- To be tagged in my works, answer the forms, comment in a chapter or text me in tumblr. To make a request, send an ask or text me in tumblr
- English is not my first language, so there might have some grammar mistakes. Also, I do not authorize any copy of my work anywhere!
𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐎
— series
‧✧̣̇‧ A TRAP FOR BROKEN SOULS || series masterlist
fic playlist: youtube || deezer || spotify
A handsome veteran and billionaire in public; behind closed doors, a mafia boss. A gorgeous rich girl in appearances, but secretly a rented spy and assassin. Two people with different desires, however, both share the same motivation: a broken soul. What will happen when both paths get crossed? Especially when they hate each other at first.
— oneshots
‧✧̣̇‧ MERRY CHRISTMAS, SWEETHEART (request)
Billy teaches Katherine ice skating.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 / 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐊𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐙𝐎𝐕𝐀
— series
‧✧̣̇‧ LONG LIVE THE SOVERENYIS || series masterlist
fic playlist: youtube || deezer || spotify
Going to Ravka wasn’t something Katherine thought of doing again, especially finding her cousin, Agatha, there with amnesia. However, Katherine’s surprised when she meets a new Ravka, moreover, its General, a Shadow Summoner. For the first time in her life, the Shadow Singer has an equal. But will The Darkling see her as one? After all, she’s a witch and he’s a grisha.
— oneshots
‧✧̣̇‧ SWEET MELODY (request)
After a long time Aleksander plays the violin again, and his wife and daughter enjoy the sweet melody
A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
words: 2873
warnings: mentions of witch/grisha hunt
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They are now cuddled, both their backs resting on the Black Heretic's fountain while gazing at the woods. The witch rests her head on the Grisha's chest, hearing the calming rhythm of his heartbeat. Him, on the other hand, lets his thumb caress her arm.
This is all so new to them, so... peaceful. It seems like a weight has left their shoulders as soon as they found equality in each other, the desire of wanting someone to understand them finally fulfilled.
"So—", Katherine's soothing voice breaks the comfort silence "what made you change your mind?"
Kirigan doesn't take his eyes off the tree he's been looking at for the past minutes. He is still enjoying the fantastic sensation of believing that everything is going to be alright now. "I started to think about what you had said. The Second Army is young, none of them have experienced the Ravka before the Fold. They have the idea that the Unsea is the issue, and that all of Ravka's problems will be solved once it vanishes. However, it is the complete opposite: if we destroy it, things will worsen." She nods, patiently waiting for him to continue. "There is no way to guard the entire border, therefore, Ravka will be exposed to many travelers. The Fjerdans and Shu Hans will take advantage of the country's vulnerability and attack. The drüskelle will have more access to accomplish their hunts too." He turns to the woman by his side, who is gazing at him since he started speaking. "Grishas will be in great danger if the Fold is destroyed."
"The Supernaturals too."
"Ravka will be no more safe haven."
"No, it won't."
"Also—", he takes a sharp breath to gather forces to tell her his conclusion "you were right."
The shadow singer's smile almost reaches her eyes. Oh, how she loves to be told that! No matter how many times that often happens, the pride feeling filling her chest always appears. "Pardon? I don't think I quite heard you."
"I won't repeat myself, Katherine."
"Why not?" Her smirk increases as she sees him scowl towards her. "Your words had such a beautiful sound."
He rolls his eyes. "You are not used to hearing that, I assume."
"Oh, no—", she chuckles. "I am more than used to it. After all, I am always right."
"If people see Alina's powers expanding the Fold, they will label Grishas as aberrations again." He ignores her to continue his line of thought. "Another hunt will be made and, with the Unsea blocking the borders, it'll be difficult to escape. The only way to protect ourselves will be killing all the hunters, which will practically be almost all otkazat'sya."
Ravka will be the stage of a massacre, the unsaid words float through the air. All due to the fight for survival.
"I want my country to be a safe haven, not a remembrance of a bloodshed."
Katherine's gaze softens in compassion. She shares that wish with him; she wants the Grishas and Ravka's Supernaturals to see their country as a secure place where they cannot fear. It would be wonderful if Os Alta transformed into what New Orleans is to many: home.
"Although living now more peacefully, your people still dread, Kirigan. Even receiving all the trainment in the world, there is still the terrifying thought of being attacked by the drüskelle and losing a fight with them. That fear will only grow if they witness a magical imbalance, especially one made by their General. Your Army will work based on dread instead on loyalty, and that is dangerous, because, soon, they will grow tired of feeling this." Her light green eyes are full of worry as she looks at him deeply. "This happened a lot through the centuries, and it always ended with the leader murdered by his own people."
"I know. I searched about those historical revolutions." Her eyebrows raise in surprise to see The Darkling agreeing. "Most of them were because the monarchy prioritized the court instead of the commoners, which were the majority. Only a few people had good life conditions, while the plurality suffered with poor ones. They got sick of injustice and repression, tired of having to survive to make others live. They wanted that possibility for themselves, so, after generations had passed and nothing had been done, they decided to fight for it."
"I witnessed some revolutions and that is what happened, indeed."
"I have lived the conditions of these commoners." Kirigan admits with a heavy chest. Sometimes, he is still affected with the memories of his tough childhood. He used to eat poorly, suffer from the cold, fear the dark when the night came, train for straight exhausting hours in order to learn how to control his powers, have to make new identities in a short period of time, and pass through many other unpleasant experiences. "It was terrible."
The sudden warm hand on his cheek tells him that he is not alone, that Katherine has suffered the same as him and as the many unfortunate people that were part of revolutions. "Survival isn't life, Kirigan. But it is just when you are old that you learn that the change will only come if you fight for it. That's why your Grishas are so immersed in the Fold's utopia: their youthness makes them believe that the time has finally come, that Alina will be the savior to fix all the problems." She offers him a sad smile. "My people are old and are struggling to live in Os Alta poorest area. One of the reasons why they hate your lightscum is this, since she represents all the illusion they had once believed."
"So they are willing to fight for change?"
She nods. "With all of their strength."
"If I promise better life conditions, will an alliance be possible?"
"Only if you guarantee that you have no intentions to destroy the Unsea. Firstly, you have to win their trust, especially the leaders' trust, then you may focus on a deal."
He gently grabs her hand that still is on his cheek. "I think I'll need a bit of your assistance, then."
The witch smirks as soon as she sees the glint on his dark brown eyes. "It will be my pleasure."
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"I swear it was her, Genya!" Michelle stops on her tracks as she hears Alina's voice echo through the room she was entering to clean.
"That's impossible."
"No, it isn't, and you know it!"
The Tailor shakes her head, making many of her red strands fly in the air. "Ms. Anya was playing a dangerous game here, Alina. The Darkling saw her as a threat and sent the oprichniki after her. She's probably dead now."
The Sun Summoner's brown eyes widened in shock. "Dead?"
"Yes." No. Michelle had to restrain a scoff. "I honestly think she was a spy."
"A spy? Really?"
"She knew too much for an ordinary otkazat'sya."
While starting to tie the room where the two Grishas were, Michelle began to make her own opinions. They aren't completely wrong: this specific servant knew too much and was considered by the General himself a threat, which led him to hunt her. However, she is pretty much alive, or better, Katherine Mikaelson is alive. No one knows what happened to Ms. Anya, she just... vanished.
"But, Genya, I swear I saw her today!" The blond's body stills as she cleans a desk. "Are you sure about that all? She seemed so real."
"There's no way Ms. Anya isn't dead, Alina. You probably were tired and hallucinated."
The younger girl looks deeply at the other, brown eyes meeting blue ones. "I know what I saw. Ms. Anya was at the beginning of the woods early this morning. She was hidden, but I saw her looking at Kirigan's chambers."
Oh, damn it, Katherine! You let yourself get caught by a teenager?! Michelle's face instantly turns into a scowl due to the anger she is feeling towards her cousin. By the Ancestors, Kat, you really turn into a fool when you like someone!
The Tailor takes a few seconds to answer her friend, but, finally, she shrugs her off with a hand. "I still think it's nothing to worry about."
I hope so, Genya, because I'm gonna kill Katherine if she drags the family into another trouble with insane plans.
The water singer leaves the Sun Summoner's chambers with heavy steps. As a way to calm herself, she goes to her little room and begins to read one of the books she had picked early in the morning. It is written in French, which eases her off with the thought of being close to her native language, and the author describes actions that may help people who are suffering with memory loss. After all, Michelle isn't certain that a spell will recover all of Agatha's remembrances.
Former lovers who had a long and healthy relationship with the victim may trigger good memories. However, the paramour must reproduce habits that were performed frequently during the time they were a couple.
Her blue eyes widened in sudden realization. There is someone that can aid them.
Of course, she didn't talk to Agatha's ex-lover for decades, but she had a good relationship with her; every Mikaelson — unless Katherine — had. The woman is a mesmerizing person and powerful witch, always willing to help the Supernatural. Michelle is sure that if she sends her a letter explaining about Agatha's current situation, the woman will appear in Os Alta in less than a day.
The water singer closes the book with a smile and immediately stands up. She needs to tell Katherine her new idea, but if her cousin takes too long to arrive, then she will handle the matter in her own hands.
With that in mind, the blond confidently states: "If there's any of Kat's shadows here, tell her to meet me at the Little Palace's library now."
────────── ★ ★ ★ ──────────
Hours had passed, and the couple had to go back to their respective places. After Kirigan had just left with his horse, Katherine was almost entering a shadow to go to Praecantrix when she heard Ikatris' smooth voice: Your cousin wants you at the Little Palace's library now. Seemed urgent.
She frowns with the unusual situation and mentally asks the dark figure: Which one?
The spoiled French.
Despite knowing patience isn't one of Michelle's virtues, she can't help but worry, her intuition wanting to alert that something is about to happen. However, as an attempt to ignore this uncomfortable feeling, the witch rolls her light green eyes at the shadow's answer. You know their names, Ikatris. So why do you insist on calling them with these nicknames?
She can almost feel the creature smirking. Because it irritates them.
Katherine can't help but chuckle. Her cousins indeed hate all of Ikatris' nicknames and always tell her to talk to the shadow in order to make him stop, however, it never worked. He is immediately delighted as he sees Hope — manic tribid — sends him a death glare, Michelle — spoiled French — huffs in impatience, Nick — justice alpha — rolls his eyes in annoyance, Agatha — dramatic queen — holding the urge to attack him, and Levi — Kol's counterfeit copy — walking away from him to not get into a fight.
Why don't you give me a nickname too? I have never received one from you.
Because you're Katherine, there's no one like you. You are already unique.
She smiles, a warm sensation reverberating in her chest. Thank you, Ikatris.
The witch then orders her shadows to guide her to the Little Palace's library, where she finds Michelle pacing through the Norse Runes book session. She seems nervous, clenching her fingers on the long white skirt, her blond hair that is usually perfect, is now disheveled. "What happened?"
The French woman turns abruptly and looks at her in rage. "You!" She extends her hands towards the brunette as if wanting to strangle her.
Katherine frowns. "What have I done?"
"What have you—" She seems to be using all of her control to not start yelling in fury. "What have you done?!"
The shadow singer seems uncertain of her actions now. Has she found out about Malyen Oretsev? "Yes?"
"You let yourself be seen by Alina!"
The nervousness began to grow in her stomach. "What?"
"Today's morning she saw you in the beginning of the woods, looking at Kirigan's chambers. Is this true?"
Shit.
"I... I, ehm—"
"Damn it, Katherine!"
"I didn't know she was there! I was focused on a more important task!"
Michelle grabs her cousin's shoulders to make her look straight at her. "She's sure Ms. Anya isn't dead, and now I think Genya suspects that too."
The older woman shrugs as an attempt to exhale confidence in order to calm the blond down. "They don't know much, Michelle. I am sure it will do us no harm."
"You were supposed to be the responsible one who fret about things that go out of control, not me!" She lets go of the brunette and crosses her arms, a pout forming on her red lips. "I didn't enjoy this."
"Well, welcome to my life.”
"It sucks."
"I know." Katherine sighs and slowly approaches her frustrated cousin. "But I also know that you wouldn't call my shadows only to yell at me. What happened?"
Her blue eyes face the light green ones. "I have a plan that may work."
"About?"
"Agatha." She passes a hand through her long blond strands, a habit that she does when is restless. "There is someone that may trigger some of her memories, and, maybe, even help with the spell."
"That is wonderful news!"
"Yeah, but not for you."
She raises an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
The water singer looks away, averting her cousin's gaze. "I just want to know that this is the best for Agatha. I would never do anything that could harm her."
If Kathreine wasn't sure why the French woman was acting like that, now she knows: Michelle did the idea before consulting her, the brain of the family and the mastermind behind the plans. "Michelle—"
"And, maybe, I-I've become a little anxious because I haven't found Hope and it was taking too long for you to arrive."
She clenches her teeth, already predicting the enormous trouble she got themselves into. "Michelle—"
"So I took the matter in my own hands before consulting any of you and sent a letter to her."
"Michelle, who did you call?"
She gives her a nervous smile. "The brightest person in this world."
The shadow singer frowns, though her stomach is currently twisting in dread, since it seems that this someone could be a horrible person. "Who?"
"She is just so full of light, you know." Despite continuing to smile, the younger one begins to hug herself, as if this would protect her from Katherine's reaction.
The realization sinks at the brunette's chest like an anchor. Soliel Alvarez is a light singer witch that was Agatha's paramour for half a century. She is a woman obsessed with power and very practical: get in her way and you will die. For her, time is precious, so, unless it's necessary, she doesn't waste time with torture ceremonies.
Beyond hating shadow singers for their ability to dim her glow, she also hates her own kind. According to her, light singers are people devoid of character and who do not deserve trust or loyalty. For these reasons, she feels no remorse when draining an equal; in fact, she takes satisfaction in seeing their despair as she senses the victim's power entering her veins and thus making her stronger.
For sharing the same thought as her about lightscums, Katherine doesn't hate Soliel, however, she is always careful towards the woman. After all, light singers aren't trustable. The adopted Mikaelson relationship with her is tense, and only Levi knows that his cousin slightly likes Agatha's ex-lover.
Soliel is a difficult person to deal with, someone that will always try to trick you if you aren't aware of her true nature. In other words, she is a brutalest version of the shadow singer, and Katherine isn't in her right mind to meet her. She is already worried with Agatha's cure, about her affair — is that what they have now? — with Kirigan, with Ravka's Supernatural's current situation and with the execution of the coup. Soliel here will only overwhelm her and worsen the emotional weariness she is still feeling.
"You didn't."
Michelle looks at the ground as if it was the most mesmerizing thing in life. "Her and Agatha's relationship was so healthy and ended so well. They're still friends and see each other sometimes!"
The British woman can feel her breathing fasten. "Please tell me you are lying."
"And the book said that a good ex-lover can help on triggering memories, so—"
"Oh, Michelle!"
"—Soliel's coming to Ravka."
Everything stops. The air in her lungs, the frustration, the racing thoughts in her mind and the nervous twisting in her stomach are all gone. Suddenly, the forces in her entire body disappear too. Soon, her clear vision is replaced by the dark and she falls on the floor.
A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
word count: 5066
warnings: none
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Katherine lets out a heavy sigh as she finally arrives at her room at Praecantrix. Her head is aching because of the huge quantity of simultaneous thoughts racing in her mind, her body craves for a well-deserved sleep after spending the night in Ravka's freezing weather, and her empty stomach screams for a meal.
"You look like shit."
She jumps in fright when a voice echoes through the room, and automatically places a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm her heart. She doesn't need to open her eyes to know who it is. "Levi."
The man is lazily seated on a chair, yet his brown eyes attentively examine every inch of his cousin's appearance. He was starting to consider everything reasonably normal, until spotting the dried tears on her cheeks, now rosy from the cold. Levi opens his mouth to question, but is interrupted by the woman, who, thinking that his gaze was on her bloody hands, thought he had mistaken the dried scarlet liquid as hers.
"Not mine."
"That's weird. I thought your tears were yours."
She immediately opens her eyes to look at him. "I thought you were—"
"It's easy to know this isn't your blood, Kat." He stands up from the chair and heads towards the room's door. "Take a bath and then we'll talk."
Katherine obeys him, gathering a new pair of clothes to wear before going to the washroom. If she wasn't so tired and cold, she would wait for the water to naturally fill the bathtub, but as this wasn't the case, she quickly made a spell to conjure hot water inside the tub. The witch sighs in relief when her skin makes contact with the liquid, finally feeling comfortable and sensing her tense body slowly ease.
She takes her time in the washroom, wanting nothing but to calm her mind and clean herself. The water is almost cold when she decides to go back to her room, only to find Levi laying on the bed with closed eyes.
"I left you a plate." He points at the desk, which now has food and drinks. "You must be starving, so eat."
The shadow singer isn't able to stop the small smile forming on her lips. "You are being too gentle with me. That is unusual."
"I don't want you looking even more like a malnourished person." With a smirk, he opens an eye to see her face hardens. "Better?"
"Come back to your tender version, arsehole."
The man only shrugs and continues to rest as she seats on the chair and begins to eat. The peaceful silence that they stay makes Katherine smile a bit. It has always been like this with Levi: excited when the two seek a distraction, tranquil when one of them goes through something terrible... From the moment they met, as soon as Katheribe entered the Mikaelson residence at eight years old, the two understood each other. Because they were adopted and sometimes felt a little out of place in the world, they were always each other's anchor. Of course, Michelle joined them too, but for her the person who is by her side every time is Agatha.
A sudden wind escapes through the wooden window, making the shadow singer shiver. Without thinking, she grabs the warmest thing in the room and puts it around her shoulders as if it was a blanket.
"This cloak isn't yours."
Her body instantly stiffens with the realization of what clothing she has chosen. "I..."
"It's from Kirigan, isn't it?" She looks down in nervousness, fearing for a moment his words. "I don't share the same thoughts as Hope, Kat. I think he does you good."
"I don't know about that."
There's a creaking noise near her, probably the bed as Levi moved to sit straight. "What do you mean?"
"We fought."
"Why?"
"Because he wants to expand the Fold." Her voice is barely a whisper as she faces her cousin with a clenching heart. "H-He wants power and the safety of Grishas, but is following the wrong path to achieve it."
The man is with a stern expression now, quickly understanding the seriousness of the situation that his cousin put herself in. "If he expands the Fold, there will be an imbalance."
Katherine nods. "I told him that. He will be hated, his people will be hated, our people will be hated."
"You have to stop him, Kat. Those Supernaturals don't have elsewhere to go. They don't deserve to live another hunt."
"I know, and that's why I told him to architect a coup against the Lantsov."
"A coup against the Lants— Are you insane?! This is not our country to mess with!"
"But it's still our people! You said it yourself that those Supernaturals don't deserve another hunt, and there will be one if we don't interfere."
"Katherine—"
She rushes to his side as if he would storm out of the room at any moment. "Please, Levi. We cannot just gather Agatha's memories back and leave as if nothing happened. We made a deal with these people, they are trusting us to help them get a better life. Disappointing them is not an option!"
"I don't want to let them down either, but being part of a coup? Really?"
"You have already been in thousands! Why is this one different? Besides, this plan will prevent a magical imbalance. The Fold will be right where it is without any reduction nor expansion. The hatred towards our people will decrease."
He massages his temples as an attempt to ease the thoughts that are starting to race inside his head. This is one of the times when Levi is sure that Katherine just seems to be the Mikaelson that doesn't get others into trouble. She indeed is the one who had put the family in less problems, however, all of her bad situations are unpredictably worse than all of the others. "I'm still not sure about this."
"You and Michelle have traveled the entire Ravka. You have seen some cities' misery and helplessness against the war, you have witnessed awful life conditions for mortals, Grishas and Supernaturals. There is no way that you haven't concluded that even the mortals aren't satisfied with the Lantsovs reign. If they continue to rule like that, it will only be a matter of time before someone explodes against them."
"It will take centuries for that to happen, Kat."
"That's a blink of an eye for us, so what's the matter in just fastening it a little?"
The man opens his mouth to answer her, but before his voice echoes in the room, he feels Katherine's warm and slender fingers touch his temple. Levi enters in a sudden trance due to having access to his cousin's argument with Kirigan. He sees her crying while revealing intimate secrets and the General's mournful face as he listens to her. Then he calms her down and gives his cloak to her. Finally, the sweet moment transforms into a frustrating one, the woods' darkness increasing as they shout at each other.
After what felt like eternity, though it only lasted a second, the memory transmitter spell vanishes from Levi's mind. The man opens his eyes only to see his cousin looking at him expectantly and, although not knowing if her idea is a good one, he doesn't find in himself the ability to reject her. Because he remembers the countless times when she came back to Praecantrix with a loving smile on her lips or a calmness that implies that she is at peace with herself. Kirigan makes Katherine want to live, and the Ancestors know how she struggles to have the desire to be alive.
The younger Mikaelson glances at the woman for a few more moments before agreeing. "Fine! I'll help you with that fucking plan."
The hug that Katherine gives him warms his heart and, deep down his soul, Levi knows he made the right choice.
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3 days later — Os Alta, Ravka
It's been three days since her fight with Kirigan and he hasn't contacted her yet. Katherine tries to maintain herself occupied to not think about the General, but it's useless. No matter how many meetings she has with Anastasia to tell her what's the current situation in the country, how much discussions she has with Levi about the coup against the Lantsovs or how many hours she passes searching for a memory spell for Agatha, her mind will always find a way to come back to The Darkling. Without noticing, the shadow singer found herself sleeping with his cloak at night, smelling the sandalwood scent in order to obtain comfort.
How is he? Is he as woeful as I am? Has he at least considered giving up his plan? Did he get scared with my sorrowful mind and furious yells? Does he think I rejected him for being the Black Heretic?
Katherine groans and opens her eyes to gaze at the ceiling. For the Ancestors sake, what is happening to her?! Not even in her most especial romances she has been like that, so why is it different with Kirigan?
Anastasia saw her concentration slipping countless times in these days and, whenever they were alone, she would say that this is all due to the strong bond The Handler shares with The Darkling. Of course, she happily ignored the hybrid, not finding sense that just because she is in love she can act like a fool.
"No!" Katherine abruptly sits up, her light green eyes widening at the sudden realization. "I am not falling in love."
You are, miss. Umbra's sweet voice echoes in her ears.
"No, I am not!" She shakes her head in denial. "I can't."
That isn't something you can control. For once, trust your instincts, miss; it's been ages since you have allowed yourself to love again.
"But, like Hope said, he may break my heart—"
He won't.
"—And if he does, I don't know how long it will take me to recover."
You won't have to pass through that again because he won't hurt you.
"How are you so sure about that?"
Because we know him too.
Katherine frowns, confused at the statement. "What do you mean by that?" The shadow doesn't reply to her. "Umbra?" Again, there is no answer, though she can feel a dark figure excitingly approaching her. Taking that as a cue, the witch makes another calling attempt, finally feeling that this time she will be answered. "Umbra!"
No. Cheshire. The creature corrects her.
"Cheshire!" She immediately stands up to properly face the grinning shadow. Oh, she has been so worried about it, thinking something had hurt it and made it unable to come back to her. She has asked her shadows innumerable times about Cheshire, but none of them gave her any concrete response. "What are you doing here? You left for days without any warning and came back as if nothing had happened?"
I was watching over someone.
"A person?! Have them harm you or discover your hideout? If so, I swear that I will hunt and torture them until—"
There is no need to frat, Katherine. I am alright.
The witch lets out a heavy sigh, not taking her eyes away from the dark figure. "Are you sure?"
Yes! Its sharp smile increases as it extends her a small piece of paper. I even have a message for you!
"A message?" The creature nods and she takes the paper from its tail. The air in her lungs instantly stops as she recognizes the neat handwriting. It is identical to the one on the notebooks on the General's office that she read while being disguised as a handmaiden. "You were spying on Kirigan?" Cheshire nods again. "Why?"
Because I needed to warn you in case he wanted to see you again. Now, read the letter.
Katherine glances down at her shaking hands and gulps as she reads the five words written.
I changed my mind.
- Kirigan
Her heart skips a beat at the thought of meeting him again, her stomach starts to twist in nervousness of what he will say to her. He changed his mind. Kirigan has given up that insane plan of his and put some sense inside his head. Does that mean that he now agrees with her 'discreet way' of gaining power and, therefore, wants to execute it?
There is only one way to find out. Cheshire's voice interrupts her thoughts.
She bites her lip, uncertain on what to do, but concludes that her talk with The Darkling will be fruitless if she searches for him now. She is with a lot on her head at the moment, and he must be already asleep. Katherine then spends the rest of the night with Nick, Levi and Michelle, seeking after an effective memory spell for Agatha and discussing the possibilities that won't harm her cousin.
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It is afternoon when Kirigan leaves the Grisha training camps to go to his war room. He has spent the morning watching all the practices of the Second Army for at least half an hour, analyzing the soldiers and listening to reports from the regents of each Grisha order. It was tiring, to say the least, but it has restrained him from thinking about a certain witch. He has nothing to do now but believe that Cheshire has delivered her the message and that she is willing to meet him again.
"Moi soverenyi." The General stops on his tracks as he hears Ivan's urgent voice.
He has to hold the urge to roll his eyes at the thought that there has been an emergency and he is now being needed. "Yes?"
"I can hear a heartbeat." The Heartrender approaches him. "There's someone in your chambers."
Katherine.
He takes a deep breath to contain the mix of excitement and nervousness. Only the thought of seeing the woman again makes a shiver run over him. "If it is an intruder, I will take care of them myself."
Without looking back, The Darkling enters the war room only to find it empty. This makes his whole body go into alert, beginning to consider the idea of a real intruder. He looks around in search of the slightest movement that a person can make, attentive to any detail in the room that may imply that someone was — and still is — there. Kirigan stretches his fingers, ready to attack whoever is daring to spy on or harm him, and begins to slowly walk around the chamber to analyze it more clearly.
A sudden wind by his right makes his gaze instantly go in that direction. His hands begin to move in order to summon a shadow, but he stops as he sees a small piece of darkness circling the said members. For a moment, his whole body stiffens. He wasn't the one who conjured it.
Then another tiny shadow circles his hands again and consequently produces a slight wind, the same delicate draft that made him look to his right. There are only two people who can create darkness as him: Baghra and Katherine. He prays that it is the latter, since he cannot even bear the thought of having a conversation with his mother right now.
However, as another innocent shadow circles his hands again, the General just knows that it is Katherine. The memory of him summoning a tiny piece of darkness to put a strand of hair behind her ear, followed by her imitating the action and making a shadow circle his face, makes the corner of his lips lift in a glimpse of a smile. She remembered the gesture and now is repeating it.
Kirigan turns around only to find her in a dark corner of the room, hidden by its obscurity. She takes a step forwards, letting the light illuminate her slander frame. The witch is blushing and her mouth quivers into a small grin as her eyes meet his. As she begins to speak, she tightens the grip around the black cloak on her body, his cloak. "I was starting to get impatient. I waited for you all morning."
To say that his ego didn't float in joy with that statement is a blatant lie. "Did you?" She nods. "Then why didn't you search for me? I am sure you could've managed to find me."
"I wanted to surprise you." Katherine unbuttons the cloak and takes it off of her shoulders. Of course she isn't happy to undo herself from such a warming — and nice-smelling — clothing, but it belongs to Kirigan and he would soon demand it back anyways. "Besides, it would be unwise to walk through the hallways wearing The Darkling's cloak. Rumors about your love life would be made."
He raises his eyebrow, amused. "Rumors about my love life are already made. It wouldn't be unusual for a new one to appear."
"But it would be unusual for a random woman to shamelessly be with your clothes."
The witch's gracious steps echo in the war room as she goes to his desk and, whilst leaving the cloak on his chair, picks up a certain paper. Their contract. Argh, Kirigan has forgotten that he left this there in the early morning. "You know, I wasn't born with the gift of negotiation. My father was the one who had it."
"So why did you learn it, then?"
"Because I wanted to be just like him." Her light green eyes look away from the contract to gaze at him. For an instant, the General is concerned that her sad smile will lead to another breakdown. "He was considered the noble one of my family, always knowing the right words for any situation and the exact moment they were needed. His deals were unpredictable, and his wisdom, along with his patient yet indifferent facade, used to shock everyone."
"He seems to have been a memorable man." The Darkling honestly says, thinking that no one who has crossed Katherine's dad path was able to forget him.
"He certainly was." She looks away, probably having memories about him, but then a sudden chuckle surprises Kirigan. "I remember hearing my uncle Klaus saying that my father was the brother to summon when negotiations were made, whilst he was the one to appear when those ended. These two complemented each other: Elijah was the mind while Klaus was the fists."
"Your family seems united."
"We are."
When Aleksander was young and finally met Ulla, his half-sister that he spent countless days searching for, he used to constantly think about what would have happened if Baghra hadn't given away the girl to the lover who had sired her. These thoughts have tormented his mind for ages, but as time flew and he started to learn to accept his life instead of lamenting it, they began to fade. However, that doesn't stop him from grieving for brief moments about the sister he will never see again or the life that he couldn't have.
"That must be wonderful."
"It is." The shadow singer gives him a sad smile, as if she knew what thoughts were in his mind. "Especially because we are always welcoming with those we love."
Kirigan swears that he felt his heart skipping a beat. He couldn't help but feel proud to see her pale cheeks getting red and her gaze immediately falling back to the contract. "As I said—", she quickly changed the subject "I wanted to be like my father. So I started to go to the meetings he allowed me to witness. I loved every single one. I would sit in a dark corner and observe the behaviors in the room, analyze the reactions as the talk went by and conclude every emotion that each person was feeling. At the end of the day, I would tell him my discoveries and he would listen before complimenting or correcting me. He would even give me books to read and ask me to examine the reasons why the characters acted in some ways during specific situations."
"He taught you how to read people."
She shakes her head in uncertainty. "I was born with that gift. He only... perfected it."
"He surely did an outstanding job. Has he also taught you how to negotiate?"
"Unfortunately, I had to learn that by myself. He only had time to teach me the basics before dying. And although not knowing a thing about making deals, I had two traits in my favor. The first one was my ability to read people."
"And the second one?"
"I was never an easy person to fool." His amused glance makes her release a small chuckle. "I have always helped the Supernaturals in New Orleans and, by doing that, I have seen many mortals seeking witches for a spell. They would appear with a desperate face and give whatever money amount that the witch demanded. When I grew up, I decided that it was this kind of negotiation that I would follow."
The Darkling raises a skeptical eyebrow. "But you aren't paid with money. You require favors in exchange for a spell."
Katherine's red lips quiver in a smirk. "Exactly. I was raised by a wealthy family; I already have my own money and don't need more. Favors, on the other hand, are always precious, especially ones that my client will only find out by the time I need them." Finally, she leaves the contract on the desk and turns to Kirigan. "This type of negotiation though is dangerous, uncertain. I would be persecuted by hunters and acquaintances of my clients if I showed my face. Therefore, I had to find a way to stay safe and guarantee that no one would ever betray me."
"So you began to sign the bargains with blood and cast a spell that prevented them from revealing who you are."
She nods. "Blood magic is unbreakable and trackable. It is the only magic that allows me to locate my clients even after centuries that I accomplished their wishes. The silencing spell, along with my shadows gathering letters addressed to me, ensures that my identity is still a secret and that no one will ever dare to confront me. After all, I just meet people in places that I know with the back of my hand."
Genius. Kirigan thinks, stunned at the woman's declarations.
He looks at her from the top to bottom before asking: "Why the name Handler?"
"I don't know. Why the name Darkling?" Katherine chuckles as he rolls his eyes in annoyance. However, she silently approaches him without breaking eye contact nor making a noise. He discretely takes a deep breath as she takes off the ruby ring on her right ring finger and reveals a tattooed thin black line circling her finger. "Because I am a handler but, mainly, because I have everyone wrapped around my finger. I handle all the wishes and dreams of people, therefore, I have the power to accomplish or crush them." Her light green eyes meet his dark browns in false innocence. "Manipulation is an art, and I am the best artist the world has ever seen."
The smile he gives her is able to hypnotize and lure anyone to do the wishes of the General of the Second Army. But not Katherine. She isn't a fool to believe in sweet lies, and the increasing smirk on her face only comproves that she has understood his little act. The witch ignores all the nervousness growing in her stomach as she touches the man's cheek. "Manipulation suits you."
Kirigan's heart is beating as fast as a drum when he coups her warm — and currently red — face. "I am afraid I'll have to say the same to you, milaya."
Her eyes widen in surprise, the air in her lungs gone from the moment he has called her that. Milaya means 'darling' in russian. Did he actually mean that or was it unintentional? It certainly seems an unusual behavior from the cold Shadow Summoner everyone knows, but to Katherine this feels right, an action she didn't know she was needing.
"Come—", his soothing voice takes the witch away from her reveries "I have to show you something."
She tries not to stutter, but her efforts are useless as her mind is still on the affectionate name. "W-What?"
"You'll see."
He extends a hand to her, which she accepts, and leads her through his private hallways until they get to the Little Palaces stables. She stays hidden in the shadows as Kirigan orders a servant to prepare his black stallion. The waiting is almost nonexistent and soon he is mounting the horse and entering the woods.
Katherine travels through the shadows until the man stops at a place where no one can see them and invites her to be with him. He helps her into the saddle and sits behind her, tightly gripping the animal's rope to ensure that she is between his arms and won't fall. Kirigan lets out a genuine laugh when she startles as the stallion starts to suddenly gallop.
Both of them are so immersed in delight that they don't even notice that they arrived at their destination. After the two get to the snowy floor, the witch observes the place where they are at. She frowns in confusion as soon as her eyes meet the Black Heretic fountain.
"Why here?"
"To seal our deal in the place where it all began." He says while tying his black horse on a tree.
She opens her mouth to question him, but her words vanish as soon as The Darkling begins to summon darkness. Shivers run down her entire body as he expertly expands the shadow and shapes it into the form of a huge sharp blade. Katherine's jaw drops as he releases it towards some trees, slicing them in halves. It made a perfect cut; the dark wisps of smoke fading in the air are the only proof that an ability from small science was what provoked this.
She doesn't know how long she stays still while admiring the sliced wood, but it must have been good minutes because Kirigan is now impatiently staring at her. "Any thoughts to share?"
"It..." She sighs, still taken aback by the technique. "It's beautiful."
That wasn't what he was expecting. Of course, Katherine has already shown signs of excitement towards the Cut, but this still took the man aback. No one has ever told him that. The Cut has always been a way to make people fear him, being used only for attack and self-defense. The blood it sheds easily frightens enemies like the drüskelle or others who dare to cross his path. But the witch in front of him isn't scared. No, she is elated, looking at it as if it was the most mesmerizing thing her eyes have ever witnessed.
"Wonderful!" She excitedly faces him. "Are you sure it isn't magic?"
He couldn't hold back the smile, a reflection of the joy evading his body. Finally he is truly being accepted by someone, not having to pretend to be what he isn't. Even after their fight, Katherine willingly came back to him and waited hours to have the opportunity to talk to him alone. She likes his manipulative nature, his power and its lethality, his greatest creation and his dreams. She sat beside him and listened to him, not judging a single part of his past and the choices he has made because of it. She shares everything with him and, instead of cursing him for having some insane plans, she only scolded him and then suggested a better one, a 'more discreet way' to achieve his wishes without ending previous conquests!
Katherine indeed is his true equal, in mind and power. There's no one else in the world that is better than her.
"I am."
She approaches the trees and carefully admires the cleaness of the sliced halves. "It seems so. It's such a powerful ability!"
"Thank you." I guess.
It took almost an hour for the shadow singer to stop asking questions and making observations about the Cut. When she finally straightened her posture and made her way towards Kirigan, he felt a slight twinge of pain at the thought that their conversation was over and so was their deal. The contract has been accomplished by both parts; Katherine is free to go whenever she wants now. However, for what seemed like the nth time of the day, she managed to shock him again.
Her hand is on his face, light green eyes affectionate looking at his dark brown ones. As if to not startle him, she slowly closes the distance between their bodies, a silent warning of her intentions. Both of their gazes fall to each other's mouths and, at the same time, they seal their warm lips together.
The witch lets out a huffed moan as she feels his tongue entering her mouth, and fiercely returns the kiss. The Darkling is fast to clasp her waist and make their bodies collide even more, whilst her hands grip and pull his black hair. The tiny distance that was separating them is now nonexistent. All the old tension between one another is being expressed without words, the crave for each other finally being satisfied.
When breathing becomes a necessity, they break the kiss, panting. Katherine swears that she is about to faint from happiness; her heart is beating so fast that there is no way this isn't a dream. Almost glowing in joy, she looks at the man only to see him with a genuine shining smile.
"You know—", her voice is husky due to the dryness of her throat "I am still waiting for you to explain how your mind changed, dorogoy."
She can feel Kirigan's hands around her waist going completely still as he hears the affectionate name. Satisfied, she patiently waits for an answer, which is nearly instantly: "That can be arranged, milaya."
However, he doesn't move away to go back to the Little Palace and nor does she. They stay exactly how they are, enjoying each other's company in the peaceful silence. Their foreheads are touching as an assurance for both of them that this is not a dream. This is real, and depending on them, will forever continue to be.
“The witch ignores all the nervousness growing in her stomach as she touches the man's cheek. ‘Manipulation suits you.’ Kirigan's heart is beating as fast as a drum when he coups her warm — and currently red — face. ‘I am afraid I'll have to say the same to you, milaya.’” when i say that i DIED w this
THEM PLAYING W THE SHADOWS AGAAAAAAIN, their talk about the past, the tension between them, aleks doing the cut and kat being taken a back, the nicknames and the KISS
Rumor has it that Aleksander and Katherine will always play with shadows. After all, they are a shadow couple. Also, this will be their sign to recognize each other’s presence!
A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? Firstly, I want to apologize for the long delay. I let you down by making you wait for just a chapter, so I came back with two — one for today and another for tomorrow. I hope you enjoy them. Also, although not posting, I have seen and read and reread every note of yours. These were literally the motivations that took me back to writing, so thank you to everyone who's been reading, liking and commenting in the fic! I can't express in words how much you are important to me! Finally, I was gone for a while due to personal reasons. Honestly, I was a mess and, because of that, had to take some time for myself. But I am better now and have found pleasure in writing again! I think all I want to say is: take care of yourselves — mental health is really important — and remember that you are special; you are beautiful and perfect just the way you are💕
A/N: The Darkling's memories which have Baghra are made with quotes from "The Demon in the Wood", so it totally belongs to Leigh Bardugo!
A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
word count: 4942
warnings: mentions of suicide attempts, self harm, death and witch hunt
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The shock on her face increases, for once not knowing what to do. Katherine can only stare at The Darkling as he talks. She hears a few accusations — truths — about her killing Malyen Oretsev, but doesn't pay attention to any of that, since the thought that occupies her head is that everything is not making sense. Kirigan created the Shadow Fold, he's The Black Heretic; he surely was chased by many otkazat'sya in his life, including tsar Anastas guards, and seen with his own eyes other Grishas fighting against each other for survival and then brutally dying. It's impossible that he hasn't seen any change in Ravka after the creation of the Unsea, that he hasn't seen his country beginning to have more peace and haven for his people. So why does he have the desire to end the Fold?
Only an idiot would want that, and she knows that Kirigan isn't one.
"Do you have something to say about all of this?" The witch is able to finally hear clearly an entire sentence from him. She blinks a few times to concentrate on the General's stern face and look at the dark brown eyes that are fuming with rage.
"What really is your plan?"
"The one that you possibly ruined forever?!" He yells at her, all his patience gone.
"Anastasia said that Ravka before the Fold's creation was a complete disgrace." Katherine blatantly ignores him. "Supernaturals and Grishas lived in dread of being accused of practicing small science or magic, of getting persecuted, tortured and killed. Or worse, of having someone they love find that destiny!"
The Darkling clenches his jaw in indignation. Katherine is close to discovering his true intentions, and he doesn't know what her reaction will be, because expanding the Unsea would probably break magical balance, which she so fiercely protects. "Who's that woman?"
"Someone older and cleverer than you and I. But she doesn't matter to this conversation. What matters is her saying: that the Fold reduced the number of mortals defying and sentencing our people, and even protects Ravka from the war against the Fjerdan and the Shu Han." She approaches him with a pointing finger. "Your creation, Kirigan." The woman pokes her finger on his chest, which slightly pushes him backwards. "Your bloody creation did that! So why fucking end it?!"
"You ruined my plan!"
"The plan that would bring disgrace into my people again? Yes, I ruined it, and thank the Ancestors that I did it!"
"My plan would strengthen Ravka!"
She chuckles. "Oh, yes, by giving all the power to an inexperienced lightscum."
Lightscum, as if Alina's power was something to be disgusted about.
Of course, the General heard from Genya and the Sun Summoner of how cold Ms. Anya, the handmaiden, was towards the latter. They used to say that she seemed annoyed whenever Alina was close and never talked to her unless she asked something. For a brief moment, he recalls a conversation with the younger woman in which she said that Ms. Anya had never shared a smile with her and was only second to Baghra in rudeness because she hadn't beaten her with a stick... yet.
At the time, The Darkling thought the issue was jealousy or contempt over a Grisha. However, now he knows that it can't be the latter, since Katherine is a witch, but at the same time, the first option doesn't seem right. The shadow singer's voice at the mention of Alina was of grudge instead of anger, and this isn't typical of jealousy.
Now it was his turn to let out a small mocking laugh. "You really think I would give all the power to her?"
"Of course you would! Her light blinds you till it destroys you! That's what they are: traitors."
"Alina is too young to have the mind to betray her kind." Kirigan has to gather all of his strength to not ask all the questions he wants the answers to. Of why Katherine truly killed Malyen Oretsev and why the name 'lightscum' for who has the power of light, of what happened to her when she was taken away from him, of how she got here and discovered he is The Black Heretic... He truly wants to know the witch, all of her; body, heart and soul. But there's a specific question that his whole being screams for an immediate answer — he wishes to look at her eyes and say 'are you alright?'. However, he feels it'll be better to wait until Katherine blurts out everything that's inside her head to then fulfill his desire.
Cheshire told him this morning to listen to her before acting, and that's what he'll do. After all, to gain this woman, he has to understand her.
"She hadn't been with her kind until a few months ago! No matter how much time she spends with Grisha, she will always prefer the mortals because they were who raised her!" Katherine's last string of patience runs out. Without being aware of her uncontrollable behavior, she starts yelling in rage, every concealed thought of hers pleading to be freed. "And even if that weren't the case, she would be capable of treason because that's how lightscums are: fucking snobs who only care about themselves. For you to have a glimpse of how much they lack character, they have a habit of stealing other lightscums' power for themselves, so that they are more powerful and have no competition in the way. I've never known one worthy of loyalty, mainly because everyone I've given the slightest bit of trust has stabbed me in the back!"
"I'm sure Alina is not like that."
"Stop defending her!" The General raises his eyebrows as she shouts in english, the shadows in the woods increasing and turning the place darker with all the fury she's feeling. Wrath took her completely, till the point she cannot control her powers and translate her words into ravkan. "I am a trickle in the middle of a river of them and they took every inch of happiness I have had from the beginning! My lightscums breeders used to beat me until I lost conscience, and those two wenches that were born along with me used to call me horrendous names. Years after I left and found a family, they took some of them from me. I know that because the man who whipped my back uncountable times was the lightscum who helped in the plan to kill my aunt, my uncle and my father. MY BLOODY FATHER!"
The Darkling's heart clenches in his chest while hearing these confessions; his mind, a mix of sadness and anger. Sadness for knowing how much Katherine has been hurt in life, and anger for those who dared to do that to her. These feelings only increase when he sees tears wetting her eyes. A stab in his guts would be better than witnessing these beautiful light green orbs full of sorrow.
"He was the only one who never judged me, and they killed him." Her knees give way to the freezing floor, weak from having to hold the weight of a heartache that was stuck inside her for decades, centuries, even. "I tried—" She takes a deep shaking breath to recompose herself, but fails miserably. "I tried to meet other lightscums, but they always betrayed me. The result was countless assassination attempts and lovers and friends approaching me out of interest only to turn their backs on me after I didn't give them influence in the Supernatural community."
"Katherine—"
"After so much effort for nothing, I concluded that they are scums! All of them, no matter what!" Finally, she faces him, which makes him see how wounded she still is with these horrible events. Saints, if he had the power to go back in time to kill everyone who helped on breaking Katherine, he would gladly do it. "You want to know why I killed your tracker? Because I'm fucking TIRED! I'm tired of being mistreated for having shadows. I'm tired of being replaced by a lightscum and seeing others live the consequences of their actions. But you know what I'm really tired of? To see my people suffering."
A shiver runs down through the witch's spine by what she is going to say next, for once, not caring about the Shadow Summoner's rejection. After all, she was classified as second place the moment when he choses Alina over her. Now, the only things that matter to Katherine are regaining Agatha's memories and protecting the Supernaturals and herself from two certain Grishas.
The Darkling, because he is the person who Katherine has fallen for and the mind behind the plan of destroying the Unsea. And Alina, because she is the puppet that will concret the plan.
"So don't expect me to do nothing when their safety is threatened." Her voice fails a little from physical and emotional exhaustion. "I will do everything in my power to leave this Fold intact and let that lightscum away from an amplifier. If you want to give her the Morozova stag, the sea whip and the firebird for her to produce magic, you'll have to pass through me. And believe when I say that my shadows are loyal, and will always protect me."
A fragment of her still screams to be freed — the one who wants to ask why would he destroy his greatest creation — but she conceals that part inside of her. It's not the time to question that, not yet.
Shock is expressed all over in the General's face. His dark brown eyes are widened; his eyebrows, raised; his mouth, slightly agape. He thinks of all the ways the witch could have discovered this, until he concludes that the most accurates options are through confidential conversations in the Little Palace or by rummaging through his chambers. However, none of them make sense. The first, because Kirigan never shared with anyone the plan to go after the other two amplifiers; the second, because he is sure that Katherine has only been in his room once, and on that day she was reading a page which had notes only about the Morozova's stag and, on the corner of it, the name 'hanging tree' was alone, without any explanation underneath it.
The Darkling opens his mouth to demand how she found out his intentions, but closes it as soon as he remembers the first time they had a real conversation. He woke up earlier to return those ludicrous books in Norse runes to the Little Palace's library just to then see 'Ms. Anya' carefully reading the Latin titles. Though what really caught his attention that day was the old red book on her hands, one with a worn cover and light brown pages from its use.
Katherine read the Istorii Sankt'ya. His Istorii Sankt'ya, which later he found out that she made notes on its final page. Katherine's wisdom, however, never seems to fail him, since all the scratches were written in Norse runes. So even if he wants to read it — and the Saints know how he tried —, he can't, because he doesn't understand the language.
He has to urgently find a translator as soon as he gets back to the Little Palace.
"My book."
The witch scoffs by hearing the realization in his voice. "I'm not a fool that cannot see through the images, Kirigan. The page with the Morozova stag, the sea whip and the firebird was opened on my lap as I learned about amplifiers. It took me a single look to question what would happen if a Grisha had more than one."
"Have you told—" He stops when she shakes her head, his heart racing as fast as a horse as she speaks again.
"Nature didn't make Grishas' body to handle magic. Even if they manage to practice it, they can't control it. You must know that." With her jaw, Katherine points at the Fold behind her. "Did it hurt when you did it? Had you felt you were going to die in agony?"
He takes a deep breath, as if the action would encourage him to confess. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, The Darkling says: "Yes."
Her answer is a simple nod, while her eyes fall to the ground in shame. "I've broken many magical balances in my life. All of them hurted, and in all of them I begged to die." Kirigan can feel his heart clenching as she tells him the truth, not wanting to imagine her in a breakdown worse than now. "I'm not proud of these moments, but they were from a time when I couldn't stand breathing anymore. Have you ever felt that? The need to just... end it all and rest forever."
He thought that so many times, but the most remarkable one was when tsar Anastas' guards murdered Luda in front of him.
He wants to say that to Katherine, to guarantee that she's not insane to have such thoughts, but he knows that only his experience won't prove anything to her. Therefore, instead of exposing his feelings, he states: "It's impossible to be an immortal and not think of that. You're not alone."
This makes the witch go into a trance, remembering all the times she tried to end herself. Silent tears run down her face as she realizes that she's had these sick thoughts for ages and that in no time they seem to go away. Of course, she also has good memories, but they are useless when sorrow gnaws at her, especially when it's related to her father. Elijah Mikaelson was the most special person in Katherine Morris' life; he gave her a home, a family, made her feel loved and comfortable with her own powers. His death made Katherine lose any sanity that kept her on her feet. No matter how many times the shadow singer tries to forget, she will always remember that the first magical balance she broke was while practicing necromancy in hopes of bringing her dad back. She almost died during the countless experiments, and actually succeeded in resurrecting some people, but never her father, nor her uncle Klaus or her aunt Hayley. Since they died, their bodies were nothing more than ashes running through the wind. If only these ashes were kept on an urn, maybe she could make another successful necromancy.
But they aren't, so these Mikaelsons will continue dead and the witch will have to deal with grief for eternity. However, there is still a place where she can reunite with them: afterlife. It didn't take long since Katherine started her attempts to end herself.
The woman looks at her forearms, at the permanent thin white lines she made in order to stop the grief and intrusive thoughts. "You sure?" Her voice trembles and her heart clenches by remembering such a dark period of her life.
"I am." The General reassures her with a soothing tone, wanting to calm her and prevent another breakdown.
Taking her silence as a cue, Kirigan moves his fingers and summons a tiny shadow. The small piece of darkness floats around his hand before he guides it towards Katherine.
The air in her lungs is gone as soon as she feels something putting a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes look at her side to discover what has done this, but has no success, since the shadow is long gone. However, she faces the Grisha in front of her just in time to see him summoning another piece of darkness. He doesn't break eye contact as he releases the shadow to repeat the action with another dark brown lock of hers. The corner of his lips are twisted in an almost imperceptible smile. Almost.
"You're not alone, Katherine, and even if you were once, I won't let that happen again."
"You aren't able to do that."
"I am. But for that to happen, you have to let me in." Kirigan notices the darkness in the woods slowly coming back to normal, letting him see the place clearer. This is a sign that his plan is working. Calming Katherine down to then approach and hold her was indeed the right path to follow. "Let me know you and I'll let you know me. That way you will never be alone anymore."
The woman gives him a small smile when his shadow slightly touches her face, the tension on her shoulders instantly vanishing. It felt so good and relieving that she wants him to feel the same. Katherine then conjures a small piece of darkness and releases it towards him, making it circle his face.
The Darkling chuckles a little, enchanted by seeing his equal using her powers, and his heart skips a beat when she says: "You're not alone either, Kirigan."
The General wants nothing but to be close to her and hold her in his arms right now, however, he knows that the witch will easily be shocked if he does that without warning. So he slowly approaches her, analyzing her confused expression till he carefully sits by her side on the freezing snow. Kirigan makes sure that Katherine can predict every movement of his so that, if she gets upset, she can stop him. But she doesn't move, not even an inch away from him. The woman just observes as he unbutton his black cloak and cautiously places it on her shoulders, the heavy clothing instantly warming her cold body. Yet it's not only her body that is warmed with Kirigan's gesture, since her heart almost melts to see such tenderness coming from the most feared man in the country.
Then, without looking away from the witch's beautiful light green eyes, he whispers: "I don't want to end the Fold."
Katherine swears that she literally felt the air leaving her lungs. "W-What?"
He raises a hand at her, a silent request for her to listen to him without making any interruptions. She looks at him expectantly, ready to hear everything with as much attention as possible. So he tells her all: how he spent his whole life hiding with his mother, moving from village to village without even having a chance to interact properly with those his own age. The General lets out a rueful laugh as he briefly reveals his childhood fear of forgetting his real name, as each season both he and Baghra had a new identity.
'It's my own name I'm afraid of forgetting', he used to say to Baghra, and she would always tap his chest and draw the letter A on it. A of Aleksander.
'Your true name is written here', she would suddenly speak softly. 'Tattooed on your heart. You don't let just anyone read it.'
And he believed her in that till nowadays. Even not needing to hide his true nature anymore, he still conceals his birth name from the world. It's his most well kept secret; no one but he and his mother knows the truth. However, he is willing to extend this secret to one more person just for the incessant desire to hear Katherine say 'Aleksander'. Just the thought of hearing her calm voice calling to him makes his whole body shiver with lust.
Kirigan also tells the witch of his attempts to peacefully end prejudice against Grishas, that the formation of the Second Army was just that. With a heavy heart, the General also mentions Luda, a lover from centuries ago who he planned to run away with, but unfortunately was murdered before his eyes by royal soldiers.
Finally, The Darkling reveals that the famous story of the Black Heretic is partially true. He indeed tried to create his own army using merzost, but the motive wasn't out of thirst for power, but for revenge; resentment towards the injustice against Grishas and the desire to make a safe place for his people was all that crossed his mind at the moment. He always had that dream. Luda's death was just the push that made him fulfill it once and for all.
"The Fold protects my people from persecution and from the war." Kirigan lets out a tired sigh. "If I destroy it, I will doom them."
There's a moment of silence between Katherine and him, the quick and meaningless thoughts hammering the witch's head, who tries to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. After failing miserably, she has the courage to say her doubts out loud. "So what do you want to do? Why do you need to amplify Alina's power?"
The General's dark brown eyes meet her light green ones. "You're clever enough to find out, Katherine." She frowns, confused. "Why would I need to use merzost on the Fold?"
You ruined my plan! He yelled at her in rage. My plan would strengthen Ravka!
You really think I would give all the power to her? Kirigan let out a mocking laugh after she said that Alina would wield all magical power if she had three amplifiers.
Alina is too young to have the mind to betray her kind. He brushed Katherine's argument off as if he was sure that the Sun Summoner would never be able to challenge him, as if she wouldn't have the courage nor the strength.
I don't want to end the Fold.
A shiver runs down the shadow singer's spine as she realizes The Darkling's true purpose. Her gaze towards him transforms into shock. She opens her mouth, only to close it later due to shock. After a minute, she finds herself able to shake her head, almost pleading that her hypothesis isn't real. "No."
He only nods to her in response, glad that her wise mind discovered his intention without him needing to speak it out loud. "Yes."
"You want to expand it."
"It will protect my people even more."
"But you'll be hated by the mortals. You'll create another hunt. Grishas will be persecuted again, Kirigan, and so will be my people."
"I will have the power to stop them. No one, not even the tsar and the First Army, will dare to confront us."
"And what will happen to the Grishas that oppose you, who will prefer the Ravka of now instead of your idealization?"
"That won't happen."
"It's stupid of you to not even consider that not everyone thinks the same." Katherine grabs him by his black shirt lapels, wanting to shake him in order to bring sense to his body. "The majority of your army is young! They haven't lived the terror that Ravka once was. They hate the Black Heretic and live in the utopia of a better world without the Fold! If they see you attempting to expand it, Kirigan, they will witness a magical imbalance! They will fear you and your reign, and soon, start a revolution."
"I will be powerful enough to stop them."
"Power is good, but you must know when to stop wielding it, because it will destroy you if you have more than you're able to control."
He shakes his head in disbelief, his mind scolding himself for never seeing the possibility of his plan failing. "No, you are wrong."
"No, you are wrong!" She tightens the grip on his lapels, forcing him to look at her eyes more deeply. "You will destroy everything with that plan of yours. You want power? Take it in the most discreet way!"
"There's no discreet way, Katherine!" The Darkling abruptly separates them, standing up and running a hand through his dark hair. Saints, he's becoming frustrated! "Your people are free; they don't obey anyone because they hide themselves from the otkazat'sya. But mine will only be safe once that fucking tsar is gone!"
"Then do a bloody coup!" The witch shouts while standing up to face the General properly. "If you want the Lantsovs gone, make powerful alliances and discreetly turn people against them. The Second Army is already not fond of them. The Grishas just need a little more to finally hate them fiercely." She slowly approaches him without breaking eye contact. "You are stronger than the king's army; can easily take them down. So why not invest in this coup, which will unite and strengthen your Grishas, instead of expanding the Fold, which will destroy all conquests you've already achieved for your people?"
The woods now are almost without light, exasperated shadows of both Kirigan and Katherine darkening the place. However, the latter slowly fades away as the witch takes deep breaths to calm herself down. The silence between the two equals is tense, but the woman's sharp voice cut it like a blade.
"Find me when you give up that insane plan of yours and your brain finally comes back to your head."
The Darkling's dark brown eyes follow her as she walks towards a tree's shadow and, without looking back, enters it. After a moment, he goes to the same tree and tries to feel her in the darkness, but she's gone. Katherine has literally teleported herself through shadows.
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3 days later — Os Alta, Ravka
He can't sleep.
Tonight's the third night since his argument with Katherine, and also the third night in a row when he finds himself pacing around his room instead of sleeping. He is exhausted, mentally and physically; the witch has made a place in his head without permission. All he can think about are subjects that include her. Is she alright? What happened to her when she was taken away from him that day? Will she ever come back? Is her plan really better than his? Is expanding the Fold indeed worth it?
Finishing his glass of kvas in an only sip, Kirigan suddenly gives up to fight his needs. He abruptly picks a paper and a feather on his messy desk — full of research about magical imbalances and historical revolutions — and writes the message that will make Katherine search him. It's short, yet meaningful. The witch will certainly understand it.
The General slams the feather on the desk and looks around his room, carefully analyzing each shadow inside of it. When there's no sign of any movement, he finally speaks: "I know you are here! Appear now and deliver this message to her!"
The shadow of one of the armchairs near the fireplace moves in answer. Soon, a certain dark creature shows up to him, its big sharpy smile widening by seeing the paper on The Darkling's hand.
"I need to speak to her." With heavy steps, he approaches the monstrous figure. "Make her come to me no matter what, Cheshire."
The paper is taken away from his grip by the shadow, which nods in response before disappearing again. Kirigan makes his way to pour another glass of kvas and comes back to his bed, which is full of books and papers. He spends this night in the same way he did on the other two: by searching for more information about The Handler and rereading countless times the contract he made with Katherine, both of their names now stained with their dried blood.
omfg i knew kat had suffered but not that much. smth inside me says that theres more tho. i just want to protect her from all the evil in the world
also, aleks calming her down and saying shes not alone was heartwarming. i luv them sfm and wish this couple SO bad, but i like this fight to reveal all the truth before bringing them together
PS: THEM PLAYING W THEIR SHADOWS WAS SO CUUUUUTEEEEE
PS2: i missed this fic sfm!!! pls pls PLEASE keep updating
A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
word count: 5066
warnings: none
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Katherine lets out a heavy sigh as she finally arrives at her room at Praecantrix. Her head is aching because of the huge quantity of simultaneous thoughts racing in her mind, her body craves for a well-deserved sleep after spending the night in Ravka's freezing weather, and her empty stomach screams for a meal.
"You look like shit."
She jumps in fright when a voice echoes through the room, and automatically places a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm her heart. She doesn't need to open her eyes to know who it is. "Levi."
The man is lazily seated on a chair, yet his brown eyes attentively examine every inch of his cousin's appearance. He was starting to consider everything reasonably normal, until spotting the dried tears on her cheeks, now rosy from the cold. Levi opens his mouth to question, but is interrupted by the woman, who, thinking that his gaze was on her bloody hands, thought he had mistaken the dried scarlet liquid as hers.
"Not mine."
"That's weird. I thought your tears were yours."
She immediately opens her eyes to look at him. "I thought you were—"
"It's easy to know this isn't your blood, Kat." He stands up from the chair and heads towards the room's door. "Take a bath and then we'll talk."
Katherine obeys him, gathering a new pair of clothes to wear before going to the washroom. If she wasn't so tired and cold, she would wait for the water to naturally fill the bathtub, but as this wasn't the case, she quickly made a spell to conjure hot water inside the tub. The witch sighs in relief when her skin makes contact with the liquid, finally feeling comfortable and sensing her tense body slowly ease.
She takes her time in the washroom, wanting nothing but to calm her mind and clean herself. The water is almost cold when she decides to go back to her room, only to find Levi laying on the bed with closed eyes.
"I left you a plate." He points at the desk, which now has food and drinks. "You must be starving, so eat."
The shadow singer isn't able to stop the small smile forming on her lips. "You are being too gentle with me. That is unusual."
"I don't want you looking even more like a malnourished person." With a smirk, he opens an eye to see her face hardens. "Better?"
"Come back to your tender version, arsehole."
The man only shrugs and continues to rest as she seats on the chair and begins to eat. The peaceful silence that they stay makes Katherine smile a bit. It has always been like this with Levi: excited when the two seek a distraction, tranquil when one of them goes through something terrible... From the moment they met, as soon as Katheribe entered the Mikaelson residence at eight years old, the two understood each other. Because they were adopted and sometimes felt a little out of place in the world, they were always each other's anchor. Of course, Michelle joined them too, but for her the person who is by her side every time is Agatha.
A sudden wind escapes through the wooden window, making the shadow singer shiver. Without thinking, she grabs the warmest thing in the room and puts it around her shoulders as if it was a blanket.
"This cloak isn't yours."
Her body instantly stiffens with the realization of what clothing she has chosen. "I..."
"It's from Kirigan, isn't it?" She looks down in nervousness, fearing for a moment his words. "I don't share the same thoughts as Hope, Kat. I think he does you good."
"I don't know about that."
There's a creaking noise near her, probably the bed as Levi moved to sit straight. "What do you mean?"
"We fought."
"Why?"
"Because he wants to expand the Fold." Her voice is barely a whisper as she faces her cousin with a clenching heart. "H-He wants power and the safety of Grishas, but is following the wrong path to achieve it."
The man is with a stern expression now, quickly understanding the seriousness of the situation that his cousin put herself in. "If he expands the Fold, there will be an imbalance."
Katherine nods. "I told him that. He will be hated, his people will be hated, our people will be hated."
"You have to stop him, Kat. Those Supernaturals don't have elsewhere to go. They don't deserve to live another hunt."
"I know, and that's why I told him to architect a coup against the Lantsov."
"A coup against the Lants— Are you insane?! This is not our country to mess with!"
"But it's still our people! You said it yourself that those Supernaturals don't deserve another hunt, and there will be one if we don't interfere."
"Katherine—"
She rushes to his side as if he would storm out of the room at any moment. "Please, Levi. We cannot just gather Agatha's memories back and leave as if nothing happened. We made a deal with these people, they are trusting us to help them get a better life. Disappointing them is not an option!"
"I don't want to let them down either, but being part of a coup? Really?"
"You have already been in thousands! Why is this one different? Besides, this plan will prevent a magical imbalance. The Fold will be right where it is without any reduction nor expansion. The hatred towards our people will decrease."
He massages his temples as an attempt to ease the thoughts that are starting to race inside his head. This is one of the times when Levi is sure that Katherine just seems to be the Mikaelson that doesn't get others into trouble. She indeed is the one who had put the family in less problems, however, all of her bad situations are unpredictably worse than all of the others. "I'm still not sure about this."
"You and Michelle have traveled the entire Ravka. You have seen some cities' misery and helplessness against the war, you have witnessed awful life conditions for mortals, Grishas and Supernaturals. There is no way that you haven't concluded that even the mortals aren't satisfied with the Lantsovs reign. If they continue to rule like that, it will only be a matter of time before someone explodes against them."
"It will take centuries for that to happen, Kat."
"That's a blink of an eye for us, so what's the matter in just fastening it a little?"
The man opens his mouth to answer her, but before his voice echoes in the room, he feels Katherine's warm and slender fingers touch his temple. Levi enters in a sudden trance due to having access to his cousin's argument with Kirigan. He sees her crying while revealing intimate secrets and the General's mournful face as he listens to her. Then he calms her down and gives his cloak to her. Finally, the sweet moment transforms into a frustrating one, the woods' darkness increasing as they shout at each other.
After what felt like eternity, though it only lasted a second, the memory transmitter spell vanishes from Levi's mind. The man opens his eyes only to see his cousin looking at him expectantly and, although not knowing if her idea is a good one, he doesn't find in himself the ability to reject her. Because he remembers the countless times when she came back to Praecantrix with a loving smile on her lips or a calmness that implies that she is at peace with herself. Kirigan makes Katherine want to live, and the Ancestors know how she struggles to have the desire to be alive.
The younger Mikaelson glances at the woman for a few more moments before agreeing. "Fine! I'll help you with that fucking plan."
The hug that Katherine gives him warms his heart and, deep down his soul, Levi knows he made the right choice.
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3 days later — Os Alta, Ravka
It's been three days since her fight with Kirigan and he hasn't contacted her yet. Katherine tries to maintain herself occupied to not think about the General, but it's useless. No matter how many meetings she has with Anastasia to tell her what's the current situation in the country, how much discussions she has with Levi about the coup against the Lantsovs or how many hours she passes searching for a memory spell for Agatha, her mind will always find a way to come back to The Darkling. Without noticing, the shadow singer found herself sleeping with his cloak at night, smelling the sandalwood scent in order to obtain comfort.
How is he? Is he as woeful as I am? Has he at least considered giving up his plan? Did he get scared with my sorrowful mind and furious yells? Does he think I rejected him for being the Black Heretic?
Katherine groans and opens her eyes to gaze at the ceiling. For the Ancestors sake, what is happening to her?! Not even in her most especial romances she has been like that, so why is it different with Kirigan?
Anastasia saw her concentration slipping countless times in these days and, whenever they were alone, she would say that this is all due to the strong bond The Handler shares with The Darkling. Of course, she happily ignored the hybrid, not finding sense that just because she is in love she can act like a fool.
"No!" Katherine abruptly sits up, her light green eyes widening at the sudden realization. "I am not falling in love."
You are, miss. Umbra's sweet voice echoes in her ears.
"No, I am not!" She shakes her head in denial. "I can't."
That isn't something you can control. For once, trust your instincts, miss; it's been ages since you have allowed yourself to love again.
"But, like Hope said, he may break my heart—"
He won't.
"—And if he does, I don't know how long it will take me to recover."
You won't have to pass through that again because he won't hurt you.
"How are you so sure about that?"
Because we know him too.
Katherine frowns, confused at the statement. "What do you mean by that?" The shadow doesn't reply to her. "Umbra?" Again, there is no answer, though she can feel a dark figure excitingly approaching her. Taking that as a cue, the witch makes another calling attempt, finally feeling that this time she will be answered. "Umbra!"
No. Cheshire. The creature corrects her.
"Cheshire!" She immediately stands up to properly face the grinning shadow. Oh, she has been so worried about it, thinking something had hurt it and made it unable to come back to her. She has asked her shadows innumerable times about Cheshire, but none of them gave her any concrete response. "What are you doing here? You left for days without any warning and came back as if nothing had happened?"
I was watching over someone.
"A person?! Have them harm you or discover your hideout? If so, I swear that I will hunt and torture them until—"
There is no need to frat, Katherine. I am alright.
The witch lets out a heavy sigh, not taking her eyes away from the dark figure. "Are you sure?"
Yes! Its sharp smile increases as it extends her a small piece of paper. I even have a message for you!
"A message?" The creature nods and she takes the paper from its tail. The air in her lungs instantly stops as she recognizes the neat handwriting. It is identical to the one on the notebooks on the General's office that she read while being disguised as a handmaiden. "You were spying on Kirigan?" Cheshire nods again. "Why?"
Because I needed to warn you in case he wanted to see you again. Now, read the letter.
Katherine glances down at her shaking hands and gulps as she reads the five words written.
I changed my mind.
- Kirigan
Her heart skips a beat at the thought of meeting him again, her stomach starts to twist in nervousness of what he will say to her. He changed his mind. Kirigan has given up that insane plan of his and put some sense inside his head. Does that mean that he now agrees with her 'discreet way' of gaining power and, therefore, wants to execute it?
There is only one way to find out. Cheshire's voice interrupts her thoughts.
She bites her lip, uncertain on what to do, but concludes that her talk with The Darkling will be fruitless if she searches for him now. She is with a lot on her head at the moment, and he must be already asleep. Katherine then spends the rest of the night with Nick, Levi and Michelle, seeking after an effective memory spell for Agatha and discussing the possibilities that won't harm her cousin.
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It is afternoon when Kirigan leaves the Grisha training camps to go to his war room. He has spent the morning watching all the practices of the Second Army for at least half an hour, analyzing the soldiers and listening to reports from the regents of each Grisha order. It was tiring, to say the least, but it has restrained him from thinking about a certain witch. He has nothing to do now but believe that Cheshire has delivered her the message and that she is willing to meet him again.
"Moi soverenyi." The General stops on his tracks as he hears Ivan's urgent voice.
He has to hold the urge to roll his eyes at the thought that there has been an emergency and he is now being needed. "Yes?"
"I can hear a heartbeat." The Heartrender approaches him. "There's someone in your chambers."
Katherine.
He takes a deep breath to contain the mix of excitement and nervousness. Only the thought of seeing the woman again makes a shiver run over him. "If it is an intruder, I will take care of them myself."
Without looking back, The Darkling enters the war room only to find it empty. This makes his whole body go into alert, beginning to consider the idea of a real intruder. He looks around in search of the slightest movement that a person can make, attentive to any detail in the room that may imply that someone was — and still is — there. Kirigan stretches his fingers, ready to attack whoever is daring to spy on or harm him, and begins to slowly walk around the chamber to analyze it more clearly.
A sudden wind by his right makes his gaze instantly go in that direction. His hands begin to move in order to summon a shadow, but he stops as he sees a small piece of darkness circling the said members. For a moment, his whole body stiffens. He wasn't the one who conjured it.
Then another tiny shadow circles his hands again and consequently produces a slight wind, the same delicate draft that made him look to his right. There are only two people who can create darkness as him: Baghra and Katherine. He prays that it is the latter, since he cannot even bear the thought of having a conversation with his mother right now.
However, as another innocent shadow circles his hands again, the General just knows that it is Katherine. The memory of him summoning a tiny piece of darkness to put a strand of hair behind her ear, followed by her imitating the action and making a shadow circle his face, makes the corner of his lips lift in a glimpse of a smile. She remembered the gesture and now is repeating it.
Kirigan turns around only to find her in a dark corner of the room, hidden by its obscurity. She takes a step forwards, letting the light illuminate her slander frame. The witch is blushing and her mouth quivers into a small grin as her eyes meet his. As she begins to speak, she tightens the grip around the black cloak on her body, his cloak. "I was starting to get impatient. I waited for you all morning."
To say that his ego didn't float in joy with that statement is a blatant lie. "Did you?" She nods. "Then why didn't you search for me? I am sure you could've managed to find me."
"I wanted to surprise you." Katherine unbuttons the cloak and takes it off of her shoulders. Of course she isn't happy to undo herself from such a warming — and nice-smelling — clothing, but it belongs to Kirigan and he would soon demand it back anyways. "Besides, it would be unwise to walk through the hallways wearing The Darkling's cloak. Rumors about your love life would be made."
He raises his eyebrow, amused. "Rumors about my love life are already made. It wouldn't be unusual for a new one to appear."
"But it would be unusual for a random woman to shamelessly be with your clothes."
The witch's gracious steps echo in the war room as she goes to his desk and, whilst leaving the cloak on his chair, picks up a certain paper. Their contract. Argh, Kirigan has forgotten that he left this there in the early morning. "You know, I wasn't born with the gift of negotiation. My father was the one who had it."
"So why did you learn it, then?"
"Because I wanted to be just like him." Her light green eyes look away from the contract to gaze at him. For an instant, the General is concerned that her sad smile will lead to another breakdown. "He was considered the noble one of my family, always knowing the right words for any situation and the exact moment they were needed. His deals were unpredictable, and his wisdom, along with his patient yet indifferent facade, used to shock everyone."
"He seems to have been a memorable man." The Darkling honestly says, thinking that no one who has crossed Katherine's dad path was able to forget him.
"He certainly was." She looks away, probably having memories about him, but then a sudden chuckle surprises Kirigan. "I remember hearing my uncle Klaus saying that my father was the brother to summon when negotiations were made, whilst he was the one to appear when those ended. These two complemented each other: Elijah was the mind while Klaus was the fists."
"Your family seems united."
"We are."
When Aleksander was young and finally met Ulla, his half-sister that he spent countless days searching for, he used to constantly think about what would have happened if Baghra hadn't given away the girl to the lover who had sired her. These thoughts have tormented his mind for ages, but as time flew and he started to learn to accept his life instead of lamenting it, they began to fade. However, that doesn't stop him from grieving for brief moments about the sister he will never see again or the life that he couldn't have.
"That must be wonderful."
"It is." The shadow singer gives him a sad smile, as if she knew what thoughts were in his mind. "Especially because we are always welcoming with those we love."
Kirigan swears that he felt his heart skipping a beat. He couldn't help but feel proud to see her pale cheeks getting red and her gaze immediately falling back to the contract. "As I said—", she quickly changed the subject "I wanted to be like my father. So I started to go to the meetings he allowed me to witness. I loved every single one. I would sit in a dark corner and observe the behaviors in the room, analyze the reactions as the talk went by and conclude every emotion that each person was feeling. At the end of the day, I would tell him my discoveries and he would listen before complimenting or correcting me. He would even give me books to read and ask me to examine the reasons why the characters acted in some ways during specific situations."
"He taught you how to read people."
She shakes her head in uncertainty. "I was born with that gift. He only... perfected it."
"He surely did an outstanding job. Has he also taught you how to negotiate?"
"Unfortunately, I had to learn that by myself. He only had time to teach me the basics before dying. And although not knowing a thing about making deals, I had two traits in my favor. The first one was my ability to read people."
"And the second one?"
"I was never an easy person to fool." His amused glance makes her release a small chuckle. "I have always helped the Supernaturals in New Orleans and, by doing that, I have seen many mortals seeking witches for a spell. They would appear with a desperate face and give whatever money amount that the witch demanded. When I grew up, I decided that it was this kind of negotiation that I would follow."
The Darkling raises a skeptical eyebrow. "But you aren't paid with money. You require favors in exchange for a spell."
Katherine's red lips quiver in a smirk. "Exactly. I was raised by a wealthy family; I already have my own money and don't need more. Favors, on the other hand, are always precious, especially ones that my client will only find out by the time I need them." Finally, she leaves the contract on the desk and turns to Kirigan. "This type of negotiation though is dangerous, uncertain. I would be persecuted by hunters and acquaintances of my clients if I showed my face. Therefore, I had to find a way to stay safe and guarantee that no one would ever betray me."
"So you began to sign the bargains with blood and cast a spell that prevented them from revealing who you are."
She nods. "Blood magic is unbreakable and trackable. It is the only magic that allows me to locate my clients even after centuries that I accomplished their wishes. The silencing spell, along with my shadows gathering letters addressed to me, ensures that my identity is still a secret and that no one will ever dare to confront me. After all, I just meet people in places that I know with the back of my hand."
Genius. Kirigan thinks, stunned at the woman's declarations.
He looks at her from the top to bottom before asking: "Why the name Handler?"
"I don't know. Why the name Darkling?" Katherine chuckles as he rolls his eyes in annoyance. However, she silently approaches him without breaking eye contact nor making a noise. He discretely takes a deep breath as she takes off the ruby ring on her right ring finger and reveals a tattooed thin black line circling her finger. "Because I am a handler but, mainly, because I have everyone wrapped around my finger. I handle all the wishes and dreams of people, therefore, I have the power to accomplish or crush them." Her light green eyes meet his dark browns in false innocence. "Manipulation is an art, and I am the best artist the world has ever seen."
The smile he gives her is able to hypnotize and lure anyone to do the wishes of the General of the Second Army. But not Katherine. She isn't a fool to believe in sweet lies, and the increasing smirk on her face only comproves that she has understood his little act. The witch ignores all the nervousness growing in her stomach as she touches the man's cheek. "Manipulation suits you."
Kirigan's heart is beating as fast as a drum when he coups her warm — and currently red — face. "I am afraid I'll have to say the same to you, milaya."
Her eyes widen in surprise, the air in her lungs gone from the moment he has called her that. Milaya means 'darling' in russian. Did he actually mean that or was it unintentional? It certainly seems an unusual behavior from the cold Shadow Summoner everyone knows, but to Katherine this feels right, an action she didn't know she was needing.
"Come—", his soothing voice takes the witch away from her reveries "I have to show you something."
She tries not to stutter, but her efforts are useless as her mind is still on the affectionate name. "W-What?"
"You'll see."
He extends a hand to her, which she accepts, and leads her through his private hallways until they get to the Little Palaces stables. She stays hidden in the shadows as Kirigan orders a servant to prepare his black stallion. The waiting is almost nonexistent and soon he is mounting the horse and entering the woods.
Katherine travels through the shadows until the man stops at a place where no one can see them and invites her to be with him. He helps her into the saddle and sits behind her, tightly gripping the animal's rope to ensure that she is between his arms and won't fall. Kirigan lets out a genuine laugh when she startles as the stallion starts to suddenly gallop.
Both of them are so immersed in delight that they don't even notice that they arrived at their destination. After the two get to the snowy floor, the witch observes the place where they are at. She frowns in confusion as soon as her eyes meet the Black Heretic fountain.
"Why here?"
"To seal our deal in the place where it all began." He says while tying his black horse on a tree.
She opens her mouth to question him, but her words vanish as soon as The Darkling begins to summon darkness. Shivers run down her entire body as he expertly expands the shadow and shapes it into the form of a huge sharp blade. Katherine's jaw drops as he releases it towards some trees, slicing them in halves. It made a perfect cut; the dark wisps of smoke fading in the air are the only proof that an ability from small science was what provoked this.
She doesn't know how long she stays still while admiring the sliced wood, but it must have been good minutes because Kirigan is now impatiently staring at her. "Any thoughts to share?"
"It..." She sighs, still taken aback by the technique. "It's beautiful."
That wasn't what he was expecting. Of course, Katherine has already shown signs of excitement towards the Cut, but this still took the man aback. No one has ever told him that. The Cut has always been a way to make people fear him, being used only for attack and self-defense. The blood it sheds easily frightens enemies like the drüskelle or others who dare to cross his path. But the witch in front of him isn't scared. No, she is elated, looking at it as if it was the most mesmerizing thing her eyes have ever witnessed.
"Wonderful!" She excitedly faces him. "Are you sure it isn't magic?"
He couldn't hold back the smile, a reflection of the joy evading his body. Finally he is truly being accepted by someone, not having to pretend to be what he isn't. Even after their fight, Katherine willingly came back to him and waited hours to have the opportunity to talk to him alone. She likes his manipulative nature, his power and its lethality, his greatest creation and his dreams. She sat beside him and listened to him, not judging a single part of his past and the choices he has made because of it. She shares everything with him and, instead of cursing him for having some insane plans, she only scolded him and then suggested a better one, a 'more discreet way' to achieve his wishes without ending previous conquests!
Katherine indeed is his true equal, in mind and power. There's no one else in the world that is better than her.
"I am."
She approaches the trees and carefully admires the cleaness of the sliced halves. "It seems so. It's such a powerful ability!"
"Thank you." I guess.
It took almost an hour for the shadow singer to stop asking questions and making observations about the Cut. When she finally straightened her posture and made her way towards Kirigan, he felt a slight twinge of pain at the thought that their conversation was over and so was their deal. The contract has been accomplished by both parts; Katherine is free to go whenever she wants now. However, for what seemed like the nth time of the day, she managed to shock him again.
Her hand is on his face, light green eyes affectionate looking at his dark brown ones. As if to not startle him, she slowly closes the distance between their bodies, a silent warning of her intentions. Both of their gazes fall to each other's mouths and, at the same time, they seal their warm lips together.
The witch lets out a huffed moan as she feels his tongue entering her mouth, and fiercely returns the kiss. The Darkling is fast to clasp her waist and make their bodies collide even more, whilst her hands grip and pull his black hair. The tiny distance that was separating them is now nonexistent. All the old tension between one another is being expressed without words, the crave for each other finally being satisfied.
When breathing becomes a necessity, they break the kiss, panting. Katherine swears that she is about to faint from happiness; her heart is beating so fast that there is no way this isn't a dream. Almost glowing in joy, she looks at the man only to see him with a genuine shining smile.
"You know—", her voice is husky due to the dryness of her throat "I am still waiting for you to explain how your mind changed, dorogoy."
She can feel Kirigan's hands around her waist going completely still as he hears the affectionate name. Satisfied, she patiently waits for an answer, which is nearly instantly: "That can be arranged, milaya."
However, he doesn't move away to go back to the Little Palace and nor does she. They stay exactly how they are, enjoying each other's company in the peaceful silence. Their foreheads are touching as an assurance for both of them that this is not a dream. This is real, and depending on them, will forever continue to be.
A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? Firstly, I want to apologize for the long delay. I let you down by making you wait for just a chapter, so I came back with two — one for today and another for tomorrow. I hope you enjoy them. Also, although not posting, I have seen and read and reread every note of yours. These were literally the motivations that took me back to writing, so thank you to everyone who's been reading, liking and commenting in the fic! I can't express in words how much you are important to me! Finally, I was gone for a while due to personal reasons. Honestly, I was a mess and, because of that, had to take some time for myself. But I am better now and have found pleasure in writing again! I think all I want to say is: take care of yourselves — mental health is really important — and remember that you are special; you are beautiful and perfect just the way you are💕
A/N: The Darkling's memories which have Baghra are made with quotes from "The Demon in the Wood", so it totally belongs to Leigh Bardugo!
A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
word count: 4942
warnings: mentions of suicide attempts, self harm, death and witch hunt
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The shock on her face increases, for once not knowing what to do. Katherine can only stare at The Darkling as he talks. She hears a few accusations — truths — about her killing Malyen Oretsev, but doesn't pay attention to any of that, since the thought that occupies her head is that everything is not making sense. Kirigan created the Shadow Fold, he's The Black Heretic; he surely was chased by many otkazat'sya in his life, including tsar Anastas guards, and seen with his own eyes other Grishas fighting against each other for survival and then brutally dying. It's impossible that he hasn't seen any change in Ravka after the creation of the Unsea, that he hasn't seen his country beginning to have more peace and haven for his people. So why does he have the desire to end the Fold?
Only an idiot would want that, and she knows that Kirigan isn't one.
"Do you have something to say about all of this?" The witch is able to finally hear clearly an entire sentence from him. She blinks a few times to concentrate on the General's stern face and look at the dark brown eyes that are fuming with rage.
"What really is your plan?"
"The one that you possibly ruined forever?!" He yells at her, all his patience gone.
"Anastasia said that Ravka before the Fold's creation was a complete disgrace." Katherine blatantly ignores him. "Supernaturals and Grishas lived in dread of being accused of practicing small science or magic, of getting persecuted, tortured and killed. Or worse, of having someone they love find that destiny!"
The Darkling clenches his jaw in indignation. Katherine is close to discovering his true intentions, and he doesn't know what her reaction will be, because expanding the Unsea would probably break magical balance, which she so fiercely protects. "Who's that woman?"
"Someone older and cleverer than you and I. But she doesn't matter to this conversation. What matters is her saying: that the Fold reduced the number of mortals defying and sentencing our people, and even protects Ravka from the war against the Fjerdan and the Shu Han." She approaches him with a pointing finger. "Your creation, Kirigan." The woman pokes her finger on his chest, which slightly pushes him backwards. "Your bloody creation did that! So why fucking end it?!"
"You ruined my plan!"
"The plan that would bring disgrace into my people again? Yes, I ruined it, and thank the Ancestors that I did it!"
"My plan would strengthen Ravka!"
She chuckles. "Oh, yes, by giving all the power to an inexperienced lightscum."
Lightscum, as if Alina's power was something to be disgusted about.
Of course, the General heard from Genya and the Sun Summoner of how cold Ms. Anya, the handmaiden, was towards the latter. They used to say that she seemed annoyed whenever Alina was close and never talked to her unless she asked something. For a brief moment, he recalls a conversation with the younger woman in which she said that Ms. Anya had never shared a smile with her and was only second to Baghra in rudeness because she hadn't beaten her with a stick... yet.
At the time, The Darkling thought the issue was jealousy or contempt over a Grisha. However, now he knows that it can't be the latter, since Katherine is a witch, but at the same time, the first option doesn't seem right. The shadow singer's voice at the mention of Alina was of grudge instead of anger, and this isn't typical of jealousy.
Now it was his turn to let out a small mocking laugh. "You really think I would give all the power to her?"
"Of course you would! Her light blinds you till it destroys you! That's what they are: traitors."
"Alina is too young to have the mind to betray her kind." Kirigan has to gather all of his strength to not ask all the questions he wants the answers to. Of why Katherine truly killed Malyen Oretsev and why the name 'lightscum' for who has the power of light, of what happened to her when she was taken away from him, of how she got here and discovered he is The Black Heretic... He truly wants to know the witch, all of her; body, heart and soul. But there's a specific question that his whole being screams for an immediate answer — he wishes to look at her eyes and say 'are you alright?'. However, he feels it'll be better to wait until Katherine blurts out everything that's inside her head to then fulfill his desire.
Cheshire told him this morning to listen to her before acting, and that's what he'll do. After all, to gain this woman, he has to understand her.
"She hadn't been with her kind until a few months ago! No matter how much time she spends with Grisha, she will always prefer the mortals because they were who raised her!" Katherine's last string of patience runs out. Without being aware of her uncontrollable behavior, she starts yelling in rage, every concealed thought of hers pleading to be freed. "And even if that weren't the case, she would be capable of treason because that's how lightscums are: fucking snobs who only care about themselves. For you to have a glimpse of how much they lack character, they have a habit of stealing other lightscums' power for themselves, so that they are more powerful and have no competition in the way. I've never known one worthy of loyalty, mainly because everyone I've given the slightest bit of trust has stabbed me in the back!"
"I'm sure Alina is not like that."
"Stop defending her!" The General raises his eyebrows as she shouts in english, the shadows in the woods increasing and turning the place darker with all the fury she's feeling. Wrath took her completely, till the point she cannot control her powers and translate her words into ravkan. "I am a trickle in the middle of a river of them and they took every inch of happiness I have had from the beginning! My lightscums breeders used to beat me until I lost conscience, and those two wenches that were born along with me used to call me horrendous names. Years after I left and found a family, they took some of them from me. I know that because the man who whipped my back uncountable times was the lightscum who helped in the plan to kill my aunt, my uncle and my father. MY BLOODY FATHER!"
The Darkling's heart clenches in his chest while hearing these confessions; his mind, a mix of sadness and anger. Sadness for knowing how much Katherine has been hurt in life, and anger for those who dared to do that to her. These feelings only increase when he sees tears wetting her eyes. A stab in his guts would be better than witnessing these beautiful light green orbs full of sorrow.
"He was the only one who never judged me, and they killed him." Her knees give way to the freezing floor, weak from having to hold the weight of a heartache that was stuck inside her for decades, centuries, even. "I tried—" She takes a deep shaking breath to recompose herself, but fails miserably. "I tried to meet other lightscums, but they always betrayed me. The result was countless assassination attempts and lovers and friends approaching me out of interest only to turn their backs on me after I didn't give them influence in the Supernatural community."
"Katherine—"
"After so much effort for nothing, I concluded that they are scums! All of them, no matter what!" Finally, she faces him, which makes him see how wounded she still is with these horrible events. Saints, if he had the power to go back in time to kill everyone who helped on breaking Katherine, he would gladly do it. "You want to know why I killed your tracker? Because I'm fucking TIRED! I'm tired of being mistreated for having shadows. I'm tired of being replaced by a lightscum and seeing others live the consequences of their actions. But you know what I'm really tired of? To see my people suffering."
A shiver runs down through the witch's spine by what she is going to say next, for once, not caring about the Shadow Summoner's rejection. After all, she was classified as second place the moment when he choses Alina over her. Now, the only things that matter to Katherine are regaining Agatha's memories and protecting the Supernaturals and herself from two certain Grishas.
The Darkling, because he is the person who Katherine has fallen for and the mind behind the plan of destroying the Unsea. And Alina, because she is the puppet that will concret the plan.
"So don't expect me to do nothing when their safety is threatened." Her voice fails a little from physical and emotional exhaustion. "I will do everything in my power to leave this Fold intact and let that lightscum away from an amplifier. If you want to give her the Morozova stag, the sea whip and the firebird for her to produce magic, you'll have to pass through me. And believe when I say that my shadows are loyal, and will always protect me."
A fragment of her still screams to be freed — the one who wants to ask why would he destroy his greatest creation — but she conceals that part inside of her. It's not the time to question that, not yet.
Shock is expressed all over in the General's face. His dark brown eyes are widened; his eyebrows, raised; his mouth, slightly agape. He thinks of all the ways the witch could have discovered this, until he concludes that the most accurates options are through confidential conversations in the Little Palace or by rummaging through his chambers. However, none of them make sense. The first, because Kirigan never shared with anyone the plan to go after the other two amplifiers; the second, because he is sure that Katherine has only been in his room once, and on that day she was reading a page which had notes only about the Morozova's stag and, on the corner of it, the name 'hanging tree' was alone, without any explanation underneath it.
The Darkling opens his mouth to demand how she found out his intentions, but closes it as soon as he remembers the first time they had a real conversation. He woke up earlier to return those ludicrous books in Norse runes to the Little Palace's library just to then see 'Ms. Anya' carefully reading the Latin titles. Though what really caught his attention that day was the old red book on her hands, one with a worn cover and light brown pages from its use.
Katherine read the Istorii Sankt'ya. His Istorii Sankt'ya, which later he found out that she made notes on its final page. Katherine's wisdom, however, never seems to fail him, since all the scratches were written in Norse runes. So even if he wants to read it — and the Saints know how he tried —, he can't, because he doesn't understand the language.
He has to urgently find a translator as soon as he gets back to the Little Palace.
"My book."
The witch scoffs by hearing the realization in his voice. "I'm not a fool that cannot see through the images, Kirigan. The page with the Morozova stag, the sea whip and the firebird was opened on my lap as I learned about amplifiers. It took me a single look to question what would happen if a Grisha had more than one."
"Have you told—" He stops when she shakes her head, his heart racing as fast as a horse as she speaks again.
"Nature didn't make Grishas' body to handle magic. Even if they manage to practice it, they can't control it. You must know that." With her jaw, Katherine points at the Fold behind her. "Did it hurt when you did it? Had you felt you were going to die in agony?"
He takes a deep breath, as if the action would encourage him to confess. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, The Darkling says: "Yes."
Her answer is a simple nod, while her eyes fall to the ground in shame. "I've broken many magical balances in my life. All of them hurted, and in all of them I begged to die." Kirigan can feel his heart clenching as she tells him the truth, not wanting to imagine her in a breakdown worse than now. "I'm not proud of these moments, but they were from a time when I couldn't stand breathing anymore. Have you ever felt that? The need to just... end it all and rest forever."
He thought that so many times, but the most remarkable one was when tsar Anastas' guards murdered Luda in front of him.
He wants to say that to Katherine, to guarantee that she's not insane to have such thoughts, but he knows that only his experience won't prove anything to her. Therefore, instead of exposing his feelings, he states: "It's impossible to be an immortal and not think of that. You're not alone."
This makes the witch go into a trance, remembering all the times she tried to end herself. Silent tears run down her face as she realizes that she's had these sick thoughts for ages and that in no time they seem to go away. Of course, she also has good memories, but they are useless when sorrow gnaws at her, especially when it's related to her father. Elijah Mikaelson was the most special person in Katherine Morris' life; he gave her a home, a family, made her feel loved and comfortable with her own powers. His death made Katherine lose any sanity that kept her on her feet. No matter how many times the shadow singer tries to forget, she will always remember that the first magical balance she broke was while practicing necromancy in hopes of bringing her dad back. She almost died during the countless experiments, and actually succeeded in resurrecting some people, but never her father, nor her uncle Klaus or her aunt Hayley. Since they died, their bodies were nothing more than ashes running through the wind. If only these ashes were kept on an urn, maybe she could make another successful necromancy.
But they aren't, so these Mikaelsons will continue dead and the witch will have to deal with grief for eternity. However, there is still a place where she can reunite with them: afterlife. It didn't take long since Katherine started her attempts to end herself.
The woman looks at her forearms, at the permanent thin white lines she made in order to stop the grief and intrusive thoughts. "You sure?" Her voice trembles and her heart clenches by remembering such a dark period of her life.
"I am." The General reassures her with a soothing tone, wanting to calm her and prevent another breakdown.
Taking her silence as a cue, Kirigan moves his fingers and summons a tiny shadow. The small piece of darkness floats around his hand before he guides it towards Katherine.
The air in her lungs is gone as soon as she feels something putting a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes look at her side to discover what has done this, but has no success, since the shadow is long gone. However, she faces the Grisha in front of her just in time to see him summoning another piece of darkness. He doesn't break eye contact as he releases the shadow to repeat the action with another dark brown lock of hers. The corner of his lips are twisted in an almost imperceptible smile. Almost.
"You're not alone, Katherine, and even if you were once, I won't let that happen again."
"You aren't able to do that."
"I am. But for that to happen, you have to let me in." Kirigan notices the darkness in the woods slowly coming back to normal, letting him see the place clearer. This is a sign that his plan is working. Calming Katherine down to then approach and hold her was indeed the right path to follow. "Let me know you and I'll let you know me. That way you will never be alone anymore."
The woman gives him a small smile when his shadow slightly touches her face, the tension on her shoulders instantly vanishing. It felt so good and relieving that she wants him to feel the same. Katherine then conjures a small piece of darkness and releases it towards him, making it circle his face.
The Darkling chuckles a little, enchanted by seeing his equal using her powers, and his heart skips a beat when she says: "You're not alone either, Kirigan."
The General wants nothing but to be close to her and hold her in his arms right now, however, he knows that the witch will easily be shocked if he does that without warning. So he slowly approaches her, analyzing her confused expression till he carefully sits by her side on the freezing snow. Kirigan makes sure that Katherine can predict every movement of his so that, if she gets upset, she can stop him. But she doesn't move, not even an inch away from him. The woman just observes as he unbutton his black cloak and cautiously places it on her shoulders, the heavy clothing instantly warming her cold body. Yet it's not only her body that is warmed with Kirigan's gesture, since her heart almost melts to see such tenderness coming from the most feared man in the country.
Then, without looking away from the witch's beautiful light green eyes, he whispers: "I don't want to end the Fold."
Katherine swears that she literally felt the air leaving her lungs. "W-What?"
He raises a hand at her, a silent request for her to listen to him without making any interruptions. She looks at him expectantly, ready to hear everything with as much attention as possible. So he tells her all: how he spent his whole life hiding with his mother, moving from village to village without even having a chance to interact properly with those his own age. The General lets out a rueful laugh as he briefly reveals his childhood fear of forgetting his real name, as each season both he and Baghra had a new identity.
'It's my own name I'm afraid of forgetting', he used to say to Baghra, and she would always tap his chest and draw the letter A on it. A of Aleksander.
'Your true name is written here', she would suddenly speak softly. 'Tattooed on your heart. You don't let just anyone read it.'
And he believed her in that till nowadays. Even not needing to hide his true nature anymore, he still conceals his birth name from the world. It's his most well kept secret; no one but he and his mother knows the truth. However, he is willing to extend this secret to one more person just for the incessant desire to hear Katherine say 'Aleksander'. Just the thought of hearing her calm voice calling to him makes his whole body shiver with lust.
Kirigan also tells the witch of his attempts to peacefully end prejudice against Grishas, that the formation of the Second Army was just that. With a heavy heart, the General also mentions Luda, a lover from centuries ago who he planned to run away with, but unfortunately was murdered before his eyes by royal soldiers.
Finally, The Darkling reveals that the famous story of the Black Heretic is partially true. He indeed tried to create his own army using merzost, but the motive wasn't out of thirst for power, but for revenge; resentment towards the injustice against Grishas and the desire to make a safe place for his people was all that crossed his mind at the moment. He always had that dream. Luda's death was just the push that made him fulfill it once and for all.
"The Fold protects my people from persecution and from the war." Kirigan lets out a tired sigh. "If I destroy it, I will doom them."
There's a moment of silence between Katherine and him, the quick and meaningless thoughts hammering the witch's head, who tries to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. After failing miserably, she has the courage to say her doubts out loud. "So what do you want to do? Why do you need to amplify Alina's power?"
The General's dark brown eyes meet her light green ones. "You're clever enough to find out, Katherine." She frowns, confused. "Why would I need to use merzost on the Fold?"
You ruined my plan! He yelled at her in rage. My plan would strengthen Ravka!
You really think I would give all the power to her? Kirigan let out a mocking laugh after she said that Alina would wield all magical power if she had three amplifiers.
Alina is too young to have the mind to betray her kind. He brushed Katherine's argument off as if he was sure that the Sun Summoner would never be able to challenge him, as if she wouldn't have the courage nor the strength.
I don't want to end the Fold.
A shiver runs down the shadow singer's spine as she realizes The Darkling's true purpose. Her gaze towards him transforms into shock. She opens her mouth, only to close it later due to shock. After a minute, she finds herself able to shake her head, almost pleading that her hypothesis isn't real. "No."
He only nods to her in response, glad that her wise mind discovered his intention without him needing to speak it out loud. "Yes."
"You want to expand it."
"It will protect my people even more."
"But you'll be hated by the mortals. You'll create another hunt. Grishas will be persecuted again, Kirigan, and so will be my people."
"I will have the power to stop them. No one, not even the tsar and the First Army, will dare to confront us."
"And what will happen to the Grishas that oppose you, who will prefer the Ravka of now instead of your idealization?"
"That won't happen."
"It's stupid of you to not even consider that not everyone thinks the same." Katherine grabs him by his black shirt lapels, wanting to shake him in order to bring sense to his body. "The majority of your army is young! They haven't lived the terror that Ravka once was. They hate the Black Heretic and live in the utopia of a better world without the Fold! If they see you attempting to expand it, Kirigan, they will witness a magical imbalance! They will fear you and your reign, and soon, start a revolution."
"I will be powerful enough to stop them."
"Power is good, but you must know when to stop wielding it, because it will destroy you if you have more than you're able to control."
He shakes his head in disbelief, his mind scolding himself for never seeing the possibility of his plan failing. "No, you are wrong."
"No, you are wrong!" She tightens the grip on his lapels, forcing him to look at her eyes more deeply. "You will destroy everything with that plan of yours. You want power? Take it in the most discreet way!"
"There's no discreet way, Katherine!" The Darkling abruptly separates them, standing up and running a hand through his dark hair. Saints, he's becoming frustrated! "Your people are free; they don't obey anyone because they hide themselves from the otkazat'sya. But mine will only be safe once that fucking tsar is gone!"
"Then do a bloody coup!" The witch shouts while standing up to face the General properly. "If you want the Lantsovs gone, make powerful alliances and discreetly turn people against them. The Second Army is already not fond of them. The Grishas just need a little more to finally hate them fiercely." She slowly approaches him without breaking eye contact. "You are stronger than the king's army; can easily take them down. So why not invest in this coup, which will unite and strengthen your Grishas, instead of expanding the Fold, which will destroy all conquests you've already achieved for your people?"
The woods now are almost without light, exasperated shadows of both Kirigan and Katherine darkening the place. However, the latter slowly fades away as the witch takes deep breaths to calm herself down. The silence between the two equals is tense, but the woman's sharp voice cut it like a blade.
"Find me when you give up that insane plan of yours and your brain finally comes back to your head."
The Darkling's dark brown eyes follow her as she walks towards a tree's shadow and, without looking back, enters it. After a moment, he goes to the same tree and tries to feel her in the darkness, but she's gone. Katherine has literally teleported herself through shadows.
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3 days later — Os Alta, Ravka
He can't sleep.
Tonight's the third night since his argument with Katherine, and also the third night in a row when he finds himself pacing around his room instead of sleeping. He is exhausted, mentally and physically; the witch has made a place in his head without permission. All he can think about are subjects that include her. Is she alright? What happened to her when she was taken away from him that day? Will she ever come back? Is her plan really better than his? Is expanding the Fold indeed worth it?
Finishing his glass of kvas in an only sip, Kirigan suddenly gives up to fight his needs. He abruptly picks a paper and a feather on his messy desk — full of research about magical imbalances and historical revolutions — and writes the message that will make Katherine search him. It's short, yet meaningful. The witch will certainly understand it.
The General slams the feather on the desk and looks around his room, carefully analyzing each shadow inside of it. When there's no sign of any movement, he finally speaks: "I know you are here! Appear now and deliver this message to her!"
The shadow of one of the armchairs near the fireplace moves in answer. Soon, a certain dark creature shows up to him, its big sharpy smile widening by seeing the paper on The Darkling's hand.
"I need to speak to her." With heavy steps, he approaches the monstrous figure. "Make her come to me no matter what, Cheshire."
The paper is taken away from his grip by the shadow, which nods in response before disappearing again. Kirigan makes his way to pour another glass of kvas and comes back to his bed, which is full of books and papers. He spends this night in the same way he did on the other two: by searching for more information about The Handler and rereading countless times the contract he made with Katherine, both of their names now stained with their dried blood.
Firstly, I want to apologize for the long delay. I let you down by making you wait for just a chapter, so I came back with two for my Darkling’s fic — one for today and another for tomorrow. I hope you enjoy them. Also, although not posting, I have seen every vote, read and reread every comment of yours. These were literally the motivations that took me back to writing, so thank you to everyone who's been reading, voting and commenting in the fic! I can't express in words how much you are important to me!
Finally, I was gone for a while due to personal reasons. Honestly, I was a mess and, because of that, had to take some time for myself. But I am better now and have found pleasure in writing again! I think all I want to say is: take care of yourselves — mental health is really important — and remember that you are special; you are beautiful and perfect just the way you are💕
The titles of the next chapters are already on the fic’s masterlist! But if you don’t want to go there check it, here they are:
XVII - UNTOLD TRUTHS
XVIII - LOVING AGAIN
Also, there are rumors that romance of a certain couple will be in the air in one of the chapters ;)
A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter, but it was really hard to write it. Everytime I thought it was ready, I decided to add more scenes and details on the narrative. What I planned to be a 3k chapter, ended up being an almost 7k. But enough of waiting now! I hope you enjoy it and have a great 2023💕 Also, I searched about those Russian traditions about flowers on internet. So if there's any mistakes, please, feel free to correct me!
summary: Nick and Hope have an argument about Katherine. Agatha and Gelya have a talk. In the meantime, Kirigan receives the news that Malyen Oretsev was found unconscious on the woods.
words: 6680
warnings: explicit violence, blood, death, a brief mention of self harm and a subtle spoiler of “Ruin and Rising”
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Nick started to suspect that something was wrong when Katherine had gone straight to her room with a scowl on her face and Hope arrived not so much better, not greeting anyone and ordering a drink in the bar. The hybrid stares at his cousin Levi by his side, but the man is already on Katherine's heels to know why she seems so distressed.
He gazes at the counter again, where the redhead is gripping the cup she was handed so strongly that her knuckles are white. Hope has such behavior when she is on the wrong side in a situation. She stays quiet in her place, bittering by herself about what happened and wondering if what she did was a good thing for her but bad for others.
Hope took Kat away from the General. His head is invaded with Levi's voice. Hurted Alina to get him out of the room and then kidnapped Kat.
Anything else? He replies telepathically.
All I know is that they argued a lot. Kat's crying as much as when Samson chose that light singer over her.
Nick takes a deep breath to not break something in the tavern. Samson was Katherine's worst lover, a fire singer who used to look with disdain at her shadows and pretend to accept her the way she was, but as soon as he met a light singer named Alys, he fled into her arms, who knew very well that he was committed to Katherine at that moment. Worst of all, his cousin and Alys were extremely close at the time, which caused Katherine to be betrayed by both sides: love and friendship.
It took almost a decade for her to stop grieving and blaming herself for that horrible situation, but once Katherine decided to recover fully, nobody could stop her. Many years later, when she learned to love herself more and loathe Samson and Alys, the two came after her for forgiveness. Unfortunately for them, it was too late; the answer to their wish was harsh insults that probably scarred them forever and a guilt that will accompany them to their grave. The shadow singer still receives a few letters asking for a second chance, but sets fire to it as soon as she sees Samson or Alys as recipients, not even bothering to open it.
So if Katherine is crying as much as she did when this betrayal happened, then there's only one answer: Hope triggered her insecurities about herself. The tears on her face right now are due to thoughts of not being worthy for someone and, therefore, never finding true love.
With clenched teeth, the hybrid immediately goes to the counter where the redhead is. He needs to discover what she said to be able to disprove any lie that Katherine's mind is telling herself. "What did you do?" She only takes a sip of the drink without looking at him. "Hope, what the fuck did you do?!"
"The right thing."
"And is that 'right thing' actually right? Because Kat is upstairs crying on Levi's lap!"
"I was protecting her."
He sits by her side, holding the urge to slap her. "Doesn't seem so."
"Kirigan's not good for her."
"That's not on you to decide, Hope!" Nick indignantly hits the wooden counter. "Especially when you are far from her to know what the hell's the effect he has on her!"
The tribid finally looks at him, her blue eyes full of rage. "And what the hell's the effect he has on her, Nick?!"
"A single one will shut you up: her shadows are silent towards him."
"Of course they are! He's a Shadow Summoner, you idiot!"
"No, Hope. They're silent in the same way they were towards uncle Elijah." Her mouth opens slightly in shock, her heart clenching at the meaning of this. "Do you remember what my mother said about that quietness? They only do it with someone they trust to keep Kat safe and happy forever, who will never give up on her or cause her sorrow!"
"No." Hope shakes her head in denial. "They're wrong."
"No, you are wrong!" He yells, ready to explode in fury. "We both know very well that there's no one more reliable in keeping Kat safe than her shadows. They have always had her back, since long before uncle Elijah met and adopted her! They were the ones who protected her from her parent's punches, who assured her that she wasn't the aberration her sisters talked about, who helped her survive on the streets when she ran away from home!" The hybrid lets out a tired sigh. "Why do you think they didn't warn her about uncle Elijah on the day they'd met? Because Kat would run and thus wouldn't be safe nor have a better life!"
"So you think they are doing the same with Kirigan? Wanting to show her that he's the key for a great life."
"I don't think that. I know that!"
She scoffs, unbelieving her cousin's opinion. "He'll break her heart."
"No, he won't. If her shadows trust him, then so do I." He adds when she opens her mouth to reply. "You haven't seen her, Hope. Every time she comes back after being with him, she's with a shy smile on her face or in a silent trance to find out what she feels. That happens every single time, no matter if they talked or only looked at each other."
"It might be because he's a living amplifier. Have you ever thought of that, Nick? He naturally attracts her in the same way as others!"
"He attracts Grishas, Hope! Amplifiers don't work in witches or in any other supernatural." He grunts, annoyed by his cousin and sick of arguing. "You know what? I'm tired of this shit. Tell me right now what you said to her."
The redhead finishes her drink and stands up to leave the tavern. "Forget it, Nick."
He immediately grabs her arm strongly, a silent order for her to sit down again. Although Hope's more powerful than him, Nick's able to fight her well, since he is a hybrid. Moreover, he's the one who naturally acts more like a leader, which made him leader of the Crescent Wolf Pack centuries ago, and is seen as a trustable and honorable figure in the entire New Orleans. That virtue of him helps him to build alliances all over the world, and Hope doesn't doubt he's already made some on Ravka.
A fight with Nick in this territory would be suicide. She would win, of course, but would shatter Ravkan Supernatural Community's trust in the Mikaelsons, something they need to recover all of Agatha's memories and not get caught by the Oprichnik.
"Did you say that she's only a pawn to him? That he prefers Alina?" Impatient, the hybrid hits the wooden counter. "Tell me, Hope!"
"He wants her power, not her! He will use her!" She yells at him, not caring if the entire tavern is looking at them.
Nick swears for a moment that he will transform into his wolf form due to rage. "Are you fucking deaf?! What part of 'her shadows trust him' didn't you listen to?!"
"He chose Alina over her! When she screamed, he ran to her instead of staying with Kat!"
"Was Kat hurt too?"
"What? No! I was careful with the spell."
"Then that's why he ran to Alina! I doubt he would ever leave the room if Kat was the one in pain." He pauses, realizing that this may be the reason why the shadow singer is upset and in tears right now. "You said that to her, didn't you? That he saved Alina over her."
Hope's face pales after noticing that she's just admitted what she did.
"I-I can't believe you've done that." Nick takes a deep breath, all the anger replaced by the sudden feeling of disappointment. "You know more than anybody else of her insecurities towards some light singers, of how she sometimes forgets her own value and doesn't think she's worthy."
Many who know Katherine think that her worst enemy is her biological family, some light singers or witch hunters, or even the Strix. However, only the Mikaelsons know that it's none of those, but her darkest side: the one that distorts events and makes her distrust herself, compares her to others, feels inferior and always thinks that she doesn't deserve an achievement. The shadow singer fights daily against this opponent, the thin white lines on her forearms that she did to herself are eternal reminders of that, and the fact that she didn't give in to this nemesis is why she's still alive.
Katherine's worst enemy is her own mind. If you know that and use it in your favor, you have the chance to wreck her entirely, as she's the one who will do the job of breaking herself even more.
Hope is sure she can feel her own heart shattering in pieces, for she now realizes that, in the heat of the argument, she took advantage of her cousin's dark mind just to hurt her. That's why Nick is so mad at her; he wouldn't be furious if separating the shadow singer from The Darkling or hurting Alina were the only problems. Loyalty was always crutial for him, the essence of every relation, and to know that someone of the family hurted another member without any plausible reason is pure betrayal.
Hope doubts now that Nick will ever leave her alone with Katherine again. Actually, she suspects that he might be thinking of an attempt to communicate with Katherine's shadows in order of her protection towards the tribid.
For a short moment, the redhead's blue eyes stare into the hybrid's browns. She starts running towards her cousin's room shortly thereafter, but Nick also has enhanced speed for being half werewolf and thus was able to catch up with her before she reached the door in the hall. With a clenched jaw, he opens his mouth to speak, however, is interrupted by a door slam. The two immediately look at the sound's direction, only to find Levi staring at them with a stern face.
"She wants to be alone now."
Hope pushes the hybrid to the side, trying to get closer to the bedroom. "I want to talk to her."
"Tomorrow."
"Levi, you don't understand! I need to apo—"
"You can do it tomorrow." His steady voice cuts her off like a sword. "It'll be better to have you two rested and cooled off from the argument."
The redhead analyzes him from the top to the bottom, wondering how she will make him move out of the door.
"Don't even think of that, Hope." Levi warns her. "Even if you get through me, you'll still have to pass through her shadows to get to her. And you know how they're protective over Kat."
Finally, she sighs in redemption. "I'll be here in the morning."
The tribid went straight to her room as soon as she arrived at the Little Palace, not talking to anyone and not going to dinner. Although she didn't have any sleep, she wrote a letter of the regret she felt about her harsh words in that argument. She even rehearsed in the mirror how she would act on every reaction Katherine might have in tomorrow's conversation.
The sun was beginning to rise when Hope left to go to Praecantrix, since she was anxious to redeem herself and beg her cousin for forgiveness. However, Katherine was nowhere in that tavern and no one there even knew that she had left at dawn.
Hope closes her eyes as she leans on the hallway's wall, concern making her stomach twist. Since they were young, the shadow singer has the habit of leaving at late hours to fulfill a plan, as the night is the time when darkness is stronger and therefore will protect her more. Usually these plans summarize on a kill that will just be discovered in the morning or days later.
"You better not get caught, Kat." And I really hope you're not killing the Sun Summoner now.
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Snowflakes fall slowly at dawn, taking time to disguise itselves with the glowing snow on the ground. Behind a large tree, Katherine can hear Malyen Oretsev's heavy breathing, probably trying to keep himself warm in the cold. With closed eyes, she tries to listen to someone accompanying him, but soon, after none of her shadows sense another presence, she comes to the conclusion that he is alone.
His friends died. Ikatris murmurs to her. Killed by Fjerdans.
"That will make things easier then." She bitterly whispers to him.
The tracker senses the witch's presence as soon as she emerges from her hiding place, his senses immediately showing him where she is. He stands up without hesitation, a knife in his hand and a loaded pistol in his belt, because somehow his intuition — which never fails — tells him that this woman is a threat. Even with just the weak light of a lantern he can see the fury in her light green eyes, a deep hatred that seems to corrode her soul. For a moment, the famous saying of "death stare" comes to his mind. He never believed it, and thought that if he ever saw one, it would surely be his own in a mirror after meeting The Darkling, the man who ripped the love of his life from his arms because she discovered her power.
"Have you found the stag?"
"You Grisha are so arrogant." He sneers, indignant at being treated like a servant. In the past he thought this would be temporary, but now he knows it will never end, especially since he's in the First Army and has to compete for recognition every day with Grisha.
"First I was mistaken as a mortal, and now I'm being mistaken as a Grisha." She snorts. "Ravkans level of ignorance is unbelievable."
"You're not Grisha?" Mal chuckles, thinking she is playing him, but stops as soon as he sees that her death stare increased — if that was even possible.
"I'm much worse than a Grisha, Malyen Oretsev." Her voice is stern, all said in an eerie calm while being still in her place.
"What are you? Who are you?"
"I'm a servant, just like you. Though you serve a repugnant pig that you call a tsar, and I serve nature."
"Nature?"
"Every witch is a servant of nature, Mr. Oretsev."
The tracker remembers the numerous times when he and Alina used to read books of myths in Keramzin, enjoying the legends of vampires, werewolves and faes. They were good though scary. However, the most frightening of them were the ones about witches, which made them fear for their lives and hug each other till they fell asleep. Witches were in all of these stories as a person that would curse someone if they didn't follow their desire.
His intuition was right: this woman is a powerful threat.
"You see, nature balances all kinds of magic so that life in the world works correctly. But that balance is fragile: it can break with a simple spell to revive the dead or with an amplifier that allows a species not born with magic to produce it—", an eerie smile forms at the corner of his lips "like the antlers of the mightiest stag in Ravka."
Nervousness starts to churn his stomach as she slowly approaches him and continues talking. "The Darkling wants the Sun Summoner to produce magic in order to dissolve the Unsea. Oh, Mr. Oretsev, I've seen countless times the consequences of a magical imbalance, and in all of them they were much worse than the action that made it, because nature always finds a grotesque way to recover that balance, and it's always immediate."
His heart sinks at the thought of Alina suffering such a violent consequence as the woman said. "Alina."
"She'll be the first one to die when the Fold is dissolved — a painful death, if I may opine on it. Honestly, I would love to see a lightscum have such fate—"
Mal clenches his jaw at the realization that the witch is a threat not only to him, but to Alina. "If you come near her, I will—"
"But I don't want to see my people suffering because of an action that she'll do." Katherine blatantly ignores him. "So I thought of how I can avoid that to happen, and the answer is pretty simple."
Hold him. She telepathically orders her shadows.
In a blink of an eye, he's knocked down in the snow, the pistol in his pocket soon thrown away and the knife he was holding is now in her hands. However, Mal notices that it isn't her who's restraining his limbs to keep him on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing to me?!"
Please tell me you're going to rip his heart out! Katherine hears Umbra's excited voice.
No, Umbra. She replies. He doesn't deserve such effort.
Can you at least make it quick? Ikatris asked. I rather not hold him for so long.
Don't worry. I won't torture him.
"The stag must be exactly wherever it is without you on its tracks, who's only doing it to be able to see your lover." The shadow singer touches his cold face. "I know that you haven't found it yet, Mr. Oretsev. I read your mind while you implied I was an arrogant Grisha."
"You fucking bitch!"
"Don't be like that, Mr. Oretsev." She increases the grip on his face in an attempt to control her rage. "Your lightscum may even reunite with you soon depending on my patience. You know, she has that extraordinary ability to easily piss me off."
An uncontrollable hatred makes Mal resist whatever that is pinning him to the ground. He fights with all his strength to break free and kill this soulless woman so that she never lays a finger on Alina. The person he loathes the most is no longer The Darkling, but this witch who he doesn't even know the name of.
For the first time in life, he makes a death stare, though unfortunately wasn't able to see it for himself.
The last thing he feels is her icy hands on his face breaking his neck. At the instant he hears the cringing sound of his bone fracturing, everything is dark. He doesn't feel Katherine stabbing his heart thrice with his own knife, nor does he see her pummeling his corpse as frustrated tears stream down her cheeks at the thought that she is once again second to someone with the power of light.
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Kirigan spent the night reading about The Handler, who's described as a maniacal person who makes unbreakable contracts that must be signed by their client's own blood. No one knows if they are a woman or a man, but it's certain that they are a witch or witcher, since they make wishes come true in exchange for something, especially, for a favor. The book also says that everyone who does a deal with this mad person is casted with a sigil spell which forbid them to say The Handler's true name or genre.
If you ever dare to irritate The Handler or attempt to deceive them, be prepared for true suffering. None who did these came back alive or sane.
The Darkling has just finished rereading the chapter for the third time when a paper was dragged to the top of the page, preventing him from reading the same words again.
You will regret it if you try to play her. She always wins a game.
He looks up to face the smiley shadow in front of him. Cheshire. That is his name. "It wasn't my intention to play her." At least not after I truly met her.
The dark figure writes something on the paper. You want her.
Kirigan takes a deep breath to keep himself calm. "I don't—"
Yes, you do. But to gain her, you have to understand her.
"Understand her?"
Listen to her, and then act.
He frowns. "What in the actual hell do you mean by that?!"
Cheshire's smile increases. You'll see.
He opens his mouth to answer it, but the creature flies to his desk's shadow, entering it without any noise or leaving a trace. The Darkling immediately stands up to search for the dark figure, but is interrupted with a knock on his door. Clearly annoyed, he recomposes himself before allowing whoever wants to talk to — and irritate — him.
"Moi soverenyi." Fedyor bows as soon as he enters. "The First Army General sent an urgent alert for you." He rolls his eyes, already impatient with whatever is going to be said. "A group of soldiers found in the woods the stag's tracker unconscious."
Kirigan freezes in his place, feeling one of his most important plans in life escaping through his fingers. "What?"
The Heartrender gives him a letter. "The messenger said that he was found early in the morning and was taken to the closest camp. The otkazat'sya General implied that your presence would be completely significant there."
"Fetch my carriage. You and Ivan are going with me." He looks at his desk in search of the stag's hunt reports. "And Fedyor."
The Corporalki turns to him. "Yes, moi soverenyi?"
"Don't tell anyone about that."
"You have my word, moi soverenyi." He bows before leaving to accomplish the Shadow Summoner orders.
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"You didn't do well in practice today."
Agatha looks up with a scowl on her face only to find Zoya Nazyalensky by her side. "You took some punches. I thought you were good enough to not be beaten."
"It hasn't been a good day."
"Why? Because of your horrible performance or because Baghra hit you again with that stick? Though this woman really can piss anyone off." She murmurs the last sentence to herself.
The hybrid turns her focus back to the untouchable meal at the table, not wanting to interact with someone in the moment. She's more worried about yesterday's events, of how Angelina got frightened by seeing what Hope did to Alina.
"It is rude to ignore others, Agatha. That's my personality, not yours."
"You don't know me." She whispers.
"But I know why you're so sullen today. Gelya really isn't one to avoid others." Agatha turns to the Squaller so quickly that it makes her neck ache. "Though you don't need to worry. I know how to help you."
A twinge of hope invaded her heart. "You do?"
"Her favorites are chrysanthemums." She pauses for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, then turns to the air singer with urgence. "Choose whichever you find, but forget the yellow ones."
The hybrid frowns, confused. "Why?"
"Yellow flowers mean sorrow. If you go to her with one of these, she'll think you probably did something unforgivable or that someone died."
"Well, at least you warned me about that. My favorites are sunflowers, so—"
"And make sure to pick an odd number of flowers. Even numbers are for funerals." Agatha's jaw drops in more shock than before, and an amusement smirk appears on Zoya's lips, who's definitely enjoying the woman's reaction towards her culture. "Just follow what I said and go pick up the flowers, Agatha."
The air singer shakes her head, ending any reverie she was having, and stands up to head towards the garden. "On my way to do it." When she gets to the dining hall's door, she turns around and says: "Thank you, Zoya!"
"You're lucky I like you." The Grisha mumbles a sincere answer to herself, her blue eyes still on the room's entrance when Agatha leaves.
Agatha started her search for chrysanthemums as soon as she arrived at the garden, carefully choosing the best looking flowers to give to Angelina. It took almost half an hour until she was satisfied with the bouquet of white and pink chrysanthemums, all of the nine beautiful flowers with no indication that they would wither soon. After being satisfied with her job, she goes to the infirmary, praying to all the Ancestors that the Healer is there. The only place Gelya spends her time other than the infirmary is the Corporalki's secret chambers, where Agatha knows she won't be able to enter because that's not her Grisha order — though, for being Supernatural, she's not part of any of the three orders.
The hybrid takes a deep breath before entering the infirmary, anxiety reigning all over her body when Angelina's hazel eyes meet her brown ones. "Hey."
The Healer analyzes the room to be sure if there's anybody else with them before replying. After concluding that they were alone, she greets the woman in front of her. "Hi."
"I brought this to you." Agatha hands her the bouquet. "I picked them up myself."
Gelya slowly approaches her, a genuine smile forming into her mouth as she realizes that it's her favorite flower. "Chrysanthemums!"
"The wind told me they're your favorites."
She gently grips the bouquet of pink and white chrysanthemums and lets out a satisfied moan after breathing their aroma. "This wind of yours is very wise." Agatha chuckles, some of the tension released off her shoulders with the relief that Gelya is still willing to have a conversation with her. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
"Well, you know what they say: beautiful flowers are meant to have a beautiful owner."
The Grisha laughs while shaking her head in disbelief. "Who says that?"
"Me." She smirks. "I'm a first rate romantic with lots of experience." Though now I don't remember much of these experiences.
Angelina couldn't hold back another laugh. "You clearly seem to be."
"I appreciate your faith in me." The hybrid bites the inside of her cheek before revealing the main reason for coming to the infirmary, her stomach churning in nervousness. "I came here to apologize for what you saw."
"Agatha—"
"No, let me finish, please." She lets out a tired sigh, not ready to hear what the woman has to say. The Healer obeys, staring at the bouquet as a distraction, since she doesn't expect much from the words to come. "For now I don't know who I am, but I have an idea. And that idea might scare you. With good reason, of course, because if I were young and didn't have magic, like you, I'd be frightened too. From the memories I have, I've come to some conclusions about my power, my virtues, and the life I used to live before— you know." She hits her own head to symbolize the memory loss.
"The remembrances of my childhood take place in old settings, and one of the settings that most impressed me is the start of a witch hunt. My cousins and I couldn't have been even twenty when the chaos started in that town. I remember my uncles running to get our things and my mom taking us back to New Orleans with a spell. But before that town disappeared, I saw through the window two people being hanged from a tree. They were convicted of witchcraft, and if we stayed, it would be my family and I who would've a noose around our necks."
Agatha takes a shaking breath, the pain of having already been hunted for being Supernatural poking at her heart. "I'm telling you that because I suspect this memory is from the Salem Witch Trials, which happened centuries ago." The tear she was holding back trickles down her face. "I am old, Gelya... and a hybrid. Half werewolf and half air singer witch. My whole family is Supernatural, they taught me how to survive. I already killed and tortured and, honestly, I think I like that because I don't mind hurting some people." She closes her eyes to not see Angelina's reaction, dreading the fear that must be in her face. "The spell Hope casted in Alina yesterday hurt due to the blood vessels bursting inside her head; it's discreet yet daring. My guess is that my mom taught us this spell when we were young in order for us to know how to protect ourselves without getting caught."
"Agatha—"
"I'm so sorry that you saw that. Magic can be beautiful, it really can, but most of the time it's dangerous. You don't need to forgive me, Gelya, but trust me when I say that you're too pure for this world. And I'm a heathen, a savage to many people."
The Healer's eyes widened even more after hearing the last sentence. "What? No!"
"Yes, I am, Gelya." Agatha opens her wet eyes to finally face her, the pain in her chest still present. "For being a Grisha, you only have small science, which isn't considered that abnormal. On the other hand, I have magic and for that I'm considered a freak. It's easier for them to hunt a Supernatural than a Grisha, so you're safer without me."
Angelina shakes her head vehemently in denial. "Ravka's more acceptable. We can—"
"Ravka's acceptable for you, Gelya. Supernaturals are myths here, and I know they'd rather continue to be treated like that than bow down to mortals, who have persecuted them for so long."
"We can fix that. You can still be here, in Ravka, and feel acceptable."
It was the air singer's turn to shake her head, not accepting the subtle idea of pretending to be someone she isn't. "I don't want to pretend that I'm a Grisha."
"Then we change the world!" She puts the bouquet away to grip Agatha's face, consequently forcing the woman to stare straight into her eyes. "I saw the way the General and your cousin looked at each other, it's the same as how I look at you. They're like us: a Grisha and a Supernatural, a Ravkan and an American."
"Kat's British."
"If they show their union in public, then we can show ours." She blatantly ignores her correction. "No tsar's guard will be able to stop us because he has to be an idiot to want to clash with the General."
"The tsar is an idiot, Gelya. He'll clearly try to threaten Kirigan."
"Then we'll be on the General's side! The winning side, which has a leader that knows what it feels like to be hunted and knows that the Supernatural aren't freaks." Angelina's lips slightly brush against Agatha's, her warm breath hitting the dark skin when she murmurs: "That you aren't a freak."
The hybrid inspires deeply in an attempt to ease the shivers that are running through her spine. "I know, but some people don't."
"Then fuck them."
Agatha's smile reaches her eyes when she leans down to kiss the Healer, who happily retributes it. Her arms swing to Angelina's waist, while the other's hands leave the air singer's face to wrap them around her neck. Both of them feel all the tension and nervousness leaving their body, the only sensations being their heart beating loudly against their chests and the butterflies flying inside their stomach.
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By the end of the ride to the First Army's camp, Kirigan concluded that Katherine's the current ruler inside his head, since she didn't let go of his thoughts for not even a second. Who took her from him? Is she alright? How can he find her again? Does she feel the same as him?
No. The last question is just paranoia. Of course she feels the same need to be close to him, the same emotions he feels for her. After all, she's his true equal, for Saints' sake!
After the horses are untied from the carriage to be fed, the First Army general's most loyal lieutenant greets The Darkling and the two Heartrenders. The Shadow Summoner didn't know much about the tracker's state, yet wished he was alright for him to continue with the stag's hunt as soon as possible. This is one of the last steps for his plan to be fully realized. He has Alina on a string, and not only is she ignoring Baghra's complaints about her having an amplifier, but is excited about getting one so she can dissolve the Fold. Kirigan isn't a fool either, he knows how to hide his true intentions from everyone and, therefore, the entire Ravkan court and Second Army are faithfully by his side, thinking he is fighting to end the Unsea. However, as Katherine said, there's only one community that loathes him for this "good cause": the Supernatural.
Saints, he cannot imagine the chaos that would break out in the country if the Shadow Fold was ended! The Supernaturals are even more persecuted than the Grisha, which leads to two possibilities: either they would flee Ravka, or they would revolt after so much oppression, since the Unsea it's what most protects them from hunters. The latter idea is what dreads him the most, since these people have merzost. If they decided to fight for respect in towns, it would be a matter of hours before they defeated the First and Second Army entirely. Fortunately for Ravka, the General won't dissolve the Fold, and due to that, there won't be any sort of upheaval from this community; witches, werewolves, vampires and faes, even though hidden, might be content for still being safe enough compared to the period before the Unsea's creation.
"He got here unharmed, but the blood-soaked shirt is an odd factor." Kirigan shakes his head to look at the soldier leading them to the infirmary tent. "We analyzed the area and there was no evidence of anyone who could have injured him, however, he insists that he was held down by someone until his neck was broken." The man couldn't hold back the mockery laugh, definitely thinking that Mal became insane for saying such stupid things. "He said it was a witch! Can you believe that, moi soverenyi?"
The Darkling had to contain a surprised expression, for a moment hoping that the tracker remembered the witch. If he did, Kirigan could manage to capture them and finally see with his own eyes that Katherine was right: there are Supernaturals in Ravka, and they despise him for having the idea of getting the Shadow Fold dissolved.
The General heads straight to Malyen Oretsev's bed while making a silent order to Ivan and Fedyor dismiss everyone from the infirmary. The otkazat'sya looked at him in disgust, probably grudging that Alina was now a Grisha and lives in the Little Palace.
He smirks by knowing that even if this tracker wanted to hurt him, he would fail miserably by attempting it. "Mr. Oretsev. What a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Mal only stares at him in silence, hating to have to hear The Darkling's voice. "The soldiers told me about what happened."
"So why are you here? Because I doubt that it's to check on my well-being."
Kirigan holds the urge to make the Cut on him. "You claim to have been held until a witch broke your neck."
"This happened."
"I'm here to assure the stag hunt. After all, you are the best tracker in the First Army and—"
"I've lost it."
For an instant, the Grisha's leader forgot everything that he would say to the otkazat'sya. Instead of continuing his speech, he deeply gazes at the man on the bed. "What?"
"My ability to track."
"Pardon?!"
"Before, I could feel things, get a sense of where to start no matter where I was. My intuition used to guide me to the place, it was like a gift. But now it's gone. I don't feel the stag's location anymore. Even if you put me back where I was, I won't know how to continue with the hunt."
"This intuition. Why do you think that it's gone forever?"
"Because she fucking killed me!" Mal yells, feeling his blood starting to boil just by remembering that fucking witch. "She broke my neck! And I'm fucking sure that she stabbed me!"
"They said that you had no wounds."
"But my shirt was fucking wet with blood. My blood! I'm not mad or— or insane! I know what I saw! I can still feel her hands on my face and— and a pain on the side of my neck where she fucking twisted!" She. A woman did this.
The General clenches his jaw at the thought of someone messing with his plans, plans that he was so close to achieving. He's going to kill this person for taking away Mr. Oretsev's gift of tracking, for ending his chances to get the stag. He doesn't care anymore that the Supernatural's hatred towards him will increase if he kills that witch; she will pay for this. The only thing he has to be careful while murdering her is for Katherine not to find out. She might truly do worse to him if she discovers that he ended someone of her kind.
"What happened there, Mr. Oretsev? Who is this woman?"
"I don't know! I've never seen her in my life." He takes a shaking breath in an attempt to calm down. "She appeared out of nowhere asking me about the stag and then told me some shit about nature balance." Definitely a witch. Kirigan thought while wondering if all witches care about nature balance, since Katherine already told him about it. "She was with that death stare on her face, ready to kill me. And fucking succeeded."
"What was her appearance?"
"I only focused on her eyes back then... Light green. But she was brunette too... And white."
The air in his lungs stops after hearing the woman's description. A brunette witch with light green eyes and white skin who explained about nature's magical balance. That is literally Katherine.
He doesn't know how long he was frozen in place as he imagined his equal committing murder. He just knows he snapped out of his reverie when he saw a piece of paper exiting from the shadow of Mal's bed, the same way Cheshire had walked into the shadow of his desk earlier today. The Darkling crouches down to pick up the paper, amazed to see the scrawled handwriting he's known for exactly one night.
West border of the Fold. The first one without guard.
The General immediately starts to walk away. "Have him track things around the camp so we can try to retrieve that intuition of his."
"Yes, moi soverenyi." Ivan says while staring at otkazat'sya. On the other side, Fedyor curiously follows the leader to the tent's entrance. "Where are you going?"
"Doesn't matter."
Kirigan mounts his black stallion and starts riding as fast as possible to the west of the Unsea, urging to quickly find the part with no one guarding the Fold. For some reason Katherine must be there, and he needs to interrogate her about Malyen Oretsev, demand the reason she did this. From what it seems, she didn't even know the tracker until then! So why kill him?
He stops his horse at the moment he sees a thin figure sitting with its back to him, silently facing the Fold. The Darkling descends from his stallion panting and in need of a rest, but that is no greater need than knowing the truth. Slowly he approaches the person, a shiver runs down his spine as he notices the dried blood on the woman's hands dissolving on the white snow.
"Katherine?"
"I was so blind." Her voice is void, the tone of someone lost in their own thoughts. "Thank the Ancestors that they opened my eyes!"
He frowns, confused. "Blind about what? Who opened your eyes?"
"The shadows."
The General can feel all of his patience leaving every inch of his body. He's tired of questions without any explanations. He wants answers, damn it! "About what?!"
He swears that he stopped breathing for a moment when she finally turned to him. She's a mess. With red puffy eyes and dried tears on her cheeks; her dark brown hair, completely tousled; her gown, stained with blood; an expression of pure shock on her face as she stares at him. "About you being the Black Heretic."
The Grisha glares at the witch with clenched fists, the only thing stopping him from attacking her is the fact that she's his equal. She discovered his deepest secret, the one that made him fake his death several times and return to the Little Palace with fake names and the lie that he is only a descendant of the Black Heretic. How did Katherine find out about this through shadows? He doesn't see any papers lying in the snow or in her hands, after all.
But alright. If Katherine wants to play this game, then he will play it.
"It's quite ironic how you accuse me for being someone as horrible as people describe, when you are the same as me. Am I right, The Handler?" He looks down at her pale hands stained in a scarlet liquid "Or should I say the murderer of my tracker?"
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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
holy shit u really get me wrapped around this fic😤
1- i was kinda understanding hope trying to protect kat, but now i see how wrong she was by using kats sick mind against kat
2- i love that ur psychoanalyzing kat more n im beginning to understand her. i think her death stare towards maly was years of pain for being 2nd to light singers. she lost control when thought aleks chose alina over her, n put all her rage in maly (awesome scene btw cause i cant stand maly). we still can see how hurt shes to think that the man she loves prefers a light pers over her A G A I N
3- i just love that the shadows want darkler tgt like us🖤
A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter, but it was really hard to write it. Everytime I thought it was ready, I decided to add more scenes and details on the narrative. What I planned to be a 3k chapter, ended up being an almost 7k. But enough of waiting now! I hope you enjoy it and have a great 2023💕 Also, I searched about those Russian traditions about flowers on internet. So if there's any mistakes, please, feel free to correct me!
summary: Nick and Hope have an argument about Katherine. Agatha and Gelya have a talk. In the meantime, Kirigan receives the news that Malyen Oretsev was found unconscious on the woods.
words: 6680
warnings: explicit violence, blood, death, a brief mention of self harm and a subtle spoiler of “Ruin and Rising”
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Nick started to suspect that something was wrong when Katherine had gone straight to her room with a scowl on her face and Hope arrived not so much better, not greeting anyone and ordering a drink in the bar. The hybrid stares at his cousin Levi by his side, but the man is already on Katherine's heels to know why she seems so distressed.
He gazes at the counter again, where the redhead is gripping the cup she was handed so strongly that her knuckles are white. Hope has such behavior when she is on the wrong side in a situation. She stays quiet in her place, bittering by herself about what happened and wondering if what she did was a good thing for her but bad for others.
Hope took Kat away from the General. His head is invaded with Levi's voice. Hurted Alina to get him out of the room and then kidnapped Kat.
Anything else? He replies telepathically.
All I know is that they argued a lot. Kat's crying as much as when Samson chose that light singer over her.
Nick takes a deep breath to not break something in the tavern. Samson was Katherine's worst lover, a fire singer who used to look with disdain at her shadows and pretend to accept her the way she was, but as soon as he met a light singer named Alys, he fled into her arms, who knew very well that he was committed to Katherine at that moment. Worst of all, his cousin and Alys were extremely close at the time, which caused Katherine to be betrayed by both sides: love and friendship.
It took almost a decade for her to stop grieving and blaming herself for that horrible situation, but once Katherine decided to recover fully, nobody could stop her. Many years later, when she learned to love herself more and loathe Samson and Alys, the two came after her for forgiveness. Unfortunately for them, it was too late; the answer to their wish was harsh insults that probably scarred them forever and a guilt that will accompany them to their grave. The shadow singer still receives a few letters asking for a second chance, but sets fire to it as soon as she sees Samson or Alys as recipients, not even bothering to open it.
So if Katherine is crying as much as she did when this betrayal happened, then there's only one answer: Hope triggered her insecurities about herself. The tears on her face right now are due to thoughts of not being worthy for someone and, therefore, never finding true love.
With clenched teeth, the hybrid immediately goes to the counter where the redhead is. He needs to discover what she said to be able to disprove any lie that Katherine's mind is telling herself. "What did you do?" She only takes a sip of the drink without looking at him. "Hope, what the fuck did you do?!"
"The right thing."
"And is that 'right thing' actually right? Because Kat is upstairs crying on Levi's lap!"
"I was protecting her."
He sits by her side, holding the urge to slap her. "Doesn't seem so."
"Kirigan's not good for her."
"That's not on you to decide, Hope!" Nick indignantly hits the wooden counter. "Especially when you are far from her to know what the hell's the effect he has on her!"
The tribid finally looks at him, her blue eyes full of rage. "And what the hell's the effect he has on her, Nick?!"
"A single one will shut you up: her shadows are silent towards him."
"Of course they are! He's a Shadow Summoner, you idiot!"
"No, Hope. They're silent in the same way they were towards uncle Elijah." Her mouth opens slightly in shock, her heart clenching at the meaning of this. "Do you remember what my mother said about that quietness? They only do it with someone they trust to keep Kat safe and happy forever, who will never give up on her or cause her sorrow!"
"No." Hope shakes her head in denial. "They're wrong."
"No, you are wrong!" He yells, ready to explode in fury. "We both know very well that there's no one more reliable in keeping Kat safe than her shadows. They have always had her back, since long before uncle Elijah met and adopted her! They were the ones who protected her from her parent's punches, who assured her that she wasn't the aberration her sisters talked about, who helped her survive on the streets when she ran away from home!" The hybrid lets out a tired sigh. "Why do you think they didn't warn her about uncle Elijah on the day they'd met? Because Kat would run and thus wouldn't be safe nor have a better life!"
"So you think they are doing the same with Kirigan? Wanting to show her that he's the key for a great life."
"I don't think that. I know that!"
She scoffs, unbelieving her cousin's opinion. "He'll break her heart."
"No, he won't. If her shadows trust him, then so do I." He adds when she opens her mouth to reply. "You haven't seen her, Hope. Every time she comes back after being with him, she's with a shy smile on her face or in a silent trance to find out what she feels. That happens every single time, no matter if they talked or only looked at each other."
"It might be because he's a living amplifier. Have you ever thought of that, Nick? He naturally attracts her in the same way as others!"
"He attracts Grishas, Hope! Amplifiers don't work in witches or in any other supernatural." He grunts, annoyed by his cousin and sick of arguing. "You know what? I'm tired of this shit. Tell me right now what you said to her."
The redhead finishes her drink and stands up to leave the tavern. "Forget it, Nick."
He immediately grabs her arm strongly, a silent order for her to sit down again. Although Hope's more powerful than him, Nick's able to fight her well, since he is a hybrid. Moreover, he's the one who naturally acts more like a leader, which made him leader of the Crescent Wolf Pack centuries ago, and is seen as a trustable and honorable figure in the entire New Orleans. That virtue of him helps him to build alliances all over the world, and Hope doesn't doubt he's already made some on Ravka.
A fight with Nick in this territory would be suicide. She would win, of course, but would shatter Ravkan Supernatural Community's trust in the Mikaelsons, something they need to recover all of Agatha's memories and not get caught by the Oprichnik.
"Did you say that she's only a pawn to him? That he prefers Alina?" Impatient, the hybrid hits the wooden counter. "Tell me, Hope!"
"He wants her power, not her! He will use her!" She yells at him, not caring if the entire tavern is looking at them.
Nick swears for a moment that he will transform into his wolf form due to rage. "Are you fucking deaf?! What part of 'her shadows trust him' didn't you listen to?!"
"He chose Alina over her! When she screamed, he ran to her instead of staying with Kat!"
"Was Kat hurt too?"
"What? No! I was careful with the spell."
"Then that's why he ran to Alina! I doubt he would ever leave the room if Kat was the one in pain." He pauses, realizing that this may be the reason why the shadow singer is upset and in tears right now. "You said that to her, didn't you? That he saved Alina over her."
Hope's face pales after noticing that she's just admitted what she did.
"I-I can't believe you've done that." Nick takes a deep breath, all the anger replaced by the sudden feeling of disappointment. "You know more than anybody else of her insecurities towards some light singers, of how she sometimes forgets her own value and doesn't think she's worthy."
Many who know Katherine think that her worst enemy is her biological family, some light singers or witch hunters, or even the Strix. However, only the Mikaelsons know that it's none of those, but her darkest side: the one that distorts events and makes her distrust herself, compares her to others, feels inferior and always thinks that she doesn't deserve an achievement. The shadow singer fights daily against this opponent, the thin white lines on her forearms that she did to herself are eternal reminders of that, and the fact that she didn't give in to this nemesis is why she's still alive.
Katherine's worst enemy is her own mind. If you know that and use it in your favor, you have the chance to wreck her entirely, as she's the one who will do the job of breaking herself even more.
Hope is sure she can feel her own heart shattering in pieces, for she now realizes that, in the heat of the argument, she took advantage of her cousin's dark mind just to hurt her. That's why Nick is so mad at her; he wouldn't be furious if separating the shadow singer from The Darkling or hurting Alina were the only problems. Loyalty was always crutial for him, the essence of every relation, and to know that someone of the family hurted another member without any plausible reason is pure betrayal.
Hope doubts now that Nick will ever leave her alone with Katherine again. Actually, she suspects that he might be thinking of an attempt to communicate with Katherine's shadows in order of her protection towards the tribid.
For a short moment, the redhead's blue eyes stare into the hybrid's browns. She starts running towards her cousin's room shortly thereafter, but Nick also has enhanced speed for being half werewolf and thus was able to catch up with her before she reached the door in the hall. With a clenched jaw, he opens his mouth to speak, however, is interrupted by a door slam. The two immediately look at the sound's direction, only to find Levi staring at them with a stern face.
"She wants to be alone now."
Hope pushes the hybrid to the side, trying to get closer to the bedroom. "I want to talk to her."
"Tomorrow."
"Levi, you don't understand! I need to apo—"
"You can do it tomorrow." His steady voice cuts her off like a sword. "It'll be better to have you two rested and cooled off from the argument."
The redhead analyzes him from the top to the bottom, wondering how she will make him move out of the door.
"Don't even think of that, Hope." Levi warns her. "Even if you get through me, you'll still have to pass through her shadows to get to her. And you know how they're protective over Kat."
Finally, she sighs in redemption. "I'll be here in the morning."
The tribid went straight to her room as soon as she arrived at the Little Palace, not talking to anyone and not going to dinner. Although she didn't have any sleep, she wrote a letter of the regret she felt about her harsh words in that argument. She even rehearsed in the mirror how she would act on every reaction Katherine might have in tomorrow's conversation.
The sun was beginning to rise when Hope left to go to Praecantrix, since she was anxious to redeem herself and beg her cousin for forgiveness. However, Katherine was nowhere in that tavern and no one there even knew that she had left at dawn.
Hope closes her eyes as she leans on the hallway's wall, concern making her stomach twist. Since they were young, the shadow singer has the habit of leaving at late hours to fulfill a plan, as the night is the time when darkness is stronger and therefore will protect her more. Usually these plans summarize on a kill that will just be discovered in the morning or days later.
"You better not get caught, Kat." And I really hope you're not killing the Sun Summoner now.
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Snowflakes fall slowly at dawn, taking time to disguise itselves with the glowing snow on the ground. Behind a large tree, Katherine can hear Malyen Oretsev's heavy breathing, probably trying to keep himself warm in the cold. With closed eyes, she tries to listen to someone accompanying him, but soon, after none of her shadows sense another presence, she comes to the conclusion that he is alone.
His friends died. Ikatris murmurs to her. Killed by Fjerdans.
"That will make things easier then." She bitterly whispers to him.
The tracker senses the witch's presence as soon as she emerges from her hiding place, his senses immediately showing him where she is. He stands up without hesitation, a knife in his hand and a loaded pistol in his belt, because somehow his intuition — which never fails — tells him that this woman is a threat. Even with just the weak light of a lantern he can see the fury in her light green eyes, a deep hatred that seems to corrode her soul. For a moment, the famous saying of "death stare" comes to his mind. He never believed it, and thought that if he ever saw one, it would surely be his own in a mirror after meeting The Darkling, the man who ripped the love of his life from his arms because she discovered her power.
"Have you found the stag?"
"You Grisha are so arrogant." He sneers, indignant at being treated like a servant. In the past he thought this would be temporary, but now he knows it will never end, especially since he's in the First Army and has to compete for recognition every day with Grisha.
"First I was mistaken as a mortal, and now I'm being mistaken as a Grisha." She snorts. "Ravkans level of ignorance is unbelievable."
"You're not Grisha?" Mal chuckles, thinking she is playing him, but stops as soon as he sees that her death stare increased — if that was even possible.
"I'm much worse than a Grisha, Malyen Oretsev." Her voice is stern, all said in an eerie calm while being still in her place.
"What are you? Who are you?"
"I'm a servant, just like you. Though you serve a repugnant pig that you call a tsar, and I serve nature."
"Nature?"
"Every witch is a servant of nature, Mr. Oretsev."
The tracker remembers the numerous times when he and Alina used to read books of myths in Keramzin, enjoying the legends of vampires, werewolves and faes. They were good though scary. However, the most frightening of them were the ones about witches, which made them fear for their lives and hug each other till they fell asleep. Witches were in all of these stories as a person that would curse someone if they didn't follow their desire.
His intuition was right: this woman is a powerful threat.
"You see, nature balances all kinds of magic so that life in the world works correctly. But that balance is fragile: it can break with a simple spell to revive the dead or with an amplifier that allows a species not born with magic to produce it—", an eerie smile forms at the corner of his lips "like the antlers of the mightiest stag in Ravka."
Nervousness starts to churn his stomach as she slowly approaches him and continues talking. "The Darkling wants the Sun Summoner to produce magic in order to dissolve the Unsea. Oh, Mr. Oretsev, I've seen countless times the consequences of a magical imbalance, and in all of them they were much worse than the action that made it, because nature always finds a grotesque way to recover that balance, and it's always immediate."
His heart sinks at the thought of Alina suffering such a violent consequence as the woman said. "Alina."
"She'll be the first one to die when the Fold is dissolved — a painful death, if I may opine on it. Honestly, I would love to see a lightscum have such fate—"
Mal clenches his jaw at the realization that the witch is a threat not only to him, but to Alina. "If you come near her, I will—"
"But I don't want to see my people suffering because of an action that she'll do." Katherine blatantly ignores him. "So I thought of how I can avoid that to happen, and the answer is pretty simple."
Hold him. She telepathically orders her shadows.
In a blink of an eye, he's knocked down in the snow, the pistol in his pocket soon thrown away and the knife he was holding is now in her hands. However, Mal notices that it isn't her who's restraining his limbs to keep him on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing to me?!"
Please tell me you're going to rip his heart out! Katherine hears Umbra's excited voice.
No, Umbra. She replies. He doesn't deserve such effort.
Can you at least make it quick? Ikatris asked. I rather not hold him for so long.
Don't worry. I won't torture him.
"The stag must be exactly wherever it is without you on its tracks, who's only doing it to be able to see your lover." The shadow singer touches his cold face. "I know that you haven't found it yet, Mr. Oretsev. I read your mind while you implied I was an arrogant Grisha."
"You fucking bitch!"
"Don't be like that, Mr. Oretsev." She increases the grip on his face in an attempt to control her rage. "Your lightscum may even reunite with you soon depending on my patience. You know, she has that extraordinary ability to easily piss me off."
An uncontrollable hatred makes Mal resist whatever that is pinning him to the ground. He fights with all his strength to break free and kill this soulless woman so that she never lays a finger on Alina. The person he loathes the most is no longer The Darkling, but this witch who he doesn't even know the name of.
For the first time in life, he makes a death stare, though unfortunately wasn't able to see it for himself.
The last thing he feels is her icy hands on his face breaking his neck. At the instant he hears the cringing sound of his bone fracturing, everything is dark. He doesn't feel Katherine stabbing his heart thrice with his own knife, nor does he see her pummeling his corpse as frustrated tears stream down her cheeks at the thought that she is once again second to someone with the power of light.
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Kirigan spent the night reading about The Handler, who's described as a maniacal person who makes unbreakable contracts that must be signed by their client's own blood. No one knows if they are a woman or a man, but it's certain that they are a witch or witcher, since they make wishes come true in exchange for something, especially, for a favor. The book also says that everyone who does a deal with this mad person is casted with a sigil spell which forbid them to say The Handler's true name or genre.
If you ever dare to irritate The Handler or attempt to deceive them, be prepared for true suffering. None who did these came back alive or sane.
The Darkling has just finished rereading the chapter for the third time when a paper was dragged to the top of the page, preventing him from reading the same words again.
You will regret it if you try to play her. She always wins a game.
He looks up to face the smiley shadow in front of him. Cheshire. That is his name. "It wasn't my intention to play her." At least not after I truly met her.
The dark figure writes something on the paper. You want her.
Kirigan takes a deep breath to keep himself calm. "I don't—"
Yes, you do. But to gain her, you have to understand her.
"Understand her?"
Listen to her, and then act.
He frowns. "What in the actual hell do you mean by that?!"
Cheshire's smile increases. You'll see.
He opens his mouth to answer it, but the creature flies to his desk's shadow, entering it without any noise or leaving a trace. The Darkling immediately stands up to search for the dark figure, but is interrupted with a knock on his door. Clearly annoyed, he recomposes himself before allowing whoever wants to talk to — and irritate — him.
"Moi soverenyi." Fedyor bows as soon as he enters. "The First Army General sent an urgent alert for you." He rolls his eyes, already impatient with whatever is going to be said. "A group of soldiers found in the woods the stag's tracker unconscious."
Kirigan freezes in his place, feeling one of his most important plans in life escaping through his fingers. "What?"
The Heartrender gives him a letter. "The messenger said that he was found early in the morning and was taken to the closest camp. The otkazat'sya General implied that your presence would be completely significant there."
"Fetch my carriage. You and Ivan are going with me." He looks at his desk in search of the stag's hunt reports. "And Fedyor."
The Corporalki turns to him. "Yes, moi soverenyi?"
"Don't tell anyone about that."
"You have my word, moi soverenyi." He bows before leaving to accomplish the Shadow Summoner orders.
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"You didn't do well in practice today."
Agatha looks up with a scowl on her face only to find Zoya Nazyalensky by her side. "You took some punches. I thought you were good enough to not be beaten."
"It hasn't been a good day."
"Why? Because of your horrible performance or because Baghra hit you again with that stick? Though this woman really can piss anyone off." She murmurs the last sentence to herself.
The hybrid turns her focus back to the untouchable meal at the table, not wanting to interact with someone in the moment. She's more worried about yesterday's events, of how Angelina got frightened by seeing what Hope did to Alina.
"It is rude to ignore others, Agatha. That's my personality, not yours."
"You don't know me." She whispers.
"But I know why you're so sullen today. Gelya really isn't one to avoid others." Agatha turns to the Squaller so quickly that it makes her neck ache. "Though you don't need to worry. I know how to help you."
A twinge of hope invaded her heart. "You do?"
"Her favorites are chrysanthemums." She pauses for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, then turns to the air singer with urgence. "Choose whichever you find, but forget the yellow ones."
The hybrid frowns, confused. "Why?"
"Yellow flowers mean sorrow. If you go to her with one of these, she'll think you probably did something unforgivable or that someone died."
"Well, at least you warned me about that. My favorites are sunflowers, so—"
"And make sure to pick an odd number of flowers. Even numbers are for funerals." Agatha's jaw drops in more shock than before, and an amusement smirk appears on Zoya's lips, who's definitely enjoying the woman's reaction towards her culture. "Just follow what I said and go pick up the flowers, Agatha."
The air singer shakes her head, ending any reverie she was having, and stands up to head towards the garden. "On my way to do it." When she gets to the dining hall's door, she turns around and says: "Thank you, Zoya!"
"You're lucky I like you." The Grisha mumbles a sincere answer to herself, her blue eyes still on the room's entrance when Agatha leaves.
Agatha started her search for chrysanthemums as soon as she arrived at the garden, carefully choosing the best looking flowers to give to Angelina. It took almost half an hour until she was satisfied with the bouquet of white and pink chrysanthemums, all of the nine beautiful flowers with no indication that they would wither soon. After being satisfied with her job, she goes to the infirmary, praying to all the Ancestors that the Healer is there. The only place Gelya spends her time other than the infirmary is the Corporalki's secret chambers, where Agatha knows she won't be able to enter because that's not her Grisha order — though, for being Supernatural, she's not part of any of the three orders.
The hybrid takes a deep breath before entering the infirmary, anxiety reigning all over her body when Angelina's hazel eyes meet her brown ones. "Hey."
The Healer analyzes the room to be sure if there's anybody else with them before replying. After concluding that they were alone, she greets the woman in front of her. "Hi."
"I brought this to you." Agatha hands her the bouquet. "I picked them up myself."
Gelya slowly approaches her, a genuine smile forming into her mouth as she realizes that it's her favorite flower. "Chrysanthemums!"
"The wind told me they're your favorites."
She gently grips the bouquet of pink and white chrysanthemums and lets out a satisfied moan after breathing their aroma. "This wind of yours is very wise." Agatha chuckles, some of the tension released off her shoulders with the relief that Gelya is still willing to have a conversation with her. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
"Well, you know what they say: beautiful flowers are meant to have a beautiful owner."
The Grisha laughs while shaking her head in disbelief. "Who says that?"
"Me." She smirks. "I'm a first rate romantic with lots of experience." Though now I don't remember much of these experiences.
Angelina couldn't hold back another laugh. "You clearly seem to be."
"I appreciate your faith in me." The hybrid bites the inside of her cheek before revealing the main reason for coming to the infirmary, her stomach churning in nervousness. "I came here to apologize for what you saw."
"Agatha—"
"No, let me finish, please." She lets out a tired sigh, not ready to hear what the woman has to say. The Healer obeys, staring at the bouquet as a distraction, since she doesn't expect much from the words to come. "For now I don't know who I am, but I have an idea. And that idea might scare you. With good reason, of course, because if I were young and didn't have magic, like you, I'd be frightened too. From the memories I have, I've come to some conclusions about my power, my virtues, and the life I used to live before— you know." She hits her own head to symbolize the memory loss.
"The remembrances of my childhood take place in old settings, and one of the settings that most impressed me is the start of a witch hunt. My cousins and I couldn't have been even twenty when the chaos started in that town. I remember my uncles running to get our things and my mom taking us back to New Orleans with a spell. But before that town disappeared, I saw through the window two people being hanged from a tree. They were convicted of witchcraft, and if we stayed, it would be my family and I who would've a noose around our necks."
Agatha takes a shaking breath, the pain of having already been hunted for being Supernatural poking at her heart. "I'm telling you that because I suspect this memory is from the Salem Witch Trials, which happened centuries ago." The tear she was holding back trickles down her face. "I am old, Gelya... and a hybrid. Half werewolf and half air singer witch. My whole family is Supernatural, they taught me how to survive. I already killed and tortured and, honestly, I think I like that because I don't mind hurting some people." She closes her eyes to not see Angelina's reaction, dreading the fear that must be in her face. "The spell Hope casted in Alina yesterday hurt due to the blood vessels bursting inside her head; it's discreet yet daring. My guess is that my mom taught us this spell when we were young in order for us to know how to protect ourselves without getting caught."
"Agatha—"
"I'm so sorry that you saw that. Magic can be beautiful, it really can, but most of the time it's dangerous. You don't need to forgive me, Gelya, but trust me when I say that you're too pure for this world. And I'm a heathen, a savage to many people."
The Healer's eyes widened even more after hearing the last sentence. "What? No!"
"Yes, I am, Gelya." Agatha opens her wet eyes to finally face her, the pain in her chest still present. "For being a Grisha, you only have small science, which isn't considered that abnormal. On the other hand, I have magic and for that I'm considered a freak. It's easier for them to hunt a Supernatural than a Grisha, so you're safer without me."
Angelina shakes her head vehemently in denial. "Ravka's more acceptable. We can—"
"Ravka's acceptable for you, Gelya. Supernaturals are myths here, and I know they'd rather continue to be treated like that than bow down to mortals, who have persecuted them for so long."
"We can fix that. You can still be here, in Ravka, and feel acceptable."
It was the air singer's turn to shake her head, not accepting the subtle idea of pretending to be someone she isn't. "I don't want to pretend that I'm a Grisha."
"Then we change the world!" She puts the bouquet away to grip Agatha's face, consequently forcing the woman to stare straight into her eyes. "I saw the way the General and your cousin looked at each other, it's the same as how I look at you. They're like us: a Grisha and a Supernatural, a Ravkan and an American."
"Kat's British."
"If they show their union in public, then we can show ours." She blatantly ignores her correction. "No tsar's guard will be able to stop us because he has to be an idiot to want to clash with the General."
"The tsar is an idiot, Gelya. He'll clearly try to threaten Kirigan."
"Then we'll be on the General's side! The winning side, which has a leader that knows what it feels like to be hunted and knows that the Supernatural aren't freaks." Angelina's lips slightly brush against Agatha's, her warm breath hitting the dark skin when she murmurs: "That you aren't a freak."
The hybrid inspires deeply in an attempt to ease the shivers that are running through her spine. "I know, but some people don't."
"Then fuck them."
Agatha's smile reaches her eyes when she leans down to kiss the Healer, who happily retributes it. Her arms swing to Angelina's waist, while the other's hands leave the air singer's face to wrap them around her neck. Both of them feel all the tension and nervousness leaving their body, the only sensations being their heart beating loudly against their chests and the butterflies flying inside their stomach.
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By the end of the ride to the First Army's camp, Kirigan concluded that Katherine's the current ruler inside his head, since she didn't let go of his thoughts for not even a second. Who took her from him? Is she alright? How can he find her again? Does she feel the same as him?
No. The last question is just paranoia. Of course she feels the same need to be close to him, the same emotions he feels for her. After all, she's his true equal, for Saints' sake!
After the horses are untied from the carriage to be fed, the First Army general's most loyal lieutenant greets The Darkling and the two Heartrenders. The Shadow Summoner didn't know much about the tracker's state, yet wished he was alright for him to continue with the stag's hunt as soon as possible. This is one of the last steps for his plan to be fully realized. He has Alina on a string, and not only is she ignoring Baghra's complaints about her having an amplifier, but is excited about getting one so she can dissolve the Fold. Kirigan isn't a fool either, he knows how to hide his true intentions from everyone and, therefore, the entire Ravkan court and Second Army are faithfully by his side, thinking he is fighting to end the Unsea. However, as Katherine said, there's only one community that loathes him for this "good cause": the Supernatural.
Saints, he cannot imagine the chaos that would break out in the country if the Shadow Fold was ended! The Supernaturals are even more persecuted than the Grisha, which leads to two possibilities: either they would flee Ravka, or they would revolt after so much oppression, since the Unsea it's what most protects them from hunters. The latter idea is what dreads him the most, since these people have merzost. If they decided to fight for respect in towns, it would be a matter of hours before they defeated the First and Second Army entirely. Fortunately for Ravka, the General won't dissolve the Fold, and due to that, there won't be any sort of upheaval from this community; witches, werewolves, vampires and faes, even though hidden, might be content for still being safe enough compared to the period before the Unsea's creation.
"He got here unharmed, but the blood-soaked shirt is an odd factor." Kirigan shakes his head to look at the soldier leading them to the infirmary tent. "We analyzed the area and there was no evidence of anyone who could have injured him, however, he insists that he was held down by someone until his neck was broken." The man couldn't hold back the mockery laugh, definitely thinking that Mal became insane for saying such stupid things. "He said it was a witch! Can you believe that, moi soverenyi?"
The Darkling had to contain a surprised expression, for a moment hoping that the tracker remembered the witch. If he did, Kirigan could manage to capture them and finally see with his own eyes that Katherine was right: there are Supernaturals in Ravka, and they despise him for having the idea of getting the Shadow Fold dissolved.
The General heads straight to Malyen Oretsev's bed while making a silent order to Ivan and Fedyor dismiss everyone from the infirmary. The otkazat'sya looked at him in disgust, probably grudging that Alina was now a Grisha and lives in the Little Palace.
He smirks by knowing that even if this tracker wanted to hurt him, he would fail miserably by attempting it. "Mr. Oretsev. What a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Mal only stares at him in silence, hating to have to hear The Darkling's voice. "The soldiers told me about what happened."
"So why are you here? Because I doubt that it's to check on my well-being."
Kirigan holds the urge to make the Cut on him. "You claim to have been held until a witch broke your neck."
"This happened."
"I'm here to assure the stag hunt. After all, you are the best tracker in the First Army and—"
"I've lost it."
For an instant, the Grisha's leader forgot everything that he would say to the otkazat'sya. Instead of continuing his speech, he deeply gazes at the man on the bed. "What?"
"My ability to track."
"Pardon?!"
"Before, I could feel things, get a sense of where to start no matter where I was. My intuition used to guide me to the place, it was like a gift. But now it's gone. I don't feel the stag's location anymore. Even if you put me back where I was, I won't know how to continue with the hunt."
"This intuition. Why do you think that it's gone forever?"
"Because she fucking killed me!" Mal yells, feeling his blood starting to boil just by remembering that fucking witch. "She broke my neck! And I'm fucking sure that she stabbed me!"
"They said that you had no wounds."
"But my shirt was fucking wet with blood. My blood! I'm not mad or— or insane! I know what I saw! I can still feel her hands on my face and— and a pain on the side of my neck where she fucking twisted!" She. A woman did this.
The General clenches his jaw at the thought of someone messing with his plans, plans that he was so close to achieving. He's going to kill this person for taking away Mr. Oretsev's gift of tracking, for ending his chances to get the stag. He doesn't care anymore that the Supernatural's hatred towards him will increase if he kills that witch; she will pay for this. The only thing he has to be careful while murdering her is for Katherine not to find out. She might truly do worse to him if she discovers that he ended someone of her kind.
"What happened there, Mr. Oretsev? Who is this woman?"
"I don't know! I've never seen her in my life." He takes a shaking breath in an attempt to calm down. "She appeared out of nowhere asking me about the stag and then told me some shit about nature balance." Definitely a witch. Kirigan thought while wondering if all witches care about nature balance, since Katherine already told him about it. "She was with that death stare on her face, ready to kill me. And fucking succeeded."
"What was her appearance?"
"I only focused on her eyes back then... Light green. But she was brunette too... And white."
The air in his lungs stops after hearing the woman's description. A brunette witch with light green eyes and white skin who explained about nature's magical balance. That is literally Katherine.
He doesn't know how long he was frozen in place as he imagined his equal committing murder. He just knows he snapped out of his reverie when he saw a piece of paper exiting from the shadow of Mal's bed, the same way Cheshire had walked into the shadow of his desk earlier today. The Darkling crouches down to pick up the paper, amazed to see the scrawled handwriting he's known for exactly one night.
West border of the Fold. The first one without guard.
The General immediately starts to walk away. "Have him track things around the camp so we can try to retrieve that intuition of his."
"Yes, moi soverenyi." Ivan says while staring at otkazat'sya. On the other side, Fedyor curiously follows the leader to the tent's entrance. "Where are you going?"
"Doesn't matter."
Kirigan mounts his black stallion and starts riding as fast as possible to the west of the Unsea, urging to quickly find the part with no one guarding the Fold. For some reason Katherine must be there, and he needs to interrogate her about Malyen Oretsev, demand the reason she did this. From what it seems, she didn't even know the tracker until then! So why kill him?
He stops his horse at the moment he sees a thin figure sitting with its back to him, silently facing the Fold. The Darkling descends from his stallion panting and in need of a rest, but that is no greater need than knowing the truth. Slowly he approaches the person, a shiver runs down his spine as he notices the dried blood on the woman's hands dissolving on the white snow.
"Katherine?"
"I was so blind." Her voice is void, the tone of someone lost in their own thoughts. "Thank the Ancestors that they opened my eyes!"
He frowns, confused. "Blind about what? Who opened your eyes?"
"The shadows."
The General can feel all of his patience leaving every inch of his body. He's tired of questions without any explanations. He wants answers, damn it! "About what?!"
He swears that he stopped breathing for a moment when she finally turned to him. She's a mess. With red puffy eyes and dried tears on her cheeks; her dark brown hair, completely tousled; her gown, stained with blood; an expression of pure shock on her face as she stares at him. "About you being the Black Heretic."
The Grisha glares at the witch with clenched fists, the only thing stopping him from attacking her is the fact that she's his equal. She discovered his deepest secret, the one that made him fake his death several times and return to the Little Palace with fake names and the lie that he is only a descendant of the Black Heretic. How did Katherine find out about this through shadows? He doesn't see any papers lying in the snow or in her hands, after all.
But alright. If Katherine wants to play this game, then he will play it.
"It's quite ironic how you accuse me for being someone as horrible as people describe, when you are the same as me. Am I right, The Handler?" He looks down at her pale hands stained in a scarlet liquid "Or should I say the murderer of my tracker?"
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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
i love kat sfm. she seems to have suffered more than said and deserves sm to be happy. shes DONE w bullshit and this makes her villain side being totally understandable???
i just wanted to hug her w this brief mention of her past before PERFECT ELIJAH adopted her! and i cried w the thing of her mind being her enemy
Sorry not sorry for making you feel emotional on this chapter😂 Also, I love Elijah too and he was definitely a good father for Katherine. I’m so happy to read that you like her, since she’s such an important character to me
A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter, but it was really hard to write it. Everytime I thought it was ready, I decided to add more scenes and details on the narrative. What I planned to be a 3k chapter, ended up being an almost 7k. But enough of waiting now! I hope you enjoy it and have a great 2023💕 Also, I searched about those Russian traditions about flowers on internet. So if there's any mistakes, please, feel free to correct me!
summary: Nick and Hope have an argument about Katherine. Agatha and Gelya have a talk. In the meantime, Kirigan receives the news that Malyen Oretsev was found unconscious on the woods.
words: 6680
warnings: explicit violence, blood, death, a brief mention of self harm and a subtle spoiler of “Ruin and Rising”
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Nick started to suspect that something was wrong when Katherine had gone straight to her room with a scowl on her face and Hope arrived not so much better, not greeting anyone and ordering a drink in the bar. The hybrid stares at his cousin Levi by his side, but the man is already on Katherine's heels to know why she seems so distressed.
He gazes at the counter again, where the redhead is gripping the cup she was handed so strongly that her knuckles are white. Hope has such behavior when she is on the wrong side in a situation. She stays quiet in her place, bittering by herself about what happened and wondering if what she did was a good thing for her but bad for others.
Hope took Kat away from the General. His head is invaded with Levi's voice. Hurted Alina to get him out of the room and then kidnapped Kat.
Anything else? He replies telepathically.
All I know is that they argued a lot. Kat's crying as much as when Samson chose that light singer over her.
Nick takes a deep breath to not break something in the tavern. Samson was Katherine's worst lover, a fire singer who used to look with disdain at her shadows and pretend to accept her the way she was, but as soon as he met a light singer named Alys, he fled into her arms, who knew very well that he was committed to Katherine at that moment. Worst of all, his cousin and Alys were extremely close at the time, which caused Katherine to be betrayed by both sides: love and friendship.
It took almost a decade for her to stop grieving and blaming herself for that horrible situation, but once Katherine decided to recover fully, nobody could stop her. Many years later, when she learned to love herself more and loathe Samson and Alys, the two came after her for forgiveness. Unfortunately for them, it was too late; the answer to their wish was harsh insults that probably scarred them forever and a guilt that will accompany them to their grave. The shadow singer still receives a few letters asking for a second chance, but sets fire to it as soon as she sees Samson or Alys as recipients, not even bothering to open it.
So if Katherine is crying as much as she did when this betrayal happened, then there's only one answer: Hope triggered her insecurities about herself. The tears on her face right now are due to thoughts of not being worthy for someone and, therefore, never finding true love.
With clenched teeth, the hybrid immediately goes to the counter where the redhead is. He needs to discover what she said to be able to disprove any lie that Katherine's mind is telling herself. "What did you do?" She only takes a sip of the drink without looking at him. "Hope, what the fuck did you do?!"
"The right thing."
"And is that 'right thing' actually right? Because Kat is upstairs crying on Levi's lap!"
"I was protecting her."
He sits by her side, holding the urge to slap her. "Doesn't seem so."
"Kirigan's not good for her."
"That's not on you to decide, Hope!" Nick indignantly hits the wooden counter. "Especially when you are far from her to know what the hell's the effect he has on her!"
The tribid finally looks at him, her blue eyes full of rage. "And what the hell's the effect he has on her, Nick?!"
"A single one will shut you up: her shadows are silent towards him."
"Of course they are! He's a Shadow Summoner, you idiot!"
"No, Hope. They're silent in the same way they were towards uncle Elijah." Her mouth opens slightly in shock, her heart clenching at the meaning of this. "Do you remember what my mother said about that quietness? They only do it with someone they trust to keep Kat safe and happy forever, who will never give up on her or cause her sorrow!"
"No." Hope shakes her head in denial. "They're wrong."
"No, you are wrong!" He yells, ready to explode in fury. "We both know very well that there's no one more reliable in keeping Kat safe than her shadows. They have always had her back, since long before uncle Elijah met and adopted her! They were the ones who protected her from her parent's punches, who assured her that she wasn't the aberration her sisters talked about, who helped her survive on the streets when she ran away from home!" The hybrid lets out a tired sigh. "Why do you think they didn't warn her about uncle Elijah on the day they'd met? Because Kat would run and thus wouldn't be safe nor have a better life!"
"So you think they are doing the same with Kirigan? Wanting to show her that he's the key for a great life."
"I don't think that. I know that!"
She scoffs, unbelieving her cousin's opinion. "He'll break her heart."
"No, he won't. If her shadows trust him, then so do I." He adds when she opens her mouth to reply. "You haven't seen her, Hope. Every time she comes back after being with him, she's with a shy smile on her face or in a silent trance to find out what she feels. That happens every single time, no matter if they talked or only looked at each other."
"It might be because he's a living amplifier. Have you ever thought of that, Nick? He naturally attracts her in the same way as others!"
"He attracts Grishas, Hope! Amplifiers don't work in witches or in any other supernatural." He grunts, annoyed by his cousin and sick of arguing. "You know what? I'm tired of this shit. Tell me right now what you said to her."
The redhead finishes her drink and stands up to leave the tavern. "Forget it, Nick."
He immediately grabs her arm strongly, a silent order for her to sit down again. Although Hope's more powerful than him, Nick's able to fight her well, since he is a hybrid. Moreover, he's the one who naturally acts more like a leader, which made him leader of the Crescent Wolf Pack centuries ago, and is seen as a trustable and honorable figure in the entire New Orleans. That virtue of him helps him to build alliances all over the world, and Hope doesn't doubt he's already made some on Ravka.
A fight with Nick in this territory would be suicide. She would win, of course, but would shatter Ravkan Supernatural Community's trust in the Mikaelsons, something they need to recover all of Agatha's memories and not get caught by the Oprichnik.
"Did you say that she's only a pawn to him? That he prefers Alina?" Impatient, the hybrid hits the wooden counter. "Tell me, Hope!"
"He wants her power, not her! He will use her!" She yells at him, not caring if the entire tavern is looking at them.
Nick swears for a moment that he will transform into his wolf form due to rage. "Are you fucking deaf?! What part of 'her shadows trust him' didn't you listen to?!"
"He chose Alina over her! When she screamed, he ran to her instead of staying with Kat!"
"Was Kat hurt too?"
"What? No! I was careful with the spell."
"Then that's why he ran to Alina! I doubt he would ever leave the room if Kat was the one in pain." He pauses, realizing that this may be the reason why the shadow singer is upset and in tears right now. "You said that to her, didn't you? That he saved Alina over her."
Hope's face pales after noticing that she's just admitted what she did.
"I-I can't believe you've done that." Nick takes a deep breath, all the anger replaced by the sudden feeling of disappointment. "You know more than anybody else of her insecurities towards some light singers, of how she sometimes forgets her own value and doesn't think she's worthy."
Many who know Katherine think that her worst enemy is her biological family, some light singers or witch hunters, or even the Strix. However, only the Mikaelsons know that it's none of those, but her darkest side: the one that distorts events and makes her distrust herself, compares her to others, feels inferior and always thinks that she doesn't deserve an achievement. The shadow singer fights daily against this opponent, the thin white lines on her forearms that she did to herself are eternal reminders of that, and the fact that she didn't give in to this nemesis is why she's still alive.
Katherine's worst enemy is her own mind. If you know that and use it in your favor, you have the chance to wreck her entirely, as she's the one who will do the job of breaking herself even more.
Hope is sure she can feel her own heart shattering in pieces, for she now realizes that, in the heat of the argument, she took advantage of her cousin's dark mind just to hurt her. That's why Nick is so mad at her; he wouldn't be furious if separating the shadow singer from The Darkling or hurting Alina were the only problems. Loyalty was always crutial for him, the essence of every relation, and to know that someone of the family hurted another member without any plausible reason is pure betrayal.
Hope doubts now that Nick will ever leave her alone with Katherine again. Actually, she suspects that he might be thinking of an attempt to communicate with Katherine's shadows in order of her protection towards the tribid.
For a short moment, the redhead's blue eyes stare into the hybrid's browns. She starts running towards her cousin's room shortly thereafter, but Nick also has enhanced speed for being half werewolf and thus was able to catch up with her before she reached the door in the hall. With a clenched jaw, he opens his mouth to speak, however, is interrupted by a door slam. The two immediately look at the sound's direction, only to find Levi staring at them with a stern face.
"She wants to be alone now."
Hope pushes the hybrid to the side, trying to get closer to the bedroom. "I want to talk to her."
"Tomorrow."
"Levi, you don't understand! I need to apo—"
"You can do it tomorrow." His steady voice cuts her off like a sword. "It'll be better to have you two rested and cooled off from the argument."
The redhead analyzes him from the top to the bottom, wondering how she will make him move out of the door.
"Don't even think of that, Hope." Levi warns her. "Even if you get through me, you'll still have to pass through her shadows to get to her. And you know how they're protective over Kat."
Finally, she sighs in redemption. "I'll be here in the morning."
The tribid went straight to her room as soon as she arrived at the Little Palace, not talking to anyone and not going to dinner. Although she didn't have any sleep, she wrote a letter of the regret she felt about her harsh words in that argument. She even rehearsed in the mirror how she would act on every reaction Katherine might have in tomorrow's conversation.
The sun was beginning to rise when Hope left to go to Praecantrix, since she was anxious to redeem herself and beg her cousin for forgiveness. However, Katherine was nowhere in that tavern and no one there even knew that she had left at dawn.
Hope closes her eyes as she leans on the hallway's wall, concern making her stomach twist. Since they were young, the shadow singer has the habit of leaving at late hours to fulfill a plan, as the night is the time when darkness is stronger and therefore will protect her more. Usually these plans summarize on a kill that will just be discovered in the morning or days later.
"You better not get caught, Kat." And I really hope you're not killing the Sun Summoner now.
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Snowflakes fall slowly at dawn, taking time to disguise itselves with the glowing snow on the ground. Behind a large tree, Katherine can hear Malyen Oretsev's heavy breathing, probably trying to keep himself warm in the cold. With closed eyes, she tries to listen to someone accompanying him, but soon, after none of her shadows sense another presence, she comes to the conclusion that he is alone.
His friends died. Ikatris murmurs to her. Killed by Fjerdans.
"That will make things easier then." She bitterly whispers to him.
The tracker senses the witch's presence as soon as she emerges from her hiding place, his senses immediately showing him where she is. He stands up without hesitation, a knife in his hand and a loaded pistol in his belt, because somehow his intuition — which never fails — tells him that this woman is a threat. Even with just the weak light of a lantern he can see the fury in her light green eyes, a deep hatred that seems to corrode her soul. For a moment, the famous saying of "death stare" comes to his mind. He never believed it, and thought that if he ever saw one, it would surely be his own in a mirror after meeting The Darkling, the man who ripped the love of his life from his arms because she discovered her power.
"Have you found the stag?"
"You Grisha are so arrogant." He sneers, indignant at being treated like a servant. In the past he thought this would be temporary, but now he knows it will never end, especially since he's in the First Army and has to compete for recognition every day with Grisha.
"First I was mistaken as a mortal, and now I'm being mistaken as a Grisha." She snorts. "Ravkans level of ignorance is unbelievable."
"You're not Grisha?" Mal chuckles, thinking she is playing him, but stops as soon as he sees that her death stare increased — if that was even possible.
"I'm much worse than a Grisha, Malyen Oretsev." Her voice is stern, all said in an eerie calm while being still in her place.
"What are you? Who are you?"
"I'm a servant, just like you. Though you serve a repugnant pig that you call a tsar, and I serve nature."
"Nature?"
"Every witch is a servant of nature, Mr. Oretsev."
The tracker remembers the numerous times when he and Alina used to read books of myths in Keramzin, enjoying the legends of vampires, werewolves and faes. They were good though scary. However, the most frightening of them were the ones about witches, which made them fear for their lives and hug each other till they fell asleep. Witches were in all of these stories as a person that would curse someone if they didn't follow their desire.
His intuition was right: this woman is a powerful threat.
"You see, nature balances all kinds of magic so that life in the world works correctly. But that balance is fragile: it can break with a simple spell to revive the dead or with an amplifier that allows a species not born with magic to produce it—", an eerie smile forms at the corner of his lips "like the antlers of the mightiest stag in Ravka."
Nervousness starts to churn his stomach as she slowly approaches him and continues talking. "The Darkling wants the Sun Summoner to produce magic in order to dissolve the Unsea. Oh, Mr. Oretsev, I've seen countless times the consequences of a magical imbalance, and in all of them they were much worse than the action that made it, because nature always finds a grotesque way to recover that balance, and it's always immediate."
His heart sinks at the thought of Alina suffering such a violent consequence as the woman said. "Alina."
"She'll be the first one to die when the Fold is dissolved — a painful death, if I may opine on it. Honestly, I would love to see a lightscum have such fate—"
Mal clenches his jaw at the realization that the witch is a threat not only to him, but to Alina. "If you come near her, I will—"
"But I don't want to see my people suffering because of an action that she'll do." Katherine blatantly ignores him. "So I thought of how I can avoid that to happen, and the answer is pretty simple."
Hold him. She telepathically orders her shadows.
In a blink of an eye, he's knocked down in the snow, the pistol in his pocket soon thrown away and the knife he was holding is now in her hands. However, Mal notices that it isn't her who's restraining his limbs to keep him on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing to me?!"
Please tell me you're going to rip his heart out! Katherine hears Umbra's excited voice.
No, Umbra. She replies. He doesn't deserve such effort.
Can you at least make it quick? Ikatris asked. I rather not hold him for so long.
Don't worry. I won't torture him.
"The stag must be exactly wherever it is without you on its tracks, who's only doing it to be able to see your lover." The shadow singer touches his cold face. "I know that you haven't found it yet, Mr. Oretsev. I read your mind while you implied I was an arrogant Grisha."
"You fucking bitch!"
"Don't be like that, Mr. Oretsev." She increases the grip on his face in an attempt to control her rage. "Your lightscum may even reunite with you soon depending on my patience. You know, she has that extraordinary ability to easily piss me off."
An uncontrollable hatred makes Mal resist whatever that is pinning him to the ground. He fights with all his strength to break free and kill this soulless woman so that she never lays a finger on Alina. The person he loathes the most is no longer The Darkling, but this witch who he doesn't even know the name of.
For the first time in life, he makes a death stare, though unfortunately wasn't able to see it for himself.
The last thing he feels is her icy hands on his face breaking his neck. At the instant he hears the cringing sound of his bone fracturing, everything is dark. He doesn't feel Katherine stabbing his heart thrice with his own knife, nor does he see her pummeling his corpse as frustrated tears stream down her cheeks at the thought that she is once again second to someone with the power of light.
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Kirigan spent the night reading about The Handler, who's described as a maniacal person who makes unbreakable contracts that must be signed by their client's own blood. No one knows if they are a woman or a man, but it's certain that they are a witch or witcher, since they make wishes come true in exchange for something, especially, for a favor. The book also says that everyone who does a deal with this mad person is casted with a sigil spell which forbid them to say The Handler's true name or genre.
If you ever dare to irritate The Handler or attempt to deceive them, be prepared for true suffering. None who did these came back alive or sane.
The Darkling has just finished rereading the chapter for the third time when a paper was dragged to the top of the page, preventing him from reading the same words again.
You will regret it if you try to play her. She always wins a game.
He looks up to face the smiley shadow in front of him. Cheshire. That is his name. "It wasn't my intention to play her." At least not after I truly met her.
The dark figure writes something on the paper. You want her.
Kirigan takes a deep breath to keep himself calm. "I don't—"
Yes, you do. But to gain her, you have to understand her.
"Understand her?"
Listen to her, and then act.
He frowns. "What in the actual hell do you mean by that?!"
Cheshire's smile increases. You'll see.
He opens his mouth to answer it, but the creature flies to his desk's shadow, entering it without any noise or leaving a trace. The Darkling immediately stands up to search for the dark figure, but is interrupted with a knock on his door. Clearly annoyed, he recomposes himself before allowing whoever wants to talk to — and irritate — him.
"Moi soverenyi." Fedyor bows as soon as he enters. "The First Army General sent an urgent alert for you." He rolls his eyes, already impatient with whatever is going to be said. "A group of soldiers found in the woods the stag's tracker unconscious."
Kirigan freezes in his place, feeling one of his most important plans in life escaping through his fingers. "What?"
The Heartrender gives him a letter. "The messenger said that he was found early in the morning and was taken to the closest camp. The otkazat'sya General implied that your presence would be completely significant there."
"Fetch my carriage. You and Ivan are going with me." He looks at his desk in search of the stag's hunt reports. "And Fedyor."
The Corporalki turns to him. "Yes, moi soverenyi?"
"Don't tell anyone about that."
"You have my word, moi soverenyi." He bows before leaving to accomplish the Shadow Summoner orders.
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"You didn't do well in practice today."
Agatha looks up with a scowl on her face only to find Zoya Nazyalensky by her side. "You took some punches. I thought you were good enough to not be beaten."
"It hasn't been a good day."
"Why? Because of your horrible performance or because Baghra hit you again with that stick? Though this woman really can piss anyone off." She murmurs the last sentence to herself.
The hybrid turns her focus back to the untouchable meal at the table, not wanting to interact with someone in the moment. She's more worried about yesterday's events, of how Angelina got frightened by seeing what Hope did to Alina.
"It is rude to ignore others, Agatha. That's my personality, not yours."
"You don't know me." She whispers.
"But I know why you're so sullen today. Gelya really isn't one to avoid others." Agatha turns to the Squaller so quickly that it makes her neck ache. "Though you don't need to worry. I know how to help you."
A twinge of hope invaded her heart. "You do?"
"Her favorites are chrysanthemums." She pauses for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, then turns to the air singer with urgence. "Choose whichever you find, but forget the yellow ones."
The hybrid frowns, confused. "Why?"
"Yellow flowers mean sorrow. If you go to her with one of these, she'll think you probably did something unforgivable or that someone died."
"Well, at least you warned me about that. My favorites are sunflowers, so—"
"And make sure to pick an odd number of flowers. Even numbers are for funerals." Agatha's jaw drops in more shock than before, and an amusement smirk appears on Zoya's lips, who's definitely enjoying the woman's reaction towards her culture. "Just follow what I said and go pick up the flowers, Agatha."
The air singer shakes her head, ending any reverie she was having, and stands up to head towards the garden. "On my way to do it." When she gets to the dining hall's door, she turns around and says: "Thank you, Zoya!"
"You're lucky I like you." The Grisha mumbles a sincere answer to herself, her blue eyes still on the room's entrance when Agatha leaves.
Agatha started her search for chrysanthemums as soon as she arrived at the garden, carefully choosing the best looking flowers to give to Angelina. It took almost half an hour until she was satisfied with the bouquet of white and pink chrysanthemums, all of the nine beautiful flowers with no indication that they would wither soon. After being satisfied with her job, she goes to the infirmary, praying to all the Ancestors that the Healer is there. The only place Gelya spends her time other than the infirmary is the Corporalki's secret chambers, where Agatha knows she won't be able to enter because that's not her Grisha order — though, for being Supernatural, she's not part of any of the three orders.
The hybrid takes a deep breath before entering the infirmary, anxiety reigning all over her body when Angelina's hazel eyes meet her brown ones. "Hey."
The Healer analyzes the room to be sure if there's anybody else with them before replying. After concluding that they were alone, she greets the woman in front of her. "Hi."
"I brought this to you." Agatha hands her the bouquet. "I picked them up myself."
Gelya slowly approaches her, a genuine smile forming into her mouth as she realizes that it's her favorite flower. "Chrysanthemums!"
"The wind told me they're your favorites."
She gently grips the bouquet of pink and white chrysanthemums and lets out a satisfied moan after breathing their aroma. "This wind of yours is very wise." Agatha chuckles, some of the tension released off her shoulders with the relief that Gelya is still willing to have a conversation with her. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
"Well, you know what they say: beautiful flowers are meant to have a beautiful owner."
The Grisha laughs while shaking her head in disbelief. "Who says that?"
"Me." She smirks. "I'm a first rate romantic with lots of experience." Though now I don't remember much of these experiences.
Angelina couldn't hold back another laugh. "You clearly seem to be."
"I appreciate your faith in me." The hybrid bites the inside of her cheek before revealing the main reason for coming to the infirmary, her stomach churning in nervousness. "I came here to apologize for what you saw."
"Agatha—"
"No, let me finish, please." She lets out a tired sigh, not ready to hear what the woman has to say. The Healer obeys, staring at the bouquet as a distraction, since she doesn't expect much from the words to come. "For now I don't know who I am, but I have an idea. And that idea might scare you. With good reason, of course, because if I were young and didn't have magic, like you, I'd be frightened too. From the memories I have, I've come to some conclusions about my power, my virtues, and the life I used to live before— you know." She hits her own head to symbolize the memory loss.
"The remembrances of my childhood take place in old settings, and one of the settings that most impressed me is the start of a witch hunt. My cousins and I couldn't have been even twenty when the chaos started in that town. I remember my uncles running to get our things and my mom taking us back to New Orleans with a spell. But before that town disappeared, I saw through the window two people being hanged from a tree. They were convicted of witchcraft, and if we stayed, it would be my family and I who would've a noose around our necks."
Agatha takes a shaking breath, the pain of having already been hunted for being Supernatural poking at her heart. "I'm telling you that because I suspect this memory is from the Salem Witch Trials, which happened centuries ago." The tear she was holding back trickles down her face. "I am old, Gelya... and a hybrid. Half werewolf and half air singer witch. My whole family is Supernatural, they taught me how to survive. I already killed and tortured and, honestly, I think I like that because I don't mind hurting some people." She closes her eyes to not see Angelina's reaction, dreading the fear that must be in her face. "The spell Hope casted in Alina yesterday hurt due to the blood vessels bursting inside her head; it's discreet yet daring. My guess is that my mom taught us this spell when we were young in order for us to know how to protect ourselves without getting caught."
"Agatha—"
"I'm so sorry that you saw that. Magic can be beautiful, it really can, but most of the time it's dangerous. You don't need to forgive me, Gelya, but trust me when I say that you're too pure for this world. And I'm a heathen, a savage to many people."
The Healer's eyes widened even more after hearing the last sentence. "What? No!"
"Yes, I am, Gelya." Agatha opens her wet eyes to finally face her, the pain in her chest still present. "For being a Grisha, you only have small science, which isn't considered that abnormal. On the other hand, I have magic and for that I'm considered a freak. It's easier for them to hunt a Supernatural than a Grisha, so you're safer without me."
Angelina shakes her head vehemently in denial. "Ravka's more acceptable. We can—"
"Ravka's acceptable for you, Gelya. Supernaturals are myths here, and I know they'd rather continue to be treated like that than bow down to mortals, who have persecuted them for so long."
"We can fix that. You can still be here, in Ravka, and feel acceptable."
It was the air singer's turn to shake her head, not accepting the subtle idea of pretending to be someone she isn't. "I don't want to pretend that I'm a Grisha."
"Then we change the world!" She puts the bouquet away to grip Agatha's face, consequently forcing the woman to stare straight into her eyes. "I saw the way the General and your cousin looked at each other, it's the same as how I look at you. They're like us: a Grisha and a Supernatural, a Ravkan and an American."
"Kat's British."
"If they show their union in public, then we can show ours." She blatantly ignores her correction. "No tsar's guard will be able to stop us because he has to be an idiot to want to clash with the General."
"The tsar is an idiot, Gelya. He'll clearly try to threaten Kirigan."
"Then we'll be on the General's side! The winning side, which has a leader that knows what it feels like to be hunted and knows that the Supernatural aren't freaks." Angelina's lips slightly brush against Agatha's, her warm breath hitting the dark skin when she murmurs: "That you aren't a freak."
The hybrid inspires deeply in an attempt to ease the shivers that are running through her spine. "I know, but some people don't."
"Then fuck them."
Agatha's smile reaches her eyes when she leans down to kiss the Healer, who happily retributes it. Her arms swing to Angelina's waist, while the other's hands leave the air singer's face to wrap them around her neck. Both of them feel all the tension and nervousness leaving their body, the only sensations being their heart beating loudly against their chests and the butterflies flying inside their stomach.
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By the end of the ride to the First Army's camp, Kirigan concluded that Katherine's the current ruler inside his head, since she didn't let go of his thoughts for not even a second. Who took her from him? Is she alright? How can he find her again? Does she feel the same as him?
No. The last question is just paranoia. Of course she feels the same need to be close to him, the same emotions he feels for her. After all, she's his true equal, for Saints' sake!
After the horses are untied from the carriage to be fed, the First Army general's most loyal lieutenant greets The Darkling and the two Heartrenders. The Shadow Summoner didn't know much about the tracker's state, yet wished he was alright for him to continue with the stag's hunt as soon as possible. This is one of the last steps for his plan to be fully realized. He has Alina on a string, and not only is she ignoring Baghra's complaints about her having an amplifier, but is excited about getting one so she can dissolve the Fold. Kirigan isn't a fool either, he knows how to hide his true intentions from everyone and, therefore, the entire Ravkan court and Second Army are faithfully by his side, thinking he is fighting to end the Unsea. However, as Katherine said, there's only one community that loathes him for this "good cause": the Supernatural.
Saints, he cannot imagine the chaos that would break out in the country if the Shadow Fold was ended! The Supernaturals are even more persecuted than the Grisha, which leads to two possibilities: either they would flee Ravka, or they would revolt after so much oppression, since the Unsea it's what most protects them from hunters. The latter idea is what dreads him the most, since these people have merzost. If they decided to fight for respect in towns, it would be a matter of hours before they defeated the First and Second Army entirely. Fortunately for Ravka, the General won't dissolve the Fold, and due to that, there won't be any sort of upheaval from this community; witches, werewolves, vampires and faes, even though hidden, might be content for still being safe enough compared to the period before the Unsea's creation.
"He got here unharmed, but the blood-soaked shirt is an odd factor." Kirigan shakes his head to look at the soldier leading them to the infirmary tent. "We analyzed the area and there was no evidence of anyone who could have injured him, however, he insists that he was held down by someone until his neck was broken." The man couldn't hold back the mockery laugh, definitely thinking that Mal became insane for saying such stupid things. "He said it was a witch! Can you believe that, moi soverenyi?"
The Darkling had to contain a surprised expression, for a moment hoping that the tracker remembered the witch. If he did, Kirigan could manage to capture them and finally see with his own eyes that Katherine was right: there are Supernaturals in Ravka, and they despise him for having the idea of getting the Shadow Fold dissolved.
The General heads straight to Malyen Oretsev's bed while making a silent order to Ivan and Fedyor dismiss everyone from the infirmary. The otkazat'sya looked at him in disgust, probably grudging that Alina was now a Grisha and lives in the Little Palace.
He smirks by knowing that even if this tracker wanted to hurt him, he would fail miserably by attempting it. "Mr. Oretsev. What a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Mal only stares at him in silence, hating to have to hear The Darkling's voice. "The soldiers told me about what happened."
"So why are you here? Because I doubt that it's to check on my well-being."
Kirigan holds the urge to make the Cut on him. "You claim to have been held until a witch broke your neck."
"This happened."
"I'm here to assure the stag hunt. After all, you are the best tracker in the First Army and—"
"I've lost it."
For an instant, the Grisha's leader forgot everything that he would say to the otkazat'sya. Instead of continuing his speech, he deeply gazes at the man on the bed. "What?"
"My ability to track."
"Pardon?!"
"Before, I could feel things, get a sense of where to start no matter where I was. My intuition used to guide me to the place, it was like a gift. But now it's gone. I don't feel the stag's location anymore. Even if you put me back where I was, I won't know how to continue with the hunt."
"This intuition. Why do you think that it's gone forever?"
"Because she fucking killed me!" Mal yells, feeling his blood starting to boil just by remembering that fucking witch. "She broke my neck! And I'm fucking sure that she stabbed me!"
"They said that you had no wounds."
"But my shirt was fucking wet with blood. My blood! I'm not mad or— or insane! I know what I saw! I can still feel her hands on my face and— and a pain on the side of my neck where she fucking twisted!" She. A woman did this.
The General clenches his jaw at the thought of someone messing with his plans, plans that he was so close to achieving. He's going to kill this person for taking away Mr. Oretsev's gift of tracking, for ending his chances to get the stag. He doesn't care anymore that the Supernatural's hatred towards him will increase if he kills that witch; she will pay for this. The only thing he has to be careful while murdering her is for Katherine not to find out. She might truly do worse to him if she discovers that he ended someone of her kind.
"What happened there, Mr. Oretsev? Who is this woman?"
"I don't know! I've never seen her in my life." He takes a shaking breath in an attempt to calm down. "She appeared out of nowhere asking me about the stag and then told me some shit about nature balance." Definitely a witch. Kirigan thought while wondering if all witches care about nature balance, since Katherine already told him about it. "She was with that death stare on her face, ready to kill me. And fucking succeeded."
"What was her appearance?"
"I only focused on her eyes back then... Light green. But she was brunette too... And white."
The air in his lungs stops after hearing the woman's description. A brunette witch with light green eyes and white skin who explained about nature's magical balance. That is literally Katherine.
He doesn't know how long he was frozen in place as he imagined his equal committing murder. He just knows he snapped out of his reverie when he saw a piece of paper exiting from the shadow of Mal's bed, the same way Cheshire had walked into the shadow of his desk earlier today. The Darkling crouches down to pick up the paper, amazed to see the scrawled handwriting he's known for exactly one night.
West border of the Fold. The first one without guard.
The General immediately starts to walk away. "Have him track things around the camp so we can try to retrieve that intuition of his."
"Yes, moi soverenyi." Ivan says while staring at otkazat'sya. On the other side, Fedyor curiously follows the leader to the tent's entrance. "Where are you going?"
"Doesn't matter."
Kirigan mounts his black stallion and starts riding as fast as possible to the west of the Unsea, urging to quickly find the part with no one guarding the Fold. For some reason Katherine must be there, and he needs to interrogate her about Malyen Oretsev, demand the reason she did this. From what it seems, she didn't even know the tracker until then! So why kill him?
He stops his horse at the moment he sees a thin figure sitting with its back to him, silently facing the Fold. The Darkling descends from his stallion panting and in need of a rest, but that is no greater need than knowing the truth. Slowly he approaches the person, a shiver runs down his spine as he notices the dried blood on the woman's hands dissolving on the white snow.
"Katherine?"
"I was so blind." Her voice is void, the tone of someone lost in their own thoughts. "Thank the Ancestors that they opened my eyes!"
He frowns, confused. "Blind about what? Who opened your eyes?"
"The shadows."
The General can feel all of his patience leaving every inch of his body. He's tired of questions without any explanations. He wants answers, damn it! "About what?!"
He swears that he stopped breathing for a moment when she finally turned to him. She's a mess. With red puffy eyes and dried tears on her cheeks; her dark brown hair, completely tousled; her gown, stained with blood; an expression of pure shock on her face as she stares at him. "About you being the Black Heretic."
The Grisha glares at the witch with clenched fists, the only thing stopping him from attacking her is the fact that she's his equal. She discovered his deepest secret, the one that made him fake his death several times and return to the Little Palace with fake names and the lie that he is only a descendant of the Black Heretic. How did Katherine find out about this through shadows? He doesn't see any papers lying in the snow or in her hands, after all.
But alright. If Katherine wants to play this game, then he will play it.
"It's quite ironic how you accuse me for being someone as horrible as people describe, when you are the same as me. Am I right, The Handler?" He looks down at her pale hands stained in a scarlet liquid "Or should I say the murderer of my tracker?"
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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
i really hope u make kat and aleks kiss soon cause theyre made for each other (though i LOVE that u r revealing all the truth before them being together)
AND AGATHA AND GELYA????? OMFG THEYRE SO CUUUUUUTEEEEEE TOGETHER
A/N: Hey, everyone! How are you? I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter, but it was really hard to write it. Everytime I thought it was ready, I decided to add more scenes and details on the narrative. What I planned to be a 3k chapter, ended up being an almost 7k. But enough of waiting now! I hope you enjoy it and have a great 2023💕 Also, I searched about those Russian traditions about flowers on internet. So if there's any mistakes, please, feel free to correct me!
summary: Nick and Hope have an argument about Katherine. Agatha and Gelya have a talk. In the meantime, Kirigan receives the news that Malyen Oretsev was found unconscious on the woods.
words: 6680
warnings: explicit violence, blood, death, a brief mention of self harm and a subtle spoiler of “Ruin and Rising”
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Nick started to suspect that something was wrong when Katherine had gone straight to her room with a scowl on her face and Hope arrived not so much better, not greeting anyone and ordering a drink in the bar. The hybrid stares at his cousin Levi by his side, but the man is already on Katherine's heels to know why she seems so distressed.
He gazes at the counter again, where the redhead is gripping the cup she was handed so strongly that her knuckles are white. Hope has such behavior when she is on the wrong side in a situation. She stays quiet in her place, bittering by herself about what happened and wondering if what she did was a good thing for her but bad for others.
Hope took Kat away from the General. His head is invaded with Levi's voice. Hurted Alina to get him out of the room and then kidnapped Kat.
Anything else? He replies telepathically.
All I know is that they argued a lot. Kat's crying as much as when Samson chose that light singer over her.
Nick takes a deep breath to not break something in the tavern. Samson was Katherine's worst lover, a fire singer who used to look with disdain at her shadows and pretend to accept her the way she was, but as soon as he met a light singer named Alys, he fled into her arms, who knew very well that he was committed to Katherine at that moment. Worst of all, his cousin and Alys were extremely close at the time, which caused Katherine to be betrayed by both sides: love and friendship.
It took almost a decade for her to stop grieving and blaming herself for that horrible situation, but once Katherine decided to recover fully, nobody could stop her. Many years later, when she learned to love herself more and loathe Samson and Alys, the two came after her for forgiveness. Unfortunately for them, it was too late; the answer to their wish was harsh insults that probably scarred them forever and a guilt that will accompany them to their grave. The shadow singer still receives a few letters asking for a second chance, but sets fire to it as soon as she sees Samson or Alys as recipients, not even bothering to open it.
So if Katherine is crying as much as she did when this betrayal happened, then there's only one answer: Hope triggered her insecurities about herself. The tears on her face right now are due to thoughts of not being worthy for someone and, therefore, never finding true love.
With clenched teeth, the hybrid immediately goes to the counter where the redhead is. He needs to discover what she said to be able to disprove any lie that Katherine's mind is telling herself. "What did you do?" She only takes a sip of the drink without looking at him. "Hope, what the fuck did you do?!"
"The right thing."
"And is that 'right thing' actually right? Because Kat is upstairs crying on Levi's lap!"
"I was protecting her."
He sits by her side, holding the urge to slap her. "Doesn't seem so."
"Kirigan's not good for her."
"That's not on you to decide, Hope!" Nick indignantly hits the wooden counter. "Especially when you are far from her to know what the hell's the effect he has on her!"
The tribid finally looks at him, her blue eyes full of rage. "And what the hell's the effect he has on her, Nick?!"
"A single one will shut you up: her shadows are silent towards him."
"Of course they are! He's a Shadow Summoner, you idiot!"
"No, Hope. They're silent in the same way they were towards uncle Elijah." Her mouth opens slightly in shock, her heart clenching at the meaning of this. "Do you remember what my mother said about that quietness? They only do it with someone they trust to keep Kat safe and happy forever, who will never give up on her or cause her sorrow!"
"No." Hope shakes her head in denial. "They're wrong."
"No, you are wrong!" He yells, ready to explode in fury. "We both know very well that there's no one more reliable in keeping Kat safe than her shadows. They have always had her back, since long before uncle Elijah met and adopted her! They were the ones who protected her from her parent's punches, who assured her that she wasn't the aberration her sisters talked about, who helped her survive on the streets when she ran away from home!" The hybrid lets out a tired sigh. "Why do you think they didn't warn her about uncle Elijah on the day they'd met? Because Kat would run and thus wouldn't be safe nor have a better life!"
"So you think they are doing the same with Kirigan? Wanting to show her that he's the key for a great life."
"I don't think that. I know that!"
She scoffs, unbelieving her cousin's opinion. "He'll break her heart."
"No, he won't. If her shadows trust him, then so do I." He adds when she opens her mouth to reply. "You haven't seen her, Hope. Every time she comes back after being with him, she's with a shy smile on her face or in a silent trance to find out what she feels. That happens every single time, no matter if they talked or only looked at each other."
"It might be because he's a living amplifier. Have you ever thought of that, Nick? He naturally attracts her in the same way as others!"
"He attracts Grishas, Hope! Amplifiers don't work in witches or in any other supernatural." He grunts, annoyed by his cousin and sick of arguing. "You know what? I'm tired of this shit. Tell me right now what you said to her."
The redhead finishes her drink and stands up to leave the tavern. "Forget it, Nick."
He immediately grabs her arm strongly, a silent order for her to sit down again. Although Hope's more powerful than him, Nick's able to fight her well, since he is a hybrid. Moreover, he's the one who naturally acts more like a leader, which made him leader of the Crescent Wolf Pack centuries ago, and is seen as a trustable and honorable figure in the entire New Orleans. That virtue of him helps him to build alliances all over the world, and Hope doesn't doubt he's already made some on Ravka.
A fight with Nick in this territory would be suicide. She would win, of course, but would shatter Ravkan Supernatural Community's trust in the Mikaelsons, something they need to recover all of Agatha's memories and not get caught by the Oprichnik.
"Did you say that she's only a pawn to him? That he prefers Alina?" Impatient, the hybrid hits the wooden counter. "Tell me, Hope!"
"He wants her power, not her! He will use her!" She yells at him, not caring if the entire tavern is looking at them.
Nick swears for a moment that he will transform into his wolf form due to rage. "Are you fucking deaf?! What part of 'her shadows trust him' didn't you listen to?!"
"He chose Alina over her! When she screamed, he ran to her instead of staying with Kat!"
"Was Kat hurt too?"
"What? No! I was careful with the spell."
"Then that's why he ran to Alina! I doubt he would ever leave the room if Kat was the one in pain." He pauses, realizing that this may be the reason why the shadow singer is upset and in tears right now. "You said that to her, didn't you? That he saved Alina over her."
Hope's face pales after noticing that she's just admitted what she did.
"I-I can't believe you've done that." Nick takes a deep breath, all the anger replaced by the sudden feeling of disappointment. "You know more than anybody else of her insecurities towards some light singers, of how she sometimes forgets her own value and doesn't think she's worthy."
Many who know Katherine think that her worst enemy is her biological family, some light singers or witch hunters, or even the Strix. However, only the Mikaelsons know that it's none of those, but her darkest side: the one that distorts events and makes her distrust herself, compares her to others, feels inferior and always thinks that she doesn't deserve an achievement. The shadow singer fights daily against this opponent, the thin white lines on her forearms that she did to herself are eternal reminders of that, and the fact that she didn't give in to this nemesis is why she's still alive.
Katherine's worst enemy is her own mind. If you know that and use it in your favor, you have the chance to wreck her entirely, as she's the one who will do the job of breaking herself even more.
Hope is sure she can feel her own heart shattering in pieces, for she now realizes that, in the heat of the argument, she took advantage of her cousin's dark mind just to hurt her. That's why Nick is so mad at her; he wouldn't be furious if separating the shadow singer from The Darkling or hurting Alina were the only problems. Loyalty was always crutial for him, the essence of every relation, and to know that someone of the family hurted another member without any plausible reason is pure betrayal.
Hope doubts now that Nick will ever leave her alone with Katherine again. Actually, she suspects that he might be thinking of an attempt to communicate with Katherine's shadows in order of her protection towards the tribid.
For a short moment, the redhead's blue eyes stare into the hybrid's browns. She starts running towards her cousin's room shortly thereafter, but Nick also has enhanced speed for being half werewolf and thus was able to catch up with her before she reached the door in the hall. With a clenched jaw, he opens his mouth to speak, however, is interrupted by a door slam. The two immediately look at the sound's direction, only to find Levi staring at them with a stern face.
"She wants to be alone now."
Hope pushes the hybrid to the side, trying to get closer to the bedroom. "I want to talk to her."
"Tomorrow."
"Levi, you don't understand! I need to apo—"
"You can do it tomorrow." His steady voice cuts her off like a sword. "It'll be better to have you two rested and cooled off from the argument."
The redhead analyzes him from the top to the bottom, wondering how she will make him move out of the door.
"Don't even think of that, Hope." Levi warns her. "Even if you get through me, you'll still have to pass through her shadows to get to her. And you know how they're protective over Kat."
Finally, she sighs in redemption. "I'll be here in the morning."
The tribid went straight to her room as soon as she arrived at the Little Palace, not talking to anyone and not going to dinner. Although she didn't have any sleep, she wrote a letter of the regret she felt about her harsh words in that argument. She even rehearsed in the mirror how she would act on every reaction Katherine might have in tomorrow's conversation.
The sun was beginning to rise when Hope left to go to Praecantrix, since she was anxious to redeem herself and beg her cousin for forgiveness. However, Katherine was nowhere in that tavern and no one there even knew that she had left at dawn.
Hope closes her eyes as she leans on the hallway's wall, concern making her stomach twist. Since they were young, the shadow singer has the habit of leaving at late hours to fulfill a plan, as the night is the time when darkness is stronger and therefore will protect her more. Usually these plans summarize on a kill that will just be discovered in the morning or days later.
"You better not get caught, Kat." And I really hope you're not killing the Sun Summoner now.
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Snowflakes fall slowly at dawn, taking time to disguise itselves with the glowing snow on the ground. Behind a large tree, Katherine can hear Malyen Oretsev's heavy breathing, probably trying to keep himself warm in the cold. With closed eyes, she tries to listen to someone accompanying him, but soon, after none of her shadows sense another presence, she comes to the conclusion that he is alone.
His friends died. Ikatris murmurs to her. Killed by Fjerdans.
"That will make things easier then." She bitterly whispers to him.
The tracker senses the witch's presence as soon as she emerges from her hiding place, his senses immediately showing him where she is. He stands up without hesitation, a knife in his hand and a loaded pistol in his belt, because somehow his intuition — which never fails — tells him that this woman is a threat. Even with just the weak light of a lantern he can see the fury in her light green eyes, a deep hatred that seems to corrode her soul. For a moment, the famous saying of "death stare" comes to his mind. He never believed it, and thought that if he ever saw one, it would surely be his own in a mirror after meeting The Darkling, the man who ripped the love of his life from his arms because she discovered her power.
"Have you found the stag?"
"You Grisha are so arrogant." He sneers, indignant at being treated like a servant. In the past he thought this would be temporary, but now he knows it will never end, especially since he's in the First Army and has to compete for recognition every day with Grisha.
"First I was mistaken as a mortal, and now I'm being mistaken as a Grisha." She snorts. "Ravkans level of ignorance is unbelievable."
"You're not Grisha?" Mal chuckles, thinking she is playing him, but stops as soon as he sees that her death stare increased — if that was even possible.
"I'm much worse than a Grisha, Malyen Oretsev." Her voice is stern, all said in an eerie calm while being still in her place.
"What are you? Who are you?"
"I'm a servant, just like you. Though you serve a repugnant pig that you call a tsar, and I serve nature."
"Nature?"
"Every witch is a servant of nature, Mr. Oretsev."
The tracker remembers the numerous times when he and Alina used to read books of myths in Keramzin, enjoying the legends of vampires, werewolves and faes. They were good though scary. However, the most frightening of them were the ones about witches, which made them fear for their lives and hug each other till they fell asleep. Witches were in all of these stories as a person that would curse someone if they didn't follow their desire.
His intuition was right: this woman is a powerful threat.
"You see, nature balances all kinds of magic so that life in the world works correctly. But that balance is fragile: it can break with a simple spell to revive the dead or with an amplifier that allows a species not born with magic to produce it—", an eerie smile forms at the corner of his lips "like the antlers of the mightiest stag in Ravka."
Nervousness starts to churn his stomach as she slowly approaches him and continues talking. "The Darkling wants the Sun Summoner to produce magic in order to dissolve the Unsea. Oh, Mr. Oretsev, I've seen countless times the consequences of a magical imbalance, and in all of them they were much worse than the action that made it, because nature always finds a grotesque way to recover that balance, and it's always immediate."
His heart sinks at the thought of Alina suffering such a violent consequence as the woman said. "Alina."
"She'll be the first one to die when the Fold is dissolved — a painful death, if I may opine on it. Honestly, I would love to see a lightscum have such fate—"
Mal clenches his jaw at the realization that the witch is a threat not only to him, but to Alina. "If you come near her, I will—"
"But I don't want to see my people suffering because of an action that she'll do." Katherine blatantly ignores him. "So I thought of how I can avoid that to happen, and the answer is pretty simple."
Hold him. She telepathically orders her shadows.
In a blink of an eye, he's knocked down in the snow, the pistol in his pocket soon thrown away and the knife he was holding is now in her hands. However, Mal notices that it isn't her who's restraining his limbs to keep him on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing to me?!"
Please tell me you're going to rip his heart out! Katherine hears Umbra's excited voice.
No, Umbra. She replies. He doesn't deserve such effort.
Can you at least make it quick? Ikatris asked. I rather not hold him for so long.
Don't worry. I won't torture him.
"The stag must be exactly wherever it is without you on its tracks, who's only doing it to be able to see your lover." The shadow singer touches his cold face. "I know that you haven't found it yet, Mr. Oretsev. I read your mind while you implied I was an arrogant Grisha."
"You fucking bitch!"
"Don't be like that, Mr. Oretsev." She increases the grip on his face in an attempt to control her rage. "Your lightscum may even reunite with you soon depending on my patience. You know, she has that extraordinary ability to easily piss me off."
An uncontrollable hatred makes Mal resist whatever that is pinning him to the ground. He fights with all his strength to break free and kill this soulless woman so that she never lays a finger on Alina. The person he loathes the most is no longer The Darkling, but this witch who he doesn't even know the name of.
For the first time in life, he makes a death stare, though unfortunately wasn't able to see it for himself.
The last thing he feels is her icy hands on his face breaking his neck. At the instant he hears the cringing sound of his bone fracturing, everything is dark. He doesn't feel Katherine stabbing his heart thrice with his own knife, nor does he see her pummeling his corpse as frustrated tears stream down her cheeks at the thought that she is once again second to someone with the power of light.
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Kirigan spent the night reading about The Handler, who's described as a maniacal person who makes unbreakable contracts that must be signed by their client's own blood. No one knows if they are a woman or a man, but it's certain that they are a witch or witcher, since they make wishes come true in exchange for something, especially, for a favor. The book also says that everyone who does a deal with this mad person is casted with a sigil spell which forbid them to say The Handler's true name or genre.
If you ever dare to irritate The Handler or attempt to deceive them, be prepared for true suffering. None who did these came back alive or sane.
The Darkling has just finished rereading the chapter for the third time when a paper was dragged to the top of the page, preventing him from reading the same words again.
You will regret it if you try to play her. She always wins a game.
He looks up to face the smiley shadow in front of him. Cheshire. That is his name. "It wasn't my intention to play her." At least not after I truly met her.
The dark figure writes something on the paper. You want her.
Kirigan takes a deep breath to keep himself calm. "I don't—"
Yes, you do. But to gain her, you have to understand her.
"Understand her?"
Listen to her, and then act.
He frowns. "What in the actual hell do you mean by that?!"
Cheshire's smile increases. You'll see.
He opens his mouth to answer it, but the creature flies to his desk's shadow, entering it without any noise or leaving a trace. The Darkling immediately stands up to search for the dark figure, but is interrupted with a knock on his door. Clearly annoyed, he recomposes himself before allowing whoever wants to talk to — and irritate — him.
"Moi soverenyi." Fedyor bows as soon as he enters. "The First Army General sent an urgent alert for you." He rolls his eyes, already impatient with whatever is going to be said. "A group of soldiers found in the woods the stag's tracker unconscious."
Kirigan freezes in his place, feeling one of his most important plans in life escaping through his fingers. "What?"
The Heartrender gives him a letter. "The messenger said that he was found early in the morning and was taken to the closest camp. The otkazat'sya General implied that your presence would be completely significant there."
"Fetch my carriage. You and Ivan are going with me." He looks at his desk in search of the stag's hunt reports. "And Fedyor."
The Corporalki turns to him. "Yes, moi soverenyi?"
"Don't tell anyone about that."
"You have my word, moi soverenyi." He bows before leaving to accomplish the Shadow Summoner orders.
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"You didn't do well in practice today."
Agatha looks up with a scowl on her face only to find Zoya Nazyalensky by her side. "You took some punches. I thought you were good enough to not be beaten."
"It hasn't been a good day."
"Why? Because of your horrible performance or because Baghra hit you again with that stick? Though this woman really can piss anyone off." She murmurs the last sentence to herself.
The hybrid turns her focus back to the untouchable meal at the table, not wanting to interact with someone in the moment. She's more worried about yesterday's events, of how Angelina got frightened by seeing what Hope did to Alina.
"It is rude to ignore others, Agatha. That's my personality, not yours."
"You don't know me." She whispers.
"But I know why you're so sullen today. Gelya really isn't one to avoid others." Agatha turns to the Squaller so quickly that it makes her neck ache. "Though you don't need to worry. I know how to help you."
A twinge of hope invaded her heart. "You do?"
"Her favorites are chrysanthemums." She pauses for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, then turns to the air singer with urgence. "Choose whichever you find, but forget the yellow ones."
The hybrid frowns, confused. "Why?"
"Yellow flowers mean sorrow. If you go to her with one of these, she'll think you probably did something unforgivable or that someone died."
"Well, at least you warned me about that. My favorites are sunflowers, so—"
"And make sure to pick an odd number of flowers. Even numbers are for funerals." Agatha's jaw drops in more shock than before, and an amusement smirk appears on Zoya's lips, who's definitely enjoying the woman's reaction towards her culture. "Just follow what I said and go pick up the flowers, Agatha."
The air singer shakes her head, ending any reverie she was having, and stands up to head towards the garden. "On my way to do it." When she gets to the dining hall's door, she turns around and says: "Thank you, Zoya!"
"You're lucky I like you." The Grisha mumbles a sincere answer to herself, her blue eyes still on the room's entrance when Agatha leaves.
Agatha started her search for chrysanthemums as soon as she arrived at the garden, carefully choosing the best looking flowers to give to Angelina. It took almost half an hour until she was satisfied with the bouquet of white and pink chrysanthemums, all of the nine beautiful flowers with no indication that they would wither soon. After being satisfied with her job, she goes to the infirmary, praying to all the Ancestors that the Healer is there. The only place Gelya spends her time other than the infirmary is the Corporalki's secret chambers, where Agatha knows she won't be able to enter because that's not her Grisha order — though, for being Supernatural, she's not part of any of the three orders.
The hybrid takes a deep breath before entering the infirmary, anxiety reigning all over her body when Angelina's hazel eyes meet her brown ones. "Hey."
The Healer analyzes the room to be sure if there's anybody else with them before replying. After concluding that they were alone, she greets the woman in front of her. "Hi."
"I brought this to you." Agatha hands her the bouquet. "I picked them up myself."
Gelya slowly approaches her, a genuine smile forming into her mouth as she realizes that it's her favorite flower. "Chrysanthemums!"
"The wind told me they're your favorites."
She gently grips the bouquet of pink and white chrysanthemums and lets out a satisfied moan after breathing their aroma. "This wind of yours is very wise." Agatha chuckles, some of the tension released off her shoulders with the relief that Gelya is still willing to have a conversation with her. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
"Well, you know what they say: beautiful flowers are meant to have a beautiful owner."
The Grisha laughs while shaking her head in disbelief. "Who says that?"
"Me." She smirks. "I'm a first rate romantic with lots of experience." Though now I don't remember much of these experiences.
Angelina couldn't hold back another laugh. "You clearly seem to be."
"I appreciate your faith in me." The hybrid bites the inside of her cheek before revealing the main reason for coming to the infirmary, her stomach churning in nervousness. "I came here to apologize for what you saw."
"Agatha—"
"No, let me finish, please." She lets out a tired sigh, not ready to hear what the woman has to say. The Healer obeys, staring at the bouquet as a distraction, since she doesn't expect much from the words to come. "For now I don't know who I am, but I have an idea. And that idea might scare you. With good reason, of course, because if I were young and didn't have magic, like you, I'd be frightened too. From the memories I have, I've come to some conclusions about my power, my virtues, and the life I used to live before— you know." She hits her own head to symbolize the memory loss.
"The remembrances of my childhood take place in old settings, and one of the settings that most impressed me is the start of a witch hunt. My cousins and I couldn't have been even twenty when the chaos started in that town. I remember my uncles running to get our things and my mom taking us back to New Orleans with a spell. But before that town disappeared, I saw through the window two people being hanged from a tree. They were convicted of witchcraft, and if we stayed, it would be my family and I who would've a noose around our necks."
Agatha takes a shaking breath, the pain of having already been hunted for being Supernatural poking at her heart. "I'm telling you that because I suspect this memory is from the Salem Witch Trials, which happened centuries ago." The tear she was holding back trickles down her face. "I am old, Gelya... and a hybrid. Half werewolf and half air singer witch. My whole family is Supernatural, they taught me how to survive. I already killed and tortured and, honestly, I think I like that because I don't mind hurting some people." She closes her eyes to not see Angelina's reaction, dreading the fear that must be in her face. "The spell Hope casted in Alina yesterday hurt due to the blood vessels bursting inside her head; it's discreet yet daring. My guess is that my mom taught us this spell when we were young in order for us to know how to protect ourselves without getting caught."
"Agatha—"
"I'm so sorry that you saw that. Magic can be beautiful, it really can, but most of the time it's dangerous. You don't need to forgive me, Gelya, but trust me when I say that you're too pure for this world. And I'm a heathen, a savage to many people."
The Healer's eyes widened even more after hearing the last sentence. "What? No!"
"Yes, I am, Gelya." Agatha opens her wet eyes to finally face her, the pain in her chest still present. "For being a Grisha, you only have small science, which isn't considered that abnormal. On the other hand, I have magic and for that I'm considered a freak. It's easier for them to hunt a Supernatural than a Grisha, so you're safer without me."
Angelina shakes her head vehemently in denial. "Ravka's more acceptable. We can—"
"Ravka's acceptable for you, Gelya. Supernaturals are myths here, and I know they'd rather continue to be treated like that than bow down to mortals, who have persecuted them for so long."
"We can fix that. You can still be here, in Ravka, and feel acceptable."
It was the air singer's turn to shake her head, not accepting the subtle idea of pretending to be someone she isn't. "I don't want to pretend that I'm a Grisha."
"Then we change the world!" She puts the bouquet away to grip Agatha's face, consequently forcing the woman to stare straight into her eyes. "I saw the way the General and your cousin looked at each other, it's the same as how I look at you. They're like us: a Grisha and a Supernatural, a Ravkan and an American."
"Kat's British."
"If they show their union in public, then we can show ours." She blatantly ignores her correction. "No tsar's guard will be able to stop us because he has to be an idiot to want to clash with the General."
"The tsar is an idiot, Gelya. He'll clearly try to threaten Kirigan."
"Then we'll be on the General's side! The winning side, which has a leader that knows what it feels like to be hunted and knows that the Supernatural aren't freaks." Angelina's lips slightly brush against Agatha's, her warm breath hitting the dark skin when she murmurs: "That you aren't a freak."
The hybrid inspires deeply in an attempt to ease the shivers that are running through her spine. "I know, but some people don't."
"Then fuck them."
Agatha's smile reaches her eyes when she leans down to kiss the Healer, who happily retributes it. Her arms swing to Angelina's waist, while the other's hands leave the air singer's face to wrap them around her neck. Both of them feel all the tension and nervousness leaving their body, the only sensations being their heart beating loudly against their chests and the butterflies flying inside their stomach.
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By the end of the ride to the First Army's camp, Kirigan concluded that Katherine's the current ruler inside his head, since she didn't let go of his thoughts for not even a second. Who took her from him? Is she alright? How can he find her again? Does she feel the same as him?
No. The last question is just paranoia. Of course she feels the same need to be close to him, the same emotions he feels for her. After all, she's his true equal, for Saints' sake!
After the horses are untied from the carriage to be fed, the First Army general's most loyal lieutenant greets The Darkling and the two Heartrenders. The Shadow Summoner didn't know much about the tracker's state, yet wished he was alright for him to continue with the stag's hunt as soon as possible. This is one of the last steps for his plan to be fully realized. He has Alina on a string, and not only is she ignoring Baghra's complaints about her having an amplifier, but is excited about getting one so she can dissolve the Fold. Kirigan isn't a fool either, he knows how to hide his true intentions from everyone and, therefore, the entire Ravkan court and Second Army are faithfully by his side, thinking he is fighting to end the Unsea. However, as Katherine said, there's only one community that loathes him for this "good cause": the Supernatural.
Saints, he cannot imagine the chaos that would break out in the country if the Shadow Fold was ended! The Supernaturals are even more persecuted than the Grisha, which leads to two possibilities: either they would flee Ravka, or they would revolt after so much oppression, since the Unsea it's what most protects them from hunters. The latter idea is what dreads him the most, since these people have merzost. If they decided to fight for respect in towns, it would be a matter of hours before they defeated the First and Second Army entirely. Fortunately for Ravka, the General won't dissolve the Fold, and due to that, there won't be any sort of upheaval from this community; witches, werewolves, vampires and faes, even though hidden, might be content for still being safe enough compared to the period before the Unsea's creation.
"He got here unharmed, but the blood-soaked shirt is an odd factor." Kirigan shakes his head to look at the soldier leading them to the infirmary tent. "We analyzed the area and there was no evidence of anyone who could have injured him, however, he insists that he was held down by someone until his neck was broken." The man couldn't hold back the mockery laugh, definitely thinking that Mal became insane for saying such stupid things. "He said it was a witch! Can you believe that, moi soverenyi?"
The Darkling had to contain a surprised expression, for a moment hoping that the tracker remembered the witch. If he did, Kirigan could manage to capture them and finally see with his own eyes that Katherine was right: there are Supernaturals in Ravka, and they despise him for having the idea of getting the Shadow Fold dissolved.
The General heads straight to Malyen Oretsev's bed while making a silent order to Ivan and Fedyor dismiss everyone from the infirmary. The otkazat'sya looked at him in disgust, probably grudging that Alina was now a Grisha and lives in the Little Palace.
He smirks by knowing that even if this tracker wanted to hurt him, he would fail miserably by attempting it. "Mr. Oretsev. What a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Mal only stares at him in silence, hating to have to hear The Darkling's voice. "The soldiers told me about what happened."
"So why are you here? Because I doubt that it's to check on my well-being."
Kirigan holds the urge to make the Cut on him. "You claim to have been held until a witch broke your neck."
"This happened."
"I'm here to assure the stag hunt. After all, you are the best tracker in the First Army and—"
"I've lost it."
For an instant, the Grisha's leader forgot everything that he would say to the otkazat'sya. Instead of continuing his speech, he deeply gazes at the man on the bed. "What?"
"My ability to track."
"Pardon?!"
"Before, I could feel things, get a sense of where to start no matter where I was. My intuition used to guide me to the place, it was like a gift. But now it's gone. I don't feel the stag's location anymore. Even if you put me back where I was, I won't know how to continue with the hunt."
"This intuition. Why do you think that it's gone forever?"
"Because she fucking killed me!" Mal yells, feeling his blood starting to boil just by remembering that fucking witch. "She broke my neck! And I'm fucking sure that she stabbed me!"
"They said that you had no wounds."
"But my shirt was fucking wet with blood. My blood! I'm not mad or— or insane! I know what I saw! I can still feel her hands on my face and— and a pain on the side of my neck where she fucking twisted!" She. A woman did this.
The General clenches his jaw at the thought of someone messing with his plans, plans that he was so close to achieving. He's going to kill this person for taking away Mr. Oretsev's gift of tracking, for ending his chances to get the stag. He doesn't care anymore that the Supernatural's hatred towards him will increase if he kills that witch; she will pay for this. The only thing he has to be careful while murdering her is for Katherine not to find out. She might truly do worse to him if she discovers that he ended someone of her kind.
"What happened there, Mr. Oretsev? Who is this woman?"
"I don't know! I've never seen her in my life." He takes a shaking breath in an attempt to calm down. "She appeared out of nowhere asking me about the stag and then told me some shit about nature balance." Definitely a witch. Kirigan thought while wondering if all witches care about nature balance, since Katherine already told him about it. "She was with that death stare on her face, ready to kill me. And fucking succeeded."
"What was her appearance?"
"I only focused on her eyes back then... Light green. But she was brunette too... And white."
The air in his lungs stops after hearing the woman's description. A brunette witch with light green eyes and white skin who explained about nature's magical balance. That is literally Katherine.
He doesn't know how long he was frozen in place as he imagined his equal committing murder. He just knows he snapped out of his reverie when he saw a piece of paper exiting from the shadow of Mal's bed, the same way Cheshire had walked into the shadow of his desk earlier today. The Darkling crouches down to pick up the paper, amazed to see the scrawled handwriting he's known for exactly one night.
West border of the Fold. The first one without guard.
The General immediately starts to walk away. "Have him track things around the camp so we can try to retrieve that intuition of his."
"Yes, moi soverenyi." Ivan says while staring at otkazat'sya. On the other side, Fedyor curiously follows the leader to the tent's entrance. "Where are you going?"
"Doesn't matter."
Kirigan mounts his black stallion and starts riding as fast as possible to the west of the Unsea, urging to quickly find the part with no one guarding the Fold. For some reason Katherine must be there, and he needs to interrogate her about Malyen Oretsev, demand the reason she did this. From what it seems, she didn't even know the tracker until then! So why kill him?
He stops his horse at the moment he sees a thin figure sitting with its back to him, silently facing the Fold. The Darkling descends from his stallion panting and in need of a rest, but that is no greater need than knowing the truth. Slowly he approaches the person, a shiver runs down his spine as he notices the dried blood on the woman's hands dissolving on the white snow.
"Katherine?"
"I was so blind." Her voice is void, the tone of someone lost in their own thoughts. "Thank the Ancestors that they opened my eyes!"
He frowns, confused. "Blind about what? Who opened your eyes?"
"The shadows."
The General can feel all of his patience leaving every inch of his body. He's tired of questions without any explanations. He wants answers, damn it! "About what?!"
He swears that he stopped breathing for a moment when she finally turned to him. She's a mess. With red puffy eyes and dried tears on her cheeks; her dark brown hair, completely tousled; her gown, stained with blood; an expression of pure shock on her face as she stares at him. "About you being the Black Heretic."
The Grisha glares at the witch with clenched fists, the only thing stopping him from attacking her is the fact that she's his equal. She discovered his deepest secret, the one that made him fake his death several times and return to the Little Palace with fake names and the lie that he is only a descendant of the Black Heretic. How did Katherine find out about this through shadows? He doesn't see any papers lying in the snow or in her hands, after all.
But alright. If Katherine wants to play this game, then he will play it.
"It's quite ironic how you accuse me for being someone as horrible as people describe, when you are the same as me. Am I right, The Handler?" He looks down at her pale hands stained in a scarlet liquid "Or should I say the murderer of my tracker?"
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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
A/N: Hey, everyone! I was having a time to myself because I needed. I'm sorry for the delay of the next chapter. I didn't want to write something shitty for you, so I waited until I got better and really liked the draft. I hope you enjoy the chapter💕
summary: Kirigan and Katherine make a contract. Chaos reigns in the Little Palace, all made by a furious Hope that hates the idea of her cousin getting to know The Darkling. In the end, the shadows reveal secrets to the General and the witch.
word count: 5982
warnings: blood (?)
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Katherine sits on the black couch in The Darkling's office while he pours two glasses of kvas for them. Her heart is threatening to leave her chest at the remembrance of Kirigan suggesting that they are equals, and deep down, she thanks Anastasia for encouraging her to talk to the General. One night, when the shadow singer was going to bed, the old lady visited her to say that the minute Katherine showed her powers to him, The Darkling would immediately forget the idea of Alina Starkov being his equal.
You've never met someone like you, and that might be his case too. She said.
But what if that doesn't happen? I'm a witch!
If he's as clever as everyone paints him to be, then that will be no problem. Verily, I think he'll be rather satisfied to have found such a powerful ally. Or should I say an equal? Katherine rolled her eyes at the hybrid's smug sentence. Don't fret yourself, girl. After all, he may be The Darkling, but you are The Handler.
"I'm The Handler." The witch whispers to herself while feeling the cold metal of the Mikaelson ring on her skin, covering the thin tattoo on her right ring finger.
"What?"
She rapidly shakes her head to let go of her reverie. "Nothing. Just thinking about the past." She adds when Kirigan arches a skeptical eyebrow.
He gives her a glass of kvas. "The past is crucial for future decisions."
"I couldn't agree more."
"Then what were you thinking about?"
She takes a sip of kvas, sighing at the burning sensation passing through her throat. This man won’t rest until discovering what was in her mind. Although she cannot risk to tell him that she is The Handler or ask if he ever heard of that name, the witch can simply admit something from her past to change the conversation’s focus. He’ll be too mesmerized at a confession to analyze if it really is the truth that answers his question.
Furthermore, using a truth to control an argument is safer and more convincing than an outright lie. That’s something that she learnt as she got older, along with refining that technique by knowing which kind of truth the person she was talking to would get familiar with. The Darkling’s case is about power, being it shadows or leadership.
"When I found out my powers, I thought I was a freak. Had no one by my side, just insults for my existence. But as time went by, I learnt how to control it and, therefore, saw the beauty of darkness." Katherine faces the General, who quietly analyzes her. "The remembrances in my mind, Kirigan, were of how I overcame all life obstacles so far. I came from nothing, yet I gathered strength to survive and become powerful."
For a moment, The Darkling remembers his old life, in which he had to move several times a year so that he and his mother would not die or be chased. Moreover, he reminds the tsar’s guards murdering Luda and, a few days after, the Shadow Fold creation.
If he can focus on the memory, Kirigan can still feel the darkness burning his body, eager to get itself free, and, along with his racing heart, there was the thought that death was coming. He remembers hearing his own screams of emotional and physical pain as a huge weight came off his shoulders and, surprisingly, gave him more energy. His decades-long hatred towards the Grishas' oppression created, for many, an aberration, but for him the most liberating moment of his life made a fascinating dark place.
He made history by doing merzost, for Saints sake! A beauty that he was never scared of.
By the time the guards had turned into volcra and the shadows had taken over much of Ravka, the Black Heretic had died. But Aleksander Morozova only got stronger. And he would make Ravka a haven for the Grisha once and for all; the Fold was just the beginning of it.
"Power is power.” The General finally looks at the witch by his side. “You have to earn it to have it, no matter what happens in the way."
“Indeed. But you have to be careful about it too. You shouldn’t take powers that your body cannot handle.”
“Is that related to your theory at the fountain?” She frowns, confused. “That none shan’t wield more power than it already has.”
Katherine straightens her posture, her hands delicately holding the kvas glass at her lap. “It’s not a theory. It’s true — I’ve seen numerous situations with my own eyes.”
“Such as—”
“Mortals trying to learn magic, witches channeling the powers of dozens of others in a short period of time, werewolves aiming to create hybrids by biting vampires…” Her light green eyes are stern to him while stating those examples. “Nature cursed all of them for harming magical balance: they all died painfully.”
“The Shadow Fold. You told me that it harmed that balance.” She nods. “How?”
“Sometimes emotions can be the greatest danger to magical balance, Kirigan. If a person doesn't know how to control them, their feelings will be reproduced as powers. The longer emotions are accumulated within this individual, the more power they retain. And the moment this person has a breakdown, their power will explode around them. Everything will be covered by their inner chaos; the magic they retain will kill everyone, including themself.”
That’s exactly what happened 4 centuries ago. All of the things that he kept to himself for decades or more overwhelmed him. At the moment, the Black Heretic wanted to avenge his own kind, to show that he was tired of bowing to otkazat’sya. Therefore, this man full of rage and grief exploded, merzost being practiced for the second time in Grisha history — the first time by his grandfather, Ilya Morozova.
“It is unnatural for a Grisha to produce magic. The magical balance was broken as soon as the Fold was created. But, as always, nature always restores this harmony, whatever the cost.“
The Darkling's mouth is dry when he questions: “And what did nature do to regain that balance?”
She looks at him in bewilderment, not comprehending how he didn’t make the evident conclusion. “Isn't it obvious? The volcras and the soil sanding are the consequences.”
He instantly regretted taking a sip of kvas while waiting for her to answer. Completely taken aback, the drink enters his lungs as soon as her statement leaves her mouth. Of course he knew about the volcras; tsar Anastas’ guards were supposed to die by his shadows, but instead they were transformed into those monsters.
But soil sanding? Why does Katherine think of that?
“I beg your pardon.” She blinks at him, clearly not understanding his confusion. “Soil sanding?”
“Of course! When shadows cover a place for too long, its magic drains out any existing life to strengthen itself. That's why the Unsea still exists: its grandeur allowed the darkness to suck all that was once life; the people, the fauna, flora are gone so that the shadows can reign.”
“If the Fold is dissolved, hypothetically—”, he adds when her light green eyes narrowed in disapproval “can that life be restored?”
“No. It’ll all be sand and bone, the soil will never get fertile again.” Her lips suddenly twinge in a small smile. “That’s another reason why not end up with the Fold. No one will be able to live in that sort of desert, yet intruders will enter Ravka more easily, since it’s impossible to entirely guard that huge area.”
The Darkling clears his throat. “You know too much of the Fold for a foreign.”
“I like to maintain myself well-informed of the place I am in.”
“That is wise of you. Though your description of the Fold seems real enough for me to conclude that you’ve already been there.”
The witch has an indifferent expression on her face, but the General saw her throat slightly going up and down, showing him that she gulped. “The books told me everything I—”
“Enough of that. You’ve already been there.”
“I—”
“How did you survive?”
She straightens herself on the couch and, suddenly, her smooth gaze turns into a cold mien. The woman doesn’t want to talk about her experience in the Unsea, how she heard the screams and insults of the ones who died there and had to listen to the shadows blaming her for creating the Fold. After Hope saved the two of them, some of Katherine’s memories were triggered, one of her youth in which she lost control of her powers and killed dozens of people instantly.
“How about a deal, General?” She puts her glass of kvas on the table.
“I’m afraid I won’t agree until you tell—”
“I answer you in order for you to show me that thing you did in the fountain.” Her voice is lethally calm. “It’s a great bargain, General, because with my answer, you’ll be able to understand magic, and with that you can comprehend how the Fold works.”
And, therefore, don’t dissolve it or give an amplifier to that lightscum.
His eyebrows are raised in bewilderment. “You will teach me merzost?”
“No, because Grishas are not meant to practice magic. What I can do though is help you to understand its power and limits.” She leans in slightly toward him without breaking eye contact. “You told me yourself: power is power. And knowledge is the greatest power that will help you in your conquests.”
The Darkling noticed how she found a way to change the conversation in her favor. Again. And the longer he took to agree to the proposal, the more impatient she became. He could see that by her trembling leg.
“That’s the only time I will offer you that. And that proposal will expire once I leave your chambers, General.”
She suddenly stopped calling me by my “name” too. He thinks. What is going on in her mind?
Besides that, why does she want to see The Cut so badly to the point of bribing him for a simple answer? Well, the only way to find out is by spending more time with her and getting to know her.
“I accept your proposal then, Ms. Katherine.”
“Great!” She stands up, her cold mien immediately changing into a smile. “Let’s make a contract to seal that bargain, shall we?”
“You don’t trust my word?”
“Not yet.” But I want to.
Kirigan is now sure that the audacity of this woman is going to be his end.
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Agatha — and Angelina, on her heels — ran through the Little Palace until she found Hope on the patio. The redhead smelled her cousin’s scent as soon as she approached the place. When she turned, the hybrid’s desperate face made her know that something wasn’t right.
“Where’s Kat?”
The tribid frowns. “I don’t know. Why?”
“We need to find her!”
Behind the dark skinned woman, the Healer — Angelina, Hope remembers — observes their conversation with a nervous face. That’d be justified by only two things: Agatha told her about the family or showed her magic. In addition to that, Katherine is not a problematic person and has never gotten into as much trouble as the rest of the family. However, all the fights she was involved in generated traumas that took decades for her to overcome. They also have the tendency to become the worst problems that the cousins had to deal with.
So if Agatha, now with some memories back, is telling her that they need to find Katherine, then the brunette can be getting herself in danger.
The redhead grabs the hybrid’s arm. “Agatha. What. Happened?”
“Gelya saw her in The Darkling’s chambers.”
“What?!”
“I was fetched to heal someone.” The Grisha answers for the air singer “And when I told Agatha about a scar in the woman’s arm, she said it was Katherine and began to run in search of you.”
The tribid turns to her cousin. “Are you sure it’s—”
“Of course I am! No one else in the world has burden scarred on the arm! I know I don’t recall much of my life, Hope, but I remember that scar as clear as the day.”
Hope takes a deep breath to not faint in the middle of the patio where tons of Grishas and mortals will look at her. Ever since she infiltrated the Little Palace, she fears for two things: Katherine killing Alina Starkov due to her prejudice and Katherine knowing The Darkling. However, the latter was the one she dreaded the most, as her cousin had never met anyone with the same power as hers. Hope's frightened at the idea of Katherine being excited to see with her own eyes the General conjuring shadows and, consequently, wanting to build a relationship with him — in the end, breaking her heart.
The tribid doesn't trust him. She thinks he's a power-hungry man enough to sacrifice anything for it. This became clear when she saw him with the Sun Summoner; how he wants her to be trained by Baghra and is fooling her into a "romance" so that he can more easily appropriate her power. If he's like that with a Grisha, Hope can't imagine what he'll do with a witch who has magic running in her veins for centuries. These are many of the reasons why she doesn't want him getting close to Katherine. Furthermore, The Darkling wants to dissolve the Fold, which, while dark and dangerous, protects supernaturals from being as hunted as they once were. If that thing ends, they will live that horror period again.
“Did he see her powers?” The redhead asks Angelina.
“N-Not that I know. But he knows she’s a witch.” She quickly adds when Hope's nostrils flared from stress.
“How?”
“She confirmed his guess.”
“You gotta be shitting me!” She passes her hands through her ginger hair, almost pulling some strands out in rage. “Fucking, Katherine!”
There’s a deep silence between the trio now. The tribid is breathing hard in an attempt to calm down, while the Healer nervously stares at her with a pounding heart in the chest and the hybrid patiently waits for Hope to gather herself. After a few minutes passed without any evidence that this was going to end, Agatha breaks the silence:
“So what’s the plan?”
She shakes her head to stop her reverie and gaze at the two women in front of her. “The General will have to leave his quarters if someone he cares about gets hurt.”
The smirk appearing in the redhead’s face told Agatha everything she needed to know. “Hope, no.”
“We need to get Katherine back!”
“Alina’s a child!”
“I don’t care, Agatha!” She approaches her cousin to be face to face with her. “Family’s more important, is always and forever no matter what.”
“Still—”
“We’ve done much worse than that throughout life! Besides, she won’t get badly hurt.”
“And what about Kat? How the fuck are you going to get her? He’ll surely have guards watching her.”
“That’s why I’ll set something there on fire.”
The air singer laughs while shaking her head. “And what are you going to ignite? The fucking door?” She waits for the other’s chuckle to come, but when it doesn't, her smile falters from her lips. “Hope, no! It was a joke!”
“A good joke, indeed.” With an evil smirk, the tribid taps Agatha’s shoulder and calmly walks away to cause mischief.
It didn’t take ten minutes before a scream of pain started in the patio. Angelina and Agatha immediately run towards the chaotic environment just to be faced with Alina crouched on the floor, yelling in pain as she grips her hair. The Healer watches it with widened eyes and soon is by the Sun Summoner’s side to try to help her. However, the hybrid stays frozen in place when a memory appears in her mind, one of her mother and aunt Davina making an enchantment to hurt dozens of other witches.
A spell that had the same effect on the enemies: an atrocious migraine because of the blood vessels bursting inside their head. She remembers when Freya taught her that, instructing her that it’s the most painful and discreet method to not get caught, since the incantation is said in the witch’s mind and doesn’t need eye contact.
That’s why Hope opted for that enchantment then: to get The Darkling’s instant attention and not get caught.
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Kirigan looks at Katherine in shock, waiting for her to laugh at his face and say she was joking. Unfortunately for him, she only took a sip of kvas and waited graciously for him to sign the contract they had spent an hour making.
“You may take your time.” The witch calmly says. “I have no rush.”
“Why do you need my blood?”
“To seal the bargain.”
“And you won’t give yours?”
She shakes her head. “My word is more symbolic than my blood, General.”
He narrows his dark brown eyes at her. “I’m afraid I won’t sign it if you don’t pour your blood on that paper as well.”
She stills in the chair. In centuries being The Handler, she has always convinced her clients to agree with the terms. For all the Ancestors sake, even Anastasia signed with her blood and trusted Katherine’s word! So why isn’t The Darkling following those actions too?!
Because he’s too much like you. A voice says in her head. He doesn’t trust anyone but himself.
“My loyalty comes with my word, General.”
“I know people like you, Ms. Katherine. Words are nothing but a—”
Her eyes widen with such an insult. “My word is the most powerful thing you can get from me. I am completely committed to it. I always keep a promise. Always.”
“Then it won’t be a problem to seal the contract with your blood too.” He gazes at her in indifference, which makes her blood boil in anger. “It’s a fair exchange: my blood for yours.”
“You want my blood then? Fine.” The man’s corner of the mouth began to quiver in a satisfied smirk before she adds: “But then I won’t give you my word.”
The Darkling shrugs. “It wouldn’t be needed any—”
“And the contract shall be under my vigilance.” So I can protect myself from enemies who want my blood to hurt me with blood magic.
“It will be under my vigilance!” To prevent you from showing our contract for everyone to see that it is possible to negotiate with the most powerful Grisha in history.
“Those are my terms. I won’t pour my blood unless they are followed.” He looks at her with a stone cold face. “Don’t worry. I never show my contracts to anyone but me and my client.”
Client?! The General arches his eyebrows in indignation.
“I am no client. You should have more respect.”
“That goes for you too. And yes, you are my client, wanting or not.”
They both analyze each other in silence for a few minutes, waiting for them to give up and accept the other’s terms. Kirigan was certain that Katherine would be the one to do it, though he is surprised once more by the woman when she doesn’t move an inch to show redemption.
Finally, he takes off his knife ring from his finger and cuts his own hand. The blood starts to run down the pale skin, he picks up a feather and wet it on the scarlet liquid. When he finishes writing General Kirigan, he hands the feather to Katherine and looks at her arm, a silence “your turn” being said.
She gives him her right hand to allow the cut and does the same as him. However, when she noticed that he didn’t write his real name, she couldn’t let herself reveal her surname. She’ll only do it when he does it. Soon, the paper had Ms. Katherine written on it as well.
For the first time, The Handler didn’t have a person wrapped around her finger.
She looks at The Darkling, who gives her a cloth to stop the bleeding. “I’ll fetch a Healer for us.”
Surprisingly, the witch chuckles. “That’s the second time in the evening. You are aware that rumors will soon begin, right?”
“Although unpleasant, I’m used to it, Ms. Katherine. How about you?”
“I share the same experience, General.”
He was starting to order Ivan to summon a Healer when a scream echoed outside. Kirigan knew that voice; it’s of someone he doesn’t want to get hurt at all because he needs her powers.
“Alina.” He looks at the Heartrender by his side and signs to the shadow singer. “Do not take your eyes off her!”
With her eyes — and a frown on her face — the woman follows his movements, confused. “What happened?”
He hears her question as he gets to the door, but ignores it to run to the Sun Summoner. At the patio, Grishas were circling her with a mix of horror and perplexity. She’s pulling her brown hair as if the pain came from inside her head and two Healers are by her side trying to ease the ache and calm her down.
As soon as Kirigan arrives, people open the way to him. Angelina Belova quickly bows to the leader and states: “Putting her to sleep is the best option. She’ll rest and won’t feel anything meanwhile.”
“She was normal before, and all of a sudden started having this pain.” Konstantin, one of the most experienced Healers in the Second Army, says. “We don’t know what caused it.”
The Darkling nods at the woman. “Do it.”
Everyone watches as Angelina positions herself behind Alina and the man places his hand on the girl's chest. With delicate finger movements, he slows down her heartbeat so that she passes out. In a minute, the Sun Summoner lets go of her hair and falls limp in Angelina's arms, her eyes once filled with despair now closed.
It would all come back to normal if someone didn’t yell that there was a fire in the Little Palace and that Tidemakers were needed. They all instantly look at the direction where the man is pointing, and the General’s eyes widen as he sees the door of his chambers in flames. He runs to the place along with many Tidemakers, who immediately begin to conjure water to put out the fire.
It only lasted a few seconds due to the huge amount of water thrown at the entrance to The Darkling's rooms, but for him it felt like eternity, as Katherine, his equal, was inside. Once all the flames are gone, the Shadow Summoner enters the room and finds Ivan, his most trusted Heartrender, strong and fearless, lying unconscious on the floor. The witch is nowhere to be found, the chair she was sitting on is broken and the contract they made together is still on the table.
The same paper that she said that it would become under her vigilance.
Kirigan's blood begins to boil through his veins as everything makes sense now. Whoever did this didn't want Alina Starkov. No, hurting her was just a distraction to get the General out of his quarters and thus away from his equal. The person responsible for this chaos wanted Katherine all along. And the moment he finds her again and discovers the culprit of it all, he's going to make that person pay for it.
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Let me go, Hope! Katherine orders in her cousin’s mind, since the same person is still strongly covering her mouth. She tries to bite her, but the tribid doesn’t care.
Damn her accelerated healing skills! Even if the shadow singer were able to make her bleed, the redhead’s wound would heal in less than a minute.
I don't want us to be followed. Hope answers telepathically.
We are in the middle of the woods! Very far from the Palace!
The tribid rolls her blue eyes and, after carefully looking at each corner of the forest, lets go of the strong grip. The shadow singer instantly moves away from the woman in front of her, with clenched fists. “What the hell was that?”
“That’s my question, actually. What were you doing with him?” Hope asks when Katherine frowned.
“With Kirigan?”
“Yes, with Kiri—” She shakes her head, wishing she heard wrong. “You call him by his name?!”
“What’s the matter in that?”
What’s the matter?! “He’s dangerous, Kat.”
“So are you.”
“And thirsty for power!”
“So are you sometimes.” The brunette snorts as crossing her arms.
“He isn’t good for you!”
“So wasn’t Landon for you!” Katherine yells when her patience runs out. “I hated him, you knew that, and yet I didn’t set his room on fire and kidnapped you from him!”
Hope is now frozen in her place. Landon Kirby was her second lover in life. Since the moment she laid her eyes on him, a human waiter that worked in a tavern at the time, the redhead had liked him and wanted to get to know the man. Landon helped her recover from her parents death, she taught him all about the supernatural and even tested him to see if he was one. They trained together, danced together, used to kiss in the rain and even shared their drinks with each other.
She sacrificed herself for him by jumping into Malivore. And he died for her more than once.
However, no matter what happened or how much love Landon showed for Hope, her shadow singer cousin never liked him. Katherine used to say that he would never be enough for her and that she was going to end with a broken heart. According to her, Landon wasn’t a trustable person because he easily believed what others said.
At first, the tribid thought that the brunette’s hate towards her lover was due to his mortality. But that was proven wrong when they discovered that Landon was a phoenix, having the ability to die and be reborn again. Her loathing of him didn’t stop; actually, it only grew stronger when the relationship was almost at its ending.
Hope points a finger at her cousin,shaking in rage due to the confession. “Don’t you dare to talk about him. Landon was—”
Her light green eyes are as cold as ice. “A man who didn't try as hard as you did for your perfect relationship.”
“He died for me!”
“But before that, he betrayed you! He started a–a thing with Josie after you sacrificed yourself into Malivore!”
“Because he didn’t remember me! Have you forgot that once you’re in Malivore, all your memories in others mind are erased?!”
“He made you build trust issues against everyone else due to his betrayal!”
“He didn’t do—”
“He made you demean yourself to a love that didn't exist! And don't you dare say that I'm lying.” Katherine adds when Hope opened her mouth to argue. “Because if he truly loved you, he would've accepted you after you completed the tribid transformation.”
“You say that about him but is blind by the man right in front of you.” The redhead seethes while approaching her cousin, shaking in anger of the insults towards her former lover. “You think The Darkling loves you, Kat?”
“No. But I—”, she stares at the floor in a mix of shame and shyness “I think he likes me.”
“You or your power?” The shadow singer immediately looks at the tribid, who’s with a clenched jaw. “If he really liked you, he wouldn’t leave you at that room to succor a— How do you say it? Lightscum.”
The brunette’s heart sinks in her chest at the realization. Once more in life she was demoted by a lightscum. First, it was by her parents, then by some people that she trusted. She had to support judgements and insults against her shadows, escape people trying to kill her to save a light singer, friends and lovers choosing them instead of her. Now this is happening again, yet this time hurts more, since Kirigan also has darkness inside him.
“We are equals.”
“Whatever he said, Kat, he’s playing with you.” Hope slowly touches her cousin’s face, wetting her hand with the silent tears that started to leave Katherine’s eyes. “Who he wants is Alina.”
“But I’m his equal!” She cries. “Not her!”
“I know.” She calmly embraces her arms around Katherine’s thin frame, not angry anymore at her. “He wants someone powerful to end the Fold. Alina would do that for him in a blink of an eye because she’s still young and naive. But you would never do that because you know that the Fold protects the supernatural.”
The brunette sniffs. “I’m trying to convince him of that: not dissolving the Unsea.”
“He won’t agree, Kat. He’s too obsessed with using Alina’s power to destroy it.”
But he will agree. The shadow singer says to herself. I won’t stop until that.
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After hours searching for the witch, Kirigan arrives at his office fuming. How did this person manage to hurt the Sun Summoner, ignite the door, knock out Ivan and kidnap Katherine in minutes?! There are just two options for it: they already had this plan architectured for some time before putting it in practice or they have merzost.
The Darkling huffs as he sinks in his chair, sipping a mixture of kvas and vodka to get through this mess. Why did he decide to go after Alina and leave his equal behind? Why didn't he take Katherine with him so he wouldn't lose sight of her? Why was he so stupid to fall into such a trap?!
He will kill whoever is guilty of this chaos. No. He will make them wish for death.
Frustrated, the General massages his brow. He was so close to getting to know Katherine and becoming more than an acquaintance, to being more fascinated by her unique personality and understanding how her mind works. He was also so close to discovering how she survived the Fold! Saints, he was willing to show The Cut to her, who was excited as soon as the drüskelle was torn in half in front of her.
He’s taken away from his reverie when a shadow appears in his sight. It's a tall creature, which smiles at him with its mouth full of sharp teeth. There is a paper wrapped around its tail too, holding it tightly. Slowly, the dark figure approaches The Darkling and deposits it on his desk.
For a moment, the man thinks he has drunk too much, but dismisses this idea as soon as he notices that this shadow was holding the contract he and Katherine made together. However, before he can say something, the creature picks up the inkwell's quill and begins writing on one of the papers scattered across Grisha's desk.
Cheshire
He arches an eyebrow. “Cheshire?”
The shadow then writes something else on the paper, and Kirigan almost faints when he reads it, his heart sinking in his chest at a truth that only two people know: him and his mother. The dark figure drew two arrows: one beside the word Cheshire that points at it, and another towards the General’s direction. That would be alright if the two words beside the arrow pointing at him were his real name.
Aleksander Morozova
“Who are you?” The shadow signs with its tail at the ink letters that form Cheshire. “Who do you work for?” He gets the same answer. “You work for no one?”
The creature nods with a sharp smile. But before the man could say anything else, it flies around his office just to be back with an old book from his bookshelf. The dark figure hands it to him and writes again on the paper, though this time it’s a number.
The Darkling soon realizes that it is a page’s number and quickly opens the book to search for it. The first thing he notices when he gets to the said page it’s that this book is written in english. The second is of the chapter’s title: The Handler.
Fortunately for him, the shadow points again to the paper, which already has a new word written on it: Katherine. The General's heart skips a beat, and for the first time since this creature appeared, something is making sense. Cheshire made introductions by writing down each 3 real names, hoping that Kirigan would associate the latter with the book chapter.
“Katherine is The Handler?” The dark figure nods. “What’s her last name? The real one.”
The reply almost makes him roll his eyes: I’m not a snitch.
“You told me that she’s The Handler, but can’t tell me her surname?!” Another nod, which makes him control the urge to snort. “Do you even know where is her?”
The silence in the room and Cheshire’s stillness is the answer he needed. Although this creature helped him to know something about Katherine, it is really testing his patience right now. Finally, The Darkling sighs and begins to read the book. When he finishes it, he will question about the witch again.
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Katherine is in the bedroom that Anastasia offered to her, laid on the bed as looking at the ceiling. She thinks of her argument with Hope, of her talk to Kirigan and of the contract they sealed with blood. The woman was beginning to remember her cousin’s words about the — apparently lying — General when she heard two of her shadows arguing with each other.
“What is the matter?”
You are upset. Umbra states.
“And?”
We got something for you.
The witch sits up as soon as Ikatris puts some papers on her lap. She frowns when she doesn’t recognize the horrible handwriting in Ravkan. “What are those?”
All the reports.
Of the stag hunting! Umbra completes, thrilled. The tracker wrote it himself!
“And how did you get that?”
From The Darkling’s war room. Ikatris answers.
Katherine’s eyes widen in shock and quickly begins to read each page with as much attention as she could. A small smile plays on her lips as she finishes devouring each word, especially when she sees that the tracker is Malyen Oretsev, the Sun Summoner's best friend. The witch is now able to end one of her biggest concerns: Alina gaining a powerful amplifier that will open the way for her to simulate magic and thus break the balance of nature.
Without the tracker, there is no Morozova's stag. Without his reports of the location, there is no clue of where to start the search. Without the successful hunt, there's no amplifier to the lightscum and no magical imbalance.
The witch turns to her shadows with a plan formed in her mind. “Discover where the tracker Malyen Oretsev is. And then lead me to him.”
When the two dark figures leave the room, Katherine is smiling. Despite tonight’s argument with Hope which made her more insecure about herself than she had ever felt in decades, finally something good showed up. Because if General Kirigan is indeed fooling and using her, she’ll show him what The Handler does to people like him.
She ends with their dreams. And oh, how she’ll love to see his face when he finds out that his lightscum won’t have the chance to amplify power anymore! In the end, the Fold will still be where it belongs and Ravka’s Supernatural Community will be protected.
Maybe, just maybe, Katherine is planning revenge for everyone that once mistreated her or replaced her for a lightscum. And maybe, just maybe, she is jealous that The Darkling wants Alina instead of her, his equal.
She takes off the Mikaelson ring to gaze at the black tattoo in her right ring finger, satisfaction filling her chest. “I have you wrapped around my finger now, General.”
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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
Thank you so much. You are one of the best writers ever. Thank you so much for encouraging me to write things (even though I am not yet posting any of it 😬)
This is literally one of the things that keep me writing. I’m so happy that my works help to encourage you to write! Sending all my love to you and your works💕
summary: after a long time Aleksander plays the violin again, and his wife and daughter enjoy the sweet melody
A/N: this request is from the universe of my fic LONG LIVE THE SOVERENYIS and happen on its future (requests are still opened)
request: ok so ive this headcanon that aleks can play the violin and now i cant stop thinking bout kat and him happily married with a baby, and he plays smth to calm the baby down
words: 1553
warning: FLUFF that will make you diabetic
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Today was rough. He spent the whole morning and afternoon at the mercy of the Second Army in the Little Palace; watching all the practices for at least half an hour — analyzing all the soldiers by at —, listening to reports from the regents of each Grisha order, making solutions and amends for a few problems... And then, when The Darkling arrived at his private wing at dusk, he had to head to the war room to be informed of Ravka's Army.
He didn't even see his wife and daughter since he left in the morning, the two of them still asleep at the time. Aleksander thought of waking up Katherine to let her know that they wouldn't have lunch together today, but changed his mind when saw that she was drooling on the pillow. The witch was finally having her well-deserved sleep after another exhausting day being a mother.
The General takes another sip of the cup with kvas and vodka, a mixture he had done to put on with the night work, and rests his head on the chair he's seated on. He's so tired. He just wants to silently lay on the bed with his wife and daughter and stay there till tomorrow.
The Darkling looks at the papers on his desk with a grimace. He's spent all day working restless, so if he doesn't take some time for himself, he'll surely go mad.
Aleksander's gaze soon stops at a black box on the bookshelf and the corner of his lips quiver in a small smile. He goes there and picks it up, opening to reveal an old violin, one that was bought a long time ago without anyone's knowledge. When that happened, he used to play it every time he felt uneasy and needed a distraction. Its melody always had an effect on him, relaxing every tense muscle in his body and cleaning his mind from all the frustration he had to tolerate.
The man hasn't played it for years, decades, even.
Therefore, he cleans the instrument and verifies if it's in tune. Then, he puts it on his shoulder and begins to play what comes to his head. When the notes start to echo in the war room, all the weight of being the Grishas leader is soon gone off his shoulders. Right now, he's just a boy showing his love for music.
Not The Darkling, not General Kirigan, not the Black Heretic, but Aleksander Morozova.
The man is so focused on the song that he doesn't hear a baby's wail followed by some movement on the private wing's hallways. Katherine went to check if their daughter was hungry or dirty. Since those were not the cases, she simply picks up the crying little girl from the bassinet and goes with her for a walk in search of her husband.
She frowns at the sound of a song, a sweet melody that seems to be played by a violin, and slowly follows it. The witch is surprised when she notices that it's coming from the war room. Her light green eyes widen in complete shock as soon as she sees The Darkling playing the fiddle. However, that is rapidly replaced by a smile.
Katherine didn't know that her husband knew how to play an instrument, especially one as difficult as a violin. Her heart warms at the soothing view of him with closed eyes while his fingers reproduce whatever's in his mind. Aleksander is feeling the song, not just playing it for pleasure.
The woman though rapidly realizes that she's not the only one enjoying the melody when a baby cooing echoes through the room. She gazes at the little bundle of joy in her arms, the smile increasing as Kaltain blinks her tears away.
The Darkling couldn't hold back a chuckle as he looked at them. His wife's clearly tired, with dark circles under her eyes — now so small that she could easily sleep while standing —, yet she still gathered energy to give him a smile. His daughter, on the other hand, is very much awake. Although the tears have stopped falling from her eyes, they were replaced by confusion. She seems to be battling herself between letting out her frustrations in wailing or following the delicate symphony that hypnotizes her into calm.
Katherine sits on the couch, closing her eyes with a smile while caressing Kaltain's thin black hair. Aleksander continues to play, enjoying the sound of the fiddle as well as the company of his girls. He watches Kaltain slowly losing the fight against sleep and finally going asleep in her mother's lap.
"You calmed her down." The witch whispers when the song stops.
He smiles, eyes not looking away from their daughter. "Seems like she enjoyed it."
She chuckles. "We both did. Since when do you know how to play?"
Aleksander puts the violin on the desk. "A little over two centuries."
"You're marvelous. Didn't go out of the tune for not even a second."
"Oh." He raises an eyebrow at her. "Were you doubting my abilities, milaya?"
"Me? Never, dorogoy."
The man sits by the woman's side and slides an arm on her shoulders. They both admire the baby on her arms, a perfect combination of the two of them. If it wasn't for the mouth and the nose, Kaltain would be an impeccable copy of Aleksander. Although still having grey eyes, Katherine's sure that she'll inherit her father's dark brown irises.
However, The Darkling doesn't care of which color she'll develop as well as he wasn't upset when he found out that his wife had birthed a girl. Kaltain is his little shadow and Katherine's little dandelion, and anything that threatens her happiness shall die.
That was the promise he made when she was born. Aleksander will do everything in his willpower to protect their daughter, including warning all members of the court that anyone who criticizes that the General's firstborn is a girl will have their tongue cut out — something he did a day after she came to the world.
Meanwhile, Ravkan Supernatural community didn't care about the child's sex, yet they were thrilled to know that it was a girl. His wife laughed when Hope told her about the party they had thrown up, since witches indeed prefer women with the excuse that their magic is usually stronger.
The Grishas shared the same opinion as the supernaturals, though, instead of throwing a party to the baby, they made bets. Since the pregnancy was announced, all Grisha orders started to wager on the child's sex. After nine months, the ones who were sure that it was a female jumped and yelled in joy.
"You think she'll learn how to play?" Katherine's sweet voice takes him away from his memories.
"What?"
"An instrument."
He shrugs. "I can teach her the violin when the time comes."
"She can learn the piano with me too."
The General looks at his wife, bewildered. "You know how to play a chordophone?" She nods. "Why don't I know that?"
"Why didn't I know that you can play a fiddle?" She smirks at him.
He rolls his eyes, yet with a small smile on his face, unnoticeable for anyone but Katherine. "I guess we are even then, milaya."
"Yes. Yes, we are, dorogoy."
The witch snuggles herself on her husband's arms, sighing happily as he makes himself comfortable on the couch too. "Tough day?" Her question is barely a whisper, though an effort to stay awake and listen to his stories.
"You have no idea." He lets out a weary sigh. "I don't even want to talk about it."
So the three of them enjoy the comfortable silence in the war room, all with closed eyes and embraced in each other's arms. Aleksander feels the tension finally leaving his entire body and takes a deep breath, satisfied with the amazing sensation of the air filling his lungs and then coming out of his mouth. Although not being certain a few hours ago, he is now relieved that he took some time for himself. If he continued to work, along with not being productive at all — since every note probably wouldn't make more sense due to his tiredness —, he'd be even more exhausted.
He smiles to himself, happy to be able to spend the rest of the night with his family. There are moments that The Darkling thinks he's in a dream that wishes for it to never end. Every time he wakes up with Katherine by his side or picks up Kaltain, he feels complete. After centuries of being alone in the dark, he found company to enjoy the shadows with him.
He has a family now. It's little, but more than enough to fulfill his heart and soul. The two girls of his life are just perfect, and he would never think of changing them for anything else in the world.
Satisfied, the man breathes his wife's vanilla scent and kisses the top of her head. If he could reach his daughter, she'd be receiving one too, but as it's not possible at the moment, he makes a mental note to pick up his little shadow and hug her tightly tomorrow, kissing her small face every time he feels like it.
A/N: Baghra's quote"There is no safe place. There is no haven. Not for us." was written by Leigh Bardugo, in The Demon of the Wood. So ALL RIGHTS ARE HERS! I only picked up because to develop the narrative more.
summary: Katherine finally shows her power to Kirigan.
word count: 3461
warnings: grisha/witch hunt, blood, mentios of torture
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First was the sharped breath he made, showing that the air on his lungs stopped at that exact moment. Then, was the widened eyes on his face, followed by the shotgun being released by his hands. Finally, the drüskelle in front of her was dismembered — literally. His torso slowly slipped from his lower limbs, falling to the ground with a thud.
Katherine looks in astonishment at the red taking over the snow. She did hear the second thud, meaning that the man's lower limbs hit the floor behind his other half, but was too astonished to speak. In her entire life, the witch has never seen something so strong. Of course, she's lost count of how many dismembered bodies she saw, but they were made by weapons, and there isn't a weapon this big and sharp yet.
This... this exhales power.
Behind you. A shadow whispers to her. The woman's so shocked that she doesn't even register which shadow of hers said that.
It's difficult to focus on another thing than the bodies, though Katherine is proved wrong as she sees what's behind her, or better, who. The Darkling's face is indifferent, as if he didn't do anything unusual, his dark brown eyes analyzing every detail on her. The witch looks at his black kefta in search of a magical trait.
Nothing. Everything's impeccable as always. There's not a single trace of what he's done.
"Are you alright?" Kirigan gently asks, trying to find in himself the reason why he was so worried about the woman being hurt.
"How—" She looks at the body again before turning her glance back at the General. "What have you done?"
He arches an eyebrow. That wasn't what he was expecting. "Saved your life."
"To the hunter. What type of magic was that?"
"Magic?"
"Merzost." Katherine says as she finally remembers the name Ravka uses. "What type was it? Spirit? Dark? Connective? Ancestral?" Before he could answer it, she murmurs to herself: "No, it can't be Ancestral. I know everything about that one."
The Darkling suddenly feels like the young man that had just discovered merzost in Morozova's book. He doesn't comprehend the woman's terms, which makes him compare himself to the fool adult that didn't know enough of the world. Those words that she's saying, are they types of merzost? Does that even exist? If so, he has to study more, because he's never heard of such a thing.
That woman must be delirious.
"Are you sure you're not unwell?" The General approaches Katherine and, finally, notices her bleeding arm. For a small second, he wishes to have given the drüskelle a slow painful death instead of a quick one. "Come. We have to heal you."
"How did you do it?"
He blinks. Why on Earth would she want to know that?
"You are bleeding." Kirigan slowly states to make her understand that she's injured. She might have not noticed that, after all.
Katherine looks at her left arm and presses the wound to stop the bleeding, suppressing a pained whimper and cursing herself to not be able to completely dodge the hunter's blade. "I'm alright."
"No, you are not."
"How did you do it?" She ignores him.
"You are bleeding." He repeats for her to realize that she needs a Healer.
"I'm aware of that, thank you. And it's just a superficial wound. Nothing that I've never experienced yet."
She won't get help if I don't show the Cut again, The Darkling thinks. He then decides what would be more clever: do it right now and take her to the Little Palace to be healed — which she could easily run away after seeing the Cut — or tell the woman to accompany him to the Little Palace in order to show her the Cut later.
"I will do it again after healing your wound."
The witch opens her mouth to complain, but quickly closes it after reconsidering her thoughts. "Very well. You shall lead the way."
Kirigan guides them to the black stallion that is behind a tree, and helps her into the saddle without her taking the hand that's on the wound. When he grips the horse's rope, he makes sure that Katherine is between his arms and won't fall or try to escape. In the blink of an eye, they are galloping towards the Little Palace just as they did earlier today.
They enter through the General's personal chambers door again, and he orders a Corporalki to fetch a Healer. Without any questions, the man obeys and Katherine soon finds herself in The Darkling's office again.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, yet that is forgotten when the door opens to reveal the same Heartrender as today's meeting followed by a Healer.
"Moi soverenyi." She bows at the Shadow Summoner, a few strands of her honey-colored hair sticking out of her chignon; its messiness shows that she must have been working tirelessly on something.
"Ms. Belova", he greets her with a nod. "My friend here is injured."
Friend? Katherine questions herself. Is that what we are?
The Healer quietly goes to the witch and asks her to sit on an armchair for her too see the wound clearly. She gets a cloth from her purse and wets it with something. "This is going to hurt a bit."
Katherine doesn't have time to answer, because the wet tissue suddenly burns her skin. Yet it doesn't hurt so much, she still hisses in discomfort. The Corporalki is delicate, carefully cleaning the injury to then heal it.
Kirigan silently watches the scene, interested in the woman not taking her eyes off Angelina Belova, as if she was expecting the Grisha to poison her at any second. He'd already realized that Katherine didn't trust him, which is understandable, but to think that he'd brought her to the Little Palace — to his quarters — just to kill her? For the Saints' sake, if he was going to make her disappear, he wouldn't even have protected her from the drüskelle in the forest!
The General goes to a table to pour himself a glass of kvas, but almost lets go off the bottle when he hears Angelina's horrified gasp. He immediately faces the two women, expecting to see Katherine somehow hurting the Healer, but, instead, he's surprised with the witch looking down in shame while the Corporalki's hazel eyes are filled in dread.
He follows her gaze to the the woman's arm, and the air in his lungs is taken away, his dark brown eyes widening in horror just like Ms. Belova's. Below the cut that the drüskelle has made, there's an horrendous word carved into the pale skin. Though completely healed, its letters are still red, forming a hideous scar.
B U R D E N
It's been ages that he hasn't felt so furious towards someone's injury. The Darkling's blood starts boiling in his veins and his fists clench in rage. He thought he'd seen all kinds of torture possible: severed limbs, scars made by gunshot, knives, axes and animal claws, burns, skin covered in cuts made by a whip... But this. This is for sure one of the greatest atrocities done by someone.
"Who did this?" His voice is cold as ice.
"He's dead." Katherine doesn't look up from her lap, and her white knuckles holding her skirt didn't go unnoticed by him. "He, his family and his friends are all dead."
He shots a glance at Angelina, who understands the silent order. She begins to regenerate the tissues of the witch's body as quickly as possible, eager to get out of the office to stop staring at that scar. Even though not know english, she's aware of this awful word's meaning. The Healer can't imagine the pain this woman went through. Her heart sinks just imagining how desperate she must have been at the moment, and, although not knowing her, Angelina knows she didn't deserve this.
"I took twice the time he had took with me, if that's what you're thinking." Katherine tells Kirigan, fighting the tears that are threading to leave her eyes.
"There's no torture that can avenge the pain you felt."
Indeed. "He was a witch hunter."
Not Grisha or otkazat'sya, he reminds himself of what she isn't. Therefore, it is possible that she is a witch; a species that hides so well to the point that many people believe they are myths.
"So that's what you are? A witch?"
The woman finally looks up, and the General feels a strange sting in his heart when he sees that she's holding her tears. "What else have you thought I was?"
Angelina finally finishes healing the wound in Katherine's arm, and immediately stands up with her purse. She nods to her in goodbye and then bows to Kirigan, anxiously leaving the office then.
"The witches are your people?" The Darkling asks Katherine, both of them relieved for finally being alone.
"Yes, though I consider the whole Supernatural community my people too. After all, we all have a little bit of magic."
"You came here to discuss the Fold in order of the witches or of the Supernatural community?"
She sighs. "Vampires, werewolves, faes, witches... The Shadow Fold protects everyone from the worst life threats of all. If you dissolve it, we'll be obligated to live in fear again."
Although totally agreeing with her, Kirigan still has to put on the facade of a man that tries to end the Black Heretic creation. "Unfortunately, a ruler has to make sacrifices for the greater good. Ravka will grow more powerful with the Fold's dissolution. It'll be possible to navigate and find new resources without so many deaths." He feels utterly disgust of the words that come out of his mouth, every syllable burning his insides with aversion.
"What is the point of navigating without deaths if your own people will die at the hands of the hunters that will cross the borders?" Katherine can't believe what she has just heard from a leader that was supposed to protect his own kind.
"Peace will be arranged by that time!" As if! He internally scoffs at this statement.
"That is an utopia, General." She stands up and approaches him without breaking eye contact. "If the Unsea ends, not only Ravka or Fjerda or Shu Han, but Russia will be doomed. The news that the Fold is over will spread through the winds, and, therefore, increase the force of opposing ideologies. There will be war between those who abhor magic and those born with it. And so I ask you: are you ready to see the bloodbath that will happen and to feel responsible for that? Because I certainly am not."
They are face to face now, both not daring to look away from each other. Kirigan opens his mouth, but Katherine's faster: "All I ask you is to understand my positioning and all the fear that your utopia is causing in my people. If you want to know more about the revolts that we dread so much, I suggest you read about the most famous ones, like the Inquisition in Europe."
She bites her lip, nervousness coursing through her entire body. "Or, if you prefer, I can show you some glimpses of this dark age."
He tries his best to conceal his confusion. "How can you show me that?"
"Just like all the elements of nature, shadows have memories, General." The corner of her lips quiver in a smirk.
Curiosity takes over him, wanting to know exactly what she means by that. "Show me, then."
"Only if you show me what you did in the forest with the drüskelle."
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Angelina exits The Darkling's office in a rush, eager to calm down and share what happened to someone. Moreover, to clean her mind from the image of that hideous scar and the thoughts that there are more witches who have suffered the same torture as the woman.
Is that normal for wizards? Is that why they hide so well from the world? If so, Angelina will pray for all of them tonight. They don't deserve such brutality against them.
She was so disturbed with thoughts that she didn't even notice someone calling her until the person was in front of her.
"Gelya!" Agatha's smile fades when she sees the Healer's terrified face. "What happened?"
"I—" She looks behind her, to the General's doors chamber. "I've never seen such cruelty."
"Gelya... Has The Darkling done something to you?"
Her hazel eyes widen in shock. "No! No! He didn't do anything, I swear!" Agatha lets out a relieved sigh.
The Healer starts to tell her what happened. When Ivan fetched her in the infirmary mentioning that Kirigan had an injured person with him. How she began quietly cleaning the wound on the unknown woman's arm to then heal it. And finally, after taking off all that blood, the horror of seeing an old scar of hers.
"It— It's so hideous! She must've suffered so much, Agatha!" The tears that were wetting her eyes start to fall from them. "I didn't know what to do!"
The air singer tightly embraces the woman's shaking body. "If it's an old scar, there isn't anything you could've done for her. No matter how atrocious it is, she has already passed through the nightmare."
"I just can't bear to think of her being tortured like that." She sobs. "You didn't see her, Agatha. She looked down in shame when I saw it."
"Unfortunately that happens, Gelya. You as a Healer must've known that already."
"Yes, but I've never seen that kind of atrocity!" The Grisha looks up at the hybrid, holding the lapels of her blue kefta with silver embroideries. "It's worse than yours!"
That woman went through hell then. The air singer thinks, because if that scar is worse than a monster's claw being carved into your chest, it must be as atrocious as Angelina is describing.
"How is it? Maybe if you tell me it can help you calm down."
She sniffs, shivering. "It's a word. Red and carved in her skin. She said it was a man, a hunter, and that when she found him later, she tortured him and killed his family and friends."
Agatha's body freezes and her breath is taken away. There's only one person that she knows that has a scar so awful that it shocks even the oldest supernaturals. Because the six letters stand out on her pale skin, its redness showing that each of them were carved on her meat with a knife.
And that person is someone that Agatha loves deeply and can't wait to see her again.
"Angelina—" the hybrid separates them from the hug to look into the Healer's eyes "is the word in her arm burden?"
Her face pales immediately. "H-How do you know it?"
"Because she's my cousin."
"Saints!" The Grisha's heart is beating as fast as a drum now. For a moment, she thinks she'll faint. That is too much information in a short period of time. "I— How's that— WHAT THE HELL?!"
Agatha isn't shocked at her reaction. It's the one whatever sane person would do, after all. "I know, and I swear I'll explain everything later. But right now I need to know where Katherine is."
Is she out of her mind?!
"S-She's at the General's office."
"Oh my—" The hybrid doesn't finish her sentence, already running in search of Hope. She's the only one in the family who somehow manages to unravel most of Katherine's intentions and plans. And since the shadow singer is talking to The Darkling, the redhead can surely tell Agatha what the fuck is going on. It surely can't affect her memory to know that... right?
Angelina's hazel eyes widen even more after seeing the air singer running as fast as a bullet through the Little Palace's hallways. She wipes the tears away and soon follows the woman to find out what she wants.
"Agatha, wait!"
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"A large and well-lit room will fit." Katherine tells Kirigan, and he guides them — through the emptiest ways so he won't be seen with an unknown person — to a room that attends her wishes.
"The ballroom is only used in royal parties, though they light up its lights at night for decoration." He rolls his eyes due to the silly motive.
"Will you be able to do that thing here too?" She asks him while admiring the white and golden room along with the huge chandelier on the ceiling.
The Darkling almost chuckles at the thought of doing the Cut in here. The place will be turned into ruins if he does that, along with an entire part of the Little Palace. "No, not here."
She finally faces him. "Where, then?"
"The woods."
The witch inclines her head in understanding and walks to the middle of the ballroom. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, gathering all the memories of revolts and hunts that she's seen and experienced. Katherine focuses on the voices, on the screams of fear and pain, on the brave ones who came together to fight and resist all blows against supernaturals, on the groups formed for everyone to flee and on some people who ran to protect their loved ones.
She spins, and all the darkness of the room begin to personify the once suppressed memories. They all take the form of the shadows of the people she's seen: some run for their lives, others fight human soldiers and villagers, and unfortunately, there are also those who have been condemned. The ballroom soon transforms into the chaos that was this dark time.
Kirigan's mouth is slightly open as he looks at the scene, his heart clenching as he remembers his own experiences. That's exactly what Ravka once was: a chaotic place where no one trusted no one or felt safe. It was a survival game; no matter how cruel your actions were, anything was worth as long as it helped you survive.
When he was 13, a Tidemaker and a Squaller — Annika and Lev, he recalls their names — tried to kill him to gather an amplifier. The only way he survived was due to the Cut, which he accidently did for the first time. The two of them were instantly dead on the ground, and, for him and his mother not being killed by the other Grishas in the camp, he used the Cut in his leg and then passed out.
Kirigan still remembers Baghra’s words when he had woken up later in a hut.
There is no safe place. There is no haven. Not for us.
He turns to Katherine in awe. “How—”
“I told you, General. Shadows have memories.”
“And all of those are your memories?”
She nods. The Darkling slowly spins, admiring each piece of darkness in the form of a person. Although he was used from a young age to conjure shadows that adhere to the shape and movement he desired, he has never been able to make them stay as long as the witch is doing. He also never saw his mother do a trick like that.
That’s… magnificent.
“Do you all know how to do that?” He asks.
“Only the most talented ones. This is a complex trick that requires control of your mind and powers. It took me decades to perfect it.”
“But with shadows. Do you all know how to maester that with darkness?”
“Oh! No.” She gazes at her own memories at the ballroom. “You can only do that with the element you were born with full control. Fire singers do with fire; water singers, with water; shadow singers—”
“With shadows.”
She gives him a shy nod. “Unfortunately, I’ve never met anyone like me.”
His dark brown eyes meet her light greens, shining in astonishment. His heart beats fast now, almost threatening to leave his chest, and his throat is dry when he says: “You do now.”
Katherine feels her cheeks warm, happy with his reaction towards her powers. She expected that he would neglect her for being a witch instead of a Grisha, and even exile her from Ravka for trying to deceive him with lies. But no. He accepted her for who she really is.
She doesn’t have to pretend anymore to be something she isn’t.
“Katherine—”, her name sounds like a sweet melody in his tongue “do you believe in equality?”
It takes a minute for air to enter her lungs and for her to come out of her reveries to respond: “I do, Kirigan.”
He gives her a small smile, that seems polite, yet it really is a genuine one. The Shadow Summoner liked her saying his fake name, and for a while, he wondered how she’d pronounce his true one. Along with that, he finally found an equal; not only a Grisha that gathers a huge power like him, such as Alina, but someone who controls darkness and understands why the Fold can’t be dissolved. The witch has lived as long as him, which made her comprehend that the peaceful world without the Unsea it’s an utopia made by the ones who have never experienced the chaotic age before its creation.
This woman, Katherine, hasn’t just surprised The Darkling and General Kirigan tonight. She has surprised Aleksander Morozova.
Because she is his true equal. In mind and power.
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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!
