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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟔
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘

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Morning had finally come and Inessa couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Jens. Never in a million years did she ever think she'd have something in common with a Fjerdan. But last night changed that. It was a lot for her to swallow. And even though the sight of the Nordin boy still gave her the chills, he was now a bit more human to her. Inessa honestly didn't know how to feel about that, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. She needed to keep her focus on the mission ahead of them instead of making friends. The Heartrender would be able to do plenty of that once the Fold was down.

"Keep your eyes open around Sturmhond," Mal said while looking between his friend. The tracker's gaze stayed on Inessa a second longer than Alina, something that didn't go unnoticed by the Smirnoff girl. But before she had a chance to question his actions, the Oretsev boy continued speaking. "I think he's hiding something."

"Well, we're not here to make friends with him," the Starkov girl responded, completely unaware of what was occurring between her friends.

"He's made that clear enough," the tracker muttered under his breath while watching Alina climb up the steps beside them. He stepped aside to allow Inessa to copy the Sun Summoner's actions. Once the Heartrender was at the top of the steps, he followed while letting out a long sigh. "He can't even bother to learn my name. It's not even a long name."

"Do you really want a pirate to know your name?" Inessa asked with a teasing smile on her face.

Mal thought about her question only for a moment before responding. "Actually, no. Not really."

The Smirnoff girl couldn't help but laugh as they walked out onto the top deck. Her joy was soon replaced by shock as she took in the scene around her. Everyone was working together in a way Inessa had never seen before. No one was taking charge or giving orders, no one seemed lesser than the other. It just looked like a group of equals happily doing their jobs to keep the ship moving.

"He has both otkazat'sya and Grisha on his crew," Inessa muttered under her breath as her eyes continued to scan her surroundings, "no First or Second Armies, just equals. Imagine if our camps were run like this."

"The food would taste much better," Mal declared, earning a small chuckle from the Heartrender as they followed Alina across the deck.

It wasn't long before they came across another set of stairs that took them to the highest part of the ship. Inessa's smile did nothing but grow as she took in the view. There was nothing but water surrounding them, not even other ships. But the sea brought her a sense of peace and happiness, something she never expected considering she never sailed before. She loved it more than she thought she would and hoped to travel more once they completed their mission.

"Oh! Definitely don't touch that," Nikolai ordered as he approached the trio. That caused Inessa to glance back at Mal, only to find his hand was hovering over a lever. The Heartrender rolled her eyes at the tracker, who sent her a playful glare in response. It wasn't long after that when their attention was drawn back to the privateer when he continued speaking. "So, Miss Starkov, what say you and I chart the course to your destiny to find the Sea Whip."

"That'll be me, I'm the tracker," Mal announced, earning a somewhat skeptical look from the blonde boy.

Not even a second after that passed when Nikolai pulled on the chain around his neck, bringing out an item Inessa knew all too well. If you flipped it over, you'd find a cut out where her star necklace would perfectly fit. "My lucky compass. Seen me through thick and thin. Okay then, tracker, which way is north?"

"Well, I can tell you a few ways, based on the position of the sun and my shadow, based on the direction that we're sailing in, and based on..." the Oretsev boy trailed off after seeing the slightly annoyed look on Alina's face. After clearing his throat, Mal turned his attention back to Nikolai. "It's that way."

The Lantsov boy just stared at him for a moment before looking down at his compass. A satisfied smile soon appeared on his lips as he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Mal's shoulders. "Let me introduce you to our navigators. Now, what did you say your name was again?"

Mal sent Inessa and Alina an annoyed look, one they simply returned with matching smiles. Neither of them said a word as they watched the two boys walk away. It wasn't long after that when someone called out to them, drawing their attention toward Tamar, Tolya, and Jens. The three of them were sitting around a small table playing a card game with other members of the crew. Inessa exchanged a quick look with Alina before the two of them approached the table.

Toyla's laughter filled the air as they sat down on the empty bench. Not even a second after that passed when he placed cards down on the table and said something in a language Inessa had never heard before.

"What does that mean?" Alina asked after watching the Yul-Bataar boy sit down beside Jens.

"You don't know it?" Tolya retaliated, causing both of the girls to shake their heads at him, "it means 'victory' in Shu."

"Oh, I don't...I don't speak Shu," the Sun Summoner awkwardly responded.

"Understandable," Tamar muttered under her breath while shuffling the cards, "we know what Ravkans think about mutts like us. And in Shu Han..."

"They prefer to remind us we've our Ravkan mother's blood," her brother finished for her.

The Kir-Bataar girl couldn't help but scoff as she handed Inessa and Alina their cards. "Blood is blood. Only fools think otherwise."

Inessa just studied her cards in silence until looking back up at the Heartrender twins. "Is that why you've chosen this life? Because the sea understands that?"

"It's why we chose Sturmhond," Tolya responded in a tone that showed how much he respected her cousin.

"He understands," Jens added from his place beside the Yul-Batarr boy, "he offers people a chance to start over instead of judging them for their past."

Smiles soon appeared on everyone's faces before their attention returned to their cards. Well, except Alina, who was staring at one of the piercings in Tamar's ear. "Is that a shark's tooth? You're Grisha? What order?"

The Kir-Bataar girl instantly exchanged a look with her brother before moving her eyes back to the Sun Summoner. "Uh, Tolya and I don't really do that, but if we were in Ravka, we'd be Heartrenders, like your friend. But I have this, so it's a win for me."

"If only I'd been thirty seconds faster," Tolya muttered under his breath while Jens chuckled beside him.

"Story of your life," the Nordin boy mocked, earning a playful nudge from the boy beside him.

It was at that moment when Inessa noticed their interlocked fingers. The simple action seemed so natural as they sat around the table. A small smile soon appeared on the Smirnoff girl's face, one that quickly faded when she was reminded of another couple. A pair that prepared Inessa for the possibilities she could face and cared for her in their own unique ways. It pained her to know that she would never share those moments with Fedyor and Ivan again. But the Heartrender had to force those thoughts away and focus back on what was to come. She was determined to help Alina destroy the Fold. Inessa was determined to cleanse the world of the Darkling once and for all.

Little did Inessa know that she was being closely studied by the Fjerdan across from her. He would never wish the feeling of losing a sibling on anyone. It was an extraordinary pain that never seemed to go away. And now the Nordin man was seeing another person going through that same pain, reminding him more and more of who he lost. Mikaela didn't deserve her fate, but there was nothing he could do to change that now. But Jens could help ease the pain Inessa was feeling, and it surprised him that he was determined to do so.

"We've been told you're looking for an amplifier yourself," Tolya said, drawing Inessa and Jens' attention back to the situation at hand, "the Sea Whip. Is it true?"

Alina hesitated for a moment as she looked around at the group surrounding her. It wasn't long before she simply nodded in response.

"Possessing two amplifiers, it breaks all the rules," a woman with raven hair sitting on the other side of Alina commented, drawing everyone's eyes to her.

"Says the Durast who'll be fusing the amplifier," Jens responded before letting out a long sigh, "you know, if we find it."

"So I have a vested interest in your plan. But I don't wanna die in the process," the Durast retaliated with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Trust me, I don't wanna die either," the Starkov girl declared after chuckling. It wasn't long after that when she looked back over at Tamar. "When you fused with your amplifier, did it show you its last moments?"

The Kir-Bataar girl simply nodded in response before a small smirk appeared on her face. "Tolya swimming up as I took its life."

"What did the Stag show you?" the Nordin boy asked without bothering to hide the curiosity in his voice.

Once again, Alina hesitated. But her silence didn't last as long as before. "The last thing it saw was me, reaching for its muzzle. Like it always should have been. Because I'd always dreamt about it. But now I'm dreaming about the Sea Whip, and the Firebird, too."

"You think the three are connected?" Tolya questioned without taking his eyes off the Sun Summoner.

"I think...I think they are to be connected. Through me. So I can then destroy the Fold. But I can't be sure unless I try. Unless we try."

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Late afternoon had finally arrived, and Inessa found herself in a somewhat large room right below the upper deck. She stood beside Mal as everyone surrounded a large round table. No one said a word while they waited for Nikolai to join them. They were all ready for what was coming, even though they had no idea what they were facing. It was as if just the thought of an adventure brought a new energy to everyone aboard the ship.

What felt like an eternity passed before Nikolai finally arrived. He walked through the room with a large smile on his face. That was until he took his place on the other side of Inessa. He stood so close to her that their sleeves were almost touching. She knew it was his way of showing her that he was there for her even though he couldn't publicize it. However, the Lantsov boy's actions caused Mal to tense beside her. But luckily, he kept his thoughts to himself and focused on the task at hand.

"Thanks to navigation from our Summoner's tracker friend here," the privateer announced, earning an eye roll from Mal that the former chose to ignore, "we've traversed the Bone Road to the island of Jelka. As for the Sea Whip, we have some storybook drawings. No telling what it really looks like. Rule of thumb for the unknown, come prepared!"

The next thing anyone knew, Nikolai stepped back and pulled on a rope. The curtain behind him instantly opened to reveal a wall full of rifles and muskets. Shock coursed through Inessa's veins as her eyes studied the items in front of her. She didn't know whether to be impressed or uncertain by how much her cousin was able to collect.

"Are all pirates this well-armed?" Mal questioned while keeping his eyes plastered to the wall in front of him.

"Privateer," Nikolai corrected without bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"I don't know the difference," the tracker responded with a hint of boredom in his voice.

A smirk soon appeared on the Lantsov boy's lips as he approached Mal. He didn't stop walking until he was standing beside Inessa once again. "The difference is I have a license. And a healthy love for innovation. Gadgets, marvels, things that go boom."

"Why doesn't that ease my nerves?" Inessa asked in a teasing tone, earning a chuckle from Alina.

"Trust me, it comes in handy when your back's against the wall," Nikolai responded after the smile on his face grew. It wasn't long after that when his attention returned to Mal. "Anything pique your interest?"

"Yeah," the Oretsev boy muttered under his breath without taking his eyes off the privateer's collection.

"Well, take it. For our excursion," the Lantsov boy told the tracker. That was all it took for Mal to approach the wall and grab a rather large musket with a harpoon on the end. "Fabulous choice! You have excellent taste, Mal."

A silent chuckle passed over Inessa's lips when she saw the shocked look on Mal's face after hearing his name. She knew that her cousin had always known his name. He was simply pretending not to so he could get under the Oretsev boy's skin. But before Mal could question him, Nikolai continued speaking. "The cable's Fabrikator-made. Tensile strength of eighty thousand. Yield, fifty."

"Impossible," Mal mumbled, causing the smirk on the privateer's face to grow larger than humanly possible.

"When people say 'impossible,' they usually mean 'improbable.'"

A matching smile soon appeared on the tracker's face as he looked up at the boy standing next to him. "Not me. It's incredible."

"I designed it myself," Nikolai said with a hint of pride in his voice before looking around the room, "in fact, my inventions are all around you. You just have to know where to look."

A bit of confusion mixed with the joy Inessa was feeling. She wasn't sure if she fully believed her cousin, who was known for stretching the truth just a little bit. But when she saw the smiles on Tolya, Tamar, and Jens' faces, she knew he was telling them the whole truth. Now the Smirnoff girl was curious about just how much of the ship Nikolai had a hand in creating.

"So, we'll go in quietly, on Miss Starkov's orders, to injure it for your death blow," Nikolai announced, only for the smile on Alina's face to face.

"I'm not killing it," the Sun Summoner quickly responded, earning confused looks from everyone around her.

"Alina, we've already talked about this. You need to kill it to claim its power," Inessa explained in a calm tone, not wanting to start an argument with her friend, "that's how you were able to get power from the Stag. That's how all amplifiers work."

"I think there was another way for me to connect with the Stag. Kirigan just didn't give me the opportunity to try," Alina retaliated before looking around at everyone surrounding them, "I think I can do it without killing it."

Nikolai just stared at the two girls for a moment, his eyes lingering on Inessa longer than Alina. The Heartrender caught his gaze before sending him a look, one that showed she wasn't convinced by Alina's words. No matter how much the Smirnoff girl wanted to believe that her friend could gain power without killing a rare creature, it was unheard of. And his cousin's hesitation was all it took for the Lantsov boy to make his decision.

The privateer soon let out a humorless chuckle. "As lovely as that sounds, I'm not sending my crew in to tame a mythical beast with nets and good intentions."

The annoyance on Alina's face did nothing but grow as she turned to fully face Nikolai. "This is the job you were hired for, privateer. We capture it. Alive."

Before their conversation could continue, the door swung open and one of Nikolai's crew members walked inside. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on his captain. "We've reached the island."

Everyone wore different expressions as they looked at those surrounding them. It wasn't long after that when Nikolai walked out of the room, followed by Tolya, Tamar, and Jens. Inessa hung back for a moment with Alina and Mal, still uncertain about what they were about to face. But it wasn't long before the three of them headed to the top deck. They hurried toward the side of the ship and peered over the side. Chills ran throughout Inessa's entire body when she spotted a very eerie-looking island in the distance. And it was just their luck that that was exactly where they were headed.

"Well, that's not foreboding," Nikolai declared while keeping his eyes glued to their destination.

"The beast could be anywhere in there," Jens muttered under his breath as Tolya sighed beside him.

A silent moment passed between the seven of them as they studied the scene before them. That was until Mal pointed directly at one of the tunnels. "We enter through that one."

"You sure?" Tamar questioned, not bothering to hide the uncertainty in her voice.

"There's a frequency. I've heard it before," the Oretsev boy explained without taking his eyes off where they needed to go, "it's in there."

Not even a second after that passed when Nikolai glanced over at his cousin. It only took Inessa a second to feel his eyes on her. She waited for a moment to make sure that no one was watching before she met his gaze. The Heartrender instantly knew what her cousin was thinking just based on the look in his eyes. He wanted to know if they could truly trust what Mal was saying. Inessa didn't blame him for being skeptical. After all, everything the Oretsev boy was saying didn't make much sense to anyone. But after watching him track down the Stag, the Smirnoff girl had full confidence that Mal knew what he was doing. So Inessa didn't hesitate when she sent Nikolai a small nod. 

"You heard him," the Lantsov boy said after turning his attention back to the island in the distance. The next thing anyone knew, Nikolai turned around to face his crew. "We're going ashore!"

Tolya, Tamar, and Jens followed their captain to make sure everything was ready for their adventure, leaving Inessa with Alina and Mal. The Grisha pair kept their eyes glued to their destination, wondering about how their journey would play out. But Mal had his eyes locked on the Smirnoff girl, who was completely unaware of his attention. All he could think about was the interaction he just witnessed between Inessa and Nikolai, plus all the others he had seen since they boarded the ship. And soon Mal couldn't help but wonder if the Heartrender and the privateer had more history than they were letting on.

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