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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟏
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍

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Inessa found herself standing beside Mal in the training room later that day. When Mal first told her about his plan, he claimed that he needed her for their meeting. But deep down, Inessa had a feeling he wanted to get her mind off Ivan's note. Especially since the tracker had caught her reading it multiple times since she received it a few hours ago. But the reason for him wanting her there didn't bother her. The Smirnoff girl was just happy to be with him.

The Oretsev boy told her all about an ancient sword hidden somewhere in Shu Han. He believed that Neshyenyer was the key to defeating the Darkling's army of shadows. And if the Heartrender were being honest, she wouldn't mind having something to give them the upper hand. There was a major possibility that it could be a myth, but just the hope of finding the sword motivated them. The plan was to send a small group to find the Crows, who were their best chance at finding the sword. After all, when you needed to steal something, you called upon master thieves. The group consisted of Zoya, Tolya, and Jens. The more Inessa studied the three of them, the more she realized just how different they were. She couldn't help but wonder if they would even survive the trip to Ketterdam.

"If anyone can find Neshyenyer, I suspect it's them. Thick as thieves, the Crows. Clever too," Mal said to Tolya and Jens, who were checking that they had everything packed, "managed to cross the Fold on some sort of fortified train."

"Last time I was in Ketterdam, I didn't get to stop at the Kooperom for an omelet," the Yul-Bataar boy told them with a large grin plastered on his lips.

"Oh, so that's why you volunteered," Tamar scoffed at her brother while Jens chuckled beside her, "without me, who'll stop you from following your stomach off the edge of a cliff?"

The Nordin boy instantly raised his hand with a playful look in his eyes. "I'm going to. I'll make sure he doesn't walk off a cliff."

"That doesn't make me feel any better. You're almost as bad as he is."

Jens chuckled once again as Zoya walked into the room. Her eyes moved between the Shu and the Fjerdan before letting out a long sigh. "I thought we were leaving at three bells."

"Tolya's trying to cram his entire poetry library into his pack," Jens explained while getting to his feet and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

A disgusted look soon appeared on Squaller's face. "Poetry?"

"'Long may the night whose dark-'"

"No! There'll be none of that," Zoya declared before turning and walking out of the room.

Tolya looked over at Jens with an offended look on his face, one that made the Nordin boy's smile grow. "Not everyone appreciates your poetry as much as I do."

"Bring back Neshyenyer for Alina," Mal said after patting the Yul-Bataar boy on the shoulder.

Tolya continued to mutter about his poetry under his breath as he followed Jens and Tamar out of the room. Inessa couldn't help but laugh as their conversation soon turned to the snacks they wanted from Shu Han. She and Mal watched the small group until the door closed, blocking their view of their friends.

They were about to leave to figure out what their allies were doing next when an unknown voice called out Mal's name. Confusion flowed through their veins as they turned around to find a First Army soldier. Before either of them could question why he was there, he slammed his rifle against Mal's face, knocking him to the floor. Anger flowed through Inessa's veins as she brought her hands up to stop the solder, only for a familiar clicking to greet her ears. Her blood instantly ran cold as she turned toward the sound to find Vasily aiming a pistol directly at her.

"What are you doing?" the Smirnoff girl questioned while keeping her eyes glued to her cousin.

"Your little friend here is a deserter of the First Army. He must face the consequences of his actions," the Lantsov man responded before looking over at the soldier, "take him to a holding cell. Deliver him to the base at Ulensk for court-martial during the ceremony tonight."

A single tear rolled down Inessa's cheek as she stared at Vasily. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm simply upholding the law, my dear little cousin," the Prince said with a sinister smirk on his face, "but there is a way for you to save your precious deserter."

Inessa clenched her hands at her sides, wanting to stop herself from doing something that would make everything worse. "What do you want from me?"

"You're close with both my brother and the Sun Summoner, correct?" Vasily asked, earning a small nod in response, "then what you need to do is to convince them to call off the wedding. We don't need any more Grisha soiling our bloodline. You have until tonight."

The Lantsov man sent her a wicked grin as he followed the soldier out the side door. Inessa wanted to follow them. She wanted to chase after them and show them what a Heartrender could do. But she knew she was outnumbered by the number of heartbeats she sensed in the hallway. The Smirnoff girl knew that if she even tried anything, it would go very poorly for both her and Mal. But she also knew that there was no way she was giving in to what Vasily wanted. If the Heartrender was going to save the tracker, she was going to need some help. With everyone else at the Spinning Wheel preoccupied with preparing for Alina and Nikolai's wedding celebration, there were very few people for her to turn to. But there was one person who she could trust to help her. And that was why Inessa was sprinting out of the room in search of Fedyor.

What felt like an eternity passed before Inessa finally found the Kaminsky man. He was in one of the less crowded areas of the Spinning Wheel, wanting to avoid the crowds as much as possible. Despite finding a silent place, the Smirnoff girl could see the stress in his eyes, and she knew exactly what was causing it. Fedyor had been on edge ever since David arrived at the Spinning Wheel, more specifically, ever since they found out Ivan was alive. He desperately wanted to plan a rescue mission to save the Bozic man, but he had been turned down each time by Nikolai. Even though she was almost as desperate to get Ivan back, Inessa couldn't help but agree with her cousin, knowing a rescue mission would lead them straight to the Darkling.

Inessa picked up her speed until she was standing directly in front of Fedyor. The older Heartrender just stared at her in confusion, only for that to disappear when he saw the urgency in her eyes. "What's wrong, Inessa?"

"Vasily is going to have Mal court-martialed for desertion. He said the only way he'll let him go is if I convince Alina and Nikolai not to go through with the wedding," the Smirnoff girl explained before forcing herself to let out a shaky breath to calm her nerves, "they're keeping him in a holding cell until tonight. I need your help getting him out."

The Kaminsky man just stared at her for a long moment, taking in all the information he had just received. "Then what are we doing standing around here? Let's go save your suitor."

"He's not my suitor," Inessa responded faster than she intended, earning a small smirk from Fedyor.

"Oh, really? That's not what it looked like when I found you in the hallway that night," Fedyor stated with a small smirk on his face.

Before the Smirnoff girl had a chance to say another word, he turned and began walking down the hall. Inessa forced herself to keep up with him as he led her away from the Spinning Wheel's more crowded areas. They continued walking until reaching the end of the corridor that led virtually nowhere. The Heartrender was about to question why Fedyor led her this way, only for her words to get caught in her throat when he moved one of the paintings. Inessa was instantly greeted by a gust of cold air as she stared into the dark hallway. The last thing she expected to find in the Spinning Wheel was a secret passage, but that's exactly what she was looking at.

A wave of confusion soon washed over Inessa as she glanced over at Fedyor. "How did you know this was here?"

"I had plenty of time to explore before you showed up. This place is a lot bigger than you think. This should take us straight to the holding cells," the Kaminsky man explained as he took a step inside the hidden passageway. He did a quick check to make sure it was clear before gesturing for Inessa to follow. "Now, come on. We have a tracker to save."

Despite her memories of the last time she followed someone into a hidden passage, Inessa quickly followed him. The voices of those preparing for Alina and Nikolai's celebration were soon replaced by the echo of their own footsteps. The Heartrenders moved swiftly, knowing they didn't have much time left before Mal would be moved. What felt like an eternity passed before they reached the other end of the hall. Inessa and Fedyor seemed to move in sync as they held their hands out in front of them, trying to see if they felt anyone's presence on the other side. It didn't take them long to figure out that there was no one on the other side.

Fedyor let out a long breath as he turned to face Inessa. "From what I saw, the holding cells are just around the corner and down a set of stairs. They're mainly used for storage now."

The Smirnoff girl sent him a quick nod as they left the passageway and headed toward the staircase. But what they didn't expect to find was the same soldier who had taken Mal standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was facing them with his rifle raised, ready to fire at the Heartrenders at a moment's notice. The soldier's eyes studied the pair in front of them before they settled on Inessa, causing the Kaminsky man to unconsciously step in front of her. Despite keeping her gaze glued to the guard, the Smirnoff girl couldn't help but notice Fedyor's hands twitching, waiting for the right moment to jump into action. And that moment came quicker than Inessa had expected.

The second the soldier placed his hand on the trigger, Fedyor's hands flew out in front of him. A sudden gasp escaped his lips as his eyes widened. The soldier immediately dropped his rifle and reached for his throat, unable to take in a full breath. As Inessa watched him struggle to take in air, she couldn't help but think back to Maximus and how she was the one to end his journey. But she quickly shook those thoughts away, knowing that she wasn't entirely at fault. If the Darkling hadn't put his hand on her shoulder, Inessa would've stopped. Maximus would be alive. If anything, his death was on General Kirigan, not her. She was just an unwilling player in his game, just like she always was.

When the Smirnoff girl looked back up at the soldier, she found him in a crumpled heap on the floor. He wasn't dead. Inessa could still feel his frantic heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. She silently thanked the Saints that Fedyor didn't push the soldier's heart too far, something he was used to when he was on the frontlines of the war.

"He'll be out for a while," Fedyor announced as he turned to face Inessa, "I'll wait here in case any other soldiers come. You go find your tracker."

The Smirnoff girl didn't need to be told twice. She quickly ran past Fedyor and the unconscious soldier and down the nearest hallway, which she knew would take her to her destination. She would be the first to admit that she was surprised there weren't any other soldiers keeping guard. Then again, Vasily probably didn't think she'd try something like this. He always thought pretty low of her in the bravery category. Inessa didn't stop until she reached the end of the corridor, knowing Vasily would've locked Mal away in the farthest cell. Her thoughts were proven true when she reached her destination. The Orestev boy sat with his head in his hands and his back facing the door.

"Why the long face?" Inessa asked, causing Mal to jump to his feet before turning around to face her. A large smile soon appeared on the Heartrender's face. "It's not like you got caught for desertion or something."

"I don't think I've ever been happier to see someone in my life," the Oretsev boy declared while wrapping his hands around the bars, "do you think you can get me out of here?"

The Heartrender's attention soon fell on the lock on the outside of his cell. She just studied it until the smile returned to her face. She recognized that type of lock. It was the same one they had for the holding cells in the Little Palace. Fedyor and Ivan taught her how to pick the lock just in case she ever found herself trapped in one of the cells. It was a skill she picked up very quickly, one that she was extremely proud of. Without thinking twice, Inessa pulled the pin out of her hair, causing it to cascade down her back. All of her attention was focused on the lock as she kneeled in front of it. The rhythmic clicking of metal against metal was the only sound that filled the silence. That was until a satisfying thunk echoed through the corridor. Not even a second after that passed when the door creaked open.

Despite knowing they needed to get out of there sooner rather than later, Inessa couldn't stop herself from launching forward. Her arms wrapped around Mal in the tightest hug she'd given since reuniting with Nikolai. A single tear ran down her cheek as he returned the gesture. The two of them stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, neither of them wanting the moment to end. But it soon did when the Orestev boy ended the embrace to ask the question bouncing around in his head.

"How did you find me?"

"Vasily told me. He was behind all of this," Inessa admitted without bothering to hide the hatred toward her cousin, "he wanted me to stop the wedding in exchange for your freedom."

The Smirnoff girl was surprised when she saw Mal's jaw tighten and his eyes flash with anger. "We won't give him the satisfaction."

Both of them jumped at the sound of approaching footsteps before preparing to fight off whoever was coming. But their nerves soon faded when they found the Kaminsky man standing in the entrance of the corridor. "Great. You two lovebirds are reunited. Now, can we please get out of here before someone finds us?"

The Smirnoff girl couldn't help but laugh as she and Mal followed Fedyor out of the corridor and back up the staircase. It didn't take long for Inessa to realize how close the tracker was to her as they ran, but she didn't mind it at all.

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After healing Mal's wounds and cleaning themselves up, Inessa, Mal, and Fedyor made their way toward the Grand Hall. Shock coursed through the Smirnoff girl's veins at the sight of how many people were crammed into the room. Especially since it was supposed to be a small gathering of close friends and extended family. But something told Inessa that Vasily had something to do with the large crowd in attendance.

The three of them stayed toward the edge of the room, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves. They wanted to be there to support Alina and Nikolai, but none of them wanted to draw Vasily's attention. Unfortunately for Inessa, wandering eyes always seemed to find her. It wasn't long before she found Nikolai staring as he stood beside his brother and mother. He looked as though he wanted to be anywhere else but there, which was usual for him. But what surprised the Smirnoff girl was that he was gesturing for her to join them, something she never expected.

Inessa hesitated as uncertainty began flowing through her veins, and it didn't help that Vasily was glaring at her. More specifically, her and Mal. But deep down, her cousin's expression was what gave her the courage to approach her family. After telling Fedyor to keep a close eye on Mal, something the latter tried to object to, the Smirnoff girl walked over to where her aunt and cousins were waiting for her.

"It's good to see you again, Inessa. It's been far too long," Tatiana said after her niece stopped beside Nikolai.

"The pleasure is mine, moya tsaritsa," Inessa responded in a calm tone despite the conflicting emotions flowing inside her.

A small smile soon appeared on the Queen's face, only for it to fade when her attention fell on Alina. The Sun Summoner was across the room having a conversation with Nadia and Tamar, completely unaware of Tatiana's gaze. "I provided her with my personal seamstress and got not a word of gratitude. You know, Milen'kiy, it's not too late to reconsider."

"We agreed on an intimate affair," Nikolai responded, changing the subject from Alina to the large crowd mingling in the Grand Hall, "how many guests did you invite?"

"Vasily got a little overzealous with the invites," Tatiana explained, defending her eldest son with a somewhat proud smile on her face, "now I don't entirely approve of your Caryeva set, but I admit, that sort lends a certain air of festivity."

An irritated expression instantly appeared on the Lantsov boy's face as he looked over at his brother. "You revealed our location to the gamblers and freeloaders you call friends?"

"That's rich coming from a pirate," Vasily retaliated, not bothering to hide the hatred in his voice.

"Privateer. There's a difference," Inessa corrected, uncaring about the tone she used to address the Lantsov man. She was tired of him thinking he could do whatever he wanted without any consequences.

Vasily's eyes flared as he turned toward the Smirnoff girl. "This conversation doesn't address you, Grisha."

"You will not speak to her in that tone any longer," Nikolai declared while placing himself between his brother and cousin, "the Darkling lives. We're at great risk if our location is compromised. You'd sacrifice us all for your pride and stupidity."

"You overreach, you little b*st*rd," the Lantsov man scoffed before patting his brother's shoulder and turning his attention toward their guests, "a toast!"

Inessa and Nikolai couldn't help but watch Vasily in annoyance. Their eyes stayed glued to him as he stepped up onto the small stage that held the thrones. The surrounding conversations instantly stopped before everyone turned their attention toward Ravka's Heir. "I'd like to share some words about my brother, Nikolai. Yes, yes, we all know he's pretentious, condescending, a man of the people. But he has some hidden qualities, too."

The Smirnoff girl tuned out the rest of Vasily's speech when she noticed the room growing strangely darker. Her eyes scanned her surroundings until they traveled to the glass roof above them, where shadows were slowly growing. Without thinking twice, Inessa grabbed Nikolai and Tatiana's arms and began dragging them to the edge of the room. Despite their confusion, neither of them fought against her. Not even a second after that passed when the roof shattered, allowing the shadows to fall into the room, right where they were just standing.

All Inessa felt was pure terror as she watched the shadows transform into human-like creatures. All she could think about was the story David told them when he first arrived. The nichevo'ya. The guards closest to where Vasily hid behind the thrones began firing at the monsters, but their bullets only went straight through the shadows' bodies. One of the nichevo'ya didn't hesitate to grab the guards and throw them across the room, taking them out of the battle.

From her place behind the table that Nikolai turned over to protect them, Inessa held her hands out in front of her. She searched for the beasts' weak points, wanting this to end sooner rather than later. But her blood soon ran cold when she realized what David said was true. "There's no heart, no blood."

"All creatures have a weakness," her cousin declared without taking his eyes off the nichevo'ya.

The next thing any of them knew, Vasily ran out from behind the thrones and sprinted toward the exit. However, his escape plan was soon proven futile when one of the shadow monsters grabbed him. The Lantsov man was soon lifted into the air as if he weighed nothing, his screams bouncing off the walls of the Grand Hall. Inessa couldn't help but look away right before a blood-chilling tear cut through the air. Tatiana's screams soon replaced her son's, followed by a sickening thud. Despite not being able to look at what had just happened, the Smirnoff girl knew one thing for sure. Vasily would no longer be around to torment her.

A hand was soon placed on Inessa's shoulder, causing her to jump. She instantly turned around to find Mal and Fedyor staring back at her, worry evident in their eyes.

"Come on. I know a way out," the Kaminsky man declared before gesturing for them to follow. None of them hesitated as they followed the Heartrender, wanting to get away from the nichevo'ya as soon as possible.

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