As the Fold completely surrounded the skiff, the four of us moved below deck. I immediately sat close to Kaz, Inej standing next to us and Jesper sitting across from us, cleaning his guns for comfort. He glanced up as we heard volcra growl above us.
"This is a bad idea," he muttered under his breath. Kaz furrowed his brows and looked over at him, shrugging.
"I think it's rather practical," he countered. Jesper scoffed.
"What?" he asked. "Why?" Kaz shook his head.
"I don't see how we step off this boat without you pulling those guns." He chuckled humorlessly. "So cleaning them is a good idea." Jesper rolled his eyes, holding up his gun.
"I don't mean this," he said. He pointed to the floor of the deck above us. "I mean this." He shook his head. "We are in the worst place in the world, on a ship full of people who want us dead, surrounded by monsters who want us in their gullets." He chuckled nervously. "I should have brought Milo." I furrowed my brows.
"Who's Milo?" He looked at me, his eyes widening incredulously.
"The goat." Kaz shook his head.
"How many bullets do you have?" he asked. The growls outside grew louder, and Jesper checked the cylinder of his gun, shaking his head.
"Not enough." We sat there in anticipation for a few more minutes before I pulled out one of my knives and started fiddling with it anxiously, Kaz glancing down at me every now and then to make sure I didn't accidentally cut myself. After a while, I felt a surge of power rush through the skiff and light streamed in through the cracks in the floorboards.
"We can't be there yet," Inej muttered. I shook my head slowly.
"We're not," I said quietly. "This is something else." Jesper sighed, looking at Kaz.
"So?" he asked. "What's our play?" Kaz sighed.
"We wait," he said simply. Inej furrowed her brows.
"For what?" she asked.
"For whatever the general has planned." Jesper nodded.
"You figured him out?" Kaz opened his mouth to respond, but I beat him to it.
"I have," I said quietly. I glanced at Kaz, who was furrowing his brows in subtle concern, but I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Consider the scenario. The Sun Summoner fled from his palace, now she's tied to the deck. We're sailing for a city where another Ravkan general hired Arken to kill her. He's planning something, and none of us have any idea the extent of it." Kaz nodded.
"And I saw his face as he boarded," he confirmed. "I know that look. He's a man consumed with vengeance." I chuckled humorlessly.
"You got that right." Jesper chuckled dryly.
"See it enough in the mirror, do you?" he asked jokingly. When he got no reply, he cleared his throat. "So? What kind of revenge is he planning, exactly?" I looked over as Inej ducked into the shadows but didn't question it.
"We know it requires the Sun Summoner, which makes her valuable to us. She's the one keeping everyone safe in here. If we have control of her, then we call the shots." Kaz paused before sighing. "We need to threaten her life."
"What?" Two voices asked the same thing, and we looked over to see Inej leading a man with a knife to his throat. I frowned.
"Who's this?" Jesper asked. I nodded.
"Who are you?"
"A stowaway," Inej said. She looked up at him. "Why pick this of all skiffs?" He gulped.
"To kill the general," he said, "and save Alina." Jesper stepped forward, taking one of his guns from his holster.
"I'll ask again," he said, cocking the gun. "Who are you?" The boy glanced between the four of us.
"Mal Oretsev." I stiffened and glanced up at Kaz.
"He was on the first skiff," I murmured. "The one that Dreesen told us about." He nodded.
"You know Alina?" he asked. Mal nodded.
"I do."
"Who's in control of her?" Mal didn't hesitate before answering.
"The general I'm going to kill." Kaz glanced down at me, and I shrugged before nodding a bit. He nodded and looked back at Inej, who still had her knife to Mal's throat.
"Inej, give him his gun," Kaz instructed. She complied, but Jesper furrowed his brows.
"Why?" he asked. I looked up at him, smirking.
"Because if he isn't with Kirigan's crew–" I looked up at our new accomplice. "--he's with ours."
YOU ARE READING
Midnight Thoughts ~ Shadow & Bone
Fanfiction"Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return." Karlin Kaye ran. She ran from her home to a place completely unknown. But as a result she found the ones she knew would make sure she never had to run again. No m...
