The Act of Duplicity [General Kirigan]

two

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    Nataliya marched outside of the camp and immediately wanted to roll her eyes at the sight of Ivan tightly gripping Alina by her arm and from afar it almost looked like he was threatening her. Ravka will see a new era when Ivan learns human interactions, thought Nataliya. She sped up her pace and ran over to them when he started to drag Alina to the black coach.

    ''Ivan!'' Nataliya scolded and glared at him.

    He sneered back at the redhead and stopped with the dragging. Once Nataliya reached them she kept her harsh glance on him and silently motioned to Alina for him to let her go. Ivan growled before he let her go and got on the coach. Alina watched in confusion and though she just had an opportunity to flee, she didn't as her attention was captured completely by the redhead Grisha in front of her.

    ''Come.'' Nataliya softly placed her hand on Alina's back and guided her to the coach.

    Weirdly enough Alina obliged and got on the coach yet her expression was anything but pleasant. Once Nataliya sat down beside her the door closed and Ivan thumped the roof to sign the riders to make it start moving. Alina looked outside the window with fear in her eyes when her eyes found her childhood friend. Soon the small space in the coach was consumed by Alina's screams for Mal, saying she didn't know. Nataliya widened her eyes and looked at Fedyor who looked just as panicked. Ivan on the other hand just looked annoyed and bothered.

    ''Alina,'' Nataliya said and grabbed her shoulder. ''Look at me.''

    Alina slowly turned around from looking out of the window, her cheeks were stained with tears and her breathing was rapid. Nataliya acted without asking first, knowing Alina will question and doubt everything. So she picked up Alina's hand and enclosed both her hands around it, focusing on the sounds and the feeling of her skin. Isolating Ivan's and Fedyor's heartbeats from her hearing, she focused on Alina's and made a small motion with her fingers. She looked into her eyes and her lips quirked up a little in a soft smile as she listened to the thumping of her heart slow down and her breathing as well. Alina watched her in disbelief at first as she couldn't comprehend what was happening when a sort of calmness washed over her features.

    ''You are in good hands and you are safe. Here.'' Nataliya said and quickly unclasped her kefta and shrugging it off her shoulders. ''This will protect you, put it on.'' She insisted as she gave her kefta to Alina.

    The girl looked at her weirdly before she put it on with some hesitance. Alina looked over to Fedyor and he nodded in reassurance. Since Nataliya was now without her kefta it was only so more important for her to get out of the coach once they reach the end of the camp. The clothes underneath, though still red, did little to protect a Grisha.

    Alina's eyes travelled down Nataliya's figure and they stopped just at the curves of her collarbones. A simple black string was tied around her neck loosely, and at the bottom it was wrapped around three teeth, each hanging lower than the next. Nataliya looked down at the necklace as well before she offered a kind smile at Alina. It was a change to her expression, a change to her always serious and moody features. It looked like so many questions were on the tip of Alina's tongue and she wanted to ask everything and Nataliya would gladly answer but she saw the end of the camp. She then bumped the roof twice and the coach came to a hard stop.