Frontline Photos: Oct. SMA thinks so. New camera footage from Niger ambush bolsters case for medal upgrades, moms of fallen soldiers say. Congress looks to improve military vehicle safety. By Meghann Myers. By Davis Winkie. By Nathan Strout.
VA Secretary wary about burnout as post-pandemic work piles up In an interview with Military Times, Denis McDonough said his department is looking at telehealth options and other changes but firmly focused on increasing services and benefits for veterans. Nikolai and Kaz discuss Kaz's plan to stage an auction for the indenture of Kuwei Yul-Bo , a boy whose father created jurda parem and who may be integral in developing an antidote to the drug.
Kaz, suspicious of the idea that a privateer would be given the power to decide the fate of a nation, refuses to deal with Sturmhond unless the privateer discloses his true identity. When Nikolai hints to Kaz that he is the king of Ravka, and that he uses his old persona to take action where it would not be appropriate to do so as King, Kaz agrees to execute their plan: Sturmhond will enter the auction and bid on behalf of Ravka.
However, a problem arises. Ravka does not have enough funds to bid competitively in the auction; the Ravkan Civil War two years prior combined with years of poor financial management under the previous Lantsov Kings has left the country's treasury depleted. As a result, Nikolai has borrowed heavily from Kerch banks in order to sustain his country, a fact well-known to the Kerch Merchant Council. Despite this, Kaz plans a way to transport Kuwei to Ravka and simultaneously implicate his enemy Jan Van Eck in meddling in the auction.
After Kuwei's death is faked and he is smuggled out of the auction site in order to prevent pursuit by other interested nations, Nikolai, Zoya, and Genya prepare to bring the boy back to Ravka. The other members of Kaz's gang remain unaware of Sturmhond's true identity; however, Nina Zenik , a former soldier of the Second Army, feels that she has met Sturmhond before and that his voice is strangely familiar.
Before Nikolai leaves with Zoya and Genya, he encourages Nina to return to the Second Army, and informs her that Ravka and the king are grateful for her service. At the very end of the book, it is revealed that Nikolai sent scouts to find Inej Ghafa 's parents as a part of his deal with Kaz. Taking place sometime after the events of Crooked Kingdom , it is revealed that Nikolai's body still contains a sliver of the Darkling 's magic.
Nikolai has begun to temporarily transform into a winged monster as he did in Ruin and Rising. The monster only comes at night, and occurrences are growing more frequent, putting people at risk from the creature's hunger for human flesh.
On top of that, unexplained events have been happening all around Ravka ; statues have begun to weep, and a bridge made of bone has sprung from nowhere. The people have called these events miracles, and a new religious cult has appeared - the Cult of the Starless One, which preaches that the Darkling is a Saint, and will be reborn.
With Ravka in considerable debt to Kerch, and war with Fjerda brimming on the horizon, Nikolai needs to focus on finding a Queen and securing Ravka's throne with an heir.
With the appearances of the monster inside him growing more and more difficult to control, Nikolai embarks on a quest to find a cure. Supported by Zoya and Yuri, one of the monks from the Cult of the Starless One, he journeys into the Fold seeking the place where the Darkling died.
Yuri has told tales of an ancient ritual that was once used to remove monsters from men. Nikolai hopes it can work for him. En route to the Fold, the group is attacked by Shu soldiers using jurda parem , the drug discovered in the Six of Crows series. When Zoya is almost taken, Nikolai leaps to her defense and manages to manifest the monster in daylight for the first time. He also retains control of his mind for the first time and is able to make the monster retreat once Zoya is safe.
The incident reveals the King's condition to Yuri, who is awed by an obvious manifestation of the Darkling's power. Nikolai points out that Saints have to be martyred, and so long as that power still exists, the Darkling cannot be a Saint. Yuri promises to help Nikolai get rid of the monster as a result. When they arrive at their destination, Nikolai, Zoya, and Yuri are taken captive by three monstrous creatures; a dragon, a woman surrounded by bees, and a creature that keeps changing its form.
They claim to have been trapped in the Fold since its creation by the Darkling years ago. They ask Nikolai to complete the ritual to excise the demon and destroy the last of the Darkling's power, the act of which will finally free them from the Fold and allow them to live out mortal lives.
In preparation, Elizaveta trains Nikolai to call the monster forth at will, helping him to better understand the nature of the creature within him.
Recognizing Nikolai's attachment to Zoya, Elizaveta temporarily drowns her in order to prompt the transformation. It works, and Zoya willingly submits to multiple sessions of torture to help her King. At the same time, Juris, having earlier destroyed Zoya's amplifier, gives her training which lets her access every aspect of Grisha power. When Nikolai undergoes the ritual, Elizaveta betrays him, revealing that she had secretly saved the Darkling's body from its funeral pyre and intends not to destroy him, but to bring him back to life.
Yuri has been helping her and deliberately betrays Nikolai. Despite beating the demon in his battle for control of his body, Nikolai looks set to die. Zoya comes to his rescue, her powers vastly enhanced by a new amplifier - one made from the dragon scales of Juris, his final gift to her. Zoya is able to destroy the Darkling's body, kill Elizaveta with her own thorns, and revive Nikolai.
Having lost all track of time, they head back to the capital with Yuri in bonds. On their return, they discover that Genya, David, Tamar , and Tolya have done their best to conceal the disappearance of their King.
An Autumn Festival had been planned, in reality, to attempt diplomacy with their neighbors, under the mask of finding a Queen for Nikolai. A palace guard named Isaak has been disguised as Nikolai and fallen in love with one of the potential brides, the Shu princess Ehri.
The real Nikolai arrives home in time to see Ehri assassinate his double, and then stab herself. He realizes that Ehri was also an impostor; the real Ehri is hiding, pretending to be one of her own guards. Tamar manages to save the life of the assassin, and Nikolai takes Ehri as both his hostage and Queen, to prevent war with the Shu. He also makes a trade agreement with the Kerch in order to secure the support of both countries against Fjerda, who are now marching on Ravka with a pretender to the Ravkan throne at their head.
This pretender has the support of Magnus Opjer, who claims to have proof that he is Nikolai's true father. These are the problems ahead. Nikolai then reveals two pieces of bad news; the monster remains inside him, though it has been weakened, and the Darkling's return was successful. On the way back to Ravka, Nikolai had discovered that since his own body had been unavailable, the Darkling has taken up residence inside Yuri's instead.
Nikolai intends to keep him in custody as he is the key to getting rid of the monster inside him, and since they are about to be at war, he intends to use every resource he has. The Darkling, still bound, tells them that it's good to be home. As Sturmhond, he appears to be cocky and brash, always "using ten words when two would have sufficed.
Sturmhond is said to have the respect of his crew, not their fear; he is able to retain their loyalty without resorting to threats of power plays that Alina has seen the Darkling employ, and it is said that he "does things his own way," implying that he abides by his own rules rather than conventional ones.
He is shown to be proficient with a number of weapons and is always seen to be bearing an assortment of weapons, including a brace of pistols, several knives, and a sword. He seems to have a particular fondness for the sword, even being willing to instruct Mal in the use of it. Usually, Sturmhond is observed wearing a bright teal frock coat with gaudy gold buttons and huge cuffs that Alina thinks would be more at home in a ballroom than on a ship's deck.
When Alina and Mal dine with him, he shows a preference for fine cooking — the ship's crew includes a chef employed for this purpose.
In conversation, he is jovial and intentionally lighthearted; though, when he is challenged, he betrays a much harder edge. How do I update a page? Election results. Privacy policy About Ballotpedia Disclaimers Login. House, Senate, Senate North Carolina. Richard Burr. Thom Tillis. House North Carolina District 1. House North Carolina District 2. Deborah Ross. House North Carolina District 3. Gregory Murphy. House North Carolina District 4. David Price.
House North Carolina District 5. Virginia Foxx. House North Carolina District 6. Kathy Manning. The next day, Jesper accompanies Wylan to Olendaal to retrieve supplies for Wylan's auric acid and visit his mother's grave. They discover that Marya Hendriks is alive and institutionalized at Saint Hilde's, to Wylan's horror. Jesper helps Wylan through a panic attack and distracts the nurses so he can speak with his mother. With a renewed desire to destroy Van Eck, the boys return to Ketterdam.
Back on the island, Jesper attempts to explain the plan to Kuwei, who feigns misunderstanding, to Jesper's frustration. Jesper refuses Nina's offer to go to Ravka with the Grisha refugees, as he wants to see his father safely returned to his farm. Jesper realizes Kaz knew Marya was alive and kept this information from Wylan and is furious. Before the Crows split up again, Jesper talks to Wylan about his future; he begins to address his feelings for Wylan, but Kaz interrupts to take Wylan to the Van Eck manor, leaving Jesper with Matthias and Kuwei.
Jesper grows upset with Matthias's insight and the three discuss an antidote to parem. Based on his experience with jurda farming practices in Novyi Zem, Jesper suggests using the balm in the jurda stalks. Jesper moves Wylan's chemical powders into Kuwei's flames, turning the fire colors and stalling the Dime Lions, then the three escape Black Veil and run to Colm's suite at the Geldrenner Hotel.
From the clocktower, the Crows watch as the gangs, including the Dregs, are deputized and turn against them. Jesper suggests they all hide in the countryside, but Kaz refuses.
Their argument turns to a physical brawl until Colm arrives and chastises Jesper. Inej, having learned Jesper indirectly caused her to be stabbed on the way to the Ice Court, talks to Jesper about what it means to apologize.
She also advises him to take the first step to remedy his gambling addiction, and to tell his father the truth about his situation. Jesper tells his father the truth, but Colm is angry and refuses to accept that Jesper's Grisha ability could have been a gift rather than a curse. Upset, Jesper leaves the room and finds Wylan sitting at a piano, and the two kiss. However, the real Wylan appears in the doorway, causing Jesper to realize that he just kissed Kuwei instead.
Kaz outlines his plan to auction Kuwei and con the Merchant Council. Jesper refuses to involve his father, but Colm agrees to play the role for the con. Before meeting with the Ravkans, Jesper apologizes for mistaking Kuwei for Wylan, gives Wylan a painting of young Wylan from his mother's art room, and offers to accompany Wylan to meet with the Tailor Genya Safin. Jesper is thrilled to meet the legendary Sturmhond.
While Genya tailors Wylan back to his original appearance, Jesper watches for a while, then runs errands around the hotel until Genya is finished. Jesper and Wylan discuss their abilities and disabilities, and the two kiss. Before the auction, Jesper asks Kaz for the remaining parem in case something goes wrong, but Kaz refuses to let Jesper be a martyr.
Jesper enters the Church of Barter disguised as a member of the Zemeni delegation. When the fake Council of Tides arrives at the auction, Jesper feigns illness to leave the cathedral, but is attacked by a Kherguud soldier. Just as the soldier is about to capture him, Jesper remembers the chemical weevil in his pocket and forces it into the soldier's mouth, causing the soldier to decay from the inside.
Inej meets him in the cathedral and gives Jesper his rifle. Jesper is out of time to move to his sniper's position on the upper level, but he is able to shoot Kuwei from around a corner by guiding the bullet with his power. Nina, Inej, and Kuwei arrive with Matthias's body and they hold a small funeral for the Fjerdan. When Kaz gives the Crows their money, Jesper has him put Jesper's share in his father's name.
Jesper and Colm say goodbye, with Jesper planning to visit Novyi Zem again soon. Kuwei offers for Jesper to come to Ravka and train, but Jesper remains with Wylan. Jesper moves in with Wylan at the Van Eck house and spends time with Inej there, too.
Wylan gives Jesper a small allowance to play the stock markets and makes him promise to begin training as a Fabrikator. Jesper is witty, sarcastic, cocky, and teasing, but good-natured and friendly when he wants to be. Jesper is a flirt, and shamelessly so. He angers easily but doesn't hold a grudge for long. Though he has good intentions, he doesn't always consider the consequences of his actions.
Jesper is a gambler who enjoys figuring the odds of anything, whether in the cards or his own survival. Jesper is restless and often anxious, and uses gunfights and gambling to distract himself with an adrenaline rush. When he feels overwhelmed he rests his hands on his pistols to keep from fidgeting. Some of his recklessness likely comes from not using his Fabrikator powers.
Jesper's impulsiveness sometimes leads him to make poor decisions, which makes him feel guilty and leads to low self-esteem. Jesper is of Zemeni and Kaelish descent, with Zemeni dark skin and hair and grey eyes from his Kaelish father. He is lean, gangly, and very tall.
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