Dancing With The Devil|The Darkling

FOURTEEN

ANA HUFFED IN ANNOYANCE. Her pale hands ran down the embroidery of her gifted Kefta in an attempt to calm herself. Her gut was telling her to run. That this party was going to end badly.

I mean c'mon. Kirigan was displaying his ultimate weapon to all of his enemies. This couldn't go any way but bad. Utterly terrible. Alina would surely throw a fit if she voiced her opinion, though, so she pushed her thoughts aside and fixed her hair once more. Before her feet could move a knock sounded at the door. Ana attempted to push her raging anxiety down and compose herself for whoever was at the door.

Her feet carried her to the large door, her shaking hands hesitantly turning the knob. Kirigan's adoring eyes met hers as soon as she opened the door. Ana immediately hugged the man towering over her. "I'm sorry, I just need something to distract me from my nerves."

Kirigan's laugh rumbled through his chest and vibrated Ana's head that was pressed against it. "I thought I gave a you a distraction earlier, dove." Ana scoffed at the comment and smacked his toned arm.

"Quite inappropriate, General Kirigan." Ana kept her head at his chest to hide her embarrassing blush. Kirigan pried her off his chest and sat his hands on her waist, the action only adding more color to Ana's tomato red face.

"You have no idea." Kirigan's smirk deepened with his suggestive words, earning him another smack from Ana. He winced in pain at the mellow sting her smacks. "We have to get downstairs now, little dove."

Ana hesitantly nodded, then took his arm in hers. They made their way to the room that held the royal family. Ana heard her heartbeat in her ears at all the looks she was receiving while walking next to Kirigan. The couple soon reached the thrones of the royal highnesses. Kirigan bowed and turned to Ana with a smile on his face. "Your majesties, Ana Starkov."

"Is she the Sun Summoner?" The Tzar's voice bellowed above the crowd's chatter. Kirigan's smile faltered, but soon recovered with a slight shake of his head.

"No, she is her sister, a heartrender and one I am most proud of." Kirigan turned his head to Ana with a look full of adoration. Ana's heart fluttered as their eyes met. His eyes shifted behind her with the same look. She was confused at the shift in attention until he spoke. "This, is the Sun Summoner."

Ana felt a pang of jealousy arise in her chest at his shared affections. She shook her head at the thought of being angry at her sister for having feelings she already knew about. Then guilt settled in. She couldn't stand to be around either of them in this state, so Ana excused herself to find the farthest room away from the party.

Her feet switched from walking quickly to running down the long hallways. Tears pricked at her eyes, causing her sight to blur. A shoulder knocked into hers and she fumbled back with a gasp. "I'm so-". Ana was hit in the head, knocking her out.

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She woke with a gasp and sat up to look around only to be met with a wooden surface bumping her forehead. Ana groaned at the pain and held her now swelling head. The top of the wooden crate swings open to reveal three unfamiliar faces. "We've got her." The one in the middle smiles victoriously.

"Jesper. We should never treat a saint this way! Get her out. Now." The woman to his right scolded the poor man. Ana looked between the two, confused. Saint? Did they try to get Alina?

Jesper offered his hand to Ana, but a gloved one held his outstretched arm. "We need her to stay put. We're at risk if she's out in the open."

"We can't leave the poor girl in the trunk the whole way home! That would be poor hospitality." Jesper quipped at the brooding man next to him. Ana cracked a smile at his words. They knocked her out and stuffed her in a crate. But leaving her in the crate would be rude. Right.

"Well, as much as I'd love to hear how this plays out, I have a party to get back to if you don't mind." Ana tried to lift herself up, the same arm held hers now.

"Didn't look like you wanted to be there anymore when we grabbed you. Seems we helped you out by taking you away. Why don't you stay put for us to repay the favor, Sun Summoner." The gloved man said the name as if it was a curse word. Ana flinched at the venom laced in his voice. No way was she revealing that she was actually her sister. Not if this guy was in charge. She didn't know what they were planning, but her sister would not be a victim if she could help it. Ana knew she could escape as they rode away from the palace anyway.

"Fine. Just hurry, my head is starting to hurt from the lousy bed you generously gave me." Ana lay back onto the bottom of the crate and closed her eyes. A tsk was heard before the top was slammed down and locked. Shit.

She only hoped the lock would come loose from the journey. The trio's voices were heard having a heated argument until the lock clicked and the top flipped open once again.

"Are we already there?" Ana gave the gloved man from before a sarcastically sweet smile. He only scoffed and grabbed her hands. "Hey!" She tried to move them away, but he was quick.

"We went through a lot to kidnap you, Sun Summoner. Can't have you escaping now, can we?" He flashed a disingenuous smile at Ana and wrapped a piece of rope around her wrists. She gasped in pain when he tightened it a little too tight.

There goes her plans of escape.

Apologies for the long wait, but we're in the home stretch! Only a few more chapters to go until the end!