Mavka was a Corporalnik like no other, a theif like no other, and a little sparrow among a murder of crows.
Her safe haven was with the boy with the cane and the pretty eyes, despite the two seeming like opposite ends of a live wire, and now they h...
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Mavka experienced flashes from then on between the high pitched ringing in her ears.
The ground was ice cold, hard against her rattling bones as she trembled.
A gentle hand on her shoulder, soothingly rubbing circles across her back. A familiar voice trying to hide her silent crying as she whispered to her.
Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, numbingly cold and strangely sticky with something. Her heart beat was shallow in her chest but pounding in her temples.
Her breathing was hoarse, her cheek pressed against the concrete floor. Hair clinging to the clammy skin of her neck and cheeks.
An unknown amount of time passed before she recalled being dragged away from the girl who was kicking and fighting as best she could to not let her go.
Inej watched a bruised and bleeding Mavka, too weak to lift her own head, be dragged away by guards who had no care for how damaged and fragile she really was.
The only consolation she would get was that at least they could turn their attentions onto her and not her friend anymore.
When Mavka was found again, it was four hours later, long after she had been dumped on the streets of Ketterdam for exactly the right people to find.
Her jacket draped over her, her sword left mockingly beside her but her blood coated hands clutched protectively against her chest even in her deep unconsciousness. And through all of it, the slip of fabric was still tightly tied to stop her from making a sound.
•♤♡◇♧• •♤♡◇♧• •♤♡◇♧•
When Mavka became aware of her surroundings, there was cold stone beneath her and someone was prodding at her hands.
As her mind awoke and her nerves screamed, the girl shot up from the table she was lying on. Scrambling back, vision bleary, she half fell from the table in her frantic attempt to get away from whoever was touching her. Her knees buckled and she curled in on herself in the corner.
"Mavka, you're safe!"
Her heartbeat thrummed so heavy in her chest that her vision swam dangerously. So caught up in her panic, it took a while to register that the voice was pleasantly familiar as she cradled her trembling, bloody hands to her chest protectively, pupils dilated, breathing fast.
When her eyes began to finally focus, she recognised the figure as Nina before she felt her heart mechanically slow down at her command.
"You're alright now..." her voice was gentle, slightly hoarse.
Her eyelids fluttered closed as she fell at the mercy of her exhaustion that was being played on by the girl in front of her. She slumped over to the side with her back still to the wall, breathing beginning to even out, one of her bloody hands falling limp away from her against the floor.
