WHISPER- shadow and bone

Chapter 12

The blast shook the courtyard, sending the crew sprawling forward. Nina and Zoya burst through the rubble that once was the room of poisoned gas. Their job of tailing the woman had failed horrifically but they made it when it mattered. The element of surprise was on their side and Zoya was able to send Ohval hurtling back with a gust of wind while Nina grasped at her heart.

Ohval however, seemed to be immune, her heart protected by some invisible shield. Jolting forward in strained steps, she drew her hands together, then apart, before dropping them to the ground. Ada watched in horror as her friends groaned in agony, clutching at their hearts. Ohval had caught something inside of them, destroying them from the inside.

"This is taking longer than I'd like. So perhaps we end it. Fascinating, isn't it? The amount of trace metal there is in the body. Iron, for instance, in the blood," she spoke wisely as she smirked at the fallen bodies.

Groaning in helpless fury, Ada used all her might to rip the blade out that held her to the wall. As the blade hit the floor, so did she. Glancing around at Ezra grasping at his chest in agony, Ada's eyes flashed with a danger laced in vengeance. She'd kill her for trying to kill him. While the blade stayed useless on the floor, Ada scrambled upwards and hurled herself at Ohval, tackling the woman to the floor.

Ohval gasped at the sheer impact Ada had barrelled at her with. Looking into the young girls eyes, all she could see was molten fury. Ada clasped the woman's neck with her hands and willed her to be happy, to be good, to love, anything but have the hunger to kill. Just as it had back with the soldier in Novyi Zem, Ada felt a pulse of energy rip through her body, originating from her hand. Ohval stopped trying to force the girl off her, her limbs going slack as her eyes fought a losing battle. Ada saw raw shock in the woman's eyes as she fought Ada's will.

"Stand down Starkov," came the drawl of a familiar voice.

Ada whipped her head up to see Kaz wheeling out an elderly man dressed in fine robes. The Healer reluctantly lifted her hands from Ohval's neck, giving a warning glance towards the woman who shoved Ada roughly to the side, collecting herself as she tried to make sense of what the strange scrap of a girl had done to her.

"Here she is! Sweetheart, we have visitors. Art collectors from Kerch," the man spoke cheerfully. Ada watched as Ohval's face softened, her crease lines of worry dissipating as she saw the man she'd fought her entire life to protect.

Ada stumbled towards Ezra, pulling him roughly into a hug. Ezra wrapped his arms around the girl tightly, reeling from the way Ohval had grasped at his blood and from how Ada had rendered her powerless, just with her bare hands.

"I know, dear. I was just about to offer them tea," Ohval spoke softly.

"He's not part of this," she turned and spoke to Tolya furiously in Shu.

"These are the collectors I was telling you about. They'll be pleasantly surprised to meet you, the great thief of the art world. The Disciple," Kaz let the bomb drop, raising an eyebrow to the crew.

"This is The Disciple?" Jesper asked in astonishment.

"Have we met before?" the Disciple spoke slowly and shakily to Kaz.

"Yes, in your room just now. And I've met your wife. In Bhez Ju. We had tea there," Kaz spoke, his voice softer than Ada had ever heard it. It was strange to hear Kaz without his bite, it felt wrong.

"Bhez Ju Museum. The support beams are under every second section of the floor. The others creak. Important to know the secrets of a place," The Disciple chuckled gently.