Dancing With The Devil|The Darkling

SEVENTEEN

THE SKIFF HALTED. Ana looked to Mal with worry in her eyes. This needed to go well. She couldn't go through what she did last time. Shouts could be heard from above and then quiet. She could barley make out the argument between the Darkling and Alina, but she heard all she needed to. Aleksander was using Alina to amplify his power. He was no longer the man she knew, but a power hungry traitor.

"What do we do now?" They looked at each other for answers. This wasn't supposed to happen. This would threaten their lives even more than they had anticipated.

"We wait." Kaz's answer wasn't one Ana wanted to hear. She shook her head and made her way to the grate that separated them from the top deck. Mal's steps weren't far behind.

Alina's body lay on the ground, pain struck her features. Ana looked from her to the Darkling, his words becoming psychotic. She pushed past the people in front of her and raised her hands, pointing them at the first Grisha she saw. Darkness flew out, slicing them in the gut. Mal shot one of the Grisha coming towards them. Ana moved to the next one, repeating her actions. Mal stormed his way through and to Alina, only to be stopped by a heartrender. He fell with a grunt.

Ana huffed in anger and brought the shadows out to cut the heartrender. She sent it his way with all the malice she could muster. As the blade of darkness was about to reach the man, her slice was cut down by another. Her eyes followed to the Darkling's startled expression.

"Little dove." His voice was soft, in contrast to his actions. His long strides stopped at her smaller figure. Ana froze. His alluring eyes drew her in once again. Rough hands grabbed the sides of Ana's face lovingly. "I thought I'd lost you."

The anger from before had come back tenfold. The loving look she adorned had changed to a scowl, "You have." Ana knocked his arms away and threw a punch,  aiming for his face. The Darkling grabbed her wrist and twisted Ana around, her back colliding with his chest.

"I'm not letting you get away again, little dove." The crowds of people began to stir, groaning in pain. Ana looked around to find the remaining heartrender crushing their hearts. Ana turned her head away from the sight, knowing their death was painful. "Don't look away. This is only the beginning, my love." Ana hated that his loving pet names made her heart flutter still.

Fighting from above brought their attention to Zoya and Inej. The Darkling's grip loosened while scolding Zoya, Ana taking this moment to elbow the Darkling in the gut and run to Alina and Mal. "Are you guys okay?" They both nodded, earning a relived sigh from Ana.

Their moment was cut off by the thud of a knife being thrown into the Darkling's chest. Ana gasped at the sight. An ache began to form in her chest, rippling through her veins. She felt as if glass shards pierced her heart and her blood ran cold. Ana had realized too late how she was madly in love with the Darkling. No matter how evil he is, Ana was utterly in love with the man in front of her. Who had taken care of her and gave her comfort in a foreign place. The man who protected her from everything. "Aleksander-".

The Darkling's shaky hands grasped the handle of the knife and pulled it from his chest. "It will take more than this!" Darkness slowly consumed the back of the skiff.

Panic bubbled in her stomach. Her friends were back there and were possibly dying. Ana looked at the Darkling's hardened gaze and shivered. He was not the man she had grown to love. The dropped dagger was by her feet, Ana grabbed the object before her lover could notice. He seemed to admire the massacre in front of him, then turned towards Ana, his hand reaching for her own. "We don't need them."

Memories from her childhood flashed before her eyes. Laying in the meadow with Alina and Mal, the joy she once felt. Mal protecting her from the numerous beatings she procured. Alina teaching her how to read. Mal leaving for the army. Then Alina. The sadness she felt without them. The joy she felt when finally being together again with the only people she had ever called her family. "I do." Ana hand struck his, a dagger stabbing the antler piece out of it. Light engulfed them as the antler piece hit the ground. Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Thudding footsteps could be heard, then Mal and the Darkling were gone off the side of the skiff.