Author's Note: This is a long chapter. Very long. But I hope you like the beginning of this story. I hope to include the character's from both books and the details that Leigh has included in the trilogy thus far. I am personally a Darkling and Alina shipper, but Mal lovers don't you worry! I love him too, and I hope to include him a little later in the story. It is a big character list, but you will see Ivan and David, and hopefully...Sturmhond. Hopefully. School starts on Wednesday, so we'll see. The italicized part is from the actual book, Shadow and Bone.

She nodded. "I am not mad. I am the only person who knows what he truly is, what he truly intends. And I am telling you that you must run."

The Darkling had claimed he didn't know what Baghra's power was. Had he lied to me?

I shook my head. Maybe he'd lied to me about Baghra's power; maybe he'd lied to me about Baghra being his mother. But he wouldn't have lied to me about the Black Heretic. I knew that.

I straightened my back, looked her in the eye. "I don't believe you, old woman. Those who are mad will always say they are not. You've kept the secret this long, after all those lessons. This must be a mere fabrication of your senile mind." I turned around and marched toward the exit. I made my voice cold. "I will give you until the fete is over to leave. Be glad I show you this much mercy."

Baghra snorted behind me. "You can take your mercy and shove it. You'll see what happens now that you won't listen to me. And you'll suffer for it."

"I'm glad I didn't listen to you. If you were a real mother, I doubt that this conversation would have occurred." I pushed the door open and left Baghra standing there.

The door to my room shut behind me and I stumbled to the floor. My silk kefta fell around me like a black stain. I shuddered. How could she believe her son is a monster? Would a monster have rescued me from Fjerdans? Would a monster have given me such support? I remembered the Darkling's lips on mine by the lake. Would a monster have kissed me like that? He'd had shame in his eyes as he talked about his dark ancestor. He wasn't the monster. His great-great-grandfather had been. And his mother was one too.

Baghra wasn't sane. The realization hurt more than I thought it would. She'd been my mentor; she'd helped me discover my power. I had trusted her. Is that why she'd taught me? To build up trust and eventually get me alone and tell me that the Darkling was not who I thought he was?

But the Darkling was the only thing I had, besides Genya. Did she really think that I would leave them and the Little Palace just because an old crone said so?

No, I wouldn't.

I dragged myself to the table where Genya and I usually sat and ran my fingers over the glossy surface. It was our table. So many memories. I would have missed it.

I picked up my hand mirror and looked at myself, underneath what Genya had done. My eyes were huge and dark, my pale skin oddly translucent. Long waves of brown hair framed a slightly round face. My cheeks were flushed and dimpled. My lips were pouty and dark peony pink. I shone. I had finally found myself. I wouldn't abandon that.

I let out a long sigh and started pulling the golden pins out of my hair, one by one, until my waves fell loose around my shoulders, almost to my waist. I slipped out of my sandals and wrapped my arms around myself. The silk clung to my body, hugged my curves.

The image of Genya saying, "Ooh, I knew you'd look good in black." made me laugh. Should I tell her about me and the Darkling? I knew Genya would eat that up like those almond candies she obsessed over. But wait, I thought. I had to confront him about what Baghra had said. I knew it wasn't true, but I had to tell him what I knew. I wasn't about to start keeping secrets from him.

I ran out my door and down the stairs, trying to find the Darkling's council room. The sooner, the better.

Too late, I figured out that I was still barefoot, but I kept on.

My feet led me to the chamber where I had my meals with the other Grisha. Not a person in sight. The eclipse on the ebony doors to the council room stood out sharply among the wandering beasts.

I took a deep breath and opened it.

The men inside were just getting up to leave. I registered the King's men and some of the Grisha, even Ivan, but my eyes landed on the Darkling, whose gray gaze met mine.

He stood up, and his voice reverberated through the room. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure to meet with all of you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. Long live King Lantsov."

"Long live King Lantsov," the men repeated. They all bowed and filed out the door. I saw a couple of their gazes linger on me. One of the King's officers even winked at me. I shuddered in disgust.

A few stayed behind to share some last words with the Darkling, including Ivan and a Shu representative. A Shu Han officer? What is he doing here?

The Darkling nodded to them respectfully, but I saw what he was trying to get across: Leave. Now.

Ivan strode toward me, his habitual smirk plastered on his face. His eyes looked me up and down. "Nice look, Starkov. Frazzled and barefoot works for you," he said quietly, so the others wouldn't overhear.

"Shut up, Ivan."

"Hmmph. Good comeback." His hand brushed my shoulder as he walked out the room. The bastard.

As the last man disappeared from sight and closed the door, the Darkling met my eyes. "Has something happened, Alina?"

I crossed my arms. "Why didn't you tell me Baghra was your mother?"

I saw his shoulders tense. "I didn't think it would matter. In the grand scheme of things, Alina, would it change anything if you knew she was my mother? It would have had no effect on anything."

"Yes it would have," I shot back. Then I flushed and looked down. "I would have known that you trust me."

He sighed. "Of course I trust you, Alina. I trust you enough to put the fate of Ravka in your hands. I trusted you enough to tell you about Morozova."

"That's different," I whispered. "You had no choice but to trust me with Ravka. I'm the Sun Summoner. They aren't in abundance, you know."

His perfect lips curled into a small smile. "Perhaps not. But I trust you with other things. I trust you to keep your demeanor around the King, and that is no small task. I trust you to withstand courtly pressures." He strolled toward me, his long legs carrying him to just in front of me. "I trust you to trust me." With that, he cupped my cheek and leaned forward until his mouth was meager inches from mine.

"Alina," he said softly. A thousand sparks shot through me at that mere word. The room suddenly felt a lot hotter. I wondered what Baghra would have said. I held on to that thought. I have to tell him what happened.

His hand was cupping the back of my neck, and that hand slowly slid down to the small of my back, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. I could feel the pressure of his fingers through the measly layer of silk. Focus, Starkov. FOCUS, YOU STUPID THING. I could barely even stand, and he wasn't even kissing me! What was I here for again?

The Darkling's thumb stroked the length of my jaw, and I heard him sigh, "Alina." I could feel his breath on my lips as he pushed closer to me. My heart pounded in my chest and the blood warmed in my cheeks. This stupid pale skin. The blush grew deeper as his thumb traced the shape of my mouth, lingering. Focus, damn it! Focus! The hand at my back pulled me to him.

I grabbed hold of logic and put my hands on his chest, stopping him. I saw the surprise in his eyes…and the hurt, too. I gulped. "While we're on the topic of me trusting you, I have to tell you something." My bare feet shuffled toward the table. My back was to the Darkling. I couldn't face him. "BaghratoldmethatyouweretheBlackHeretic." The words tumbled out of my mouth and fell to the floor uselessly. The heavy silence that followed seemed to have a texture to it. I turned to him to see his reaction.

His quartz eyes darkened slightly and he cocked his head to the side, looking at me as if I were a difficult puzzle to figure out. I turned pink under his scrutiny. "And you…didn't believe her?" he asked.

I shook my head from side to side, hard enough to make me a bit dizzy. "She might have helped me with my power, but without you, I wouldn't have discovered it and known its importance."

I looked up at him. He towered over me, but he was distant enough that I didn't have to crane my neck up to meet his eyes. "You helped form me, I suppose." Various emotions flashed in his eyes. I realized what I said and turned around to face the various maps of Ravka that lined the walls of the room. I reached out tentatively and traced the mountain range that separated Ravka from Shu Han. The Sikurzoi. Then, my finger circled the spot where Keramzin was located.

Mal. A shard of pain like a knife bloomed in my ribs. He'd helped form me too, during all those years there. He was my best friend, my playmate… my brother. I bit my lip, and a realization came to me. All those years, I had loved Mal. But I had been mistaken. Utterly mistaken.

I'd swooned for him just as all those other girls like Zoya and Ruby had. But that was wrong. He was never meant to be my lover…Mal was like a sibling to me. My brother. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. In fact, it didn't hurt at all. It would have been incest to kiss him.

I still missed him terribly, but all I could do was say a prayer to the Saints and hope they would listen. He had a separate life now, and he would make it without me, just as I would without him. I wished so much that I could say one last goodbye to him, instead of the confrontation from earlier. But it was too late now. Mal was my history, and I would appreciate it all my life. The Darkling was my future; all I had to do was let him.

I felt the Darkling's hands on my shoulders and leaned into him, my head on his chest. "Thank you for not believing her," he whispered, lips brushing my ear. "I'm glad that I've helped you." I felt his grip relax.

"More than you know," I said.

The Darkling put his hand on top of mine and led my finger across the map from Keramzin to Os Alta. "I don't think so, Alina. You made this journey by yourself. I may have brought you here, but you're the one that decided to stay and build yourself, from the ground up, into the beautiful woman you are today."

"I'm not beautiful," I laughed. I knew I looked better, but it was near impossible to have good self-esteem when Genya and Zoya were around. It would have been impossible for anyone.

The Darkling turned me to face him. His hand cupped my chin so I didn't look away. "Yes, you are."

I raised an eyebrow. "As you so kindly pointed out, I look like a mouse."

He ran a hand through his hair. It stuck out every which way like it had when I'd seen him argue with Baghra. He looked years younger, and I had to tamp down the urge to run my hands through it. His hair just looked so soft. "If I may remind you, Alina, that was months ago. I didn't even know who you were, only what you could do. You didn't look self-confident in the least."

"I'd just gotten attacked by volcra."

"I know that. But you looked scared," he whispered, kissing my cheek. "Frail." His lips trailed to the corner of my mouth. "Now, you are poised." His mouth found mine. "Stronger." He placed his hand on my hip. "Graceful," he murmured, the movement of his lips causing shivers from my lips to my feet. "Beautiful." He placed my lower lip between his and tugged gently.

I gasped as rational thinking left me. My arms twined behind his neck. I stood on my toes to press myself against him.

The Darkling picked me up and set me down on the tabletop, his hands on either side of me. There was anger in his kiss, but it was overwhelmed by desire. His hand was deep in my hair and he gently moved my head so my throat was bare to him; pale and naked. He sighed and bit my neck.

My breath caught and I pulled him to me. The Darkling's grip on my hips tightened and his lips drifted to my ear, down my jaw. I fell backward and brought him down with me. He was practically on top of me. I heard a low groan escape his throat.

As much as I wanted this, wanted him, I felt a sliver of panic. I wasn't ready, but at the same time, I didn't want to stop. "Wait…" I gasped as his mouth grazed my cheekbone.

The Darkling froze and leaned away. "Have I done something wrong?" His eyes were cool, but I detected his wounded tone.

"No!" I burst out, and then cringed at my volume. "I just…have to ask you something."

The Darkling nodded. "Of course."

I hesitated. "Why was there a Shu Han delegate here? I was just wondering, since the Shu don't have anything to do with Morozova's stag."

He ran a hand through his hair, thus mussing it further. "I forgot to tell you," he mumbled. "The Shu Emperor has decreed a peace treaty between Fjerda, Shu Han, Kerch, and Ravka. The King has decided not to attend and you and I will have to take his place. It'll take days, perhaps weeks. I'm afraid, Alina, that you will have to wait a bit longer for your amplifier."

That wasn't what I was expecting. "Isn't destroying the Fold more important than a peace treaty? I don't mean to sound like a snob, but we haven't had peace for centuries. Why should we pause our plans for a treaty that might not work?"

He frowned. "There are Shu spies and Fjerdan assassins placed all over Ravka. If they get a signal they could attack within hours. Capturing the Stag, traveling to Kribirsk, destroying the Fold, would take a matter of days, maybe more than a week."

"But wouldn't they just attack while we were gone?"

The Darkling sighed. "We'll have to take that chance, Alina."

"I understand." A thought came to me. "Why do I have to go? I'm not a political figure."

He shook his head and ran a hand over his neck. "You're wrong, Alina. You are the savior of Ravka and being present is your responsibility. People still think you're just a rumor. It wouldn't hurt for you to prove them wrong."

"All right," I muttered. "Why didn't you tell me earlier though?"

The Darkling sent me a meaningful glance and gestured at my position. I was still sitting on top of the table.

My cheeks turned approximately the same shade as Genya's hair.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Never mind that," I babbled.

He laughed softly, then walked over and picked me up. He settled me down on the floor. His hands lingered on my waist. "We leave for the Shu capital in two days. It is best if you start to pack tomorrow morning. And Alina," he bent down to whisper. "Ahmrat Jen is full of secrets. Be wise and be careful."

The words sent shivers down my spine.

I faced the doors, then slowly unwrapped the Darkling's arms from around me. I stared into the Darkling's eyes and spoke the word I didn't want to say: "Goodnight."

Then I left him standing alone in the room, just as I had done to Baghra.

Author's Note: So...what did you think? Please review! Guesses, questions, everything is welcome. Ask me anything! And I'll let you guess yourself what the title means...;)