INEFFABLE | kaz brekker

chapter sixteen

Elham raced up the stairs, with Kaz not far behind, to see one of the Darkling's Coporalki pinning Inej to the deck. Alina was on the deck floor, reaching out to Mal, who looked near death. Ivan, the Darkling's favorite Heartrender, hovered over them both. Jesper wasn't in sight. The civilians from the fete were huddled around the ship's mast. One of the women stepped forward, trying her luck.

"General Kirigan, this will only turn the world against you and all Grisha. You'll be seen not as a savior, but a heretic!"

The Darkling said nothing, his face cold. He seemed to ponder a bit, before turning to Ivan, sending him the smallest of nods. The people huddled around the mast moved as quick as they could to draw their guns, but it wasn't fast enough. Ivan had already raised his hands.

Elham watched as the people began clutching their throats, slowly collapsing to their knees. She could faintly hear Alina screaming over the noise of their choked breaths, but she couldn't bring herself to turn her eyes away from the Darkling, whose face held indifference.

The Darkling took a step forward as the final one dropped to the deck, unmoving.

"Shame. I'll have to give that speech again now."

Elham fought down the bile rising in her throat, and gripped the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it out in an instant, if necessary. She finally ripped her eyes from the Darkling, turning to see that Kaz was no longer beside her. She felt panic creep into her chest, but it was shoved down when she heard Inej struggling from above.

Inej had her knives drawn, trying everything she could to fight off the Corporalki, but it wasn't working. Not only was he magically gifted, he had trained with the other Grisha in one on one combat from the moment the Little Palace took him in. He wouldn't be an easy competitor. She threw her knife up in the air, catching it with the other hand, swinging to stab him.

She was too late.

The Heartrender had already raised his hands, beginning to slow Inej's heartbeat. Before Elham could raise her own hands in aid, Zoya, the most powerful Squaller in the Second Army, and another one of the Darkling's most trusted, used her power to sweep the man off his feet, sending him slamming into the sand below the skiff. She looked to Inej, before glancing down to Elham, who she had noticed creeping up to the mast.

"Help me stop him."

Inej leapt to her feet, and Zoya turned to the sails, arcing her hands, creating a gust of wind big enough to begin moving the skiff back in the direction it came from. Kirigan turned in their direction, and Elham moved as quickly as she could to get out of his line of sight. She didn't want him to see her. Not just yet. He called out to them.

"Zoya?"

Zoya sent another gust of wind, propelling the ship backwards. Elham couldn't see the Darkling, but she could hear the malice in his voice. It was murderous, and it sent a chill up Elham's spine. The panic in her chest set in once again, and she desperately looked around for one of the Crows.

"Zoya!"

Suddenly, Jesper came from around the corner, his pistols spinning in his hands. He sent one bullet hurtling towards the Darkling, hitting Ivan in the chest. It's a shame the kefta are Fabrikator made, designed to withstand bullets. He'd have to aim for the face.

Elham let a smile creep onto her face, but it left just as soon as it came. The Darkling had raised his hands in an arc above his head, darkness pooling. He was sending the Cut straight in Jesper's direction. Elham felt her knees buckle, moving to block Jesper.

"No...no! Jesper!" Not him. She was pleading in her head, "Not him! Not any of them."

The Cut would have sliced clean through Jesper if it weren't for Kaz. Kaz had come around the corner, grabbing onto Jesper's coat, slamming him into the side of the deck, the Cut just barely missing them both. Jesper and Kaz were both knocked to the floor, and Elham let out a sigh of relief, feeling tears slip down her face. She paid no attention to them, instead paying attention to the rage she felt bubbling in her heart.