"Snake in the Shadows"
Nikolai retired to his room after a long day of meetings and revelations. Kirigan was still alive. As if dealing with Vasily's destructive aims for this country weren't enough of a challenge. Then there was the fallout of Nikolai's engagement announcement to Alina, and her declaration that she would lead the Second Army. That hadn't been part of the plan, but Nikolai admired her audacity.
He wound down with a glass of wine, then undressed to his undergarments and prepared to get some sleep, for tomorrow the tedium, tension, and delicate tightrope walk would begin again. But as he pulled the covers of his bed back, he saw a black mass in the center a split second before it struck.
The viper was quick as a whip, and its fangs latched onto Nikolai's forearm before he could react, sinking down into the meat of his arm. He cried out and reeled backward in surprise and pain. The snake released him, plopping on the floor. Nikolai staggered back into the armoire, clutching his arm as the venom burned like acid in his blood. The viper swayed its head predatorily, beady eyes fixed on him.
The pain was all-consuming and his vision was going spotty, but Nikolai managed to stumble over to where his pistols were kept. The snake's gaze followed him, forked tongue flicking out as it zeroed in on its weakening prey. Nikolai grabbed one of the pistols and whipped back around. His hand was unsteady as he took aim and fired a rapid burst. The first two bullets struck the rug, but the third hit the snake and exploded its neck.
The adrenaline pumping through him only spread the venom faster, and Nikolai collapsed under a fresh pulse of agony. He couldn't even muster a cry for help before the darkness encroaching on his vision swept him away in a tidal wave of fire.
Alina paced the length of her guest chambers. She was restless. Kirigan had survived the Fold. And he had created invincible Shadow monsters that could follow him anywhere. She wanted so badly to create an army of light in response, but everyone was against her using merzost. She understood, she did, but why couldn't they understand that Kirigan had to be stopped at all costs?
A series of muffled reports reached her ears, and she stiffened. Gun shots in the Spinning Wheel? She turned and went running from her room. She had no idea where they'd come from, but she expected some kind of confrontation between First Army soldiers and Grisha. The hall was empty, though, and the guards that were hurrying down from the opposite end looked just as alarmed and confused. They went to Nikolai's room first and pounded on the door, shouting for him. There was no answer, but they didn't dare to barge in without orders, so Alina stormed over and pushed her way inside herself.
She gasped at the sight that greeted her. Nikolai was on the floor, half-dressed, his pistol beside him, and a dead viper lay only a few feet away.
"Nikolai!" She darted over and dropped down beside him. His face was pinched in pain but he was unconscious. Two dark puncture wounds stood out on his forearm.
"Get a Healer!" Alina yelled at the guards, who were standing in frozen stupor.
The guards backpedaled and left. A moment later, Tolya arrived. His room was also on this floor and he must have heard the commotion.
"What happened?" he exclaimed.
Alina shook her head, distraught. "He was bitten. That can be healed, right? At the orphanage, a boy got bitten once and he didn't survive." But they didn't have Grisha Healers, so surely Nikolai would be all right.
"Get him on the bed," Tolya instructed, moving in to lift Nikolai's upper body into his arms.
Alina grabbed his ankles to help as they laid him on the bed. Then Tolya moved his hands over the bite wound first, then up his arm to his shoulder and chest.
"The venom is spreading quickly," he said. "I need to slow down his heart rate and circulation."
Alina watched, shoulders tight with fear, as Tolya used his heartrending. Nikolai was covered in a cold sweat now, and the bite wound was rapidly becoming swollen and purplish.
A few minutes later, the queen arrived with one of her Healers.
"What are you doing to my son?" she snapped at Tolya. "Get away from him."
"He's helping," Alina retorted, then turned to the woman in the red Healer kefta. "Hurry."
The Healer moved forward and placed herself on the other side of the bed, then began her work. Tamar and Nadia arrived in a fluster, and Tatiana self-consciously pulled her robe tighter about herself, as though her less than stately dress was of more concern than her son's life.
"Everyone but the Healer out," she ordered tersely.
"Tolya and Tamar are Nikolai's closest friends," Alina argued. "He would want them here." And I'm his fiancée, she wanted to add but the words were still awkward to say out loud.
The queen bristled at her in response, but fortunately, the twins weren't impressed by her royal authority. Nadia, however, squeezed Tamar's hand and voluntarily left.
The Healer finally stopped her work and stepped back, though Alina noted Tolya hadn't.
"I've healed the initial damage from the venom," she reported. "But I'm afraid as long as it's in his bloodstream, it will continue to attack his organs."
"Can't you remove it?" Alina asked incredulously.
The Healer regretfully shook her head and flicked a nervous look at the queen.
Tatiana moved past her and took Nikolai's hand. "This world continues to take from me," she murmured. It sounded like resignation, which Alina refused to accept.
"Do not let him die," she ordered the Healer, then waved to Tamar to follow her out.
They went to the makeshift holding cell where they'd stashed David. Tamar unlocked it and they strode inside. David jolted awake from where he sat leaning against the wall. His eyes were wide with anxiety at the late night intrusion.
"Nikolai's been bitten by a viper," Alina said without preamble. "The Healer can't remove the venom. Can you help?"
"Ah…it's not exactly my area of expertise," he hedged. "But…"
Alina pursed her mouth impatiently as the cogs in his head began to turn.
"I know the science behind composing an anti-venom," he finished.
"Will you help?" Alina asked next.
He nodded hurriedly.
Alina nodded to Tamar to unlock his hands.
"You can use Nikolai's workshop," Tamar said.
"I'll need the snake that bit him."
Alina frowned. "It's dead."
David waved a hand. "That's fine. I can still extract a sample of venom from the sacs. But I can't synthesize an anti-venom without it."
"All right."
Alina hurried back to Nikolai's room while Tamar showed David to the workshop. As she hastened down the hall, she spotted Vasily lurking outside his brother's chambers.
"Such an unfortunate turn of events," he tutted. "It looks like you will be needing me as an ally after all."
Alina stared at him blankly. "He's not dead."
Vasily shrugged one shoulder. "I'm told it's only a matter of time. Not even your supposedly powerful Grisha can cure poison."
The way his lips curled into a smirk sent a chill through Alina. Could Vasily have done this?
He inclined his head at her. "We'll speak later, Alina Starkov."
She clenched her fists as he walked away, righteous fury welling up inside her. But she had more urgent matters, so she turned and hurried into Nikolai's room, only to find the dead snake was gone.
"Where is it?" she exclaimed, whipping her gaze around the room. The Healer was busy with Nikolai, and Tolya remained at the head of the bed as though standing guard over the unconscious prince.
"Where is what?" Tatiana said, miffed.
"The snake."
"I had the wretched thing removed."
"Where?"
The queen looked at her disdainfully. "Why does it matter?"
"Because we need it to save your son's life!" she practically shouted.
Tatiana faltered at that, then sniffed dismissively. "I don't know where it was taken to be disposed of."
Alina turned on her heel and ran back out into the hall. She bumped into Mal, who caught her by the arms.
"I just heard," he said, expression pinched with concern. "How is he?"
"David can make an anti-venom, but he needs the snake and someone's already taken it away. We have to find it," she said urgently.
Mal nodded and immediately fell into step alongside her as they hurried through the halls, searching for anyone carrying a sack that might contain the dead snake.
"Alina," Mal said, pulling up short outside a common room with its door ajar.
They rushed inside just as a servant tossed a pillow case into the lit fireplace. And Vasily was standing right there, watching.
"Stop!" Alina yelled and raced to the fire.
The flames were already wrapping all around the pillow case, and Alina couldn't reach in without getting burned. Mal grabbed the fire poker and tried to dig the sack out. It scraped over the hearth stone and onto the rug where both of them stomped frantically to put out the remaining flames.
"Are you mad?!" Vasily yelled in outrage. "That's an expensive carpet!"
Mal grabbed the opening of the pillow case and pulled it apart, angling it so Alina could see inside. She nodded when she recognized the dead viper.
"It's a small price to pay to save your brother," she snapped at Vasily.
The first son sneered. "Nikolai is more of an offshoot than a brother."
Alina blinked in surprise for a split moment before taking Mal's arm and ushering him out with the snake. It was only then she realized she didn't know where to find the workshop, but the entire Spinning Wheel had been roused from bed at this point, and she was able to snag a servant and ask for directions. They ran into Zoya on the way.
"What in the name of all Saints is happening?" she exclaimed. "There was an assassination attempt on Nikolai?"
"Yes," Alina replied, not bothering to stop. Zoya turned and kept pace with them.
When they reached the workshop, Mal handed the pillow case to David, and he pulled the dead serpent out. Alina watched in morbid fascination as he prized the jaws open, then clamped it over a jar with a cloth pulled taut over the opening. The fangs punctured the fabric, and then David began to milk the snake's head, squeezing clear serum into the jar.
"That is the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Tamar said.
"How long until the anti-venom is ready?" Alina asked.
"Ah, it could take a while," David answered. "I have to distill it down and then bind it to a neutralizing compound."
Alina nodded impatiently. "Mal, Zoya, stay with him and stand guard."
"I promise I won't betray you again," David said.
"It's not you I'm worried about," she replied darkly. "Just personally make sure that anti-venom gets to Nikolai."
Zoya's brows furrowed. "You suspect the assassin is still here?"
"And closer than is uncomfortable."
"Be careful," Mal warned. "If Nikolai is a target, then so are you."
"I don't think I am," Alina replied. "Not at the moment, anyway." Her jaw tightened. "I think I'm the prize."
Her friends shared dark looks at that, save for David, who looked confused, but he just needed to focus on the anti-venom for now.
Tamar accompanied Alina back to Nikolai's room. When they arrived, Alina was surprised to see Tatiana was gone.
"Where did the queen go?" she asked.
The Healer conspicuously kept her head down as she continued to keep Nikolai alive.
"She said she had things to see to," Tolya spoke up.
Alina shook her head, disgusted by the entire royal family. She went to Nikolai's side and reached out to brush some damp hair away from his forehead. He was still unconscious and drenched in sweat, his skin flushed.
"David is working on an antidote," she told the room. "We just have to keep Nikolai alive until he's finished it."
"If you wanted him to save the prince," the Healer spoke up, "you should have him draw the poison out himself."
Alina frowned in confusion. "What?"
"He'd have to take it into his own body," Tamar put in quickly. "Then he would die."
"He's a traitor."
Alina looked between Tamar and Tolya. "He could remove the poison?"
"Yes," Tolya answered soberly. "Alkemi can draw out poisons in the body into themselves. But then they cannot expel it from their own bodies."
No wonder none of that order had been summoned to treat the king or Nikolai.
Alina shook her head. "David can make an antidote," she said confidently. "We just have to wait."
The Healer clearly didn't approve but she didn't argue either.
Tamar left for a few minutes and came back with her axes and Tolya's sword. Alina was grateful for their fierce loyalty to Nikolai.
She dragged a chair over to the bed and sat, taking hold of Nikolai's hand. Though he was unconscious, he looked like he was still suffering from the poison's effects. His muscles would frequently micro-spasm, and his breaths occasionally stuttered with a pained wheeze. Alina clung to his cold hand as though she could physically keep him here. He had offered her protection, and it had endangered him instead.
She wanted nothing more than to track down Vasily and show him what the Sun Summoner could do. She would make him regret all of his murderous actions.
Noise outside the door drew her attention, and to her relief, it was Mal and Zoya with David. He held a corked vial in one hand. Their gazes flitted over Nikolai, having not seen him yet.
"Here," David said, stepping forward and handing Alina the vial. "I, ah, tested it on a mouse, and it was successful, so I have confidence it will work, but I can't guarantee without a human test, and the only subject we have available is, well…"
"David," Alina interrupted his rambling. "I trust you."
He looked surprised and relieved. "He needs to ingest it."
Alina nodded and lifted Nikolai's head into the crook of her elbow. Then she uncorked the vial and tipped it against his lips. Tolya used his heartrending to manipulate Nikolai's throat into swallowing. Then it was a waiting game.
Tolya and Tamar monitored Nikolai's condition, while the Healer continued mending the organ damage the poison kept wreaking. It wasn't until over an hour later that she reported there were no new ill effects from the poison. The anti-venom had worked.
They all shared relieved smiles at that, and Alina finally felt like she could breathe easy. Zoya offered to take David to a proper room, and the Healer excused herself. Mal, the twins, and Alina stayed.
The queen reappeared. "I'm told he will recover," she said stiffly.
"Yes, he will," Alina said.
Tatiana looked at her son for a moment, then nodded. "Good." And with that, she left again.
Alina scowled. Not that she liked the queen's company, but she couldn't believe the woman didn't have more care for her own son.
Nikolai didn't wake for another couple of hours, and when he did, he was still terribly weak.
"Hey," Alina said with a soft smile as his eyes slowly opened.
His mouth moved soundlessly a few times before he managed to rasp out, "Water."
Tamar brought over a cup and held it as he gulped it down. He coughed and dropped his head back against the pillow.
"How are you feeling?" Tamar asked.
"Like I almost died," he croaked.
"You did," Alina said, not amused. "Do you remember what happened?"
He furrowed his brows. "Snake…"
"Yeah." She paused, then blurted, "I think Vasily was behind it."
Nikolai huffed wearily. "He always did like poison."
Alina stared at him in stupefaction.
Nikolai noticed the stunned silence and grimaced. "This wouldn't be the first time my brother tried to kill me. Though, he's apparently developed a flair for the dramatic since I was twelve."
Alina's jaw slackened further. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. A glance at Mal and the twins showed they were just as put off.
"We can't let him get away with it," she exclaimed.
Nikolai sighed. "There is no proof. And accusations from either the second son or a Grisha would not be taken well."
Alina gaped at him incredulously. "So we're just supposed to go on as though this didn't happen? Smile and make nice at our engagement party your family is putting on?"
"Welcome to royal politics," Nikolai said with a touch of resentment.
"You're going to need a bodyguard from now on," Tolya spoke up.
Nikolai merely nodded. Then his brows furrowed. "What time is it?"
Alina realized she hadn't been keeping track.
"It's the following morning," Mal answered.
Nikolai frowned at that.
"It was a long night," Tamar told him. "The Healer repaired the damage the venom caused, but it was still a major trauma."
"David is responsible for the anti-venom that saved you," Alina added.
Nikolai's brows rose. "That's…interesting."
"I trust him now."
"That is certainly a point in his favor. At the very least, I need to thank him." He propped himself up on his elbows as he tried to sit up, but it apparently took more out of him than he'd anticipated, and he slumped back against the headboard.
"Can you eat?" Tamar asked. "I'll get some breakfast."
"Something plain," Nikolai replied.
"I'll help you," Mal offered, and the two left.
Alina looked at Tolya. "Could I have the room for a moment?"
He nodded and stepped just outside, closing the door behind him.
She looked at Nikolai. "Can I ask you something?"
He regarded her with a curious, perhaps slightly wary look. "Seeing as we're engaged now, I can hardly say no, can I?"
Alina hesitated to form the words. "Vasily said you were more of an offshoot than a brother."
"That is true."
Alina gaped at him. She hadn't expected him to confirm it so readily.
He smirked. "If you're going to lead an army, you must get better at hiding what you're thinking."
She ducked her gaze.
"I've heard the whispers since I was a child," Nikolai went on, lips twitching with that humor of his despite his convalescent state. "I'll deny it if you repeat it, but the truth is I couldn't care less if I have Lantsov blood. Given all the royal inbreeding, I think being a bastard is probably a point in my favor."
Alina met his eyes with a soft smile. "It's a point in your favor for more than that." To think he had been raised in this family of wretched royals. "The throne is just a prize to Vasily," she continued. "Like some favorite toy. You actually care about Ravka. You'd make a good king."
Nikolai looked touched. "Coming from you, that means a lot."
Alina took his hand in hers. "Vasily knows it, too. He's threatened by you."
Nikolai sighed. "I know. Which means he might keep trying to remove me completely."
"He will have to go through the Sun Summoner to get to you," Alina vowed.
His lips twitched, but then he sobered. "If only he was the worst threat out there."
Alina sobered as well. "We will face it together," she promised.
Together, they would fight for a better Ravka.