Meanwhile, Mal volunteers to track down the Stag for Kirigan. He encounters many dangers along the way but manages to find it in the north. However, he is wounded by Fjerdan soldiers and captured by Kaz’s crew. Alina learns from Baghra that Kirigan is actually the Black Heretic who created the Fold and plans to use Alina’s power to expand it and conquer other countries. She also reveals that she is his mother and urges Alina to flee with Mal before Kirigan finds them. Alina escapes from Os Alta with the help of Genya and reunites with Mal at an inn. They decide to go to Kerch together and seek asylum. However, they are ambushed by Kirigan and his men, who kill Kaz’s crew (except for Inej) and take Alina and Mal prisoner.

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Kirigan takes them to the Fold and forces Alina to wear a collar made from the Stag’s antlers, which gives him control over her power. He then uses her light to create volcra from his shadows and unleash them on the West Ravkan army, who are waiting on the other side of the Fold. Alina resists Kirigan’s influence by realizing that she killed the Stag herself and thus has a connection with it. She breaks free from his collar and fights back against him. She also saves Mal from being killed by Zoya, who switches sides after seeing Kirigan’s true nature. With the help of Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, and Matthias, who have all escaped or defected from their captors, Alina and Mal manage to get out of the Fold alive. They board a ship bound for Kerch, where they plan to start a new life together. However, Kirigan still hunts them, who survives his injuries and emerges from the Fold with a new army of shadow soldiers.

2. Kaz’s Heist

Source: hellomagazine

Kaz’s heist begins when he receives an offer from Jan Van Eck, a wealthy merchant in Kerch, to kidnap Alina Starkov for 1 million kruge. He accepts the job after learning that she is a Sun Summoner who can destroy the Fold. He recruits Inej Ghafa, a Suli acrobat and spy who works for him at the Crow Club; Jesper Fahey, a Zemeni sharpshooter and gambler; and Nina Zenik, a Ravkan Heartrender (a type of Corporalki who can manipulate bodies) who works as a spy for the Grisha. They travel to Ketterdam, the capital of Kerch, where they meet Van Eck’s son Wylan Van Eck, a runaway and explosives expert who joins them as a hostage. They also learn that they need a way to cross the Fold without being detected by Kirigan’s forces. Then they hire Arken Visser, aka The Conductor, a smuggler who claims to have a secret passage through the Fold. He leads them to an abandoned train station where they board an old locomotive powered by Grisha Squallers.

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However, Volcra attack them on their way and Arken betrays them by revealing himself as a Fjerdan witch hunter. They manage to escape with the help of Nina’s powers and Jesper’s shooting skills. In addition, they also capture Matthias Helvar, a Fjerdan drüskelle (a type of witch hunter) who was working with Arken. Nina reveals that she knows Matthias from before when they were shipwrecked together and fell in love but she betrayed him to save herself. They reach Novokribirsk, a town near the Little Palace, where Alina is staying. After that, they disguise themselves as performers and infiltrate the Winter Fete, a celebration of Alina’s power. They plan to kidnap her during her demonstration of creating light. However, their plan goes wrong when Kirigan reveals his true intentions and takes Alina and Mal into the Fold. Kaz decides to follow them and rescue Alina, hoping to still get paid by Van Eck. He convinces Inej, Jesper, and Wylan to join him, while Nina stays behind with Matthias, who she has been trying to persuade to defect from Fjerda.
They enter the Fold using another train and find Alina and Mal fighting against Kirigan. They help them escape and make their way back to Novokribirsk. Van Eck meets them there, who double-crosses them and tries to take Alina away. He also reveals that he has kidnapped Inej and threatens to kill her if Kaz doesn’t cooperate. Kaz refuses to give up Alina and reveals that he has swapped her with Wylan using Genya’s Tailoring skills. He also exposes Van Eck’s treachery to his men and starts a shootout. In the chaos, Alina reunites with Mal and escapes with Kaz’s crew on a skiff. They head towards Kerch together, where they hope to find a safe haven. However, they are still in danger from Kirigan, who has survived the Fold and is determined to get Alina back. He also has a new ally in Nina, who has betrayed Matthias and handed him over to the Kerch authorities.