𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄𝐃. | ˢ&ᵇ

6 | hellhole

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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟔.

| hellhole |

❝𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭.❞

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𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄.

quite frankly aleks has my heart in a chokehold

~𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲

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"𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎?" 𝐈 croaked. 

My question was met with silence.

I got up from the bed with a rustle of linen. Padding softly across the carpeted floor, I made it to the shuttered window, where I thought I had heard the source of the foreign noise.

Tearing open the shutters, I poked my head out. 

Nothing but the pitch black of the night, and the faint white hue from the moon hanging overhead. 

I furrowed my brows, but closed the windows anyway and walked back to the bed.

Thump. 

Thump. 

This time, the sound repeated twice in succession. Alarm flared in my mind, and the pace of my heartbeat quickened as I stole over to the window again, before flinging it open. Below, I caught a stark flash of red.

I squinted, and gasped.

"Genya!" I whisper-yelled, recognising her trademark flaming-red hair.

I could see her dazzling smile, even from such a height. 

"What are you doing here? How did you get out?" I asked frantically, looking left and right to make sure there were no guards about near Genya - or she would be caught, and I didn't want to think about the fate that would await her if that happened. 

Rather clumsily, Genya hoisted herself onto an outlying pipe right next to the window and began to climb. I feared for a moment that she would fall as her foot slipped, but she made it to the open window without much incident.

A sigh of relief left my lips as she clambered over the window. Genya surveyed my extravagant room with more than a little surprise - that he would allow me to stay in such fine quarters - but she said nothing, only raised one red eyebrow.

It was lucky that the Darkling's chambers had another room linked to it, which was where I was staying. Of course, it was only after much pleading and countless promises that he had allowed such a compromise. 

Still, I didn't want to risk him hearing us. I grabbed Genya's wrist before she was about to speak and put my finger to my lips. 

"Maybe keep it down a little," I told her. "The Darkling's in the room next to this."

She gave a nod of understanding before continuing in a low whisper. "There were two guards guarding our cell. Zoya managed to knock one of them out with a gust of wind, and Tamar put the other to sleep. We were fortunate enough that no one heard the commotion, but the Darkling will probably find out tomorrow. As of now, the rest of them - Tolya, Tamar, Zoya, David, Nikolai, Mal - they've found refuge in the woods."

Mal. My heart twisted.

"What do we do from here?" I asked.

Genya pursed her lips. "We can get you out from this hellhole, Alina. Right now. Come with me."

I hesitated. If we were going to kill him, wouldn't it be easier to gain his trust and do it from the inside? The alternative was waging a messy, complicated war that was bound to draw the blood of innocents.

I shook my head once. "No, Genya. I need to stay. I...I'm sorry. But this is the only way. I don't want any of you to get hurt."

Genya knitted her brows. "Alina, you don't have to do this alone."

I sighed, wrapping her in a hug. "I know," I whispered. "But I want to. Okay?"

She drew back and nodded slowly. "Okay." She paused. "You know I'll follow whatever you do, Alina. We all will."

I looked away. "You shouldn't."

She put a hand on my shoulder and forced me to look her in the eyes. "Hey. We all know you'll do what's best - for us, and Ravka. That's why we follow you." 

I nodded, a little uncomfortably. "Thanks, Genya. But...you should go. Don't let him find you. I'll...I'll find a way to communicate with you guys and update on the situation."

Genya looked back at me one last time as she strode over to the window, where the chilly night air was blowing in earnestly. 

"Be safe, Alina," she whispered. "If you need us, we're a mile from here, in the forest. Just walk in a straight line from the stables, and don't stop until you see a big rock, about two metres high."

Then she disappeared over the window sill.

I stood in the middle of my room in silence for a few seconds, collecting my thoughts.

The Darkling had to die, and there would be no other way.

I closed the window before going back to sleep. For a blissful moment, all thoughts of rebellion and war left my head, and I could pretend again that I was just a cartographer on her way to cross the Fold.

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