The Devil's in the Wind

Chapter Thirty-Eight

              Everyone was to meet at Zentsbridge, where Kuwei was to be revived. Natalia and Kaz watched Nina throw her fake belly into the water.

   'Good riddance,' she said as it sank into the water.

   'So little maternal sentiment,' Kaz said, emerging from behind the wine crates.

   'Where's Nattie and Inej?' Nina asked.

   'I'm fine,' Natalia said from behind Kaz. 'We both are. Inej stayed back with Jesper and Wylan. But Kuwei—'

   'You're bleeding again,' Nina observed as she slid behind the high stacks of crates to join them. There was little traffic on the canal now, but it didn't do to take chances. 'And what happened to your eyes?'

   'I'd tell you to ask the White Blade, but...' Nat shrugged.

   'I hope she suffered.'

   'She did,' Natalia found herself smiling. 'Fell off a roof.'

   'Good.'

   They were in a pocket of shadowy space between the crates of wine and the stone arch of the bridge. The stretcher with Kuwei's body on it lay atop a makeshift table of crates. Genya was injecting something into the Shu boy's arm as Zoya and Nikolai looked on.

   'How is he?' Nina asked.

   'If he has a pulse, I can't find it,' said Genya. 'The poison did its work.'

   'The antidote?' Nina asked, looking at the syringe in Genya's hand.

   'This is the second dose she's injected,' said Kaz.

   'Zoya,' said Nikolai. His voice had the ring of command.

   Zoya sighed and pushed up her sleeves. 'Unbutton his shirt.'

   'What are you doing?' Kaz asked as Genya undid Kuwei's remaining buttons. His chest was narrow, his ribs visible, all of it spattered with the pig's blood they'd encased in the wax bladder.

   'I'm either going to wake up his heart or cook him from the inside out,' said Zoya. 'Stand back.'

   They did their best to obey in the cramped space.

   'What exactly does she mean by that?' Kaz asked Nina.

   'I'm not sure,' Nina admitted. Zoya had her hands out and her eyes closed. The air felt suddenly cool and moist.

   Natalia inhaled deeply. 'It smells like a storm.'

   Zoya opened her eyes and brought her hands together as if in prayer, rubbing her palms against each other briskly.

   Natalia felt the pressure drop, tasted metal on her tongue.

   'I think... I think she's summoning lightning,' Nina said.

   'Is that safe?' Natalia asked Nikolai.

   'Not remotely,' he said, winking at her.

   'Has she at least done it before?' said Kaz, sounding annoyed.

   'For this purpose?' asked Nikolai. 'I've seen her do it twice. It worked splendidly. Once.'

   Natalia moves over to Nikolai and gives him a teasing smile. 'So... Zoya, huh? Is that good enough for the king of Ravka?'

   Nikolai gave her a glare. 'You better watch it. She hates you. Kinda like how your guy hates me.'

   Natalia smiled. 'Yeah... we should tell them nothing ever happened.'