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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊

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Silence filled the coach as they traveled along the path that would take them back to the Little Palace. Inessa kept her eyes glued to the window to watch the trees pass, not having it within her to look at the girl sitting next to her. Despite knowing that they needed Alina to save their country, the Smirnoff girl felt bad for tearing her away from the life she knew. It reminded the young Heartrender of what happened to her five years ago, making a wave of sorrow wash over her as she thought of Nikolai.

Inessa hasn't seen her cousin since the day she was torn away from him. And it was all because of the Darking keeping her under his watchful eye. The Smirnoff girl was able to sneak off last year to see Nikolai, but she soon discovered that he was no longer living with his family in Os Alta. Instead, he was traveling the world and going on his own adventures. Inessa felt a mixture of emotions after discovering Nikolai had left. She was angry at him for leaving her behind, especially after promising to come for her and take her with him to explore the world. But she was also happy that Nikolai was able to escape royal life, a life he never enjoyed.

The young Heartrender was soon pulled out of her thoughts when someone nudged her leg. Confusion flowed through her veins as she looked at the man sitting across from her, only to find Fedyor staring back at her with a smile on his face. It wasn't long after that when the Kaminsky man gestured toward Alina. Inessa stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a long sigh and looking over at the Sun Summoner.

"Alina, this is Fedyor," Inessa said while gesturing toward the only person in the coach that the Starkov girl hadn't met yet.

"Pleasure to meet you," Fedyor greeted as the smile on his face grew. Alina stared at him for a moment then looked down to mess with her sleeve. The Kaminsky man quickly glanced over at Inessa before his attention returned to the Sun Summoner. "They call this a kefta. It's bulletproof. The uniform of the Second Army."

The Starkov girl kept her head down as she traced over a scar on her hand with her thumb. It wasn't long after that when she lifted her head up to look at the three Heartrenders in the coach with her. "What about the First Army? Back in Kribirsk. A thousand soldiers marching with us. Isn't that safer than this?"

"Slower, not safer. Not really," Ivan said in a bored tone while keeping an emotionless expression on his face.

"If we went back and you left me with the cartography unit, no one would look twice at us."

Silence fell upon the coach once again as soon as Alina finished speaking. Curiosity began flowing through Inessa's veins as she looked over at Fedyor, only to find him already staring back at her. By the look in his eyes, the Smirnoff girl could tell they were thinking the same thing, but only one of them had the courage to ask it.

"Why is that?" the Kaminsky man asked, drawing Alina's attention back to him before he continued speaking, "you summon pure sunlight. Your kind of Etherealki has just been a theory, a picture in a storybook. Until now. You're a very special girl, so how has no one looked twice at you before?"

"Are you joking?" the Starkov girl retaliated, only for Fedyor to shake his head in response while Ivan and Inessa watched Alina with interest in their eyes, "maybe it's nicer inside the walls of the Little Palace, but out here, when you're different, when you look different, everything's at risk of becoming a fight."

"Do you know why the Little Palace has walls in the first place?" Ivan questioned while keeping a blank expression on his face, "because for years, being Grisha was a death sentence. At least now, thanks to General Kirigan, we're protected. Feared. And that's how we survive. Not by being overlooked, but by making them look, and knowing you're powerful."

Alina just stared at Ivan, taking in his words and thinking them over in her head. That lasted for a moment longer before she opened her mouth to respond. "I've survived long enough without your protection. Thank you."

"But you wouldn't last a minute now that you are...you," the Kaminsky man stated while keeping his eyes glued to the girl in front of him, "all of Ravka has been waiting for you."

"I get it. The whole country wants to see the Fold gone."

"It's much bigger than that, Alina," Inessa said, earning smiles from Fedyor and Ivan, both proud that the Smirnoff girl was speaking up much more than usual, "to the Grisha, you are a walking myth. It was a Grisha who created the Fold. If one of us destroys it, then maybe we wouldn't need protection anymore."

Silence filled the coach as they continued through the forest. Inessa soon found herself looking out the window once again, taking in the natural world as they passed through it. She didn't know the next time she would be experiencing something like this now that the Sun Summoner was discovered. The Smirnoff girl knew that the Darkling would be keeping a close eye on both of them. So Inessa made it her mission to remember everything about the forest, even if it was something as simple as the color of the leaves.

What felt like an eternity of silence passed before their coach came to a sudden stop. Confusion flowed through Inessa's veins as she looked over at Fedyor and Ivan, only to find them sharing a concerned look with each other. The coachman announcing that the road was blocked didn't help with the tension forming in the air around them. It wasn't until the Smirnoff girl met Fedyor's eyes that she began to calm. There was something about his expression that told her everything would be alright, but she couldn't explain what it was. After everything they'd been through together, Inessa couldn't help but trust the Kaminsky man with her life.

"Stay here, and don't leave," Ivan ordered as his eyes bounced between Alina and Inessa before they settled on the latter, "protect her."

After receiving a small nod in response from the Smirnoff girl, the two Heartrenders left the coach. Inessa kept her eyes glued to them until they closed the door behind them before her attention moved to Alina. The Heartrender was surprised to find the Starkov girl staring back at her with a hint of confusion in her eyes, causing the former to send her a small smile. "Ivan means well. It just takes some time to get used to...well, him."

Silence surrounded the two girls once again as they waited for Fedyor and Ivan to return. It wasn't long before they heard shouting in the distance followed by multiple bangs. The Heartrender soon registered the familiar sound of Squallers forcing the air to do their bidding. Inessa did her best to hide her shaking hands after listening to the chaos happening around them. Despite her best efforts to seem confident, Alina saw right through the Smirnoff girl's walls. She knew Inessa was scared, which only made her more fearful of what was occurring outside the coach.

A shaky breath passed over Inessa's lips as she peaked out the window, only for her eyes to land on a fallen Drüskelle. Not even a second after that passed when objects began flying through the coach's windows. Inessa's fear soon vanished as she forced Alina to the floor. She did her best to shield the Starkov girl with her body as glass fell on top of them. Despite the pain she felt on her hands and cheeks, the Smirnoff girl had only one thing in mind. Keep Alina safe. But the reasons for that thought were selfish. Inessa was simply afraid of what the Darkling would do to her if she failed to protect the Sun Summoner.

An eerie silence soon settled over the forest, causing Alina and Inessa to exchange a concerned look. It wasn't long after that when the Heartrender heard something hit the coach before it filled with smoke. Both girls couldn't control their coughing as they sat up against the doors of the coach. Inessa forced Alina to stay low as she peeked out one of the windows, making sure there was no immediate threat to either of them. A wave of relief soon washed over her when all she saw were trees, only for her blood to run cold when she heard the coach's doors open.

Inessa did her best to fight against the Drüskelle dragging her across the forest floor. Her only motivation for survival was Alina, whose screams could be heard in the distance. A sudden wave of determination washed over the Smirnoff girl as she kicked her attacker in the stomach. Her actions caused him to release his grip on her, allowing the Heartrender to turn onto her back and raise her hands in the air. The Drüskelle instantly began choking as he reached for his throat. It wasn't long before a drip of blood fell from his mouth, followed by much more.

Inessa continued for a moment before she watched the stranger's face transform into a familiar one. Her entire body froze when she found herself no longer staring into the Drüskelle's angry eyes, but Maximus' kind ones. The Nowak man's pleas for her to stop mixed with the Darkling's calm voice urging her to continue. A single tear trailed down the Smirnoff girl's cheeks as the memory of completing her task went through her head. It wasn't long after that when she suddenly lowered her arms, allowing the man to take in a deep breath. Inessa tried to slow her rapid breathing as she watched his face morph back into the Drüskelle's, who was using his sleeve to wipe his face. That only lasted for a moment before the man turned toward the Heartrender and raised his axe. Inessa braced herself for his blow, but it never came.

Confusion flowed through the Smirnoff girl's veins as she looked up to find the Drüskelle choking once again. But this time it was different. Instead of being freed from the Grisha attack, the man's body became lifeless before he crumpled to the ground. Inessa just stared at the Drüskelle until she turned her attention to the person behind her. Chills ran throughout her entire body when she found Ivan staring down at her. The Heartrender didn't say a word as he forced Inessa to her feet before dragging her back to the coach. After slamming the door shut behind him, the coach began its journey toward the Little Palace once again.

Inessa did her best not to squirm under Fedyor and Ivan's gazes. While one looked disappointed in the young Heartrender, the other was furious. The Smirnoff girl wasn't ready to hear what either of them had to say, knowing it would be the same as all the times before. But with the absence of the Starkov girl, Inessa knew she couldn't keep quiet for much longer. "Is Alina safe?"

"No thanks to you," Ivan hissed as his eyes continued to scan over the girl in front of him. Knowing better than to look away, Inessa swallowed the lump in her throat as she held his gaze. "Your hesitation could've gotten you or Alina killed."

"I didn't hesitate," the Smirnoff girl muttered, earning a warning look from Fedyor while she did her best to hide all of the emotions swimming inside of her.

"You're right. You didn't hesitate. You let him go. Which is far worse," the Darkling's favorite Heartrender continued, not bothering to hide the anger and irritation in his voice.

"What were you thinking, Inessa?" Fedyor asked in a tone far softer than his partner's, drawing the Smirnoff girl's full attention to him for the first time since they entered the coach.

"She wasn't," Ivan answered for her, making Inessa look away from both of them and down at her interlocked fingers. They let the silence surround them for a moment, all of them thinking a million different thoughts. But it was soon broken by Ivan's next words. Words that made Inessa's blood run ice cold. "The General will be very disappointed when he hears about this."

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Inessa found herself locked in her bedroom the second they arrived at the Little Palace. Ivan's words echoed in her mind as she nervously paced. She tried to push aside her fear, knowing that it would only make things worse. However, her hands trembled uncontrollably at the thought of the Darkling discovering what had occurred. Inessa knew that General Kirigan would be furious with her. She was even angry with herself for allowing her past to influence her actions. The Smirnoff girl knew she needed to move on from what happened with Maximus, but she could never forget the terror in his eyes as she carried out the Darkling's orders. Her fingers soon unconsciously traced over the part of her sleeve that hid the single tally mark tattooed onto her arm. Something that reminded her of that day that only Fedyor knew about.

It wasn't long before Inessa was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she stood up straight and mentally prepared for what was about to happen. What felt like an eternity passed before the doors swung open, revealing the Grisha General. The doors slowly closed behind him as he kept his gaze glued to the girl in front of him. He let the silence surround them for a moment longer before opening his mouth to speak. "Is what Ivan told me true? Did you put Alina in danger?"

Inessa just stared at the Darkling for a moment before letting out a shaky breath. "That isn't exactly what happened."

"Then explain it to me," the General demanded as the room began to grow darker.

"I was dragged out one door by a Drüskelle and Alina was dragged out the other. I was able to get him off me and fought back. But then I-"

Inessa cut herself off as she stared into the Darkling's rageful eyes. The silence surrounded them once again before the Grisha General took a step forward and spoke. "You what?"

The Smirnoff girl couldn't help but take a step back before finding the courage to respond. "I froze."

Inessa did her best to hide her shock when the room grew lighter once again, which was unusual in a situation like this. Usually, the Darkling would leave her in the darkness until he felt she learned from her mistakes. But instead, she watched as the anger faded from his eyes while he studied every inch of his face. Inessa couldn't decide if she'd rather face the darkness or this new General, who seemed to be thinking over something unknown to the Heartrender.

"This is about Maximus, isn't it?" the Darkling questioned, causing a wave of shock to wash over Inessa before she gave him a simple nod in response, "that was a long time ago, Inessa. You need to let it go. I don't want to have to speak to you about this again, or else our conversation will have a very different ending. Understand?"

The Smirnoff girl just stared at him for a moment, unable to find the words to respond. But after seeing a hint of irritation forming in his eyes, Inessa knew she had to say something. "Yes, I understand."

"Good. Now get some rest. You have an important job starting tomorrow," the Darkling responded, causing Inessa's eyebrows to slightly scrunch together in confusion. Her reaction caused a small smirk to appear on General Kirigan's lips before he continued speaking. "Despite putting her in danger, you made a connection with Alina today. She trusts you. So you will be her shadow. I want you with Alina at all times. Watch and listen to everything. And at the end of each night, you will report back to me."

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