Six of Crows: To Hell and Back

Part Fifteen Fedyor

(THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER HERE!!!)(I'm so fucking sorry for the wait, I really am, but I'll have a deeper explanation at the bottom of the chapter, enjoy!)

He watched the third person this week be taken away. Saints, he couldn't believe this is what his afterlife had become. He knew what would happen to those people. He would torture with the worst memories of their lives and that didn't even come close to the physical torture. His heart grew heavy and he averted his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he shuddered. He felt his knees go weak and nearly fell.  He turned around to see who it was. Marie? She looked down at him and smiled. She grabbed his hand and helped him get back on his feet. 

"How are you holding up? I haven't seen you since you were released."  Fedyor shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it," he told her. She nodded, but gave a little frown. 

"Ok, do you want to talk about something else?"

"How's Sergei?" Marie paled. Their relationship had ups and downs and currently they were in a down. They were in a down so deep that it finally broke the camels back.

"He's moving to another floor."

"How did he swing that?" Marie blew a hair out of her face.

"He betrayed Alina remember? He decided to redeem his good graces."  Fedyor rolled his eyes. Truly they were better off without him. The two of them walked over to the bar and began to drink out their sorrows. A.M. was destroying the afterlife. In the corner of Fedyor's eye he could see Matthias Helvar. A former "witch hunter" and not very popular amongst Grisha. He tried his best to be tolerant, but with so many Grisha losing their lives to people like him. Well... he had to understand that his presence was not a welcomed one. Fedyor watched as Helvar's hands squeezed a glass so hard it broke. He finally lost it. Marie's right eyebrow raised at the display of anger. This would not turn out well for Helvar. 

They ended up dragging him kicking and screaming out of the bar. He wasn't seen ever again.

XxX

Kaz's plan was to grab Botkin! Brilliant. Everyone in the afterlife respected him. Botkin looked to Mikhael in contempt, but made no attempt to rid Mikhael's hand from his wrist. He was ok with this, thought Fedyor. The Darkling looked on with a silent angry look on his face. The fighting slowed as people looked on in reverence. Botkin and Mikhael ran to Kaz the fighting resumed. Matthias put his hand on Fedyor's shoulder. 

"The fighting isn't over. Let's end this Heartrender once and for all," Matthias said. Fedyor nodded and they got into a fighting stance. They just went off instinct. Fighting came natural to the both of them. Who would've thought a Drüskelle and a Grisha soldier would fight together to save the afterlife?

Who would've thought there actually was an afterlife? And they fought and fought. Both had gotten a few good hits in, and each had some misses.  Matthias launched his first in the side of Ivan's head.  He crumpled to the ground. Matthias sat back onto the ground. Was it finally over? Ivan rose his head off the ground and Fedyor stepped on his head forcefully. Matthias could hear the crack of the bones in his face. Ivan didn't get back up. The two of them sighed in relief. Fedyor helped Matthias up again and went to find Kaz. The loud bang of a gun was shot up in the air. Botkin was holding it above his head. 

It had been so long since Fedyor had seen him. Botkin and Fedyor never interacted in the afterlife. Fedyor had his own personal things to deal with. The Darkling had hurt him first before anyone else in the afterlife. His punishment for wanting to leave and being reincarnated.  Botkin had been taken away pretty early into the Darkling's reign. He didn't want competition. Fedyor never got to thank him. Even in the Afterlife he was still respected and strong. Fedyor and Matthias needed to get there immediately. Botkin's stare penetrated every last one of them. A hush fell over the crowd and the fighting ceased.