Blood and Water - The Darkling

Chapter 6: Silver-tongued

*Unedited

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𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉, silvery blue, and white light form a dome around me and my guard. Through its brilliance, I can see Nikolai's Grisha desperately try to send the elements at my shield. Even gunfire rings through the evening air. As if that would work.

Apparently, realizing that it is impenetrable, a Heartrender steps up. My pulse begins to slow.

"Ivan, Fedyor, Boris, and Inessa," I call out with a grimace, "Handle his Heartrenders. Leave them alive but out of the way."

They don't waste time responding. I know that my orders have been followed when my heart rate calms to its normal rhythm.

Luka swivels around in a full circle before speaking, "What do we do? We're surrounded?"

Sasha's worried voice reaches me next, "Maybe we should just go with him? He's definitely not a sociopath like the one we're fighting to return to."

Even in a situation such as this, I simply roll my eyes, "The Darkling is not a sociopath. If anything, he's a psychopath."

Fedyor chuckles awkwardly, "I don't think that's very helpful, Lana."

Sass spews from my tongue, "Oh, really? If I'm not being very helpful perhaps I should lower my shield?"

A unanimous 'no' rings out from my followers. I shrug, "See? I'm helpful."

Dmitri seems not to sense my sour mood because he walks up to me and says, "I think Sasha has a point though. Why are we returning to him?"

I sigh, "You all are free to go should you choose but if I do not make it to Os Alta in two days then the Darkling is going to lose his shit."

No one seems as concerned as they should be so I continue, "Do you want him to expand the Fold to encompass the entire world? Or send an army of shadows after everyone? Or Saints forbid find a new way to terrorize Ravka?"

Again, 'no' rings out.

I raise an eyebrow, "And you all are aware I'm the only thing stopping him from embracing his own personal brand of 'crazy,' right?"

Boris is the first one to realize I'm right, "Then how do we plan on escaping the Prince?"

Ivan just shoves my shoulder once, "Stop playing around, Lana. Just do it."

"Fine, Ivan." A wicked grin graces my features, "You know, my dear friend does seem rather stressed. Perhaps, he could use a nap."

Keeping my shield up, I reach into the powers that I share with Aleksander. Black shadows swirl out around us in a giant wave. For an eerie moment, it's as though we have stepped into the Fold. Then the fingers of my left hand start to dance, the darkness following suit. Nikolai and his people are hunted down like prey. My shadows find them. My hand clenches. The tendrils attack. Their faces pale before being surrounded, suffocating them.

It takes about one minute for them to pass out. I glance to my Heartrenders, "Did I get all of them?"

Ivan nods once.

I release my powers. Without another glance, I venture towards my horse, "Everyone get a move on. We leave now."

They follow my orders. Fedyor, however, hesitates, "What about them?"

I shrug, "They were never here."

My guards all freeze but Ivan is the only one brave enough to ask, "You aren't telling the Darkling about this?"