2 | flatline [darkling]

five

HANDING THE REINS OVER TO one of the soldiers, Nyx is too lost in her thoughts to even realise she is back in her own camp. All the words he had shared with her and the feeling of his lips on hers, clouded her mind. Her heart felt heavy. She had successfully pushed down her feelings for him, during the past year, but how easily he had made them resurface.

"Nyx!" Zoya cuts her thoughts short, as she snaps her head up to look at the Squaller. "When did you get back?"

"Just... just now." Nyx blinks a few times try to get her mind to clear up. Zoya looks at her in worry and glances back over her shoulders.

"Come on. Let's walk and you tell me what happened." Zoya hums as she looks back at Nyx, before hooking her arms with her and walking away from the central tent. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm not sure." Nyx says honestly, letting out a sigh. She could never catch a break, by the looks of it.

"Tell me what happened." Zoya hums, making Nyx bite her lip in thought. How was she supposed to explain what happened to her friend, without sounding crazy, because that's how she felt.

"He kissed me. And I kissed back." She blurts out, making Zoya stop in her step and look at her in shock. Nyx winces, knowing she'd probably hear an ear full about this. She could not deny how reckless and stupid it had been to kiss him back. She could have easily pulled away.

"Saints, Nyx. I knew you still had feelings for him deep down, but that's dangerous." Zoya points out and Nyx nods in agreement. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just confused. But we have to do something. He isn't planning on backing down and there is no way we can go against him. Not when he's the... the Darkling." Nyx had nearly blurted out about Aleksander being the Black Heretic, but that wasn't her secret to share.

"So what do we do?" Zoya asks in worry and Nyx takes a deep breath in thought. They were slowly running out of options and there was only one thing she could think of.

"We need to separate again." Nyx says, making Zoya look at her in confusion just as David joins them.

"Hey, how was the meeting with General Kirigan?" David asks softly, making Zoya look at him with a look that told him it hadn't gone well.

"You and Zoya have to go back to the Little Palace. You'll take Adrian and Fedyor with you." Nyx says, making the two look at her in bewilderment.

"What? No. We've come too far to go back." Zoya exclaims in protests and Nyx hums in agreement.

"We don't have a choice. He will massacre all of us with no exception." Nyx hisses, making David's shoulders drop in defeat.

"All but you. You're the exception and he will make sure you'll feel the pain of losing us." David concludes and Nyx nods in confirmation.

"I won't let him hurt you. So, go back to the Little Palace. He may not trust you anymore, but at least he won't hurt you." Nyx explains and her two friends look at each other in worry.

"What about you? Tamar and Tolya? Or Nikolai?" Zoya asks, making Nyx look around to make sure no one is listening.

"They'll probably go back to what they were doing before. At least until we can reunite. And I think I'll go west. Figure something out and when I have a plan, I'll come back for you." Nyx says and Zoya sighs, clearly not liking this plan whatsoever.

"I hate this. Adrian will throw a tantrum to not let you go." David points out and Nyx nods in agreement.

"I know. But we don't have a choice. Taking him with me will be risky. I think I know what I'll do and the plan will be extremely dangerous, to avoid him getting harmed I need to do this alone." Nyx says and they look at her curiously, waiting expectantly for her to explain her plan. "We can't defeat the Darkling without losing a lot. But my enemy's enemy is my friend."

"You're not thinking of the Fjerdans right?" Zoya asks in disbelief, making Nyx give her a silent look that tells them the answer. "You're insane, Nyx. Saints they'll kill you the minute they see you."

"I won't do this alone. I think our friends from Ketterdam could be of help." Nyx points out and David takes in a sharp breath.

"It's risky, Nyx. Way too risky. Can't we figure something else out?" David asks in worry, making the Heartrender shake her head.

"We're running out of options here. And I don't know what else to do, to keep you all safe and succeed. This whole thing has always been my person goal, so I think this is something I'll have to do myself." Nyx says, causing them to sigh in defeat. It was clear that they didn't like Nyx's plan, but they had not many more options.

"I guess we have no choice." Zoya sighs, making David hum in agreement.