Sun Queen

♛ Nineteen ♛

That-

I sputter with anger and my body thrums warmly with embarrassment. I instantly fling my dress at him with a grunt. The Darkling ducks and catches it in his hands, smiling.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

The Darkling starts to fold my dress, "Calm down," He then looks up, grinning wickedly, "You look good."

How dare-

I fume with hot, sticky anger. My feet sprint towards the Darkling, hands up as I prepare to slap him across the face. But the Darkling dips away at the last moment and I crash to the ground, falling against the prickly rugs. I roll over to see the Darkling laughing and putting my folded dress away in the trunk.

He holds a hand down to me, "Need help?"

I kick his knee sharply with my leg and he stumbles. My feet push me up and I brush myself off, my skin alive with fury. But I see him smiling and I stop running at him. I'm only amusing him.

My hand flicks a rather sour finger towards him before I head towards a chair near the fire. "I'm sleeping here tonight." I call out tersely.

The Darkling stalks over to me, sighing as he takes a seat close to me. "I don't see the big deal. It's not as if you don't have the same feelings Alina."

"I don't." I respond curtly.

But the immediate next second, my chest blooms with the swell of a powerful emotion. My vision starts blur and the fires start to slow. Yet every detail of the Darkling is perfectly enhanced. He's so handsome it makes my heart hurt. His smile, even his little ones, make me elated.

I'm snapped back to reality the next second and I realize what just happened. "Did you just use the bond to influence me to like you?" I say cautiously, feeling like my mind isn't my own.

The Darkling shakes his head slowly, "The bond can't influence you Alina. Only amplify feelings that are already there. And you've just confirmed to me that they exist."

I curse again and turn my body away from him. The Darkling doesn't press me further on the subject, just passes silently by on his way to the bed. I hear him get in, but as usual he doesn't sleep.

I replay the evening's events in my mind and I wallow in shame. I wonder how much he saw. The emotion from before, the one that makes me feel all soft and quiet inside is still there, hiding like a beast. What would Mal think of me now?

For both our sakes, I pray this feeling goes away.

                           ༶•┈┈ ♛ ┈┈•༶

By morning I've set up a strong wall around my heart. I can't let any feelings, of any kind, in today. I don't know if the Darkling notices my cold change in mood, but if he does he doesn't say it.

Servants delivered breakfast hours ago and now my dread from long before has returned, festering in me like an old wound. I can't get it off my mind. I know what I am going to do today, but I can't come to terms with it in my mind.

The Darkling steps into the tent and holds open the cloth behind him. "I've been informed that the skiff is ready for us now."

I make sure to keep my head forward as I pass him. He walks quickly in front of me and I follow. As we walk through camp, my eyes drift to the space between his shoulder blades. Images of his muscled bare back rise in my mind and I form a fist under my thick fur coat.

Stop it Alina, I chastise myself.

I think of the orphanage, of Mal. Oh Mal, his bright eyes shimmer in my mind's eye and I'm focused again.

People stare intently, gaping at me and the Darkling as we pass through. Their faces are caked with exhaustion, dirt, and war. I don't know how long the army has been here, but I can guess it's been almost a year.

The mast of the skiff sticks out against the wall of shadows like a beacon. My ears cringe with sound of crying volcra. My questions from a while ago come to my mind and I suddenly grab at the Darkling's kefta sleeve.

He spins around with surprise.

"How did you do it?" I ask uncomfortably, "How did you bring it back?"

The Darkling looks around the camp, then comes closer. I want to shy away from his warm breath and cold eyes, but I force myself to stand still.

"The same way I brought it to life in the beginning. The Fold is what protected us from the enemies before. It's the only was to ensure peace."

I scoff and the Darkling presses his lips together tightly. "You know I'm right Alina."

"You're wrong and you will always be wrong." I shoot back at him.

The Darkling grabs at my arm and drags me along at a quicker pace now. "That's enough questions for today."

As the skiff comes into view I can't help a small internal gasp. It's beautiful. Made of a deep, rich red kind of wood and gleaming with the late morning sun. Every inch of it is polished to perfection. Black sails ripple in the slight wind, the Darkling's symbol of a shining eclipse on each one. A crewman helps me into the deck and the Darkling climbs in after me.

"Stunning, isn't it?" The Darkling asks, looking out into the Fold.

I glare back at horizon, "It would be a shame if it were destroyed."

I can see his lip curl and he clears his throat with a laugh before gesturing towards the bow of the skiff. There's a small platform there, high enough off the ground to give us a perfect view of the Fold ahead.

I step up to the platform and the Darkling mutters a few things to the crew before joining me. I can hears the camp grow silent and I try not to look back. The skiff lurches forward and I stumble towards the edge, only to be caught by the Darkling. As the skiff continues slowly onward I push off his grip without a word.

Suddenly we're at the edge and I can see the tip of the skiff dip into the wall of shadows. Another volcra screeches and I flinch. The skiff pushes forward and we enter the Fold.