"What happened to us, Alina?" Mal asks as we stand with our foreheads touching lightly and our hands clasped together between us. I sigh. "I got clever," I whisper. His eyes soften. "There's nothing wrong with being clever." "I know. But then I got too clever. And once I was too clever I got twisted," another sigh, "and when I got too twisted, I just... broke." Now it's Mal's turn to sigh. He doesn't deny what I've said. I knew he wouldn't. "I miss you," he blurts, and I feel that far too familiar twinge in my heart. I know exactly what he means, I know that he misses the old me. The scared little orphan girl from Kermazin that he never payed attention too. At least not the way I always wanted him to notice me. The anger floods in but I push it back. It's not his fault. "I miss you too," I sigh into his lips, "but that girl is gone." His face jerks up. "I want her back, Alina. I know she can come back. We could try again, I know you can do it." He's pleading with me, and this time I don't stop the flood of anger. "She's gone Mal! She's never coming back. Move on, get over it. This is who I am now, and I will never stop being Grisha!" I realise I've been shouting. Mal drops my hands and takes a step back. "Damn it Alina," his voice has dropped dangerously low, "I know she's gone! You think I don't know this? I do. I just- I just wish we had more time." He pushes his fingers through his neat hair. I close the distance between us and wrap my hand around his neck. I bring my lips to his, but hesitate. I can see him straining, I can see the want on his face. "Know that I loved you. Know that it was not enough," I whisper on to his lips before sealing the distance and kissing him. I feel the hard slant to his mouth, I can feel him ask for more. More time. More me. But I pull away. I lay my head on his chest and trace the silvery scar that just peeks out of his shirt, right over his heart. The scar that I left. "I belong to someone else now. You should go Mal." I keep my tone steady, although I am close to tears. I hide the pain, straighten my black kefta, and look him in the eye. I'm not really sure what I see there. Pain? Love? Hatred? Anger? I can give no guarantees that he feels anything, but I know what my eyes say and I know he's read it. Closure. He brings my hand to his lips and brushes a kiss across my fingertips. "Goodbye Alina." Then we break apart and it's like a door has been opened. I feel at peace and when he walks out of the door and out of my sight, my heart stays steady. I feel no regret. It was for the best. I turn and push through the door opposite the one Mal left, and enter the throne room. It is almost completely dark, and when I close the door the last sliver of light is extinguished. Anyone else would have been frightened by the unknown, but I am not. Then the Darkling is there. I cannot see him but I catch his smell and I hear his breathing, so close to me. I feel his breath on my neck, my cheek, my lips, and each breath leaves a gentle kiss. Still I do not move. His hands are on my waist now, and he pulls me into him, pulls me into the darkness. I let him. He leaves a trail of kisses up my neck and cheeks and I feel him pause, centimetres from my lips. "You are mine. You are mine, Alina," his voice is deeper than I've ever heard it, and there is an intensity there. A hunger. My heart thumps in my chest. He's going to devour me. My face cracks into a twisted smile. He's going to destroy me, I am going to bleed darkness, and I don't care. I laugh, a shattered laugh, and kiss him. Light burns through my eyelids, and his power pulses through me. Tendrils of light and dark wrap around each other, in perfect harmony. Like calls to like. "You are mine. Mine." I growl into the darkness. I nip at a tender spot on his neck and I feel him soften, I feel him shudder as he complies. His power is mine. I am a dragon claiming what is hers. I call out the darkness. More. The power hums through our veins. Mine. I'm drowning in the darkness. Like calls to like. I'm burning in the light. Mine. We are everywhere. Like calls to like. He is mine. Mine. The word echoes through my mind as the power surges. So much power. Mine. My whole body tingles with power. Like calls to like. "You are mine," I remind him, calling out more darkness. He obeys. "I am yours. Eternally." So much power. Mine. So dark. Mine. Too bright. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Like calls to like.