RUN.

Ithaca's shoulders were aching — that was the first thought she registered upon waking. Granted, it was a perfectly normal feeling after having a shadow creature rip into your flesh with talons. Her second thought was that she realized she was being carried on a gurney of some sort. And third, she had no idea where Mal and Alina were. 

She sat up in an instant, unknowingly knocking a Grisha healer back while grunting from the pain in her back. Her green eyes scanned her surroundings, spotting her dark haired friend up ahead being dragged by two guards toward a black tent.

"Alina!" she shouted while rolling off the gurney.

The Grisha tending to her tried to stop her. "You're injured!" But Ithaca just pushed her back roughly and ran to her friend.

"Ithaca!" Alina shouted. "Ithaca, they won't let me go."

Before he knew it, one of the guards was thrown back, landing hard on his ass. And then the other felt a tight grip on his forearm before he was thrown over Ithaca's shoulder, also landing in a heap. Alina grasped Ithaca's hand desperately, who was looking around anxiously. Grisha seemed to be coming from nowhere, surrounding them, ready to apprehend them.

"Say you want to run, and we'll run," Ithaca whispered.

"We can't beat them," Alina said helplessly.

"Yes, I can," she said confidently. And after seeing her in action in the Fold, Alina believed her.

"Not yet. Not without Mal," she murmured.

And so the two girls had no choice but to be led to the giant black tent, Ithaca making sure to stay a few steps ahead of Alina in case anyone felt the need to attack them. She didn't care what kind of reputation this Darkling had. She'd face anyone to protect her friends.

He had his back to them as they entered a tent full of other Grisha, standing tall over a table. And as he spoke, Ithaca grew tense, recognizing his voice from the night before.

"Bring her closer," he demanded.

A guard pushed Alina forward, and Ithaca glared at him until he backed away, intimidated by the blood-covered woman with black smeared around her eyes.

"Closer," the General said again when Alina only shuffled to stand next to Ithaca.

"I think we're close enough," Ithaca said tensely, and she saw his shoulders tighten a bit, likely recognizing her voice as well.

Slowly, General Kirigan turned, laying his eyes on the two girls. His gaze lingered in Ithaca for a moment before studying Alina's unassuming figure.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Alina asked before remembering his ranking. "Sir."

"What are you?" he questioned. "Both of you."

"Alina Starkov, Assistant Cartographer, Royal Corps of Surveyors," Alina answered warily. Then she took in a deep breath. "They're all gone. It's my fault. That's why I'm here, isn't it? I swear, Ithaca didn't know—"

"Answer the question," Kirigan cut her off. "What are you?"

Alina frowned and looked at her friend, who kept her eyes on the General. She knew what answer he was looking for, but it seemed Alina had no clue what she'd done on that skiff.

"A mapmaker, sir," Alina replied, making many of the Grisha laugh.

"Quiet," he ordered, and it stopped instantly. Ithaca could respect the commanding fear he wielded over the others. "So who actually saw what happened?"

He looked to Ithaca again, who simply raised an eyebrow, letting him know that she saw but would be keeping her mouth shut.

"Zoya? You manned the main sail," Kirigan said, looking to the Squaller.

She nodded and reported back to him. "We were attacked barely two markers in. Someone lit a lantern."

"And?"

"The volcra went after the riflemen and our Inferni first. That one—" Zoya pointed accusingly at Ithaca, who narrowed her eyes at her as if she'd been betrayed despite being strangers. "She burned them. It wasn't fire. It was light — it resembled the thunder in the Fold but brighter. Shinier. And then... and then there was a searing light. It was her."

Her accusatory finger landed on Alina, who was more confused than ever. The General leaned back against his table, a curious look in his eyes.

"Our mapmaker," he said in an almost mocking tone. "Is this true? Can you summon light?"

Alina kept her mouth shut and looked to Ithaca for help.

"It wasn't her. It was me. Me alone," Ithaca said, clenching her jaw. "She can return to her unit."

"No," Zoya said stubbornly. "They were different lights."

Ithaca huffed and glared at the Squaller, getting tired of her.

"Where did you grow up?" the Darkling asked the girls.

"Keramzin," Alina answered, noting that Ithaca was keeping her mouth shut once more.

Kirigan hummed while continuing to come closer. "And when were you tested?" He noticed the way Ithaca clenched her fist. "You don't remember? Well, let us just make certain."

The General came even closer, and Ithaca hated how tall he was compared to them. She hated that she only came up to his chest, making him think he was so much stronger than her. And maybe he was, but she was just as dangerous.

"Lift up your sleeve," he told Alina.

But she didn't move and instead looked at Ithaca for answers. "What's happening?"

"Your sleeve. Please," he said again, trying to reign in his frustration.

He had some sort of ring on his thumb. It looked like a metal talon, reminding Ithaca of the pain in her shoulders — she'd been bleeding all over the place this entire time. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed the healer away.

When Alina didn't move, he grabbed her arm, making her gasp. Kirigan forced her sleeve up and dug the ring into her skin. And before all their eyes, a beam of pure, golden sunlight shot up from the wound, burning through the top of the tent.

A mixture between awe and sadness was plastered on Ithaca's face, both proud and scared for her friend's future. Then again, she supposed hers wouldn't be much different now that the truth was out.

As soon as Kirigan released Alina, the light ceased to exist, returning them all to the dim lighting of the tent. Alina's eyes were wide as she stared at her arm before sliding her gaze to Ithaca slowly.

"Ithaca," she murmured weakly, gaining her attention. Then she uttered one word. "Run."

General Kirigan didn't know what hit him — literally. The searing, blue light threw him back until he hit the fabric of the tent, getting tangled in the mess as it caught on fire from the light. The same light blinded the mass of Grisha that couldn't react in time.

Ithaca pushed Alina toward the exit, and they ran, Ithaca shooting bursts of light at anyone that dared to bring their hands together. And because no one had ever seen something like her, they didn't know how to fight her off.

"Where's Mal?" Ithaca asked as they ran out into the daylight.

"Medic," Alina gasped out before making a break for it, sliding past the First Army guards stationed at the front of the tent.

They made it a hundred yards — honestly, the General should've been embarrassed they made it so far — before darkness surrounded them. Alina screamed, unable to see mere inches in front of her. But then it was like stars glimmered around them, illuminating the small portion of camp that was shrouded in darkness. Ithaca could see the Darkling stalking toward them, so with a whirl of her hands, she used her light to sweep his feet out from under him, causing the darkness around them to fade, giving them a chance to run.

"We'll come back for Mal," Ithaca said, dragging Alina in the opposite direction. She was dragging them toward the Fold.

"We can't go that way!" Alina shouted in fear.

"Oh, yes we can!" she shouted back, doing what she needed to survive.

Alina hesitated before yanking her hand out of Ithaca's, the older girl falling to the ground as Ithaca came to a screeching halt. "Get up, Alina."

"We - we can't leave Mal," she said, trying to catch her breath.

Ithaca looked over her shoulder, seeing the Darkling making his was furiously over to him. "We'll leave him behind either way, and you know it."

"We can't," she pleaded. "We always said we'd run together."

Ithaca groaned and stomped her foot a bit childishly. But it wasn't fair. She was being forced to admit defeat to the most powerful man in Ravka all because of a childhood promise. Then her eyes fell on the Darkling, who was slowing down now that they'd stopped. Even from far away, she could see the fury in his black eyes.

"Oh, he looks pissed."

☆︎

General Kirigan was pissed. So furious in fact, that he split up the girls. While Alina was gifted a kefta for protection and got to enjoy the luxury of the General's personal carriage on the ride back to the Little Palace, Ithaca was forced to ride on a horse with Kirigan himself.

He didn't trust her alone with Alina or with any of his men.

Ithaca felt uncomfortable on the horse that was going a bit faster than a trot, nearly a mile behind the caravan that contained Alina — the General really wanted them separated.

"By the Saints, what did you think would happen had you made it to the Fold?" Kirigan couldn't help but ask.

Ithaca tensed, not exactly wanting to make idle chitchat on the ride. And it didn't help that his arms were around her to hold the reigns, caging her in.

"I was going to enter it and cross it to safety," she said simply. "Alina may be unaware of her potential, but I'm quite familiar with mine. We'd have made it."

"Only to be greeted and apprehended by our troops on the other side."

Ithaca couldn't help but scoff. "Please, they're hardly our troops anymore. We all know it with that tupista Zlatan running things unsupervised."

"Still, you know what Miss Starkov means for this country and yet you helped her run. I could have your head for that."

"Then I'd run again, General. This time without her," she admitted truthfully. "You caught us because I let you — don't ever forget that."

"You will still be punished for your insubordination."

"Is the punishment this conversation taking place now?" she asked in a dull tone.

Kirigan rolled his eyes, not a fan of her attitude. He'd have to do something about that if she was to remain in the Little Palace.

"When were you tested as a child?"

Ithaca was silent for a moment before answering truthfully. "Seven."

"And the results?"

"Rigged," she said simply with a shrug. "You should find better ways to test people, honestly."

"Well, we assumed no one would dare consider hiding," he said stiffly. "Lives have been lost because you chose to stay in the shadows."

"I've saved more lives as the Blade of Ravka than as a pretty Grisha holed up in the Little Palace doing light shows for a King I'd rather see dead," she muttered.

"Careful with such words, Miss Zaiste. One might accuse you of treason," he warned.

"You can't tell me you adore King Pyotr," she said, turning her head to look at him a bit. "He hates Grisha — hates that we rely on you."

"You don't seem to fond of Grisha either," he noted.

"Don't take it hard," she said with a sly smirk. "I'm not fond of most people."

"But not Miss Starkov," he noted.

"No, not Alina," she agreed. "And just know that should she change her mind — decide she wants to run — I'll help her, and you'll never see us again."

Kirigan rolled his eyes, not doubting her for a second. "And you questioned why I separated the two of you."

☆︎

The following fifteen minutes of the ride proceeded in silence, which Kirigan was perfectly fine with. But when Ithaca sat bolt upright, her back to his chest, he tightened his hold on the reins.

"What?"

"Someone screamed."

He had to strain his ears to hear it over the sound of the horse's hooves hitting the dirt road. But a few seconds later, he heard the screams along with the sound of guns firing. So, he instantly snapped the reins, causing the horse to run faster.

Smoke engulfed the blocked road ahead, and when they reached the carriage Alina was in, Ithaca didn't wait even a second before jumping off the horse and running to check on her. Only to find that the carriage was empty.

"She's gone!" she shouted at Kirigan, who turned the horse to head into the woods to search for her.

Meanwhile, Ithaca kept her head down as bullets continued to fly. She dropped to her stomach and crawled toward the gathered Grisha hiding behind large rocks. She recognized the two that forced Alina into the carriage who were both wearing red keftas.

"Where's Alina?" she asked harshly, glaring at the blonde one who glared right back.

"A bit preoccupied at the moment," he spat angrily.

Ithaca rolled her eyes before vaulting over the rocks. The other Heartrender tried to pull her back, but her shirt slipped through his grasp.

A wall of light was thrown up, blocking the oncoming bullets. Then she thrust her hands forward and the wave of light forced countless tiny dots, each as sharp as a knife at the tip, and sent them flying into the woods. One by one, bodies dropped as the light pierced their skin as if by one of their bullets.

In the silence, the remaining Grisha looked at her with wide eyes, never having seen anything like it.

Finally, the rude one spoke, looking to a fellow Heartrender. "How many heartbeats?"

"None," a girl said in disbelief as the smoke began to clear up some.

"Now, where's Alina?" Ithaca asked harshly, glaring at the useless Grisha — well, they were useless in her eyes.

It was an injured Heartrender that pointed off in the direction General Kirigan went. So, she took off after him, cutting through the trees as a shortcut before ending up in a clearing.

She watched with wide eyes just as a thin black mass of shadows cut through the air, slicing a Drüskelle in half, who'd been on top of Alina, ready to kill her.

"Are you hurt?" Kirigan asked, standing over Alina's form.

"No," she mumbled, her eyes wide with fear, "not really."

"The others will have fled now they know I'm here," he told her.

"There are no others," Ithaca said while coming closer. In an instant, Alina was standing and running to her friend, hiding her face in her neck. "I took care of them. They won't hurt you."

"Can I ride with you?" Alina asked in a small voice.

Ithaca met Kirigan's eye, daring him to deny her. "Of course, you can."

☆︎

They procured a second horse, and Ithaca had no trouble keeping up with Kirigan even with Alina clutching onto her back. They rode at an admittedly brutal pace, but Ithaca didn't complain, not wanting to be attacked again. Alina had come horribly close to death, and Ithaca wasn't keen to see it happen again any time soon.

"Can we stop? Please?" Alina asked loudly, her voice sounding weakly.

"Why?" Kirigan asked, looking to his left at her, searching for injuries.

"My tailbone is killing me," she said, which made Ithaca laugh.

But they did stop to rest, knowing the horses needed it just as much as they did. Ithaca stayed by the white horse she'd been riding, stretching her muscles over her head. And she winced when she felt the pain in her stiff shoulders resurge. She looked around and spotted the drying blood that made her shirt cling to her back.

"We'll get you a healer when we arrive at the Little Palace," the Darkling said, coming up behind her.

He frowned at the sight of her mangled back, knowing they should've taken care of that when they were still at the camp. He'd just been so damn annoyed at her for trying to run that he didn't order she be healed. Maybe she worked at his nerves, but she was still important to his plans.

"I've had worse," she told him, actually meaning it.

Then Kirigan held out a black handkerchief. "For your face."

She glanced at him for a moment before taking it. She scrubbed the blood off her face along with the black kohl that was still around her eyes, finally revealing some of her face to him — he hadn't gotten a good look the night before outside the camp. Though the long gash from her jaw to her eyebrow and the grime still kept him from really seeing her.

Instead of thanking him, she walked past and went up to Alina, beginning to wipe the Fjerdan blood off her friends face.

"Thank you," Alina whispered. Then she cut her eyes to the General. "What happened back there?"

"Given who you frequent your time with, I thought you'd know a Drüskelle when you see one," Kirigan said, nodding to Ithaca. "Elite members of the Fjerdan military trained to infiltrate deep behind our lines and kill or kidnap Grisha."

Alina shook her head. "I meant how you sliced one of them in half from a dozen paces."

Ithaca but her lip, internally admitting that it was a rather cool trick, one she was dying to learn herself if it was possible.

"Would you rather I'd used a sword?" Kirigan asked, raising a dark eyebrow.

"I don't know," she mumbled before shaking her head. "Sorry."

"It's fine," he told her. "There is matter to everything. Even air or shadow — or starlight," he said, looking at Ithaca. "Too small to see. The Cut is something a Summoner can do, but it requires tremendous skill. And I would only use it as a last resort. Like that ambush."

"Saints," Alina swore. "Is this my life now? Hunted wherever I go?"

"You get used to it," Kirigan said with a hint of amusement that made Ithaca smile. She was a bit used to it as well, though for different reasons.

"How did they even know about me?" Alina asked breathlessly.

"Everyone saw the light show, Alina," Ithaca told her. "We were only two miles from the entrance of the Fold. I'm sure it was visible for miles away."

"Both of you were, though Miss Zaiste could have been easily mistaken for lightning," Kirigan confirmed. "Whatever their original mission was, they must have diverted to find you. That's why I'm traveling with you."

"They're that scared of you?" Alina asked doubtfully.

He smirked at her. "I think they're more scared of you."

"Why?" she asked cluelessly.

"What your power means to us. You may well be the first of your kind, but we've always had a name for you. For what we hope you can do. Enter the Fold. Destroy it from within. With proper training, some amplification, you could be the—"

"No!" she cut him off sharply.

In an instant, his face twisted, his previous hopeful expression darkening. It made a chill run down Ithaca's spine. "No?" he repeated slowly. "No, what?"

"I don't want any of this. Why can't you get rid of it?"

"Do you think I haven't tried, Miss Starkov?" he asked, getting frustrated. "If I enter the Fold, I'm a beacon for the volcra. All I can do is make it worse."

Ithaca tilted her head, studying the man. She'd thought about tearing the Fold down but never about making it worse. Stronger.

"Then just... Can't you use some Grisha science to transfer this to someone who can use it?"

"You would give up your gift?" he asked, appalled by the notion.

"Gift?" she scoffed. "You dragged me away from my only friends and now, according to you, I'll be a target for the rest of my life. You know why you've never found someone with this power? Maybe it's because they don't want to be found. Ithy certainly didn't want to be."

Kirigan tensed his jaw and looked at Ithaca once more, as annoyed as ever that she knew this whole time — at least Alina was clueless to her wrongdoings. "I'm going to ask you again. Were you tested as a child?"

Alina's shoulders sank, showing how exhausted she was. "We hid. We were different enough already."

"Didn't want to be even more alone," Ithaca added.

Ithaca hated how Kirigan towered over them. She hated that she had to tilt her chin to look up at him. She hated that her heart picked up just the slightest bit when he stepped closer.

"You are Grisha," he told them. "You are not alone."

☆︎

Ithaca thought that the Little Palace was the most intimidatingly beautiful place she'd ever seen — granted, she wasn't typically frequenting extravagant castles. Guards were stationed at several doors — all non-Grisha, she noted.

"You'll be safe here," Kirigan told the girls while leading them inside. Two guards were waiting. "The palace is the most secure building in the whole country. I made sure of it."

"Where are you going?" Alina asked when Kirigan turned away from them.

"Take her to the Vezda Suite," he said, ignoring them. "I'll be taking Miss Zaiste to the Sada Suite."

Ithaca sighed, realizing that they were still being separated. Alina held onto her hand tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Are we prisoners?" she asked with a frown on her face.

"All of Ravka is. Until you and I have banished the Fold," he said before turning to leave, simply nodding at Ithaca, signaling for her to follow.

Ithaca leaned in to whisper to Alina before following the General. "That means yes."

The walk through the palace was silent, all she was able to hear was the sound of their feet hitting the marble floors. In actuality, her room wasn't that far from Alina's but it felt like they were being sent to different prisons as they were separated.

Finally, Kirigan led her to a room that was across the hall from a black door. "This is your suite. That is mine. I will know if you leave it," he said sharply.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm going to make life very difficult for you."

"Oh, I don't doubt it, Little Star," he said before opening the door for her. And as soon as both feet were inside, he shut it firmly, locking it from the outside.

Ithaca huffed and then looked around the extravagant room, taking in all the luxuries she'd gone without her whole life. There was a plush bed, flowing curtains, a fireplace with chairs around it, an attached bathroom with a huge tub in the center of it.

Saints, she'd been bathing in freezing cold rivers the last month.

Though she knew she wasn't safe, not really, Ithaca let herself relax, and that was when the exhaustion set in. All she had the energy to do was wash the grime off her face before she collapsed on the bed, not caring that the blood on her back would stain the white sheets — they weren't her sheets after all.

And for the first time in years, Ithaca slept soundly through the night.