Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (z-lib.org).mobi
CHAPTER 20We walked in silence for over an hour. I stared numbly down at my feet,watching my boots move through the snow, thinking about the stag and the priceof my weakness. Eventually, I saw firelight flickering through the trees, and weemerged into a clearing where a small camp had been made around a roaringfire. I noted several tents and a group of horses tethered amid the trees. Twooprichniki sat beside the fire, eating their evening meal.Mal’s guards took him to one of the tents, pushing him inside and followingafter. I tried to catch his eye, but he disappeared too quickly.Ivan dragged me across the camp to another tent and gave me a shove. Inside,I saw several bedrolls laid out. He pushed me forward and gestured to the pole atthe centre of the tent. “Sit,” he ordered. I sat with my back to the pole, and hetethered me to it, tying my hands behind my back and binding my ankles.“Comfortable?”“You know what he plans to do, Ivan.”“He plans to bring us peace.”“At what price?” I asked desperately. “You know this is madness.”“Did you know I had two brothers?” Ivan asked abruptly. The familiar smirkwas gone from his handsome face. “Of course not. They weren’t born Grisha.They were soldiers, and they both died fighting the King’s wars. So did myfather. So did my uncle.”“I’m sorry.”“Yes, everyone is sorry. The King is sorry. The Queen is sorry. I’m sorry. Butonly the Darkling will do something about it.”“It doesn’t have to be this way, Ivan. My power could be used to destroy the
Fold.”Ivan shook his head. “The Darkling knows what has to be done.”“He’ll never stop! You know that. Not once he’s had a taste of that kind ofpower. I’m the one wearing the collar now. But eventually, it will be all of you.And there won’t be anyone or anything strong enough to stand in his way.”A muscle twitched in Ivan’s jaw. “Keep talking treason and I’ll gag you,” hesaid, and without another word, he strode out of the tent.A while later, a Summoner and a Heartrender ducked inside. I didn’trecognise either of them. Avoiding my gaze, they silently hunched into their fursand blew out the lamp.I sat awake in the dark, watching the flickering light of the campfire play overthe canvas walls of the tent. I could feel the weight of the collar against my neck,and my bound hands itched to claw at it. I thought of Mal, just a few feet awayin another tent.I’d brought us to this. If I’d taken the stag’s life, his power would have beenmine. I’d known what mercy might cost us. My freedom. Mal’s life. The lives ofcountless others. And still I’d been too weak to do what needed to be done.That night, I dreamed of the stag. I saw the Darkling cut his throat again andagain. I saw the life fading from his dark eyes. But when I looked down, it wasmy blood that spilled red into the snow.With a gasp, I woke to the sounds of the camp coming to life around me. Thetent flap opened and a Heartrender appeared. She cut me loose from the tent poleand dragged me to my feet. My body creaked and popped in protest, stiff from anight spent sitting in a cramped position.The Heartrender led me to where the horses were already saddled and theDarkling stood talking quietly to Ivan and the other Grisha. I looked around forMal and felt a sudden jab of panic when I couldn’t find him, but then I saw anoprichnik pull him from the other tent.“What do we do with him?” the guard asked Ivan.“Let the traitor walk,” Ivan replied. “And when he gets too tired, let the horsesdrag him.”I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say a word, the Darklingspoke.“No,” he said, gracefully mounting his horse. “I want him alive when wereach the Shadow Fold.”The guard shrugged and helped Mal mount his horse, then tied his shackledhands to the saddle horn. I felt a rush of relief followed by a sharp prickle offear. Did the Darkling intend for Mal to stand trial? Or did he have something farworse in mind for him? He’s still alive, I told myself, and that means there’s still
- Page 131 and 132: when the room was practically vibra
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- Page 135 and 136: “Forgive me,” I said. “It’s
- Page 137 and 138: imagine what it’s been like here.
- Page 139 and 140: CHAPTER 15Only when I was in my roo
- Page 141 and 142: “Then talk sense,” I said. “H
- Page 143 and 144: I would never help him do that.”
- Page 145 and 146: CHAPTER 16Baghra’s relief was unm
- Page 147 and 148: “For everything.”“Hmph,” sh
- Page 149 and 150: collar around my neck and make me a
- Page 151 and 152: pace. Once I’d passed them, I ris
- Page 153 and 154: For a moment, I thought my heart ha
- Page 155 and 156: my heels and toes. My miserable nig
- Page 157 and 158: CHAPTER 17Mal took both watches and
- Page 159 and 160: “I know I can find it.”“If th
- Page 161 and 162: came down, some of the worry had go
- Page 163 and 164: “So?” asked Longface.“So Riko
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- Page 167 and 168: CHAPTER 18We saw shoots of new gras
- Page 169 and 170: drawing the furs tighter around my
- Page 171 and 172: I shook a fur out on the cold groun
- Page 173 and 174: been passed between us. “Mikhael
- Page 175 and 176: Around sunset, we emerged from the
- Page 177 and 178: The sound was like a soft whistle o
- Page 179 and 180: in his hand.I turned away, my stoma
- Page 181: “We’ll camp tonight and leave f
- Page 185 and 186: as cold and smooth as ever. “We
- Page 187 and 188: I shuddered. I hoped that Baghra ha
- Page 189 and 190: CHAPTER 21I picked at my dinner and
- Page 191 and 192: asked, and for once, his voice was
- Page 193 and 194: hold back during my conversation wi
- Page 195 and 196: lips met mine.We stayed together th
- Page 197 and 198: in crimson silks, stood a delegatio
- Page 199 and 200: breathing, I thought in terror.The
- Page 201 and 202: most valued Grisha had just punched
- Page 203 and 204: Mal as I threw the light ahead of m
- Page 205 and 206: hurtling towards me over the dead r
- Page 207 and 208: AFTERThe boy and the girl stand at
- Page 209 and 210: ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThanks to my agent a
- Page 213 and 214: FOUND NEAR RAVKA’SNORTHERN BORDER
- Page 215 and 216: more, why I toss and turn, why my r
- Page 217 and 218: when I stand at the gates of the Gr
- Page 220 and 221: Have you been checking the casualty
- Page 222 and 223: Ivan shrugs, scowling. “He just m
- Page 224 and 225: “You’ve suffered, too,” he sa
- Page 226 and 227: memory.“You’re right, of course
- Page 228 and 229: perfume, counting and recounting th
- Page 230 and 231: WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GR
CHAPTER 20
We walked in silence for over an hour. I stared numbly down at my feet,
watching my boots move through the snow, thinking about the stag and the price
of my weakness. Eventually, I saw firelight flickering through the trees, and we
emerged into a clearing where a small camp had been made around a roaring
fire. I noted several tents and a group of horses tethered amid the trees. Two
oprichniki sat beside the fire, eating their evening meal.
Mal’s guards took him to one of the tents, pushing him inside and following
after. I tried to catch his eye, but he disappeared too quickly.
Ivan dragged me across the camp to another tent and gave me a shove. Inside,
I saw several bedrolls laid out. He pushed me forward and gestured to the pole at
the centre of the tent. “Sit,” he ordered. I sat with my back to the pole, and he
tethered me to it, tying my hands behind my back and binding my ankles.
“Comfortable?”
“You know what he plans to do, Ivan.”
“He plans to bring us peace.”
“At what price?” I asked desperately. “You know this is madness.”
“Did you know I had two brothers?” Ivan asked abruptly. The familiar smirk
was gone from his handsome face. “Of course not. They weren’t born Grisha.
They were soldiers, and they both died fighting the King’s wars. So did my
father. So did my uncle.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yes, everyone is sorry. The King is sorry. The Queen is sorry. I’m sorry. But
only the Darkling will do something about it.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Ivan. My power could be used to destroy the
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