“I bet you said the same thing about me once.”

Zoya scowled. “You’d win that bet.”

“Genya’s letter said you thought Yuri was still inside him. I think you’re right. The Darkling seemed different, off-kilter.”

Mal’s brows rose. “Has he ever been on-kilter?”

“Not exactly,” conceded Alina. “Eternity will do that to a person.”

She rested her bandaged hand on Zoya’s cheek and Zoya stilled, feeling suddenly like she was with her aunt again, in that kitchen in Novokribirsk. I could stay here, Zoya had said. I could stay with you and never go back. Her aunt had only smoothed Zoya’s hair and said, Not my brave girl. There are some hearts that beat stronger than others.

“Zoya,” Alina said, drawing her back to the present, to her fear, to this wretched place. “You are not alone in this. And he can be beaten.”

“He is immortal.”

“Then why did he flinch when you brought down the storm?”

“It did nothing!”

“He sees something in you that frightens him. He always has. Why do you think he worked so hard to make us doubt ourselves? He was afraid of what we might become.”

We are the dragon. We do not lie down to die. Some tiny fraction of the fear in her receded.

“Zoya, you know we’re here if you need us.”

“But your power—”

“I can still pick up a rifle. I was a soldier before I was a Saint.”

I like this one. She’s unafraid. Juris’ whisper, an echo of Zoya’s own grudging thoughts about the orphan girl she’d once resented and despised. The dragon’s laugh rumbled through her. Loss has made her bold. If only I could say the same of you.

Zoya sighed. “That’s all well and good,” she said. “But how am I going to tell the king?”

18

NIKOLAI

THE DINNER WAS LONG but merry, and Nikolai’s chef outdid himself by serving at least seven different foods in jelly. Makhi and her retainers left when the dancing began—and once the treaty was signed. Whether she would keep to the agreement they’d made was in Tamar’s, Ehri’s, and Mayu’s hands now.

“You’re welcome to stay,” Nikolai said as the queen’s horses and carriage were brought around to take them out to the airfield.

“I’ve performed as much as I’m able this night,” Makhi replied. “I even managed to hold down that hideous meal. Now I need to see just how much damage my sister has done.”

Before Makhi climbed into her carriage, she gestured to Nikolai, clearly wishing to speak away from her ministers.

“Something happened in Ahmrat Jen. Some kind of blight. There were similar incidents near Bhez Ju and Paar.”

“They call it Kilyklava, the vampire. The same thing has happened in Ravka.”