Page 68 of The Crown's Fate
Gavriil, captain of Pasha’s Guard, entered with his pistol drawn. Ilya followed.
Pasha was right behind them, a gun in his hand, too. He scanned the hall, from Aizhana’s locked cell to the flickering sconces on the wall and finally, to Vika curled up on the floor.
“Vika!” He stashed his pistol away and rushed across the hall. Gavriil and Ilya spread out to cover him.
“What happened?” Pasha asked as he reached her. “Are you all right?”
She couldn’t respond.
Pasha gathered her in his arms, and for once, she let someone console her. She released her knees and allowed her body to go slack against him.
Yuliana stomped in through the door despite the protests of the last guard, who trailed after her.
“I assume it’s all clear.” She huffed as she crossed the hall to where Vika huddled against Pasha. “I’m not sure I even want to know the explanation for what happened here.”
Pasha sighed. “Give her a minute,s’il vous plaît.”
Vika stared at Yuliana. Her hair was a mess, and dried blood was smeared across her face. Vika looked to Pasha. His hair was also a mess, but that was normal, which was why she hadn’t noticed before that something was awry.
Vika pulled herself together. “What happened? Are you all right?”
“The good news,” Pasha said, “is your shield works. The bad news is, Nikolai tried to kill us.”
Vika clambered to her feet. She’d feared something like this would happen, that Nikolai’s grief would drive him to extremes again. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Pasha said.
“No, we’re not.” Yuliana said, as she marched over to the door of Aizhana’s cell. “Unlock this,” she said to Vika. “I’ve had enough of the Karimovs. I’m going to strangle Nikolai’s mother with my own hands.”
“She’s ... already dead,” Vika said.
“I beg your pardon?” Yuliana whirled to face her.
“Nikolai let the alligators loose.”
“Alligators? Nikolai? You had better start explaining, enchantress.”
Pasha squeezed Vika’s shoulder. And she told them what had transpired.
When she was finished, Yuliana flew at her, grabbing Vika by both arms and shaking her. “Nikolai tried to kill my brother. And what did you do? An atrocious job at trapping him, and then you allow him to waltz in here to see our father’s murderer and steal justice from us ... and then ... argh! You shower him with flowers as if in a parade, while he tries to kill us again!” Yuliana slapped Vika across the face.
“Yuliana!” Pasha grabbed her and yanked her away.
Vika rubbed her cheek and looked at the grand princess. “I deserved that.”
“No, you didn’t,” Pasha said.
Vika stared at him.How can he still be so good?
“You deserve worse,” Yuliana said.
Vika could not deny that.
Yuliana seethed. “You found a loophole in my orders and undermined them on purpose, didn’t you, because you still have the absurd notion that you’re going to save Nikolai. Well, there will be more specificity in my orders goingforward to ensure that you comply.” She looked pointedly at Vika’s wrist.
Vika closed her eyes. She could already feel the cuff tightening, a precursor to the confines of her world narrowing.
“And furthermore,” Yuliana said, “you won’t use any magic at all unless explicitly commanded by Pasha or myself.”
