The next morning, the demonstration took place before the King. The Darkling had been looking forward to that. He remembered the night of the Ravkan Annual Ball where he had demonstrated his powers with Adaline. She had destroyed his darkness with a phoenix that he recognised so easily when he thought back to it.
He remembered laying next to Sophie in their meadow where she would conjure up animals with her powers. Some would be with ice, some would be with light and some would be with fire. She had names for every creature that she could summon and she had named the phoenix 'Aleks'.
"Why?" He had asked her.
"Because you rise up every time you have a fall."
Seeing Alina's confusion at the demonstration made his goal seem so near to him. His hold on Alina's hand caused her powers to come out and that was exactly what he wanted. A shock of white broke through his shadows and swirled around with it as if calls to a like.
He felt proud for who he was. Maybe summoning shadows didn't have to be a negative deal like he had always thought. Adaline was the one who had made him realise that when she was Sophie.
But he had never thought that his future would be one without her.
The look on everyone's faces was priceless, but they had no idea what he was planning. The King started to clap his hands when the light disappeared. He walked down the steps of dais to greet Alina himself. The Darkling's hands clenched together. He didn't know why he was thinking, "What if this had happened with Adaline?"
Would he have caused a destruction for her or would he have been prevented from doing so....by her?
Alina looked like she was trying to hide her discomfort. She did not like being special in the King's eyes. Her eyes were searching for someone in the crowd and the Darkling understood who it was.
Genya Safin - the Tailor.
Genya was his spy and always would be. He wouldn't be lenient like he once was. He may have given Freya her life back but he wouldn't be considerate until safety was assured for all Grisha alike.
He knew the price that he was asking her to pay but she knew the consequences to her actions. She knew that he had a vision and a plan, which had gained him her trust and loyalty when he needed it the most.
Genya valued her beauty over anything and the Darkling used it for his benefit.
Once he was close to his mission coming true, he would ask her to poison the King with the same poison that was meant to kill the one that he loved. He would show everyone that humans are the worst creatures.
The King pulled him aside to ask details about Alina's life. The Darkling's rage was well controlled but if it was up to him, he would have killed the King right then and taken the throne. Maybe Ravka needed a Grisha ruler after all. That could be one way to unite everyone but the Fjerdans would never allow it. Their pride was more important to them.
But he wouldn't do it. He had given his word and he would keep it.
After dodging the King's questions and getting him to confirm that Alina would be left alone to train, the Darkling started to make his way towards his room when he caught a glimpse of the cream-coloured kefta and the army green.
He started walking with Genya and Alina and talked with them. But every word out of Alina's mouth only reminded him of his loss. So, he asked Genya to take Alina to her room and get her a fitting for her kefta. He wouldn't make the same mistake that he did with Adaline. All the confusion was what drove her away from him.
"Genya," He called after her as they started to walk away. "The kefta will be black."
Both of them gaped at him but what happened next added to the pros side of his "Is Adaline back?" list. "I'd prefer to have blue robes, Summoners' blue." Could he deny her wishes? It was better than her wearing white. He studied her for a few seconds before agreeing.
Locking himself in his room, the Darkling rested the back of his head against the door. "She can't be back....but I need her to...."
The lonely man wanted to see the one that he loved again. He had spent almost two centuries waiting for her and now, he had an answer before him. Alina wasn't only the answer to getting Grisha free but she was also the path to his redemption.
He thought of possibilities that would drive Alina away from his purpose. He thought of the crown prince Vasily Lantsov, a disgrace to the name that his great grandfather had brought respect to. But that only meant that he wasn't smart enough to get to Alina unless he saw a purpose for her.
The Darkling was glad that the Little Prince wasn't at the palace, because he was the smart one among all of them. The King, the Queen and the crown prince brought shame to the Lanstov name as far as the Darkling was concerned.
The orphan girl was taking things in a new way but her thought process was very similar to Adaline's. She didn't want to stand out anymore than she already would, but why did that make him think of Adaline?
She had been so insistent on not wanting to belong at the Little Palace but she attended the trainings that every Grisha went through. But maybe that was because Stefan Lanstov was right. Adaline was afraid of him like everyone else. The Darkling had the upper hand in every deal that went through.
That was what worried him. Adaline had been afraid of him. She may not have talked about it or showed it out, but she was avoiding him. The Darkling could not have that with Alina. He was going to reverse every mistake that he made with Adaline.
If Nikolai Lantsov had been present at the Little Palace at this time, he would have suggested courting Alina, and that was something that the Darkling didn't want.
If history was repeating itself, it needn't repeat so much.
This was going to be easy.
Or so he thought.
******
Hey oh!
Guess what? I've posted the Prologue of the second book. I'll be posting the trailer soon on my YouTube channel Isabella Williams. Be sure to check it out!
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Darkness Unfold (#3)
أدب الهواة{BOOK 3/3 of The Triumvariate Trilogy} What it darkness was a place? A place where creatures that ruled nightmares flew about. And what if it was created out of spite and greed by a dangerous man with a purpose? It has been almost two centuries sinc...