WHISPER- shadow and bone

Chapter 15

The Fold had always been the Fold. It was created centuries ago by a Shadow Summoner known as the Black Heretic, the Darkling, the Black Genre, General Kirigan or Aleksander Morozova if we were really getting technical. Turning mere men into abominations and monsters, swallowing them up its darkness, the Fold was a staple of Ravka.

Until it wasn't. 

Ada laughed softly in awe as sunlight flooded into her brain, blessing her eyes. She had never been so grateful to see a blue sky. Alina was slumped over Mal and the Darkling was battling through his injury. Zoya and Inej laughed together, the abomination that had torn down their worlds was vanished. The laughter didn't last long as it was overpowered by the growling of the nichevo'ya which remained. Ada stumbled upwards, back to Zoya and Inej as the trio found themself surrounded by a circle of the creatures. 

"How?" Zoya whispered frantically.

"They're tied to him, not the Fold. They still exist because he does," Ada spoke through gritted teeth, her head pointed towards the Darkling. 

The trio locked eyes and with a nod in unison, leapt towards the nearest nichevo'ya. Zoya used wind to disrupt the creature's stability as Inej slipped towards it with the Neshyener. 

Ada reached out a hand to touch the creature, gasping as she felt a painful shiver rip through her body. Focusing on the darkness at the core of it, she managed to subdue the shadows to the point where it swayed shakily, momentarily unable to attack.

"Inej now!" Ada shouted, ripping her hand away. The Suli girl leapt in the air and slashed the blade through the creature, reducing it to nothingness. 

"Nice," Ada laughed in disbelief, turning her head around to see Zoya pushed through the air by another of the creatures. 

"Go," Inej gestured towards Zoya, suggesting she could handle the monsters by herself. Ada couldn't hold back a smile of pride, Inej in her element, an Inej who could defeat shadow monsters with a single blade. 

"My hand," Zoya shouted, holding it out as she revealed a gash from where she'd caught it on a branch. Ada brushed her fingers quickly through the air and it was healed. Zoya thanked her and pushed the girl behind her as she summoned wind to push the last nichevo'ya off balance while Inej struck it definitively with the Neshyenyer. In a burst of golden dust and wisps of smoke, the last creature was vanquished. Inej hadn't even broken a sweat. 

"Nina! Nina, come please!" Alina begged, a desperate rasp in her voice. 

"Oh! Oh, Saints. How long?" Nina gasped at the dagger plunged into Mal's chest. Ada rushed over beside her, placing a hand on Nina's forehead to ease the headache she could see was tormenting the Heartrender's brain. 

"Just now. Can you save him?" Alina questioned tearfully. 

Nina hesitated, looking at Alina's desperate face. Drawing her hands through the air she tried to find his heartbeat to bring him back. Grabbing at the dagger, she slowly pulled it out to get better access to the boy's heart. Ada winced at the blood that soaked Mal's chest, placing her hands on the cut and gently smoothing her finger's over to repair the broken skin. An ugly scar appeared on Mal's chest when she was finished which she then brushed back over until the skin was intact.

"Nice," Nina nodded approvingly, drawing her hands up again to try and seise the boy's heartbeat and bring him back. 

"Now... you know sacrifice," the Darkling heaved himself up, speaking bitterly.

"Beyond anything you've ever known. And look what it did," Alina held her chin high, her voice still shaky with tears. 

"Indeed. Look what it did," the Darkling gestured towards Mal who still lay dead, Nina struggling to latch onto him.