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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒' 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍

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Inessa's heart pounded in her chest as they followed Fedyor through the tunnels beneath the Spinning Wheel. All she could think about was the shadow monsters as she ran. She had no idea how the Darkling was able to make them. She just wanted to get as far away from the nichevo'ya as possible. It wasn't long before they made it to their destination. All the survivors of General Kirigan's attack took refuge in a large underground room.

Those who were able tended to the wounded, while others made sure the fallen were honored. The Heartrender's eyes scanned the room, taking in all the faces that surrounded her, both familiar and unfamiliar. But her attention was soon drawn to Alina, who was rushing toward them. She instantly pulled Mal in for a tight hug before doing the same to Inessa. The Sun Summoner was over the moon to see her friends alive, but she knew their reunion couldn't last forever. After gazing at Mal and Inessa one last time, the Starkov girl turned her attention toward Nikolai, knowing he had a lot of information to give them.

"We're some distance from the Spinning Wheel," the Lantsov boy explained with a hint of urgency in his voice, something that only Inessa seemed to pick up on, "I'm going to have anyone able to entomb the dead in the catacombs. We will then be moving toward Zvedya as soon as possible."

After earning nods in response from those surrounding him, Nikolai left to help with the preparations. Not even a second after that passed when a loud scream cut through the air, causing everyone's attention to land on the small group in the corner. Inessa's blood ran cold at the sight in front of her. Adrik was being held down by Nadia, Zoya, and Fedyor while Tamar and Maxim stood above him. But what really caught her attention was the Zhabin boy's forearm. It was as black as night. How it happened, Inessa didn't know. But what she did know was that she had to look away the second she saw Tamar raise her ax. A sickening sound soon mixed with Adrik's screams, which only grew louder. When the Smirnoff girl turned her gaze back to the small group, she found Maxim tending to the young Squaller's arm.

It turned out, Inessa wasn't the only one affected by the scene in front of her. Alina began breathing faster than ever before, ignoring Mal and Inessa calling out to her. She quickly turned away from them and walked away from them, only to bump into a man dressed in a long, dark coat. The next thing any of them knew, light began emitting from Alina's body as her hands turned into fists, ready to fight the man in front of her. Inessa and Mal didn't hesitate to rush toward her, wanting to stop the Sun Summoner before she did something she'd regret. They weren't the only ones making their way toward Alina. Nikolai had seen what was happening from the other end of the hallway. And he was on a mission to reach the Starkov girl before she let her light shine.

However, none of them expected Alina to extinguish her light the second the man turned around. He studied the Sun Summoner with confusion in his eyes before walking away. Inessa, Mal, and Nikolai stared at Alina in silence, unsure of what to make of what they had just witnessed. But the silence soon ended when the Oretsev boy asked the question bouncing around in all their heads. "What was that?"

"Nothing," the Sun Summoner told them, earning unconvinced looks from everyone surrounding her, "I was just...startled."

"Yeah, and very nearly buried us all with your light," Nikolai countered while they brought her over to a quieter corner of the tunnels.

Inessa's eyes scanned over the Stakov girl for a moment, noticing the fear in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, I'll be fine once we get out of these tunnels," Alina declared without looking at the worried trio standing in front of her, "there are too many people down here. It's too dark. I see him everywhere. It's just too much."

"We'll get out of here as soon as we can," the Lantsov boy told her in a calm tone. He then placed his hands on her shoulders, drawing her full attention to him. "But for now, focus on the task at hand, saving Ravka. We have to keep our demons at bay. "

Before their conversation could continue, a loud rumbling echoed off the walls of the tunnels. None of them hesitated to rush back into the room where Tamar and Nadia sat with Adrik. Shock coursed through when she saw a hole in the ceiling in the far corner of the room. It wasn't long after that when streams of shadows slowly flowed down from the hole, causing Inessa to take a step back.

"There's an above-ground exit farther down. Gather the wounded and go," Nikolai ordered while loading his pistol, causing Nadia and Maxim to grab Adrik and rush down the hall. The Prince quickly glanced back to find a small group still behind him. His eyes soon landed on Inessa and Alina, letting them see the fear within them. "Go with Nadia. There's a fort sound of Kribrisk called Zvedya. Go there and find Dominik Vertov."

Before anyone had a chance to argue with the Lantsov boy, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Stupid girl! How long are you planning to make us wait before you show us a way down?"

"Baghra?" Alina muttered under her breath while keeping her eyes glued to the hole.

Inessa leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest as they waited for Tamar to return with the newcomers. They had moved into a secluded room so that they could have a private conversation when they arrived. Her foot tapped against the ground while she stared at the doorway, waiting for them to enter. The Smirnoff girl wanted to go with her, but Nikolai refused to let her go. She knew it was because he wanted to keep her safe, but it still bothered her.

Mal wanted to walk over and wrap his arms around her. He desperately wanted to calm her nerves and help her through whatever was about to happen. He hated seeing her so tense, especially after hearing and witnessing what she had gone through with the Darkling. But he didn't have a chance to comfort Inessa due to the sound of approaching footsteps.

All of Inessa's emotions soon faded as she pushed herself off the wall to stand between Mal and Fedyor. Both of them could feel the anticipation radiating off her, but they didn't blame her. If they were being honest, they were both eager to see who had come with Baghra. But while Mal was just curious to see who was joining them, Inessa and Fedyor were longing to see a specific face. It wasn't long before Tamar walked into the room. She wore an uncertain expression on her face as she stepped aside, allowing those behind her to enter.

"Hardly the Little Palace, but here we are," Baghra announced after walking into the room.

"You're the Grisha teacher," Nikolai said, not bothering to hide the awe in his voice.

"The Puppy Prince."

"I always imagined you were a myth of sorts."

"Well, myth no more, boy," Baghra responded with a hint of amusement in her eyes, "this country has clearly been destroyed. My question is, will you be the one to make it right?"

Just as the Lantsov was about to respond, the faint sound of footsteps cut through the air. Everyone turned toward the door to see Genya slowly entering the room. Although disappointed it wasn't someone else, Inessa was still glad to see the Tailor alive. Although she was surprised to find that scars now covered half her face. It didn't take the Smirnoff girl long to figure out where they had come from, or more specifically, who had given them to her. It could only have been General Kirigan himself.

Alina moved around Baghra to stand in front of Genya, who had been one of her most trusted allies at the Little Palace. The Safin girl couldn't help but look away because of her new scars and the guilt she felt for betraying her friend. When Genya finally found the courage to look up at Alina, the former didn't hesitate to rush toward the Tailor and pull her in for a hug. But Inessa's attention didn't stay on them for very long, for someone else soon walked into the room.

A thousand emotions ran through Inessa's veins as she stared at Ivan, who awkwardly waited in the doorway. The Kaminsky man was the first to move toward him, ignoring all the eyes glued to him as he went. The second the Bozic man was in arms' reach, Fedyor pulled him in for a long-overdue embrace. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity before the Kaminsky man placed a gentle kiss on Ivan's lips. A small smile soon appeared on Inessa's face as she watched their reunion, happy that they were finally reunited. But it wasn't long before she felt like a statue after their attention turned toward her.

Ivan's eyes stayed locked with Inessa's, neither of them making a move toward the other. But that all changed when she saw the guilt and regret in his eyes. The Smirnoff girl's feet moved before she told them to as she left Mal's side and approached Ivan. She watched his mouth open to speak, but no words were able to come out before Inessa made contact with him. Her arms wrapped tightly around him as she pulled him in for a tight hug. Tears ran down her cheeks the second she realized he was there and not part of one of her dreams. It didn't take long for him to return her actions, his arms wrapping around her smaller frame.

"I'm so sorry, Inessa. I should've trusted you," Ivan whispered just loud enough for the brunette girl to hear.

A long sigh soon passed over Inessa's lips as she ended their embrace to look the older Heartrender in the eyes. "We've all made mistakes we wish we could amend, Ivan, but there's nothing we can do about the past. What matters is that you're here now."

A smile soon appeared on the Bozic man's face, one that Inessa didn't hesitate to reciprocate. But both of their grins faded when they heard Fedyor's words. "Since when do you wear gloves?"

The Smirnoff girl's eyes instantly moved to Ivan's hands, only to find him wearing black leather gloves. A wave of confusion washed over her as she looked back up at him, only to find him refusing to meet her eyes. What felt like an eternity passed before Ivan gave in to their curiosity and removed the gloves, revealing eerie black scars covering every inch of them.

"What happened?" the Kaminsky man questioned while taking one of Ivan's hands into his own to study the scars.

"Who do you think, boy?" Baghra retaliated, disdain very evident in her tone.

"Kirigan did this," Inessa declared after carefully taking the Bozic man's other man. Her eyes scanned over the markings for a moment before her attention turned toward Genya. "To both of you."

While Ivan remained silent, unable to meet anyone's gaze, Genya cleared her throat to calm her nerves. It wasn't long after that when she gathered enough courage to speak. "His nichevo'ya."

"Oh, Genya," Alina muttered just loud enough for them to hear.

It was at that moment that Inessa noticed Nikolai's curious expression transform into anger. His eyes stayed glued to the Tailor as he took a single step forward. "Genya? Genya Safin? The Grisha who poisoned the King?"

Fear instantly appeared in the Safin girl's eyes, but that didn't stop her from giving Nikolai a respectful bow. "Moi tsarevich."

"Moi tsar. He's your king now," Tamar corrected, using as much hatred in her voice as the Lantsov boy.

"Not until the coronation," the blonde boy announced without taking his eyes off the Tailor, "at which time, you'll stand trial for high treason against your Crown and country."

What could only be described as annoyance and determination began flowing through Inessa's veins. Her thoughts were consumed by the details Genya had shared with her and Alina about the King, back when they were preparing the Sun Summoner to reveal her powers. Without thinking twice, the Smirnoff girl took a step forward to stand in front of her cousin, surprising everyone in the room. "No, she won't."

Shock mixed with the anger in Nikolai's eyes as he stared at his cousin, unsure of what to make of her actions. But that didn't stop him from continuing with the argument. "She colluded with the Darkling."

"She only did what she had to do to survive the Darkling, just like I did," Inessa retaliated while Mal, Fedyor, and Ivan watched her with a hint of pride in their eyes, "if you aren't going to put me on trail for what happened with Maximus, then you will not put Genya on trial."

"You were away for too many years, sobachka. Even so, you know what your family is capable of," Baghra declared while the cousins continued to stare at each other, neither wanting to be the first to look away.

It wasn't long after that when all the emotions in Nikolai's eyes were replaced with realization. He stared at his cousin for a moment longer before his attention moved to Genya. The Lantsov boy let the silence surround them for another moment before forcing himself to speak. "Did he...force you?"

The Tailor only hesitated for a moment, giving her a chance to gather herself. She refused to meet Nikolai's eyes as she responded. "I...I never sought his attention."

"You cannot punish her for this," Inessa declared, drawing the Lantsov boy's attention back to her.

Nikolai kept his eyes locked with his cousin before they moved to Genya once again. He just stared at her before glancing over at Ivan. It wasn't long after that when his attention returned to his cousin. "Do you trust their allegiance no longer lies with the Darkling?

"Look at what he did to them. Kirigan manipulates people, Nikolai. He will tell them anything to convince them that he's their only safety. If you're going to punish them, then you're going to have to punish all the Grisha who once lived in the Little Palace."

The Lantsov boy studied the Heartrender for a moment long before turning his back to her. He stared at the wall behind him as a million thoughts bounced around in his head. What felt like an eternity passed before he turned to face them once again. "You're safe here. As future King of Ravka, you have my word. And if either of you can point to his base on the map, I swear by all Saints, once we are healed and ready to move, I will hammer him with everything I have."

Grateful looks instantly appeared on Genya and Alina's faces the second Nikolai finished speaking. It wasn't long after that when the Sun Summoner guided her friend out of the room, wanting to have a moment alone to speak with her. It was only at that moment that Inessa noticed the pride in Baghra's eyes. The Grisha teacher didn't hesitate to step forward and take the young Heartrender's hand into her own. "You've grown a lot since we last saw each other. I like this new you."

"Thank you, Baghra."

The Grisha teacher didn't hesitate to return her smile before following Alina out of the room. A shaky breath soon crossed Inessa's lips as she turned to face her cousin, who was already looking back at her. "I'm sorry for opposing you, Nik. But you needed to hear the truth."

"I'm not angry with you, Nessa," Nikolai responded with a sad smile on his face. But Inessa knew it wasn't because of their argument. It was because of the new information he received. "You're right. I needed to hear the truth."

After giving his cousin a quick yet meaningful hug, the Lantsov boy left the room, eager to locate his troops and plan their next step. That left Inessa alone with Mal, Fedyor, and Ivan. The first thing she noticed was the uncertainty in the Oretsev boy's eyes as he looked at the oldest Heartrender. She didn't blame his apprehension towards the Bozic man; it wasn't long ago when he had sensed Ivan's formidable power. She understood it would take time to persuade Mal that Ivan was on their side, but she was willing to invest all the time needed because she didn't want to lose either of them again.

Inessa let out a long sigh before motioning for them to join her at the table in the center. While Mal and Fedyor didn't hesitate to sit with her, Ivan hesitated for a moment. But it wasn't long before he sat down with them. As soon as the Bozic man was sitting across from her, Inessa extended her hand. The oldest Heartrender just stared at her palm for what felt like an eternity before looking up to meet her eyes.

"What are you planning on doing, Inessa?" Ivan asked with hints of curiosity and uncertainty in his voice.

"She's been training with Maxim Agapov. It hasn't been for very long, but she's picking up on it pretty quickly," Fedyor explained, earning a somewhat shocked look from the man beside him, "I'd go find him, but he's probably working on Adrik's arm right now."

"Baghra also taught me a few things in secret," Inessa clarified before holding her hand out toward him once again.

The Bozic man soon placed his hand into hers, wanting to show that he truly trusted her. He watched as the younger Heartrender examined his scars, studying every inch of them while she decided where to start. Ivan kept his eyes glued to her for a moment long before speaking. "Even with training, I don't think there's anything you could do. The General purposefully injured my hands. He made sure they were damaged enough that I wouldn't be able to call upon my abilities again."

Inessa instantly froze after hearing Ivan's words. She couldn't help but glance up at Fedyor, who looked just as horrified as she was. The Smirnoff girl took another moment to gather her thoughts before her attention returned to Ivan. "No matter what the Darkling did to you, you're still Grisha. Nothing will change that."

"And a powerful one at that," Mal muttered under his breath, causing Inessa to cringe. By the tone of his voice, she knew he didn't mean what he said as a compliment.

Ivan couldn't help but study the boy sitting beside Inessa. He didn't know why it took him that long to realize how close they were. So close that their elbows were brushing against each other. If he were being honest, he didn't know how he felt about the tracker being so close to Inessa. But that would have to be a conversation for another time. It wasn't long after that when the Bozic man broke the uncomfortable silence beginning to surround them. "I apologize for what happened on the skiff. I was following orders from someone I thought I could trust. Clearly, I was wrong."

Mal couldn't help but glance over at Inessa, whose attention was back on Ivan's hands. If it were any other person in any other situation, he knew he wouldn't even entertain the thought of forgiveness. But the Oretsev knew just how important the Heartrenders were to each other. They created a family in a place surrounded by darkness, and Mal wasn't going to be the one to break that. "Just prove to me that you can be trusted."

Ivan sent Mal a small nod before all of their gazes were drawn back to Inessa when she began speaking. "Alright, I think I figured out what to do. It's going to hurt though."

"Just do it."

Inessa exhaled slowly, settling her nerves before focusing on his hands. She knew she'd have to heal them one at a time. If she attempted to do both at once, it would cause more harm than good. A familiar warmth greeted her fingertips as she began working on the first scar. What she didn't expect was the pain that met with her touch, but it didn't stop her. The dark lines soon vanished, leaving only a faint white scar on his skin. Tears welled in her eyes as she moved to the next.

When Ivan noticed her distress, he tried to pull away, but he couldn't break free. Mal and Fedyor attempted to pry their hands apart, only to discover their connection was too strong. It was then that they realized that if Inessa was to be free of the pain, she would need to choose to stop healing Ivan. And they all knew that was a choice she wouldn't make.

They all called out to her, telling her to stop, but she simply ignored them as she finished healing the next scar. A single tear slipped down Inessa's cheek as she moved onto another, wanting to rid Ivan of his pain. Desperate to get her to stop, Mal reached forward and wrapped his arm around her wrist. Neither of them expected what happened next. All the pain Inessa felt instantly vanished, replaced with a sudden newfound strength. The power was emitted from where the Oretsev boy's hand met her skin and traveled toward her fingertips. Not even a second after that passed when the warmth in her hands grew even hotter. The next thing any of them knew, all of Ivan's injuries were healed, leaving fresh white scars in their places.

Ivan couldn't help but examine his healed hands before looking up at the pair across from him. "What the h*ll was that?"

"I don't know," Mal responded while keeping his eyes glued to the hand that was just touching Inessa's wrist, "that felt really strange."

The Smirnoff girl's gaze was still locked on her fingertips. Despite wanting to deny her thoughts, she knew exactly what had happened. She never had an amplifier of her own before. She was never given the opportunity to claim one. But other Grisha had once explained what the energy felt like and how much extra strength a simple animal bone gave them. When Inessa finally looked up at the couple sitting across from her, she knew they were thinking the exact same thing.

Mal was somehow a living amplifier.

Before they had time to voice their thoughts, a loud rumbling cut through the air. Mal didn't hesitate to jump to his feet and rush out of the room, knowing it was more than likely that Alina was at the center of whatever was happening. That left the Heartrenders alone at the table with their matching thoughts.

"You can't say anything," Inessa told them, knowing that it would cause more harm than good if people found out what Mal was. When she received nothing but blank expressions in response from both Fedyor and Ivan, the Smirnoff girl continued speaking. "Please keep this between us. At least until I figure out if what we think is true."

Fedyor found himself looking over at Ivan, who was already staring back at him. The two of them seemed to have a silent conversation before turning their attention back to Inessa. It wasn't long after that when the Kaminsky man responded. "Alright, Inessa. We won't say anything. But only because that boy makes you happier than I've seen you in a long time. Now, let's go find out what's going on before the tunnels collapse on us."

The Smirnoff girl sent them both a grateful smile before the three of them exited the room. Knowing that Mal most likely found the source of the rumbling, she used his heartbeat to guide them through the tunnels. It wasn't long before they found the Oretsev boy, along with Nikolai, Baghra, and Alina. And by the sight of the Sun Summoner, Inessa knew she was right about who was causing the chaos. Bright white light radiated off her body, some of it exploding into the walls surrounding them. Baghra simply stood by and watched with a hint of worry in her eyes, something that was rarely seen.

"What's she doing?" Nikolai demanded without taking his eyes off the Starkov girl.

"Reaching out to Aleksander through a mental tether forged by the Stag amplifier," the Grisha teacher explained, earning shocked looks from those surrounding them. It wasn't long after that when the pulses emitting from Alina grew stronger, causing rocks to rain down on them. "She'll bring the roof down!"

"Alina! Alina! Alina, wake up! Alina, come on, look at me! Alina!" Mal called out to his childhood friend as he squatted in front of her. He didn't hesitate to put his hands on her shoulders, something Inessa wanted to protest after what she had just learned. But the words stopped in her throat when she realized the Sun Summoner's power wasn't getting any stronger from his touch. "Please! Come on! Alina! Alina, come on, look at me!"

The next thing anyone knew, Alina gasped and reached for the back of her head. The light faded at the same moment. An irritated sigh soon passed over her lips as she got to her feet and faced the tracker. "Saints, Mal! I had him! I would've severed our link if you hadn't pulled my focus!"

"That wouldn't have mattered, Alina. You were about to bring the roof down and kill us all in the process," Inessa declared without bothering to hide the slight annoyance in her voice.

It wasn't long after that when the Smirnoff girl heard retreating footsteps, knowing they belonged to Nikolai, Fedyor, Ivan, and Baghra as they left the room. At first, the Heartrender didn't break her gaze with the Sun Summoner. There was so much more she wanted to say to the Starkov, especially about how reckless she was being. But by the look in Mal's and Alina's eyes, Inessa knew this was a conversation that needed to be had between the childhood friends. So instead of staying to be part of it, the Heartrender gave the tracker's hand a reassuring squeeze before walking out of the room.

There was a small part of Inessa wanting to seek out Fedyor and Ivan to discuss what they learned about Mal. But a larger part of her longed for a moment alone to gather her thoughts before diving into that conversation. So instead, the Smirnoff girl walked through the tunnels in search of a quiet place to think. Just as she thought she wasn't going to be able to find somewhere unoccupied, she came across a room with only one occupant inside. Inessa just stared at Nikolai, who had his back to her as he stared at something in his hands. She was about to walk out of the room, not wanting to interrupt her cousin's thoughts. But something deep down told her they both needed each other at that moment.

"So you are capable of quiet contemplation," Inessa said, drawing the Lantsov boy's attention toward her as she approached him. She was expecting a witty retaliation in response. That was until she realized he had been crying. A sad smile soon appeared on the Smirnoff girl's lips as she sat down next to her cousin, who had moved over to make room for her to sit beside him. "I'm guessing life as a soon-to-be King isn't what you expected it to be."

"Not at all. Too many feelings involved," Nikolai responded, earning a chuckle from his cousin. It wasn't long after that when he looked over at her with a small smirk on his face. "I'm sure you know a thing or two about feelings, though."

A confused look instantly appeared on Inessa's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know. Reuniting with both of your Heartrender friends. Learning that Alina has a connection with the Darkling," the Lantsov boy paused as his smirk altered into a small yet teasing grin, "the tracker who yearns for you."

The Heartrender's face instantly heated up as she looked away from her cousin, who was now the one chuckling. The two of them remained in silence until Inessa gathered enough courage to respond. "I've never had someone care for me as he does before."

"Do you care for him?" Nikolai asked, causing Inessa's attention to snap back to him.

She thought over his question for a moment, wanting to find the right words to answer him. "I think I'm starting to."

The grin on the future King's face did nothing but grow as he took his cousin's hand into his own. "I'm glad you're finding a path to happiness, Nessa. You of all people deserve it."

Before their conversation could continue, the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the air. Inessa and Nikolai turned toward the door just in time to see Mal walk into the room. His eyes scanned over the cousins for a moment before finally settling on the Smirnoff girl. "We're leaving to find the Firebird. Are you coming with us?"

The Heartrender couldn't help but hesitate for a moment as she looked over at the boy beside her. But before she had a chance to speak, Nikolai beat her to breaking the silence. "Go. They need you, Nessa. I'm perfectly capable of rallying the troops at Zvedya. Especially since I'll have your trusted Heartrenders by my side."

The smile returned to Inessa's lips as she pulled her cousin in for a tight hug. He didn't hesitate to return it before whispering into her ear. "Try not to miss me too much."

"Impossible."

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