Long Live the Soverenyis

XVI - THE BLACK HERETIC

A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter, but finally here it is! I hope you like it💕 However, before the reading, I have two things to say:

1) I searched about those Russian traditions about flowers on internet. So if there's any mistakes, please, feel free to correct me!

2)❗️TW: explicit violence, blood, death, a brief mention of self harm and a subtle spoiler of "Ruin and Rising"❗️

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Nick started to suspect that something was wrong when Katherine had gone straight to her room with a scowl on her face and Hope arrived not so much better, not greeting anyone and ordering a drink in the bar. The hybrid stares at his cousin Levi by his side, but the man is already on Katherine's heels to know why she seems so distressed.

He gazes at the counter again, where the redhead is gripping the cup she was handed so strongly that her knuckles are white. Hope has such behavior when she is on the wrong side in a situation. She stays quiet in her place, bittering by herself about what happened and wondering if what she did was a good thing for her but bad for others.

Hope took Kat away from the General. His head is invaded with Levi's voice. Hurted Alina to get him out of the room and then kidnapped Kat.

Anything else? He replies telepathically.

All I know is that they argued a lot. Kat's crying as much as when Samson chose that light singer over her.

Nick takes a deep breath to not break something in the tavern. Samson was Katherine's worst lover, a fire singer who used to look with disdain at her shadows and pretend to accept her the way she was, but as soon as he met a light singer named Alys, he fled into her arms, who knew very well that he was committed to Katherine at that moment. Worst of all, his cousin and Alys were extremely close at the time, which caused Katherine to be betrayed by both sides: love and friendship.

It took almost a decade for her to stop grieving and blaming herself for that horrible situation, but once Katherine decided to recover fully, nobody could stop her. Many years later, when she learned to love herself more and loathe Samson and Alys, the two came after her for forgiveness. Unfortunately for them, it was too late; the answer to their wish was harsh insults that probably scarred them forever and a guilt that will accompany them to their grave. The shadow singer still receives a few letters asking for a second chance, but sets fire to it as soon as she sees Samson or Alys as recipients, not even bothering to open it.

So if Katherine is crying as much as she did when this betrayal happened, then there's only one answer: Hope triggered her insecurities about herself. The tears on her face right now are due to thoughts of not being worthy for someone and, therefore, never finding true love.

With clenched teeth, the hybrid immediately goes to the counter where the redhead is. He needs to discover what she said to be able to disprove any lie that Katherine's mind is telling herself. "What did you do?" She only takes a sip of the drink without looking at him. "Hope, what the fuck did you do?!"

"The right thing."

"And is that 'right thing' actually right? Because Kat is upstairs crying on Levi's lap!"

"I was protecting her."

He sits by her side, holding the urge to slap her. "Doesn't seem so."

"Kirigan's not good for her."

"That's not on you to decide, Hope!" Nick indignantly hits the wooden counter. "Especially when you are far from her to know what the hell's the effect he has on her!"