With you, I'd go anywhere || Nikolai Lantsov x Male Reader

1

You were in the streets of Novyi Zem with the darkling as he sent out his men to find Alina. "Why are we even here?" you asked "we are here for Alina" he replied pulling your hand. Your face was covered in an assassins mask, it wrapped around your neck like a scarf and over your hair. It covered the bottom half of your face, it hid the scars the darkling gave to you when you confronted him about him and Alina. Your kefta was very different from a traditional one, it was more fluid like. It flowed with your movement and worked with you.

It still had the traditional stitching of light blue, but it was more muted and frayed ever since the events of the fold. The darkling's symbol was also embroidered on the cuffs of the sleeves. The darkling trained you on his own after seeing powerful potential when you were younger. Your amplifier sat on your right wrist, the gleaming feathers of the black raven.

"We have found her," said Ivan as he approached, "and where exactly is she?". "She is with the tracker at a small inn". "Go" said the darkling. He pushed you forward. You walked down the street to where Ivan had said she was staying with Mal and you slipped in through a back door.

You followed Mal and Alina up the stairs to the second floor but stayed hidden in the shadows. "Mal?" said Alina as he pulled out a key. A man was just outside of the window that let the light in, Alinas eyes met his eyes but he pulled away. "Hello Alina" you grinned, stepping out of the shadows. The door next to theirs slammed open but she threw her arms up. Sunlight shot up and blinded the whole room in a gold, white glow. You threw your arm forward, two small knives flew out and found themselves lodged into Mals legs. "Mal!"

Another man burst through the door and grabbed Alina, her hands were held behind her back and the light faded. "Easy now, or I'll gut your little friend," sneered Ivan "and we wouldn't want that" you cooed. In a corner of the room sat the darkling, he was covered with shadow and sat in an old chair. "y/n?" said Alina "but- but how, why". But you didn't respond.

The darkling flicked a finger in his direction at you, you walked across the room and stood next to him. "Take her pistol and search for other weapons" said the darkling as he laced his fingers with yours. "Seems you two are still in love" sneered Mal "watch your tongue" said the Darkling. "I will tell them to let you go" said the darkling "but if you raise your hands I will not stop Ivan from ending your tracker".

"He already has two knives in him" Alina retorted "something that I did not expect to happen" he replied. "y/n take your knives, heal him after". You walked over to Mal and knelt down on the floor, you gripped both knives with your hands and pulled them straight out as Mal let out an agonizing scream.

You walked back over to the darkling as a grisha raised her hands and healed Mals wounds. "How did you find us?" Alina rasped "you sure do leave quite an expensive trail" said the Darkling throwing a gold hair piece onto a nearby table. The darkling rose from his chair and stood in the shadows, the other grisha went silent. It was fear, fear of what was to come next.

The darkling walked forward and into the light, with his fingers still laced with yours. The moonlight illuminated the traces of scars on his face, healed by grisha but still very visible. "How are you finding life, hiding everywhere you go?" he asked "you don't look very well". "Neither do you" Alina sneered "a small price to pay". "Why does he hide his face from you?" she asked, flicking her head in your direction, "oh, he doesn't hide it from me, but rather. . .from others" replied the darkling. Alina went silent, the darkling looked into your eyes and you gave a slight nod.

You pulled down your scarf and the scars were illuminated by the moon. "What happened?" asked Alina "another small price I paid" he said "I do regret what I did to him, but you are the reason it happened". "How could I possibly be the reason for that?" she snapped "jealousy, you're the reason he looks like this, Alina".

"You knew we were in love, but yet you chose to disregard it and come after me" he chuckled. "You felt the same way that I once did," snapped Alina. "You're the one who came after me!" she snarled, "all you tell are lies". "But I know where his true heart lies. . .with the sobachka, I know how you cared for him y/n" the darkling sneered. "But you are bound to me, for eternity".

The darkling stepped forward to Alina and pulled off the scarf that hung around her neck, it fell to the floor and revealed the stag's collar. "Always pretending that you are less than what you are, the shame doesn't suit you" said the darkling "thanks for your concern" she mumbled.

"It is mine as much as it is yours" he said tracing his fingers along the collar and her neck, Alina swatted his hand away and caused the other grisha to tense. "Maybe you shouldn't have put it on me then" she snapped "what do you want?". "Oh Alina, I want to thank you" said the darkling "why would you thank me?". "For this gift you have given me". Alinas eyes flicked to the scars on his face but he shook his head. "No, not these" he said softly "although, a very nice reminder".

"Then why should you thank me?" she snarled "I did nothing for you". "You are so very wrong". "What that all men are fools?". "No, Alina, it is so much greater" he said turning on his heel and walking back over to you. "Unlike you, I understand gratitude, and wish to express it" he chuckled.

He raised his hands and darkness flowed through the room. You stepped back in horror and fear of what was to come. "Now!" shouted Alina, Mal drove his elbow into Ivan and he stumbled back. Aline threw up her hands and light burst throughout the room and combatted the shadow, but the darkness did not back down. Intead, it whirled around the light of Alinas power and consumed it. The shadow drew closer towards Alina and Mal as the darkling held his hands up.

Something stepped out of the shadow, a figure, an Illusion? Its body was blurred, it squirmed as if it was trying to free itself from its own body. Claws were at the tips of its long arms, broad and spiny wings stretched out of its back. "What are you doing?" you asked, holding yourself up using the wall behind you "that thing will kill her", "my love, I know what I'm doing" the darkling said, pushing his hands forward.

Alina swung her arm and a cut of light sliced through the shadow creature, it wavered then disintegrated into nothing. "That is the gift you have given me" the darkling said "the gift I learned on the fold".

More creatures of shadow came to form and make their way towards them, and the darkling watched in joy. "Do what you're here for" he said, pulling you up from the wall, "I don't want to hurt you again" he said softly, placing a kiss on your cheek. "For me". Mal lashed out at the creature with a knife, but it only stopped in its tracks.

You raised your hands and water formed from the air. With a flick of your wrist, it shot forward at Mal. With a thud he slammed against the wall and let out a scream as the creature grabbed him and threw him once more. "Mal!" Alina cried out as she cut the creature with another burst of light. Another monster was already on Alina in seconds, it grabbed her and lifted her body into the air.

Its mouth twisted and yawned, not forming a true state. The creature dropped her body and she lay limp on the floor next to Mal. the darkling walked forward, passed the creature and above her body. "Thank you".