𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 — the fold

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 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐃 darkened to a shade of murky blue that flooded their surroundings and made the shadows come to life; beneath the burning sunlight, the shadows made themselves known by dancing behind people, by hiding in the cracks by the sides of buildings; one might have thought that at night, with the absence of light... No shadows could possibly come out to play.

 That was wrong; for though the name Shadow Summoner had so graciously been bestowed upon Aleksa, it wasn't only the shadows that twirled with her fingertips, but the darkness too. Be it light, or night, the darkness would remain no matter what.

 Even as the night sky darkened and made it hard to see the roads ahead, the moon still shone like a beacon above; Aleksa had the power to drown it out completely. On the flip side, however, the Shadow Summoner could also steal the darkness from one area and move it to the next, essentially causing one area to lighten; after all, the absence of darkness does create light, and the absence of light breeds the shadows.

 This was something Aleksa had done on more than one occasion; moving shadows to make room for light, especially for Kaz when he itched to curl his gloved fingers around a lock... And it was something Aleksa would have happily done if Jesper had joined herself, Inej and Kaz as they all trailed towards the meeting point that Arken had set, for Jesper liked to stumble over stubborn rocks; only Jesper had yet to join them.

 There was no doubt in Aleksa's mind that the lanky Zemeni boy had gotten a whiff of a gambling table, or heard the sweet sound of a pair of die clattering together; why Kaz had decided to test the insatiable sharpshooter in the midst of a crucial heist was beyond her.

 The goat in Aleksa's arms had seemed to doze off, its mud-stained legs dangling freely whilst its adorable little head lay in the crook of her elbow. Neither Summoner nor Wraith could stop fawning over the damn thing that dribbled into the woollen material of Aleksa's borrowed coat.

 She had caught the looks of utter disdain that Kaz had been giving her.

 "Jesper should be here by now." Muttered Inej, her voice low and only known to Aleksa and Kaz, the former of which nodded her head absentmindedly as she too cast a look over her shoulder in the hopes she'd catch sight of Jespers animated limbs waving wildly as he chased after them.

 Kaz continued walking, "He'll be here."

 The finality in his tone managed to bring some semblance of solace to Aleksa; she understood the hidden meaning of the words that Kaz Brekker wouldn't dare say 'we aren't leaving without him'.

 The crows, led by Arken, carried on down the cobbled street, each stone as uneven as the next, and Aleksa could see the strain it was causing Kaz. She had grown used to seeing his limp grow more pronounced when the weather turned bitter, or when the rain thundered above them; but now in the dead of night when every puff of breath that slipped from their mouths could be seen as a cloud in the air, and as the ground beneath them grew harder to traverse, she could see the tight grip Kaz's hand had around the crow that perched atop his cane.

 She didn't dare say a word about it; for even Aleksa knew that Kaz Brekker could lose his leg entirely and still remain just as poisonous as he already was.

 The path soon faded as Arken stepped out onto a field of nothing but short blades of grass that were decorated with dewdrops. The edges of their trousers soon became soaked, and the mud squelched beneath their shoes; it was at times like these that Aleksa was glad she had favoured her platformed boots that pounded on the ground rather than those heels she had once eyed in a window.

 In complete honesty, Aleksa was hardly paying attention as to where they were heading; her fingers were slowly curling into the goat's fur as the adorable little thing continued to snooze in her arms; she relished in the warmth she had been stealing from it. Her fawning over the little beast was exactly the reason a pair of fingers curled around the collar of her coat and halted her movements.

 Her eyes peered through the darkness like a feline, she never did have trouble seeing at night, and come to a standstill as the only thing she saw was the inky-black of Kaz's coat right before her eyes.

 Inej let her fingers fall from the Summoner with a pointed look.

 Aleksa blinked before she swiftly nodded at the Wraith, a small sign of thanks, as they all very well knew that whilst Kaz might have been ever so slightly more forgiving towards the Shadow Summoner; Aleksa doubted that he'd be willing to overlook her tackling him to the ground whilst her fingers patted a goat.

 She bounced to the tips of her toes, staring over the Bastard's shoulder, eyes narrowing on the yellow warning sign that stuck out like a sore thumb in the empty field, "...Land mines." She directed her furrowed brows to Arken who had paused to look over his shoulder, "Hoping to blow us all up?"

 "We'll wait here," Kaz told the Conductor who had acted as though Aleksa hadn't spoken at all, "Follow the path that you carve."

 Arken finally acknowledged them, it seemed as though whilst he tried with all his might to block out the crows, he was far too frightened to dare ignore Kaz, "Oh that was my idea to keep people away, can't be too careful. We're fine, come on."

 A swirling sensation bubbled within Aleksa's stomach; it was easy to ignore as they walked and talked, as Inej filled the bleary silence of the dark twilight. It was easy to brush aside as Aleksa directed her attention to the sound of light snores from the goat or her heavy steps on the cobblestone paths.

 But now as each of them had fallen silent, as the goat in her arms buried its face deeper into her elbow and muffled its snores... The Fold crept in.

 Kaz and Inej had already begun to follow Arken once more, yet Aleksa remained rooted to the ground, dull eyes staring up at the wall of darkness. It was something so familiar, something that called to her like kin; so how could it strike so much fear into her heart?

 Both Kaz and Inej had eyed the wall of rippling darkness warily, but they could never understand or know what dwelled within. Aleksa could recall the screams of devoured people, the shrieks of the Volcra that plummeted and swooped for their next meal. Her fingertips twitched as she recalled the feeling of the Fold calling out to her, brushing against her skin.

 She almost dropped the goat as her chest constricted.

 "Aleksa." Called Kaz, Inej standing by his side as she eyed the summoner with caution and concern.

 Aleksa hadn't torn her eyes from the Fold, she hadn't banished the churning of her stomach as she willed her legs to move. Her steps were slow, dragging on like the damn heist they were to commence, but her breathing was ragged and her fingers were jittery.

 Neither Bastard nor Wraith said a word about Aleksa's reaction; they both knew well enough that she's been through the Fold and seen the very things they were now hoping to avoid; she had been a sole survivor, and now she was to take the journey once more.

 The only solace Aleksa could relish in was the warmth from the animal that slept silently in her arms, and the contrasting coolness of the dewdrops that steadily climbed the fabric of her trousers; the uncomfortable feeling of sodden fabric clinging to her skin helped to tear her mind from the looming darkness that towered over them.

 But she could hear it; she could hear the Volcra screaming out in hunger, and she could feel the pull on her skin once more, as though the Fold was beckoning her forth, begging for her to return.

 They had made it halfway, each of them dutifully following the path that Arken had carved through the blades of grass and slopping mud; cautious and careful just in case their lovely Conductor really was out to blow them into pieces.

 Inej had tossed a look over her shoulder, dark eyes narrowing in the night as she sought out any sign that Jesper was following, "He's never normally this late."

 Aleksa's voice sounded almost foreign to them all; it was nothing but a rasp that could have spewed from Kaz, yet unlike their charming Barrel rat, her voice shook and cracked with each syllable, "If he doesn't show up soon, I'll send Cas after him."

 The moment the horrific bird's name was uttered from her tongue, a symphony of caws rang throughout the night sky, and a blur of black turned sharply, plummeting towards them.

 Kaz almost hoped the thing wouldn't stop and would plough into the earth. It would save him from the coy grins Aleksa would throw his way, as well as the constant reassurance of the fact that she had absolutely, most definitely not named the feathery beast after him.

 Much to his misfortune, the nauseating creature had landed perfectly on Aleksa's shoulder. One head was pointed to the sky as though basking in the dull light, whilst the other, far more annoying head of the damn thing, nibbled at the hair it burrowed itself in.

 "You should become a farmer." Inej laughed as she held out a finger towards the crow. She had to admit that the sight of a crow with two heads sprouting from just one body and once made her recoil, yet now she had come to appreciate the odd little thing.

 Cas nibbled on her finger.

 Aleksa's only response was a tight smile, and it was one that Inej failed to copy. The Summoner had become merely a copy of the girl she had spoken to just hours prior. Aleksa had been all smiles and cooing as she babied the goat in her arms, as she offered comfort to the Wraith who clung tightly to the hopes that her family were still out there.

 Now she struggled to regulate her breathing, she failed to make light of every situation she possibly could. Even her dazzling grin that made anyone and everyone pause in their steps to catch a glimpse had faded into nothing; carried on the wind like ashes.

 The Fold grew closer and with each and every step they took towards it, it grew taller and stretched further; one would have thought that in the very dead of a cold night, the Fold would have blended into the twilight that hung above them like a portrait, but it didn't. The Fold was ever-darker than the night sky, a vast expanse of swirling shadows and eerie darkness that scared away even the night itself.

 The Volcra could be heard cackling behind the curtain of their stage, ready and waiting for the flesh and blood they could likely already smell. The sound of crackling and rumbling tumbled through the shadows and shook their very bones. Aleksa hadn't even paid attention to the death trap of a train Arken was going to round them in.

 "I've never seen you like this." Kaz had sidled up to her, the sound of his cane muffled by the soft mud and rolling blades of lime-green grass; he couldn't remember the last time he'd managed to surprise her, make her jump with his mere appearance... but this time he did, and even Cas hopped from her shoulder with ruffled feathers as she spun in haste.

 "Damn it, Kaz." She huffed and the hand that had been trailing through the goat's fur with care was slammed to her chest, soothing her beating heart. She almost wanted to turn away and ignore him, ignore the crawling sensation that trailed over her body as she watched his eyes fill with an expression she hadn't seen on him.

 He blinked, waiting for an answer. The relentless bastard.

 "You've never seen me..." she trailed off, eyes cast to the fold once more as a shiver trailed up her spine, "Scared? That's because I don't get scared."

 She sucked in a heavy breath, eyes fluttering shut for a moment before they opened once more, blinking in the dull night. A shaking finger rose into the air, pointing at the swirling wall of Shadows, "But that terrifies me. The Volcra are relentless, the Shadows felt like they were... resisting me when I tried to control them. I'm used to them moving at will, obeying me. In there they slipped through my fingers and I felt helpless. Useless."

 Her side throbbed, and Kaz didn't miss the way her body constricted.

 "One of them got me," Aleksa whispered, lowering her hand. Her fingers shook like leaves in the wind as she drifted them over her side. A flare of pain erupted as though the wound was fresh and oozing with warm blood, "One of them tore into my side; I came to Ketterdam bleeding out... A Grisha helped me — a healer, for a price of course."

 But a Grisha healer who had fled the Little Palace with little teaching and little skill wasn't enough to heal the wound completely. Three large slashes stained the skin on her side; an imprint of the talons that had torn through her flesh and drew out her blood.

 Kaz regarded her, watching the way her eyes slipped shut once more. The way her fingers remained on her side, pressing firmly as though trying to keep blood from falling out.

 It made more sense now; Kaz Brekker knew his crows well; even if he didn't have every little secret locked within his leather-clad grip, he knew them. Sure people could be scared of the Fold, they could fear the darkness and whatever it housed within, but it didn't make sense for Aleksa, and it had always been something he couldn't understand; why would a Shadow Summoner be scared of something they could manipulate.

 But now, knowing that she couldn't quite catch the shadows of the Fold within her fingers, knowing that she could do little in a fight nor protect herself against the very thing she'd grown to control; she wasn't afraid of the Fold, not really. She was afraid of being powerless, she was afraid of not being the one in control.

 Kaz Brekker was not somebody to offer comfort or coddle someone as though they were a crying child... He'd rather kick the child, in all honesty... But even he couldn't forget the feeling that resided in him, the one that spurred as he watched Aleksa's fingers flex against the woollen material of the coat she'd plucked from him; he wanted to reach out, just for a second that was what he wanted. Then nausea bubbled in his throat as he imagined doing so. The feeling of skin against skin, the coldness that he'd feel. His stomach constricted and he had to cough to clear his throat.

 He took a small step further away from her, "We'll make it." Then he did the best that he could, and offered a twitch of his lips, "Have we failed a heist yet?"

 Aleksa had no time to respond, for a resounding BANG! echoed through the air.

 They all spun, and Alesa tightened her grip on the goat as she heard a voice call out. Jesper's voice.

 "Wait for me!" He screamed, voice splitting the air like one of Inej's glinting knives. His limbs waved madly as she dashed through the field, flashes lighting up behind him as a gaggle of men chased him with loaded guns.

 The dull scent of gunpowder filled their noses, and the shrill yells of Jesper begging for them to wait for him echoed in their ears. The men that chased after him continued to fire off bullets, yelling and hooting as they went.

 Arken spun on Kaz, "They can't see the train." And with cheeks flushed red in what could have been rage or terror, Areken snatched the goat from Aleksa's arms, paused to eye the dual-headed bird for a long second, before shaking his head and making his way to the train, tossing the goat in.

 "Leave the lantern!" Inej shouted out, hoping that Jesper could at least shroud himself in the dead of night to get away.

 "Inej," Aleksa mumbled, "Keep an eye on Arken for me."

 Without a word, Inej nodded and turned her back on Jesper, her dark eyes landing on the door to the train; the moment Arken so much as glanced into the night, Inej's hand would grasp at the Summoners.

 Aleksa's eyes brightened, and her skin almost glowed as she threw her hands forwards; the night was enough to cloak her, make her movements invisible from afar. The twilight began to move, it was hardly visible, but to Aleksa who had befriended the Shadows from a young age, she could sense every little change, see every movement.

 Jesper faded from view; a mere outline darting across the field as shadows gripped at his arms and legs, spreading over his tweed coat and bronze skin until the confused shouts of the gunslinging men were all that could be heard.

 Inej grew closer to the train, hopping inside and only moving to free the door when Kaz joined her. He lingered, bitter coffee glancing between Aleksa and the growing darkness of the night where he assumed Jesper to be.

 As the Zemeni boy grew closer and his heavy breathing grew louder, Aleksa dropped her hands and allowed the darkness to retreat from where it had crawled from. Her fingers snatched at the sharpshooter's wrist and she wrenched him forth, shoving him in front of her and he clambered onto the train, stopping at the entrance before Aleksa's hands collided with his back.

 Jesper toppled into the train, landing on his boney knees with a groan and a throbbing patch of skin that was sure to delightfully bruise. The fraying sack that had been clutched in his and toppled to the floor, a single piece of coal slipping out. At least they'd actually be able to move.

 Kaz, still standing by the side of the entrance, did the very thing he'd relented from earlier. His gloved hand was lifted from his cane, setting it aside for a moment as he allowed his leather-clad fingers to reach out.

 Aleksa stared, dumbfounded for a short second before the sound of a gun being fired spurred her into action. The dark coat she donned billowed around her, and her warm fingers shook as they took ahold of Kaz's; she could see the struggle that such a simple action had on him, the way his jaw tensed, his eyes clamping shut in disgust and lips thinning into a line. Her boot slammed onto the train, and the second her other foot joined, she wrenched her hand from Kaz's, offering him a release.

 The only thing was, her fingers inched through the air as though to tangle with his once more. She restrained herself and stumbled forwards, tugging Jesper into a tight hug, ignoring the squawks from Cas as he hopped from her shoulder, "You fucking moron."

 He grinned into her hair, "Love you too, bug."

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05-06-2022

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most!)