Swan Song ~ Shadow & Bone

11

"What the hell were you thinking?" Aleksander asked me as we made our way back to the carriage. "They kidnapped Alina, and you protected them? For what, for someone you haven't seen in ten years?" I glared dangerously up at him.

"Aleksander, you do not get to use my family against me," I warned. "We may have been separated, but Kaz is still and will always be my brother. It doesn't matter what he does, has done, or will do. He was my twin first." I shook my head. "And killing them wouldn't do anything. Killing them wouldn't fix a single thing. They didn't know where Alina went." He sighed and was quiet for a moment.

"You really believe they don't know?" he asked, his voice gentler than before. I glanced up at him as we continued walking.

"You said your connection with Karlin was severed after she left," I recalled. "But me and Kaz are still connected. We probably always will be. We've always been able to tell if the other was okay, if they were scared, angry, upset. And we were the only ones that could tell when the other was lying." I looked up at him, nodding surely. "He doesn't know where she is." He nodded, and we walked back into the square, where the black carriage we had come in was spontaneously missing.

It didn't take much to figure out where it had gone.

David looked up at us as we approached.

"They stole-" Aleksander cut him off.

"We know." Zoya looked up at me.

"It was the thieves," she told us. I sighed and nodded.

"I'll find a horse and I can catch up to them," Ivan said. I shook my head.

"No," I said. "It's a waste of time. She's not with them." I sighed. "She's on her own." Aleksander nodded.

"Our priority now is to locate her as quickly as possible." David shifted uncomfortably and raised a hand but said nothing. I stifled a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand as Aleksander looked at him. "You don't need to put..." He shut his eyes, sighing exasperatedly. "Yes, David?" The Durast smiled a bit and nodded.

"Well, Genya gave her a ring," he said. "Made of pure iridium, not native to Ravka." A smirk began to spread across my lips as I realized what he was getting at. "So when we get within one mile of her, I can direct us." I smiled and nodded.

"Well done, David." Aleksander nodded.

"Proving again the many uses of a Durast. Let's go." He glanced down at me. "But first, Katya and I need to have a word." The other three nodded and went to figure out where Alina went, and I sighed, looking up at him.

"What?" He arched his brow, and I rolled my eyes. "You know, contrary to popular belief, I can't actually read your mind, so if you have something you want to say, spit it out." He sighed.

"Your brother is strikingly similar to you," he said, "and I'm willing to bet that stretches far beyond simply looking the same. You're stubborn, Katya, you're determined. And you're brilliant. Is he?" I sighed and nodded.

"Almost annoyingly so." He nodded.

"Then I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of him." He sighed. "I don't want to ask you to go against the only family you've ever had. But if it comes to it, if he tries again to interfere... I need to know that you'll do what needs to be done." I gritted my teeth and looked to the ground, mulling over his words. I sighed.

"I love him, Aleks," I said softly. "I always have and I always will." I looked up at him. "But he's not the only family I've ever had. A family is more than just flesh and blood and bone. A family is people that will stand with you no matter what happens. I found a family when we joined the Dregs back in Ketterdam. And I found another one, a better one when I came to Os Alta. Zoya and Ivan and Fedyor and Genya. They're my family. You are my family, Aleks. Nothing will ever change that. And if it comes down to it, I will do whatever it takes to protect you." He stared at me for a moment before bringing his hand up to grip my chin.

"You never cease to astound me, Katya," he murmured. He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to my lips before moving his hand to grip mine and pulling me in the direction the others had gone. "Come. I'm not sure how much I trust them not to get into trouble with each other." I chuckled and nodded.

"Zoya and Ivan may start a fist fight and poor David would have no clue what to do." We eventually found the three talking to an oprichnik.

"General, Lieutenant," Ivan said, nodding as we stopped. "This man may have information about the girl's whereabouts." I nodded, thankful that he hadn't told the soldier who it was we were looking for. Announcing that the Sun Summoner was missing would only cause more chaos than we needed. Aleksander looked down at the oprichnik.

"You're sure it was her?" he asked. The oprichnik nodded.

"Yeah, she was Shu," he said. "Pulled a trick with phosphorus or something, blinded my mate." I sighed.

"Any idea where she went?"

"Neighbors said they saw her flee north, into the woods." I nodded and looked at Aleksander, who was suppressing a small smirk. "She's a spy, yeah?" Aleks sighed.

"What makes you say that?" The oprichnik shrugged.

"First Army came through here, too, earlier. Looking for her." I frowned and held up a hand.

"Who... exactly?" He shrugged again.

"Some tracker. A corporal." I sighed.

"No ordinary tracker. No ordinary girl." Aleks sighed and waved the soldier off, muttering to himself.

"Orphans of Keramzin. Reunited." He scowled. "Adorable." He shook his head and turned to Ivan, Zoya, and David. "Miss Starkov is in the woods. She's going after the Stag."