Dancing With The Devil|The Darkling

SIXTEEN

ANA COULD ONLY roll her eyes at the bickering between the Crows. She was also trying to distract herself from the fact she was going to be making a journey she never wanted to again. They were going into the fold.

Memories from the last time rushed through her head and her sides began to ache in remembrance of the claws that grabbed her. Jesper noticed and nudged her arm from beside her. "Get ready." Only seconds later, an explosion sent shockwaves through her. They all shared a look. Ana rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time at Jesper's quips. With that, they moved to plan B.

"The skiff is still here." Inej informed, not once meeting Ana's eyes. She couldn't blame her though. She wasn't supposed to be with them, she was only a nuisance. Ana shook her head and stayed determined to go through with her plan. Ana let them bicker between each other while coming up with a plan to get on.

As night fell, Ana put on her disguise. Her hair had gotten much longer since her first trip through the fold, giving her a harder time when trying to hide it. She had found a dagger in the room they had just been in, slipping it in her boot. "I edited the papers enough to get us through the checkpoint." Kaz handed her a paper to her surprise.

"You guys are helping me get on?" Ana looked between them, shock evident on her face. She thought they would part ways with her here. The thought warmed her heart.

"You've helped us come this far, haven't you?" Jesper flashed a warm smile at her. Ana nodded and gladly accepted the paper given to her. "Just don't forget to repay us later, darling." He winked.

Kaz cleared his throat. "Let's get some sleep." They all nodded, then head to anywhere they would find comfortable. Ana chose her spot on a rug and used her jacket as a pillow. This type of situation had become foreign to her since she moved to the Little Palace. Her time in the army now long forgotten. A time where she thought she was strong enough to protect the ones she loved. She remembered finally meeting back up with Alina and Mal after such a long time being apart. She missed them so much.

Determination ran through her. She was going to save Alina and find Mal. No matter what it took. Thoughts of Aleksander crossed her mind and made her heart ache. She hoped they wouldn't cross paths. Or if they did, it would be a happy reunion. That all she had been hearing wasn't true.

Ana looked at her fisted palm and slowly opened it, revealing an orb of shadows. She began to play with them. After a few tries, they swarmed together to form a small thin line, much like the Darkling's large one. She hoped her theory wasn't true either. Maybe he did this on accident. That the moments of vulnerability he had shown her had effected his powers and in some way made their way to her. Ana began moving it around to slice the wood near the window and the floor boards. The slow draining of her power brought her to a short sleep.

Inej shook her awake with a light push. "It's time." Ana got up quickly at her words. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears. She didn't want to risk using the darkness she still knew little about, so she let her heart thump away with anxiety.

They made their way to the boarding dock, thankfully passing with their forged papers. Ana was about to head onto the boat when the Crows looked back. The Darkling stepped out of his tent with Alina following behind. Her breath hitched at the sight, tears stinging her eyes. Not now. She had to be strong to follow through with this.

She eyed the pair at the front of the skiff, noting how exposed they would be in lieu of an attack. She could only believe in her sister's training and hope that was enough to survive this. "Good news, it's just as terrifying as I remember." Jesper tried to keep the mood light-hearted. Ana could only nod in agreement. She slipped away to look for somewhere to hide during the voyage, settling on the bottom deck with the supplies.

As her feet landed on the boards with a light thump, she heard rustling and then a hand over her mouth and a knife to her neck. Her knife slipped into her hands from her boot in an instant. Ana hit the attacker's arms away from her and switched positions, her dagger digging into their neck. She took a second to look them over, a gasp leaving her lips as she did so.

"Mal?" Ana let go of him, letting him turn around to see her. Mal blinked as if he couldn't believe his eyes and engulfed her in a hug.

"I missed you so much." His voice was muffled by her shoulder. She embraced him just as tight. His hugs felt like home to her. He pulled away to get a good look at her. "You don't look like a little boy anymore."

"I missed you too, Mal." Ana smiled up at him, nudging him for his offensive comment. Sets of footsteps trudged towards them and cut their reunion short. Mal yanked Ana to his previous hiding spot. Three voices could be heard near their previous spot, Ana recognizing them instantly due to her spending the past few days listening to those voices. She held onto Mal's hand that connected with her wrist and pulled him out of their hiding spot. Mal tried to bring her back but she stood her ground.

The trio's heads whipped around at the sound, weapons aimed at her and Mal. Ana lifted her hands up in defense, a loose smile on her face. "Sorry I slipped away, got a little scared." The Crows directed their weapons to Mal the moment they recognized Ana. "He's with me. A friend of mine that I was forced to leave. He knows the Sun Summoner."

The Crows shared a look, keeping their weapons pointed at Mal. "He can help us get her out of here. He took the journey across the fold with Alina and I last time. If he slips up, you can take us out." Mal began to protest, but Ana looked back at him. Her eyes screamed for him to trust her plan. To trust her. Mal shut his mouth in understanding.

"So what's our play?" Jesper spoke up, putting his gun back in its holster.