{Chapter twenty-two}
ADALINE WOKE TO A SPLITTING HEADACHE AND DARKNESS THAT SHE COULDN'T SEE THROUGH DUE TO HER VISION BLURRING. It took her a moment to recall what happened.
Alina drugged me.
She fucking drugged me.
Adaline went to sit up, the only result being her hitting her head on something solid, sending another shockwave of ache through her already throbbing head. A voice from the other side of her scolded her quietly.
"Addy, knock it off. I'm trying to get us out of here." Alina's voice cut through the silence along with a bright light that illuminated both of their faces. Alina laid on the opposite side of Adaline, near her feet. She held a pair of scissors in her hands, about the shove them against something.
"Alina, what the fuck." Adaline groaned, rubbing her temple with the hand that wasn't pressed underneath her. "What did you do? Where are we?"
"It's amazing what some of Baghra's herbs can do. And we're locked in a trunk I'm trying to get us out of, so shut up and let me focus," muttered Alina before she lined up the scissors to the backside of a heat-treated lock and shoved the spears into it harshly, allowing the lock to pop off.
Slowly, Alina pushed off the lid of the trunk, and peeked over the edge, freezing when she saw a man with a gun strapped to his waist.
To Jesper, this seemed normal. A girl was scared, there was a man with a gun, etcetera, etcetera. What he didn't expect, (and found quite funny, actually,) was for Adaline Starkov to suddenly shoot up, her hair a mess and eyes squinted from the unexpected light.
Her mind still spun from whatever herb Alina had given her, and she felt quite lightheaded which didn't help the headache, though she followed her sister and stepped cautiously out of the trunk and onto solid ground. She tried her best to seem confident in how she stood, but that was difficult with the world running in circles.
There stood a girl about two inches shorter than Adaline dressed in blue, with a long braid and light brown skin, with at least four knives strapped to the front of her outfit. Next to her was the man with the gun, who had his dark-complexioned hand placed tightly against it. He tipped his top hat. "We don't want any trouble."
Alina took a firm hold of Adaline's wrist. "Neither do we, so we'll just be on our way," she said with her hands held out, ignoring the pounding of her chest and beginning to step towards her right.
Adaline internally groaned when the man on the right dressed in black snapped his cane up, blocking the younger girl from moving away. His hair was slicked back and at the top of his cane rested a silver crow's head. Her sister always had underestimated people.
"Clearly, you want out of East Ravka." the brown-skinned boy with the hat said. "But we can help you."
The three of them, (save for Kaz, who didn't show it,) were clearly worried for Adaline, who looked to the girl pleadingly. The Shadow Summoner's forehead was beaded in sweat and her normally tanner skin was tainted a ghostly pale. The girl with the knives nodded solemnly.
Adaline was furious with Alina. All she wanted as of this moment was Aleksander.
"We have a secure route through the Fold." the man with the gun continued.
"We prefer to..." Adaline swallowed thickly, trying to drown her own nausea. "Travel alone, thanks."
Jesper's hand gripped his gun a bit harder. "Don't be rash." he pointed his finger. "You stick with us, everybody gets what they want."
Alina seemed to take personal offense to that. "I'm not being anyone's captive ever again." she looked from Jesper to Kaz, still unknowing of her sister's current condition. "So step aside and let me...us, pass."
The Crow man immediately jumped in. "I'm afraid we can't let that happen."
The one with the gun began to remove it from its holster, sending Alina into a panic. She cast her hands up, thrusting a bright dome of light around herself, blinding everyone, including Adaline.
"Bloody fucking Saints, I hate light." Adaline yelled, shielding her eyes and trying to soothe her worsening headache. Shortly after these words were said, Adaline's eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped forward and into the arms of Inej.
The Wraith hadn't been affected by the light, but as she held onto the unconscious Shadow Summoner tightly, she nodded to Alina and allowed her to leave without issue.
Of course, Alina would try to come back for her sister, but she knew she couldn't carry a dead-weight twenty-six-year-old woman and get away from three (maybe two) people trying to kidnap her.
****~****
Inej re-entered the noisy bar, silently taking a seat across from Kaz and across from Adaline, who had a half-drank glass of water in front of her and her head tucked into her arms, lying on the table.
"How do you feel?" asked Inej, slightly pushing the glass of water towards her a bit.
Adaline groaned and lifted her head. She looked significantly better, despite her bloodshot eyes. Her skin was almost back to its original color, and the clammy sweat that had collected on her palms has disappeared. "My throat hurts and my sister abandoned me with a cool knife girl, creepy crow man, and a guy who won't shut up about a goat. I'm fantastic."
The Suli girl winced, and after a moment of silence, decided to report back to Kaz. "No horses missing at the stables, so..." she sighed.
"So?" Kaz questioned, staring at a coin he spun repeatedly on the table. It was clear he was irritated.
"What?"
"Are you going to tell me how the target got away?"
"...I let her go."
"Not me." Adaline groaned indignantly. "My bloody fucking sister left me here with you, so guess who's got a grumpy Darkling to deal with?"
Kaz scowled at both girls, flipping the coin into his fingers and holding it between his black leather gloves. "A good magician is a good con artist. The trick..." he folded his opposite across the coin, and it was no longer visible. "Is to make it look real."
Inej began to look upset. "This is different. You saw her summon with your own eyes."
"The best illusions are the most confusing."
Adaline rolled her eyes and snatched the glass of water from the table, downing it before slamming it back onto the wood and leaning into the center of the table. "C'mere." she signaled with her finger.
Inej leaned in almost eagerly. Kaz stayed back. Adaline raised a brow. "What's the matter, Crow Man? Afraid of your so-called 'illusion'?"
Kaz stared her down coldly, but with a huff of air, leaned in, resting his forearms and elbows on the table.
Adaline looked directly at the candle in the middle of the table. She swiped her hand across the top of the flame, watching amused, as a black ball of shadows covered the top. Inej gasped. Slowly, Adaline closed her hand into a fist, making the ball pop, and with it, the flame that had previously lit the table with a faint glow.
"How's that for a fake, Crow Man?"
****~****
a/n
sorta double update but an early chapter because I'm enjoying writing this way too much.
also super short so I apologize :)) next chapter gets more intense h e h e
(p.s if you have questions about what I said in my author's note last chapter *hint hint* message me privately lolol)
love you all!!