No. 28: "You'll have to go through me."
Blood-curdling screams resounded through the room as people tried to flee or were caught by the nichevo'ya and ripped to pieces. Someone barreled into Alina, knocking her down, and she couldn't manage to get up again beneath the trampling onslaught. Then someone was grabbing her arms and heaving her to her feet. It was Nikolai. He pulled her through the nearest door and down a corridor. They'd gotten separated from everyone else, but Nikolai seemed to know where he was going. Until a nichevo'ya suddenly burst through another doorway and blocked their path. Nikolai reflexively put an arm in front of Alina protectively, though there was nothing he could do against the accursed creature.
Then a scarred figure stepped into view and came to stand right beside the monster.
"Kirigan," Alina breathed in horror.
"Alina. It's nice to see you again." He flicked a derisive look at Nikolai. "I see you've traded your beloved tracker. I must admit, I was surprised."
She bristled. "That isn't—"
Nikolai pressed a hand lightly against her in warning, and she bit down on her retort.
Kirigan sneered at them both. "You cannot escape your destiny, Alina. You belong with me."
"That will never happen."
His eyes narrowed. "I didn't say it had to be willingly."
Nikolai shifted to place himself fully in front of her. "You'll have to go through me."
A wicked look flickered in Kirigan's eye, and Alina's stomach dropped to the floor in dread.
"My pleasure," the Darkling said.
He didn't even have to physically summon the shadow for the nichevo'ya to lunge. It surged forward like a black wave, a shadowy appendage shooting forth and spearing Nikolai in the shoulder. He cried out as he was lifted off his feet and pinned to the wall.
"No!" Alina screamed.
The nichevo'ya swung its other limb to knock her away.
Nikolai's body seemed paralyzed as he dangled several feet off the floor, his eyes blown wide in shock. The shadow monster stood there, its wispy form pulsing.
Alina scrambled to her feet again and summoned light to shoot at the nichevo'ya. It flinched but otherwise barely reacted. Nikolai's eyes began to roll back and his head lolled. Alina's heart stuttered.
Stamping her foot into a firm stance, she poured every ounce of strength, focus, and anger into her summoning, bringing forth a blaze that sliced clean through the shadow. It released Nikolai, but quickly reformed a few feet away. Alina summoned again, but the creature dodged and flitted back to Kirigan, who was seething with ire. Alina called on everything she had, a massive plume of light forming in front of her. It exploded outward, slamming into the walls and ceiling and shaking the foundation. Columns cracked and came crashing down. Alina ran to Nikolai and threw herself over him.
The collapse was quick, and when she looked up, Kirigan and his nichevo'ya were gone. She could only hope they'd been buried but she doubted it would be that lucky. If he had survived the Fold and the Volcra, a mere building wasn't going to stop the Black Heretic.
Alina clutched Nikolai's shoulder and rolled him over. His pupils were blown and dark, and he shot a hand up to his other shoulder.
"We have to move," Alina urged.
He gave a shaky nod and tried to stand. Alina had to help haul him to his feet and then duck under his shoulder as they made a hobbling escape.
Nikolai led the way into a tunnel and sealed the entrance behind them. They continued on for a little more before they finally stopped so he could catch his breath. Alina eased him down against the wall, his chest heaving, his one hand still pressed to his shoulder.
"Let me see," she said, already reaching to undo the buttons of his coat.
When he didn't respond with a quip or flirtation, Alina's worry intensified. She pulled the fabric back and rocked back on her haunches. The nichevo'ya hadn't just pinned him with a blunt arm, but had stabbed through muscle and bone. She gave herself a sharp shake and leaned forward to look at his back. The puncture went all the way through. And it was bleeding.
"Here," Nikolai said hoarsely and dug into his pocket for a handkerchief.
Alina folded it twice and then pressed it to the front of his shoulder. He grunted and knocked his head back against the wall.
"Sorry," she said, then added, "You shouldn't have done that."
"What?"
"Make yourself Kirigan's target."
Nikolai let out a garbled sound. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
"This isn't the time for chivalry," she scowled. "You could have been killed. Kirigan came here to eliminate the Lantsov line." She paused and softened her tone. "I'm sorry about the king and Vasily."
Nikolai grimaced. "I had no real love for them," he admitted. "But my mother did." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back again. "I didn't see what happened to her. If she escaped…"
"We'll find her," Alina promised.
Her own heart constricted with worry for Mal, Nadia, and the others. Had they gotten away? Mal hadn't even been at the party yet; where was he?
Alina flicked her gaze to Nikolai's. "You're king now."
"This isn't how I wanted it to come about."
"I know. But you can't make yourself an easy target. Kirigan is going to be coming after us both."
"I won't hide," he asserted. "I meant it when I said I aim to unite Ravka and free her from this tyranny."
Alina nodded. "I know. But I'm the one Kirigan is going to have to go through."
Nikolai placed a hand over hers, his expression sympathetic but resolute.
They took a few more moments before getting to their feet again and lumbering into the darkness to find and rally what survivors were left.