A/N: Follow-up to No. 12

No. 13: "It comes and goes like the strength in your bones." | Infection

This had to be kept secret. If anyone knew the King of Ravka was infected with shadow, it would fracture the fragile strength the country was still clinging to. It would signal to their enemies that they were vulnerable, and they could ill afford that.

But there was only so much they could conceal. Nikolai finally consented to Genya giving him a tonic to put him into a drugged sleep at night, one so deep the nightmares shouldn't touch him. And they didn't, not that he remembered, anyway. But he always woke with a lingering terror and racing pulse.

Then there was the wound itself, and the poison festering within it. The black lines stretched out from the puckered flesh, curling around his shoulder. Genya had tried to heal it more than once, to no avail. And it was spreading.

Nikolai stood in front of the mirror, his bare chest exposed, the evil stain branching and forking down his ribs to his stomach. He dreaded to think what would happen when it had spread throughout his entire body. Would the monster he dreamed of emerge then? Hatching violently from its host? He felt sick at the thought.

He put his shirt on and hastily fastened the buttons, hiding the marks he was powerless to do anything about. He had to spend what time he had focusing on his country and securing its future. Which meant he and Alina needed to marry.

"I'm sorry," he told her that evening in private. "I know this arrangement was merely a cover at first, that you and Mal—"

"Mal's gone," she interrupted, her expression pinched. "And I understand. But we haven't given up on finding a cure yet."

Nikolai gave her a sympathetic look. "I know, and I am immensely grateful for that. But I have to think of Ravka."

"For Ravka," Alina murmured. "But I need to send word to Mal first. I don't want him to hear of it afterward."

Nikolai nodded. He would grant her that; he just hoped they had enough time.

The marks were creeping up his neck now. Nikolai wore high collars in an attempt to hide them, but it was only a matter of time before he couldn't anymore.

Then the worst happened. Another assassination attempt. Another Grisha Heartrender juiced up on jurda parem, taking an entire room hostage as he twisted everyone's insides where they stood. Nikolai felt the surge of strength through his bones, something foreign…and dark. He somehow managed to rise up despite the assault on his internal organs and seize the assassin by the throat. With a single snap, he broke the young man's neck with one hand. The pain subsided, and the people began to recover. Then there were gasps and someone screamed.

"Nikolai!" Alina reached his side and grabbed his arm, and just like that, the strength left him and his knees buckled. "Nikolai!"

He didn't know what everyone was looking at it, but they were staring at him in wide-eyed horror.

Zoya arrived and started barking orders, and then she and Alina hemmed him in between them and ushered him away. When they reached the privacy of his rooms, he finally understood—the reflection in the mirror had black marks curling up his neck and under his chin. There were even small black lines like wrinkles stretching toward his eyes. His stomach dropped out from under him.

They laid him on the bed and began to talk urgently between themselves. Nikolai couldn't fathom the sudden exhaustion and weakness that had stricken him, though he feared what it meant…the strength he'd exercised earlier wasn't his own, but this thing inside him. This thing that was slowly weakening him so it could take over…

"The secret's out," he said roughly.

Alina and Zoya turned, their expressions drawn.

"There has to be something," Alina insisted.

"I imagine the wedding isn't a viable option anymore," he said.

"Not likely, no," Genya said, entering the room. "Accusations are already flying that Alina poisoned the king."

Alina's brows rose sharply. "What? That's ridiculous!"

Genya shrugged.

"If we go through with the wedding, that would reinforce my confidence in Alina," Nikolai suggested.

"But not the people's confidence in you," Zoya countered. "What are the rumors about that?" she asked Genya.

"No one knows what to think. But the mark of the Darkling is…undeniable."

"We can tell the truth," Alina said. "The nichevo'ya did this. And we're working nonstop to find a way to fix it."

Nikolai sighed. There was no point in continuing the facade; now all they could do was damage control. "All right," he agreed.

They told his council first. By then, Nikolai's strength was taxed and he could barely hold himself straight in the chair. There were of course many concerns and doubts, and Nikolai did his best to reassure them, and to reiterate Alina's innocence in all this. The council was appeased. For now.

After that, the weakness became so pervasive that Nikolai was bed-ridden. Genya attempted to alleviate the symptoms, but there was nothing she could do. The shadow infection was winning.

"Listen," Nikolai started. "If a shadow monster…is born, or takes me over, you have to promise to kill it. Alina still has the Neshyenyer."

Genya's already pale expression blanched further. "Don't think like that."

"Promise me."

Her throat bobbed. "All right. I'll tell Zoya. She'll- she'll be able to do it."

Nikolai nodded; he had no doubt she would.

He and Alina were married in a private ceremony conducted by the Apparat and witnessed by a small handful of people. There had been no word from Mal. Nikolai consoled himself with the caveat that this marriage would be short-lived, and after an appropriate time of mourning, Alina would be free to marry whomever she wanted.

Nikolai's vision began taking on a gray tint, and he wondered if the shadow was creeping into his eyes. He didn't want to ask for a mirror. The marks extending all the way down to his fingertips were answer enough. He still didn't know if the darkness would completely transform him or if his frail mortal shell would crack open and the shadow would be released. He sometimes wondered if a mercy death sooner rather than later might be the best option.

Low voices roused him from his sinking haze.

"Alina, don't do this," Genya was urging.

"What other choice do we have? We're going to lose him."

"So losing you too is the answer?" Zoya retorted.

"I can do this."

"You don't know that."

Nikolai struggled to open his eyes, the world tinged in monochrome gray. "What's going on?" he rasped.

Alina hurried to his side and took his limp hand. "I'm going to try to save you," she said earnestly.

He frowned. "How?"

"Leave that to me."

"The consensus seems to be that's not wise," he said, flitting his gaze to Genya and Zoya's worried expressions.

"She's going to use parem," Zoya said.

Nikolai felt a spike of alarm as he turned back to Alina. "No."

"Yes."

"Why?" he pressed. "What good will that do except kill you?"

"We have an antidote. And we've seen how it amplifies Grisha power. I'll either be able to pull the shadow from you, or maybe even tap into my sun summoning again and use that. Either way, it's our last hope."

He shook his head weakly. "Don't sacrifice yourself for me."

"The way you've sacrificed for me? For Ravka?"

"Always for Ravka," he murmured.

"And this time for you."

Before any of them could argue further, Alina uncapped a small vial and knocked back its contents. She ducked her head and was still for a moment, then straightened with a long inhalation of vigor.

And with that, the shadows came.

A/N: To be continued in No. 27