He took a step toward me. Another rumbling, animal growl rolled through him.
I lifted my hands. “Nikolai,” I said warningly. “I will put you down.”
I saw the moment that reason returned. His face crumpled in horror at what he’d wanted to do, at what some part of him probably still wanted to do. His body was trembling with the desire to feed.
His black eyes brimmed with flickering shadows. Were they tears? He clenched his fists, threw back his head. The tendons in his neck knotted, and he released an echoing shriek of helplessness and rage. I’d heard it before, when the Darkling summoned the nichevo’ya, the rending of the fabric of the world, the cry of something that should not be.
He launched himself into the air and hurtled straight for the Fold.
“Nikolai!” I screamed. But he was already gone, swallowed by the seething blackness, lost to the volcra’s domain.
I heard footsteps and turned to see Mal, Harshaw, and Zoya running toward me, Oncat yowling and darting between their legs. Harshaw had his flint out, and Mal was unslinging his rifle.
Zoya’s eyes were wide. “Was that a nichevo’ya?”
I shook my head. “It was Nikolai.”
They stopped dead. “He found us?” said Mal.
“He’s been tracking us since we left the Spinning Wheel.”
“But the Darkling—”
“If he were the Darkling’s creature, we’d already be dead.”
“How long have you known he was following us?” asked Zoya angrily.
“I saw him once back at the copper mine. There was nothing to do about it.”
“We could have had Mal put an arrow through him,” said Harshaw.
I jabbed a finger at him. “I wouldn’t abandon you, and I’m not abandoning Nikolai.”
“Easy,” said Mal, stepping forward. “He’s gone now, and there’s no point fighting about it. Harshaw, go start a fire. Zoya, the grouse we caught need cleaning.”
She stared at him and didn’t budge. He rolled his eyes.
“All right, they need cleaning by someone else. Please go find somebody to order around.”
“My pleasure.”
Harshaw returned his flint to his sleeve. “They’re all crazy, Oncat,” he said to the tabby. “Invisible armies, monster princes. Let’s go set fire to something.”
I rubbed a hand over my eyes as they walked off. “Are you going to yell at me too?”
“No. I’ve wanted to shoot Nikolai plenty of times, but that seems a little petty now. Curious about that ring, though.”
I’d forgotten about the massive jewel on my hand. I pulled it off and shoved it in my pocket. “Nikolai gave it to me back at the Spinning Wheel. I thought he might recognize it.”
“Did he?”
“I think so. Before he tried to eat me.”
“Saints.”
“He flew into the Fold.”
“Do you think he meant to—”
“Kill himself? I don’t know. Maybe it’s like a vacation home to him now. I don’t even know if the volcra would see him as prey.” I leaned against the boulder Nikolai had been perched on just minutes before. “He tried to have me heal him. It didn’t work.”
“You don’t know what you may be able to do once the amplifiers are brought together.”
“You mean after I murder you?”
“Alina—”
“We are not talking about this.”
“You can’t just pull the covers over your head and pretend this isn’t happening.”
“Can and will.”
“You’re being a brat.”
“And you’re being noble and self-sacrificing, and it makes me want to throttle you.”
“Well, that’s a start.”
“That’s not funny.”
“How am I supposed to deal with this?” he asked. “I don’t feel noble or self-sacrificing. I’m just…”
“What?”
He threw up his hands. “Hungry.”
“You’re hungry?”
“Yes,” he snapped. “I’m hungry and I’m tired and I’m pretty sure that Tolya’s going to eat all the grouse.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. “Zoya warned me about this. She gets cranky when she’s hungry too.”
“I’m not cranky.”
“Sulky,” I amended graciously.
“I am not sulking.”
“You’re right,” I said, trying to restrain my giggles. “Definitely more of a pout than a sulk.”
He snagged my hand and pulled me in for a kiss. He nipped my ear once, hard.
“Ow!”
“I told you I was hungry.”
“You’re the second person to try to bite me today.”
“Oh, it gets worse. When we get back to camp, I’m requesting the Third Tale of Kregi.”
“I’m telling Harshaw you’re a dog person.”
“I’m telling Zoya you don’t like her hair.”
We kept it up all the way back to the Bittern, shoving and taunting each other, feeling a little bit of the strain of the last weeks ease. But as the sun set and I looked over my shoulder into the Fold, I wondered what human things might remain beyond its shores, and if they could hear our laughter.