The Shadow Crow (A Shadow and Bone: Season 2 Fanfiction)

Chapter 15: On the Other Side

Several hours later... 

I blinked, stepping into the daylight, Tolya and Tamar walking near us, supporting Nikolai as he walked with a limp, followed by Kaz, Jesper and Wylan, as well as Adrik and Nadia. 

'Long may the night carry our souls until the dawn renews us,' Tolya said, as him and Tamar helped Nikolai sit on a crate. 

'Rabinov,' Kaz spoke up. 'Canto Seventeen.' 

'Seems we both share an appreciation for life's beauty,' Tolya replied. Nikolai groaned. 

'Are you okay?' I asked, stepping up to the siblings and the new King. 

'A moment of sun before we deal with our losses,' he replied. 'Dominik.' 

'He did exactly what any of us would have done for each other,' Tamar said, grasping Nikolai's arm. 'For you.' Suddenly, we all heard a commotion and looked to see Alina, Mal, Inej and Nina coming down the hill towards the clearing. Mal walked away from the group, and Inej and Alina had words about the Neshyenyer blade. Inej and Jesper embraced, and then the Wraith walked up to us. 

'Kirigan?' Nikolai asked. 

'Dead. Zoya is protecting the body. Alina wants it burned.' My eyes burned with tears, and I momentarily stumbled back in shock, hearing the words reverberating through my ears. I barely heard Nikolai talking, thanking the Crows for their help. 

Dead. 

My brother is dead. 

We all stood on the desert sand where the Shadow Fold once was, tears dripping down my cheeks as the body of Aleksander Kirigan laid before us on a wooden pyre. 

'You go,' Alina said to Genya and Zoya. 'You both have every right.' She looked at Genya. 'For David.' Genya looked at me. 

'Do you want to?' I shook my head softly, then spoke, 

'I want a moment. Before you set it on fire.' I stepped to the pyre and touched his face, then his hair. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. 'I don't forgive you for what you did to me, or to anyone else,' I whispered. 'But you're still my brother. Be well, Aleksander. Be well.' I pressed a kiss to his forehead, and stepped back, more tears streaming down my face. Then, Genya and Zoya walked over, grabbing the torches and setting fire to the funeral pyre. Genya handed her torch to Alina, who lit the rest of the pyre. Nikolai soon stepped forward. 

'Today is a new beginning,' he spoke. 'For all of Ravka. Hell, for our whole world. It's a bit daunting, isn't it? Knowing where to go from here. We've had a singular focus for so long. So much blood has been shed. After hundreds of years separated by the Fold, we can celebrate a united Ravka. Our neighbours to the north will see us united and will aim to strike. But often, it's not the battle that takes the most from us. It's the aftermath. The chance to put the pieces of our lives back together. When a Firebird rises from the ashes, it is not the same. 

But in that rebirth, is potential. Potential for a new purpose. Thanks to what Alina has done for us, we all have a chance to better the world now that the Fold is gone. And above all, trust. Trust in each other. Trust in yourselves. Trust in the fact that this is the start of better days to come. And it won't be easy, of course. Nothing is. I had hoped to end that on a more uplifting note, but here we are.' The Crows walked away, followed by Nina and Mal. Fresh tears continued to flow down my face, and I collapsed to my knees, weeping bitterly. Alina, Genya and Zoya hugged, and then Genya reached down to me and pulled me into her arms as I wept on her shoulder.