RAYA ▸ SHADOW AND BONE

22 | retribution

As Mal went port side to aid Alina, Raya went to follow but stopped short at the stern, seeing Zoya climb to a higher spot on the skiff. She used her power to try and move the ship out of the Fold, when one of the Darkling's oprichniki went to stop her.

Instantly, Inej held one of her knives up to his throat and, when he turned it around on her and went to attack, Raya stopped him short with simply her words. "Give me your weapon," she ordered, feeling the bond fully form. The guard reached out to give her the dagger he'd stolen from Inej, which she easily gave back to the Wraith.

Besides, it wasn't like she needed it. What good were weapons when her powers of persuasion worked so much better?

Before she could even utter another word out, she saw the guard being whooshed off the boat and landing by the spot when the Fold met Alina's light. Raya snapped her head to the side, seeing Zoya stood with her arms held out; she was the one who'd tossed him off the deck. She was on their side.

"You can use your powers without touch now? That's new," the Etherealki commented towards Raya, who snorted.

"And you're rebelling against Kirigan. Look at us, we've both changed." She shot a smirk Zoya's way, glad to have all the more power on their side.

A small smirk broke out on Zoya's own face, before a loud thud on the port side of the deck caught her attention. "Help me stop him," she asked of Raya and Inej, both of whom nodded quickly in agreement.

As Zoya turned back to the sails, using her power to guide the ship out of the Fold, the other two Suli girls found their way back down to the deck. During that time, the Darkling noticed the skiff moving and turned to look up at the girl controlling the movement.

"Zoya!" he yelled threateningly.

"Thought you'd be happy to see Zoya and I on the same side," Raya commented loudly, making her way a few feet from where the General stood with Ivan beside him.

"Raya," he breathed out, eyes glued to her. She was here, on the skiff, standing only a couple yards from him.

"Miss me?" she smiled sickeningly at him. As she spoke, a bullet rushed past Raya, mere millimeters from grazing her shoulder, and directly made contact with Ivan's shoulder, sending him flying backwards.

As Jesper went to pull the trigger once more--this time aimed at Kirigan--, the General conjured up the Cut, aiming it towards the sharpshooter. Kaz got to Jesper just in time, tackling the boy down behind some crates before the Cut could make contact with either of them.

"Stop trying to kill my family," Raya seethed, using all her strength to fully form the connection between herself and the Black General. Her breathing became heavy as she focused on the task, slowly feeling her power drain out of her body. Still, it did it's job.

She was holding Kirigan in place, his body frozen.

"Inej, now!" she shouted, hearing a dagger swoosh past her other shoulder and lodge itself deep within the General's chest.

For a moment, the General stood still, as if the blade hadn't just hit him. Then, the veins in his neck started to show as he strained the muscles in his body. He glanced between Raya and Inej, the former of whom held his gaze with a venomous look decorating her own face.

"You lied to me... cheated on me... and now you're paying for it. This is retribution," she whispered to him, completely unfazed by the great deal of agony he was feeling.

Good, she thought. Vengeance felt good.

The General wheezed in pain as the veins on his neck visibly darkened, turning pitch black in color before traveling up his jawline and onto his face.