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The tent got very quiet They were looking at me like I was mad And, truth be told, I didn’t feel entirely sane But I was done being shuffled across the True Sea and half of Ravka by people trying to use h "The people love you, Alina, but I was thinking of a more symbolic title--"

"I’ a pawn"

"No," Mal said "It’s too dangerous It would be like painting a target on your back"

"I already have a target on my back," I said "And neither of us will ever be safe until the Darkling is defeated"

"Have you even held a command?" Nikolai asked

I’d once led a seminar of junior mapmakers, but I didn’t think that hat he meant

"No," I admitted

"You have no experience, no precedent, and no clais since it was founded"

By one Darkling But this wasn’t the tiht don’t matter to the Grisha All they care about is power I’m the only Grisha to ever wear two ah to take on the Darkling or his shadow soldiers No one else can do what I can"

I tried to put confidence in h I wasn’t sure what had co in fear I was tired of running And if Mal and I were to have any hope of locating the firebird, we needed answers The Little Palacemoment, the three of us just stood there

"Well," Nikolai said "Well"

He dru Then he rose and offered ht, Summoner," he said "Help me win the people, and the Grisha are yours"

"Really?" I blurted

Nikolai laughed "If you plan to lead an army, you’d better learn to act the part The proper response is, ‘I knew you’d see sense’"

I took his hand It was roughly calloused The hand of a pirate, not a prince We shook

"As for an

"Don’t push your luck," I said, snatching o with you to Os Alta, and that’s it"

"And where will I go?" Mal said quietly

He stood with his ar us with steady blue eyes There was blood on his brow frobird He looked tired and very, very far away

"I … I thought you’d go with me," I stauard?"

I flushed

Nikolai cleared his throat "As much as I’d love to see how this plays out, I do have soements to ht, then I’ll leave you to it" He hastened away, stopping only to retrieve his sword

The silence in the tent see, Alina?" Mal asked "We fought our way out of this saintsforsaken place, and noe’re sinking right back into the swamp"

I lowered myself to the cot and rested my head in my hands I was exhausted, and every bone in my body ached

"What a here, what’s happening to Ravka--part of the blah "Oh yes it is If it weren’t forNovokribirsk would still be standing"