2 | flatline [darkling]

sixteen

"YOU KNOW, YOUR SILENCE ISN'T gonna get you my forgiveness." Adrian crosses his arms as he sits across from Nyx. She had successfully found her friends again after leaving behind Alina and Aleksander.

"I know." Nyx sighs as she rubs her forehead to ease the throbbing that had started. Adrian raises an eyebrow as he looks at her in worry.

"What's wrong?" He asks and she looks up at him, pressing her lips into a tight line.

"I made a mistake." She admits and he tilts his head.

"Other than leaving me behind, what did you do?" He wonders, making her slightly glare at him for his snarky response.

"I kind of told the Fjerdans how to infiltrate the Little Palace." Nyx admits, causing Adrian to gape at her.

"You actually did it?" Zoya asks in bewilderment from across the room and Nyx nods in confirmation.

"Wait. You knew?" Adrian asks, his eyes wide as he looks at the two in shock. "Was that why you needed the second amplifier?"

"You got a second amplifier?" David asks, making Nyx groan as her headache kept growing.

"You've absolutely lost it. Do you know the risks that comes with two amplifiers?" Zoya asks in disapproval.

"Yes. But I'm strong. I can handle it." Nyx lies. She had no idea where the line was drawn, for all she knew wearing the second amplifier would kill her.

"Are you? You're not the shadow summoner or the sun summoner." David points out, while Adrian frowns.

"What are the risks?" Adrian asks, making Nyx glare at David and Zoya to not tell him, but they pay no mind for her.

"Death. To put it simply." Zoya states, making Adrian gape at Nyx who groans.

"Why can't one thing go right?" Nyx wonders to herself.

"You asked me to hunt down a second amplifier for you, only for it to be a possible suicide mission?" Adrian asks in disbelief. "What else are you hiding?"

"We were supposed to be a team! Why are there even this many secrets?" Zoya snaps in frustration.

"I did it to protect you guys!" Nyx exclaims, making Zoya scoff.

"We can protect ourselves! I can protect them! We trained together." Zoya snarls at her best friend.

"I am older than you! I was the second in command! I am stronger than all of you combined and we are fight the strongest Grisha in whole Ravka!" Nyx snaps back at her.

"You're bringing power into this now?" Zoya huffs as she crosses her arms over chest. "Are you any better than the Darkling?"

"I'm not! I never claimed to be a saint in all of this!" Nyx sighs as she runs her hand through her hair in frustration. "I'm not better than him. I may even be worse than him."

A tension sets between the group of friends. There was no point in her denying the fact that she has done horrible things in her life, with the Darkling and by herself. After all she had been his most priced weapon not too long ago and then she had waged a war against him, she had even been ready to sacrifice all the Grishas for her own vendetta.

"The second amplifier doesn't matter anymore. It was only in case my plan backfired, but now there is a change of plan." Nyx says after a while of silence, making them all look at her in wonder.

"What do you mean?"

"The original plan was to leave and come back after the Fjerdans had ambushed the Little Palace. But now we are fighting back." Nyx answers David's question.

"What about your plan to destroy the General?" Adrian asks curiously, while Zoya sighs in realisation.

"You realised that if you go through with the plan, there can only be one ending. That being his death. And you love him too much to let that happen." Zoya says, making Nyx nod in agreement.

"Yeah. I... I know that he won't forgive me. But at least he'll be alive and okay. Maybe he'll find happiness with Alina." Nyx concludes and her three friends look at her in pity.

"If that's what you want. We'll follow you." Adrian assured her and she smiles gratefully at them.

"What do we do in the time being?" David asks and before she can answer, the doors burst open to reveal a panicked Grisha.

"We are under attack." The Grisha breaths out, making Nyx swallow the lump in the back of her throat.

"They're here sooner than planned." Nyx says as she looks at her friends in panic.

"That won't stop us from fighting them to our best ability." Zoya assures Nyx, before they all stand up.

"Let's right our wrongs."