Dancing With The Devil|The Darkling

FOUR

ANA STOOD NEXT TO MAL, rifle at the ready. A Volcra could be heard in the distance. The sound frightened everyone on board. Mal looked between the girls and mouthed to Alina to get down. Mal pushed Ana behind him.

"You will not be the hero today Malyen." Ana huffed and stood beside him once again. He sighed, annoyed at her stubbornness. Another Volcra swooped over their heads. Ana let out a shaky breath while trying to keep her gun steady. The dark clouded her hopes of seeing anything beyond the deck of the ship.

A lighter igniting could be heard from across the way. Ana slowly glanced to the sound, finding a Volcra ready to devour a boy. Ana shot at the Volcra's head quickly. Her bullet knocked it face, but couldn't stop the creature from taking the poor kid. Their only source of light was dropped and caught the floor on fire. Mal shoved her down to the ground and began shooting around them. Ana quickly crawled her way towards her sister, standing in front of her protectively.

As soon as Ana looked ahead, Mal had been picked up by a Volcra. Ana let a bullet rip through the thick air and hit the Volcra, grazing it's deformed back. Mal began stabbing the creature in order to be released. Ana could barely reload her gun as her hands shook with fear. Firing the gun, she let a bullet fly at the Volcra once more before it released Mal from it's claws. Rushing over to the boy, tears welled up in Ana's eyes. Alina joined her and grabbed Mal's hands.

"I'll meet you at the meadow." Mal blinked the tears away. Ana felt rage erupt inside her. No. This is not how he dies. Ana examined the wounds and began to put pressure on them. As a prayer left her mouth, a sharp pain shot through her sides. Her legs had begun to lift from the ground. A scream left her lips, her eyes darting to the only two people she had ever cared about. Alina's face turned cold. She immediately grabbed onto her sister's foot. Ana could feel Alina's grip slipping from her foot.

"It's okay." Ana whispered. Alina shook her head at her sister before a blinding light overcame their surroundings. Ana felt herself drifting out of consciousness as she fell to the deck. Darkness had taken over the light as soon as it came.
-
"She's not too bad. Only the two wounds on her side and a slight concussion." Ana could hear voices but couldn't recognize any of them. The sun was blindingly bright as Ana opened her eyes. Her hand shot up to cover her eyes.

"Where am I?" Ana's memories soon came flooding back to her. "Where is my sister? Alina Starkov. Or Malyen Oretsev. Do you know where they are?" Ana shot up from the bed she was laid on, a wince left her dry mouth in response.

The healer gave her a soft look as she held Ana's sides. "Alina and Malyen are in good hands. I promise. Now relax so you can heal properly."

Ana obeyed for a moment until she heard a carriage ride passed the tent. Shouting could be heard from the inside. Ana shot up immediately, running out of the tent and following the carriage.

"Stop!" Ana sprinted after her screaming sister, ignoring the shooting pain in her sides. Mal could be heard far behind her. A sigh of relief left her mouth at the confirmation that he was okay. Ana caught up to the carriage and hopped in front of it. It came to a halt an inch from Ana's feet. Her breathing was labored and her chest heaved. Ana's breath could be seen shooting out of her nostrils like a dragon.

"Get out of the way stupid girl!" The driver scolded Ana. Ana stood her ground, moving wherever the horse was moving, making sure they didn't get passed her.

"Not until I see my sister." Ana's voice boomed in the thin air of the morning. Muffled words could be heard on the inside of the carriage. Ana impatiently waited for Alina to emerge from those doors and hug her, tell her everything will be alright. Instead, a heartrender emerged. A young man with neat brown hair stepped out of the doors and made his way to Ana.

"So, you're the Shu my brother was telling me about. He's taken a liking to you. Can't seem to understand why." Feydor looked Ana up and down with a smirk. Ana stood her ground, her face never moving from it's stone cold expression. Feydor sighed. "Your sister is in good hands. If you wish for her safety, then I suggest you go back to your tent and heal up. Or she might not make it to the Little Palace."

The Little Palace? Why? Alina wasn't a Grisha. She couldn't be. Feydor began to walk away from Ana. Fear turned into anger pumping through her veins at the thought of Alina being kidnapped by these people. "Stop!" Ana shouted once more, her hands shooting forward. Feydor ceased walking and did as she said. He was stuck in place. Ana could feel her hands connect with his body from several feet away. The feeling was foreign but felt right. She felt powerful. The shock of what Ana had done, caused her to drop her hands and stare at them
in awe. The brunette watched as strangers stood by. Mal's face being one of them. His face held a look Ana could not place. It was a mix of shock and betrayal.

So much was happening at once. The events of the last day were catching up to her and Ana didn't know how to handle any of it. Ana stood deep in her thoughts, not noticing Feydor approach her. Ana's eyes never left Mal's. In her trance, Feydor began forcing her blood flow to her head. Ana was swiftly knocked out, Mal's scream of her name being the last thing she heard. She proceeded to fall right into Feydor's arms and carried into the carriage. Mal's protests drown out by the vehicle moving on from the scene that had just occurred.