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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍

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After traveling for a day, the trio decided to take a break in a small clearing. The warmth they received in the cave from Inessa was slowly starting to wear off, causing the three of them to shiver uncontrollably. They all knew that they needed to stop and rest. Not only did they need a moment to regain their strength, but they also needed another wave of warmth from the Heartrender. They wouldn't make it much farther without the Smirnoff girl performing that task.

Silence surrounded them as they sat on a snow-covered log, taking a moment to catch their breath and recover strength. As soon as Inessa felt strong enough, she placed her hands over her heart and made her heart beat faster than humanly possible. Only a second passed before she felt warmth cover every inch of her body. It wasn't long after that when she removed her hand from her chest, allowing her heartbeat to return to a normal pace. A long sigh passed over her lips as she placed her hands on Alina and Mal's chests. She felt them shiver under her touch before she performed the same task on them that she had just done on herself. Inessa could feel their hearts speed up before hearing them let out relieved sighs. That only lasted for another moment before the Smirnoff girl returned her hands to her lap.

They let the silence surround them for another moment and simply watched the snow fall around them. But that peacefulness soon ended when Alina began speaking. "When we find the Stag, I need to be the one to kill it."

Mal hesitated for a moment as he studied the Starkov girl, only for a small smirk to appear on his lips a second later. "You're a terrible shot. They made you a cartographer for a reason."

The Sun Summoner couldn't help but scoff at her friend's words, only to receive a playful laugh in response from Mal. It wasn't long after that when the Oretsev boy continued speaking. "Of course. I'll line it up for you, you take the shot. It's just...do you really wear its bones?"

"That's how it's always been done," Inessa replied for Alina, who looked as though she never wanted her oldest friend to know the truth.

Their conversation was soon cut short when the two girls saw a serious look appear on Mal's face. Inessa thought it was because of her previous comment, but those thoughts soon faded when he jumped to his feet. She kept her eyes glued to him as he stared at something in the distance, something that neither Inessa nor Alina could see. The two girls couldn't help but exchange an uncertain look, neither knowing what to make of Mal's actions. But before either of them could question him, the Orestev boy looked down at them with a determined look on his face.

"That way."

That was all it took to make Alina and Inessa jump to their feet. After quickly gathering their supplies, they began following Mal deeper into the forest. The world around them seemed to grow quieter and darker with every step, making the Smirnoff girl antsy. It wasn't long before they found themselves standing in another clearing, this one much larger than the last. Snow continued to fall around them as they carefully walked through the trees. And while Mal knew exactly where he was taking them, Alina and Inessa were both shocked by what they saw next. The Stag walked into the clearing.

The Smirnoff girl kept her eyes glued to the magical creature as Mal handed Alina his crossbow. The Sun Summoner hesitated for a moment before holding the object out in front of her. Not even a second after that passed when the Oretsev boy helped her aim. While Mal continued to help his oldest friend line up her shot, the Stag turned to look at them. Chills went through Inessa's entire body as she stared into the creature's eyes. It wasn't long after that when it looked over at Alina, who got a very similar feeling.

"Hang on," the Starkov girl said as she lowered the crossbow, earning a confused look from Mal that she couldn't see, "I need to get closer to it."

"If we keep it alive, how do we-"

"I don't know," Alina interrupted her oldest friend while keeping her eyes glued to the Stag, "Kirigan didn't want me to have an amplifier. So he didn't teach me about this. Maybe there's another way to do this."

"There is only one way to get an amplifier, Alina. That's the one thing that's always been constant," Inessa told the girl standing next to her after thinking back to everything she learned about Grisha amplifiers.

"I have to try."

Neither Inessa nor Mal argued with her decision, despite how much they wanted to. They knew there was no way they were going to talk Alina out of her plan. So instead they watched as she slowly approached the Stag, who walked just as slowly toward her. They didn't stop walking until they were standing a foot away from each other. Alina soon held her hand out in front of her and directly in front of the Stag. What felt like an eternity passed when the creature placed its snout in her palm. The next thing anyone knew, light began radiating off of the Sun Summoner, causing smiles to appear on all their faces.

But Inessa's smile faded as quickly as she came after sensing something she never expected. Multiple heartbeats. She wanted to brush it off as a group of forest animals, but she knew what a human heart felt like. The Smirnoff girl couldn't make out how many there were, but they were moving fast. And they were closing in on them. However, before Inessa had a chance to warn her friends, chaos broke loose.

An arrow came out of nowhere and lodged itself in the Stag's side, causing it to cry out in pain. Alina was instantly knocked to the ground as the magical creature fell. Not even a moment after that passed when an oprichniki appeared out of nowhere and ran at the Sun Summoner. But Mal was easily able to take him out with his crossbow. It wasn't long after that when the Ortesev boy loaded another arrow and moved his aim toward the Stag. He only hesitated for a moment before taking his shot. But to their dismay, a strong wind came out of nowhere and knocked his arrow off course. When Inessa and Mal turned around, they found Zoya standing behind them.

"That animal's not meant for you," the Nazyalensky girl said while keeping her hands out in front of her.

The next thing anyone knew, an arrow soared through the air and landed in Mal's back. Alina's shouts cut through the air as Inessa spun around to locate where the arrow came from. Her attention instantly landed on another oprichniki, who loaded another arrow onto his bow. The Heartrender didn't hesitate to move her arms and prepared to retaliate, only for her body to become as still as a statue. Despite how hard she tried to move, Inessa found herself unable to. Her arms were awkwardly locked in front of her and her feet felt as though they were glued to the floor. It wasn't long after that when someone else made an appearance, causing all the color to fade from Inessa's face. Her blood turned as cold as the snow beneath her feet the second her eyes landed on Ivan.

Despite how much she tried to fight against Ivan's hold, Inessa couldn't escape. She soon felt her heartbeat beginning to slow, causing a wave of tiredness to wash over her. She found it hard to keep her eyes open no matter how much she tried to keep herself awake. The Smirnoff girl knew better than most that she wouldn't be able to stay conscious much longer, especially when she felt her heart beginning to slow even more. Inessa was still conscious when she fell onto the snow-covered ground. She was still aware of the world around her as the cold continued to take over. And yet there was nothing she could do to stop it. Inessa didn't know if Ivan was trying to temporarily stop her or keep her out of the fight for good, but it hurt either way.

Despite his cold exterior, he was always there for her in his own way. Even though they were never as close as she was to Fedyor, she had grown to see Ivan as her brother. And now they were fighting on opposite sides of a growing war.

What felt like an eternity passed before a blinding light cut through the air, hitting their attackers. Ivan was instantly knocked to the floor, breaking the connection he made with Inessa. But despite the warmth she was beginning to feel, the Smirnoff girl couldn't move. Her mind was fully awake and aware of what was going on around them, but her body felt as though it was trapped in an eternal slumber. And no matter how much Inessa wanted to rush to Mal's aid, she couldn't. All she could do was lay there while listening to Alina calling out to her in a frenzy.

It wasn't long after that when the world around them grew darker, signaling the arrival of the Grisha General. Inessa could barely make out the panicked look on Alina's face, who was staring at something behind the young Heartrender. Not even a second after that passed when the Starkov girl jumped in front of the Stag and created a light shield. It continued to grow until it held Mal within and moved toward Inessa. However, before it could reach the Smirnoff girl, someone grabbed her arms and dragged her out of reach.

"This is your last chance to prove your loyalty, Inessa," Ivan spoke just loud enough so only Inessa could hear after forcing her to her feet. He kept a firm grip on her, uncaring whether it hurt or not. "Tell me that you ran away for a good reason."

"I have a good reason," the Smirnoff girl responded in a tone just above a whisper while keeping her eyes glued to Alina and Mal, "I was tired of being used."

Not even a second after the words left her mouth passed when Inessa found it hard to breathe. She couldn't help but gasp as she tried to take in air but failed every time. The only one who seemed to notice her discomfort was Mal, but he was in pain of his own. It wasn't long after that when the Smirnoff girl was able to breathe once again. She took in big gulps of air as Ivan whispered into her ear. "Fedyor will be very disappointed in you once he discovers you're a traitor."

"You can't save them, Alina," the Darkling announced, drawing the Heartrenders' attention back to the situation at hand, "you may have the power of light, but not the power to heal. I know the tracker is important to you. Give me the Stag, and I'll have Inessa show me what Bahgra taught her in secrecy. I'll have her save him."

Inessa couldn't help but stare at Mal's pained face as he lay in the snow. Even without having access to her full abilities, she could tell he wouldn't make it much longer. Not without her help. After being freed from Ivan's abilities, the Smirnoff girl felt most of her strength returning to her. She wouldn't have enough to fight back against the Darkling and his followers, but she would be able to keep Mal alive.

"Let me save him first," Inessa said, pulling the Darkling's gaze to her while Alina continued to dwell on her decision, "after everything I've done for you. All the secrets I've kept. You owe me this. Just let me heal him."

The Smirnoff girl had to fight her fear as the Grisha General walked toward her. He didn't stop until he was standing a foot away. The two of them kept their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity. They stayed in silence until the Darkling spoke four words that sent a wave of dread over Inessa. "I owe you nothing."

The reluctant Heartrender forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat as she kept her eyes glued to the Darkling. She was about to respond when the light faded from existence. When they turned their attention back to Alina, they found her putting force on Mal's wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She wasn't too far from the Stag but that didn't matter. The Starkov girl had already given General Kirigan exactly what he wanted.

An oprichniki didn't hesitate to grab Alina's arms and pull her away from Mal. Despite how hard she fought, she couldn't break free from his grasp. The next thing anyone knew, another oprichniki came out of nowhere and punched the Oretsev boy in the face, knocking him out cold. Inessa wished she had the energy to fight to break free like Alina did. But she couldn't bring herself to even try. Not only did she lack the strength to get out of Ivan's grasp, but the Smirnoff girl lacked the will to do so. She knew they were defeated the moment they were surrounded. Even with the Sun Summoner's power, there was no way they would've been able to defeat the Darkling and his strongest followers.

What happened next happened so fast that Inessa barely saw it coming. The Darkling created what he always described as the Cut in his hands. He then sent it flying through the air toward the Stag. The Heartrender closed her eyes before it reached its target, not wanting to witness what came next. When she opened her eyes, Inessa found that the deed was done. The world would never see the Stag again.

"Bring me its antlers," the Grisha General ordered without taking his eyes off the magical creature. A wave of confusion washed over Inessa as she watched David run across the clearing. The Kostyk boy kneeled beside the Stag and began working on removing one of its antlers.

"You murderer!" Alina shouted at the Darkling while trying to break free from the oprichniki's grasp, "you stupid fool!"

"And the otkazat'sya, sir?" another oprichniki asked after motioning to Mal, who was still unconscious on the snowy ground by their feet.

"I am a man of my word. Heal him," General Kirigan said while gesturing toward his most trusted Heartrender.

That was all it took for Ivan to force Inessa to walk across the clearing. They didn't stop until they were standing right beside Mal. Not even a second after that passed when the Bozic man pushed Inessa to the ground. It only took a moment for her to gather her bearings before scanning over the Oretsev boy's wound. After letting a shaky breath pass over her lips, Inessa placed her hand on Mal's stomach. A more experienced Healer wouldn't need physical touch to heal. But thanks to the Darkling, the Smirnoff girl wasn't an experienced Healer. She tried to ignore the warm feeling on her hands as she used the energy she had to heal his injury.

While Inessa worked her magic to save Mal, General Kirigan's attention moved back to Alina. The two of them just stared at each other for a long moment before the Darkling broke the silence surrounding them. "He was only protecting Miss Starkov."

It only took another moment for Inessa to finish healing Mal. She barely removed her hands from his stomach when the familiar tired feeling washed over her again. Her heartbeat slowed and her body began to feel cold. Inessa was just able to look up at Ivan one last time before the world plunged into darkness.

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When Inessa finally woke up from her forced slumber, she found herself sitting in a dark tent. It didn't take long to discover that her arms were bound in front of her, with the end of the chain being locked to a pole nearby. But she wasn't alone. Mal was standing on the other side of the tent, trying with all his strength to break free from his chains. But the Smirnoff girl knew it wasn't any use. These were the same chains that she had seen so many Grisha "traitors" wear. She knew there was no getting out of them.

It wasn't long before she picked up on a familiar heartbeat. One that she knew far too well. Chills ran throughout her body after spotting the Darkling standing in the shadows, watching his prisoners. Inessa couldn't help but stare at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. It didn't take long for Mal to realize the Smirnoff girl was staring at something behind him. That was all it took for him to stop trying to escape his chains and follow her gaze. All emotion instantly faded from his face the second she spotted General Kirigan.

"You?" the Oretsev boy said without bothering to hide the disdain in his voice, "you come here to kill us off?"

"Don't tempt him," Inessa scoffed after adjusting her position on the ground she was forced to sit on.

"That's not why I'm here," the Darkling declared before walking toward the pair, "how many times do I have to tell you people? I'm a man of my word."

"And when does your word mean anything? Black Heretic," Mal retaliated while keeping his eyes locked with the Grisha General's gaze, "that's right, we know who you are. And whatever you have planned for Alina, she won't forgive you. And if you keep me alive, I will hunt you down and I will claim the bounty the old King put on your head."

The Orestev boy just stared at the Darkling until sitting down on the barrel behind him. General Kirigan studied him for a moment, as if he was going over what Mal had just said in his head. It wasn't long after that when the Black Heretic began speaking.

"Alina has strong feelings for both of you. She values your friendship. And I can tell you both feel the same way about her," the raven-haired man responded while sitting down on a barrel across from his captives, "I read your letters. All these years, you never truly appreciated who she is. But it's alright, because I do."

Mal couldn't help but scoff at the Darkling's words. "Oh, you have no chance, Shadow Man."

"You are a child. And she is Grisha. Take away my shadows and I still have something you don't. Patience," the Grisha General declared while the two sitting in front of him continued to stare back with blank looks on their faces, "Alina may well take years to forgive me, but I can wait. Meanwhile, both of you will grow old. Your hair will gray. And she will remain ageless. Like me. And one day, maybe a year from now, maybe fifty, she'll realize that she has only one equal. That there are no others like us. And that there never will be. I'm not going to kill you, Mal. I don't need to. Time will do it for me."

Chills ran throughout Inessa's entire body when the Darkling's attention fell on her. The two of them just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. That was until the Grisha General got to his feet and approached the pole she was chained to. A wave of confusion washed over the Heartrender as she watched the Black Heretic unlock her chains from the pole. "What are you doing?"

"I said I wasn't going to kill Mal. You are a different story," General Kirigan explained. The tension in the room grew thick as he finished unlocking her chains. It wasn't long after that when the Darkling looked up to meet the Smirnoff girl's gaze. "You are guilty of treason, Inessa. And traitors are punished in Ravka."

Inessa hesitated after hearing his words. But that was only until she built up enough courage to ask the question bouncing around in her head. "And what is to be my punishment?"

A sinister smile appeared on the Darkling's lips before he responded. "A trip through the Fold to start with. We'll see what happens from there."

The next thing Inessa knew, she was being dragged out of the tent. The only thing that could be heard was Mal shouting her name as they walked through the First Army camp. The Smirnoff girl didn't know it, but she was surprised to discover they were back in Kribirsk. She never thought she'd ever see the place where everything started again. But Inessa didn't have time to reminisce on memories. What she needed to focus on was what the Darkling had planned for her.

The last place Inessa expected to be taken to was a skiff, but that was exactly where they were. The Grisha General forced her to board the skiff before taking her down to the storage room below. Silence surrounded them as the Darkling forced the Heartrender to sit down on a small crate. She kept her lips sealed as she watched him lock her chains to a pole on the other side of the small room. But it wasn't long before Inessa finally had enough of the silence.

"What are you planning on doing with me?" the brunette girl questioned, earning nothing but more silence from the standing in front of her, "there's nothing I can do to stop you. You might as well tell me."

"There is a man in Novokribirsk who sells Grisha to the Fjerdans," the Darkling explained before a sinister smirk appeared on his lips, "I hope you enjoy the snow."

"My uncle won't be happy about this," Inessa said with the most courage she could muster, "you're gonna make an enemy out of the King of Ravka."

To the Heartrender's surprise, General Kirigan's smirk did nothing but grow. "Haven't you heard? The King's fallen ill with a mysterious disease. The Apparat's been ruling in his stead. There's no one left to save you, Inessa. You're all alone. Just like you've always been."

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