Noble Hope| General Kirigan

𝟘𝟙𝟠

{Chapter eighteen}

"NOT UNTIL I SEE ALINA AND ADALINE," said Mal, who now stood in the study of the Darkling. His gaze was intimidating as he held a charcoal pencil in between his fingers, having previously demanded where Mal had seen the Stag.

Kirigan looked appalled and angered by his request. "I beg your pardon?"

"I know them. We're friends." Mal stated, taking a deep breath before continuing with his demand. "You let me see them, I'll tell you where the Stag is."

The Shadow Summoner's expression turned blank and menacing once again. "Do you know how many people claim to know the Sun and Shadow Summoners? Trying to get a meeting with them just to be in Alina's presence and to confirm Adaline as their worst fear aside from me?"

The mere thought of Mal somehow whisking away his Adaline made Aleksander want to scream.

Mal took the challenge willingly. "Ask them about me," he whispered daringly.

The Tracker wasn't pleased to find that Kirigan knew his way around these games. "Tell me something about Adaline only few would know. Something...personal." 

Of course, he knew things about Adaline most wouldn't be able to guess. She prefers to write on stained or old parchment because it gives an ancient and important look to her work. She likes her tea sweet, but sometimes she forgets to stir it, and when she finishes the cup and gets to all the sugar resting at the bottom her nose scrunches most adorably. She loved the library at the Little Palace simply because there was more to explore and discover than what she had been left with when she was with the First Army. 

"Like what?" Mal demanded, desperate to see his friends, his Alina. 

"Like... what's her favorite flower, or her favorite sweet--"

"Tiger-lily." Mal cut him off with a dazed look and a small smile upon his lips. "Tiger lilies. Purple ones. With the orange. And she doesn't like sweets. The girl could go through chocolate in a heartbeat, but anything else and she'd refuse." 

Kirigan looked taken aback, but still held his confidence. "All right. I'll have you shown to a room here. And, assuming she proves you right, I'll bring them to you later. Fair?" he asked, taking dangerous steps forward until he was face-to-face with the well-known Mal until the boy finally submitted with a heavy sigh. 

****~****

Kaz and Inej watched carefully as their second target conversed with a Heartrender, her laugh seeming to billow off the walls and bringing smiles to everyone's faces despite their slight fear of her. 

The lynx flush had drawn out Arken and created a distraction from their original targets, leaving Adaline Starkov open for the snatch. Alina was to be found and dealt with later, obviously attacking the harder sister first. 

"Now." Kaz demanded, allowing Inej to follow him confidently when Fedyor abandoned Adaline's side. "Miss Starkov! We are to escort you to dinner. Could you come with us, please?" 

The Shadow Summoner broke from her conversation with some ambassador that she didn't really care to remember the name of, to face the two 'guards'.