THE WHOLE CAVERN SHOOK.ย Little rivulets of pebbles clattered down on us.
Mal was beside me in an instant. He yanked me away from the falling rock as Zoya bracketed my other side.
โLights out!โ Mal shouted. โPacks off.โ
We shoved our packs against the walls as a kind of buttress, then doused the lanterns in case the sparks set off another explosion.
Boom. Above us? North of us? It was hard to tell.
Long seconds passed.ย Boom. This one was closer, louder. Rocks and soil rained down on our bent heads.
โHe found us,โ moaned Sergei, his voice ragged with fear.
โHe couldnโt have,โ Zoya protested. โEven the Apparat didnโt know where we were headed.โ
Mal shifted slightly. I heard the smatter of pebbles. โItโs a random attack,โ he said.
Genyaโs voice trembled when she whispered, โThat cat is bad luck.โ
Boom.ย Loud enough to rattle my jaw. โMetan yez,โ said David. Marsh gas.
I smelled it a second later, peaty and foul. If there were Inferni above us, a spark would follow and blow us all to bits. Someone started crying.
โSquallers,โ commanded Mal, โsend it east.โ How could he sound so calm?
I felt Zoya move, then the rush of air as she and the others drove the gas away from us.
Boom.ย It was hard to breathe. The space seemed too small. โOh, Saints,โ Sergei quavered.
โI see flame!โ Tolya shouted.
โSend it east,โ repeated Mal, voice steady. Theย whooshย of Squaller wind followed. Malโs body was braced next to mine. My hand snaked out, seeking his. Our fingers twined together. I heard a small sob from my other side, and I reached for Zoyaโs free hand, taking it in mine.
BOOM.ย This time the whole tunnel roared with the sound of falling rock. I heard people shouting in the dark. Dust filled my lungs.
When the noise stopped, Mal said, โNo lanterns. Alina, we need light.โ It was a struggle, but I found a thread of sunlight and let it blossom through the tunnel. We were all covered in dust, eyes wide and frightened. I did a quick tally: Mal, Genya, David, Zoya, Nadia, and HarshawโOncat tucked into his shirt.
โTolya?โ shouted Mal.
Nothing. Then, โWeโre all right.โ
Tolyaโs voice came from behind the wall of fallen rock blocking the tunnel, but it was strong and clear. I pressed my head to my knees in relief.
โWhereโs my brother?โ yelled Nadia.
โHeโs here with me and Tamar,โ Tolya replied. โSergei and Stigg?โ I asked.
โI donโt know.โ
Saints.
We waited for anotherย boom,ย for the rest of the tunnel to come down on top of us. When nothing happened, we started scrabbling toward Tolyaโs voice as he and Tamar dug from the other side. In a matter of moments, we saw their hands, then their dirty faces staring back at us. They scooted into our section of the tunnel. As soon as Adrik dropped his hands, the ceiling above where he and the twins had been standing collapsed in a billow of dust and rock. He was shaking badly.
โYou held the cave?โ Zoya asked.
Tolya nodded. โHe made a bubble as soon as we heard that last boom.โ โHuh,โ Zoya said to Adrik. โIโm impressed.โ
At the elation that burst over his face, she groaned. โNever mind. Iโm downgrading that to grudging approval.โ
โSergei?โ I called. โStigg?โ Silence, the shift of gravel.
โLet me try something,โ said Zoya. She raised her hands. I heard a crackling in my ears, and the air seemed to grow damp. โSergei?โ she said. Her voice sounded weirdly distant.
Then I heard Sergeiโs voice, weak and trembling, but clear, as if he were speaking right beside me. โHere,โ he panted.
Zoya flexed her fingers, making adjustments, and called to Sergei again.
This time, when he replied, David said, โIt sounds like itโs coming from below us.โ
โMaybe not,โ Zoya replied. โThe acoustics can be misleading.โ
Mal moved farther down the passage. โNo, heโs right. The floor in their segment of the tunnel must have collapsed.โ
It took us nearly two hours to find them and dig them outโTolya hefting soil, Mal calling directions, the Squallers stabilizing the sides of the tunnel with air as I maintained a dim illumination, the others forming a line to move rocks and sand.
When we found Stigg and Sergei, they were covered in mud and nearly comatose.
โLowered our pulses,โ Sergei mumbled groggily. โSlow respiration. Use less air.โ
Tolya and Tamar brought them back, raising their heart rates and flushing their lungs with oxygen.
โDidnโt think youโd come,โ slurred a still-bleary Stigg.
โWhy?โ cried Genya, gently brushing the dirt from around his eyes. โHe wasnโt sure that youโd care,โ said Harshaw from behind me.
There were mumbled protests and some guilty looks. I did think of Stigg and Harshaw as outsiders. And Sergei โฆ well โฆ Sergei had been lost for a while now. None of us had done a very good job of reaching out to them.
When Sergei and Stigg could walk, we headed back to the more intact part of the tunnel. One by one, the Squallers released their power, as we waited to see if the ceiling would hold so they could rest. We brushed the dust and grime off one anotherโs faces and clothes as best we could, then passed a flask ofย kvasย around. Stigg clung to it like a baby with a bottle.
โEveryone okay?โ Mal asked. โNever better,โ said Genya shakily.
David raised his hand. โIโve been better.โ
We all started laughing. โWhat?โ he said.
โHow did you even do that?โ Nadia asked Zoya. โThat trick with the sound?โ
โItโs just a way of creating an acoustical anomaly. We used to play with it back in school so we could eavesdrop on people in other rooms.โ
Genya snorted. โOf course you did.โ
โCould you show us how to do it?โ asked Adrik. โIf Iโm ever bored enough.โ
โSquallers,โ Mal said, โare you ready to move again?โ
They all nodded. Their faces had the gleam that came with using Grisha power, but I knew they must already be approaching their limits. Theyโd been keeping tons of rock off us for half a mile, and theyโd need more than a few minutes of rest to restore themselves.
โThen letโs get the hell out of here,โ Mal said.
I lit the way, still wary of what surprises might be waiting for us. We moved cautiously, Squallers on alert, twisting through tunnels and passages until I had no sense of which way weโd gone. We were well off the map that David and Mal had created.
Every sound seemed magnified. Every fall of pebbles made us pause, frozen, waiting for the worst. I tried to think of anything but the weight of the soil above us. If the earth came down and the Squallersโ power failed, we would be crushed and no one would ever know, wildflowers pressed between the pages of a book and forgotten.
Eventually, I became aware that my legs were working harder and realized the grade of the floor had turned steep. I heard relieved sighs, a few quiet cheers, and less than an hour later, we found ourselves crowded into some kind of basement room, looking up at the bottom of a trapdoor.
The ground was wet here, pocked by little puddlesโsigns that we must be close to the river cities. By the light from my palms, I could see that the stone walls were cracked, but whether the damage was old or the result of the recent explosions, I couldnโt tell.
โHow did you do it?โ I asked Mal.
He shrugged. โSame as always. Thereโs game on the surface. I just treated it like a hunt.โ
Tolya pulled Davidโs old watch from the pocket of his coat. I wasnโt sure when heโd acquired it. โIf this thing is keeping time right, weโre well past sunset.โ
โYou have to wind it every day,โ said David. โI know that.โ
โWell, did you?โ โYes.โ
โThen itโs keeping time right.โ
I wondered if I should remind David that Tolyaโs fist was roughly the circumference of his head.
Zoya sniffed. โWith our luck, someone will be setting up for midnight mass.โ
Many of the entrances and exits to the tunnels were found in holy placesโ but not all of them. We might emerge in the apse of a church or the courtyard of a monastery or we might poke our heads out of the floor of a brothel.ย And good day to you, sir.ย I pushed down a crazed giggle. Exhaustion and fear were making me giddy.
What if someone was waiting for us up there? What if the Apparat had switched sides yet again and set the Darkling on our trail? I wasnโt thinking straight. Mal believed the explosions had been a random attack on the tunnels, and that was the only thing that made sense. The Apparat couldnโt know where weโd be or when. And even if the Darkling had somehow found out that we were headed for Ryevost, why bother using bombs to drive us to the surface? He could just wait for us to turn up there.
โLetโs go,โ I said. โI feel like Iโm suffocating.โ Mal signaled for Tolya and Tamar to flank me.
โBe ready,โ he said to them. โAny sign of trouble, you get her out of here.
Take the tunnels due west as far as you can.โ
It was only after heโd started climbing the ladder that I realized weโd all hung back, waiting for him to go first. Tolya and Tamar were both more experienced fighters, and Mal was the onlyย otkazatโsyaย among us. So why was he the one taking the brunt of the risk? I wanted to call him back, tell him to be careful, but it would just sound absurd. โCarefulโ wasnโt something we did anymore.
At the top of the ladder, he gestured down at me, and I released the light,
pitching us into darkness. I heard a thump, the sound of hinges straining, then a soft grunt and a creak as the trapdoor opened. No light flooded down, no shouts, no gunfire.
My heart was pounding in my chest. I followed the sounds of Mal levering himself up, his footfalls above us. Finally, I heard the scrape of a match, and light bloomed through the trapdoor. Mal whistled twiceโthe all clear.
One by one, we ascended the ladder. When I stuck my head through the trapdoor, a chill slid over my spine. The room was hexagonal, its walls carved from what looked like blue lapis, each studded with wooden panels painted with a different Saint, their golden halos glinting in the lamplight. The corners were thick with milky cobwebs. Malโs lantern rested on a stone sarcophagus. We were in a crypt.
โPerfect,โ said Zoya. โFrom a tunnel to a tomb. Whatโs next, an outing to a slaughterhouse?โ
โMezle,โ David said, pointing to one of the names carved into the wall. โThey were an old Grisha family. There was even one of them at the Little Palace beforeโโ
โBefore everyone died?โ put in Genya helpfully.
โZiva Mezle,โ Nadia said quietly. โShe was a Squaller.โ
โCan we host this salon somewhere else?โ Zoya asked. โI want to get out of here.โ
I rubbed my arms. She had a point.
The door looked like heavy iron. Tolya and Mal braced their shoulders against it as we arrayed ourselves behind them, hands raised, Inferni with their flints ready. I took my position in back, prepared to wield the Cut, if necessary.
โOn three,โ Mal said.
A burble of laughter escaped me. Everyone turned.
I flushed. โWell, weโre probably in a graveyard, and weโre about to come charging out of a tomb.โ
Genya giggled. โIf anyoneโs out there, weโre going to scare the sneeze out of him.โ
With the barest hint of a grin, Mal said, โGood point. Letโs lead with
ooooooo.โ Then the grin disappeared. He nodded at Tolya. โStay low.โ
He counted down, and they shoved. The bolts shrieked, and the tomb doors
flew open. We waited, but there were no sounds of alarm to greet us.
Slowly, we filed out into the deserted cemetery. This close to the river, people buried their dead aboveground in case of flooding. The tombs, arrayed in tidy rows like stone houses, gave the whole place the feel of an abandoned city. A wind blew through, shaking leaves free from the trees and stirring the grasses that grew up around the smaller grave sites. It was eerie, but I didnโt care. The air was almost warm after the chill of the caves. We were outside at last.
I tilted my head back, breathing deeply. It was a clear, moonless night, and after those long months underground, the sight of all that sky was dizzying. And so many starsโa glittering, tangled mass that seemed close enough to touch. I let their light fall over me like a balm, grateful for the air in my lungs, the night all around me.
โAlina,โ Mal said softly.
I opened my eyes. The Grisha were staring. โWhat?โ
He took my hands and held them out in front of me, as if we were about to start a dance. โYouโre glowing.โ
โOh,โ I breathed. My skin was silver, cocooned in starlight. I hadnโt even realized I was summoning. โOops.โ
He ran a finger down my forearm where the sleeve had ridden up, watching the play of light over my skin, a smile curling his lips. Abruptly, he stepped back. He dropped my hands as if they were hot.
โBe more careful,โ he said tightly. He gestured to Adrik to help Tolya reseal the crypt, then spoke to the group. โStay close and keep quiet. We need to find cover before dawn.โ
The others fell into step behind him, letting him lead yet again. I hung back, actively brushing the light from my skin. It clung to me, as if my body was thirsty for it.
When Zoya drew level with me, she said, โYou know, Starkov, Iโm beginning to think you turned your hair white on purpose.โ
I flicked a speck of starlight from my wrist, watching it fade. โYes, Zoya, courting death is an integral part of my beauty regimen.โ
She shrugged and cast a glance at Mal. โWell, itโs a little obvious for my taste, but Iโd say the whole moon maiden look is working.โ
The last person I wanted to talk to about Mal was Zoya, but that had
sounded suspiciously like a compliment. I remembered her gripping my hand during the cave-in and how strong sheโd stayed throughout it all.
โThanks,โ I said. โFor keeping us safe down there. For helping save Sergei and Stigg.โ
Even if I hadnโt meant a word of it, the look of shock on her face would have been worth it.
โYouโre welcome,โ she managed. Then she stuck her perfect nose in the air and added, โBut I wonโt always be around to save your ass, Sun Summoner.โ
I grinned and followed her down the aisle of graves. At least she was predictable.
* * *
IT TOOK US far too long to get out of the cemetery. The rows of crypts stretched on and on, cold testimony to the generations Ravka had been at war. The paths were raked clean, the graves marked with flowers, painted icons, gifts of candy, little piles of precious ammunitionโsmall kindnesses, even for the dead. I thought of the men and women bidding us goodbye at the White Cathedral, pressing their offerings into our hands. I was grateful when we finally cleared the gates.
The terror of the cave-in and long hours on our feet had taken their toll, but Mal was determined to get us as close to Ryevost as he could before dawn. We trudged onward, marching parallel to the main road, keeping to the starlit fields. Occasionally we glimpsed a lone house, a lantern glowing in the window. It was a relief, somehow, to see these signs of life, to think of a farmer rising in the night to fill his cup with water, his head turning briefly to the window and the darkness beyond.
The sky had just started to lighten when we heard the sounds of someone approaching on the road. We barely had time to scurry into the woods and take shelter in the brush before we glimpsed the first wagon.
There were about fifteen people in the convoy, mostly men, a few women, all bristling with weapons. I glimpsed bits and pieces of First Army uniforms
โstandard-issue trousers shoved into decidedly nonregulation cowhide boots, an infantry coat shorn of its brass buttons.
It was impossible to tell what they were transporting. Their cargo had been covered by horse blankets and tightly secured to the wagon beds with rope.
โMilitia?โ Tamar whispered.
โCould be,โ said Mal. โNot sure where a militia would get repeating rifles.โ
โIf theyโre smugglers, I donโt know any of them.โ โI could follow,โ said Tolya.
โWhy donโt I just go do a waltz in the middle of the road?โ Tamar taunted.
Tolya was hardly quiet on his feet.
โIโm getting better,โ Tolya said defensively. โBesidesโโ
Mal silenced them with a look. โDo not pursue, do not engage.โ
As Mal led us deeper into the trees, Tolya grumbled, โYou donโt even know how to waltz.โ
* * *
WE MADE CAMP in a clearing close to a slender tributary of the Sokol, the river fed by the glaciers in the Petrazoi and the heart of commerce in the port cities. We hoped we were far enough from town and the main roads that we wouldnโt have to worry about anyone stumbling upon us.
According to the twins, the smugglersโ meeting place was in a busy square that overlooked the river in Ryevost. Tamar already had a compass and map in hand. Though she must have been as tired as the rest of us, she would have to leave immediately to make it to town before noon.
I hated letting her walk into what might be a trap, but weโd agreed that she would have to be the one to go. Tolyaโs size made him far too conspicuous and none of the rest of us knew the way the smugglers worked or how to recognize them. Still, my nerves were jangling. I had never understood the twinsโ faith and what they were willing to risk for it. But when the time had come to choose between me and the Apparat, theyโd shown their loyalty in no uncertain terms.
I gave Tamarโs hand a quick squeeze. โDonโt do anything reckless.โ
Nadia had been hovering nearby. Now she cleared her throat and kissed Tamar once on each cheek. โBe safe,โ she said.
Tamar flashed her Heartrenderโs grin. โIf anyone wants trouble,โ she said, flicking back her coat to reveal the handles of her axes, โIโve a fresh supply.โ
I glanced at Nadia. I had the distinct impression Tamar was showing off. She pulled up her hood and set out at a jog through the trees.
โYuyeh sesh,โ Tolya called after her in Shu.
โNi weh sesh,โย she shouted over her shoulder. And then she was gone. โWhat does that mean?โ
โItโs something our father taught us,โ Tolya replied. โYuyeh sesh: โdespise your heart.โ But thatโs the direct translation. The real meaning is more like โdo what needs to be doneโbe cruel if you have to.โโ
โWhatโs the other part?โ
โNi weh sesh? โI have no heart.โโ
Mal raised a brow. โYour dad sounds like fun.โ
Tolya smiled the slightly mad grin that made him look just like his sister. โHe was.โ
I looked back the way Tamar had gone. Somewhere beyond the trees and the fields beyond that lay Ryevost. I sent my own prayers with her:ย Bring back news of a prince, Tamar. I donโt think I can do this alone.
* * *
WE LAID OUT BEDROLLS and divvied up food. Adrik and Nadia started raising a tent while Tolya and Mal scouted the perimeter, setting up stands where guards would be posted. I saw Stigg trying to get Sergei to eat. Iโd hoped that being aboveground might bring him around, but though Sergei seemed less panicked, I could still feel tension coming off him in waves.
In truth, we were all jumpy. As lovely as it was to lie beneath the trees and see the sky again, it was also overwhelming. Life in the White Cathedral had been miserable, but manageable. Up here, things felt wilder, beyond my control. Militias and the Darklingโs men roamed these lands. Whether we found Nikolai or not, we were back in this war, and that meant more battles, more lives lost. The world seemed suddenly large again. I wasnโt sure I liked it.
I looked at our camp: Harshaw already curled up and snoozing with Oncat
on his chest; Sergei, pale and watchful; David, back propped against a tree, a book in his hands as Genya fell asleep with her head in his lap; Nadia and Adrik struggling with poles and canvas while Zoya looked on and didnโt bother to help.
Despise your heart. I wanted to. I didnโt want to grieve anymore, to feel loss or guilt, or worry. I wanted to be hard, calculating. I wanted to be
fearless. Underground, that had seemed possible. Here, in this wood, with these people, I was less sure.
Eventually, I must have dozed, because when I woke, it was late afternoon and the sun was slanting through the trees. Tolya was beside me.
โTamarโs back,โ he said.
I sat upright, fully awake. But the look on Tolyaโs face was grim. โNo one approached her?โ
He shook his head. I straightened my shoulders. I didnโt want anyone to see my disappointment. I should be grateful Tamar had made it in and out of the city safely.
โDoes Mal know?โ
โNo,โ said Tolya. โHeโs filling canteens at the creek. Harshaw and Stigg are on watch. Should I get them?โ
โIt can wait.โ
Tamar was leaning against a tree, gulping down water from a tin cup as the others gathered around to hear her report.
โAny trouble?โ I asked. She shook her head.
โAnd youโre sure you were in the right place?โ Tolya said.
โWest side of the market square. I got there early, stayed late, checked in with the shopkeeper, watched the same damn puppet show four times. If the post is active, someone should have spoken to me.โ
โWe could try again tomorrow,โ suggested Adrik.
โI should go,โ said Tolya. โYou were there a long time. If you show up again, people may notice.โ
Tamar wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. โIf I stab the puppeteer, will that draw too much attention?โ
โNot if youโre quiet about it,โ replied Nadia.
Her cheeks pinked as we all turned to look at her. Iโd never heard Nadia crack a joke. Sheโd mostly been an audience to Marie.
Tamar slipped a dagger from her wrist and twirled it, balancing its point on one fingertip. โI can be quiet,โ she said, โand merciful. I may let the puppets live.โ She took another gulp of water. โI heard some news too. Big news. West Ravka has declared for Nikolai.โ
That got our attention.
โTheyโre blocking off the western shore of the Fold,โ she continued. โSo if the Darkling wants weapons or ammunitionโโ
โHeโll have to go through Fjerda,โ finished Zoya.
But it was bigger than that. This meant the Darkling had lost West Ravkaโs coastline, its navy, the already tenuous access Ravka had to trade.
โWest Ravka now,โ Tolya said. โMaybe the Shu Han next.โ โOr Kerch,โ put in Zoya.
โOr both!โ crowed Adrik.
I could almost see the tendril of hope twisting its way through our ranks. โSo now what?โ Sergei asked, tugging anxiously at his sleeve.
โLetโs wait one more day,โ Nadia said.
โI donโt know,โ said Tamar. โI donโt mind going back. But there were
oprichnikiย in the square today.โ
Not a good sign. Theย oprichnikiย were the Darklingโs personal soldiers. If they were prowling the area, we had good reason to move on as soon as possible.
โIโm going to go talk to Mal,โ I said. โDonโt get too comfortable. We may need to be ready to leave in the morning.โ
The others dispersed while Tamar and Nadia walked off to dig through the rations. Tamar kept bouncing and spinning her knifeโdefinitely showing off, but Nadia didnโt seem to mind.
I picked my way toward the sound of the water, trying to sort through my thoughts. If West Ravka had declared for Nikolai, that was a very good sign that he was alive and well and making more trouble for the Darkling than anyone in the White Cathedral had realized. I was relieved, but I wasnโt certain what our next move should be.
When I reached the creek, Mal was crouching in the shallows, barefoot and bare-chested, his trousers rolled up to his knees. He was watching the water, his expression focused, but at the sound of my approach, he shot to his feet, already lunging for his rifle.
โJust me,โ I said, stepping out of the woods.
He relaxed and dropped back down, eyes returning to the creek. โWhat are you doing out here?โ
For a moment I just watched him. He stayed perfectly still, then suddenly, his hands plunged into the stream and emerged with a wriggling fish. He
tossed it back. No point holding on to it when we couldnโt risk making a fire to cook it.
Iโd seen him catch fish this way at Keramzin, even in winter, when Trivkaโs pond froze over. He knew just where to break the ice, just where to drop his line or the moment to make his grab. Iโd waited on the banks, keeping him company, trying to spot places in the trees where the birds made their nests.
It was different now, the water reflecting spangles of light over the planes of his face, the smooth play of muscle beneath his skin. I realized I was staring and gave myself a little shake. Iโd seen him without a shirt before. There was no reason to be an idiot about it.
โTamarโs back,โ I said.
He stood, all interest in the fish lost. โAnd?โ โNo sign of Nikolaiโs men.โ
Mal sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. โDamn it.โ
โWe could wait another day,โ I offered, though I already knew what he would say.
โWeโve wasted enough time. I donโt know how long it will take us to get south or to find the firebird. All we need is to get stuck in the mountains when the snow comes. And we have to find a safe house for the others.โ
โTamar says West Ravka has declared for Nikolai. What if we took them there?โ
He considered. โThatโs a long journey, Alina. Weโd lose a lot of time.โ
โI know, but itโs safer than anywhere this side of the Fold. And itโs another chance to find Nikolai.โ
โMight be less dangerous trekking south on that side too.โ He nodded. โAll right. We need to get the others ready. I want to leave tonight.โ
โTonight?โ
โNo point waiting around.โ He waded out of the water, bare toes curling on the rocks.
He didnโt actually say โdismissed,โ but he might as well have. What else was there to talk about?
I started toward camp, then remembered I hadnโt told him about theย oprichniki.ย I stomped back to the creek. โMalโฆ,โ I began, but the words died on my lips.
He had bent to pick up the canteens. His back was to me. โWhat is that?โ I said angrily.
He whirled, twisting himself around, but it was too late. He opened his mouth.
Before he could get a word out, I snapped, โIf you say โnothing,โ I will knock you senseless.โ
His mouth clamped shut. โTurn around,โ I ordered.
For a moment, he just stood there. Then he sighed and turned.
A tattoo stretched across his broad backโsomething like a compass rose, but much more like a sun, the points reaching from shoulder to shoulder and down his spine.
โWhy?โ I asked. โWhy would you do this?โ
He shrugged and his muscles flexed beneath the intricate design. โMal, why would you mark yourself this way?โ
โI have a lot of scars,โ he said finally. โThis is one I chose.โ
I looked closer. There were letters worked into the design.ย Eโya sta rezku.ย I frowned. It looked like ancient Ravkan.
โWhat does this mean?โ He said nothing. โMalโโ
โItโs embarrassing.โ
And sure enough, I could see a flush spreading over his neck. โTell me.โ
He hesitated, then cleared his throat and muttered, โI am become a blade.โ
I am become a blade.ย Was that what he was? This boy whom the Grisha had followed without argument, whose voice stayed steady when the earth caved in around us, whoโd told me I would be a queen? I wasnโt sure I recognized him anymore.
I brushed my fingertips over the letters. He tensed. His skin was still damp from the river.
โCould be worse,โ I said. โI mean, if it said โLetโs cuddleโ or โI am become ginger pudding,โย thatย would be embarrassing.โ
He released a surprised bark of laughter, then hissed in a breath as I let my fingertips trail the length of his spine. His fists clenched at his sides. I knew I
should step away, but I didnโt want to. โWho did it?โ
โTolya,โ he rasped. โDid it hurt?โ
โLess than it should have.โ
I reached the farthest point of the sunburst, right at the base of his spine. I paused, then dragged my fingers back up. He snapped around, capturing my hand in a hard grip.
โDonโt,โ he said fiercely. โIโโ
โI canโt do this. Not if you make me laugh, not if you touch me like that.โ โMalโโ
Suddenly his head jerked up and he put a finger to his lips.
โHands above your heads.โ The voice came from the shadows of the trees. Mal dove for his rifle and had it at his shoulder in seconds, but three people were already emerging from the woodsโtwo men and a woman with her hair in a topknotโthe muzzles of their weapons trained on us. I thought I recognized them from the convoy weโd seen on the road.
โPut that down,โ said a man with a short goatee. โUnless you want to see your girl plugged full of bullets.โ
Mal set his rifle back on the rock.
โCome on over,โ said the man. โNice and slow.โ He wore a First Army coat, but he looked like no soldier I had ever seen. His hair was long and tangled, kept from his eyes by two messy plaits. He wore belts of bullets across his chest and a stained waistcoat that might have once been red but was now fading to a color somewhere between plum and brown.
โI need my boots,โ said Mal.
โLess chance of you running without them.โ โWhat do you want?โ
โYou can start with answers,โ the man said. โTown nearby, plenty more comfortable places to hole up. So what are a dozen people doing hiding out in the forest?โ He must have seen my reaction, because he said, โThatโs right. I found your camp. You deserters?โ
โYes,โ said Mal smoothly. โOut of Kerskii.โ
The man scratched his cheek. โKerskii? Maybe,โ he said. โButโโ He took
a step forward. โOretsev?โ
Mal stiffened, then said, โLuchenko?โ
โAll Saints, I havenโt seen you since your unit trained with me in Poliznaya.โ He turned to the other men. โThis little pissant was the best tracker in ten regiments. Never seen anything like it.โ He was grinning, but he didnโt lower his rifle. โAnd now youโre the most famous deserter in all of Ravka.โ
โJust trying to survive.โ
โYou and me both, brother.โ He gestured to me. โThis isnโt your usual.โ If I hadnโt had a rifle in my face, the comment might have stung.
โOne more First Army grunt like us.โ
โLike us, huh?โ Luchenko jabbed at me with his gun. โTake off the scarf.โ โBit of a chill in the air,โ I said.
Luchenko gave me another poke. โGo on, girl.โ
I glanced at Mal. I could see him weighing the options. We were at close range. I could do some serious damage with the Cut, but not before the militiamen got off a few rounds. I could blind them, but if we started a firefight, what might happen to the people back at camp?
I shrugged and pulled the scarf from my neck with a rough tug. Luchenko gave a low whistle.
โHeard you were keeping hallowed company, Oretsev. Looks like we caught ourselves a Saint.โ He cocked his head to one side. โThought sheโd be taller. Bind them both.โ
Again, I locked gazes with Mal. He wanted me to act, I could feel it. As long as my hands werenโt bound together, I could summon and control the light. But what about the other Grisha?
I held out my hands and let the woman secure my wrists with rope.
Mal sighed and did the same. โCan I at least put my shirt on?โ he asked. โNo,โ she said with a leer. โI like the view.โ
Luchenko laughed. โLifeโs a funny thing, isnโt it?โ he said philosophically as they marched us into the woods at gunpoint. โAll I ever wanted was a drop of luck to flavor my tea. Now Iโm drowning in it. The Darkling will empty his coffers to have the two of you delivered to his door.โ
โYouโre going to hand me over that easily?โ I said. โFoolish.โ โBig talk from a girl with a rifle at her back.โ
โItโs just good business,โ I said. โYou think Fjerda or the Shu Han wonโt pay a small fortuneโmaybe even a large fortuneโto get their hands on the Sun Summoner? How many men do you have?โ
Luchenko glanced over his shoulder and wagged his finger at me like a schoolteacher. Well, it had been worth a try.
โAll I meant,โ I continued innocently, โwas that you could auction me off to the highest bidder and keep all your men fat and happy for the rest of their days.โ
โI like the way she thinks,โ said the woman with the topknot.
โDonโt get greedy, Ekaterina,โ Luchenko said. โWe arenโt ambassadors or diplomats. The bounty on that girlโs head will buy us all passage through the border. Maybe Iโll catch a ship out of Djerholm. Or maybe Iโll just bury myself in blondes for the rest of my days.โ
The unsavory image of Luchenko cavorting with a bunch of curvy Fjerdans was driven from my mind as we entered the clearing. The Grisha had been rounded up at its center and were surrounded by a circle of nearly thirty armed militiamen. Tolya was bleeding heavily from what looked like a bad blow to the head. Harshaw had been on watch, and one glance at him told me heโd been shot. He was pale, swaying on his feet, clutching the wound at his side and panting as Oncat yowled.
โSee?โ said Luchenko. โWith this windfall, I donโt need to worry about the highest bidder.โ
I stepped in front of him, keeping my voice as low as I could. โLet them go,โ I said. โIf you turn them over to the Darkling, theyโll be tortured.โ
โAnd?โ
I swallowed the bolt of rage that coursed through me. Threats would get me nowhere. โA living prisoner is more valuable than a corpse,โ I said meekly. โAt least untie me so I can see to my friendโs injury.โย And so I can mow down your militia with a flick of my wrist.
Ekaterina narrowed her eyes. โDonโt do it,โ she said. โHave one of her bloodletters take care of him.โ She gave me a jab in the back and steered us into the group with the others.
โSpy that collar?โ Luchenko asked of the crowd. โWe have the Sun Summoner!โ
There were exclamations and a few whoops from the rest of the militia.
โSo start thinking about how youโre going to spend all of the Darklingโs money.โ
They cheered.
โWhy not ransom her to Nikolai Lantsov?โ said a soldier from somewhere near the back of the circle. Now that I was in the middle of the clearing, there seemed to be even more of them.
โLantsov?โ Luchenko said. โIf he has a brain in his head, heโs rusticating somewhere warm with a pretty girl on his knee. If heโs even alive.โ
โHeโs alive,โ said someone.
Luchenko spat. โMakes no matter to me.โ โAnd your country?โ I asked.
โWhat has my country ever done for me, little girl? No land, no life, just a uniform and a gun. Doesnโt matter if itโs the Darkling on the throne or some useless Lantsov.โ
โI saw the prince when I was in Os Alta,โ said Ekaterina. โHeโs not bad looking.โ
โNot bad looking?โ said another voice. โHeโs damnably handsome.โ Luchenko scowled. โSince whenโโ
โBrave in battle, smart as a whip.โ Now the voice seemed to be coming from above us. Luchenko craned his neck, peering into the trees. โAn excellent dancer,โ said the voice. โOh, and an even better shot.โ
โWhoโโ Luchenko never got to finish. A blast rang out, and a tiny black hole appeared between his eyes.
I gasped. โImpossโโ
โDonโt say it,โ muttered Mal. Then chaos erupted.