Fire and Shadows (DarklingxOC) (Shadowandbone fanfic)

Chapter 17

Aleksander gives me a concerned look, before sliding his hand into mine and moving his fingers over my amplifier.

The screeching of the Volcra is getting louder and louder and we can start seeing them through the layers of darkness.

"Do something." Alina demands, turning to Aleksander.

Sensing he wont respond, she puts her hands together, ready to summon.

"No." Aleksander says, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Remember who's driving."

She gasps and a tunnel forms itself around us, making it a lot easier to see.

People start murmuring, while Alina slumps back.

"Your power is mine now." He reminds her, removing his hand from her shoulder.

"What's he doing?" One of the noble woman asks.

"Why this half measure?" Alina asks, while Aleksander starts walking around the deck, looking at the light keeping us save. "Why just carve a tunnel? You have me. You have this." She says, raising a hand to her amplifier. "Destroy the Fold. You said we could."

Out of all the tales Baghra told about Aleksander, the only one that was true, is the only one Alina doesn't want to listen to.

Aleksander won't destroy to Fold. He never will.

"And why would we destroy the Fold?" He asks her. "It's the greatest weapon that we've got."

Breathing loudly, Alina looks at him, as if he betrayed her.

We stop right at the edge of the Fold, just as we had planned.

"Why have we stopped?" A noble woman asks.

"One more demonstration." Aleksander starts his speech, turning towards the ship, with his back to the outside world. "You've seen what the Sun Summoner can do. Now bear witness to what I can do... with her power." He walks over to the front of the deck, facing Novo Kribirsk. Alina tries to walk forward to stop him, but the cord around her foot is keeping her in place.

This is the part I've thought about the most. When Aleksander told me his idea, I wasn't too fond of this part of the plan. We tried to find any other possible way to do it, but nothing had the same impact as this. Besides, these are the people who ordered an attack on Alina. The people who killed Marie and shot Genya. They kind of deserve it.

"Whatever it is you want me to do, I won't do it." Alina says, holding her head high, clearly not scared of Aleksander.

What a mistake.

"You've done your part." He says. "Now I shall do mine."

He slowly moves his hands forward, making the Fold grow towards Novo Kribirsk. The front of the tunnel closes in a cone shape.

You can hear people scream on the other side. I decide not to focus on that and instead focus on the rumbling sound there always is when Aleksander summons shadows.

Zoya runs up to the main deck, while the people on the ship are eerily silent, still in shock of what Aleksander did.

"What have you done?" Alina asks, not believing what she's seeing.

She places her hands together, summoning light and expanding the tunnel, so we can see the empty buildings that once were Novo Kribirsk.

"No, you don't." Aleksander mumbles, walking over to Alina and twisting her wrist, making her fall to her knees. She grunts in pain and the tunnel goes back to it's original size.

"They are traitors who tried to kill you." He explains to her. "This is retribution."

He drops her wrist, making her fall back.