CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.
The forest of Ravka were harsh but Liliya, Ivan, Aleksander and David had managed to traverse through with ease. Liliya had been leading the group forward and she was determined to find Alina and Mal. Their Sun Summoner could not get away and she knew that time was of the essence. The longer Alina was away, the more dangerous it was.
But night was falling quickly and visibility was getting worse and worse. The tracks and marks she had been tracking were becoming more and more sparse and harder to find now that the sun had set. It would be impossible and with the snow that had begun to fall, it was nearly impossible to make out any footprints in the terrain.
Liliya had come to a stop while the trio continued to forge ahead. But she was trying to get her bearings. She wasn't even sure if they were still in that direction any longer. She had been leading them forward in blind hope. It was the most logical place for them to go.
"Aleksander," Liliya said as she moved to look around, squinting through the door. After a moment, she snapped her palms and the fire lit up her palm. It gave her a slight advantage but even with the flame, she couldn't see much. It would be dangerous to keep going especially with the snow. The terrain would only get icier.
"Yes, milaya," He asked. She met his gaze and his face was lit up by the flame. He had moved away from the front of the group and stood across from her. His tone was irritated and she knew that she needed to keep them moving but she couldn't go any further with a clear conscience. She knew that she would be taking them into certain death.
"We cannot go any further tonight. It's too treacherous in the dark," She explained. Aleksander narrowed his eyes and Liliya pushed the flame to be brighter. He looked displeased and she couldn't blame him. They had been trekking for hours. They were exhausted. Liliya's feet ached and they were no closer to finding Alina again.
"And what if our Sun Summoner finds the Stag while we are resting?" Aleksander asked. He sounded so frustrated, angry. She wouldn't have minded if it was directed at someone else but she had been trying her best. She had gone with his every plan while they were together and now, she was taking charge and he disliked it. She disliked the lack of trust.
"With how late it is and dark, she will be resting too," Liliya snapped in response. Aleksander's eyes narrowed and he glanced back at Ivan and David. David was roaming around the area but kept himself in sight. He was doing his best to track Alina through the iridium ring but it was not going as well as he hoped. They didn't seem to be any closer to Alina than they had been back at the town.
"And how can you be sure?" Kirigan asked as he looked into her eyes. His voice had turned back to a neutral tone and she tilted her head slightly. He clearly did not trust her enough and that was exhausting. It seemed he had lost her trust the second that Alina had escaped the Little Palace when
"Kotik," Liliya said as she stepped closer to him. She couldn't touch him like she wanted to. Ivan and David were around but she wanted him to understand. She wanted to find Alina just as much as he did but they couldn't do it now, like this. It would be too much of a risk for both of them, "You aren't trusting me." There was a frown on her face and Aleksander glanced around the area. He could see David had come to a slow a few feet away from them. He looked like he had found something.
"We need to find her," Aleksander's voice was calm and even but she could feel his anger. His frustration, his annoyance. She didn't blame him for one second but she needed his trust. It was the only thing that she had left.
"And we will. You have to trust me," She demanded. Aleksander narrowed his head. He did not like her tone and he stepped back. He had to keep his head clear but Liliya was making it hard. The longer she kept him away from his Summoner, the more at risk he was of losing her. It was almost as if Liliya wanted Alina to get away.
"She's close," David said suddenly. Liliya's head snapped towards the man. She had no expected to be anywhere near them. Liliya had lost the trail but it seemed that she had unintentionally brought them the right way anyway. It was pure luck but Aleksander seemed pleased.
"And that probably means that she won't move for the rest of the night," Liliya said as he turned back to face Kirigan. He rested his hands by his sides, his shoulders slightly relaxed. But when he heard Liliya's words, his body tensed again. He could smell betrayal and he would not allow it. He had trusted Liliya for a very long time but she was acting different.
"How are you sure?" He asked as he cocked his head to the side. Liliya sighed. She stood back from him and let the flame in her hand die out. They were engulfed in almost complete darkness again. The moon high in the sky provided a little light but it wasn't enough.
"Mal is smart. He is a good tracker. He wouldn't put her in harm's way by traveling during the night," Liliya argued. Aleksander was sick of this game and before she could say anything more, he lifted his hand harshly.
"Are you trying to let our Summoner escape?" He asked. Liliya's eyebrows furrowed and she could feel the annoyance bloom in her chest.
"No." It was not even a question she had been expected to answer. She knew how important Alina was. She trusted Aleksander and she had blindly followed him. The fact that he even suspected she would betray him was baffling. She was the only one in the Little Palace that knew his true plan and she stood by him despite it all.
"Then, take me to her," He said. Liliya shook her head and stepped back. She was not willing to put the four of them in harm's way to find Alina who could be anywhere between a mile and a few feet away. It was too risky and if they had to climb up any higher, the rocks would get icier and someone could get hurt.
They didn't have anyone to help with healing and if David slipped and hurt himself then they would have nobody to complete his plan. They would have to drag and unwilling Alina and Mal all the way back to the camp and that would not do. Aleksander wanted his plan enacted smoothly and with as little eyes on it as possible, for now.
"We cannot risk David's life by climbing any higher. The terrain is too harsh to find her in this darkness," She snapped. Aleksander turned away from Liliya completely and turned his gaze on Ivan. He had been silently watching their struggle for power and it was his turn to gain the attention from Aleksander.
"Are you able to track her, Ivan?" Aleksander asked. Ivan nodded his head solemnly but Liliya could see his smugness. She huffed out and then Aleksander turned on Liliya again.
"I can track her but it will get us hurt," Liliya snapped. Aleksander stepped towards the redhead and a frown spread across his face. He cupped her cheek with one hand and she didn't notice how his other one moved under his cloak.
"You are of no use to me anymore, milaya," He said softly and in a second, she felt a blade buried in her stomach. She let out a cry of pain as Aleksander twisted the knife in her gut. Her whole body crumpled and she collapsed forward against him. He pulled the knife out and lifted it slightly, pushing it into her again. Another cry left her lips and all she could feel was the pain. The pain, the betrayal and the confusion, "I wanted to trust you but you are keeping me from my prize," He whispered in her ear and she stared at him. The shock had taken a hold of her body and then he pushed her back. He pulled the knife from her stomach and dropped it to the floor that was now covered in a thin layer of snow.
He pushed her back and she staggered. Her hand pressed against the wounds as they bled out. She stared at him and then down at her bloodied hands and she didn't know what to do. She opened her mouth to speak but the words seemed to die on her tongue.
"Ivan, take us to Alina," Kirigan ordered as he turned to the older man. David looked horrified as he stared at Liliya but then Ivan grabbed David's arm harshly and pushed him forward. There was nobody left to save her. Liliya couldn't even choke out Aleksander's name as she fell back against the tree. She dropped to the floor and as she watched the trio leave, she realized the mistake she had made.
All that time ago, Genya had been right. Never trust powerful men. And thoughts of the red-head is all that filled her mind as the pain turned to numbness and the darkness took her.
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THE END.
NOTE; you could say i came back with a bang... yeah uhm, might have been putting off doing this for a while, technically this death was supposed to come in like another season but i just know i'm not ever gonna finish this fic if i do that... so... yeah... uhm, hope you enjoyed, love u all and thank u for all the support besties <3
(also i did not edit this because im too scared to read it back, will edit it at some point tho, so excuse the mistakes)