Publishing this chapter early because I can't seem to keep up with Forged and Forsaken. Hopefully this makes up for it!
The world is there and gone again. Flashes of white and green. Snowy hills and branches scraping the sky beneath Rani's feet. Funny that, the flying. You would think hell would be below.
Because this has to be the end, or close to it. Why else would there be the beating of wings above her, the darkness swirling through her mind, and the endless waves of pain?
Time stretches and snaps back on itself, long moments of crystalline clarity followed by bright hot pain that surges through her. It comes from every side, her chest crushed in. When the next wave comes it knocks away what breath she has left. Plunging Rani back into the endless, vast nothing.
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The world is filtering back in patches of light. Each one slices into Rani's mind, bringing with it waves of pain. The crushing in her chest is worse than ever.
It takes every ounce of concentration for her to slit her eyes open. There are only flashes of gold against the blinding light. And cold. So much cold.
Slowly her eyes adjust to the light, bringing into focus the crushing weight on her chest. The King is laying across her, the two of them sprawled amid a field of snow. He's unconscious, skin cold and pale in the stark sunlight. He might as well be dead, with how still he's lying.
Don't be dead, please, please don't be dead. That's all Shu Han wanted. Without the King as leverage, as a bargaining chip, she'll have nothing to stop them from attempting to kill her.
Again.
Rani raises an arm to feel for his pulse and a new wave of pain crashes over her. A scream rips its way from her lungs, her side splitting in pain. Her vision blurs, sunlight streaking in a million threads of gold, her whole body burning with fury and pain. If she ever finds Li again even the Saints won't be able to save her.
The King starts, sitting up quickly. As the pressure lifts from her chest the pain breaks, leaving Rani dizzy, bile rising in the back of her throat.
Nikolai's head whips around, taking in the scene. When his eyes finally land on her they grow wild with panic. She fully expects him to run, to go right back to his palace and leave her here to die in the snow.
Just another casualty under the heel of the Ravkan throne.
Instead, he scrubs his hand across his eyes, leaving streaks of red as he mutters, "I told you not to let me sleep."
"So sorry your highness," Rani hisses, pressing her hand against her side, feeling heat seep between her fingers, "But I have bigger problems than letting you get some royal beauty sleep."
Gritting her teeth, Rani pushes herself into a seated position, ignoring the waves of nausea and pain that roll over her with each movement. Tearing at the hem of her shirt, she tries to inspect the wound.
"Wait."
Her hands are shaking so violently that she can barely do more than stare at the gash in her side.
"Assassin."
Maybe it won't be so bad. If she can just get to the border... What? The Shu guards could finish her off. She can die in disgrace.
"Tara-"
"I told you not to use that name!"
The words end in a pained hiss. In her aggravation, Rani bolted up, the wound in her side sending a bolt of pain through her mind. Shattering the world into fragments of color.
Far too slowly, the snow-drenched landscape comes back into focus. Every shallow breath sends the needles of pain farther into her nerves. The spinning in her head is almost enough to make her heave.
"Let me help."
The King grabs her wrists, attempting to move them away from her injured side. Resisting only makes the world spin faster around her.
"Do you want to die in Ravka? The country you hate so much?"
He levels a look that can only be described as regal condemnation. How many Ravkan officials have folded under that same glare?
Rani clenches her jaw against the rising well of nausea. Trying her best to smooth away the pain in her voice.
"Fine."
Nikolai doesn't look at her as he sets to work, tearing strips of fabric from his jacket. It's already torn, ripped through the sleeves and back as if they had tumbled through the trees. Hadn't she thought they were flying before? But no. That's absurd. They must have been thrown from the train, crashing through trees as they tumbled down some wayward hillside.
They couldn't have flown.
Come to think of it they couldn't have gotten away from Li - not bound and unconscious between them. Not unless she had severely underestimated the King.
Thoughts are coming to the forefront of her mind slowly as if swimming through molasses to get there. None quite fitting in a cohesive narrative.
She had been so sure they were flying.
One step at a time. Once she's sure she'll get out of this forest then she can comb through the day's events.
Shaking the thoughts off Rani looks back at the King.
To her immense surprise, he's made quick and precise work of the bandages, not lingering a second longer than needed when his skin brushes hers. Brisk, adept, quite the opposite of his attitude outside of the little palace, where he had suggested anything but propriety was on his mind.
"You know how to do this?" Rani doesn't try to mask the incredulity in her voice.
"I was in the first army." Nikolai doesn't look up from his work, "And while I'm sure that won't earn me any favor from you, it does make the ladies at home swoon."
The King makes one last adjustment to the bandage before glancing up, a caviler smirk flickering over his face, the few moments without a coy comment proving too much for him. Rani only glares, pretending not to notice his hands shake as he drags them through the snow, leaving streaks of her own crimson blood behind.
"There's a town about three miles south along the tracks. It's dark, and it's not going to get any warmer," Nikolai gives her an assessing look, "Can you stand?"
Rani narrows her eyes, "Don't be daft."
As soon as she's on her feet the world starts to fade, patches of light swimming in and out of her vision. Her fingers dig into the King's arm as she catches at him, keeping herself from toppling back into the snow.
"I want to make one thing clear," Rani hisses, gripping his wrist and praying to the Saints he can't tell she's doing it to keep herself up, "You are still my prisoner. I am taking you back to the capital and turning you over to Shu Han. Let's go."
Nikolai lets out a slightly perplexed laugh, "You can't possibly-"
"I said, let's go." Rani grits out the words through clenched teeth, dragging the King a few steps in the direction she hopes is south. With her vision blinking in and out of focus it's hard to discern the patterns in the stars.
The King looks at her for a long moment. Rani doesn't dare speak, only glaring at the King with as much stubborn determination as she can muster.
After another moment he sighs, relenting.
"Alright. Let's go."
Who is your favorite Crow? I love them all, but mine is Wylan. He is my child and I will protect him with my life.
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heartless | nikolai lantsov
Fanfiction"You enjoy knowing someone in your palace would as soon have a knife to your throat as help you?" "Oh, I count on it, keeps my wits sharp." \\ Kidnapping the King of Ravka was easy. Until it wasn't. When her plan goes awry, Rani is given two choi...
