Where The Spirit Meets The Bone

Fifty-six: Alina Starkov

Fifty-six:

Alina Starkov

Genya slipped into the bathroom once Aleksander left. "Oh Alina," she said, kneeling down and sitting next to her, "are you alright?"

Alina shook her head. "This is horrible."

She smiled softly. "I am afraid this is motherhood."

Alina rested her cheek on the bowl of the toilet. "I don't know if I could do this. I wasn't supposed to be a Mother. I wasn't supposed to get married. I was supposed to....i don't know. I don't know what I was supposed to because I never got a chance to figure it out."

"Maybe you weren't supposed to figure it out on your own," she said, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Think of how much time you spent alone, Alina. Remember, I was there with you at school when you came after your Mum died. Do you remember what you were like?"

Alina frowned. "I don't remember much from then."

"You used to sleepwalk," Genya said, "you used to get up in the middle of the night. You'd go to the window, stare out at the darkness, and you'd talk about that old myth...."

Alina tilted her head to the side. "What old myth?"

"The Fold," Genya told her, "the one about the shadow that broke apart East and West Ravka. That was a metaphor for the conflict of the time. You know, the one connected with the legend of the Sun Summoner. Then, you would start talking about time and all of this other nonsense."

Alina raised an eyebrow. "I talked about The Fold?"

Genya nodded. "It wasn't until you met Mal that you started acting....normal."

"Mal?"

"Yes," she said, "you know, I rather thought he was who you would end up with."

"Not Nikolai?"

She laughed. "Saints, no. I think you would have driven each other crazy. I love my cousin dearly, but Nikolai wasn't for you. You're not for him."

"And you think I'm for Mal?" Alina asked.

Genya sighed. "I think you're for whoever you want to be for. If Lord Morozova is who makes you happy, be with him."

Alina smiled. "You say that like I still have a choice in the matter. I'm carrying his child. We're married."

"Yes, but even those things don't determine choice, or your heart," said Genya, "so, are you choosing to be with him?"

She nodded. "Now, I am. You know Nikolai came to me on my wedding day. He tried to get me to run away. But...I couldn't."

"Fear?" Genya asked.

"No," she said, lifting her head, shaking it, "no I was scared when everything first happened. He was threatening Nikolai. But I think...I think that I would have been led to him anyway. Maybe not quite so soon but...when I'm near him Genya, it's like there's nothing else. Like I've lived a thousand lives and had a thousand heartbeats and each time it has led me to him. It's like the world exists for him and I, and it's ours to conquer together."

Genya laughed. "I wouldn't mention conquering to your dear husband. You might end up getting him hot and bothered again, and you'll never leave your bed."

Alina sighed dreamily. "That would not be such a terrible thing. He's really quite good."

Genya waggled her eyebrows. "Is he really? I always wondered. Powerful men like him always make fantastic lovers."

"Genya, you are dating a walking encyclopedia. What would you know about powerful men?"

She smiled. "Knowledge is power too, Alina," she said, "and David does like making inventions. He has his own workshop at home. He's been making some interesting things using old Fabrikator technology he's found."

"Old Fabrikator technology?" Alina said. "Where's he getting them from?"

"Oh, you know. Yard sales, markets, antique stores. Things like that. You'd be surprised the kind of things that nature. A lot of grisha don't want to risk being found out so they get rid of things. Or they're just things that people have forgotten lying around the house."

"Do you think they still have those things that used to test grisha?" Alina asked. "Those rings?"

"Probably," said Genya, "but I expect they're nothing more than a fashion statement now. Unless you actually were grisha. But I don't think real grisha are too concerned about figuring out if they have their powers or not. Why do you ask?"

Alina hesitated. "There have been strange things happening since I've been pregnant. I didn't think that I was grisha, but I think the baby might, and I think Aleksander might be...."

"So, you think the baby might be?"

Alina nodded.

"Are you sure that you want to know? It might bring some trouble to your family."

"I think it's going to be worse if I don't know," said Alina, "at least this way, I will be able to keep my child safe. I already know that there are people that want to kill Aleksander simply because he's Aleksander. When we were on our honeymoon there were people that tried to kill us and we were shot. If my child is grisha, can you imagine the types of people that will come after them?"

Genya grimaced. "I never told anyone this, but my family has grisha origins."

"Do they?"

She nodded. "We don't like to talk about it, because of our connections to the royal family. But I can understand how you would want to keep your family safe. David makes a habit of collecting things he might think are useful for his projects. I'll ask him if he has anything like the rings. Perhaps we can figure out if you or the baby has grisha blood."

"Thank you, Genya."

"Of course Alina," she said, "you are my dearest friend. I would do anything for you."