The next year of Alina's life was perhaps the most carefree. After chasing Rusalye through the Bone Road, they landed on the northern shores of Novyi Zem, travelling through the Zemeni continent and down into the Southern Colonies. The lands they journeyed through ranged from the vast plains of the frontier to the lush rainforests of the south, full of exotic animals, bright colours and numerous varied cultures; ancient and wealthy cities existing deep in the forests, far from anywhere; people who lived and hunted on the plains, as their ancestors had done for centuries; the height of innovation and the essence of tradition, all in one. Alina had gotten a vivid tattoo in one such city, done by a skillled Alkemi artist in ink that would never fade or spread. The Stag, Rusalye and the Firebird, in green, blue and red, the colours of the visible light spectrum, done in intricate detail down her spine. 

She found herself wondering if Aleksander had ever been to these shores, in all his centuries alive. He had been to Shu Han and Fjerda, certainly, as well as Kerch and perhaps the Wandering Isle, but considering he had been fighting Ravka's wars since before the creation of the Fold, she doubted he would've had a chance to visit Novyi Zem. What would he be like, away from court and armies and government? If all he had to do with the day was occupy his time however he pleased? Find something to conquer and people to rule, her mind supplied for her with a regretful smile. 

Now their travels had brought them to the shores of Kerch. Ketterdam in the winter couldn't have been more different from the land of warmth and bright colours they had just come from. Grey, dark and drizzling with rain and sleet, the city looked far from welcoming as they landed at the docks. Nikolai did not linger with them this time, instead returning to sea on the Volkvolny claiming he had missed privateering and had spent more than enough time in the city. Zoya was even more irritable than usual once he had gone. Somewhere in that year, the two had gone from bickering to... something else. 

They rented a large flat in the West Stave district for six months; the place wasn't luxurious by any means, as their funds were begin to become stretched, but it kept the rain out and was absent of mould. Despite the rather dismal nature of the city as snow began to turn to grey sludge in the streets, it had a lot to offer. The University of Ketterdam was home to a great library, and any number of interesting people. They offered regular talks on various subjects that Katya and Kasper attended often, though the rest of them made appearances several times. Ketterdam also had countless theatres - featuring plays, operas, muscial performances and such like - as well as museums, and streets of shops selling fine goods and fashions. Nina and Zoya favoured these places, as did, surprisingly, Mal.

All of them indulged in a fair amount of vice at times, though it was Alina and Viktor who took it to another level. They delved into the depths of the roughest areas of Ketterdam - the Barrel - visiting gambling dens, dance halls and drinking venues. There were even more underground places that hid a multitude of sins; they avoided the brothels like the plague, knowing most employed there were not there by choice, but there were plenty of people around willing to partake in a clandestine encounter with a stranger. 

Alina, to her own surprise, found that it was not only men that she went for, but women as well. She'd always assumed that her attraction lay with men only, however she realised she hadn't necessarily allowed herself to consider otherwise before. A woman's touch was different, she came to understand. No less enjoyable than a man's, just in a completely different way. It was easy to overthink such things - as her mild identity crisis after falling into bed with a beautiful blonde Kerch girl for the first time demonstrated - but in the end she resigned herself to the fact it really could be that simple. 

An added bonus was that in this city of thieves and scammers, as a woman herself, it was often easier to find a female partner who wasn't looking to rob or rape you. Alina could defend herself from men with bad intentions, but would rather not have to. Especially as she wanted to avoid using her light and earning the wrong kind of attention.

To her irritation, her friends had not been as surprised as she was. 

"I thought you fancied Zoya for a few years when we were children," Katya shrugged, before going back to her meal; the entirety of her reaction. 

Both Alina and Zoya scoffed at that, the Squaller instead providing her own theory. "When you first started attending the Darkling's council meetings, you wouldn't shut up about Inessa Zakharova for weeks. How funny she is, what a pretty smile she has, how clever she must be. And before you try and tell me that was innocent admiration, that was exactly how you spoke about that handsome Healer you were sleeping with the first time you went to the Front,"

Alina couldn't exactly deny that. This recent realisation was casting many things from her past in a different light.

"And we all saw you at the Darkling's wedding with pretty little Darya Glinskaya," Nina added, snorting. 

"Dancing like it was your wedding instead," Viktor grinned.

"That was just to make him angry," She protested weakly. That had been the goal, but she had enjoyed Dasha's small hands on her waist too much for that to be all it was.

Mal, at least, was less accustomed to the more flexible ways of the Grisha, and was suitably surprised. He had been listening to the whole exchange with his mouth hanging open slightly, not judging, just bemused. "How does it work?" He asked, seeming having been wondering this for some time. 

All eyes in the room turned to him, with a mixture of horror and pity. 

"You mean... how do two girls sleep together?" Even Zoya, who had no interest in women whatsoever, was incredulous enough to not say something cruel. 

Katya was fighting laughter. "The same way a man and a woman sleep together, Malyen," Nina made a vulgar gesture with her tongue and her fingers in a 'v' shape. Katya wrinkled her nose at the display and continued. "Just without - " 

"Sticking it in," Viktor cut in with a snort.

"Mal," Alina looked at her old friend in disappointment. "'Sticking it in' better not be all you've been doing with all those girls you've been with,"

Kasper winced in sympathy. "You've got a chance to save or damn yourself here, Oretsev,"

Mal flushed. "Of course not!" To his credit, he ploughed on through. "I knew all that must be involved. I just didn't know if, I don't know, you had some kind of secrets that men don't know about,"

"Like what?" Alina started to laugh.

"I didn't think that far. That's when I asked the question,"

"Saints," Nina shook her head, still laughing. "At least you're honest,"

*

As Alina attempted to quietly slip into their shared flat one morning, wearing the clothes she had worn the night before, Zoya laughed at her from where she sat at the kitchen table, up early as ever. "You'd better hope the Tsar doesn't find out any details of your travels at any point. It would be a shame if he decided to raze all of Ketterdam to the ground because half the people here have had their hands on his precious Sun Summoner,"

"Fuck off is it half the city!" Alina exclaimed in amused outrage. 

"Your bed is empty more nights than you're in it," Zoya smirked. "You must be exhausted. I wouldn't be surprised if you've lost count,"

"Of course I haven't," She rolled her eyes, just as Nina entered the kitchen, yawning.

"What's Alina lost count of?"

"How many of Ketterdam's citizens have seen her naked,"

Nina grinned salaciously, always loving this type of gossip. "How many, then?"

Alina thought for a moment, determined to prove them wrong, but frowned. "Maybe I have lost count," At her friends' laughter, she smiled ruefully. "Over half of them are women, not men. He wouldn't be as angry over that,"

"More fool him," Nina said, sitting down and buttering herself some bread. "Steeper competition. Women tend to be much better in bed,"

In her tired, hungover state, Alina spoke without thinking. "You're right, but I have yet to meet any woman with over four-hundred years experience," In the deafening silence that followed, she realised exactly what she had just revealed. She met the wide eyes of Zoya and Nina - whose mouth was stuffed full with bread - with her own horrified look. "Shit. You didn't hear that,"

"Four-hundred years?" Nina's voice was muffled through her mouthful of breakfast.

"Chew your food," Zoya threw a disdainful glance at Nina, only to turn to Alina with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean four-hundred years?"

"Absolutely nothing," She shook her head, knowing it wasn't fooling anyone. 

Zoya's mind worked too quickly, however, and she was already putting everything together. "He's the Black Heretic. There was only ever one Shadow Summoner,"

"Fucking hells, Alina," Nina had finally swallowed her food. "How long have you known?"

She winced, knowing there wasn't any way to take this back. "Since I was ten, and I overheard him talking with Baghra. Who's his mother, by the way, you might as well know that as well," She talked over her friends' exclamations. "I want to clarify, the Fold was an accident! The Lantsov at the time betrayed him when he had no use for the Grisha army that had won his wars for him. He turned to merzost after they killed his lover in front of him. He was only fifty-something then, and considerably more... human,"

A silence met her words. "I can't imagine he'd be best pleased to find out we know this," Nina started.

"No," Alina said. "He wouldn't. So don't even tell the others,"

"If Baghra is his mother," Zoya was saying slowly. "She must be older than him. And her father was an expert on amplifiers... Ilya Morozov was his grandfather, then, surely?"

Alina groaned, putting her head in her hands. "You are not meant to know anything of the sort. Never speak of this again,"

"Fine, fine," Nina placated her, then grinned. "But I just want to point out... that's a hell of an age gap,"

"Fuck off," She grumbled. "I am well aware,"

But Zoya was still thinking, lips pulling into a frown. "Does that mean that you will live that long, Alina?"

Nina's amusement faded into startled concern.

Alina just smiled bleakly. "Not if I have anything to do with it," Like she'd said to Baghra, once life lost its meaning, she had no interest in carrying on. 

"Fuck," Nina's voice was hollow. "You just have it hanging over you that one day you'll have to kill yourself?"

She nodded, rather numb to it by this point. "Baghra said I have to take him with me," 

"That's cold," Zoya said quietly. "Not just for a mother to say about her son. But to expect you to do it,"

"Yeah," She imagined stabbing Aleksander in the chest, seeing his face contort in pain and betrayal, watching the light go out of his clever grey eyes, and her throat became unpleasantly tight. She grinned to break the heavy atmosphere. "But it's not like I've set a date. I plan to live a full and exciting life before any of that,"

"You've already had more excitement than most would in ten lifetimes," Zoya said with a snort, though her eyes were still concerned.

*

Their time in Ketterdam was not just for pleasure. Novyi Zem was incredibly tolerant of Grisha, and they had been spoiled there. Now they were faced once again with the harsh reality. Unlike Fjerda where Grisha were feared and hated, and unlike Novyi Zem where they were honoured, Grisha in Kerch were valued as commodities, but not as people. There were no laws against being Grisha here, but they were forced to live in secret or else risk being kidnapped and trafficked by gangs looking to turn a profit. They were sold to brothels, sold as guards and domestic servants to rich houses and shops, sold to businesses to produce products, and trapped in indenture contracts they would never be able to pay off. The unluckiest of all were even sold to Fjerda or Shu Han. As a result, Alina kept her hair - in particular, the white streak - tucked under a hat from the moment they left the Volkvolny, as she had done whilst travelling along the Fjerdan border, and found a bottle of black dye to colour it a less eye-catching shade as soon as possible.

It was a different kind of challenge to fighting Druskelle. Less violence, blood and fighting, more subterfuge, stealth and bullshitting. It was tricky even ascertaining if a particular Grisha wanted to leave - some indentures were treated well and lived comfortably, even if they were one step away from being slaves - and was even harder getting them to trust seven strangers with their lives. Many did become more trusting after Alina revealed her powers, but others - especially Second Army deserters - grew more suspicious, believing she was just recruiting for Ravka and that they'd be shipped into the Darkling's clutches. The ones fresh from the docks were the easiest to win trust from; a scared group of kidnapped people who had been crammed into the hold of a slave ship for weeks were always more than eager for rescue.

The Grisha they did manage to free, they helped onto ships bound for either Ravka or Novyi Zem, whichever they chose. Ravka was looking like a much better option than in previous years, now that they were no longer at war and Grisha wouldn't be conscripted the moment they landed on its shores. A Grisha as Tsar went a long way to convincing others that they would be safer there than they were in Kerch.

They could only pull of a rescue sparingly, so as not to earn the wrong kind of attention. Every two weeks or so left them enough time to find a new target and assess what they were going to do. Each of the seven of them played a crucial part. Katya was excellent at forging documentation to get them onto ships, whilst Nina's skill at languages and acting was a godsend. Kasper's gentle manner and Healing powers managed to win the trust of many more traumatised or injured captives, whilst Viktor's charisma and easygoing manner won over many more. Zoya was, as ever, a talented and effective leader who could organise them all within an inch of their lives to make sure the plans went off without a hitch. Alina's invisibility was of course key to many of their escape plans, whilst Mal's extraordinary tracking abilities also apparently extended to people as well.

With every horrific case they saw, Alina began to understand Aleksander more. The destructive hatred of Fjerda was deranged, but simple in motivation and driven by blind fear more than anything. This cold, calculated exploitation for profit - a slave trade in all but name - enraged her even further. Before the Second Army, things must have been truly bleak. She knew that life was much harder for Grisha in Ravka centuries ago, but had never asked him about it in any amount of detail. That would have to change, when she returned.

When, not if, she had realised. It was some time after landing in Novyi Zem that Alina started to miss him. It wasn't an all-encompassing pining, of course; more a brief flash of longing every now and again. Moments of weakness; going to make a shared joke, only to remember he wasn't there; lying awake at night and wishing she was in his arms; being in a stranger's bed and pretending, just for a second, that their lips were his. 

No one else compared, in all honesty. There was a lighthearted easiness to be had in a meaningless encounter with someone you'd never see again, but she found herself increasingly wishing for something deeper. These people only saw one side of her; fun, charming and moaning in pleasure. Aleksander had seen all of her, the good, the bad and the ugly. He was more than enough of a match for her, too, even at her most hateful and unpleasant. Alina had gotten used to sex with that level of intensity and familiarity, and though she still more than enjoyed encounters with others - why go to the effort otherwise? - she did notice its absence.

Not enough to want to return yet, though. 

*

Alina was walking back one evening with Kasper, having spent the entire afternoon in a small, musty room at the university library poring over books that had always been banned in Ravka. The streets in and around the university district were broad, clean, well-lit and lined with trees, as safe as anywhere in Ketterdam was. The only danger was groups of rowdy, drunken students heading out for the night. However, to get to their flat on the other side of the West Stave, they had to cross through the Barrel.

The Barrel was the pleasure district of Ketterdam, caught between the two main canals. Nearer the harbour was respectable enough, with opera houses, expensive brothels and sophisticated gambling halls. This was the areas most tourists remained in. Further in, it became a tangle of narrow streets, lined with ramshackle, tilting buildings packed in close together, often so tight that the sunlight barely reached the pavement below. It was noisy, chaotic and crowded at the best of times, but came alive in the evening, when those seeking less reputable pleasures ventured out to seedy brothels, taverns and gambling dens. Criminal gangs that usually operated in the shadows did business openly here, and thieves who would stab you and leave you for dead for a small purse of silver were lurking everywhere. And the air stank of clams and bilge water.

In a way, Alina loved it. It was overwhelming, true, but there was something very real about the Barrel in a way that the polished streets of the upmarket districts of Ketterdam lacked. The people here were more interesting than the merchers in their black suits, and had more stories to tell. Yet that did not erase the reeking stench of inequity, poverty and desperation here in this city. It was a hard life, whilst the rich lived in luxury and excess just the other side of the canal. Just as it had angered her in Ravka, it angered her here too. 

Not to say that the scum of the earth didn't exist in the Barrel too, proven that evening when she glanced into an alley and saw a slight young woman cornered by half a dozen men with knives and guns. Most in Ketterdam - especially in these streets - would see such a thing, look at the ground and continue on their way, not wanting to get involved in trouble that wasn't theirs. But Alina was not going to stand by and let a girl get beaten, mugged or worse, raped and left for dead in the gutter.

She nudged Kasper, who followed her gaze and nodded. "Be careful," He said. "Don't use your light unless you have to. You know what they do to Grisha here," 

Alina grimaced; she knew well enough.

"Are you alright, Miss?" She approached the group and spoke in her accented Kerch, approaching the group, who all looked at her like she was insane. "Are these men bothering you?"

The girl was a slip of a thing. She looked more Suli than Kerch, and appeared to be injured. Whilst her stance was deathly still, she wore the look of a cornered animal, eyes darting constantly, calculating and assessing. It was fast, gone in the blink of an eye, but Alina saw the briefest flash of a small blade hidden in her sleeve. Not completely helpless, then, but still hurt and outnumbered. 

One of the men sneered nastily. "You don't know how things work round here, foreigner," He spat at her feet, looking to Kasper who was slightly behind her shoulder. "Control your woman and fuck off, or she'll meet the same end as Brekker's spider bitch here,"

Kasper stifled a laugh. "Go ahead. I wish you luck,"

That did not go down well, and all six of the men turned on them in anger, starting forward. "Have some fucking respect," 

That distraction was all the tiny girl needed to fling two thin blades with flawless accuracy into the necks of two men. Without thinking, Alina used the Cut to slit the throats of another two nearest the girl who were bound to retaliate, whilst Kasper did something nasty to the insides of the last two, as they dropped to the ground with matching strangled gasps. It was over in a matter of seconds. So much for not using their powers. The alley was relatively concealed, but not that hidden; she had seen right into it, after all. The Kerch minded their own business, but that didn't stop them whispering.

The girl, who had retrieved her blades from the dying men, stared at them - or rather, at Alina - eyes wide in awe. Then she dropped to her knees, bowing her head. "Sankta," It was jarring, to say the least, after so much time away from all of that.

"Oh, please don't," Alina was surprised that she had worshippers in Ketterdam, who followed their god of money and commerce, although supposed that a Suli girl from Ravka would have different customs. "I'm just Alina. We need to leave quickly," She shared a wary look with Kasper, wordlessly apologising for using her light. "Here, let me help you up. Are you hurt?"

The girl accepted her hand up, though let go the moment she was on her feet. Strange, for a worshipper. Normally they couldn't keep their hands off her. "If I wasn't hurt, they wouldn't have caught me," It wasn't said with any amount of pride or bravado; just a fact.

"I'm a Healer," Kasper said, slipping into his warm bedside manner. "I can help you. What's your name?"

She hesitated. "Inej,"

"I'm Kasper. Where are you hurt, Inej?"

Another pause. "My knee. They shot it," She made no move to show him.

"You're still standing with a shot kneecap?" Alina was impressed.

Inej gave a faint smile. "Hardly standing. Thank you, both of you - sorry, I should have said sooner,"

Alina waved her off. "It's no trouble. You did half of it yourself - you're good with those knives. Now let Kasper heal your leg and we can get you home," 

Inej hesitated again. "Do you have to touch my leg to heal it?"

"It would help to see the injury," Kasper said, then saw the look on her face. "I don't have to touch it, though. It might be better to get you home, somewhere cleaner than here, with better light," He cast a look at Alina as though to say 'don't you dare'.

"I - my... my boss doesn't like guests," Inej sounded cagey. "It's fine, I can get myself home," Her face was looking more grey by the minute, however, and when she went to put weight on her leg, a small gasp escaped her lips and her expression screwed up in pain.

"No you can't," Alina said matter-of-factly. "What if you get attacked again? And that knee will be a bitch to heal without Grisha help. We'll walk you home and your boss will have to cope. He'd rather you came home with two strangers than ended up dead, surely? Here, lean on me," She made to put her arm around Inej's shoulders to support her, and the girl cringed slightly from the contact. "Sorry, is this alright?"

Inej gritted her teeth. "It will have to be," She did not elaborate, and they set off at a slow pace, Kasper doing what he could to ease her pain. 

She directed them to a narrow, ugly, crooked building of three stories. It leaned against its neighbours and had a gabled roof with soot-blackened shingles. A place that did not stand out in the Barrel whatsoever at a first glance. Inej showed them to the front door, and Alina knocked.

A wiry youth opened the door a crack, beady suspicious eyes peering through at her. "Who are you, then?"

Inej spoke up from behind her. "Let them in, Roeder. They helped me - one of them's a Healer,"

The door swung opened fully, and Roeder gawped at Inej. "What the fuck happened to you?"

"Never you mind," She chided, not unkindly, as Alina and Kasper helped her through the door into a crooked hallway. "Is Kaz in? Or Jesper?"

"Jesper's out at the Crow Club but Brekker's upstairs. Want me to get him?"

Kaz Brekker? Alina had heard that name quite often since coming to Ketterdam, though didn't let it on. She cast a look a Kasper, who grimaced back. Of course they had ended up in the house of a prolific gang member. Who would soon know they were Grisha, and would not hestitate to sell them out if it meant a significant reward. Especially if Inej mentioned who she was.

"Please. He'll want to make sure his investment isn't too badly damaged," Inej said with a twist of displeasure.

Roeder scurried off towards the wooden staircase winding up through the house, as Inej showed them into a cramped but empty room on the ground floor with a rickety table and chairs, lit by candlelight. The building was noisy, even at this hour; lots of people lived there, it seemed. Together, they helped her sit in one of the chairs.

"Could you roll up your trouser leg?" Kasper asked. "Just to above the knee. I don't want to hurt you more by doing it myself," And he had picked up on the same thing as Alina; Inej did not want to be touched by two strangers. Judging by the scar on her wrist, where something on the surface had been deliberately removed with a knife - the hallmark of someone who'd removed a tattoo to escape an indenture - the girl had good reason for it.

Inej did as he said with her jaw set against the pain. The injury itself was ugly, swollen purple and sore, with a clear entry wound. Kasper ran his hands above her knee, not touching the skin. The girl watched him like a hawk. 

"The bullet didn't go through," He said after a few moments. "And there's fragments left in there too. I'll have to extract it, then repair the damage to your bone, muscles and ligaments. It's a nasty injury. I don't know how you were standing when we found you, or how you got here even with our help. Without a Healer, you'd walk with a limp for the rest of your life,"

Inej smiled weakly. "Round here that's not so unusual," 

As if on cue, there was a thudding sound on the stairs, drawing closer to the room. The door opened, revealing a severe-looking young man with a sharp, narrow face, dressed in a dark suit and carrying a cane to compensate for a bad leg. Most gang members in Ketterdam preferred bright, gaudy clothes - 'Barrel flash', Alina had heard it called - but this man was dressed as a respectable Merchant. Not one to cross, her senses told her immediately. This must be the Kaz Brekker she had heard so much about. Or Dirtyhands, as some called him, which bode well for them...

"Wraith," Was all he said, unsmiling, eyes focused on the girl after casting assessing looks at Alina and Kasper. 

"Hello Kaz," The man raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Dime Lions," She said with a small shrug, as Kasper continued to work on her leg. "They got a lucky shot. It won't happen again,"

"And these two kind strangers just happened to find you injured in the streets and helped you get back here?" Skepticism coloured his tone. 

"They found me cornered," A sharp note entered Inej's voice. "A shattered kneecap makes it hard to climb away. They killed four of them - I got the other two. If they hadn't been there, I'd be dead in an alley,"

Kaz was silent for a moment, face unreadable as he stared at Inej. Alina suddenly felt like they were intruding on a private moment, until he turned to the two of them. "Grisha," He said. "Ravkan Grisha. Far from home. Deserters? I don't think so. They'd know to keep a lower profile, or they'd have been snatched up by indenture hunters by now. I've been hearing whispers," His full focus turned to Alina, though he addressed the injured girl. "How did they kill those men, Inej?"

Inej hesitated, but that seemed to be enough for him.

"Your loyalty to me is only topped by your loyalty to your saints. So, Alina Starkova, what brings you to Ketterdam?"

"Kaz," Inej scolded, which showed that their relationship went beyond master and servant, buyer and investment. 

Alina had to smile. It was brave of him to confront her in such a way; her reputation beyond Ravka, where few believed her a saint, was as a person of unthinkable power, with extensive connections to the crown. "Kaz Brekker, is it?" His jaw tightened. "Don't worry your little head about why I'm here," Inej hid a smile. Brekker's expression did not change. "Just be grateful I saved your, ah, investment, from being torn apart by six brutes in an alley," Brekker's jaw clenched. "We'll be gone from here within half an hour - you won't have to even think of us again," 

The implied threat was clear. Don't try to sell the Sun Summoner for profit. A heavy silence followed her words.

"I owe you a favour," Brekker's ground-out reply was unexpected, and genuine. "For returning Inej," 

The girl herself looked surprised at that. He glanced her way for the smallest of moments, then back to holding Alina's stare. Another may have laughed in his face - what would the Sun Summoner need from a petty Ketterdam criminal? - but Kaz Brekker gave the strong impression of someone you wanted a favour from.

"I'll take you up on it, someday," She turned to Inej; Kasper had finished working on her knee, which looked as good as new, albeit quite tender and reddened. The fragments of bullet lay on the table beside her. "Best of luck, Inej,"

The girl stared, clearly considering saying one thing, but then rethinking at the last moment. "Thank you. Alina," She smiled, then. "One of my blades is named after you,"

Alina laughed despite herself. "I approve. Usually worshippers are much more deranged. One carried my severed finger around in a pickling jar for years, only to offer it back to me when we crossed paths later,"

Inej's eyes widened. "That's horrible,"

"Isn't it?" She agreed, nonchalant. 

"Come on," Kasper shook his head with a faint smile, taking her by the arm. "Time to go,"

*

By the time they had been in Ketterdam for five months, they had made enough of a dent in Grisha indentures that the indenture owners and their suppliers grew scared and began upping security. It was possible that one of the Grisha Alina had revealed her powers to had snitched in the hope of being rewarded by their masters, or that word of Alina's reckless use of her light to save Inej had spread. Her heart had almost stopped when she heard whispers on the street of the Sun Summoner in Ketterdam.

After that, they had to be much more careful, and smarter with their plans as well, and certainly could not stay here much longer. Just one last rescue, and then it would be time to go. However, as it turned out, they were not careful enough.

"They should be back by now," Zoya's lips were pressed tight together. "It's past midnight," They were all sat up in their flat, waiting for Katya and Viktor to return from delivering forged papers and documentation to a group of three recently-freed Grisha who were due out on a ship the next morning, hiding out in an abandoned warehouse near the docks.

"They might have just stopped for a drink," Mal suggested, without much optimism.

"We should go looking," Alina had been pacing for the last half an hour. "I'm going out looking. Who's coming?"

Alina and Nina ventured out into the dark streets, heading along the route that their friends were supposed to take. They found no trace of them. Upon reaching the abandoned warehouse, the Grisha inside told them they had given them the documents on time and then left, hours ago. 

It became clear pretty quickly that something bad had happened. Both Katya and Viktor were too competent for it to be petty criminals, so this had been a deliberate attempt to target them. None of them slept that night, searching the streets for any trace of where they had gone, not stopping even into the next day. They were limited by having to stick together as a group, so as not to risk anyone else going missing. The search grew increasingly more hopeless as they realised they did not know this city well, and did not have any connections, nor friends in high places. 

"I'm tempted to call in my favour with Brekker," Alina said by the end of the day, sickened by the thought of Katya and Viktor in the hands of the traffickers they had been facing this whole time. She was fighting to restrain her anger, ready to turn the whole of Ketterdam upside down if she had to, damn the consequences. She could, with both of her amplifiers burning on her left hand. "Although who's to say it wasn't him that sold us out?"

"The whispers of the Sun Summoner started after we met him," Kasper acknowledged. "It's possible. But somehow I don't think he did. His beloved Inej would never forgive him if she found out he betrayed Sankta Alina,"

She considered that. "I'll go to him tomorrow, it's worth a shot. And if that doesn't work, I start setting things on fire," 

However, calling in her favour was not needed. That evening, after they returned to their flat exhausted, worried and frustrated, they found that a letter had been slipped under the door. It was written in Ravkan, on finely made paper, and sealed with wax.

Lady Alina Starkova,

My name is Jan Van Eck. I have the privilege of serving on the Merchant Council of Ketterdam, as my family have for generations. Whilst I have had extensive dealings with your noble new Tsar in matters of trade and commerce, I have long hoped to make the acquaintance of his counterpart, Ravka's most honoured Sun Summoner. Your arrival in Ketterdam facilitates this wonderful opportunity. I have heard through my various sources of the plight of your companions and wish to offer my sympathies and assistance in locating them and their kidnappers. It would please me greatly if you would attend a dinner at my private residence tomorrow evening at six o'clock.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Van Eck

An address was listed at the top of the page.

"He definitely did it," Mal said, reading over her shoulder. 

Zoya's eyes were narrowed in anger. "If they have been taken to satisfy the whims of a spoilt merchant..."

"Surely he knows we're not stupid enough to believe he genuinely wants to help?" Nina said. 

"We have his address now, at least," Kasper said. "Alina, you can sneak in under invisibility and find out if they're being held there,"

"Or eavesdrop and find out where they really are,"

"Or blow off the front door and demand them back,"

"What do you mean?" Alina smiled sharply. "This delightful man has extended a thoughtful invitation and helpfully offered his services. I'm going to go to dinner,"

*

It was Alina and Nina who attended the house of Jan Van Eck the following evening. Zoya might be stronger and more intimidating, but Nina's Heartrending was not to be overlooked, and she was far more fluent in Kerch than any of them; she would be able to pretend otherwise to overhear anything useful. They had to buy formal dresses for the occassion, though layered corecloth underneath. Alina wore butter yellow, whilst Nina wore a pale shade of green. It would take everything in her tonight to channel the same character she had played for the Lantsovs, those first months in the Grand Palace, when all she wanted to do was draw the Cut and scream for Viktor and Katya back.

They were greeted at the door by a uniformed butler, who politely took their coats and showed them through richly decorated hallways into a lavish drawing room with intricate gold detailing on the ceiling. The man stood inside to welcome them was without a doubt Van Eck; he wore the fine black suit of a Mercher and stood straight as a rod, eyeing them carefully, calculating, a practiced smile on his face. 

"Welcome," He said in Ravkan and shook Alina's hand, treating her as an equal in a way she doubted he did with most women. "I am honoured to have you as my guest, Lady Starkova and Miss..?" He let the question hang.

"Zenika," Nina smiled charmingly as she shook his hand, her manner warm and effusive. "Thank you so much, Sir, for inviting us into your home. We've been so worried about our friends, and have no idea what on earth happened to them. Your offer of help was most kind," 

"It is Miss Starkova, I'm afraid, Sir," Alina corrected, with a giggle that would have set her teeth on edge had she heard it from anyone else. "Not lady. My birth is common and as far as I'm aware, I have not yet married a lord,"

She saw Van Eck's lip curl a fraction. They had just confirmed his expectation of a couple of foolish, naive girls who would be easy to manipulate. Another reason she had brought Nina over Zoya. It was better to be underestimated; he clearly needed no help with that, if he thought they would believe that ridiculous letter. Van Eck was a dangerous and powerful man, for sure, but Alina could not help but think him a poor imitation of Aleksander.

When he next spoke, his benevolent tone made it clear he was humouring them. "Is that so? A shame, then. We were most surprised here in Kerch when word reached us that Ravka's new queen was not to be the famed Sun Summoner,"

"Oh, but the Tsar is as good as a father to me, no matter what all those nasty rumours say," She laughed like the silly chit she was pretending to be. "He sees me as a child, not a wife," Her value would seem more if she was Aleksander's treasured ward than the scorned royal mistress, no matter how much those words sickened her to say. "Besides, it would hardly be seemly for someone in my position to take a husband. The Church would hardly appreciate that,"

"No, I suppose not," Van Eck gestured to the comfortable armchairs around the fire. "Please, take a seat, Miss Starkova. Dinner will be served shortly, but I wished to make your acquaintance first,"

"You are a gracious host," She smiled, sinking into the overstuffed chair, Nina on her right. Van Eck sat opposite them. "And it was a gracious offer you made. Do you have any news our of dear friends? As Nina said, we have been so worried. We know how the rogues of this city hunt our people to sell like cattle," That last part might have been a bit much, but coupled with the sickly-sweet tone and the fact Van Eck did not know her any better, it went over his head. Everyone in this room knew it was not just petty criminals who went after Grisha, here; someone had to buy the indentures, after all.

"I must say, I heard of your presence here in Ketterdam by chance," Van Eck began. "An associate of mine was travelling through the Barrel when he overheard whispers of a Grisha summoning sunlight in an alley," Oh, for fuck's sake. "I thought it was nonsense, of course, but when there were more tales of similar events - " Alina supposed that was bound to happen at some point. She had been being careful, but not careful enough, when it came to using her light on rescue nights. " - I thought I would look into the matter more. I hope you forgive the liberties taken - It wouldn't do to have you here in Ketterdam without offering you the proper Kerch hospitality," He smiled.

"Of course," Alina waved the gross intrusion of privacy off. 

"Naturally I was concerned when I heard of the enquiries you were making yesterday about your missing friends. I extended my invitation to open my home to you as a sanctuary, in case you feared for your own safety. As you say, Ketterdam can be dangerous for Grisha, especially one as precious as yourself,"

"We are eternally grateful," Alina said, all wide-eyes and innocence. Aleksander would've laughed in her face if she'd tried it on him, but Van Eck seemed to believe that women were naturally brainless and would take anything he said at face value. "Have you heard anything of them at all?"

"As yet, unfortunately not," He looked regretful. "However, I have contacts in this city, and people in my employ, who are hunting down the rogues that took your friends as we speak. And if it comes to it, as it shames me you have received such poor hospitality in my city, I would be wiling to pay a ransom for their release,"

"That's incredibly generous of you, Sir," She said, doing her best to not sound skeptical. "However can we repay your kindness? I understand here in Kerch the art of the deal is sacred,"

"How astute of you," Van Eck smiled, indulgent, like he was praising a particularly simple child. "You know our customs well. My only goal is to foster goodwill between the Merchant Council and one of the most powerful players in Ravka. You are a valuable friend to have, Miss Starkova, beloved by the Tsar as you are. And strong in your own right, no doubt," That was a concession if ever she heard one.

At this point, that could have truly been his only intention. They had seen nothing that proved Jan Van Eck had taken Viktor and Katya. As yet they had nothing against him at all, apart from the fact he was ambitious, overly invested in others' business, and slightly misogynistic.

Alina smiled. "No doubt,"

Dinner was served soon after Van Eck guided them into a dining room. A crystal chandelier hung overhead, and the food was set out on silver platters on a ridiculously large, polished table. The luxury here was more modest than the ostentatiousness of the Grand Palace under the Lantsovs, in the same way an expensive black suit was more modest than ceremonial kingly raiment - Merchers were disgustingly rich, but not royal - however, there was no doubt that Van Eck was an extremely wealthy man.

"If you would indulge my curiosity," The man smiled at Alina over a first course of fine soup with soft white bread. "It is not every day one finds themselves in the company of a Sun Summoner. Would you be able to do a small demonstration?" To prove I am who I say I am, you mean.

"Of coure," Alina summoned a ball of light to her palm, shaping it first into the golden image of a selection of Komedie Brute masks that many of the tourists in Ketterdam loved to wear, then an elegant swan, and finally into a pile of coins. She could make the images look realistic, if she wanted, but that was a talent to keep quiet.

Van Eck's stare fixed on her light, hunger in his eyes. "Beautiful," He murmured. "Extraordinary. Forgive me. You must hear the same things from everyone,"

"No, your words are nice to hear, Sir. Not everyone sees this side of my light, I'm afraid," 

"And why is that?"

"They are less inclined to think it beautiful when it's burned one of their friends to a crisp on the battlefield. Or Cut someone in half," She kept her tone light and her smile innocent. Just a reminder of what she could do.

That shook him out of whatever spell seeing her light had put him under. "It is hard to imagine a lady as delicate as yourself in the brutality of a battlefield. It must haunt you," This man had never seen war, she realised. His world was one of business, profits and losses, whereas Ravka's had always been a world of blood and bullets. 

Alina let her smile turn somewhat feral as their soup bowls were cleared away and the main course was served. "Oh, I daresay I quite enjoy it,"

That earned a flicker of discomfort across Van Eck's face. Nina swiftly turned the conversation to prattling about the wonders of Ketterdam, and he seemed to grow more at ease again.

"Tell me, Miss Zenika," He asked her after a while. "What kind of Grisha are you?"

Nina glanced at Alina with a sly smile, which she caught the meaning of. Be ready. "I'm a Heartrender, Sir,"

"Really?" He attempted to sound intrigued rather than surprised. "A remarkable skill to have,"

"It comes in useful," Nina said. "Especially when it comes to lies. I can tell if someone is lying just by listening to their heart. I can show you, if you like. Alina, ask the gentleman a question and I'll tell if you're lying," She phrased it like a silly game, but Van Eck was slightly on guard now. He was not stupid, after all.

Alina spoke before he could object. "Did you pay the indenture hunters to take our friends so you can use them to bribe or blackmail me?" She had dropped the affected tone, now, and the insipid smile. Her stare was focused and locked onto his eyes. 

From the flash that crossed Van Eck's otherwise inscrutable face, and his moment's hesitation, Alina did not need Nina to tell her what the answer was. He was caught; if he was guilty, either he answered no and was called a liar, or answered yes and confessed. Or he said nothing at all, trying to think of a way out, which proved his guilt almost as effectively.

Van Eck settled for avoiding the question, seting his expression into an impressive mask of bemusement "Whatever do you mean, Miss Starkova?"

She continued to eat her meal as though nothing was wrong. "Oh dear. I'd hoped I was wrong, but an innocent man wouldn't have hesitated that long when we can tell if you're innocent with a simple 'no'," She pointed her eating knife at him, grinning. "One last chance, Van Eck. Say you did it, or you didn't do it. If it turns out you did no wrong, I will offer my sincere apologies and we will move on. Or stay silent and condemn yourself,"

This was a man who despised being caught off guard. He was good at thinking on his feet, but that was not enough to save him. "How very direct of you, Miss Starkova," He delicately set his cutlery down on his plate. "You are young, and inexperienced in matters of politics. It would have been more polite to simply play along, even if you suspected the truth - your friends would be returned to you unharmed, I would pay myself a ransom, and we both gain a powerful ally. Call it a good investment, if you like. Shall I give you one last chance to resolve this like civilised people?"

Was he even trying to be condescending or was this just his honest view? "I spent years learning politics at the Darkling's knee," Alina smiled back. "Ravka's Tsar is a better manipulator than you will ever be, and even more morally bankrupt. I am well practiced at seeing through the lies and scheming of powerful men," He tried to cut in, but she spoke over him. "I am not done talking. It is polite to hear the opposition out, is it not?" She waited for a response. 

He smiled carelessly and waved a hand, trying to convince them all this conversation was under his control but failing. "By all means,"

Alina set down her cutlery and leaned forward, hands on the table. "You are not the powerful ally you claim to be, Van Eck. You are not the Merchant Council - you are one part of thirteen. You do not speak for them - official matters are put to a vote. That makes us not equals. Your pitiful grab for my favour is not mutually beneficial. It is nothing more than the overreaching move of a smaller player trying to advance himself," 

That hit home, his face contorting in anger for a moment before he regained control of himself, appearing unbothered once more. "I will forgive your impertinence given that I overstepped with regard to your friends. But we will get nowhere in this discussion with childish insults, Miss Starkova"

Alina just laughed. "We are not getting anywhere at all. There is no discussion to be had. I can melt bullets before they get within five feet of me. I can cut you in half right now with a wave of my hand. I could level this house - this whole city - if I wanted to. Right now there are two options. I kill you now, blow up your businesses, and threaten enough of your people to tell me where my friends are. Or you bring Katya and Viktor here, now, and we will leave Kerch as soon as possible,"

His eyes narrowed. "I see civilised debate is not an option. I should have known better, as I am dealing with not only a Ravkan, but a Grisha and a woman. Your first option is foolish enough to be moronic, and would spark a war with Ravka,"

"You heard, I am sure, how we dealt with our previous two wars?" She raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "War with Kerch means nothing to us. The skies of Ketterdam are gloomy enough already that the Fold wouldn't make much difference, except the Volcra, of course," Van Eck's jaw clenched. "Or all that messiness could be avoided by simply bringing my friends here, alive, and letting us leave,"

*

Van Eck, of course, chose the latter option. Katya and Viktor were returned to them, a little bruised (especially their pride) but in one piece. 

"They had a Heartrender indenture with them," Viktor explained, casting a dark look back at Van Eck and his attendants behind them as they walked away. "They knocked Katya out and grabbed her with a gun to the head. The moment I raised my hands to summon, they threatened to shoot her. The next thing I know, I'm blacking out too then waking up in someone's cellar,"

"We should've known someone was following us," Katya was equally angry. "Or at least seen them come out of the shadows,"

"It wasn't your fault," Kasper shook her head. "They know the city much better than we do," 

"There's not much you can do against a Heartrender, is there?" Mal pointed out.

"The Second Army should be trained against other Grisha too," Zoya said. "You said you were nearly killed by a rogue Heartrender in the Grand Palace, Alina?"

"Yeah," She did not want to think about that day. "Can you even train to break a Heartrender's hold? I only got free by Cutting them in half,"

"Well, you're not practising on me," Nina said, lightening the atmosphere slightly. 

Once they returned to their flat, they barricaded the door, and Katya rigged up an alarm system to alert them if someone tried to get in without permission. 

"We should lay low until Nikolai gets here," Zoya said. "I can't imagine your negociations with Van Eck made you any friends in Ketterdam, Alina,"

"Hardly," Nina snorted. "We played nice for a while, but the evening ended with Alina ripping his ego to shreds with all the coldness of our beloved Tsar, and threatening to not only blow up his livelihood but Cut him in half,"

"It worked, didn't it?" She said, lounging on the couch. 

The door to their flat burst open, making them all jump, but it was just Viktor and Kasper returning from buying supplies for dinner. 

"Alina," Viktor made a beeline for her, however, a sealed envelope in his hand. "This was left for you downstairs. The return address is Ravkan,"

She experienced the strange feeling of her stomach sinking in dread and heart picking up in excitement. But upon taking the letter, she saw that the writing was not Aleksander's familiar hand. Ripping the envelope open, she skimmed through its contents, mouth curving into a small smile. Interesting.

*

The Volkvolny met them in the harbour several days later, Nikolai jumping down onto the dock with a grin.

"So how were your six months in Ketterdam?" His eyes settled on Zoya, who was aloof as ever.

They all looked at each other. Alina's answer involved being up to her neck in drink, drugs and sex, dangerous run-ins with gang members and criminals, and getting on the wrong side of one of the most powerful men in Kerch. She let Mal reply.

"Shu Han will be a nice relaxing holiday,"

Nikolai laughed. "Is that where we're headed?"

"I got a message from Mila Tarasova," Alina said. "She needs me for a job. He doesn't know," She added, at the former prince's raised eyebrow. 

"In that case, let us get underway,"

*

This chapter is supposed to be paced very fast, hence skipping over their time in Novyi Zem as none of it is especially relevant to the story. I don't think this is one of my best chapters, it was one of the hardest to write in this whole story, but I hope you enjoyed regardless. Next chapter will be checking in with Aleksander and Darya in Os Alta, as their whole dynamic is very interesting to me. Let me know what you think in the comments!