The privateer and his tracker

Chapter 6

As Mal was sitting in his usual position, Zoya came in. She apologised for the loud noise of doors closing, with a whisper that Mal almost missed.

There was no reason for her to apologise and if he was honest, he could take some more noise in the all too quiet bedroom.

The moon was already in its position and Mal assumed it was around five hours after the king was poisoned. He still couldn't believe how silly it all was.

If he had stayed for a couple more minutes, none of this would've happened. Even though he is more than happy they'll have Nikolai back, alive and well, he couldn't shake the guilt.

"Stop that," Zoya said, and he should have expected something like that. "I can almost hear your thoughts." She chuckled lightly, and she seemed so unaffected by all of this. Maybe he should be too.

"I'm not thinking about much of anything," he said as he realised he didn't say anything since she came in, which probably wasn't very nice.

"You are. And I understand, I really do." Did she? She wasn't the type of person who understood other or took time for listening to people. But considering she pulled another chair closer to him, so she could look him in the eyes, she will do that now.

"I imagine you must feel at least a bit guilty. Genya told me you went to hide away in her room while that bastard was in here. Although I don't think you should feel guilty, since the dumbass will be with us in less than nineteen hours, I do understand where you're coming from."

Mal quietly wondered why he never went to Zoya for advice before. He mentally slapped himself. Of course, he never went to her before, she is the type of person who agrees that offing yourself is the best way to solve all problems.

However, she is wise and she read him like an open book, so he nodded. For once, hoping that she will speak more.

"Alina wanted to come and tell you but they needed her for something else." Tell him what? He hoped it wasn't more bad news from the healer, because he was almost completely sure he couldn't take them.

"The basted fled, and they weren't able to catch him. The new general assumes he's on his way to Novyi Zem, and we did send some guards over." That made a lot of sense. He didn't know what to answer to that but she luckily continued:

"Somewhere around a kilometre from the palace, he dropped his coat, we assume it was too hard to carry." He wasn't sure why she was telling him this, so he turned more of his attention to her.

"We found a gun tucked in his inner pocket. I came here to tell you, that if you stayed, you wouldn't be sitting here anymore and Nikolai would have to wake up to you not being here anymore." Without a second thought, he offered:

"The guards would have heard the shot and would be notified earlier though. If it even came to shooting. If it didn't, I'd have the time to fight him." He could've stopped Nikolai from being poisoned. If he doesn't wake up, he'll never forgive himself.

"And what good would that do? He's just fine as it is, even better than he was before." She leaned back in her chair and cast her gaze upon Nikolai. Looking at him, always brought the feeling of blood on his hands to Mal, so he rather fixed his eyes on her.

"He's not better, we might lose him forever." As soon as the words left his mouth he felt like he will throw up. He wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if that happened.

"We won't. He's one annoying son of a bitch, and there's no way some stress and a bit of poison will take him out. We'll need way more if we want to get rid of him."

With a wink, she stood up and walked towards the door, opening them, and letting some strong light in.

"It's almost crazy how much you two act alike sometimes." She said, leaving no room for a reply as she closed the door. Mal didn't know what to do with that kind of information.