Chapter 18

                                    

                                          
A week had passed, and I stayed in Sturmhond's room. I had to be accompanied out of the room by the Darkling's Grisha because he didn't trust me. This week I had learned that the Darkling was looking for something. An amplifier. One of Morozovas. Like the stag, he was now looking for another. I was never told that he was looking but I suspected it. He kept Mal at the side of the boat, and the Darkling stared off into the ocean. Searching.
He couldn't possibly want to put another amplifier on Alina. All of Morozova's amplifiers. I believe there are three of them. The most powerful Amplifiers known today. Ilya Morozova had created these amplifiers using merzost.
Merzost is the power of creation, it is another form of the Small Science. You sacrifice something you need. It drains your liveliness. The power is drastic and may cause something horrible.
 I was going on my daily walk with the stupid Grisha around me. I slipped away from them heading over to Sturmhond who was standing by the wheel of the ship. We stood there looking at the deck. That's when I saw Alina yelling at the Darkling and Mal being carried out by him.
"What are they doing?!" I ask Sturmhond.
"Not sure, but it doesn't look good," he answered still looking at the deck.
The Darkling spoke, "Tracker I need you to track, so... track."
"Track? Track what, whales?" Mal asked.
"No. The sea whip"
"You want me to hunt a dragon," Mal looked at him unamused.
"Rusalye." The Darkling said. I've heard that name from past stories. Wait... the second amplifier?
Mal scoffed saying something I wasn't able to hear from the wheel of the boat.
They kept talking but the more they did it seemed to get quieter and quieter.
"Do you know what they're saying?" I asked Sturmhond.
"The Darkling is trying to get Mal to hunt the sea whip. Long story short if Mal doesn't hunt it then the Darkling will peel Alina's skin off slowly." He said bluntly. The color from my face drained. That couldn't happen, not to her.
"Don't look so scared, sweetheart, I'm going to go put him in his place." Sturmhond stepped away from me running to the deck. I followed him not that close behind.
"I won't have a girl tortured on my ship," he ordered.
"You work for me, Sturmhond. You'll do your job or getting paid will be the least of your worries."
My eyes scanned the ship. My eyes met a green pair, Genya. Her hand was placed over her mouth and her eyes were wide. There's no way she could deny that he was evil now.
Sturmhond tried to negotiate to ask if he would give Mal time to find the sea whip. But the Darkling just smirked and shook his head about to begin peeling Alina's arm.
"No! I- I'll do it!" Mal shouted,
"Mal..."
"Take southwest," he ordered.
"Alright, you have a week tracker. Get to it or you know what will happen." The Darkling said.
And that's all. Everyone separated and the Grisha found me grabbing me tightly dragging me back to my-- Sturmond's cabin.