CHAPTER 4

In the morning I didn't need to open my eyes to feel that I was alone in the room. His absence left me empty and cold. But I was stupid to expect something else. In my head I heard warnings that Ana Kuya often gave us about men and stupid girls. I told that voice to shut up. Maybe he didn't love me, but he liked me. He cared about me. Cared enough to ask me if I wanted it, if I wanted him.

The events of the last night were like a dream. Maybe it was a dream?

I opened my eyes and sighed. The bed sheets on the other side held the evidence that it wasn't.

Just when I was about to get up, I heard a knock on the door. I didn't know what to do. How was I supposed to explain to the Healer or whoever it was, that I was naked? But the person on the other side opened the door without waiting for my reply and I saw him.

The Darkling was dressed in traveling clothes and a small smile was playing on his lips.

"Good morning" he said, approaching me.

"Morning" I clutched the blanked and moved it up to my chin covering all the exposed parts of my body. I was embarrassed and scared, but I couldn't take my eyes of him. I didn't know what to say. I was afraid of what he might say.

As if sensing all my fears he sat on the bed and kissed me. I let go of the blanket and he wrapped his arm around my naked body. At that moment all my fears disappeared.

"How do you feel?" he finally asked.

I remembered that it was a complete surprise for him last night that I've never been with a man before, but he didn't make any comment about it. The memories of his gentle touches came to my mind and my body filled with heat and desire.

"Perfect." I said and he smiled against my lips.

"I must leave to the North. There are some problems the King wants me to attend personally. It will take a few days" he traced his lips against my jaw line and whispered, "Will you survive here without me?"

"I will try." I managed to answer, wrapping my arms around him.

He kissed me for the last time and left.

Days went by and I continued with my classes. One day I was coming back from an incredibly hard training with Botkin when I saw the Darkling's coach standing in front of the entrance. My heart began to beat faster and I had to control myself in order not to run to see him.

However, when I approached I heard him talking with a woman. He laughed and inside I felt something that made me stop. I felt jealous before, when Mal was hanging out with different girls, but this was something different. It was a mix of anger and jealousy that I couldn't explain. My power was radiating through me and I knew that I could cut this woman in half.

I took a deep breath trying to control my feelings. She might be as old as Baghra, I told myself.

He doesn't belong to you, said another voice in my head.

I decided against facing him right now and went towards the door. Just when I was about to enter I heard the Darkling calling me.

"Alina!"

I turned around and said, "Good afternoon" with an indifferent voice. He was surprised by my tone, but hid it fast.

Of course the woman who was with him didn't look like Baghra. She was young and beautiful. Moreover, I could see that she was different from the others Grishas. She had power in her look and posture that others didn't. She was as close to be the Darkling's equal as a Grisha can be.

"Well, well" said the woman. "This is the famous Sun Summoner? You don't look like somebody who can save the wold."

"You don't look like somebody who can judge" I retorted before thinking, but I relaxed when I saw the Darkling smile. That meant I wasn't in trouble. Yet.

"Alina, this is Amanda" he said, probably feeling that our dialog wasn't going very well. "She is the Head of Summoners."

What was I supposed to make out of that? That she was in charge of me? No way. But still, I smiled and said. "Nice to meet you."

At that moment Ivan approached us and began to talk with Amanda and the Darkling, so I used this moment to escape and quickly headed for the door.

The next few hours that I had before the dinner I tried to get rid of the jealousy and anger that was boiling inside me. I lay on the bed removing images of Amanda and the Darkling from my mind. When I finally succeeded the only thing a felt was hunger. I was starving.

As I approached the domed hall I felt from the corridor that something was different. There was no noise that normally filled the room. Once I entered I saw the reason for such a quiet dinner. The Darkling was sitting at his table and talking with Amanda.

It annoyed me that I wouldn't be able to have a peaceful and relaxing dinner, but the other part of me was relived. At least they didn't dine in his private quarters. I saw a free place next to Nadia and went there without looking at the Darkling, but I could feel his eyes on me.

"Good evening. Why so quiet?" I said innocently. Since my arrival to the Little Palace, I've never seen the Darkling eating in the domed hall. I had no idea if he was the cause of the silence or if it was Amanda.

"Don't you see?" whispered Nadia.

"The Darkling?"

"No. Amanda." interfered Maria.

Without waiting for further questions and eager to gossip Nadia said, "The Head of Summoners. See the difference in her kefta? It's not completely blue, like ours. She has small black details."

"Well, of course you didn't notice, since you were dressed in all black not so long ago." Maria addressed me.

At that moment, for the first time, I regretted saying no to the Darkling's offer of black kefta. But it was too late now.

"Together with the Head of Corporalki, who is a really creepy guy, and the Head of Materialki she is the most powerful and important Grisha after the Darkling" Nadia said.

They continued talking about Amanda for a while and then changed the topic. They didn't say anything negative about her, like they always did about others. I was the only one here hating Amanda. When I finally finished and stood up I dared to look at the Darkling's table, but nobody was there.

Next day I tried to occupy my time with books and trainings to keep my mind off the Darkling. When during an afternoon session with Baghra I blew up a tree, instead of putting in on fire, she gave me a concerned look.

"Are you okay, girl?" she asked.

"Yes, fine. I just can't concentrate today."

"Really? It seems to me that you concentrated of something to hard". She looked right through me and for a moment I thought that she knew everything I felt. But then her eyes shifted on something behind me and the feeling disappeared.

I turned around and saw the Darkling.

"Good afternoon, Alina. Would you like to practice with me one more time?" he asked with a teasing smile.

I heard the double meaning in his question and I did my best to stop my cheeks from blushing.

"Sure. Why not?"

"We don't have a Healer nearby, but I think we won't need his help" he said and looked at Baghra. "Tell me when to stop."

He didn't wait for her reply. He didn't give me a warning. The next second the wave of darkness was heading towards me. I used my power to stop it and pushed it away. Then I heard the familiar sound of thunder and braced myself for the darkness and pain. With the corner of my eyes I saw Amanda standing near the lake looking at me, with a smirk on her face.

I felt the same rush of power that I had yesterday morning. I didn't try to control it this time. I heard a sound of breaking glass around me, but I had no idea what it was. My ray of light became brighter and sharper and the cloud of darkness moved away. However the light didn't go towards the Darkling. It began to intertwine with his darkness and they both headed up to the sky.

I heard Baghra shouting, "Stop! Stop it right now both of you."

I was grateful for that, because one more minute and I would've collapsed on the ground powerless.

The moment we stopped I couldn't breath. I bend down and put my hands on my knees. After my breathing became more steady I looked up and the first person I saw was Amanda. She was still standing near the lake, but the smirk was replaced with something what looked like fear. Baghra, on the other hand, had concern in her eyes. I look at the Darkling and caught a glimpse of surprise, before he could compose his face and look as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

"Now that was impressing" he said approaching me.

"Humph" said Baghra looking up.

I followed her gaze and saw an unnaturally black cloud above us that had a few areas of shimmering light. "What happened?" I asked.

"You tell me what happened" she replied. "What did you feel?"

"I don't know…" I hesitated. "Everything was normal and then I heard the glass shattering."

"What did you think about at that moment?" she continued questioning me. "Did you…"

"That's enough" the Darkling stopped her interrogation. "Don't you see that she can barely stand."

Baghra signed with irritation, but didn't argue with him. "Go and rest. You look like you gonna pass out" she said.

I nodded and turned around. After I made a few steps my body swayed, but the Darkling was right next to me. He put his hand on my shoulder to steady me and said, "I'll walk with you."

We walked together without saying a word to each other until we reached my door. I looked at him without meeting his eyes and said, "Thank you."

He looked around and then lowered his mouth to mine. I gasped with surprise, but my treacherous body was already leaning into him. I was still dizzy from the training and the kiss made my body even weaker. The Darkling stepped forward and I was pressed between the door and his body.

"I don't know what negative emotion was the reason for your outburst of power, but I hope it's not because of me" he whispered against my lips.

He moved away a little bit to see my reaction and was waiting for my reply, but I didn't know what to tell him. Technically, it wasn't him. It was Amanda. Moreover, he was here kissing me, instead of hanging out with her. I realized how stupid I was with my jealousy and blushed.

He chuckled and said, "There is no reason for you to be jealous."

I blushed even more.

"I have to go" he continued and opened my door. "See you later."

I went inside without saying a word and dropped on the bed. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I didn't have time to think about the strange dark cloud, about my power or the Darkling, because the next second I fell asleep.