iโm in a cell.โ He paced back and forth. There was a clammy sheen to his skin, and he had dark circles beneath his eyes.
โCalm down,โ said Tamar. โYouโre not behind bars now.โ
โI might as well be. Weโre all trapped down here. And that bastard is just looking for a chance to get rid of us.โ
โIf you want out of the caves, then this is your opportunity,โ I said. โWeโre leaving. Tonight.โ
โHow?โ Stigg asked.
By way of answer, I let sunlight flare for a brief, brilliant moment in my palmโproof that my power had ignited in me once more, even if that small gesture took more effort than it should.
The room erupted into whistles and cheers.
โYes, yes,โ said Zoya. โThe Sun Summoner can summon. And all it took was a few deaths and a minor explosion.โ
โYou blew something up?โ said Harshaw plaintively. โWithout me?โ
He was wedged up against the wall next to Stigg. Our two Inferni couldnโt
have looked more different. Stigg was short and stocky with nearly white blond hair. He had the solid, stubby appearance of a prayer candle. Harshaw was tall and rangy, his hair redder than Genyaโs, nearly the color of blood. A scrawny orange tabby had somehow made her way down to the bowels of the White Cathedral and taken a liking to him. She followed him everywhere, slinking between his legs or clinging to his shoulder.
โWhereย didย those blasting powders come from?โ I asked, perching next to Nadia and her brother on the edge of my bed.
โI made them when I was supposed to be making salve,โ said David. โJust like the Apparat said.โ
โRight under the noses of the Priestguards?โ
โItโs not as if they know anything about the Small Science.โ โWell, somebody must. You got caught.โ
โNot exactly,โ said Mal. Heโd stationed himself by the doorway with Tamar, each of them keeping an eye on the passage beyond.
โDavid knew we were meeting in the Kettle,โ said Genya, โand he guessed about the master flue.โ
David frowned. โI donโt guess.โ
โBut there was no way to get the powders out of the archives, not with the guards searching everything.โ
Tamar grinned. โSo we had the Apparat deliver it.โ
I stared at them in disbelief. โYou meant to get caught?โ
โTurns out the easiest way to schedule a meeting is to get arrested,โ said Zoya.
โDo you know how risky that was?โ
โBlame Oretsev,โ Zoya replied with a sniff. โIt was his idea of a brilliant plan.โ
โIt didย work,โ Genya observed.
Mal lifted a shoulder. โLike Sergei said, the Apparat was waiting for an opportunity to take us out of action. I figured weโd give him one.โ
โWe were just never sure when youโd be in the Kettle,โ Nadia said. โWhen you left the archives today, David claimed heโd forgotten something in his quarters and came by the training rooms to give us the signal. We knew the Apparat would be more likely to trust Tolya and Tamar, so they roughed us up a littleโโ
โA lot,โ put in Mal.
โThen they claimed to have discovered a devious plot involving a few wicked Grisha and one very gullible tracker.โ
Mal gave a mock salute.
โI was afraid heโd insist on putting everyone in the cells,โ said Tamar. โSo we claimed you were in immediate danger and that we had to get to the Kettle right away.โ
Nadia smiled. โAnd then we just hoped the whole kitchen wouldnโt fall in on us.โ
Davidโs frown deepened. โIt was a controlled blast. The odds that the caveโs structure would hold were well above average.โ
โAh. Above average,โ said Genya. โWhy didnโt you say so?โ โI just did.โ
โWhat about those shadows on the wall?โ asked Zoya. โWho pulled that off?โ
I tensed, unsure of what to say.
โI did it,โ said Mal. โWe rigged it as a distraction.โ
Sergei paced back and forth, cracking his knuckles. โYou should have told us about the plan. We deserved a warning.โ
โYou could have at least let me blow something up,โ added Harshaw.
Zoya gave an elaborate shrug. โIโmย soย sorry you felt excluded. Never mind how closely weโve been watched and that it was a miracle we werenโt found out. We definitely should have jeopardized the whole operation to spare your feelings.โ
I cleared my throat. โIn less than an hour, Iโll be leading services with the Apparat. Weโll leave directly after that, and I need to know whoโs going with me.โ
โAny chance youโre going to tell us where the third amplifier is?โ asked Zoya. Thus far, only the twins, Mal, and I knew where we hoped to find the firebird.ย And Nikolai,ย I reminded myself. Nikolai knew tooโif he was still alive.
Mal shook his head. โThe less you know, the safer weโll be.โ
โSo youโre not even telling us where weโre going?โ Sergei said sulkily. โNot quite. Weโre going to attempt to make contact with Nikolai Lantsov.โ โI think we should try Ryevost,โ said Tamar.
โGo to the river cities?โ I asked. โWhy?โ
โSturmhond had smuggling lines throughout Ravka. Itโs possible Nikolai is using them to get arms into the country.โ Tamar would know. She and Tolya had been trusted members of Sturmhondโs crew. โIf the rumors are true and heโs based somewhere in the north, then thereโs a good chance the drop point near Ryevost is active.โ
โThatโs a lot of maybe and not much more,โ Harshaw observed. Mal nodded. โTrue. But itโs our best lead.โ
โAnd if itโs a dead end?โ asked Sergei.
โWe split up,โ said Mal. โWe find a safe house where you can lie low, and I take a team to find the firebird.โ
โYouโre welcome to remain here,โ I said to the others. โI know the pilgrims arenโt friendly to Grisha, and after tonight, Iโm not sure how sentiment will change. But if weโre captured abovegroundโโ
โThe Darkling doesnโt deal kindly with traitors,โ finished Genya quietly. Everyone shifted uncomfortably, but I made myself meet her gaze. โNo.
He doesnโt.โ
โHeโs had his shot at me,โ she said. โIโm going.โ
Zoya smoothed the cuff of her coat. โWeโd move faster without you.โ โIโll keep up,โ Genya countered.
โSee that you do,โ said Mal. โWeโll be entering an area crawling with militias, not to mention the Darklingโsย oprichniki. Youโre recognizable,โ he said to Genya. โSo is Tolya, for that matter.โ
Tamarโs lips twitched. โWould you like to be the one to tell him he canโt come?โ
Mal considered this. โMaybe we can disguise him as a really big tree.โ
Adrik shot to his feet so fast he nearly bounced me from the bed. โSee you in an hour,โ he declared, as if daring anyone to argue. Nadia gave me a shrug as he marched out of the room. Adrik wasnโt much younger than the rest of us, but maybe because he was Nadiaโs little brother, he always seemed to be looking to prove himself.
โWell, Iโm going,โ said Zoya. โThe humidity down here is murder on my hair.โ
Harshaw rose and pushed off from the wall. โIโd prefer to stay,โ he said with a yawn. โBut Oncat says we go.โ He hefted the tabby onto his shoulder
with one hand.
โAre you ever going to name that thing?โ Zoya asked. โShe has a name.โ
โOncatย is not a name. Itโs just Kaelish for cat.โ โSuits her, doesnโt it?โ
Zoya rolled her eyes and flounced out the door, followed by Harshaw and then Stigg, who gave a polite bow and said, โIโll be ready.โ
The others trickled out after them. I suspected David would have preferred to remain at the White Cathedral, cloistered with Morozovaโs journals. But he was our only Fabrikator, and assuming we found the firebird, we would need him to forge the second fetter. Nadia seemed happy to go with her brother, though it was Tamar she grinned at on the way out. Iโd guessed that Maxim would choose to remain here at the infirmary, and Iโd been right. Maybe I could get Vladim and the other Priestguards to set an example for the pilgrims and take advantage of Maximโs skills as a Healer.
The only surprise was Sergei. Though the White Cathedral was miserable, damp, and dull, it was also relatively secure. As eager as Sergei had seemed to escape the Apparatโs grasp, I hadnโt been sure heโd want to take his chances with us aboveground. But heโd nodded tersely and simply stated, โIโll be there.โ Maybe we were all desperate for blue sky and a chance to feel free again, no matter the risk.
When they were gone, Mal sighed and said, โWell, it was worth a try.โ โAll that talk of militias,โ I said, realization dawning. โYou were trying to
scare them off.โ
โTwelve is too many. A group that big will slow us through the tunnels, and once weโre aboveground, theyโll put us at greater risk. As soon as we have a chance, weโll need to split up. Thereโs no way Iโm taking a dozen Grisha into the southern mountains.โ
โAll right,โ I said. โAssuming we can find a safe place for them.โ
โNo easy task, but weโll manage it.โ He moved toward the door. โIโll be back in a half hour to take you to the main cavern.โ
โMal,โ I said, โwhy did you step between me and the Priestguards?โ
He shrugged. โThose arenโt the first men Iโve killed. They wonโt be the last.โ
โYou kept me from using the Cut on them.โ
He didnโt look at me when he said, โYouโre going to be a queen someday, Alina. The less blood on your hands, the better.โ
The wordย queenย came so easily to his lips. โYou seem certain weโll find Nikolai.โ
โIโm certain weโll find the firebird.โ
โI need an army. The firebird may not be enough.โ I rubbed a hand over my eyes. โNikolai may not even be in Ravka.โ
โThe reports coming out of the northโโ
โCould be lies spread by the Darkling. โThe Prince of the Airโ might be a myth created to draw us out of hiding. Nikolai might never have made it out of the Grand Palace.โ It hurt me to say it, but I forced myself to speak the words. โHe could be dead.โ
โDo you believe that?โ โI donโt know.โ
โIf anyone could make that escape, itโs Nikolai.โ
The too-clever fox. Even once heโd abandoned his disguise as Sturmhond, thatโs who Nikolai had been to me, always thinking, always scheming. But he hadnโt predicted his brotherโs betrayal. He hadnโt seen the Darkling coming.
โAll right,โ I said, embarrassed by the quaver in my voice. โYou havenโt asked about the shadows.โ
โShould I?โ
I couldnโt resist. Maybe I wanted to see how he would react. I curled my fingers, and shadows unspooled from the corners.
Malโs eyes followed their progress. What did I expect to see in him? Fear?
Anger?
โCan you do more with it?โ he asked.
โNo. Itโs just some kind of remnant of what I did in the chapel.โ โYou mean saving all our lives?โ
I let the shadows fall and pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers, trying to stave off a rush of dizziness. โI mean usingย merzost.ย This isnโt real power. Itโs just a carnival trick.โ
โItโs something you took from him,โ he said. I didnโt think I imagined the satisfaction in his voice. โI wonโt say a word, but you shouldnโt hide it from the others.โ
I could worry about that later. โWhat if Nikolaiโs men arenโt in Ryevost?โ
โYou think I can track a giant mythic bird, but I canโt locate one loudmouthed prince?โ
โA prince whoโs managed to evade the Darkling for months.โ Mal studied me.
โAlina, do you know how I made that shot? Back in the Kettle?โ
โIf you say itโs because youโre just that good, Iโm going to take off my boot and beat you with it.โ
โWell, Iย amย that good,โ he said with a faint grin. โBut I had David put a beetle in the pouch.โ
โWhy?โ
โTo make aiming easier. All I had to do was track it.โ My brows rose. โNow,ย thatโsย an impressive trick.โ
He shrugged. โItโs the only one I know. If Nikolaiโs alive, weโll find him.โ He paused, then added, โI wonโt fail you again.โ He turned to go, but before he shut the door, he said, โTry to rest. Iโll be outside if you need me.โ
I stood there for a long moment. I wanted to tell him that he hadnโt failed me, but that wasnโt quite true. Iโd lied to him about the visions that plagued me. Heโd pushed me away when Iโd needed him most. Maybe weโd both asked each other to give up too much. Fair or not, I felt like Mal had turned his back on me, and some part of me resented him for it.
I glanced around the empty room. It had been disconcerting to see so many people crammed in here. How well did I know any of them? Harshaw and Stigg were a few years older than the others, Grisha who had made their way to the Little Palace after theyโd heard the Sun Summoner had returned. They were practically strangers to me. The twins believed I was blessed by divine power. Zoya followed me only grudgingly. Sergei was falling apart, and I knew he probably blamed me for Marieโs death. Nadia might too. Sheโd grieved more quietly, but theyโd been best friends.
And Mal. I supposed weโd made a kind of peace, but it wasnโt an easy one. Or maybe we had just accepted what I would become, that our paths would inevitably diverge.ย Youโre going to be a queen someday, Alina.
I knew I should at least try to sleep for a few minutes, but my mind wouldnโt slow down. My body was thrumming with the power Iโd used and eager for more.
I glanced at the door, wishing it had a lock. There was something I wanted
to try. Iโd attempted it a few times and never managed anything more than a headache. It was dangerous, probably stupid, but now that my power had returned, I wanted to try again.
I kicked off my boots and lay back on the narrow bed. I closed my eyes, felt the collar at my throat, the scales at my wrist, the presence of my power inside me like the beat of my heart. I felt the wound at my shoulder, the dark knot of scars made by the Darklingโsย nichevoโya.ย It had strengthened the bond between us, giving him access to my mind as the collar had given him access to my power. In the chapel, I had used that connection against him and almost destroyed both of us in the process. I was foolish to test it now. Still, I was tempted. If the Darkling had access to that power, why shouldnโt I? It was a chance to glean information, to understand the way the bond between us functioned.
It wonโt work,ย I reassured myself.ย Youโll try, youโll fail, youโll have a little nap.
I slowed my breathing, letting power course through me. I thought of the Darkling, of the shadows I could bend to my fingers, of the collar around my neck that he had placed there, the fetter at my wrist that had separated me irrevocably from any other Grisha and truly set me on this path.
Nothing happened. I was lying on my back in a bed in the White Cathedral. I hadnโt gone anywhere. I was alone in a vacant room. I blinked up at the damp ceiling. It was better that way. At the Little Palace, my isolation had nearly destroyed me, but that was because I had hungered for something else, for the sense of belonging Iโd been chasing my whole life. Iโd buried that need in the ruins of a chapel. Now I would think in terms of alliance instead of affection, of who and what would make me strong enough for this fight.
Iโd contemplated killing the Apparat today; Iโd burned my mark into Vladimโs flesh. Iโd told myself I had to, but the girl Iโd been never would have considered such things. I hated the Darkling for what heโd done to Baghra and Genya, but was I so different? And when the third amplifier was around my wrist, would I be different at all?
Maybe not, I conceded, and with that admission came the barest tremorโa vibration moving over the connection between us, an answering echo at the other end of an invisible tether.
It called to me through the collar at my neck and the bite at my shoulder,
amplified by the fetter at my wrist, a bond forged byย merzostย and the dark poison in my blood.ย You called to me, and I answered.ย I felt myself drawn upward, out of myself, speeding toward him. Maybe this was what Mal felt when he trackedโthe distant pull of the other, a presence that demanded attention even if it couldnโt be seen or touched.
One moment I was floating in the darkness of my closed eyes, and the next I was standing in a brightly lit room. Everything around me was blurry, but I recognized this place just the same: I was in the throne room at the Grand Palace. People were talking. It was as if they were underwater. I heard noise but not words.
I knew the moment the Darkling saw me. He came into sharp focus, though the room around him remained a murky blur.
His self-control was so great that no one near him would have noticed the fleeting look of shock that passed over his perfect features. But I saw his gray eyes widen, his chest lock as his breath caught. His fingers clenched the arms of his chairโno, his throne. Then he relaxed, nodding along to whatever the person before him was saying.
I waited, watching. Heโd fought for that throne, endured hundreds of years of battle and servitude to claim it. I had to admit it suited him well. Some petty part of me had hoped Iโd find him weakened, his black hair turned to white like mine. But whatever damage Iโd done to him that night in the chapel, heโd recovered better than I had.
When the murmur of the supplicantโs voice cut off, the Darkling rose. The throne faded into the background, and I realized that the things closest to him looked the clearest, as if he were the lens through which I was seeing the world.
โI will take it under advisement,โ he said, voice cool as cut glass, so familiar. โNow leave me.โ He gave a brusque wave. โAll of you.โ
Did his lackeys exchange baffled glances or simply bow and depart? I couldnโt tell. He was already moving down the stairs, his gaze fastened on me. My heart clenched, and a single clear word reverberated in my mind:ย run.ย Iโd been mad to attempt this, to seek him out. But I didnโt move. I didnโt release the tether.
Someone approached him, and when he was just inches from the Darkling, he came into clearer focusโred Grisha robes, a face I didnโt recognize. I
could even make out his words: โโฆ the matter of signatures forโฆโ Then the Darkling cut him off.
โLater,โ he said sharply, and the Corporalnik skittered away.
The room emptied of sound and movement, and all the while, the Darkling kept his eyes on me. He crossed the parquet floor. With each step, the polished wood came into focus beneath his boot, then faded away again.
I had the strange sensation of lying on my bed in the White Cathedral and being here, in the throne room, standing in a warm square of sunlight.
He stopped before me, his eyes studying my face. What did he see there? He had come to me unscarred in my visions. Did he see me healthy and whole, my hair brown, my eyes bright? Or did he see the little mushroom girl, pale and gray, battered by our fight in the chapel, weakened by life underground?
โIf only Iโd known youโd prove such an apt pupil.โ His voice was genuinely admiring, almost surprised. To my horror, I found that pathetic orphaned part of me taking pleasure in his praise. โWhy come to me now?โ he asked. โHas it taken you this long to recover from our skirmish?โ
If that had been a mere skirmish, then we really were lost.ย No,ย I told myself. Heโd chosen that word deliberately, to intimidate me.
I ignored his question and said, โI didnโt expect compliments.โ โNo?โ
โI left you buried beneath a pile of rubble.โ โAnd if I told you I respect your ruthlessness?โ โI donโt think Iโd believe you.โ
The barest smile touched his lips. โAn apt pupil,โ he repeated. โWhy waste my anger on you when the fault is mine? I should have anticipated another betrayal from you, one more mad grasp at some kind of childish ideal. But I seem to be a victim of my own wishes where you are concerned.โ His expression hardened. โWhat have you come here for, Alina?โ
I answered him honestly. โI wanted to see you.โ
I caught the briefest glimpse of surprise before his face shuttered again. โThere are two thrones on that dais. You could see me anytime you liked.โ
โYouโre offering me a crown? After I tried to kill you?โ He shrugged again. โI might have done the same.โ
โI doubt it.โ
โNot to save that motley of traitors and fanatics, no. But I understand the desire to remain free.โ
โAnd still you tried to make me a slave.โ
โI sought Morozovaโs amplifiersย for you, Alina, that we might rule as equals.โ
โYou tried to take my power for your own.โ
โAfter you ran from me. After you choseโโ He stopped, shrugged. โWe would have ruled as equals in time.โ
I felt that pull, the longing of a frightened girl. Even now, after everything heโd done, I wanted to believe the Darkling, to find some way to forgive him. I wanted Nikolai to be alive. I wanted to trust the other Grisha. I wanted to believe anything so that I wouldnโt have to face the future alone.ย The problem with wanting is that it makes us weak.ย A laugh escaped me before I thought better of it.
โWe would be equals until the day I dared to disagree with you, until the moment I questioned your judgment or didnโt do as I was bid. Then you would deal with me the way you dealt with Genya and your mother, the way you tried to deal with Mal.โ
He leaned against the window, and the gilded frame came into sharp focus. โDo you think it would be any different with your tracker beside you? With that Lantsov pup?โ
โYes,โ I said simply.
โBecause you would be the strong one?โ โBecause theyโre better men than you.โ โYou might make me a better man.โ โAnd you might make me a monster.โ
โIโve never understood this taste forย otkazatโsya.ย Is it because you thought you were one of them for so long?โ
โI had a taste for you, once.โ His head snapped up. He hadnโt expected that. Saints, it was satisfying. โWhy havenโt you visited me?โ I asked. โIn all these long months?โ
He stayed silent.
โThere was barely a day at the Little Palace when you didnโt come to me,โ I continued. โWhen I didnโt see you in some shadowed corner. I thought I was going mad.โ
โGood.โ
โI think youโre afraid.โ
โHow comforting that must be for you.โ
โI think you fear this thing that binds us.โ It didnโt frighten me. Not anymore. I took a slow step forward. He tensed but did not move away.
โI am ancient, Alina. I know things about power that you can barely guess at.โ
โBut itโs not just power, is it?โ I said quietly, remembering the way he had toyed with me when Iโd first arrived at the palaceโeven before, from the first moment weโd met. Iโd been a lonely girl, desperate for attention. I must have given him so little sport.
I took another step. He stilled. Our bodies were almost touching now. I reached up and cupped his cheek with my hand. This time the flash of confusion on his face was impossible to miss. He held himself frozen, his only movement the steady rise and fall of his chest. Then, as if in concession, he let his eyes close. A line appeared between his brows.
โItโs true,โ I said softly. โYou are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience.โ I leaned forward and whispered, my lips brushing the shell of his ear. โBut I am an apt pupil.โ
His eyes flew open. I caught the briefest glimpse of rage in his gray gaze before I severed the connection.
I scattered, hurtling back to the White Cathedral, leaving him with nothing but the memory of light.