Cassiopeia | General Kirigan x OC

Chapter 42

As they rode to Os Alta, Alina tried numerous times to convince the group to let her go back to the camp.

As Fedyor tried to explain to Alina why she can't simply go back, the coach suddenly came to a halt. Amina could hear the guards announcing that the road was blocked.

"Are you serious?" she asked, already getting ready to fight if need be.

She moved to leave the carriage but Ivan gently pushed her back in gesturing to her stomach as a silent warning. She huffed and sat back down as Fedyor, Zoya and Ivan left in search of any impending danger and for a moment, it looked like a false alarm.

Then she caught sight of an arrow piercing through the sky and digging itself into the skull of a guard.

"Oh no," she mumbled, turning to Alina.

"Stay here. Stay hidden."

As she exited the carriage, Alina grabbed hold of her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be back, I promise. I not going to let you get hurt."

Peeking around the carriage, Amina saw a swarm of Druskelle attacking the Ravkan soldiers. She saw an arrow graze Fedyor's side and ran towards the Heartrender, helping him find shelter behind a large tree.

"Are you okay?"

Fedyor nodded his head.

"Yeah. Didn't penetrate."

Amina thrust her hands out towards him as she did her best to heal his wound. She was trained as a Heartrender but could still function moderately as a Healer.

From her periphery, Mina caught sight of a Fjerdan soldier dragging Alina out of the Darkling's coach. She glanced back at Fedyor, who gave her a nod, before running after Alina.

As soon as she got close enough, she formed her hands into a triangular motion and lowered the attacker's heart rate.

His grip started to loosen on the Sun Summoner as he stumbled.

But then she felt her arms being ripped from their position in front to behind her back. Only then did she notice the Druskelle that was behind her.

She thrashed in his hold, trying to throw off the man overpowering her so she could use her abilities.

She was just about to pull out the dagger strapped to her thigh when a black shadow cut clean through the Fjerdan soldier's midsection, splattering blood across Alina's face as Amina ducked away just in time.

Aleksander quickly went to his wife, pulling her up. He gave her a disapproving look; she knew he hated it that she had tried to fight while pregnant.

"I needed to protect her!" she defended herself before he could even get a word out.

He sighed softly, pulling her body to his, trapping her in his embrace.

When they pulled away, he helped Alina up.

"Are you hurt?"

She was still in shock, hands shaking slightly as she gazed at the severed body before her.

"No, no."

Aleksander pulled a silk handkerchief from within his kefta, handing it to Alina. She gave him a questioning look, silently asking what for. He gestured to her face where a look a realization crossed her features, shortly followed by embarrassment. She quickly scrubbed at her face blindly, trying to get rid of the drying blood. Mina gently pulled the cloth from the Shu girl's grasp, taking her chin between her pointer finger and thumb and gently cleaning the blood off of the spots she missed, Alina gave the girl a thankful look.

Amina could hear the other Druskelle's pained grunts as they were taken care of so no one else will know about the Sun Summoner before getting to the Little Palace. She let out a sigh of relief before glancing at the General's horse and seeing everyone except one guard she rode with intact and only minorly injured.

She gave them all tired smiles before turning back to the Shadow and Sun Summoners.

"We're riding the rest of the way and you-" he turned towards Alina. "You ride with us."

Without waiting for further instruction, Alina hurried to her feet and stumbled over to Mina, ready to ride with her. The Grisha, in turn, gave the Darkling a victorious smirk, to which he only shook his head, a slight smile breaking onto his face.

"By the way," Amina stated as the three started to make their way back to the Little Palace.

"I had that covered."

"Really?" he asked, raising a brow as he looked over at her.

"Yeah, I was ready to stab him but then you had to come in with that Shadow Summoner bullshit."

Alina had never heard anyone speak to the General the way the Heartrender did-so openly, without worrying about how he would interpret her words or tone.  She had heard rumors of the Black General's wife but she never knew what to believe.

She simply watched as he gazed at her in pure love, wishing she could have that with Mal one day.