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

Chapter 33: Zvedya.

-

-

-

-

"Eve, you have to open your eyes!" The frantic sound of Alina's voice caused me to stir as it seeped into my consciousness. "Evelynn, please, I need you to be okay."

I blinked, once, twice. I was on my back on the forest floor, looking up at the sky. Alina was Mal were on either side of me, relief washing over their familiar features.

"Thank the saints," Mal breathed.

I moved my hands and felt the dirt and leaves underneath my fingers. I forced myself to take deep breaths, filling my lungs with air instead of smoke.

"I can't feel you anymore," Alina whispered. "The bond, it just broke and then you wouldn't wake up and I thought maybe you were—"

I sat up, pulling her into a tight hug. Alina was right, the bond Aleksander had forged with the Stag's antler was gone. I could no longer feel Alina. But Aleksander, him I could still feel. David had suspected the bond between him, and I would never be broken, not unless one of us were dead, he was right. The power of the Stag had only solidified the bond that already existed between us. Though the bond felt different now, more distant, it was still there, like a nagging feeling pulling at my chest.

"I'm okay, I think my bond to him is weaker somehow too."

"You should see a healer, you don't look so good, Eve. If we leave now, we'll be just in time to meet Nikolai and the others at the compound in Zvedya."

I knew Mal had a point. My head was throbbing, every muscle in my body ached. I knew the fight had taken a toll on me.

"No, the Firebird—"

"We know where it is," Mal insisted, cutting me off. "Can you stand?" I opened my mouth to say yes but stopped. Mal must have seen this indecision on my face. "Here, I got you. You can ride with me."

I wanted to argue, to insist I could ride by myself, but the pounding in my head only seemed to be getting worse. I let Mal help me to my feet, leaning into him as he kept me upright. The world around me spun dangerously and I tightened my grip on Mal, fighting to stay conscious.

"Mal, she doesn't look so good."

I struggled to focus on Alina's voice.

"I know, I got her."

I dozed in and out of consciousness as we rode. Letting myself lean back against Mal for support. His embrace was warm and strong, giving me the sense of comfort I needed to lean back against him and shut my eyes.

"Evelynn," Mal murmured, stirring me from sleep. "We're here."

I opened my eyes. Nikolai had told me about Zvedya. It was an old castle that had been turned military base.

Dozens of first army soldiers watched us come the closer we grew. I did my best to sit up straighter, raising my chin to meet their gazes. We rode into the courtyard where even more soldiers hustled about. The Lantsov flag was everywhere, hanging from every flag post.

Alina pulled her horse to a stop and dismounted. She turned and hurried over to us. Mal helped me swing my leg over the saddle and I was grateful Alina was there to help me dismount. My feet hit the cobblestone below us and I stayed upright while leaning onto Alina for support.

"Evelynn, we should talk about what happened," Alina started.

I still hadn't told them about Baghra, how she had shattered the bond right before she died in Aleksander's arms.

Mal appeared at my side, wrapping an arm around my waist so I wouldn't have to lean so hard on Alina.

"Something happened back there," Mal started. "Baghra told me things about the Firebird, about Morozova. We need to talk, all of us."

"Evelynn!"

I turned at the familiar sound of Nikolai's voice. He was rushing towards us, his hazel eyes locking with mine from across the courtyard.

I tried to imagine how we looked. The smoke from the fire had left smudges of snoot across our skin, that mixed with the dried blood and the bruises we all suffered probably made it seem like we had just found our way out of the depths of hell.

"What happened?" Nikolai closed the space between us, his hands reaching up to cup my face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I threw my arms around his neck, letting myself topple into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around me with ease, pulling me into his warmth. I buried my face in his shirt, breathing in his scent and letting it calm my nerves.

"What the hell happened out there?" Tamar questioned.

I pulled away from Nikolai just enough so I could glance at her. Genya, Nadia, and David were there as well, all of them looking just as eager for our answer.

"Sebastian and Baghra are dead," the words slid from my lips before I could stop them.

Nikolai took a sharp inhale of breath, tightening his hold on me.

"Wait, what?" Genya demanded. "How?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and found my gaze drawn to Alina's.

"You were on the ground, and you were bleeding. I didn't stop to think how you ended up there. I just ran to you, I was terrified. He grabbed me from behind by my hair, he shoved me up against the desk. I tried to scream but he to fast, to strong." Nikolai tensed up next to me, but I couldn't tear my gaze from Alina's. "He told me about Keramzin, how he did it to punish you and then he asked me how I thought he was going to punish me. Sebastian was there, he was over top of you and I—" Tears welled up in my eyes and I shook my head. "I killed him."

Alina's expression fell, my pain mirrored on her face. No one spoke, no one moved.

I forced myself to keep going.

"Aleksander shoved me up against the wall, put his hands around my neck. He was shouting and squeezing. He told me—"

I remembered the way his eyes had darkened, the low tone of his voice. "I will strip away all that you know, all that you love. Till you have no shelter but me."

"It doesn't matter what he told me, but Baghra showed up in our mind space. One second, we were in the workshop and the next we were in Aleksander's tent. She told me to run but I wouldn't listen. She threatened Aleksander and his Nichevo'ya slit her throat. She used the last of her strength to summon the Cut, severing Aleksander's hand from his wrist, breaking the connection he had forged with the Stag's antlers."

I let my words sink in, watching as each and every one of them processed what I had said.

"I can't feel Alina anymore and she can't feel Aleksander."

"But you can still feel him, can't you?" Nikolai asked, his voice stiff.

I nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah, but not like I could before. It weakened our bond somehow, I know he's there but if I don't focus on it or him, I can keep it at bay."

"What about the Firebird?" Tamar asked.

"Mal knows where it is," Alina answered confidently.

"We'll regroup later, come up with a plan once you've all had a chance to rest," Nikolai decided.

No one argued.