Chapter 22 Alina Starkov Sun summoner

While Hadrian was on his way to Ketterdam Along and Zoya were readying themselves to go through the Fold.Zoya felt she was powerful enough to go through the Fold and she had back up with her too.

The shout rang out from the foreman on the docks, and crews of burly men on the ground began pushing the skiffs into the colorless sand that marked the farthest reaches of the Fold. They stepped back hurriedly, as if that pale, dead sand would burn their feet.

Then it was our turn, and with a sudden jolt our skiff lurched forward, creaking against the earth as the dockworkers heaved.Alina grabbed the railing to steady herself,as her heart was beating wildly. The Squallers lifted their arms. The sails billowed open with a loud snap, and the skiff surged forward into the Fold.

At first, it was like drifting into a thick cloud of smoke, but there was no heat, no smell of fire. Sounds seemed to dampen and the world became still.Zoya watched the sandskiffs ahead of us slide into the darkness, fading from view, one after another.

Alina looked over her shoulder and found that the living world had disappeared.The darkness fell around us, black, weightless, and absolute.

Zoya who was next to Along whispered"We were in the Fold now.Keep your Guard up."

Alina nodded,while Zoya didn't want Hadrian to blame her for not taking care of the girl.Also she wanted to depend on him too much,after all with the amount of training they did it should be enough to come across the Fold.

For Alina It was like standing at the end of everything.She held tight to the railing, feeling the wood dig into my hand, grateful for its solidity. I focused on that and the feel of my toes in my boots, gripping the deck.She tried to think about the soldiers with their rifles and the blue-robed Grisha Inferni. The hope in crossing the Fold was that we would pass through silently and unnoticed; no shot would sound, no fire would be summoned. But their presence comforted me all the same.

Alina didn't know how long we went on that way, the skiffs floating forward, the only sound the gentle rasp of sand on their hulls.

Then they heard creatures shriek and even some sort of thunder rumbles.The corpses of old ships and trees pass by. Along the skiff,the one who were getting scared cock their guns.

A cartographer who was scared to death,clumsily lit a lantern is ,his fear forcing every movement.But the light attracts a Volcra who almost drags the man from the skiff,but Zoya launchs a blast of flames causing the Volcra to drop him,but the cartographer had dropped his lantern. Soon, the ship deck is ablaze.Alexei a cartographer friend of Alina fall off the skiff.

The it was chaos as screaming, growling, gunshots. The volcra are merciless, and one by one they attacked the crew, in flames and in darkness.But Zoya with some of the Black Dragons held them off again.

The Inferni woman is grabbed a volcra slamming her into the wall of the ship, and was about to drag her deep into the Unsea.But she once again used the flames to blast the Volcra away.

The volcra was still coming, clawing its way across the deck, one of its wings hanging at a crooked angle. Mal was firing at the ones he could see,but he was out of ammo so trying to reload in the firelight, but the volcra was too fast. It rushed at us, claws slashing, its talons tearing across Mal's chest. He screamed in pain,

Zoya was able to huddle the Cartographer and some of the injured Grisha to the side,she then activated try protection talisman creating a barrier around them.

But them she saw Mal being attacked,so she held her hand out as huge gust of wind blasts the Volcra dropping Mal.

Alina was by side in an instant,her hands pressing down on his chest in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

Alina sobbed, the tears streaming down my cheeks and yelled""Mal!".She bent low over Mal, keeping pressure on the wound.

Mal's breathing was labored,while he gasped and said "They're coming,"

Alina huddled over Mal, shielding his body with mine.She knew it was futile, but it was all she could offer.

That's when she saw in burst of flames a large swan-sized scarlet bird with red and gold plumage, along with a golden beak and talons, black eyes, and a tail as long as a peacock's. Its scarlet feathers glowed faintly in darkness.

Mal was shocked muttered"Firebird."then the shock turned to disbelief,when she saw the Firebird transforms into Hadrian.

Alina had let go of Mal when she saw firebird transform into Hadrian,A volcra dropped behind Alina screeched in triumph as its talons sank into her shoulder and started to flap its wings and fly away.

As Hadrian seeing this jumped ans grabbed on to Alina hand pulling her down and the world went white.

A Searing Burst Of Light. It emanates from Alina Starkov, lighting up the darkness.The light pulsates from Alina as she screams, hovering up in the air and clinging to Hadrian hand. The pure power of it rips through the Fold, and for a moment, everything is illuminated.

The light pulsates from Alina as she screams, hovering up in the air and clinging to Hadrian hand. The pure power of it rips through the Fold, and for a moment, everything is illuminated

Alexei is running in darkness. He falls when the burst of light begins, spreading from the skiff and into the Fold. Volcra scream, the world brightens, and Alexei squints at the miracle before him.

For volcra's claws loosen their grip and with a the thud as fell forward to the deck, Alina felt nothing at all.

In the Fold a being cloaked in darkness spoke with hatred and raspy voice"I will get my revenge against you sun summoner."