CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.

As always, Liliya woke up before the sun had even risen. Daish was sleeping peacefully against her chest but he seemed to be warm still at least. His hands wrapped around her, finding comfort. His black hair was messy and dirty. She wondered how long he had been out here walking aimless. She almost felt sorry for the young boy. She wanted to let him sleep but she knew better. If they were getting out, they needed to go now.

"Daish, we need to get up now," She whispered softly as she shook his shoulders. The boy seemed to groan, adjusting his position as he let out a soft breath. The redhead chuckled softly before she shook his shoulders again and he opened his eyes. He stared up at her, meeting her gaze with his own sleepy look, "Do you remember the plan I had?" She asked. Daish nodded and that's all it took. He pulled the kefta from around him and held it out for her. Liliya smiled and then moved to stand up.

Stretching her arms above her head, she stretched the sleep from her limbs and glanced over at the door. Daish was already stood by it, looking out to see if anyone was around. There wasn't any movement and the other room seemed to be dark. That's exactly what they needed but Liliya would still use the shadows to help her.

The two then walked up to the door and she held her hand out. Daish took it and she smiled at him before she called on her shadows. It was difficult with one hand but Daish pushed the door open and the shadows swarmed. Filling the room completely. If anyone was in there, it would become impossible for them to see. Though all of this accounted for Isaak not being awake or around anymore. She hoped that he had left.

They were silent and Daish gripped her hand tightly as they moved through the room. They needed to get as far away as possible and it all started with leaving the room. Liliya let the shadows guide her towards the door and she took a hold of the handle, pulling it open. It was gloomy outside but the sun was slowly rising in the distance.

There were a few rays of sun peaking over the horizon but Liliya didn't let herself get caught up. Instead she let her shadows fall and stepped away. The pair moving across the grounds in search of the horses that they had heard. Then she heard it. Muttering in Shu and two people walked out from the edge of the forest.

Liliya's heart stopped but she grabbed Daish and yanked them both behind the wall. Her heart thudding as she heard the men walk by. They hadn't spotted them and she was thankful. Daish was silent, his eyes wide and his fingers gripping her as tightly as he possibly could. It was almost like he was scared of letting go.

Liliya moved to stand up and spotted the horses. They were tied up by a tree a few metres away so they quickly rushed towards it. Their steps were cautious but quick. They wouldn't take two. They just needed one. It would be better that way. Her kefta would protect them both from the bullets that could come for them.

"Where are we going?" Daish asked as he looked up at her. The exhaustion was evident in his tone but she knew that he would soon wake up. Between the cold wind and the horse riding that they were about to do, he would likely wake up quickly.

"Back into Ravka. We will protect you," Liliya promised softly, her smile widening a little. Daish looked around apprehensively before he nodded his head. It didn't seem all that enthusiastic about riding back into the country but he knew that there was little choice. It was going with Liliya or risk being killed by Isaak.

Liliya pulled herself up onto the horse once she had adjusted the saddle and then held her hand out. He took it and she hauled him up. Instructing him to hold on and not let go for anything. Liliya then grabbed a hold of the reins and steered them back. The horse trotting away from the tree towards the exit.

"Malysh," Isaak's voice made her stop, pulling the reins. The horse stopped and Liliya turned her head to her father. He stood tall. The scars shining in the early morning light. His forest green eyes dull from the gloom. She looked at him, "I had so much faith in you," He said softly. Liliya rolled her eyes and then grabbed onto the reins tighter. Daish was pressed against her chest, the kefta opening and protecting as much of his body as she could.

"You would never have abandoned me if you did. Let me leave, Isaak, or I'll kill you. The Fjerdans should have done their job," Liliya said. Her voice was calm and even but her fingers were shaky. She was cold and gripping the reins far too tightly. Her head twisted back and ready to send the horse off into a gallop at a moment's notice.

A sigh escaped Isaak's lips and he stared up at Liliya, his gaze passing over her face. It was almost as if he was admiring her. His hand rested at his side, hovering over the gun slung onto his hip. However, he wasn't picking it up. He didn't seem to want to.

"Leave, malysh. Before I change my mind," Isaak said as he stared at her. Liliya's eyebrows drew together and she opened her mouth but then closed it. There was no point in questioning it so instead she gently squeezed the horse with her legs. As if on automatic, the horse began to trot which turned into a canter and with a little more encouragement, they were galloping.

The horse seemed to know the road back to Ravka and the wind whipped in Liliya's face as they galloped down the path. The sun was rising still. The light shining through the trees, it blinded her slightly but the joy she felt from escaping was better than any of that. Her whole body still ached, her leg was wounded but the pain had become a secondary sensation to her.

So, she focused on getting out. Keeping Daish protected as they rode through the Ravkan countryside to find a village where she could get a message to General Kirigan. She had saved the Sun Summoner and herself.

It wasn't long until they found a village. It was a border village and it was full of Shu refugees and Ravkans. A soft smile appeared on her lips as she pulled up to the village. She needed to stop just for some food and the two of them slid off the horse. Liliya quickly realised she had no food but Daish seemed to have a knack for stealing and they had enough for lunch.

Once that was eaten and their horse was rested, they were travelling again. They needed to get as far away from the border as quickly as possibly. The end destination was Os Alta but any big town would be better than nothing.

By the time the sun was falling, they were on the outskirts of a larger village. Liliya was too tired to care about the name but found the first person she could to send a message to Os Alta. Daish managed to steal some more money from passerbys and they had enough for a hotel. Liliya wondered how he had become such a good pickpocket. He was the son of a nobleman after all but Liliya didn't feel like asking.

Once they were inside the inn room, Liliya gave Daish the bed and he snuggled under. The redhead sat on the rickety chair and began to unbandage her wound. It was disgusting, puss-covered and dried blood. It even seemed to be black and her nose scrunched up at it. A soft huff escaping her lips before she just lifted her leg up. Allowing the air to get to it as she stared up at the ceiling.

The past few days had made her realise how stupid she truly was. There was a part of her that knew it was dangerous to go after the boy that day. That Ivan was going to betray her. That maybe.. .just maybe her father was alive but it all happened. It all happened and even Tomas had betrayed them. One of their own. He was dead now. Shot in some backforest where nobody would find him. Liliya was glad.

But she caught herself, the heels of her hands pushing against her eyes. The patterns appearing on her eyelids and she was briefly mesmerised before she let her hands fall. They were bloody and muddy. Brown and red smeared across her pale skin. Her veins were more obvious than ever before and she felt strange. She felt disgusting and she wanted nothing more than a shower and to be lying in bed with Kirigan. She missed him, she missed him more than anything.

Then there was a knock on the door and she limped up from where she was stood. She pulled the door open and a woman was stood on the other side. A smile on her face and a bag in her hand. Liliya pulled her eyebrows together.

"He-Hello," Liliya said, realising that she had begun to speak Shu. She was quick to correct herself and the woman smiled, "Is there anything I can do?" Liliya asked. The exhaustion lacing her tone. She just wanted to fall asleep.

"My little girl noticed your bandaged leg and in the state you're in, I assumed it wasn't bandaged properly. I assumed correctly," The woman said, glancing down at Liliya's bulletwound. The redhead shrugged and pressed her hand against the door frame as to not fall over. That would be one embarassing way to end a conversation.

"I don't need the help. It's okay," Liliya said softly, "Thank you but I'll just wrap it up and when I return to Os Alta, it'll be fine," Liliya attempted to reassure but she was sure she just sounded arrogant. The woman didn't look impressed so Liliya simply sighed, "I don't have anymore money," She added. The woman shrugged and then Liliya stepped back, allowing her in. The two of them sat down. The woman knelt on the floor and Liliya sat on the chair.

"My name is Polina," The woman said as she opened the satchel. Liliya smiled, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. She was a little older than Liliya. More wrinkles on her face but she was still beautiful. A youthful twinkle in her eye and gorgeous sleek black hair that Liliya quickly found herself jealous of.

"Liliya. You really don't have to help," The redhead muttered. Polina shook her head and then poured some alcohol onto a cloth before pressing it against the wound. A soft cry escaped Liliya's lips as her head fell back. Daish was - thankfully - fast-asleep on the bed so didn't take any notice to the two speaking.

"If I may ask, how did you get this wound?" Polina asked as she wiped the blood away from the wound still. The pain had subsided again and Liliya sighed. There was some part of her that just wanted to spill the truth and tell Polina everything she possibly could but the better part of her knew it wasn't a good idea. Nobody could know the business of the Grisha. Most of the people of Ravka held some sort of dislike for the Grisha.

"I got into an altercation while trying to save the boy," Liliya said, gesturing vaguely towards the bed. Polina looked back for a momnet before she nodded and continued to wipe up the wound. Then she placed the cloth down.

"Is the boy injured?" Polina asked. Liliya shook her head and felt something cool pressed against her skin. Her head shot down to see a simple paste being applied to her skin. The redness and heat from the wound subsiding with the application.

"No. I made sure he was unscathed. Only a few bruises, nothing unusual for a child of his age," Liliya said, smiling a little before she let her body relaxing. Her limbs had been so tense all day and she wasn't quite aware. Her feet throbbed at the new sensation, burning pleasantly now that she let herself completely relax.

"He is not Ravkan, is he?" Polina asked. Liliya shook her head and then adjusted in her seat. Her back slouched slightly, a sign of her true exhaustion.

"Shu but he is under my protection and I'm an Inferni so please don't say anything that will make me hurt you. I will be gone by tomorrow," Liliya said quickly. A warning and a threat but it wasn't entirely convincing to anyone. Polina nodded her head anyway and continued to apply the paste before letting it rest against her wound.

"I don't intend to harm him. He looked terrified when he arrived," She explained. Liliya nodded and lifted her head to her face, pushing her red hair out of her face. It was a tangled mess but she knew that it would be fixed. She just needed Genya. Genya, a healer and Aleksander. They would make everything better.

"It's not every day that an eight-year-old gets threatened to be killed," Liliya mumbled more to herself than anyone but Polina heard. Her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Liliya let out a soft sigh, realising her mistake, "We are on the run from the Shu. Some people want him dead. I'm trying my best to protect him from someone who should be dead," Liliya explained. Her attempt to keep it brief was successful but she knew that she could keep going if she wanted to. Being able to talk to anyone about it would be nice. Better than the silence and the nightmares.

"Is that a Grisha ability? Bringing back the dead?" Polina asked. Liliya snorted at even the idea. The Grisha could do many things but defying death was one of the few exceptions to their power. At least as far as she was aware.

"No. He just never seemed to die. He was taken by the Fjerdans. At least, thats what I believed. It turns out he is alive and walking around Shu Han as if nothing happened," Liliya muttered. Polina nodded and then grabbed the cloth and wiped away the paste. It had dried up to some extent but was gone with a few swipes. The wound already looked better.

"And then he tried to kill you?" Polina asked, amusement in her tone. Liliya nodded, chuckling softly. This whole situation felt absurd but she was a Shadow Summoner who had fallen in love with the General of the Second Army. They had confessed that they loved each other. Was there anything more absurd than winning the heart of a man deemed heartless?

"And I'm his daughter but that only makes it worse doesn't it?" Liliya chuckled, trying to keep the conversation light. If she laughed at the situation, she might just avoid breaking down in front of this random woman.

"I think so," Polina nodded. She then grabbed a hold of a new set of bandages and Liliya spotted something. Something she wished she hadn't. Something she really wished she hadn't seen. Zlatan. The mark of Zlatan. The emblem of the people who agreed with him. It was written on a note, obscured by the fabric of the bag but Liliya would recognise the mark anywhere. The mark that signified the death of her kind, her people.

Polina then finished wrapping the bandage and smiled widely at Liliya. Liliya then looked back at her and let a frown spread across her face. Her gut twisting in anxiety before realising there was nothing else she could do.

"I'm really sorry that I'm going to do this, Polina, but I can't let you leave," Liliya said softly as she moved to stand up. Her hand moving quickly, the shadows wrapping around the woman. Keeping her in place.

"It won't matter if I'm dead. You'll be gone in a day. Dead like all Grisha scum deserve to be," Polina's attitude changed quickly. It gave Liliya whiplash, not expecting such an abrupt change in tone. Though she didn't know what she had expected. Liliya then reached forward and wrapped her hand around the throat of the woman.

"I would apologise but I don't care anymore," Liliya admitted softly as she squeezed Polina's throat tighter. Her fingers digging into the windpipe, cutting off Polina's air completely. The woman fell limp, unconscious and Liliya used the shadows to finish her off, snapping her neck. Now, she was stuck with a body that she had to get rid of. Bury it before Daish saw. Before anyone saw.

Her heart felt heavy as she glanced over at the window. It opened and led to the forest behind the town. At least she wouldn't be seen. Once she had tucked Daish in, she grabbed a hold of the body of the woman and dragged it to the window. The two of them slipped out and Liliya had the body over her shoulder.

Her whole being felt heavy as she trudged through the mud. It was either because she knew the poison was there or maybe it was just the effect of it but she felt exhausted. Her whole body ready to collapse under the weight of herself and Polina's body but she knew what she had to do. Dumping the body, she trudged into the village in search of a spade which she managed to steal without anyone seeing. It would be back by the morning and it would be like it was never gone at all.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed a hold of Polina's hand and dragged both herself and the body into the woods. Getting as deep as she could before she began to dig the grave. Her shovel pushing into the mud. It wasn't long until a hole was dug and Liliya dropped the body inside. She didn't know she had started crying but as she filled the grave in, the tears blurred her vision. It felt impossible to see and she collapsed into the dirt pile. The body half-covered and the shovel clattering to the floor.

"Milaya."

***

author's note! why hello there, i didn't update yesterday but I HAVE THIS NOW! so... yeah... i don't entirely know what to say here bUT i'm close to the end of the first 'book'/act/arc for liliya, literally two scenes left and if i finish writing the second bit, then i will be double updating once again to make up for my lack of update yesterday but ya know, here we are! i don't know yet but i hope you enjyoed this chapter and thank you for all the support, it honestly means everything