Rot ━ Mal Oretsev ✓

019: FADE TO BLACK

    When a seething Zoya comes barrelling into her bedroom, Thalia isn't entirely sure what to make of it.

So she doesn't ask. The winter fete had ended abruptly an hour ago, but Thalia had been too high on glasses of Kvas and secret cigarettes shared by Lily to pay much attention. She had simply skipped back to her bedroom, feeling better than she had in weeks, and lay on her bed while staring up at the star studded ceiling.

That had been Zaria's work, because 'I'm not scared of the dark, Thalia, but you are. So here, you have the glow in the dark stars.'

Zoya is practically giving off steam when she throws herself onto the settee at the foot of Thalia's bed, her face red with notable fury. She is silent for the first ten minutes, only letting out frustrated huffs and vexed sighs. Not that Thalia minded her silence, no. She was quite happy on her bed, humming the tune to a song that the live performers had played for them earlier on.

But abruptly, Zoya audibly screams and stops her socked feet against the settee, and Thalia leaps from the bed.

   "What was that for?!" She shrieks, her finger pointed at Zoya accusingly. She is still shaky on her feet, the Kvas not having fully worn off, but she's steady enough to hold her posture straight. "Why are you screaming?"

   "Why are you not?" Zoya argues, looking every bit like she means the words. "I mean, this is an awfully scream-able situation, is it not?"

And she's not entirely sure what to say to that, if she's honest, because Thalia does not have a clue what is going on. What it is that has gotten Zoya so pissed off, she hasn't a clue. Anyone daring to piss off Zoya Nazyalensky must surely be mad, and nobody has tried to accuse her of murder yet, so it can't be that bad.

After the incident with Kat and Mal, she had made her way back to the fete, as instructed by Zoya. There, she had drunk and she had smoked alongside Grisha she wouldn't normally socialise with. But it was Christmas, what was she supposed to do? Sit around and wait for Zoya to get back? As if.

Thalia walks around the bed, perching herself onto the other side of the settee across from Zoya. Though she doesn't look pleased to have her space invaded, she does not protest or push Thalia away, so she takes the chance to lap her legs atop of Zoya's and tangle them together. Then, she speaks.

   "Care to fill me in on what's got you so frustrated?" Thalia asks, leaning downward and sideways slightly to shuffle some things around beneath her desk, coming back out with a small tub of treacle lollipops. She pops one into her mouth, "Or. . . are you just gonna take it out on my poor settee? Want one?"

Zoya, looking thoroughly annoyed with herself, takes one from the box. She stares sceptically at the lollipop, "Are these treacle?" Thalia nods. "Ew," Zoya exclaims, but begins to lick the sweet nonetheless.

   "Come on, then," Thalia pleads, poking at Zoya's thigh with her big toe. "I'm awfully eager to know why it is you're walking about with steam coming out of your ears."

   The other girl sighs, raising her gaze to the ceiling, "Are those glow in the dark stars?"

   "Zoya."

At last, Zoya sighs defeatedly. While she does not look Thalia in the eye, she begins to speak, "Alina Starkov has left the Little Palace."

   "Has she gone on a walk?" Thalia asks, stupidly. Zoya narrows her eyes, eyebrows raised. Thalia groans, "OK, fine. She hasn't gone on a walk. Why did she leave?"

"I. . ." Zoya trails off, her face screwed up in thought. "I don't know."

   Thalia nods slowly, taking the lack of information into account, "You. . . don't know."