The Price She Paid: Shadow & Bone (Book 2)

Chapter 14: It's Aleksander. He's alive.

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No sooner had I mentioned Nikolai, a king's guard found me and insisted I was needed in the briefing room. I parted ways with Zoya, feeling a bit more hope for the future ahead of us.

The kings guard stopped at a large oak door. He gave a swift knock and opened it for me, gesturing for me to enter.

I stepped inside and saw Alina, Mal and Nikolai were already here. I took one look at their faces, and I knew the news wasn't good.

"What happened?"

Nikolai gestured for me to come closer. I joined him at a large circular table where various maps had been spread out.

"We've received accounts of First Army units found massacred here—" he pointed to a spot on the map. "Here and here."

All of it was in Ravka.

"There's good evidence these units were holding Grisha captive. Some reports say soldiers were mutilated beyond recognition."

Nikolai raised his head, letting his hazel eyes land on me. His expression was grim, his eyes flashing with remorse.

"Tell her," Alina whispered.

"Tell me what?"

What was going on?

Nikolai moved closer to me, reaching out to place his hand on my arm.

"It's Aleksander. He's alive."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

"We don't know that for sure," Mal argued. "No way he could have survived the Fold."

My ears started to ring, and I took a step back, watching as Nikolai's hand fell back to his side. My legs started to shake as I continued to back away, as if somehow, I could escape this conversation all together.

"He survived it before."

"You'd feel him, wouldn't you?"

"He's dead," My voice was barley above a whisper. They continued to argue. Mal's eyes flashing with anger, Alina struggling to make him see some sense, and Nikolai, the picture of calm. "He's dead!"

The arguing stopped as all eyes turned in my direction.

"Aleksander is dead." They were wrong, the reports were wrong. "He's dead and I'm the one who killed him."

"Evelynn—"

I pulled away from Nikolai, shaking my head.

"No!"

But Zoya had said the same thing, she told me Grisha were flocking to his side. What were the chances that they were both wrong?

I had convinced myself he was dead, that somehow it was his ghost haunting me. Had the truth been right in front of my eyes this entire time? 

I stormed out of the room before anyone could say another word.

I raced down the hall, my vision blurry from unshed tears. My heart pounded against my chest, my power buzzing underneath my skin like a thousand bees.

I made a random right and stopped at a door. I shoved it open and found myself in an empty room. The only piece of furniture was a dusty chair that sat in the far corner, with a few unmarked boxes piled next to it.