Chapter 13- Desperation.
Aleksander
I was some five miles from Os Alta when I was forced to slow my pace, the road south was clogged with all manner of vehicles and people. I could not fight this tide of humanity and I had to slow to little more than a trot as my mare wove through the throng of people. When I could I cantered along beside the road but too frequently I was slowed by the pleading of those who, recognising me, begged for me to bring them salvation.
I had to reach her, I'm coming, I silently intoned. If she heard me she did not respond. What if I was too late? I continued on making the swiftest progress I could manage then as I topped the brow of a hill I could see the terror that had caused these people to flee. In the distance the shadows hung of the spires of Os Alta. Darker than thunder heads and before them a faltering beam of sun light. I realised instantly what was happening. She was holding them back; she was not fighting but managing our people's retreat.
God Alina, hold on, I sent out to her in the manner that only she could hear, I see you now, I am coming.
Alina
Normally there was no limit on sunlight but the Shadow Fold was the blackest abyss. It swallowed all light and Alina struggled to summon enough light to hold the Volcra back. Even with the aid of the mirrors I felt myself weakening.
"The last transports have left the North gate," one of the oprichniki reported. I nodded my acknowledgement; saving what strengthen I had for my task. I was dimly aware of a voice speaking to me;
'I'm coming," I had not the focus not respond but some small part of me wanted to tell him it was too late that by the time he reached me the city would be lost.
"Lady you need to leave." Marie's concerned tone leaked into my consciousness. I simply shock my head. No, I could not leave, this would be my end, and darkness would take me. Perhaps it was a fitting end after all. I mused I had betrayed everything to the Darkness in the end.
"Go," I ordered, the monosyllabic term all I could manage.
Sensing that she could not defy me on this the younger girl turned and fled.
Aleksander.
The city was in flames as I entered the north gate, whether by accident or design its citizens had left Os Alta to burn. I traversed street after street, crossed bridges but saw no one.
"Where are you?" I screamed, not knowing to whom I was really speaking, "follow the light you fool," the voice, hers or my own? I could not tell, chimed in my head. I scoffed and brought my mare to heel, turning towards the light.
It seemed like an eternity before I reached her but it was perhaps only a matter of moments but as I saw her I began to despair. It was apparent she was weakening.
"Alexander, thank the saints," she called out breathlessly, "help me!"
I dismounted and made my way towards her my heart sinking as I realised there was nothing I could do.
Alina looked at me questioningly a look of unease in her eyes as if she thought I had come to betray her.
"Help me!" she demanded again.
I shook my head. Misunderstanding my actions, believing herself betrayed again, Alina screamed at me.
"Why?" she cried.
I came closer and took her wrist.
"What good is darkness against darkness Alina?" I asked her, willing her to see that I was powerless against the shadows that threatened to engulf her.
"But you can control it?" it was a question not a statement.
Again I shook my head.
"Lanstov, or what remains of him, controls the fold Alina."
I watched then as she fell to her knees, exhaustion and despair reducing her to tears.
"There has to be something you can do," she asked me as if I was her last and only hope. It was then, finally, that I understood what I had to do. There, as the darkness encroached , before the gates of Os Alta, at last I had my chance for redemption.
Alina
"There may still be a way to destroy the Shadow Fold," Alexander told me, "you must do what you failed to do once before. Kill Morozova's heir and take his power, bring the three amplifiers together."
Aleksander turned to me then, his expression serious, the flames of the capital playing over the perfect planes of his features.
"I've spent my life searching for a way to make things right Alina. You were my first glimmer of hope in millennia, but that hope is gone now. I have nothing left to give but my life."
I looked at Aleksander horrified;
"Are you suggesting I kill you?" he nodded stoically,
"What am I Alina, why did my mother protect me so fiercely?"
"I can't," I told him, "I won't."
"I'm ready to die Alina, remember I asked you once how many lifetimes a man could live untouched and alone?" I nodded tears streaming down my face as he answered his own question, "no more than I have borne, do it Alina, end this, free me and Ravka from this darkness."
He didn't wait for my reply he wrap my hand tightly around the dagger he had drawn and plunged it deep into his chest. Then he simply lay back quietly awaiting death. A small trickle of blood rolled down his chin, as a blinding wave of light flowed from me and the darkness began to fracture.
"You are not alone," I sobbed drawing him to me; he smiled at me beatifically as he slipped away.
"No," I screamed, "bring him back," desperately I tried to staunch the bleeding. Red robbed corpalnaki appeared as if from nowhere and began efficiently to work on him, Marie pulled me aside.
"Lady come away," she told me gently but I would not I scrambled back towards him,
"You will not leave me alone, Aleksander Morosova, you will not. I will be your Queen. We will rule together. You will come back to me!" I yelled, but he did not hear me, he did not stir. Something inside me pulled taut and strained as if it might break. The tether, he was still tethered to me, the stag's life force that had linked us together still held and I would not let it go. I pulled on that tether, "come back to me," I chanted like a mantra, "come back."
My despair turned to anger,
"So this is your revenge," I raved at him, "condemn me to eternity alone."
Author's note
I know it's been a long time coming but I haven't abandoned the story and hope to update again soon.