Heretics

Chapter 19: Kaz and the Crows

YELNA'S POV

      I spent the rest of the morning in Aleksander's bedroom. He held me for most of the time while I dozed in and out of sleep. Most of the time I would wake up to him pacing and then realizing I was up. He would then crawl back into the bed with me until I fell asleep again. To exhausted to stay awake.

By the time I woke up and felt rested enough to stay up it was dark out again and Aleksander wasn't anywhere to be seen. The room was dark except for the fire roaring in the fireplace.

I pulled the blankets off of me and stretched before stepping out of the bed. My joints cracked and muscles aches from lack of use. My sleep schedule was going to be a mess after this. I cautiously left his room and wondered back down the hall to my own bedroom.

      I wanted some clothes and more importantly a shower. I pushed open the door and a box caught my eye. I remember seeing yesterday when I was in here with Zoya. "The Crows" had summoned me.

     I walked over to the box. Completely forgetting about the shower I wanted to take. I pulled the ribbons from the box and unclasped the clips on the front of the box. Then I opened it.

     There was a first army uniform in the box, a cloak, two pairs of long black gloves, a card, and a bottle of Kvas. I picked up the card first.

      Meet us by the fold. You'll know where.
                       Kaz Brekker

     The letter was short and sweet and since they had to be long gone by now I only assumed he would give me a few days. I doubted that though. I sighed and pulled the uniform out and put the kvas in the table behind me. I would have to hide the uniform and gloves from from Aleksander. The cloak was easily explained though.

     I already figured out my argument against Aleksander for letting me leave. I would talk to him when I saw him next which would probably be tonight if he really was as worried about me as I had thought.

      I always felt my best when I was close to the fold. It made me feel alive and understood. It was a low blow considering what had happened the last couple of days. With me, he and I, just everything in general. I would be breaking his trust and confidence but I was to curious about what the crows wanted to not go to them and see what they wanted.

I sighed and walked to the wardrobe hanging the uniform up. I folded the gloves and put them in one of the desk drawers. I didn't heard the door open or close behind me. Nor did I hear the tapping of Zoya's shoes on the floor.

"Do you have a secret admirer?" Her voice was flirtatious and I could have sworn she sounded just a little bit I jumped when I heard her voice letting out a little Yelp.

"Saints Zoya! You scared me!" I threw a pillow from the little couch at her in retaliation. She laughed and I watched in amazement as she twisted her hands and the pillow flew back towards me hitting me square in the face.

"You weren't here when I came back last night. Where were you?" I plopped onto the couch and sighed. Deciding whether or not to tell her the truth about where I was and why.

"I was with Alina." It was the quickest lie I could think of. And that's exactly what is was. A red faced lie. I silently yelled at myself for lying to her.

"After that fight you two had here yesterday? You went to Alina?" She seemed skeptical.

"Yes. I felt bad for yelling at her and," I took a deep breath and slowed down my words. "I just didn't want her hating me." I sighed and folded my hands in my lap.

"Oh saints Yelna." Zoya sighed and picked my feet up sitting down next to me pulling them onto her lap. Her elbow was holding her head up and it was on the back of the couch. She gave me a sympathetic look. I knew that was her acting.

"What? I'm naturally always the first to apologize. I can't ignore people!" I tried as hard as I could to make my claim sound more real.

"Guess what? I have something to take your mind off her." She said. Her eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Oh saints. Who did you almost kill this time?" She playfully hit me and laughed.

"No one! I swear it!" She took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. "I tumbled with David." She whispered that last part to me. I was shocked. More so than I thought I was going to be at what ever she was about to say.

"David as in the fabricator?" Her smirk grew. I deflated. David was Genya's guy. I knew she liked him more than anything else and I knew he liked her. "How drunk were you?"

"I don't remember. All I remember is waking up with him in my bed and we were both buck naked." She giggled like a school girl and I smacked her arm.

"So you might not have tumbled with him." I suggested and the look she gave me was horrible. It was like someone had told her that her child wasn't grisha. She was crushed.

"My body count is higher than yours. I take pride in this!"

"ZOYA IM A VIRGIN!" I yelled at her. At that moment the door to my suite opened and who ever had opened it had definitely heard what I had just yelled.

I looked at Zoya her had gone deathly pale. I turned around and lone behold Genya had walked into the room. "Genya? How much did you hear?"

I practically pushed Zoya off of me and onto the floor with how fast I stood. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning in pain. Genya had tears running down her face. Her eyes were puffy and red unlike her usual stoic beauty.

"Enough. The General wants you in the war room Yelna." And with that she left. I tried to go after her but when I got into the hallway she was no where to be seen. It was like she had just vanished. I groaned and walked back into the bedroom.

"Oops!" Zoya said as she walked closer to me pulling me into a hug. "Good luck with our commander and chief!" She whispered into my ear before leaving the room and slamming the door behind her with the wind.