Swan Song ~ Shadow & Bone

9

Katya's POV

I was quiet as I stepped into the doorway of Aleksander's study, standing with my hands clasped behind my back.

"General," I said professionally. He looked up at me from his place leaning on his table and sighed.

"There's no one else here," he told me. "Come in. Close the door." I did as he said and immediately dropped my arms to my sides, relaxing now that I knew no other eyes could see me.

"So," I said as I made my way to stand beside him, "she's gone." He looked up at me, furrowing his brows, and I smirked. "Ivan." He smiled a bit and nodded.

"Of course," he murmured. "Yes, she's gone." He pushed himself off the table to stand to his full height. "Baghra had the tracker killed before he showed me where the stag was. And she told Alina everything." I frowned as I watched him.

"Everything?" He nodded.

"Everything. She then smuggled her out of the Little Palace. Alina knows everything. Everything we planned, everything we worked so hard to keep hidden..." I stepped closer to him, and he looked down at me. "Which means..." He pushed the cape of my dress to the side, gently taking hold of the chain around my neck. "This doesn't belong here anymore." I chuckled and allowed him to pull the necklace off and remove the silver and onyx ring from it. He smirked.

"Your hand," he demanded. I rolled my eyes but obliged.

"Saints," I murmured jokingly. "So pushy." He slid the ring back onto my finger before placing two fingers under my chin and forcing me to look up at him.

"I think you know that I can be much more pushy if I really want to be," he whispered. I chuckled and leaned up to barely brush my lips against his before stepping away and walking into his room. I unclasped my cape, pulling it off my shoulders and draping it over the back of his chair as he followed me.

"And I think you know that I can be very stubborn when I really want to be." He sighed, and I looked back at him as he nodded.

"Oh trust me. I know." I chuckled and walked over to the window, looking out at the dark grounds.

"So what's the plan?" I asked him as he walked up behind me, placing a hand on the small of my back.

"The guards captured a man running from the fitting room where Marie was killed. He was after Alina, of course, but I haven't been down to question him yet." He smirked. "Would you like to come with me?" I matched his smirk, nodding.

"Darling, you know I would." He nodded and looped his arm through mine, and we quickly made our way down to the dungeon.

"Has he talked?" Aleksander asked Zoya. She sighed.

"A lot of lies," she said. "Ivan's with him." The three of us walked into the dark chamber, and the man tied to the chair looked up at us with fear in his eyes.

"I've been swindled," he claimed. "Hoodwinked." Aleksander nodded.

"My guards tell me that they caught you fleeing the scene of the crime," he said calmly. The man nodded.

"Yes, I followed them." I frowned.

"Followed whom?" I asked him. He looked between Aleksander and I.

"They come from the other side of the Fold," he said. I stiffened. It all made sense now. "From the start, they seemed, just, a bit off to me. So when they left our stage, at the Fete, I followed them to see what they were up to. And at the time that I walked into that room, they were gone and..." He gulped. "Saints, it was... unspeakable." He looked back up at us. "So I ran. I-"

"How much of that is true?" Aleksander asked. I glared down at the trembling man in the chair.

"He did cross the Fold with the others," I said. "But here's where you messed up." I stepped forward and crouched in front of him, smiling coldly. "My brother was among those you crossed with. Now, my brother is many things, but a killer is not one of them." His eyes widened.

"What?" he asked shakily. "That's- No-"

"Your heart gives you away," Ivan said simply. He looked up at Aleksander and nodded. "She's right." Aleks nodded, and I stood back up, moving to stand beside him again.

"Do you know we keep records of everyone who crosses the Fold?" he asked the man. "For the Winter Fete, we had ambassadors from Kerch, Novyi Zem, the Wandering Isle. But you didn't cross with them, did you?" He shook his head. "No, you and your crew, you have another way." The man shook his head rapidly.

"I don't know what you mean. I..." Ivan sighed.

"He does." Aleks looked down at me.

"Did your brother tell you anything about how they got here?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing. Just that they were offered a million kruge to bring Alina back to Ketterdam." The man shook his head.

"I'm not with them! I'm an entertainer! Oskar, Oskar Krepkov!" Aleksander nodded, a cruel smile spreading across his lips.

"Well, that is certainly entertaining." He slammed his hands onto the arms of the chair before pulling back one of the man's sleeves to reveal dozens of thin scars. "You are the Conductor, Arken Visser, are you not? You smuggle Grisha out of my palace! You help them abandon the war effort." The man–Arken–shook his head.

"No. I deal in legal indentures. I don't mess with Grisha." Ivan looked up at us boredly.

"Lie." Aleks shook his head.

"I don't need him to tell me. I had a spy. Nina Zenik. Ring any bells?" A look of recognition flashed across Arken's face, and his eyes widened.

"Nina?" he asked quietly.

"Last report we had from her was that she'd be crossing the Fold with the Conductor and three rogues from Ketterdam. What their mission was, she didn't know. She was waiting to meet you all. Now, poor Nina... has not been heard from since." He glared down at him. "Might that have something to do with you, Mr. Visser?" Arken shook his head quickly, and it seemed more believable this time.

"No. I don't!" He looked back at Ivan, who shrugged. "See? I don't know what happened." I cross my arms.

"My guess," I said. "You struck a deal with my brother and his crew to kidnap Alina Starkov. But you have a stronger relationship with a certain West Ravkan general who has notions of ruling his own country. So long as the Fold separates him from us." I gritted my teeth. "So, you made another deal. You put on a disguise. And you played at being assassin." He looked down momentarily, but when he looked back up, his gaze was significantly darker.

"That's right," he said lowly. "The prize to bring her back to Ketterdam was a million, split four ways. But Zlatan offered me the same number... to kill her." He nodded. "So... give me half that, I'll get revenge for you. I can get close to Zlatan." Aleksander placed a hand on the small of my back and shook his head.

"No," he muttered. "I think we'll handle that ourselves." He steered me towards the stairs, and I heard Arken's breathing grow frantic.

"But I can help!" he called. "Tell me how I can help." I glanced up at Aleks, and he nodded. I gritted my teeth and waved my hand behind me, hearing the scorching flames lick at the bottom of his chair.

"You already have."