Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (z-lib.org).mobi
The Darkling looked momentarily confused. He narrowed his eyes, and I felthis will descend on me again, felt that invisible hand grasping. I shrugged it off.It was nothing. He was nothing.“What is this?” he hissed. He raised his hands and skeins of darkness spooledtowards me, but with a flick of my hand, they burned away like mist.The Darkling advanced, his handsome features contorted with fury. My mindwas working frantically. I knew he would have liked to kill me where I stood,but he couldn’t, not with the volcra circling outside the light that only I couldprovide.“Seize her!” he shouted to the guards surrounding us. Ivan reached out.I felt the weight of the collar around my neck, the steady rhythm of the stag’sancient heart beating in time with mine. My power rose up in me, solid andwithout hesitation, a sword in my hand.I lifted my arm and slashed. With an ear-splitting crack, one of the skiff’smasts split in two. People bleated in panic and scattered as the broken mast fellto the deck, the thick wood gleaming with burning light. Shock registered on theDarkling’s face.“The Cut!” Ivan gasped, taking a step backwards.“Don’t come any closer,” I warned.“You aren’t a murderer, Alina,” said the Darkling.“I think the Ravkans I just helped you slaughter would disagree.”Panic was spreading through the skiff. The oprichniki looked wary, but theywere closing in on me just the same.“You saw what he did to those people!” I cried to the guards and Grishaaround me. “Is that the future you want? A world of darkness? A world remadein his image?” I saw their confusion, their anger and fear. “It’s not too late tostop him! Help me,” I begged. “Please, help me.”But no one moved. Soldier and Grisha alike stood frozen on the deck. Theywere all too afraid, afraid of him and afraid of a world without his protection.The oprichniki inched closer. I had to make a choice. Mal and I wouldn’t haveanother chance.So be it, I thought.I glanced over my shoulder, hoping Mal understood, and then I dived for theside of the skiff.“Don’t let her reach the railing!” the Darkling shouted.The guards surged towards me. And I let the light go out.We were plunged into darkness. People wailed and, above us, I heard thevolcra screeching. My outstretched hands struck the railing. I ducked under itand hurled myself onto the sand, rolling to my feet and running blindly towards
Mal as I threw the light ahead of me in an arc.Behind me, I heard the sounds of slaughter on the skiff as the volcra attackedand clouds of Grisha flame exploded in the darkness. But I couldn’t stop to thinkof the people I’d left behind.My arc of light flashed over Mal, crouched in the sand. The volcra loomingabove him screeched and whirled away into the dark. I sprinted to him andpulled him to his feet.A bullet pinged against the sand beside us and I plunged us into darknessagain.“Hold your fire!” I heard the Darkling shouting over the chaos on the skiff.“We need her alive!”I threw out another arc of light, scattering the volcra that were hoveringaround us.“You can’t run from me, Alina!” the Darkling shouted.I couldn’t let him come after us. I couldn’t take the chance that he mightsurvive. But I hated what I had to do. The others on the skiff had failed to cometo my aid, but did they deserve to be abandoned to the volcra?“You can’t leave us all here to die, Alina!” the Darkling shouted. “If you takethis step, you know where it will lead.”I felt a hysterical laugh burble up inside me. I knew. I knew it would make memore like him.“You begged me for clemency once,” he called over the dead reaches of theFold, over the hungry shrieks of the horrors he had made. “Is this your idea ofmercy?”Another bullet hit the sand, only inches from us. Yes, I thought as the powerrose up inside me, the mercy you taught me.I raised my hand and brought it down in a blazing arc, slashing through theair. An earth-shaking crack echoed through the Fold as the sand skiff split inhalf. Raw screams filled the air and the volcra shrieked in their frenzy.I grabbed Mal’s arm and threw a dome of light around us. We ran, stumblinginto the darkness, and soon the sounds of battle faded as we left the monstersbehind.We emerged from the Fold somewhere south of Novokribirsk and took our firststeps in West Ravka. The afternoon sun was bright, the meadow grass green andsweet, but we didn’t stop to savour any of it. We were tired, hungry andwounded, but our enemies wouldn’t rest, and neither could we.We walked until we found cover in an orchard and hid there until dark, afraidof being spotted and remembered. The air was thick with the smell of apple
- 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
- Page 165 and 166: “It was a stupid risk. I should k
- 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 and 182: “We’ll camp tonight and leave f
- Page 183 and 184: Fold.”Ivan shook his head. “The
- 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: most valued Grisha had just punched
- 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
- Page 232 and 233: WHAT SPARKED YOUR IMAGINATION FOR S
- Page 234 and 235: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHAR
- Page 236: number 4.WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR
- Page 240 and 241: CopyrightORION CHILDREN’S BOOKSFi
Mal as I threw the light ahead of me in an arc.
Behind me, I heard the sounds of slaughter on the skiff as the volcra attacked
and clouds of Grisha flame exploded in the darkness. But I couldn’t stop to think
of the people I’d left behind.
My arc of light flashed over Mal, crouched in the sand. The volcra looming
above him screeched and whirled away into the dark. I sprinted to him and
pulled him to his feet.
A bullet pinged against the sand beside us and I plunged us into darkness
again.
“Hold your fire!” I heard the Darkling shouting over the chaos on the skiff.
“We need her alive!”
I threw out another arc of light, scattering the volcra that were hovering
around us.
“You can’t run from me, Alina!” the Darkling shouted.
I couldn’t let him come after us. I couldn’t take the chance that he might
survive. But I hated what I had to do. The others on the skiff had failed to come
to my aid, but did they deserve to be abandoned to the volcra?
“You can’t leave us all here to die, Alina!” the Darkling shouted. “If you take
this step, you know where it will lead.”
I felt a hysterical laugh burble up inside me. I knew. I knew it would make me
more like him.
“You begged me for clemency once,” he called over the dead reaches of the
Fold, over the hungry shrieks of the horrors he had made. “Is this your idea of
mercy?”
Another bullet hit the sand, only inches from us. Yes, I thought as the power
rose up inside me, the mercy you taught me.
I raised my hand and brought it down in a blazing arc, slashing through the
air. An earth-shaking crack echoed through the Fold as the sand skiff split in
half. Raw screams filled the air and the volcra shrieked in their frenzy.
I grabbed Mal’s arm and threw a dome of light around us. We ran, stumbling
into the darkness, and soon the sounds of battle faded as we left the monsters
behind.
We emerged from the Fold somewhere south of Novokribirsk and took our first
steps in West Ravka. The afternoon sun was bright, the meadow grass green and
sweet, but we didn’t stop to savour any of it. We were tired, hungry and
wounded, but our enemies wouldn’t rest, and neither could we.
We walked until we found cover in an orchard and hid there until dark, afraid
of being spotted and remembered. The air was thick with the smell of apple
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