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CHAPTER TWO ▪▫▪▫▪
NIKOLAI LANTSOV FELT LOST—and not just because Morana stole his compass.
Leaning against the rigging of his ship, he wondered how a simple visit to Ketterdam had promptly thrown his head off its hinges. He had been ready to threaten—and or—charm the crew of criminals he'd hired to bring him Sankta Alina and then there she was:
His sister. Alive and snarky.
Alive.
That had been a hell of a surprise.
He would say it was impossible, if not for seeing her with his own eyes and speaking to her and hugging her to make sure she was truly there and not a hallucination—Saints knew he saw those a lot. Once more, the word impossible had been crossed out of his vocabulary.
It was not impossible his long lost sister, a sister that had died in the Fold, was alive and living her merry life as a criminal in the Barrel. It was improbable. And it was a reality.
Nikolai looked up at the starry sky of Novyi Zem, resisting the urge to push off the rigging and have his crew steer their ship back to Ketterdam so he could drag his sister with him and back to Ravka where he knew she could be safe.
But did he know that?
Kira, his sister, had looked him in the eyes and told him she was meant to die in the Fold. That their parents had sent her there like a lamb to slaughter. Because besides being a stain in the family as a rumored bastard child (like him) to the royal family; she was also Grisha and Lantsovs would die (apparently kill, was a better word) before having Grisha 'stain' their blood.
His jaw clenched at the thought and he took a deep breath. He didn't know what to think and he needed to focus on finding the Sun Summoner but all he could concentrate on was the fact that after years he had seen Kira again. And left her in Ketterdam where she was wanted by the law—what a great brother he was.
He needed a distraction. Nikolai pushed off the rigging and started pacing the main deck, walking through the crew assembling everything for them to set sail, as he whistled to himself and tried to think of something else.
Morana's face flashed in his mind and Nikolai couldn't help the small grin on his face. The girl was a great distraction, especially considering he had to get his compass back—that was definitely the only reason he wanted to see her again.
Definitely not because he'd found a friend in her, someone he saw from time to time in his journeys through the ocean. A friend with as many secrets as he had—perhaps more. Morana was a mystery of the True Sea and Nikolai loved every minute of the puzzle she was. She was—
"Tolya?! Tamar?!"
Nikolai frowned. Had he summoned her?
Morana's voice was carried by the wind up to the deck of the ship and Nikolai's eyebrows shot to his forehead. Like the song of a siren, her voice called him, beckoning him to follow.
