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"The Fold should have fallen by now," Nikolai said as they made their way toward the inside of the fortress, which was covered in darkness. Alina should have been able to take it down by now. If she hadn't … that was worrisome on multiple levels. Jesper thought immediately of Inej, and Nina, out there with her.

"Did she find the Firebird?" Tolya asked his sister.

"Long story. It's Mal."

"I'm sorry," Jesper put in. "Did you say Mal is a bird?"

"Sort of. Really, it's a long story. Someday I hope I'll tell it to you."

"So do I."

"Still no sign of Kirigan," Nikolai said. They were standing in front of the Fold now, the darkness shifting and curling in on itself. "We go in, we find Alina and Mal."

Wylan looked at it with clinical interest—he'd heard about the Fold, naturally; everyone had, but he'd never imagined seeing it himself or going into it. He wasn't sure he wanted to. But Inej would be in there, and Nina, and it was clear Jesper was going in. So Wylan would find his courage and go with the others.

Jesper pulled his guns before starting in; Wylan grasped the straps of his pack and held on tightly. He expected he would need the contents before this was over.

The courtyard they came to was dimly lit and covered with scattered bodies. Nothing moved.

"Follow me." Tolya led them inside, into a corridor where candles lit the way.

But at the end of the corridor were two creatures Wylan had heard of but also never expected to see—the Volcra. The famed denizens of the Fold. They were even more frightening in person than they were in fireside tales. And as soon as they spotted the little group of humans, they came toward them, moving quickly.

"In here!"

Wylan wasn't sure who had said it, but they all dashed through the nearby door, closing it just in time to keep the creatures from following them.

Inside the room, Jesper recognized the stained glass image he was looking at and doffed his hat to her. Sankta Alina, the Sun Summoner, who he had to believe was going to save them all, because if she was lost so was Nina; so was Inej. And Jesper was not losing any more family, not ever again.

The Volcra were pounding at the door, and it was taking all Tamar and Tolya could do to keep it closed. "Metal hinges," Wylan said quickly. "Jesper."

Handing his hat to Wylan, Jesper pushed everyone aside, putting his hands on the top hinge. It glowed red and extended until it reached across from wall to wall. Then he did the same with the bottom hinge. Stretching his neck, he studied the workmanship. Not bad, but he could do better next time. If there was a next time, which he devoutly hoped there would not have to be.

"That should hold the Volcra," Tamar said.

Jesper hoped so. "We'll see."

Just when they thought they'd taken care of the immediate threat, a thick shadow began moving at the other end of the room. Dark smoky shadow, swirling into the shape of a monster. This was what they had brought the Neshyenyer in order to fight, then. Except that Inej had it.

"Kirigan's shadow monster," Kaz said.

"But-but without the blade, how do you kill a shadow?" Wylan asked.

The two Grisha with them used the power of wind to disperse the shadow. It worked, for a moment, before it began to reform.

Wylan thought rapidly. Shadows were darkness; light should combat them. That was what the Sun Summoner did. "Shield your eyes," he called out, handing Jesper back his hat before reaching into his pack for a phosphorus bomb. He threw it at the monster and it exploded, bright light chasing away the darkness.

Into the silence that followed, Jesper's proud voice called, "Yes! My man." He looked at Wylan and frowned, suddenly concerned that he may have overstepped. "I mean, we haven't actually put a label on it, yeah?" He supposed maybe now wasn't the time for that anyway.

Yet again, Wylan was surprised by Jesper's ability to completely ignore danger and focus on other things. He was so bemused it took him a moment to realize that Jesper had just referred to Wylan as his—in front of everyone. In front of Kaz.

When—if—they got out of this, Wylan was going to kiss him. A lot.

"I mean … he did that!" Jesper pointed proudly at Wylan.

It was strange to have someone want to claim him, even stranger to have someone take pride in something he had done. Wylan would have liked time to mull it over, time to appreciate the moment, time to find it disconcerting.

But there was none of that. The shadow monster was already reforming. No sense wasting another bomb on it, not if it was only going to work for a few seconds.

Tamar and Tolya readied their blades, but they were going to be of limited use. All of them backed up toward the door, caught between the shadow inside and the monsters outside.

There was nothing for it. They had to fight. Tamar and Tolya worked with their blades, slicing through bits and pieces of shadow, distracting it more than anything else. The two Grisha had some better luck with their winds, but neither of them was at full strength. Kaz had given his cane to Nikolai, who was making some use of it, but having no better effect than Tamar and Tolya.

Wylan thought maybe if he exploded the phosphorus bomb inside the monster, maybe it would have a more lasting result. He ran forward, ducking under a swinging blade, and launched himself at the shadow. Even as he released the bomb, a shadowy tendril caught him round the waist and flung him backward. He dimly heard Jesper calling his name, heard the sound of gunshots, before he was released and landing hard against the door. The tendril whipped across Jesper's face, knocking him backward. The phosphorus bomb detonated, the monster dissipating, but only long enough for a breather.

Long enough for Jesper to scramble to Wylan, his hands gentle as they searched for injury. Wylan tried to rise, but too much of him hurt for that. And Jesper was holding him down, keeping himself protectively between Wylan and the shadow.

Suddenly, the gloom lifted. Light streamed in the windows. "Saints!" breathed the Grisha. "She did it."

The Sun Summoner had taken down the Fold, once and for all. But the shadow monster didn't go with it.

"Why is it still here?" Tamar demanded.

"The sun can't kill it." Tolya attacked again and was flung back into the benches.

Then Nikolai attacked, swinging Kaz's cane recklessly, more in anger than in any calculated attempt to take down the monster. It speared him with one long tendril, lifting him into the air as he tried feebly to hold it off with the cane. Tamar waded in to try to get it to put Nikolai down, but her blades had little effect.

Tolya joined her, and together they hacked away at it as Nikolai hung there in its grip.

Suddenly, even as it was reaching to envelop Nikolai completely, the shadow monster was gone in a flash of light. Tolya caught Nikolai as he fell, and Tamar hurried to their side.

"Kirigan must be dead," the Grisha said.

Jesper helped Wylan to his feet, his arms around him, holding him up, looking for injuries and relieved to find nothing serious.