Disclaimer: I don't own the Grisha Trilogy and its characters – it belongs to Leigh Bardugo. I do not own the Shadow & Bone TV series, which was developed by Eric Heisserer for Netflix and based on Leigh Bardugo's books.
Split
She turns up at work with a split lip and bruised eye, unable to fully hide them even with make-up.
Aleksander's jaw clenches, her usually unreadable boss clearly furious.
She gets home that evening and all signs of Mal's presence are gone.
Alina never asks what happened to him.
Vein
It is easy to see the throbbing vein in Ivan's temple.
A man on the edge. Eye twitching, knuckles white, body tense, teeth clenched, kefta torn and muddy.
"She. Is. A. Menace," his second-in-command growls.
Aleksander's gaze goes to Alina.
The little Sun Summoner's hair is a bit windswept, and the hem of her kefta slightly stained, but she is otherwise neat and tidy. She is sitting quietly with a book of Ravkan fairytales, behaving as beautifully as she always does when she visits his rooms.
"Alina, solnyshko," he says, "is there anything you want to tell me?"
She looks up, her expression one of perfect innocence, "we went riding and Sparkles was very good – we jumped three fences today."
He can see Ivan close to erupting. Whatever else might have gone on, the Heartrender finds the fact that Alina has given her horse – carefully selected from the group Aleksander has been breeding for almost two and a half centuries, and one of the finest mares in the stables – a name as childish as Sparkles to be an affront to good taste.
"Ivan fell off his horse," she adds, "he didn't jump any fences."
"And how did Ivan fall off?" he asks, since the man himself seems incapable of speaking right now, simply getting steadily redder.
Aleksander knows his second is an experienced and capable rider and hasn't witnessed him fall off a horse since he was a child.
Alina only shrugs, "I think the horse got scared."
"Why you little –" Ivan begins to interrupt, but Aleksander puts a hand up to stop him.
Ivan, sensing a dismissal, stalks out of the room, probably in search of a bath and a chance to vent to his husband.
As soon as the door closes behind Ivan, Aleksander turns to Alina with a severe look on his face.
He is not a fool. She may have the innocent act very well practiced, but he's over five centuries old and he knows when she's lying to him.
She pouts sadly, lower lip trembling.
"Don't try that one on me, solnyshko," he warns her, "I'm wise to your tricks."
"Are you going to make me apologise?" she asks with a frown, as if there is nothing in the world worse than that.
"Not this time," he says, "it's good for Ivan to learn how to work in adverse conditions and deal with troublemakers."
She starts to grin, but he carries on, "however, you will be joining me in some of my meetings for the next few weeks, and you better ensure you pay close attention because I'll be quizzing you."
Alina groans loudly and he hides his smirk. Her torment of Ivan may be a learning experience for the Heartrender, but she needs to know that her actions have consequences.
The education of his Sun Summoner is of the utmost importance, but no one said he couldn't find a little amusement along the way.
Split
They split up on Monday.
He's too controlling, jealous of her male friends, intense in a way she struggles to handle after two decades of indifference from almost everyone around her.
She can't stay away, though. Chemistry has certainly never been their problem. It's nice to be wanted and taken care of. No one has ever listened to her the way he does, with his attention entirely focused on her.
They get back together on Friday. She shows off a sparkling diamond ring to her friends on Saturday.
Glaze
All his employees think they know Aleksander's secret vice – a glazed donut from his favourite bakery.
None guess his real weakness is tiny human sunbeam Alina, unproductive employee Mal's fiancée.
And none notice Alina's regular visits to Aleksander's soundproofed office.
Darklina Homes
Hidden away down a side street, Aleksander's new favourite bookshop.
A wonderful collection, but the real attraction is Alina, a pretty English student who works there.
He never realised how lonely he was until he became addicted to her sunny smile and the sound of her laughter.
Glaze
"Alina … Alina!"
A tendril of shadow wraps around her wrist, light pressure bringing her out of her daydream.
She blinks once, twice, and realises Aleksander is waiting for her to speak.
"I …"
"Your eyes were glazed over," he frowns in disappointment.
"Were not," she pouts.
"Well then," he says sceptically, "what was I talking about, Alinochka?"
"Err … cows?"
He only shakes his head at her and sighs.
"Agricultural history is so boring, Sasha. Why can't we practice summoning?"
"It's important that you know these things, Alinochka. You're going to need them when –"
He pauses then and falls silent, the way he always does on the rare occasions when he forgets himself and then decides he's said too much.
"When what?" she asks.
"Never you mind," he tweaks her nose affectionately and then ruins it by passing her a book almost as big as her head, "chapter 10, and no skipping pages – I'll test you later."
Glaze
"I'll have two glazed donuts, one pain au chocolat, a piece of honey-cake and three brownies … and what did you want, Alina?"
She thinks of asking him to share, but remembers what happened the last time she suggested that.
"Just two pieces of baklava for me, Sasha."