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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

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Morning had come faster than any of them expected, forcing them closer to the next stage of their plans. Inessa found herself standing at the stern of the ship by herself, watching the waves as they slammed against the Volkvolny. Despite the noise from the water being soothing to her, the Smirnoff girl couldn't help but think about everything that had happened since the skiff. She couldn't get Ivan's face and his last words out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. And all of it was punishment for not saving him. But Inessa knew she had to force those thoughts away and focus on the mission in front of her. For if they failed to take down the Fold, then Ivan's death would've been for nothing.

After letting out a shaky breath and wiping away a stray tear, Inessa turned around, planning to find Alina and Mal. However, the Heartrender became as still as a stone when she found Nikolai standing a yard away. His eyes scanned over every inch of his cousin, taking in her current emotional state. Inessa assumed that the Lantsov boy would focus on her tear-stained cheeks, but instead his attention lingered on her arm. It was only at that moment that she realized that her sleeves were pushed up, revealing her lone tally mark tattoo. A wave of panic instantly washed over the Smirnoff girl as she pulled down her sleeves. But she could tell by the look on Nikolai's face that it was too late.

"Who is that for?" the blonde boy asked with a hint of determination in his voice, which sent chills throughout Inessa's entire body.

"It's nothing," the Heartrender muttered under her breath before beginning to walk past her cousin. However, she didn't make it very far.

Nikolai didn't hesitate to gently grab her arm and pull her back in front of him. Before Inessa had a chance to comprehend what was happening, the Lantsov boy forced her sleeve up, revealing her tattoo once again. His eyes scanned over the mark until he finally looked up at his cousin. "I know what a mark like this means, Nessa. Who is it for?"

A lump soon formed in the Smirnoff girl's throat as she studied her cousin. "I think you already know."

It wasn't long before a wave of realization washed over the Lantsov boy. "Maximus? You killed Maximus? Why?"

"I didn't want to, Nik. I thought he was just another oprichniki. But General Kirigan discovered who he really was and why he came to the Little Palace," Inessa explained as tears began forming in her eyes. But instead of blinking them away like she always tried to do, she let them fall. "He told me that Maximus was sent to kill me by the Fjerdans. He said that it was my job to take care of the problem. Maximus begged me to stop while Kirigan urged me to continue. I was so torn on what to do. But when the Darkling put his hand on my shoulder, I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry, Nik. I'm so sorry."

Nikolai was silent as he stared at his cousin, going over every word she had just said in his head. Inessa was expecting him to push her away. She thought he would shut her out for killing a member of his crew, just as she always imagined he would when he found out the truth. But what Nikolai did next shook Inessa to the core. He pulled her in for the tightest hug she'd ever received. Confusion flowed through every inch of the Heartrender's body before it was replaced with relief. It wasn't long after that when she wrapped her arms around her cousin and cried into his shoulder.

Little did either of them know that someone had been watching their exchange from a distance. Mal couldn't hear anything that was said between Inessa and Nikolai. But their actions confirmed the thoughts he had since they met Sturmhond. He and Inessa weren't strangers as they claimed to be. Somehow, they knew each other. And from when the Oretsev boy had observed, their bond was stronger than he realized. Mal just watched them for another moment before walking away from the pair. He didn't know what to do with his newly discovered information. But now there was a battle happening inside him. A battle that would determine if he and Alina should continue to trust Inessa or not.

It wasn't long before the cousins' moment had ended, causing them to pull away from each other. However, they still kept their hands on each other's forearms. Silence surrounded them until Nikolai found the courage to break it. "As much as Maximus' death pains me, it wasn't your fault. Nothing that happened in the Little Palace was your fault, Nessa. The Darkling was controlling you, and that's terrifying in itself. As I said before, you did what you needed to do in order to survive."

Inessa couldn't help but let out a shaky breath before responding. "That doesn't make what I did any better. But I know you're right."

"I usually am," Nikolai said with a small smile on his face, "now wipe away those tears and go find your friends. We have a Fold to destroy."

A small laugh passed over the Heartrender's lips as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She gave her cousin one more hug before walking passed him and toward where she last saw Alina. When she found the Sun Summoner, she was staring at the scales embedded in her wrists, completely oblivious to the world around her. Inessa just watched her for a moment, not wanting to interrupt the Starkov girl's thoughts. Just as the Smirnoff girl was about to make herself known, Mal appeared on the other side of the ship.

Inessa sent him a small smile, only to receive a blank stare in response. However, before she could question his actions, the Oretsev boy turned his back on her and approached Alina. The Heartrender just stared at him with a hint of confusion in her eyes before copying his actions.

"How's it feel? Ready to take on the Fold?" Mal asked while ignoring Inessa's presence by his side, something that Alina didn't fail to notice.

However, she chose to ignore his behavior for now. Instead, she let a small smile appear on her lips before responding. "I feel ready to take on the world."

"Why don't we start with everyone currently looking for us?" Inessa suggested, earning a chuckle from Alina and an eye roll from Mal. This time, the Heartrender didn't let his actions slide. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," the tracker responded before turning his attention back to the Starkov girl, "I'll keep us off the beaten path, but we'll be on our own again."

"Who says you'll be on your own?" a new voice questioned, causing them to turn around to face a smirking Nikolai, "I want a front-row seat to the light show, thank you very much. Plus, the King is on the other side of the Fold, ergo so is my payment."

"Well, we could definitely use your arsenal," the Oretsev boy told the privateer in the same tone he used with Inessa, causing her confusion to instantly grow.

"Maybe some kind of fortified carriage?" Alina suggested, making the smirk on the Lantsov boy's face slowly grow.

"Carriage? Land travel is so boring. And that'll take days," Nikolai scoffed before spinning around and walking toward the other end of the ship. When he didn't hear the trio following him, he called out over his shoulder to them. "Come along."

They followed the privateer until he stopped at a lever attached to one of the poles on the deck. Uncertainty appeared on each of their faces as Tamar, Tolya, and Jens appeared out of nowhere. It wasn't long after that when Nikolai shouted to his crew. "Prepare to decouple!"

Not even a second after that passed when a man Nikolai called Kovu appeared behind them, fully prepared for what was about to happen. The Lantsov boy then placed his hand on the lever and pulled it down. The entire ship began to shake as a secondary mast was released. It wasn't long after that when Kovu summoned a strong wind to bend the mast until it was in a horizontal position. Once it was locked into place, Nikolai released another sail, allowing him to have more control over the ship. Before Inessa could comprehend what was happening, Kovu pushed another strong gust of wind into the sail above them. That was all it took for a small part of the ship to detach from the main ship.

The Heartrender couldn't help but grab onto the nearest rope and tightly shut her eyes, causing Tamar, Tolya, and Jens to laugh. A loud blast was soon heard before the small ship lurched forward. The movement made Inessa stumble forward before she slammed into something in front of her. When she forced her eyes open, she found Mal staring down at her. The two of them kept their eyes locked for a moment before the tracker helped the Smirnoff girl to her feet. As soon as she was steady, the Oretsev boy moved toward the railing. A large smile soon appeared on his lips as he glanced back at Inessa, as if forgetting that he had been very cold with her just a moment ago. "You gotta come see this."

"I'm alright here, thank you very much," Inessa said after tightly wrapping her hand around the rope once again.

"No, come on," Mal responded before grabbing her free hand and dragging her over to the railing.

Inessa's eyes instantly widened as a smile appeared on her lips. She couldn't help but look away from the world, which was currently miles below her. The Smirnoff girl simply watched as they moved from above the ocean to land at an extraordinary pace. It wasn't long before a very shocked Alina joined them, causing a chuckle to pass over her lips. Squaller or no Squaller, if anyone could defy the laws of gravity, it was going to be Nikolai. The boy in question just watched his cousin with a large grin on his face, enjoying seeing how carefree she was at that moment.

"How is this possible?" Alina muttered under her breath, giving the privateer the cue to join their conversation.

"Did you expect any less? Come on, it's like you haven't even met me," the Lantsov boy said as he approached the trio at the railing. He stopped beside Inessa as the smile on his face grew, reminding Mal of what he saw not that long ago. But he quickly shook those thoughts away as Nikolai began speaking once again. "Years and years of designs...and several dozen crashed prototypes."

The smile on the Starkov girl's face instantly fell as she looked over at the blonde boy. "Crashed?"

"I call her the Hummingbird," Nikolai announced, completely ignoring the fear in Alina's eyes.

"Captain!" Tamar called out, drawing everyone's attention toward her, "the Fold's in sight."

"Next stop...destiny," the Lantsov boy said to his allies before walking toward where the twins and Jens stood.

Mal, Alina, and Inessa quickly followed until they were all staring straight at the source of all their problems. No one said a word as they got closer and closer to the Fold. The Heartrender couldn't help but take in a deep breath as they said straight into her nightmare. Her eyes scanned the darkness surrounding them, taking her back to the last time she was in the Fold. Ivan's face flashed in front of her eyes before she watched him fall into the darkness. But she did her best to shake those thoughts away, knowing they wouldn't get her anywhere.

"I hate this place," Inessa muttered under her breath while trying and failing to hide all the emotions she was feeling.

"Just a bit of pitch black and bloodthirsty monsters. What's not to love?" the Lantsov boy responded, earning annoyed looks from Mal and Alina while Inessa rolled her eyes at him.

Jens couldn't help but chuckle as he handed Nikolai and Mal pistols. He held one out to Inessa, but she quickly shook him off. Even if she was in her right mind to take on the Volcra, Inessa never learned how to use a pistol. The Darkling always said a Grisha should only rely on their abilities to protect themselves. And if they couldn't, then they were better off dead.

"Seems like a good day to kill some Volcra," Tamar declared with a large smile on her face.

Tolya couldn't help but let out a sigh as he continued to look through the darkness. "I'd much rather a hot bath and a book of sonnets."

"Why must everything lead back to your poetry?" Jens questioned in a teasing tone.

"Because that's what relaxes me. And I need to be relaxed at a moment like this."

Mal's eyes bounced around everyone surrounding him until they landed back on Alina. "Are you sure you're ready?"

The Sun Summoner glanced back at her childhood friend before looking back at the Fold. "I feel stronger than ever. This is my chance to finally eradicate it. For good."

Inessa couldn't help but exchange a look with Mal as Alina took a step forward. When their attention moved back to their friend, they found her summoning white light to her hands. She soon held her arms out to the sides of her, causing streams of light to emit from her fingertips. It wasn't long after that when a light shield formed around the Hummingbird, protecting them from whatever was lurking in the shadows. The shield grew bigger and bigger, breaking through the darkness as they continued to sail through it. Another burst of light soon radiated off the Sun Summoner's body, creating a gap in the Fold and revealing the sky above them. Everyone looked around in shock at what was happening around them, unable to comprehend the power Alina truly held.

But what they didn't expect was for the Starkov girl's light to flicker, making a wave of concern wash over her allies. The next thing any of them knew, Alina's light faded and she collapsed to the floor. Inessa and Mal instantly rushed to her sides as everyone else watched the world around them fall back into an eerie darkness. Silence surrounded them for a moment, only for it to be broken by the familiar growls of the Volcra.

"Kovu! Get us out of here!" Nikolai shouted while keeping his eyes glued to the Fold.

Inessa did her best to ignore the Volcra landing on the Hummingbird and the shouts of her friends and family. Instead, she focused all her attention on Alina, who was the only one who could truly get them out of their current predicament. A long sigh passed over her lips as the Heartrender placed her hands on the Sun Summoner's chest. Inessa slowly shut her eyes as she summoned as much of her power as she could. It wasn't long after that when she used that power to speed up Alina's head, bringing her out of her temporary slumber.

"You're okay, you're alright, you're alright," Mal muttered under his breath as he and Inessa helped Alina to her feet.

The Starkov girl just stared at her friends with a hint of panic in her eyes. That was until a Volcra's screech grabbed her attention. Alina didn't hesitate to jump to her feet before sending a stream of light at an approaching Volcra, turning it into ash. It wasn't long after that when the Hummingbird broke through the end of the Fold, taking them into East Ravka. However, none of them could enjoy being out of the Fold just yet. The Hummingbird was falling at a very fast pace, causing everyone to grab the railings around them. Despite Kovu's best effort, they made a crash landing in the unoccupied field.

"Is everyone okay?" Nikolai called out to his allies as soon as the ship stopped moving. Relief flooded through him when he realized that everyone was moving. They may have been injured, but at least they were alive.

"The Fold's too strong," Alina whispered just loud enough for Inessa and Mal to hear. Her eyes stayed glued to the dark wall in front of them as she continued speaking. "I thought with two amplifiers, but...it wasn't enough."

"It's alright, Alina. We'll find another way," Inessa said while placing her hand on her friend's shoulder, "but for now, we should probably get off Sturmhond's precious Hummingbird before it explodes."

After receiving nods in response from her friends, the three of them forced themselves to their feet. They carefully navigated their way across the broken deck before jumping off the Hummingbird and onto the field. But what they weren't expecting to find was a First Army battalion approaching them. Mal placed himself in front of Inessa and Alina without thinking as they watched the regiment get closer and closer until stopping a few yards away.

"Well, looks like we're about to enjoy a traditional Ravkan welcome," Tolya said without taking his eyes off the battalion in front of them.

"You've crossed illegally onto Ravkan sail. Identify yourselves," the general ordered as his company aimed their rifles at the newcomers.

"I'll handle this," Nikolai declared after jumping down from the Hummingbird, landing between Inessa and Tolya. He quickly handed his satchel to the Yul-Baatar boy. The general didn't hesitate to repeat himself, earning a smirk from the Lantsov boy. "Have I really changed much, Raevsky? I know it's been a number of years, but people swear I remain boyishly handsome."

Confusion instantly appeared on Raevsky after he watched Nikolai take off his overcoat, revealing a First Army uniform underneath. "It can't be."

"Yet, it is," the Lantsov boy responded as the smirk on his face grew as he approached the battalion.

"Moi tsarevich," the general said before kneeling in the grass. Not even a second after that passed when the entire battalion copied his actions. "My Prince. We'd all but given up hope."

The privateer couldn't help but chuckle as Raevsky got to his feet. The two of them instantly shook hands before the general turned to face his company. "I present Nikolai Lantsov, Major of the 22nd Regiment, Soldier of the King's Army, Grand Duke of Udova, and Second Son to his Most Royal Majesty, King Pyotr the Third, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne."

"You've got to be joking," Mal muttered under his breath at the same moment Alina whispered, "Saints."

Inessa forced herself to suppress a chuckle, knowing it wouldn't help to reveal her relation to Nikolai at that moment. Especially after seeing the annoyance mix with the confusion in both of her friends' eyes.

"And in your own words, as I recall, the greenest and most useless grunt you ever had the misfortune of commanding. At your service. I wanted to return sooner, but I couldn't without her," Nikolai explained before turning and gesturing toward Alina, "may I present my esteemed traveling companion, former cartographer and sometimes Saint, Alina Starkov."

"Sol Koroleva. We heard you were dead," Raevsky said as the Sun Summoner approached Nikolai with determination in her eyes.

"You lying b*st*rd!" Alina exclaimed while punching the Lantsov boy across the face. Her actions caused Inessa to shrink back and glance over at Tamar, Tolya, and Jens. The three of them wore grimaces on their faces as they watched Nikolai rub his cheek.

It wasn't long after that when the regiment began working on recovering what they could of the Hummingbird. Inessa watched from her place beside Mal and Alina. As she watched the soldiers, the Heartrender couldn't help but wonder how her friends would react when they found out who she really was. She knew she was nowhere as significant as Nikolai, she never was. But she had been keeping very important information from them, and that was something neither Mal nor Alina would take lightly.

Inessa was surprised when Nikolai returned from speaking with Raevsky, leading seven horses. He quickly explained to them that they needed to reach the Spinning Wheel before Vasily, especially now that the Lantsov boy had opened the royal building to any Grisha who had escaped the Darkling. Her older cousin had never liked Grisha. Inessa never understood why, but she knew Nikolai was right about their need to get there first. So after packing their saddle bags with the needed supplies, they got onto their horses and began their journey to the Spinning Wheel.

Jens, Tamar, and Tolya led the way on the trail that would take them to their destination. Alina and Nikolai rode side by side, most likely talking about how he kept being a Ravkan Prince from her. That left Inessa and Mal in the back of the ground, riding in complete and utter silence. The tracker had barely looked at the Heartrender since they landed in East Ravka. In fact, he had barely said a word to her since their last time on the Volkvolny. She had no idea what had come over him and why it was making him act the way he was, but Inessa was determined to find out.

"So, do you wanna tell me why you've been acting strange? Or are we gonna keep this awkward silence?" the Smirnoff girl questioned, earning a small sign from the boy riding beside her.

"How long have you known that Sturmhond was the Prince?" Mal asked, taking Inessa by surprise. The Oretsev boy couldn't help but roll his eyes at her before continuing to speak. "Don't play dumb. I saw how concerned he was about you after the Sea Whip. How long have you known?"

The Heartrender hesitated while glancing over at Nikolai. She stared at her cousin's back for a moment longer before her gaze returned to Mal. "I've always known."

The tracker instantly looked away from her. Inessa noticed his hands tightening around the reins, but refused to comment on it. She didn't want to make their conversation any worse than it already was. What felt like an eternity of silence passed before Mal finally responded to her. "I thought we were friends, Inessa. And friends don't hide things from each other."

Inessa scoffed at his words as she thought back to all the times she was told to keep her connection to the Royal Family a secret. "You make it sound so simple."

"How hard would it have been to tell us that you have...a relationship with the Prince?" Mal retaliated, earning a confused look from the girl beside him.

It only took Inessa a second to realize what he was truly asking, causing a disgusted look to appear on her face. "Ew, that's gross. I do not have...a relationship with Nikolai. He's my cousin."

Shock soon replaced all the emotions Mal was feeling as he looked over at the Smirnoff girl. "Your cousin?"

"Yes, my cousin," Inessa repeated before looking over at the tracker with curiosity in her eyes, "why on earth did you think we were in a relationship?"

"I saw your embrace on the Volkvolny."

"I was having a hard time. He was just comforting me," the Smirnoff girl explained while Mal continued to watch her with interest in his eyes, "I wanted to tell you, I did, but Nikolai didn't want to reveal his true identity just yet. He thought you wouldn't trust him. I would've told you before, but I've been trained to keep my relations to the Royal Family a secret my entire life."

Mal couldn't help but laugh, revealing his true self to Inessa once again. A goofy smile stayed plastered on his lips as he looked over at her. "Everything is making much more sense now."

"Who would've known that Mal Oretsev is the jealous type?" the Heartrender teased, causing the tracker's cheeks to redden as he looked over at her.

"I wasn't jealous."

"Of course, you weren't."

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