Chapter 2

Alina and David stood in the middle of a vacant field, the rendezvous point she had chosen when she'd sent that message to the Volkvolny. David was fidgety beside her, looking around at everything, flicking his fingers this way and that like he was in silent conversation with someone. His own head.

Alina knew he was not a soldier, that he balked at danger, but he was capable when he needed to be and she needed him for this.

The Volkvolny's companion sky ship sailed into view, and Alina waited as it came in to land. Wooden posts extended out from the sides of the hull to touch down on solid earth and keep the ship upright. Mal's face appeared over the side, and Alina's heart clenched with a confusing myriad of emotions.

Tamar and Tolya were with him, as was Nadia, who'd wielded the winds to carry the flying ship. Alina had expected as much and was glad to see them. They lowered the gangplank to the ground and disembarked. Mal strode toward her with a hearty smile, but he sobered as he got closer and she couldn't return the level of joviality.

"Your letter was urgent but cryptic," he said in greeting.

Alina nodded, then threw her arms around him. He hugged back, but then pulled away to look at her worriedly.

"What's happened?"

Alina moved her gaze around at all of them. "It's Nikolai. I need your help."

Tamar and Tolya exchanged alarmed looks with each other.

"Where is he?" Tamar asked.

"He's…missing." Alina took a breath as she prepared to relay the details. "During that final battle with Kirigan's forces, Nikolai was wounded by a nichevo'ya."

"We remember," Tamar said darkly.

"Did you know how serious it was?" Alina found herself asking.

The twins frowned.

"We couldn't heal it," Tolya replied. "Wounds by the nichevo'ya are immune to Grisha powers. But it wasn't a mortal injury…" He trailed off, brows furrowing in urgent question.

Alina sighed. "It infected him with shadow. I was unaware of it. We all were. Not until a couple nights ago when he finally showed us, and then he- he transformed into some kind of shadow monster. Similar to a volcra, but not exactly the same. His mind was still there, in part, and he fled. I need your help to find him and try to turn him back," she finished, turning back to Mal. "You're the best tracker around, and I wouldn't trust anyone more with this."

Mal looked dumbfounded, as did the others. Alina didn't blame them; had she not seen the transformation for herself, she wouldn't have been able to fathom it.

"He's become a nichevo'ya?" Nadia asked in a hushed voice.

Alina shook her head. "No, not that either. Something different. But no less a monster." She grimaced at the unavoidable choice of words.

"It was the merzost," David put in. "It creates from nothing. It brought the nichevo'ya to life, and now…this." He ducked his gaze, equally put off by having to describe their friend in such a manner.

Mal nodded. "You said it was like a volcra—I assume it had wings?"

Alina nodded back.

"Then we'll track him from the air." Mal turned to board the flying ship again.

Alina and the others followed.

"What about Ravka?" Nadia asked. "When word spreads—"

"No one else knows," Alina said. "Zoya and Genya are running things, and we found a double to pose as Nikolai to keep up appearances until we can return him."

She didn't allow herself to think or speak in conditionals. There was no "maybe" here.

Tamar and Tolya retracted the wooden anchor posts and started the engines, and Nadia summoned up the wind to fill the sail and take them into the sky.

"How are we going to change Nikolai back?" Tamar came over and asked.

Alina pursed her mouth and looked at David, who was speaking with Mal. "I don't know yet," she admitted. "But we'll find a way."

Mal patted David's shoulder and then headed to the bow of the ship. Alina waited a few minutes before going over to stand beside him. She didn't say anything, as he seemed to be concentrating on something.

"I think I can track Nikolai by the merzost," he finally said. "My power to amplify as the Firebird may be gone, but my bloodline still contains traces. I'll try to home in on that frequency."

Alina just nodded.

Mal reached out to touch her arm. "We'll find him."

Her eyes tightened with the beginnings of hot tears. "It was supposed to be over," she whispered. "I took down the Fold, killed Kirigan. His shadows were supposed to be gone."

Mal put his arm around her and drew her close in comfort.

The demon was ravenous. Every time it smelled human flesh, it veered toward it. Towns, villages…orphanages. Each time, Nikolai managed to wrest it away. He eventually managed to fly deep into the mountains. The demon shrieked and raged inside him, furious with his meddling. It hurt him, shadowy tendrils coiling around his mind like dry ice. They threatened to choke him, to squeeze the last essence of Nikolai Lantsov out of existence.

He held on, though, fought with everything he had not to be extinguished. When the demon caught whiff of animal musk, Nikolai didn't fight the bloodlust. The demon crouched low to the ground, watching the mountain lion slink through the forest. Nikolai heard the pumping of blood and felt his body shift, muscles tensing.

He launched forward and tackled the wild cat, talons and fangs ripping into fur and flesh. Hot blood poured down his throat, and Nikolai wanted to scream, to throw up, but the demon shivered in delight. It tore into the mountain lion, mutilating its carcass. Nikolai didn't want to watch but he couldn't look away, a prisoner in his own, disfigured body.

When it was finally done and satiated, the demon took wing and flew up into the tree tops to perch. A shape in the distance caught its attention, something in the sky. The part that was still Nikolai zinged with recognition. The flying vessel was hope, home, help.

The demon snarled furiously in response and wrenched itself away from view, diving deeper into the woods.

Mal studied the darkening landscape as the sun sank toward the horizon. They would need to land and make camp soon. Tolya and Tamar were already on it, decreasing fuel to the engines and directing Nadia to bring the ship down. Mal went over to Alina, who was looking antsy.

"I can sense him," he told her. "We're going in the right direction."

Her eyes lit up with hope, but it wasn't enough to erase the haunted darkness also swimming in them. They didn't have a real plan for after they found Nikolai…

The ship touched down at the edge of the woods lining the base of the mountains. Everyone disembarked to make camp. The Kingfisher was only outfitted as a swift transport vessel, so the cargo hold was more full of supplies than space for passengers. But they unloaded enough bed rolls and cooking utensils to set a proper campsite. Tolya and Tamar gathered firewood, and Mal fetched a rifle to go out and hunt some supper.

He went alone, as he was accustomed to. It didn't take more than one person to track game, and he still had that ability in spades. But as he crept through the woods, he started getting the feeling that he was being watched. Pausing, he turned in a slow circle but didn't see anything. He moved on, scanning the ground for signs of animals.

Not much later, he spotted a rabbit grazing up ahead. Mal carefully lowered himself to one knee and took aim with the rifle. The report of the shot clapped like thunder in the otherwise silent wood, and the bullet hit his mark. He got up to go retrieve it. But just as he bent down to pick up his catch, he heard a branch snap. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he stiffened. Careful not to make any sudden movements, Mal focused with his other senses. The prickle of the frequency he'd spent all day homing in on slithered across his mind like an eel. It made him shiver and want to recoil, but he held still and slowly looked up.

There in the tree above him was a dark shape, wings like shards of obsidian black. Shreds of a white shirt hung off a pale torso covered in shadowy webbing, while filthy trousers remained intact. The creature perched in the tree by its talons, both hands and feet. Marble black eyes stared down at Mal hungrily, and even its hair was streaked with black, but Mal recognized him.

"Saints," he breathed.

Alina had told them, but seeing was something else entirely. Blood was splattered over the demon's mouth and down its chest, and its fangs managed to gleam in the waning light.

Mal slowly stood up and raised his hands, the rifle still in one. "Nikolai?" he ventured.

The demon growled low in its throat, those piercing eyes full of malice.

Mal faltered. He didn't want to raise his weapon against his friend—not to mention the king of Ravka—but he also knew this…thing…could rip him apart in a flash.

"We're here to help you," he went on in a steady, low voice. "Come back with me."

There was a flash of anguish in the ravaged face, a crinkling around the eyes. Nikolai shifted his weight as though about to come down. Mal focused on keeping his breathing steady, his reflexes poised to react if needed. Then Nikolai flinched as though he'd been struck, and the feral expression returned with a snarl. Mal jerked the rifle up.

But instead of attacking, the demon's eyes turned pained once more, and then he took wing and flew away. Mal let out his next breath in a whoosh. Finding Nikolai might not be the hardest part of this entire mission, but keeping him could prove to be a challenge.

He waited for several long moments in case Nikolai—or the demon—circled back. But it didn't. Nor had it gone in the direction of the camp, so Mal didn't feel the need to hurry back. The frequency was quieter now, distant.

He turned back to the rabbit he'd killed and snatched it up, then continued on through the woods in search of more game, as one rabbit was not going to feed six mouths. Fortunately, he found a hare and was able to shoot it. Then he returned to camp.

Tamar grinned at his catch. "I'm famished."

Mal handed over the game to be skinned and cooked, his expression sober. "I saw Nikolai," he said.

Alina jumped up from where she was sitting. "What? Where?"

"In the woods. He flew away."

"So he's still…?"

"Yes," Mal said with a grim nod.

She started toward the tree line. "We have to go after him."

He shot an arm out to stop her. "Not in the dark. It's too dangerous."

"What if he gets away?" Alina pressed.

"Then we'll catch up to him again," Mal replied calmly. "But even if he is still cognizant, he's not fully in control of himself. We need to wait for daylight."

Alina's mouth pinched in displeasure, but she nodded grudgingly in acceptance.

Mal went to help prepare their supper, which they ate in weighted silence. Then they set the watches and bedded down for the night.

Alina was standing at the edge of camp, though, gazing out into the darkness. Mal went over to stand next to her.

"We will find him," he again promised.

She nodded. "I know we will." She glanced over her shoulder at the others, then lowered her voice. "Does this count as our paths finding our way back to each other? Even though it's only been a few weeks."

Mal gave her a wan smile; he wasn't ready to think about that yet. It was still too soon, after…everything.

Alina's mouth thinned when he didn't respond. "Maybe when it's not pieces of him that keep bringing us back together," she murmured.

Mal took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, and he knew he didn't need words to convey what he felt. He came back because she needed him, and now Nikolai needed them. They would do this.

And then afterward…well, one crisis at a time.