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The Darkling stepped into the light, and I saw a faint tracery of scars over his face They’d been healed by a Corporalnik, but they were still visible So the volcra had left their ht with petty satisfaction It was small comfort, but at least he wasn’t quite as perfect as he had been

He paused, studying , Alina? You don’t look well"

"Neither do you," I said It wasn’t just the scars He wore his weariness like an elegant cloak, but it was still there Faint ses showed beneath his eyes, and the hollows of his sharp cheekbones cut a little deeper

"A s in a half smile

A chill snaked upin me not to flinch backward But all he did was take hold of one end of liding overto be less than you are, I see The shah o? "Thanks for your concern," I ers trail over the collar "It’s mine as much as yours, Alina"

I batted his hand away, and an anxious rustle rose from the Grisha "Then you shouldn’t have put it around my neck," I snapped "What do you want?"

Of course, I already knew He wanted everything--Ravka, the world, the power of the Fold His answer didn’tI’d known thisto let hi he understood what I intended

"I want to thank you," the Darkling said

Now, that I hadn’t expected "Thank ave me"

My eyes flicked to the scars on his pale cheek

"No," he said with a sood reaze was gray flint "That all iven lance at Mal

"Unlike you," the Darkling said, "I understand gratitude, and I wish to express it"

He raised his hands Darkness tuh the room

"Now!" I shouted

Mal drove his elbow into Ivan’s side At the sa theit to a scythe of pure light I had only one goal I wasn’t going to leave the Darkling standing I peered into the seething blackness, trying to finduse his power countless times before This was different The shadohirled and skittered around the circle ofcloud that clicked and whirred like a fog of hungry insects I pushed against the ever nearer

Mal was beside otten hold of Ivan’s knife

"Stay close," I said Better to take my chances and open a hole in the floor than to just stand there doing nothing I concentrated and felt the power of the Cut vibrate throughstepped out of the darkness

It’s a trick, I thought as the thing came toward us It has to be soht from shadow, its face blank and devoid of features Its body see hands ending in the dis that roiled and shifted as they unfurled like a black stain It was almost like a volcra, but its shape was ht It did not fear me

It’s a trick, my panicked mind insisted It isn’t possible It was a violation of everything I knew about Grisha power We couldn’t maketoward us, and the Darkling’s Grisha were cringing up against the walls in very real terror This hat had so frightened thearc The light sliced through the creature For aThen it wavered, glowing like a cloud lit by lightning, and blew apart into nothing I had ti lifted his hand and another monster took its place, followed by another, and another

"This is the gift you gave ift I earned on the Fold" His face was alive with power and a kind of terrible joy But I could see strain there, too Whatever he was doing, it was costing him

Mal and I backed toward the door as the creatures stalked closer Suddenly, one of the speed Mal slashed out with his knife The thing paused, wavered slightly, then grabbed hold of him and tossed him aside like a child’s doll This was no illusion

"Mal!" I cried

I lashed out with the Cut and the creature burned away to nothing, but the next monster was on hinsects swar overI’d been It did have ahole that spread open to reveal row upon row of teeth I felt the bit deeply intoI’d ever known It echoed insideat the bone From a distance, I heard Mal call my name I heard myself scream

The creature released me I dropped to the floor in a lih , the shadow creature looh above, Mal’s pale face as he knelt beside me I saw his lips form the shape ofaway

The last thing I heard was the Darkling’s voice--so clear, like he was lying right next toso that only I could hear: Thank you

Chapter 2

DARKNESS AGAIN Soht, but it’s out offace corumbles to someone

Then Genya leans over led red kefta Aainst my lips "Drink, Alina"

I try to knock the cup away, but I can’t move my hands

My nose is pinched shut, my mouth forced open Soh and sputter