"𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥."
"𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫."
͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
[ in which the darkness must learn to share his time in the...
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Ithaca's shoulders were aching — that was the first thought she registered upon waking. Granted, it was a perfectly normal feeling after having a shadow creature rip into your flesh with talons. Her second thought was that she realized she was being carried on a gurney of some sort. And third, she had no idea where Mal and Alina were.
She sat up in an instant, unknowingly knocking a Grisha healer back while grunting from the pain in her back. Her green eyes scanned her surroundings, spotting her dark haired friend up ahead being dragged by two guards toward a black tent.
"Alina!" she shouted while rolling off the gurney.
The Grisha tending to her tried to stop her. "You're injured!" But Ithaca just pushed her back roughly and ran to her friend.
"Ithaca!" Alina shouted. "Ithaca, they won't let me go."
Before he knew it, one of the guards was thrown back, landing hard on his ass. And then the other felt a tight grip on his forearm before he was thrown over Ithaca's shoulder, also landing in a heap. Alina grasped Ithaca's hand desperately, who was looking around anxiously. Grisha seemed to be coming from nowhere, surrounding them, ready to apprehend them.
"Say you want to run, and we'll run," Ithaca whispered.
"We can't beat them," Alina said helplessly.
"Yes, I can," she said confidently. And after seeing her in action in the Fold, Alina believed her.
"Not yet. Not without Mal," she murmured.
And so the two girls had no choice but to be led to the giant black tent, Ithaca making sure to stay a few steps ahead of Alina in case anyone felt the need to attack them. She didn't care what kind of reputation this Darkling had. She'd face anyone to protect her friends.
He had his back to them as they entered a tent full of other Grisha, standing tall over a table. And as he spoke, Ithaca grew tense, recognizing his voice from the night before.
"Bring her closer," he demanded.
A guard pushed Alina forward, and Ithaca glared at him until he backed away, intimidated by the blood-covered woman with black smeared around her eyes.
"Closer," the General said again when Alina only shuffled to stand next to Ithaca.
"I think we're close enough," Ithaca said tensely, and she saw his shoulders tighten a bit, likely recognizing her voice as well.
Slowly, General Kirigan turned, laying his eyes on the two girls. His gaze lingered in Ithaca for a moment before studying Alina's unassuming figure.
