As Vladim moved to turn the locks, I heard Genya whisper. "You definitely owe me a kiss after all this, Don't think I won't hold you to it."
I laughed lightly. "We'll see."
"There is no seeing, you will, if I have to be the one to do it then so be...
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EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, I TRACKED DOWN David on the roof of the Little Palace, where construction had begun on his gigantic mirrored dishes. He'd set up a makeshift workspace in the shade of one of the domes, and it was already covered in bits of shiny detritus and discarded drawings.
The barest breeze ruffled their edges. I recognized Nikolai's scrawl in one of the margins.
"How's it going?" I asked.
"Better," he said, studying the slick surface of the nearest dish. "I think I've gotten the curvature right. We should be ready to try them out soon."
"How soon?"
We were still receiving conflicting reports of the Darkling's location, but if he hadn't finished creating his army, it wouldn't be long.
"A couple of weeks," David said.
"That long?"
"We can have it soon, or we can have it right," he grumbled.
"David, I need to know—"
"I told you everything I know about Morozova."
"Not about him," I said. "Not exactly. If... I wanted to remove the coin. How would I do that?"
"You can't."
"Not now. But after we've—"
"No," David said, without looking at me. "The coin can't be removed. It's a part of you now."
"But it's how the Darkling got my power, if it's removed couldn't I just reclaim—"
David turned on me, "Don't be ridiculous, Freya."
It was the first time he'd ever looked me straight in the eyes and said my name, let alone hear the strain of aggravation in his voice.
"Putting the coin into your hand cost me more than you know. It's not something you can just get rid of. It's Merzost. That coin didn't just transfer your power to the Darkling— it created a bond. If he dies.. so will you."
I stiffened. Death? I knew there was a consequence to Merzost.... but I hadn't really thought about what it would mean for me... for him.
