SOLDIER QUEEN .

THERE  IS  A  STORM  INSIDE  OF  ME  .  |   ZOYA  NAZYALENSKY . RULES.

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI.

𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌  𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐃  𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒  𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐎- lai immediately  looks  up  from  the  blueprints  spread  across  his  desk.  for  a  moment  it  feels  as  though  every  bit  of  oxygen  is  pulled  from  his  lungs.  he  brushes  it  off,  straightens  his  back  and  pushes  the  blueprints  aside.  when  she  speaks,  the  corners  of  his  mouth  lift  upward.  that  is,  until  he  realizes  she’s  talking  about  his  possible  suitors.

what  did  he  expect  ?  for  her  to  drape  herself  across  his  desk  and  kiss  him  sweetly  ?   her  absence  this  morning  made  it  clear  that  whatever transpired  the  previous  night  was  a  one  time  thing.  his  half  smile  fades  away  almost  instantly  as  he  rubs  a  gloved  hand  over  his  chin.  nikolai  arches  a  single  brow,  not  bothering  to  feign  interest  as  he  leans  back  into  his  chair.   ‘  did  i  now  ?  seems  like  i  did  something  right  then.  ’  he  says.  ‘  and  i  wasn’t  even  trying.  almost  makes  you  think  they  only  want  me  for  my  dashing  good  looks.  ’

there’s a wave of awkwardness between them that she wishes would ease up, through zoya tries to ignore the twinge in her chest as he speaks so nonchalantly at the notion of having to marry another - foolish hope had leaked into her bloodstream last night, her mind fights against it all, it’s a losing battle. she knows that no matter their feelings, ravka came first for them both and nothing could change that.    ❛   well they don’t want you for your ever so charming personality.   ❜    one corner of her mouth twitches upward playfully.

zoya sits down on an empty corner of his desk, hands moving down to rest flat at thighs in attempt to quieten the nagging urge to reach out to him.    ❛   you look like you need a break, nikolai.   ❜    glancing over the cluttered desk for a moment then back to him, she doesn’t even realise that she’s curling a lock of his hair back into place until it was too late to pull away.

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI.

𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐈𝐋,  𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐈  𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘  𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎  𝐇𝐈𝐒   routine.  perhaps  it’s  something  that  had  been  ingrained  into  his  consciousness  from  a  very  young  age.  ravkan  princes  weren’t  allowed  to  by  swept  up  by  their  emotions.  ravkan  princes  were  supposed  to  nod  and  smile.  they  did  not  show  weakness.  (  at  least  that’s  what  his  father  had  called  it  ).  that  same  mentality  was  adopted  into  the  army,  and  on  the  seas.  whatever  emotional  turmoil  nikolai  experienced,  as  nikolai  or  as  sturmhond,  he  buried  it.  concealed  it  behind  a  false  sense  of  bravado  and  cocky  smile.  at  some  point,  it  becomes  a  force  of  habit.

it’s  certainly  not  the  first  time  he  has  spent  a  night  with  someone,  with  no  intention  of  pursuing  any  kind  of  relationship,  but  deep  down  nikolai  knows  that  zoya  isn’t  just  someone.  she  has  never  been  just  someone.  even  before  last  night  ;  she  had  been  his  trustworthy  commander.  his  friend.  and  part  of  him  hopes  he  hasn’t  jeopardized  that. he  pushes  those  thoughts  aside  momentarily  when  he  slips  behind  his  desk  ;  ready  to  start  a  day  filled  with  meetings  and  more  meetings.

falling into the usual routine is easy, duty before anything else, a worthy distraction that kept both thoughts and heart away from yearning for something that had no chance of a future. nikolai needed to marry for ravka, and ravka would never allow someone like her to be queen - their feelings had no say on the subject. at the very least, she’d stay by side as his commander and friend. that was more than enough for her. 

there’s no avoiding him, zoya’s sure if she tried to keep away that it’d end up as gossip too and she’d rather not have to hear those types of whispers today.    ❛    you made an impression last night.    ❜    not bothering to knock, ignoring the way her entire body seems to hurt at the sight of him. arms fold under her chest as she walks to hs desk and leans one hip into the wood, her manner colder than she wanted it to be, but there was little room for warmth without her heart betraying her foolishly.    ❛    princesses practically begging for your hand.    ❜    

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI.

𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐒  𝐍𝐎𝐓  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍  𝐇𝐄  𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒  𝐔𝐏  𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒  𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍- -’t  expect  her  to  be,  but  he  still  brushes  over  the  empty  spot  beside  him.  it’s  not  warm  anymore,  but  the  scent  of  her  perfume  clings  to  the  pillow  she  had  claimed  as  her  own.  it  pulls  a  sigh  from  the  king  as  he  buries  his  nose  into  his  own  pillow.  his  mind  replays  the  events  from  the  night  before  ;  from  the  moment  they  found  each  other  in  the  ballroom  until  the  moment  they  slipped  into  his  chambers.

he  knows  better.  knows  better  than  to  do  this  with  zoya.  and  he  should  probably  feel  something  akin  to  remorse,  but  then  he  thinks  about  the  way  she  looked  at  him.  mesmerizing  zoya.  absolutely  terrifying  zoya.  there’s  a  smile  on  his  face,  which  he  buries  in  the  pillow  before  pushing  himself  upright.  scarred  fingers  card  through  his  hair,  and  he  finds  himself  longing  for  the  touch  of  a  certain  commander.  he  pushes  those  feelings  away,  his  teeth  digging  into  his  lower  lip  before  he  lifts  himself  from  the  mattress  and  slips  into  the  bathroom  next  to  his  chambers.

the night before washes down the drain, no longer could she feel the warmth of his hands against skin - although there’s dark marks at hips making it harder for zoya to pretend that nothing was worth remembering. luckily those reminders are hidden safely under uniform, a secret only the two knew of. every glance in the mirror causes her to wince slightly, as hair in pinned up she tries not to notice the obvious pain in eyes and forces herself to stop feeling, refuses to allow mind to drift and acknowledge the bitter guilt that won’t budge at the fact she left nikolai to wake up alone as if he was just another person. 

instead of the usual routine, zoya decides to skip getting breakfast and finds herself returning to outside the ballroom, ignoring the loud whispers of the palace staff. she breathes in the cold morning air with a smile, forearms leaning on the balcony as eyes watch the city begins to stir from its slumber. a sight that’d never get old. her love for ravka undeniable. 

[stormwitched]

it’s easy to leave, she’s always been good at leaving people to wake up alone after getting lost in the sheets - though this time there’s an unwillingness blossoming in gut, protesting each movement as she redresses quietly as possible while trying to ignore the soft breaths coming from nikolai that tempt her to return to the soft, safe embrace of his arms. dawn filters in through the balcony, just enough light to clean up his clothes, she holds his gloves for a moment too long. the ache in gut slips into chest, before it takes over completely, she sets them down on his nightstand and leaves.

her back rests against the door long enough to breathe a few times and remind herself who she was: zoya nazyalensky, commander of the second army, if she was strong enough to survive the fall - then she could survive the heartache. only then does she return to her own quarters, ignoring everyone with chin held high as normal, and cleans off the remnant of the night along with the ghost of the memory of his hands on her skin.

@scarredking 

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐕𝐄  𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃  𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃  this  exact  moment  ages.  a  game  of  will  they  or  won’t  they.  fleeting  touches  and  lingering  gazes  were  replaced  by  embraces  and  heartfelt  promises  in  moments  of  danger.  when  all  hope  seemed  lost,  she  was  by  his  side  and  nikolai  could  not  imagine  anyone  else  taking  her  place.  in  his  final  moments,  he  would  want  zoya  nazyalensky  by  his  side.  

obviously,  he’d  rather  not  think  about  his  possible  demise.  the  thoughts  are  shoved  aside  when  she  speaks  again  ;  her  voice  pulling  him  back  to  reality,  back  to  her.  she  mentions  the  luxury  of  having  privacy  and  he  feels  the  corner  of  his  mouth  twitching  upward.  it’s  the  one  thing  he  longed  for  and  a  big  reason  why  he  came  up  with  the  sturmhond  persona  to  begin  with.  in  an  ideal  world,  nikolai  would  do  whatever  he  wanted  to,  without  the  scrutiny  of  an  entire  kingdom.   ‘   the  court  would  say  otherwise.  after  all,  my  business  is  their  business,   ’   he  starts,  leaning  forward  to  brush  his  lips  along  her  temple.   ‘   but  i  think  that’s  complete  and  utter  nonsense.  the  world  can  live  a  few  hours  without  us.   ’   

there’s a hundred different ways to respond to his words, torn between allowing their selfish crescendo to, finally after months of playful banter, ring out loudly, or give in to what zoya believes to be the smarter option - excuse herself before diving in completely and ending up heartbroken. she knows better than to yearn, her aunt had taught her to be careful with her heart, and yet she finds herself unwilling to leave. his warmth too comforting. for once zoya lets herself be foolish, heart singing louder than the voice of reason in her head. 

gently, though with a firmness nikolai should be accustomed to, she moves both of his hands to cup her face as silver eyes look up at him. this is it, the moment she wishes would last a thousand lifetimes.    ❛    a few hours ?    ❜    somehow the general fights the urge to scoff and bite out a tease, instead manages to keep features softened, no grin at mouth.    ❛    sounds like a different kind of monster in this room tonight    ❜ 

[stormwitched]

zoyalai are Gomez/Morticia, no I don’t accept criticism 

[lilithsaur]

My ruthless Zoya, I’ll load the gun myself

[fcoppola]

Imagine if you suddenly learned that the people, the places, the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse, had never been. What kind of hell would that be?

[bucumber]

zoyalai😳😳😳

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI

‘  𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒.  𝐈  𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑  𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐁𝐔𝐓  𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒.  my  ego  isn’t  easily  bruised.  it  can  take  a  few  blows.  ’  is  his  response,  amused  and  accompanied  by  a  chuckle.  his  mind  takes  him  back  to  the  ballroom,  where  royals,  government  officials,  and  alike  are  still  dancing,  drinking  themselves  into  stupors  and  pretending  to  be  somewhat  interesting.  it  was  entertaining  for  all  about  ten  minutes.  after  that,  nikolai’s  priorities  gently  shifted.  selfishly  so.

her  palms  rest  over  his  hands,  her  touch  gentle  as  she  brushes  her  thumb  over  his  knuckles.  it’s  an  intimate  gesture,  gentle  even.  what  little  space  there  is  between  them,  is  closed  when  she  leans  up  ;  her  breath  tickling  his  skin  as  her  lips  nearly   brush  against  his  ear.  it  may  or  may  not  send  a  shiver  down  his  spine.  ‘  touche.  ’  he  says,  one  of  his  hands  pulling  back  to  rest  itself  atop  her  thigh.  ‘  we’re  accumulating  quite  a  bunch  of  secrets.  ’

there’s a constant push and pull between them in almost every aspect of their unusual relationship  ,  a war between head and heart  ,  wit and respect  ,  and duty and personal life  .  that will never change  .  zoya knows her heart is not to be listened to anymore  ,  she’ll not be made a fool of ever again but even her mind yearns to know what it’s like to have him if only for a few hours  .  it’d sate her curiosity  .  they could move on from this  ,  he’d get married and rule while she’d remain just his commander  .

that thought turns her stomach but it’s what had to happen  ,  anything else was a childish fantasy  .  she was not what he needed  .  she couldn’t give him the love he deserves  .  zoya inhales quietly in an attempt to calm herself  ,  being greedy for one night was seemingly something they both craved  -  the heat of his palm on her thigh feels like permission to take  ,  and take  ,  and take  .    ❛    we’re owed some privacy from the world  .    ❜    nikolai’s the only one she’d willingly allow to hold her secrets  ,  making a few more with him couldn’t hurt  ,  or so she wants to selfishly believe  .    ❛    don’t you agree  ?    ❜ 

[stormwitched]

⛈KOLYA

𝐇𝐄  𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓  𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄  𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐀𝐖  𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄 this  much.  this  time  two  years  ago  they  barely  knew  if  they  would  survive  a  civil  war.  a  country  torn  apart  by  one  man’s  hunger  for  power  and  vengeance.  nikolai  doesn’t  want  to  think  about  the  darkling’s  return  and  what  his  actions  had  caused,  so  he  pushes  those  thoughts  aside  when  zoya  drags  her  finger  down  his  cheek  towards  his  chin.  ‘  my  dancing  skills  are  impeccable.  i  don’t  remember  you  complaining  earlier  tonight.  ’

his  hands  rest  on  the  desk  she  sits  on,  palms  flat  on  the  wooden  surface  and  caging  her  body  between  his  arms  as  he  stands  between  her  legs.  ‘  is  that  cockiness  i  hear  ?  you  seem  very  confident,  commander.  ’  there’s  truth  to  her  words  ;  they  both  know  it.  slowly  but  surely,  he  had  grown  fond  of  zoya.  they  had  experienced  too  much  together,  had  seen  each  other’s  darkness  and  didn’t  flinch.  he  didn’t  have  to  slip  into  a  role  around  her.  not  the  role  of  king  or  sturmhond.  around  her,  he  was  simply  nikolai.  just  nikolai.

had anyone else trapped her like this  ,  she’d swiftly escape and it wouldn’t end particularly well for the other  -  but there’s no threat laced in nikolai’s movements  ,  she’d given him her trust on a golden platter  ,  something zoya’s certain no one else would ever be granted  .  they’d seen too much  ,  suffered hardships that no person ever should however they’d survived  .  a little scorned  ,  broken  ,  but still breathing and warm  .  she doesn’t feel uncomfortable with his proximity  ,  no fear or worry in eyes as her chin is kept high and proud  .    ❛    i was merely saving that ego of yours a few blows  .    ❜     hands gently creeping down his arms to settle over marred hands  ,  thumbs dusting over knuckles  .

❛    am i never not confident  ?    ❜     even if it’s only a front  ,  zoya’s always been one to act smug and cocky to the point of slight arrogance  ,  rather that than be seen as pathetic  .  she leans forward and up  ,  spine straightened completely as if her uniform was on and not the softness of the dress  ,  cheek brushes against his own as lip hover close to his ear  .    ❛    and i know i’m not wrong  ,  it’ll be another of our little secrets  .    ❜ 

[stormwitched]

⛈ KOLYA .

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍  𝐓𝐎  𝐅𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒   𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄  𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒  𝐈𝐍  𝐇𝐈𝐒 chest.  there  are  no  secrets  between  them  –  nothing  but  trust  and  he  is  glad  to  have  her  by  his  side.  be  it  as  his  commander,  his  friend,  or  maybe  something  more.  her  fingers  card  through  his  hair  and  he  briefly  leans  into  it  before  leaning  down  to  press  a  kiss  to  her  forehead.   ‘  every  night  in  front  of  the  mirror.  and  sometimes  in  the  mornings  too.  ’   nikolai  says  matter-of-factly.

‘  a  few  things  ?  not  all  of  them  ?  i’m  shocked,  appalled,  baffled,  stunned.  ’ he  says  almost  theatrically.  a  hum  vibrates  through  his  throat  when  she  mentions  the  people  of  fjerda,  and  it  elicits  a  chuckle.  he  remembers  meeting  the  officials  and  observing  their  stiff  manners  and  expressionless  faces.  perhaps  living  in  a  cold  climate  and  a  nation  based  on  prejudice  will do  that  to  a  person.  ‘  i  knew  there  was  a  reason  i  liked  you,  darling  zoya.  ’

the kiss to her forehead takes her back to moments with her aunt  ,  young  ,  foolish and ultimately alone  -  it’s the opposite now  ,  older  ,  wiser with a power few could ever comprehend and no longer alone  .  he stands in front of her as a reminder that the lost little girl didn’t exist anymore  ;  confined to painful memories  .  she has a life  ,  friends  ,  an army to guide  ,  she has him  .    ❛    don’t worry  ,  i’ll help you perfect your dancing  .    ❜     dragging index finger ever so slowly from nikolai’s hair down to just under chin  .

zoya breathes out a soft laugh  ,  tipping his chin downward to look at her properly  .  even sitting down on the desk below him made her feel powerful over him  ,  it was her that he looks at  ,  her that he trust  ,  her that he kissed  .    ❛    oh  ,  my sweet koyla  ,  i think there’s many reasons why you like me  .    ❜     teeth poking out between upturned lips dangerously  .

[netflixsense8gifs]

Just follow me. Follow my voice.

[stormwitched]

⛈NIKOLAI

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄  𝐎𝐅  𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐅  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒  𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍  𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 his  touch,  does  not  go  unnoticed.  nor  the  way  she  leans  into  him.  she,  who  had  seen  the  ugliest  parts  of  him,  allows  herself  to  be  open  and  vulnerable.  she  trusted  him  with  a  secret,  much  like  how  he  trusted  her  with  his  life. it  feels fair  somehow.  there is  still  so  much  he  doesn’t  know  about  her,  so  much  that  remains  a  mystery  and  he  would  gladly  learn  and  explore  everything  there  is.

she  grins  at  him  and  it’s  simply  mesmerizing,  catches  his  breath,  and allows  for  fondness  to  spread  through  his  chest.  he  raises  his  shoulders  in  a  shrug  before  resting  his  free  hand  on  his  chest.  ‘   sure,  he  may  breathe  fire  and  maybe  he’s  an  thousand  year  old  ancient  being  who  wields  immense  power,  but  does  he  have  castles,  ships,  flying  aircrafts  and  perfect  hair  ?  let’s  not  forget  expert  marksman  skills  and  impeccable  dancing  skills.   ’  nikolai  counters,  lips  pulling  into  a  smirk.  ‘   well,  we  make  quite  the  pair  then.  korol  rezni  and  the  grisha  who  is  half  dragon.  a  demon  king  and  a  dragon  witch,  as  they  would  say  in  fjerda.  ’

a weight is lifted from her chest  ,  finally able to inhale completely now that the secret has been shared with the only person who deserves to know  .  trust works both ways even if it can be difficult  .  if he trusts her with something so personal  ,  it’s only fair to share her own  .  zoya’s thankful that nothing seems to change between them  ,  the closeness  ,  the jokes and teases still there  .  all the fears that their relationship would change disappeared at his bragging  .

she doesn’t roll her eyes for once  ,  instead just sighs out a quiet laugh as she shakes her head fondly  -  confidence looked great on him even with the slightest hint of jealousy  .  in fact zoya might prefer it  .    ❛    your list feels awfully rehearsed  ,  have you been practising  ?   ❜    hides her snicker into the warmth of nikolai’s palm before reaching up to spin one of his curls tight around a fingertip  ,    ❛    i’ll agree on a few things on that long list  ,  my king  .  oh  ,  the fjerdian’s would hate us even more if they knew  ,  it’s almost tempting to tell them just to see such a reaction  .    ❜

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI

𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐎𝐖𝐍  𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐋  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒  𝐇𝐄𝐑 forehead.  her  words  imply  that  she  has  somehow  managed  to  merge  with  the  dragon  and  nikolai  is  not  sure  whether  to  be  surprised  or  not. zoya  sharing  her  body  with  an  ancient  being,  a  saint,  seems  baffling.  but  at  the  same  time,  zoya  nazyalensky  is  probably  the  only  grisha  capable  and  strong  to  merge  with  an  actual  dragon.  it  seemed  fitting  somehow.

he’d  known  that  something  was  different  about  her.  the  way  her  eyes  shifted  from  their  usual  blue  color  to  silver  every now  and  then  —  the  dragon’s  doing.  there’s  a  moment  of  silence  before  he  speaks  again,  his  mind  processing,  analyzing  ;  trying  to  figure  out  what  all  of  it  meant.  for  her,  for  him,  for  ravka.  his  hand  reaches  out  for  her,  palm  cupping  her  cheek  as  he  brushes  his  thumb  over  her  skin.   ‘  so sankt  juris  is  a  part  of  you  now…  ’   he  says  slowly,  thoughtful,  before  offering  a  smile. ‘ does  this  mean  i  will  have  to  share  you  ?  i’m  almost  starting  to  feel  jealous. ’  a  joke,  and  a  nod  back  to  a  similar  sentence  he  had  said  during  their  time  in  the  shadow  fold.  ‘   —  do  you  want  to  be  a  monster  ?    ’

she’s half certain that he’d pull away at the reveal  ,  send her out of the chambers and they’d forget what transpired between them earlier  -  zoya’s always braced herself for the worst outcome so it couldn’t hurt  .  although it’s completely obvious when nikolai’s hand cups her cheek  ,  relief flows through her and silver eyes fade back into a blue hue as she instinctively leans into the comforting warmth of his palm  .

everyone leaves  ,  moves on  ,  she’d learnt that as a lost little child but for some reason he stays  .  she wants him to stay  .    ❛    a dragon or a king  ,  it is a tough choice  .    ❜     a tease paired with both a raised eyebrow and a fully fledged grin  ,  heart skipping in chest at the implication that he could want to keep her after tomorrow’s sunrise and the mention of jealousy strokes her ego  .  there’s the beginnings of hope sparking in zoya  ,  it feels foolish  ,  stupid  ,  all of the things she never wanted to be however she allows it just this once  .    ❛    i think i’ve always been one  ,  koyla  .   ❜ 

[stormwitched]

⛈ NIKOLAI 

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒  𝐀  𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓  𝐎𝐅  𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐘  𝐈𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌.  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍  𝐇𝐀𝐒 disappeared,  and  they  are  no  longer  grasping  at  each  other  in  attempts  to  get  as  humanly  close  as  possible.  it  feels  more  serious  now,  he  sees  it  in  the  way  her  fingers  fiddle  with  the  amplifiers,  the  way  her  voice  –  as  smooth  as  ever – changes  ever  so  slightly.  the  implications  of  her  words  cause  him  to  arch  a  brow.

whatever  merzost  had  found  its  way  into  nikolai’s  body,  using  him  as  a  host,  has  yet  to  be  eliminated.  the  shadow  fold  was  supposed  to  rid  him  of  it,  but  there  was  a  slight… plot  twist  of  sorts. thinking  about  it  gives him  a  headache.  zoya  was  with  him  in  every  moment,  an  anchor  for  him  to  hold  on  to  and  he  values  it  so  very  much.  there’s  a  slow  nod  of  his  head  while  his  own  fingers  brush  along  the  scales  of  one  of  her  amplifiers. ‘  the  dragon  ?  ’

of course nikolai knows  ,  he’s far more intelligent than many gave him credit for  -  it’s a relief that she doesn’t have to spring such a thing on him out of nowhere .  tensed shoulders relax slightly  ,  watching him drift fingers over an amplifier brings a small little smile to the very corners of her mouth  .    ❛    juris... is...    ❜    voice low as she brings his index finger upward to press against her forehead  .    ❛    here now  .    ❜ 

there’s so much zoya’s unsure of when it came to what exactly having a dragon inside her entails apart from the heightened senses  ,  a boost in her skills and the voice in her head to guide and annoy her  .  it’s a gift  .  she’s much more than she could ever be and that meant protecting ravka  ,  protecting nikolai was easier now  .    ❛    i suppose i am a dragon now  ,  just as much of a monster as you believe you are  .    ❜    dropping his hand gently back down to her wrist  ,  giving him the option to pull away freely if he wanted to  .

[toujourspurr]

[ Tell me, storm witch, when you slew the tiger, did you not feel its spirit moving through you, feel it take the shape of your anger? ]