The Phoenix Summoner (ON HOLD)

46

Meanwhile....

"How many are there?"

"Two. At some point, one of them will have to go tell a superior what they found. We'll go in then." Kaz answered watching the soldiers patrol around the train they came through the fold on. The three crows were currently lying on their stomachs behind a broken barrel.

"What about Anya? We can't leave her, not after everything she's done for us."

"And we won't. But first we need to make sure we have a way out." Kaz knew from the moment he woke up that he was not going to leave Anya behind. Yes, he was a little upset she knocked him out but that was beside the point. He would rather jumped into the volcra infested fold then leave the girl he loved behind.

"Not to be that person, Kaz, but are you sure you can drive that thing?" Jesper cuts in before either of his partners could say anything else.

"Yes." Kaz says turning his head to face Jesper. "On the way to Kribirsk, while you were busy hugging bait-"

"Milo. The goat's name was Milo." Jesper interrupts, side-eyeing Kaz.

"...I was memorizing Arken's timings."

"Not to gang up on you, but Jes has a point." Kaz turns his gaze to Inej shooting her a look.

"Arken's system was complicated and the ride was chaotic. No one would blame you for missing a count."

"Jes?" Out of everything she just said, the only thing he got from that was 'Jes'? Inej rolls her eyes in disbelief.

"It's Suli, for friendship." Jesper jokes. Inej bumps his shoulder in retaliation.

'No, it's not." Kaz deciding to ignore their bickering turns his gaze away from the two crows and back on the train.

"Trust me. Arken and I think alike." As soon as those words left his lips, the train blew scattering various metal pieces everywhere.

"Too soon to appreciate the irony, am I right?" Kaz pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue and drops his head down.

"Yeah, too soon." Jesper winces.

~

"I'm sorry." Anya looks over her shoulder at Alina. Anya's body was facing forward at the present moment while a couple of the Queens helpers fix up her skin, ridding her body of the various cuts and bruises she gained on her excursion. Alina sat in a chair behind her with a blanket wrapped around her to hide the antlers.

"For what, Alina?"

"I never should have gone searching for the Stag. I should've just left Ravka. Then we wouldn't be in this mess." Anya looked over the girls silently asking to be given a moment. They nod and leave, giving Anya the chance to sit in the chair beside Alina.

"Alina, none of this is your fault. We probably would have ended up right where we are anyways if we had done anything different." Anya said placing a gently hand on Alina's shoulder.

"But I led him to the Stag. And in turn, it led him to you. I don't understand how you're not angry me!"

"Alina, I could never be mad at you. You have been by my side since the very beginning." An exasperated laugh escapes Anya's lips before she could stop herself.

"I highly doubt there is anything you can do that will ever make me upset with you." Alina smiles softly before looking back down.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Anya asks in confusion.

"Why have you always been so nice to me? Why is it that out of everyone at the palace, I have felt safest with you?" Anya looks down playing with her fingers before looking up to meet Alina's gaze.

"I think you know why." There was a brief silence between the two girls, before Alina spoke.

"We're sisters. Aren't we?" Anya swallows the forming lump in her throat before nodding.

"How long have you known?" Alina questioned.

Anya shook her head "Not very long. I found out shortly after we separated. After my confrontation with Aleksander, I began to remember things. Things that he had hid away, and one of those things is that we are sisters."

Alina gulps "What are the other things?" She couldn't believe it. She always knew herself an Anya had a connection, she just could never put her finger as to why.

"Our mother was Grisha." Alina gasps feeling tears well in her eyes. "And you were sent away...because of me." A tears falls down Anya's cheek.

"Our mother had the same power I do. Only I was the strongest she had ever seen, and it terrified her. She sent you away to protect you from me. My power doesn't bring peace hopefulness like yours, Alina. Mine brings chaos and destruction." She whimpers.

Anya covers her mouth with her hand trying to suppress her sobs. Tears stream down Alina's eyes as she hugs her arms around her body.

"She made us forget about each other. So that we would safe because she knew. She knew what we were going to be one day." Anya leans forward placing her head in her hands. Alina leans over wrapping her arms around Anya, resting her chin on her back.

"I'm not scared of you." Alina states. Anya sits up and faces her. She wipes her tear stain cheeks and sniffles while Alina does the same.

"She had no right to separate us, but it doesn't matter now. We're together now, and we are going to get through this together." Anya smiles a sad smile and intertwines her hand with Alina. The younger of the two leans her head in the other shoulders while the latter rested hers on the others head.

They were together now, and nothing was going to tear them apart. Not the Grisha, not the Fold, and certainly not Aleksander.