Chapter 2
Genya entered her room after knocking a couple times, not waiting for Alina to tell her to enter. They had gotten into a habit in the last week of Genya entering, telling her the schedule for the day, helping her dress with idle chit chat, then leaving. They avoided serious subjects for the most part. Alina had not heard back from the general, and Mal was going to leave any day now. She looked at Genya hopefully. The woman knew what that look meant and smiled.
"I have good news for you. Mal is leaving tomorrow, but the general is letting you see him today. In fact, you just have to get dressed, and I'll take you to him."
Alina dressed quickly, and headed for the door. She couldn't wait to see Mal, but she was almost as excited to just step outside her room. Her next request to Kirigan would be to be allowed outside; she needed some fresh air. Genya led them through some long hallways, and up and down a few flights of stairs, finally stopping at a room with a nondescript door. Ivan was outside the door standing guard. Alina looked at Genya in surprise at that. The man was almost always with the general.
"You are allowed one hour with Mal, then Ivan will take you back to your room," Genya said. Alina nodded, then entered the room. She was surprised again when Ivan closed the door behind her. Spending time alone with Mal was more than she had hoped for, and she was surprised the general was allowing it.
"They let you come! I've been asking whenever the healer comes, but she said it was out of her control. Are you ok?" Mal asked, walking towards her. Seeing him up and walking warmed her heart.
"I'm not the one who got shot. I'm fine! How are you feeling?"
"The healers did a good job. I just needed time to recover my energy before my trek back to first army. I asked them to let me stay, but they just ignore that as well. You managed to come here. Could you convince them to let me stay? I don't know what I'd do, but I can't stand the thought of you being here alone."
"Mal, its better if you go. If you stay, the general might decide to use you to get me to cooperate with his plans. I'll feel better knowing you are safe at camp. Keep writing me though, and I'll keep writing you. I'll make the general give me your letters this time, somehow."
"I don't want to leave you again Alina. We belong together," Mal said, then he stepped closer and kissed her. She kissed him back. It was the first time they had kissed. It felt warm and safe to embrace him, but it wasn't like kissing Aleksander. She pulled back with that thought.
"I'm sorry Alina. I know I've never kissed you before, but when I'm with you it feels like home. Everything feels right. I know we belong together. Even with you being a Grisha now, I can't stop thinking about you. I've known you almost your whole life, and I know you better than anyone, definitely better than that general. I've seen the way he looks at you," Mal said angrily.
"The way he looks at me?" Alina asked.
"Yes," Mal spat out, "But he is the darkling general. He isn't right for you. You are pure light. Just get a letter to me if he tries anything, ok? I'll figure out a way to get back to you. We'll escape for good next time, to the other side of the fold. I hate leaving you here."
"Don't worry Mal. I think the general will just try to use me for the fold. I don't think he has any other interest in me," she said, but Mal's comments had her wondering again. Did the general want more with her?
Then her eyes focused back on Mal. Did she love Mal in a romantic way? He was her best friend, and she had had a crush on him for years, but now she wasn't sure. When she had kissed Aleksander it has been magic, but maybe it was a kind of magic, just his manipulation of her that made her feel the most amazing she had felt in her life. There was no spark when she kissed Mal. She had daydreamed about it when they were in the camps together, but now, she didn't know when, but her romantic feelings for him had faded. She didn't know what to say.
They talked for a while longer, filling their hour talking of old memories and times they had spent together as children. It was a pleasant conversation, and Mal didn't press to know her feelings towards him. Then there was a knock at the door and Ivan entered. He didn't say a word; he just gave her the your time is up look. She nodded and stood.
"Mal, stay safe alright? Don't do anything rash. I'll get a letter to you if I need you. Thank you for coming for me," Mal gave her one more quick hug.
"You stay safe too. Don't let your temper make you do something rash." She smiled at him, then left with Ivan. She would miss having him close by, and having someone to talk to that wasn't involved in Grisha politics, and wasn't reporting to General Kirigan. She wished Fedyor was escorting her. She much preferred him to Ivan.
It had been almost another week, and Alina had started counting the dot patterns on her curtains. Her studies occupied some of her time, and she was given books to read, but she could not stand all the time confined to her room. A few days before she had asked Genya to ask the general if she could go outside. There had been no response, but Genya said he had been very busy the past week with some visiting diplomats and some raids by Drüskelle on their border.
There was a knock on her door, which surprised her. Genya had just left and her lessons were not until much later today.
"Come in," she said standing to greet whoever her guest was. The door swung open and the last person she expected entered.
"Good morning Alina. You wish to go outside?" General Kirigan asked. Alina's breath caught. The man looked as dashingly handsome as ever, and she yearned to step closer, to feel the sparks between them, to feel his shadows on her skin.
"Yes, being a prisoner in this room is driving me mad," she managed to reply, standing her ground.
"I will only allow that if I am accompanying you. Today I have a couple hours of free time so if you wish to take a stroll with me outside, let's go," he said and turned and left.
Alina scampered forward to catch up, and soon walked beside him, matching his long stride as best as she could. She refused to follow behind him like a lost puppy.
When they stepped out into the fresh air, Alina inhaled deeply. The crispness filling her lungs and making her relax tension she didn't know she had been holding. She didn't realize she had stopped, until she saw the general looking at her expectantly. A chill suddenly ran up her spine and goosebumps covered her arms. Then she noticed the little flurries coming from the sky. The air felt much colder than last time she left.
General Kirigan noticed, and in one swift motion removed his cloak and wrapped it around her. Alina wanted to refuse, but that seemed petulant. His cloak smelled like him, and she couldn't wait to get the thing off of her. The pleasant warmth of it soon warmed her, and her goosebumps left her.
"Take me to the stag," Alina said suddenly, trying to not think about the general being kind to her. "I appreciate you letting me see Mal, but you made me another promise that day as well. I want to see if you kept it."
"I said I would heal you friend and I would not kill the stag until you told me about it. We talked in the carriage so I have kept both promises," the dark general said.
"You haven't killed it, have you?" Alina asked anxious.
"If I had, it would not mean I broke my word Alina. However, it is not dead. I told you I plan to run some experiments first."
"Take me to it," she demanded. General Kirigan stared at her for a minute, then gave a gracious nod.
"Follow me," he said, and walked off to the east. They approached an elaborate building, with pillars and stained glass windows. "The apparat's church."
Alina hadn't known the apparat had his own building. She would avoid it in the future if she was alone. The apparat was a disturbing man.
Thankfully the central cathedral was empty, and she admired the beautiful paintings as they went to the rear of the building. Walking down a narrow staircase that was lit with low light by lanterns on either side, she found herself in close proximity to the general. She bit her bottom lip. She refused to talk to him.
They left the stairs, and all thoughts of the handsome general left her mind when she saw the creature in a metal cage at the end of the hall. She ran forward and knelt down before the cage. The stag was lying on its side, but breathing. She then noticed the heartrender and four other men around the cage. They had also passed guards when they entered the church.
"It's alright?" Alina asked. The creature looked healed and just sleeping. There was a metal band around its neck though.
"Just asleep," the general said.
"And the metal band around its neck?" she asked.
"It is a fabrikator. I told you I would be running tests," he said. She supposed that was better than the alternative. "Come, you wanted fresh air and I don't have much time. We'll walk around the gardens, then I must return you to your room."
Alina nodded and started following him back up the narrow stairs. How long would these tests run? Would the general just kill the stag in the end? What did he want? She stopped walking. The general stopped as well and turned to face her. They were less than a foot apart, and she felt lost as she stared into his eyes.
"I kept my word Alina. Are you ready to start listening to me?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"Maybe if you give your word not to lie to me, and not to keep secrets," Alina whispered.
"Oh, you think I should trust you with all of my secrets? Last time you heard them, you ran away and decided I was your enemy. Trust works both ways Alina," he said, sounding angry, and dark shadows started covering the lanterns. How dare he be angry with her after what Baghra said!
"Your mother told me you are an power hungry, eternal evil being that created the fold and wants to make me your slave and expand the fold! Is it surprising that that made me run off! What right do you have to be angry?" Alina shouted, but regretted it as the shadows seemed to intensify for a moment. Fear started creeping into her skin, and she found her skin starting to glow.
"Maybe I should just take you back to your room," the general said coolly, and started walking up the stairs again. Alina followed, thoughts swirling. They quickly left the church, and headed back towards the palace. Alina didn't want to go back to her prison, and she needed answers.
"Wait," she said, but he ignored her and continued walking. "Will you give me your word not to lie to me? You don't have to tell me everything. I just want to be able to ask you things, and know you aren't lying to me to manipulate me."
"And what will you give me in return Alina? Will you stop looking at me like I'm a monster? If you stop treating me like a villain, maybe I'll stop acting like one," he said. They continued walking and entered the palace. They walked in silence for a while, until they reached her chambers.
There were guards at the entrance of her rooms as usual. The general opened her door and looked ready to leave. She grabbed him arm, which seemed to surprise him, and pulled him in. She shut the door so the guards wouldn't hear. He was looking at her incredulously, and it was almost enough to make her smile.
"Please Kirigan, give me your word not to lie to me, and I will try my best to hear your side of the story. How can I not view you as my enemy after what Baghra said, but I do want to hear your side. Please."
The general stared at her for a minute before answering, "I will consider it, but now I must go." He stepped forward, kissed her hand, then left.
Alina managed to stay standing until the door was closed, then collapsed onto her bed. He'd never done that before. What was wrong with her, swooning at just a kiss on the hand. It terrified her, the power he seemed to have over her. His dark shadows in the stairs had scared her, but anytime he kissed her, they came out in a caress. They seemed to match the general's mood, and her sun powers sang anytime he was nearby. It was as if his darkness was a perfect balance for her light, and when he was near she felt complete. That was a dangerous thought, and the general was a dangerous man. She needed to hear from his own mouth the evil he had done. Then she would be able to resist him.
