Noble Hope| General Kirigan

𝟘𝟙𝟞

The second Adaline took a step forward, the guards behind them yelped in alarm. Alina nearly had no time to look back and see the oprichniki become engulfed in darkness before Adaline took off in a sprint. 

"What did you do to them?!" Genya giggled as they ran through the halls of the Little Palace. 

Adaline joined her and Alina in laughing. "Nothing, actually! They just won't be able to see until I'm out of range!" she said, enjoying some of her last fun and stress-free moments. 

****~****

The three girls were giggling like maniacs as they stumbled through the festivities. They walked past and almost bumped into a tall man on stilts dressed in very vibrant clothing. 

They passed many carts filled with goods. Clothes, jewelry, food... you name it and it was there. It reminded Adaline of the days back when she, Alina, and Mal were all still children. 

Genya seemed to get a bit skittish as they approached a rehearsal. She grasped Alina's wrist and attempted to pull her back. "Alright, that's enough. Let's go back." 

But this show had caught both Alina and Adaline's attention as they stood in their grey robes. A man with a pinstriped top hat and suit stood atop a large stage, with a pointed mustache curling around his nose. He had bushy curly hair and large rings around his fingers. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he called. "I present Alina and Adaline Starkov!" 

On the stage were about six people masked in black clothing. They dramatically flipped upward, leaving a radiant blonde in a golden dress to open her arms. At her feet laid a dark-haired girl in a black dress on her back. One knee was kinked up, leaving her looking actively dead. The 'darkness' around them swirled, as 'Alina' danced about, supposedly banishing the darkness. She was careful not to step on 'Adaline'. 

The girl who seemed to be playing Adaline slowly arched her back, rising to meet 'Alina' the two girls met in the middle with the actors around them circling. The dark and gold dresses contrasted as they placed their hands together, moving the opposite direction of the 'darkness'. 

"Well, this is awkward." Alina smiled, then took a daring step forward. "Should I tell them, Adaline?" 

The Shadow Summoner laughed while Genya ceased Alina's wrist again. "Alina, no!" then she shot a glare at Adaline who shrugged. "Not everyone knows what you two look like. If we get caught here..."

Suddenly an explosion with white smoke came from the stage where the man from earlier approached, yelling profanities. 

The sound of the explosion must have been enough to hide Fedyor's footsteps who came up from behind the three with two oprichniki, shouting an angry, "Genya!" he looked genuinely upset, but something behind his eyes gave Adaline a different thought. "What were you three thinking?" 

Alina stepped forward, ready to take the blame, but before she could Adaline interrupted her by looking up at Fedyor with a look of slight disgust. "Your Ivan impression may be good to fool them, but not me, Dory." 

Immediately, he broke out into chuckles, leaving Adaline with a smirk on her face. The redhead beside them let out a sigh of relief. "That was a little too convincing." 

"Good. Intimidation is a useful tool," he said, smiling at Alina and Adaline's grins. "Now, let's hurry out of here because my better half might come looking." 

Adaline didn't hesitate to step behind the Heartrender and jump onto his back, latching her arms around his neck and her legs as best as she could through her dress around his hips. Naturally, he caught her with a roll of his eyes. 

"Onward, my favorite Corporalki!"

****~****

Inside their performance carriage sat Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, and Arken Visser. 

"You're sure it was her?" Kaz demanded, looking at Jesper with his stolen oprichniki uniform on. 

"I'm telling you," he said calmly. "They're part Shu." 

Arken's face contorted into one of confusion and disbelief. Inej looked down at the map planted out in front of them. "When exactly did you see her?"

"Just after midday." 

"What's in this room?" asked the Suli girl.

Kaz hesitated for just a split second but recovered fast enough that no one could tell. "Fitting room. It's where she'll go change after dinner." 

Arken pointed his hat. "And that's where we'll grab the Sun Summoner." 

There was a brief discussion about Grisha locks and Jesper's abilities to have children before Kaz spoke again. "Alright. Arken grabs the target." 

Inej looked distressed and doubtful for a moment. "You want the new guy to grab the million-kruge package? And what about the Shadow Summoner? Adaline?" 

The man with a cane shifted his gaze to his Wraith. "The new guy knows his way around Grisha locks. Our futures depend on this. As for Adaline..." 

Kaz's gaze turned dark and scary as he looked from his polished shoes to his crew. Inej and Jesper had seen him in his most serious, but this seemed directed to Arken almost as if he knew something the rest didn't. 

"We'll grab her. Arken, I want you to worry about the Sun Summoner. We don't need to do our part with the other one until we're out of Os Alta."

****~****

a/n

double (ish) update ;)

hope you enjoyed the crows finally coming into play <333

sorry for the baby update if you see this :)

(also if you're an Aldaine reader as well, please note that that book may or may not be getting unpublished soon :/  )