Dark of the Tide [Shadow and Bones]

Chapter 4

"Did you seriously pick me flowers?" I asked when I walked into the clearing by the woods.

He smiled and held up the pink tulips. "For you,"

I smiled and took them from him, sniffing them. "Thank you, Aleksander. These are beautiful."

"Which is why I got them for you." He said and kissed my temple, letting me slide my arm through his as we walked the dirt path along the forest.

I looked up at the sky and smiled as birds flew overhead and perched on the tree branches. We stopped by a small opening in the grove and sat down in the middle of the grassy meadow, a small stream gurgling in the background.

"How was your lessons?" Aleksander asked.

"I finally put Zoya on her back, so that was good. But Baghra is still herself." I replied, still looking up and smiling as birds flew around each other.

"What a shame. I would offer you a lessons in what you're reading, but I don't think the King and Queen would approve of that."

"Probably not." I agreed.

"Ara. Come here," Aleksander held open his arms and wrapped them around my waist as I leaned back against his chest, his chin resting in my hair.

"This is better than being in the palace." I said.

"How do you mean?"

"In the palace, we have to follow all these rules. But when I'm out here with you, I can just be myself. It's relaxing." I explained, "Do you ever get like that?"

"The pressures of the palace? All the time. That's why I come out here." He replied, stroking his thumb over my wrist and kissing my head.

    I let out a comfortable sigh and closed my eyes. "I wish we could just stay here forever. At least out here we don't have to hide."

He sighed softly. "I know,"

———
Kaz POV

Just another dreary day in Ketterdam. Hopefully there will be some people worthy of my time to steal from them.

  "Oi, Kaz, what you thinking about?" Jesper asked, twirling his guns around before putting them back in the holsters.

    "The usual. Theft, murder, etc cetera." I replied.

    "You sure it's not on that girl we've been ordered to hunt down and kill? You know, the one along with the Sun Summoner." Inej butted in, leaping down from the roof and walking alongside us.

    "You mean the con artist? Yes, I am very much aware of the dangers this girl possesses. And the girl has a name, so you might as well use it. Before we bring her back here to collect our one million Krueger." I said with a frown, leaning against my cane. "Do you have the ropes, Inej?"

    She sighed, nodding. "You know I do, Kaz. Why do we need these anyways?"

    "Because Alina Starkov might go willingly, but I doubt Arabella Oretsev will follow suit."

"Well, of course. We've been ordered to kill her." Inej replied.

Jesper exchanged a glance with Inej. "How are we going to get to West Ravka? The Fold is blocking us and the Volcra will rip us apart before we even have a change to fire a shot."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I have a plan,"

"'course you do." Jesper said.

———

The Crow Club was at its usual state of disaster: people gambling by the poker table and drinking kvas.

    I looked around at the ratty building with tan wallpaper peeling off the walls, the smell of rotting wood filling the air as I ascended the creaky steps to my large office.

    Pekka Rollins looked up from my desk and gave a yellow-toothed grin, holding up a file with pictures of Alina Starkov and Arabella Oretsev and their descriptions.

    "I see you've been busy, Mr. Brekker." Pekka said.

    I hung my hat and coat up, walking over to my desk. "I see you're the same as always. What do you want?"

"I want the million Krueger, of course." He replied.

"No way. We got the assignment, so we're going through with it."

    Pekka grunted and got up, slapping the files back down on my desk. "I'll find a way to get that million Krueger. Mark my words."

    I smirked, tapping the head of my cane against the edge of the desk. "You do that. But my Crows will keep an eye out for you and your henchmen."

    Pekka grinned, the stench of alcohol on his breath. "Good luck finding shadows." He said and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

———
Arabella POV

"Ah, hello again, General. What brings you to the First Army?" The commander said, his stark white hair gelled back with too much gel.

    "We are here for Tracker Oretsev. The King and Queen have need of him." Aleksander replied.

    The commander nodded. "Oretsev! Come here!"

    Mal ran up to his commander. "Yes, Commander?"

    "Mal." I said.

    His gaze trailed to me and a grin broke out on his face, scooping me up in his arms. "Bella! You're here!"

    "It's me, Mal. We need you back at the Grand Palace." I said as he set me down.

    Mal looked at me. ". . . okay. I'll go. Is Alina with you?"

    "Miss Starkov is preoccupied with her lessons." Aleksander replied.

"Oh," Mal said.

"But I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you again, Mal." I replied, making him smile.

"Yes, well, we should get going back to the palace. Come on," Aleksander walked away and we all got into his black carriage, Mal sitting next to me as Aleksander sat across from us.

"What's the palace like?" Mal asked me.

"Big and the ugliest building in existence." I replied.

    Aleksander chuckled and looked at me with a smile. "That's not nice, Arabella."

    I chuckled. "Don't think you weren't thinking that."

    "You're right."

    "Of course I am." I replied.

    He shook his head in amusement and looked away as Mal leaned in to talk to me softly.

    "You flirt,"

    I giggled softly. "Shut up, Mal."

Mal smiled and winked. "My sister's in love."

I smiled and Aleksander turned his dark eyes to look at me. "Yeah. I think I am."