LACUNA [ THE DARKLING ]

014. - horny

Aleksander was pissed.

He was hoping to have some alone time with Ravenna by the balcony but when a guard interrupted them, he couldn't help but fume. Now he had to leave Ravenna alone to attend to the guests which she hated. But it couldn't be helped. Apparently, a man called Mal saw the stag Aleksander was searching for.

"Where is it?"

"North of Chernast," Mal answered.

"No, precisely. Mark it for me," Aleksander gave him a pencil so Mal could mark the location on the map. However, Mal just stared at him, not even moving a single finger.

"Not until I see Alina and Ravenna," Mal said bravely to the Darkling.

"I beg your pardon?" Aleksander asked him with such animosity.

"I know them. We're friends," Mal breathed deeply. "You let me see them, I'll tell you where the Stag is."

"Do you know how many claim to know the sun summoner? Try to get a meeting with her just to be in her presence?" Aleksander asked mockingly, purposely not mentioning Ravenna.

"Then let me meet Ravenna, she can verify me for you," Mal said.

"Ravenna was preoccupied. She'll be attending the guest in my stead when you asked me here," he said with a forced smile, hands clenching to a fist by her side.

"Then ask Alina about me," Mal said desperately.

"Then tell me something only a few about her would know. Something personal," Aleksander said while taking steps back, trying to put some distance between him and Mal.

"Like what?"

"Like what kind of things does she like to do in her free time? except talking with Ravenna of-,"

"Wood-carving," Mal cut him off. He began to chuckle to himself as he reminisced about the past, "She always had little cuts all over her fingers from it. I never got any of it though since she always gave them to Ravenna who displayed it on top of her headboard. I remember being jealous every time I went past her bed,"

"Wood-carving? And Ravenna liked it?" Aleksander frowned at the information Mal had given him. Alina told him that Ravenna hated any gifts that were arts and craftsy, that's why he should opt for giving her something more refined.

"Yeah, Ravenna loves handmade crafts and things like that. That's why Alina made it for her. Alina likes her, you see. I'm not sure if Ravenna likes her back though," Mal said solemnly as he said it. Saying it out loud just brought him back to the reality of his love for Alina being one-sided.

"But as I said, Alina liked wood-carving. I'm pretty sure you've noticed. Does that prove that I'm Alina's and Ravenna's best friend?" Mal asked.

Aleksander was at a loss for words for the second time that night. He was shocked to find out that the sun summoner had her eyes on his lover. All of his talks with Alina were all just lies, meaning to make him look bad in front of Ravenna. He should've trusted his guts when he thought that all information Alina gave to him was a major red flag. All of them were different from what he experienced with Ravenna.