CHAPTER TWELVE
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THE LITTLE PALACE WAS THE MOST humble building in all of Ravka, for it was nowhere near little. Quaint, perhaps, if in comparison to the Grand Palace. But calling the Little Palace little was like saying Kaz had a mild attraction to kruge. A blatant lie.

The last time she had stepped foot on the lying building she was nine years old and saying goodbye to her redheaded best friend, the only person besides her brothers that Kira could say she missed. And now, as she swayed away in the halls, avoiding bumping into the nobility roaming the palace she could see nothing had changed about it. She could still feel the lingering sensation of the Darkling's overwhelming power, the walls and paintings remained the same, and even the way the Grisha walked was unnervingly unchanging.

They got new curtains, Kira thought to herself as she grazed the soft fabric of the curtains, the replacements of the ones she had accidentally set on fire on one of her secret trips to the palace.

Kira peered over the fan she held close to her face as she moved towards a staircase, where in the middle, Inej was hanging from, giving the performance of her life like a circus monkey. Kira shot her a wink and the Suli girl's lips twitched.

It hadn't been hard to convince Marko to let her go to the party, especially as she came out of the changing ten looking like the princess she could've been, decked in a teal gown full of pearls, her blond her swept up in by golden pins with pearls on the end. She entered the palace with her head held high and a soft smile on her lips. She looked as if she belonged amongst the sea of nobility, it was what she was going for, but inside she wanted to claw her way out of the palace, or at least manage to make someone scream so chaos would unleash.

The ballroom of the Little Palace was drowning in guests but a clearing stood before the raised platform where the King and Queen of Ravka sat at their thrones.

Vasily was the first person she saw, her eyes landing on her older brother before she could even turn to her 'parents'. Kira's head tilted and she let out a sigh. Oh, Vasya, you look like father. She shook her head, pursing her lips before sweeping the room for another head of blond hair. Nikolai was nowhere in sight, but her eyes finally landed on the two people who were responsible for making her what she was. Unlike the palace, the Sovereigns of Ravka did change with the years.

Her lips twitched at the sight of her mother's wrinkling face, and the clearly Grisha-lifted breasts. Her father's stomach seemed to have swelled over the year, no doubt for nursing Kvas at hunting trips, war room meetings, baths and dinners, and life in general.

The wicked smile on her face finally appeared due to her inner urge to choke her mother to death with her diamond-cladded necklace and drown her father in his own alcohol.

They weren't her parents anymore and Kira was overjoyed that she had no desire for them to be anything other than six feet below ground—preferably, buried alive.

"Your homicidal side is showing," Kaz's voice broke Kira from her murderous thoughts.

She glanced up at him standing beside her cladded in a guard's uniform.

"But, you love my homicidal side, Kaz," Kira replied as she fanned herself and batted her eyelashes at him, only to bite her cheek to prevent laughter from spilling out at the roll of his eyes that did not match the smirk on his lips.

"Regicide warrants the death penalty," Kaz's voice was barely above a whisper as he glanced at the people around them before his eyes landed on hers. "My love for your homicidal tendencies aside, I'd rather have you alive than dead."

Kira ignored the blush on her cheeks as she rolled her eyes at him. "Way to have faith in me, Brekker."

"I do have faith in you, Lantsov." Kaz's lips twitched in the slightest at the first time using her family name, like she always used his (at least that's what she thought it was). Kira hated everything to do with the Lantsov house (her brothers excluded) but she couldn't deny she liked the way Kaz said her name. "I must go, Inej is meeting me soon. Keep an eye out on the Summoner."

Kira nodded. "No mourners..."

"...No funerals," Kaz muttered before walking away from her and making her breathing hitch as she felt the faint (nearly perceptible) brush of Kaz's fingers on the small of her back. Her lips parted as he walked away without turning back, and no matter how many layers of fabric hid her from his touch Kira felt her entire body on fire.

Which was why she missed the Darkling walking into the ballroom. Her eyes snapped in his direction, his tall looming figure that used to plague her nightmares when she was a child. She raised her fan higher, hiding everything in her face with exception of her eyes as she saw him interact with the Rulers of Ravka. His hatred for the crown is as obvious as his hatred of color, Kira thought to herself as he peered over the man.

Then her attention was pulled away by another black kefta, this one embroidered in gold, walking into the room. Alina Starkov looked every bit saintly, innocent, untouched by the cruelness of this world and Kira sighed knowing it wouldn't be for long.

She was so distracted as flames started being darted around and the Darkling approached the Sun Summoner that a surprised gasp left her lips as she was yanked by her and tugged out of the crowded area of the ballroom.

"What is the matter—"

Her words died in her mouth as her hazel eyes connected with the blue ones of the manhandling culprit. Genya Safin's eyes narrowed over her face.

"What are you doing?" Kira snapped, trying to sound undignified, only it came out half-hearted due to shock. "Have I done something wrong? I swear I wasn't—"

"Kira?" Genya asked, her voice barely audible through the chatter around them. "How are you alive? I don't understand."

"Do I know you?" Kira asked. Yes, you do. Kira answered in her mind. The question didn't imply in the slightest that she didn't know her, it merely asked whether she did. And as she mulled over that fact, Kira's eyes connected with Kaz's over Genya's shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and nodded stiffly at the barely noticeable shake of her head just as Genya's hand locked around hers as she was being dragged out of the ballroom, missing the light show in the process—and the only thing preventing her from fighting back was the fact she didn't want to draw attention to herself. She sent a reassuring smile to Inej as she passed the Wraith, now decked in a uniform, as Genya led her further away from the masses.

She was shoved through a door that clicked in place as Genya slipped inside. Kira looked around the tiny sitting room before throwing Genya an innocent smile. "I know I look irresistible, darling, but shoving me in a room isn't rather proper. Even with those stunning eyes of yours."

"Quit deflecting, Kira."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Kira tilted her head and Genus's jaw clenched.

"Stop it. I know you! I would recognize you everywhere, you wench! Stop trying to make me believe you're dead because I see you standing there and breathing and looking alive. I mourned you, Kira! And you're messing with my head and I can feel gray hairs growing already!"

Kira bit the inside of her cheek and rolled her head to the side as she cracked her neck before she took a deep breath and opened her eyes again to see Genya standing there, fists clenched and her face red from rage. "Genya, please tell me you're lying. You're too young to begin greying."

All the tension in her old friend's shoulder evaporated and just like that a laugh escaped her lips and before Kira could think she was being smothered in a familiar hug. It took her a fraction of a second to hug Genya back.

"What are you doing here?" Genya asked as they pulled away, her eyes showing a mix of worry and a healthy amount of suspicion.

"Do you want the answer that gets me killed or the one that doesn't?"

"The illegal or the lie?"

Kira merely smiled innocently and Genya sighed. She instead chose another path for her interrogation. "How did you survive? And where have you been? If I'd known you were alive—"

"Then I wouldn't be here now. I was supposed to die whether it was on the fold or alone in West Ravka," Kira told her and Genya took a sharp intake of her. Kira brushed her hair to the side, the part she had preferred to keep down to hide the scars from the Volcra and Genya gasped.

"Saints, Kira!"

"If you say they're ugly I won't answer more questions," Kira said promptly as she put her hair in place and Genya bit her lip. "I'm not ashamed of my scars. They tell my story. Don't bother to offer to erase it."

"I won't."

"Good." Kira threw herself on the couch and propped her feet on a little bench. "Now to answer your other question... I've been living my life in Ketterdam."

"Ketterdam?!" Genya's eyes widened in horror which only made Kira grin back.

"Isn't it great?" she asked with a dreamy sigh.

"Ketterdam... How did you survive it? All these years..."

"Practice makes perfect, Red. Besides since when have I not charmed my way out of anything?"

"If I remember correctly Nikolai is the charmer."

"Charmer, Whisperer. It's all semantics." Kira's smile faltered though as she looked up at Genya. "Where's Niko?"

"You don't know?" Kira shook her head. "He's studying abroad. Off somewhere."

"Studying?" Kira asked skeptically. "My brother is too smart for a stuffy desk. He's not studying."

"What do you think he's doing then?" Genya asked, her eyes shining in amusement. "Because last I heard that was what he was doing."

"Knowing him... Probably living a happy life building flying ships like he always wanted."

"You're mad," Genya said with a small smile.

Kira beamed up at her, "Thank you for noticing."

•••

Genya had to leave soon after and Kira made no promises to see her again, after all, she wasn't there for a reunion. Kira's eyes swept across the hall as she saw an Inferni walking quickly through it and shoving people politely aside. Narrowing her eyes she looked ahead of him and caught the back of Kaz's head before he disappeared.

One second passed and Kira was immediately following the Inferni. She passed through some people, giggling as she stumbled through the crowd to keep up the appearance of a young lady at court. She walked for a few minutes and down the path to the church and as she walked through the doors she saw the Inferni getting hit across the head and falling to the ground before Kaz broke his arm. A smile tugged at her lips as she walked down the aisle.

His eyes met hers as he turned his back on the Inferni. Before she knew it the latter had risen to his feet (a relentless bloke who had been as good as dead the moment he stood up) and used his good hand to grab the flames from the candle.

Kira gasped loudly distracting the man and raised a hand stopping the dagger Inej had thrown before it hit the man's head. She would not let Inej kill if she could stop it. The dagger hovered in the air right at the height of the Grisha's head, unknowingly to him of course.

"What is going on? Attacking a man wearing a uniform? I thought you Grisha had more common sense," she said in a snappy voice, sounding as much like her mother as she could.

"M'lady, he is an impostor!" the Grisha argued with her, not dropping the flame. Kaz did not even bother looking over his head, his eyes turned to Kira, and a smirk on his face.

"An impostor?!" Kira shrieked just as she flicked her wrist and allowed the dagger to continue his past. The Inferni gasped before faceplanting on the floor. Kira let out a laugh. "I know it's not funny that he died," she said looking up at Inej with an apologetic look, "But I love it when men fall before me."

Inej fell on the floor of the church looking at the body before her with a shaky breath and looked up at Kira with glassy eyes, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, darling, now let's get out of here," Kira said just as footsteps started to sound and yells came from beyond the church.

The three of them walked out of the church through the back door. Kira led them through the palace until they reached the outside and found Jesper leaning against a statue a look of glee on his face. Kira narrowed her eyes at him.

His face faltered slightly, "What happened? You okay?"

Inej took a shaky breath before speaking with the most amount of awe Kira had ever heard, "She's real, Jesper. She made the light sing."

Kira pouted, "I missed the show."

Kaz ignored her, "We lost her."

Jesper's grin widened. "Did we?"

They began walking toward the carriage Jesper acquired. Kaz frowned. "We don't know where she is."

"Don't we?" Jesper laughed. "Just ask."

"Jesper..."

Jesper climbed onto the carriage. "Just ask."

Kaz climbed in after Inej while Kira remained on the floor, leaning back to look at the chest on the back of the carriage, a smile forming on her face.

"Just ask," Jesper repeated.

"Fine. Do we have a fix on where the target is?"

Jesper laughed as Kira got into the back of the carriage, slumping against the seat, and twirling her ring around her finger. It was safe to say her visit to Os Alta had been way better than she'd expected. Not one bump on the chaotic road. She just hoped the rest of it turned out as chaotic and successful as it had been. But hope was for fools and the only certainty she had was that chaos, when it came down to her, was never out of the question.

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