Fire and Shadows (DarklingxOC) (Shadowandbone fanfic)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The man who held me at gun point like 10 minutes ago, I think his name's Jesper, helped me up before dragging me to a small area with the rest. We're all sitting around a campfire. I'm a bit farther away from the rest, looking at the Fold.

I feel empty. I stopped crying a while ago, but only because I have nothing left to cry.

"Step one for any good plan, a change of clothes." Jesper states, comping over with a bag filled with clothes. "It's worked for me. Here."

"So... will you still be trying to kidnap me?" Alina asks.

"'Course not." Jasper answer immediately.

"Have you found religion, too?" Mr. Brekker, or Kaz, asks Jesper.

"No, it's just...," he sighs, "I'm exhausted. Besides... it'd be bad form to kidnap someone after they saved your life."

"You are quite valuable, you know?" Kaz says to Alina. She walks over to him and pulls something out of her pocket.

"So is this."

"I saw this on a portrait of one of the queens in the Little Palace." I look over at the object, to see it's her headpiece. The headpiece Aleksander gave her. I look away.

"It's not a gift. It's to keep quiet about who I am. Where I go from here."

"The deal is the deal." Kaz says, after having thought about it for a moment.

Mal and Alina turn to go change, before Alina comes up to me.

"I expect the same thing from you." She says, her voice cold.

"Don't worry." I say looking up at her. "I won't tell my now my dead fiance where you've run away to." I tell her, my voice laced with anger. She glares at me for a moment, before following Mal.

Jesper comes over to me. "Do you want to change? Your dress is a bit... dirty" He asks.

I look up at him, my eyes empty of emotions. I look down at my dress. It was once so pretty, but now it's smeared with Aleksander's blood.

"No." I say, my voice hoarse. "I'll keep it a souvenir."

Mal and Alina come back in a change of clothes, and she throws her beautiful golden dress in the fire.

"I didn't expect it to burn at all." Mal comments. "But it can be destroyed in the end. Just like him."

"Please, rub it in even more." I mumble while Alina walk away to get a better view of the Fold. Mal follows her.

"I know that look." Mal starts. "You're staring down your new bully."

"We're worse off than we were before, Mal." Alina explains. "Kirigan turned on his own people..."

After that I zoned out. I just want to wake up and realize this was all a bad dream. That we're still going to go home and Aleksander will still be able to propose to me, like he promised. I just want to leave.

I suddenly stand up and start walking towards the Fold.

"Wait!" Inej yells, making me stop in my tracks and turn around. She cares. "You can't go back into the Fold."

"I have to."

"It's dangerous to go looking for the dead." Kaz comments. "What you see may haunt you for the rest of your days."

"Love makes you crazy, right?"

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I was sitting down in front of the Fold, just looking at the shadows. The slight rubble sound making me feel a bit more at peace.

My dress was covered in sand and blood.

Suddenly there's a small movement in the shadows. I shake it off. I must be imagining things.

I look down at my skirt, playing with the blood soaked fabric. I hear movement.

I don't look up. I know I will just be disappointed. He won't come back. Ever.

A tear falls down my cheek, but it never hits my dress. I feel a hand on my cheek, wiping away the tear.

I look up and see...

"Aleksander?" I ask softly. He's in bad shape. He has a big claw mark on the whole right side of his face and a black liquid is smeared all over his clothes. He's also holding onto his side.

"Don't cry, Pchelka."

I stand up, his hand doesn't leave my cheek.

"I thought you left." I say quietly.

"I'm a man of my word."

He takes my hand and loops my arm with his.

"Follow." He orders to the Fold.

I watch in amazement as Volcra slowly start following us.

"You need a healer." I state, looking at his wound.

"Don't worry, we'll have tons of those when we're king and queen."

A/N: Last chapter!! I have enjoyed writing this book so much. I am sorry if there were any grammar or spelling mistakes, please tell me so I can correct them.

I'll start working on book 2 when the second season comes out. I am working on a couple of things apart from this story and have multiple ideas for other stories, so I may be posting other things on this account.

If you guys have any questions about me or my characters, ask away! I'll respond to any questions.

I hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you so much for all the support (6k reads!?! What?! Thank you so much! Your guys' support means the world to me. Thank you)