"Crowns topple easily. Thrones crumble like dust. Hearts cease to beat. Thorns draw blood."
In a country torn into two, there should have been no room for mistakes. Especially not at the very core of the royal family. That was what she was. Yes, a...
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Irina knew that Antero Grimjer was not the first casualty in this battle nor would he be the last. She had seen the dead bodies of her fallen comrades in battle. She had seen soldiers from both sides fall into a puddle of their own blood.
She had felt the lives slip from their bodies, the exact moment that their souls disappeared, leaving behind an empty shell. That was one of the most difficult parts of being a Heartrender and a Healer, she could feel every single life yet she could not do anything. She may be powerful but she did not have the power to heal every single wounded person.
Besides, they were fighting this battle too. She had a fair share of blood staining her own hands. She was not so innocent but even so, she pushed on. This chaos had gone on long enough. It was time to end this once and for all.
That was precisely the reason why Irina and Aleksander Morozova ran without stopping. Sweat gleaming on their brows, their hearts racing as they dashed across the green gardens of the Grand Palace.
The place they once trained in. The Little Palace, its constructions almost finished but not quite there. The plants, the trees, the zoo. They passed it all. All the memories moving past them almost as if they were traveling back in time.
Even so, that was not what they wanted. They no longer wished to take back their mistakes. All they were. All they had done led them to that exact moment. To each other. To an opportunity that was unthinkable before their time.
It was up to them now and they would not falter.
Aleksander grabbed her hand as they pushed past the double doors of the Grand Palace. They ran past rooms where she could hear dozens of heartbeats. The nobles, of course.
They were afraid of the sounds of warfare happening outside. They were afraid of the fighting and the bloodshed. They had always been content hiding in their little fortresses. Such sounds were unfamiliar to them.
Irina pulled her husband in the direction of the throneroom, ignoring the fearful heartbeats from all around. They were not her priority. "The throneroom! That's where he would be."
Aleksander nodded, keeping up with her pace, his black cloak swishing behind him. "Stay vigilant, my love."
The sounds of their footsteps mingled as they crossed the hallway beside the Grand Ballroom only for Aleksander to falter.
"Aleks, what is it?" Irina asked, concerned at the dazed look on his face.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion before his eyes widened in clarity. "Gunpowder."
Her heart dropped in her chest as she turned to the open doors of the Grand Ballroom, the scent of smoke filling the air. Before she could even do anything, Aleksander's arm wrapped around her, his body covering hers as a large explosion erupted.
