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The Huht pierced the an

"Saints," Mal swore, and raised his rifle

Three large volcra cringed beneath the skiff’s hull, their backs to us, their wings spread wide But it hat they were trying to shield with their bodies that sent a spike of fear and revulsion quaking througharms, little backs split by the transparent s They et away froone silent There was no barking or yapping now

Sturht the ship around in another low arc Then he shouted, "Tolya, Tarenatki"

The twins rolled out two cast-iron shells and hefted thee of the rail

Another wave of dread washed over me They’re volcra, I reminded myself Look at thenal," Sturrimly "Fuses!" he shouted, then "Gunners, drop heavy!"

The instant the shells were released, Sturht

The Squallers threw up their arbird shot skyward

A silent second passed, then a massive boom sounded beneath us The heat and force of the explosion struck the Huust

"Steady!" Stur like a pendulus Mal planted a hand to either side of ht to keep ht alive around us

Finally, the ship stopped swaying and settled into a s wreckage of the skiff

I was shaking hard The air stank of charred flesh My lungs felt singed, and each breath seared ain Mal joined in, raising his rifle in the air in triu, I could hear the volcra’s screa of

I closedh," I whispered No one seemed to hear me "Please," I rasped "Mal--"

"You’ve become quite the killer, Alina"

That cool voice My eyes flew open

The Darkling stood before asped and stepped back, staring wildly around , gazing down at the flaets easier with time Here, I’ll show you"

He slid a knife from the sleeve of his kefta, and before I could cry out, he slashed toward my face I threwloose froed into darkness I fell tosting of Grisha steel

It didn’t co in the darkness aroundshriek of a volcra Close Too close

Someone wailed, and the ship listed sharply I heard the thu

"Alina!" Mal’s voice this ti toward ht back up in a shining cascade

The volcra that had descended upon us yowled and wheeled back into darkness, but one of the Squallers lay bleeding on the deck, his arm nearly torn from its socket The sail above hi hard to starboard, rapidly losing altitude

"Tamar, help him!" Stur over the hulls toward the downed Squaller

The other Squaller had both hands raised, her face rigid with strain as she tried to suh current to keep us aloft The ship bobbled and wavered Stur orders to the creorking the sails

My heart hammered I looked frantically over the deck, torn between terror and confusion I’d seen the Darkling I’d seen hi beside me "Are you hurt?"

I couldn’t look at hiht fly apart I focused allaround us

"Is she injured?" shouted Sturet us out of here!" Mal replied

"Oh, is that what I should be trying to do?" Stur, beating at the circle of light Monsters they eance The Huray sands rushing up to meet us

And then suddenly ere out of the darkness, bursting through the last black wisps of the Fold as we shot into the blue light of early dawn

The ground loohts out!" Sturmhond commanded