On the Run

THEIR FIRST STOP WAS TO FINALLY FIND JIP MARQUERING. When they had left the Little Palace, that connection was left up in the air. Jip was Arken's contact. Serafima knew where Jip had once been, but she'd assumed they would have moved at some point. She was surprised when they arrived and Jip accepted them in just the same as when Serafima met them years before. Carriage locked tight, they hurried inside to escape prying eyes.

Much of Serafima's first escape from the Little Palace was a blur. Scared and unsure, Serafima had more on her than her surrounding. And despite this, Serafima found herself with a painful sense of déjà vu, over come with the same fear of capture that she had years before.

Serafima shook off the feeling. She wasn't a scared little girl anymore.

"I wish you all had given me more time. Not even a night — perfection doesn't comes quickly, you know!" Jip complained as they crowded into their living room. "Lucky for you, I can change some big details and it'll be enough to get you passed a quick glance. It won't hold up under scrutiny of course, but beggars can't be choosers, and you lot are most certainly beggars."

"We don't have anything to pay you with," Inej admitted.

"Pay me?" Jip waved dismissively. "Don't be silly, girl. The challenge is payment enough."

Minke was the first course of action. As expected. His scars were most definitely memorable, especially to Ravkans, who didn't use mutilation as punishment like Ketterdam's gangs did. They were also the easiest to change. A simple smoothing of skin, no restructuring required.

Serafima watched Jip's work in silence. It was astonishing work. A swipe of the finger and scar tissue disappeared at once. Minke tensed as Jip touched his face, but it seemed more out of surprise than pain. At least that was what Serafima liked to believe. She tailoring would much more in depth. If a simple change in textured and color hurt, Serafima couldn't imagine the feeling of shifting bone and muscle.

They were nearly done when Serafima noticed something wrong. Minke had slowly begun to tip his head back and clenched his jaw, but no amount of effort hid the shine growing in his eyes. Saints, Serafima realized, he was going to cry.

"Go on, love. Best we try to get a little in on the others before Brekker gets impatient," Jip said as they finished. It seemed they, too had noticed Minke's discomfort, as they gently squeezed his arm as he stood. "You're all right, just take a moment."

"I'm fine," Minke insisted. He caught Serafima's gaze and, with a wink, added, "Maybe they'll make you look less like a fish."

"And I almost felt bad for you," Serafima grumbled.

Minke left making fish faces as he went. Serafima scoffed as she took his place in the seat across from Jip. Could he go a minute without being a pest? Then Jip went and make it worse when they went and chuckled at them. Like they were amusing.

"Your friends are a charming lot, aren't they?" Jip said. They scooted forwards, inches from Serafima's seat. "Brekker came by earlier, you know? Told me about your little plan. I'm impressed it worked out."

Serafima grimaced, and not only at Jip's words. She could feel the bones shifting in her face as Jip went through their work. A strange pin—and—needle sensation, following the path Jip's fingers carved. It was hard to keep her face relaxed as Jip instructed. It made it easier for them to work, she knew, but Serafima could feel her muscles instinctively tighten.

"How did you get into the Little Palace in the first place, let alone get uniforms? Arken said you had no connections to the Little Palace. At least you didn't have any when I was last here," Serafima said. Speaking was hard. Jip had begun on her jaw, and it twitched sharply at any movement.

"Oh, I've never been. Or, well, Jip Marquering has never been," Jip said with a chuckle and a wink Serafima suspected was meant to mean something. "Juliya Maksimov? Well, there is a benefit to being one of the general's favorites. But I must admit, the uniform was a friend's work. You'd be surprised the places a blind man can accidentally wonder into."

"Juliya?"

"I'm a tailor, dear. It's my job to make one person into another. Don't you think I could do the same for myself?"

Serafima would never pretend she understood the inner workings of the Little Palace and the operations to smuggle grisha from its walls. The more she learned, the more it made her head spin. A spreading web of anti—governmental sentiments, just below the surface of their fragile society. Right below the general's nose, not even considering the ever present gaze of the Ravkan royalty.

That wasn't the point. The point was that Jip had a way to get in and out of the Little Palace. Which meant they could help Nonna escape, as they had helped her and likely many others.

"My sister —" Serafima started.

"Has already left the Little Palace, from what I've heard," Jip interrupted. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's looking for the sun summoner. It seems they're close."

"The sun summoner...we have."

Jip smirked and shooed Serafima away. Inej and Jesper went next, with a little less work needed than Minke and Serafima, with neither having distinct appearances or a connection to their pursuers. Even with the knowledge that it would be less practical, Kaz refused to be tailored. Claimed they didn't have time. They were back on the road almost an hour later.

☼ ☼ ☼

THE WAITED WHERE BAGHRA SAID TO. Through a tunnel from the war room, then wait at the opposite opening, which led outside the Little Palace walls. An escape route. In case the Little Palace was attacked and grisha needed to flee their own home. It had never happened, of course, not even close, and soon it had been forgotten but all but Baghra and those she felt needed to know of it.

Alina was supposed to arrive soon. By midnight at the least. If Nonna couldn't get her, Baghra said, she would find the girl herself. She wasn't stupid after all. She knew the general would try to block Alina from others, but not even the general child stop Baghra.

Couldn't say no to his mother, Nonna supposed. She knew too many of his secrets.

Mal practically breathed down Nonna's neck. They waited in the foliage, not by the wall. A better vantage point for them and a worse one for their enemies.

Foot steps approached. They both tried to push the other one back, resulting in a strange sort of slap fight as they stumbled backwards. Guards appeared around the corner as the door burst open, revealing a wave of grisha dressed in red. Heartrenders and healers.

"She isn't here," one of the grisha reported. "We missed them."

With that, the grisha retreated back into the tunnels. The guards searched the immediate area before they left. Nonna finally let out the air that had been burning in her chest.

"She?" Mal whispered. He glanced towards Nonna. "Alina?"

"She must have escaped on her own," Nonna realized. She pushed Mal away from the wall. "Come on, we can't stay too long. I saw her at the demonstration, so she can't have left to long ago or gotten to far." 

Mal moved reluctantly. They made for the forest instead of deeper into Os Alta. As soon as they were safely out of sight, Nonna stripped off her kefta, leaving her in the peasants clothes Kirigan made the grisha wear under their official uniforms. He claimed it was to keep them humble, the same reason the ate poor food and slept in cots despite living in a palace. It also had the benefit of suddenly blending in once the kefta was removed, but no one wanted to talk about why a grisha would need that.

The cold hit at once. While the kefta hadn't helped much, it was a silk dress uniform instead of the usual heavy, wool kefta they wore on campaign, it had kept in at least some warmth. Nonna huffed and tightened her hands to her chest. She splayed her fingers, and heat followed as she raised her temperature. It wasn't a lot, but it helped.

"Where do you think Alina would go?" Nonna managed through clenched teeth.

"I don't know. But I can find her, I know it," Mal insisted. And he certainly seemed confident, marching through the fallen snow with a certainty Nonna couldn't understand. He only paused when he noticed her falling behind. He pull off his top coat. "Here. You said you know Alina?"

"Thank you," Nonna carefully took the coat. It already was bulky on Mal, trying to cover the piles of clothes he wore under it, and was only more so on Nonna. "We weren't friends, at least I don't think she would say so. But I tried to help her fit in. I know how it feels, you know?"

Mal nodded.

"She talked about you a lot. Wrote you about everything," Nonna said. "You...she said you never responded."

"I did!" Mal protested.

"Well, she didn't get them, if you did. Alina wouldn't lie," Nonna said.

"She wouldn't..."

Except Mal didn't sound too convinced. They were silent for a moment after. Nonna turned the comment over in her head. Alina had claimed she'd gotten no response. That she'd rejected her past because it had rejected her. It hadn't sounded right at the time. Now Nonna knew why.

Nonna wanted to suggest camping for the night. It wouldn't do them any good to tire themselves out before they even found Alina. Nonna, at least, had been awake all day. Yet Mal kept walking, and Nonna followed.

☼ ☼ ☼

THE KEY HOLE GLOWED A BRIGHT RED. Serafima stood next to the other crows, watching as the sun summoner melted herself free. They stood in a semi—circle, cutting off all routes of escape. Everyone was prepared for a fight. Serafima had even filled a canteen with water and strapped it to her belt. They waited as the sun summoner freed herself...right into their grasp.

A head slowly emerged. Her eyes went right to Jesper's gun. Minke stepped forwards and offered a hand, which the sun summoner rejected. She hopped out, arms extended.

"We don't want any trouble," Jesper said.

"Neither do I, so I'll just be on my way," the sun summoner insisted.

She turned, only to be blocked by Kaz's cane.

"Clearly, you want out of East Ravka. But we can help you. We have a secure route through the Fold," Jesper continued.

Alina looked between them. She didn't seem interested in a fight. Yet. Serafima tense, prepared for the girl running. It would be easier if she came willingly, but it wasn't necessary.

"I prefer to travel alone," Alina replied.

"Don't be rash. You stick with us, everybody gets what they want."

"I'm not being anyone's captive ever again," Alina insisted. "So step aside and let me pass."

"We could call you a guest, if you'd like," Minke offered. "But we can't let you go."

Alina threw up her hands. There was barely time to react. A wall of light flared existence. Serafima cursed and recoiled. Spots danced in her vision. Groaning and trying to blink her eyes clear, Serafima straightened.

The sun summoner was gone. Again.

☼ ☼ ☼

THEY CONTINUED LONG AFTER NONNA'S LEGS WENT NUMB. She dragged them after her like hunks of lead. Mal didn't struggle in the slightest. Once in the while he paused, eyes trailing the horizon. Then he set off again on another course. Nonna didn't know tracking, but this didn't seem to be it. It seemed like...something else. Like Alina was a beacon he followed as instinctively as birds migrated.

Shouts erupted in the distance. Towards a nearby town.

Nonna narurally tried for the opposite direction. Flee whoever might cause them trouble. But Mal ran towards it in an instant, and Nonna wasn't going to let him go running into danger on his own. What if he got hurt?

Dogs and soldiers rushed past. They barely dove out of the way in time. Their shears were about a woman who'd run out into the woods. Someone they desperately wanted to find.

They found their target crouched in a ravine. Alina. Mal had been right.

Alina whipped around. Her eyes widened when she spotted the two. Mal shushed her, but it seemed she couldn't help herself.

"Mal?" Alina beamed at them. "Nonna?"

Mal shushed her and pointed towards the soldiers. They were heading in the opposite direction. As quite as they could, they crept away. Nonna doubted it would help. Her heart was pounding so hard she was certain they could hear it from miles away.

They continued until the voices were just a memory. Only then did they, finally, stop to rest. Mal passed Alina a canteen of water.

"Saints, my feet! I've never hated nature more in my life," Nonna complained as she flopped onto a nearby rock. She turned to take the canteen from Alina, only to find the girl downing the rest of it. "Alina! That was supposed to last the trip."

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down," Mal said, holding an arm out to stop Alina.

"So we're talking now?" Alina said.

Having turned away, Mal didn't notice her annoyance. "Should be safe now, yeah."

Alina threw the canteen into Mal's shoulder. He turned around, confused.

"Where have you been?" Alina demanded.

"I — we've," Mal motioned between himself and Nonna. "Been tracking you since you left the palace the night of the fete."

"So now I have your attention," Alina said. "It's been months, Mal. You couldn't even be bothered to reply to a single one of my letters."

Nonna sat back and propped her foot up in her lap. It was uncomfortable, watching the two argue. Like she was sitting in one something personal. So instead of listening, she busied herself massaging her toes through her boot. It had little give, but enough to work some of the feeling back into them, where they'd seemingly replaced themselves with lumps of pain on the ends of her legs.

"What? I never heard a word from you," Mal said. "I wrote to you nearly every single day."

"Sure you did. What, long heartfelt letters about your exploits with gorgeous squallers? And apparently healers, too," Alina motioned towards Nonna with a scoff.

"What? No!" Mal blanched.

"No, no, no!" Nonna protested at the same time. "Not a chance. I don't even like men."

"Oh," Alina mumbled sheepishly.

"You're ridiculous," Nonna threw the canteen back at Alina with a laugh.

Alina glared, but some of the tension was gone. At least until Mal spoke again.

"How long have you know?" Mal asked.

"That I was grisha?" Alina didn't even need to ask. Mal nodded. There it was, the tension. "You thought I knew?"

"You cheered on the fear when we were children!" Mal said. "You cut your own hand."

"Not because I knew I was grisha! Because I knew what would happen if I somehow passed their test. They would have taken me away," Alina said.

"To a palace, Alina," Mal protested.

"They would have split us up!"

The two fell silent. Nonna looked away again.

"I've been trying to get back to you this whole time," Mal said, his voice barely a whisper. "I found the stag. Kirigan's orders to track it came from your drawings. I thought you were showing me the way to you. Except Nonna said —"

"He stole them from my journal," Alina finished, once again knowing what Mal meant without hearing it. "Baghra was telling the truth. He's been obsessed with finding it. It's the only amplifier that could rival his power, if another grisha claimed it."

"Baghra thought...she thought he wanted to amplify Alina's power, take her into the Fold, and then," Nonna took a deep breath. "Not destroy it, but weaponize. She didn't know how, all she knew was he was planning something with it. Something he couldn't do before, because the volcra were attracted to him instantly, but he can if Alina wards them off."

A heavy weight filled the air. Realization settled over the three as they took in what this really meant for Alina. Kirigan had pretended to protect her, to teach her. Instead he'd only seen a weapon.

"You wrote me letters?" Alina asked.

Mal nodded. Alina stumbled forwards, and he opened his arms at once. They were back together, finally.

☼ ☼ ☼

THERE WAS NO SIGHT OF THE TARGET. Serafima was gritted her teeth. They needed Alina. Whether for the kruge or because, eventually, it would lead Nonna to them. They couldn't just her run away. Let alone run away because they hadn't been prepared for her to use her powers, the most basic maneuver for her to do.

Serafima paced the tavern they were staying in. Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. It was insane. How could they lose one person? Alina should have stood out, too, being Shu in a Ravkan village and disoriented from appearing in a new place.

"Could you stop?" Minke blurted out. "The pacing is distracting."

"Oh, I'm distracting you, am I?" Serafima hissed.

"Ghezen..."

"Oh, shut up! We have more important things to focus on than you being distracted," Serafima said. Still, she took a seat across from Minke and buried her face in her hands.

Minke leaned over and tapped the top of Serafima's head. She glared at him over her fingers. His insistence on nagging her was obnoxious on a good day. It wasn't a good day.

"Rademaker, I swear —" Serafima started.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry about your sister," Minke interrupted.

This again. Serafima buried her face again. There was a reason she hadn't mentioned Nonna to Minke and Inej, even if they'd be completely understanding and supportive. Was Kaz's rejection harsh? Yes. It left a painful ache in her chest and frustration that he could never understand. The Bastard of the Barrel had no family and loved only profit. But at least he didn't treat her like a broken child. At least he still gave her some respect, instead of treating like a fragile toy.

"Family isn't everything, you know? I mean, I never met my father. He could be a murder, or rapist, or, Ghezen forbid, a Fjerdan," Minke rambled.

"You're not Fjerdan," Serafima mumbled around her hands. It wasn't the point, but she couldn't resist correcting him.

"You don't know that, I'm pretty tall," Minke said.

"I know Fjerdans, Minke," Serafima said, finally raising her face from her hands. "They'd have drowned you years ago."

"I'd make a very scary drüskelle," Minke preened at his coat.

Serafima scoffed.

"Oh, and what do you plan to do? Walk up to them and politely ask them to, pretty please, come get burned at the stake?" Serafima said.

Minke batted his eyes.

Serafima managed to keep from laughing. Clearly the bastard was too full of himself already, he didn't need to know he was funny now, too. Minke as arrogant enough already. Instead she stared extra hard at him and hoped he got a feeling of burning resentment.

"My point is, I get it. Losing family hurts. But think about it, Nonna's alive, and she's safe in one of the most fortified building in the world. Do you really want her in Ketterdam?" Minke said.

"True..." Serafima muttered. She motioned to Minke and added, "I mean, looked what happened to us."

Minke tensed and looked away. It was a touchy subject. Jesper was in debt at the age of sixteen, Kaz was a criminal master mind at the same age. Inej had been sold into slavery when she was, what, thirteen? Hardly out of childhood. Serafima was fine, sometimes, but most of the time she felt like she was about to explode. Like she was searching for someone to be angry with, someone to resent when everyone who had hurt her didn't even know she existed.

Then...there was Minke. Serafima was suddenly aware of how little she actually knew about him. He had already been part of the Dregs when Serafima had arrived. He had been the one who'd brought her into their folds. That was all she knew. Serafima could make some guesses as to his history, but Minke never supplied anything else. Maybe Kaz knew something. He wouldn't have allowed Minke in if he couldn't find anything. But Serafima? She'd never bothered to look into it. Minke...he hadn't mattered.

Was it selfish? Self—centered? Of course. But Serafima had always had bigger issues than him.

The two sat in silence. For the first time, Serafima wondered who exactly Minke Rademaker was.

I do hope the Jip/Juliya reveal wasn't too out of the blue. I tried to add some clues and what not, but I'm not exactly practiced in plot twists.