Blood and Water - The Darkling

Chapter 15: Proposal

*Unedited

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𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖞 didn't.

"You're lucky you didn't get shot," Mal says angrily.

He is pacing back and forth in a simply furnished tent, one of the few that remained in the Grisha camp next to Kribirsk. Aleksander and my glorious black silk pavilion had been pulled down. All that survived was a broad swath of dead grass littered with bent nails and the broken remnants of what had once been a polished wood floor.

"As if that would ever happen," I scoff.

Alina and I take a seat at the rough-hewn table and glance outside to where Tolya and Tamar flank the entrance to the tent. Probably here to make sure my twin doesn't pull another disappearing act.

"It was worth it," Alina replies. "Besides, Lana is right, no one's going to shoot the Sun Summoner."

"You just punched a prince, Alina. I guess we can add one more act of treason to our list."

I raise an eyebrow, "Don't pretend like you didn't want to as well."

Alina shakes out her hand, "First of all, are we so sure he really is a prince? And second, you're just jealous."

"Of course I'm jealous. I thought I was going to get to punch him. That isn't the point."

Chaos had erupted after my sister's outburst, and only some fast talking by Sturmhond and some very aggressive crowd control by Tolya had kept her from being taken away in chains or worse.

Sturmhond had escorted us through Kribirsk to the military encampment. When he left us at the tent, he'd said quietly, "All I ask is that you stay long enough to let me explain. If you don't like what you hear, you're free to go."

"Just like that?" Alina scoffed.

"Trust me."

"Every time you say 'trust me,' I trust you a little less," She hissed.

When he turned to me, I shrugged, "I honestly have nothing better to do. Option one, stay and hear you out. Option two, leave and spend the rest of my days running from my shadow-wielding ex. I'll take option one thank you."

So stay we did. Sturmhond didn't bind us or put us under heavy guard. He provided us with clean, dry clothes. If we wanted to, we could try to slip past Tolya and Tamar and escape back across the Fold. It wasn't as if anyone could follow us. We could emerge anywhere we liked along its western shore. But where would we go after that? Sturmhond had changed; our situation hadn't. We have no money, no allies, and 'we' are still being hunted by the Darkling. And I still have a job to do.

A servant enters with a large tray. He sets down a pitcher of water, a bottle of kvas and glasses, and several small plates of zakuski. Each of the dishes is bordered in gold and emblazoned with a double eagle.

I consider the food as I pour a glass of kvas: smoked sprats on black bread, marinated beets, stuffed eggs. We haven't had a meal since the previous night, aboard the Volkvolny, and using my power has left me famished.

I'm the only one who eats.

"What happened back there?" Mal asks as soon as the servant departed.

Alina shakes out her knuckles again. "I lost my temper."

"That's not what I meant. What happened on the Fold?"

I study my meal, suddenly fully focused on it. We saw him.