The Dual Summoner and the Darkling

Dream

As I tried to sleep I had a tough time getting comfortable but once sleep hit me there was peace. I slipped into one of my dreams but this was a different dream, it was one I had once where I was home with my parents and never been to the little palace. I walked out of the room smiling seeing them there. Mom made breakfast and it felt normal. It felt peaceful as I looked at my hands seeing there was no ring and when I touched my neck in the dream it was gone too. I realized I was dreaming about a life without meeting him and somehow it felt less stressful.

"Morning Amira, take a seat." My mom said as she was preparing breakfast and I sat down ready to eat. I wasn't sure how I knew this was all a dream but I didn't care at the moment as dad came in and kissed my forehead. "You look good but you should clean up soon, we'll be having company." My father said which made me curious cause I had this dream several times and it would never have been this way.

Still, I went ahead and did as father asked, going to clean up as I wondered who the guest was and then walked out in something nice I found in my closet. Mother smiled as Father put his arm around mom setting the table but I noticed two extra seats at the table and I wondered what that was about. As much as I wanted to not worry about it, something just told me to look as I did seeing the initials on my wrist showing up. "impossible..this is my dream." I whispered

"Amira come on, the guests will be here soon." Mother said, motioning for me to sit down at the table as I walked, overseeing my half-brother there as I took my seat. "Worried little sister? Well you probably should be you're meeting your future husband." Aidan said as I just looked at him knowing this wasn't right. I always had this dream when I was younger and Aleksander was never a part of this but neither was Aidan.

Then there was a knock on the door which made me look as I saw Baghra and Aleksander walking in being greeted by my parents. I got up but then sat back down as I knew I couldn't break the dream versions of Baghra, my parents and Aidan would only think I was having hesitation. Nervous in a way to deny what was going on so I had to go along with it but when his eyes met mine he seemed just as surprised as me that here we were.

We all sat down eating like it was natural but I wouldn't talk to him, I was still angry with him about what happened outside the dream. I had to wait till breakfast was done to be excused then walked out of the room going outside. It was Keramsan, where I had been when I had run from him and father had taken me before the stag as I heard footsteps behind me and the door closed.

"Amira." Aleksander said as I kept my back to him, "What are you doing in here? This is my head, my dream." I said as I was taking in the surroundings, I couldn't forgive him for telling my friends I was confused even though I knew his secret had to be maintained but I needed my friends to know and I needed someone to confide in. Still, he approached behind me as he touched my shoulder and I felt it like I always did our connection, being two sides of the same coin shadow and Sun. "Our connection has gotten stronger, you must feel it the same as you know it has always been here since our first meeting in your secret training area." Aleksander said

I wanted to deny it to say that I didn't feel it but that was a lie and I had to figure out what to do but I let out a sigh as I leaned back against him where his arms wrapped around me. It felt peaceful to give in to the connection sometimes, less stressful than being angry with him. This was the only time I could ask so I had to ask or we were going nowhere. "Who was she? The one you lost to cause the fold?" I asked

I felt a shift in Aleksander's hold as I knew that was probably out of line for me to ask but we had gotten nowhere. This time he sighed as I looked up at him and he looked out at the surrounding area. "Her name was Luda, she was my healer. When the King's men came after me, we planned to do things as we had before. She would hide and I would fight." Aleksander said as his arms around me tightened a bit. "They killed her right in front of me, so I used the cut on those men to seek revenge as I tried to get her to a healer. I knew then nothing good comes from being with someone who is just mortal."

So healers don't have long lives. I thought

"You are eternal, but you also have your human connections. It wouldn't matter if you get to stay with your friends for another hundred or four hundred years, if anyone is slit in the neck or stabbed in the back with no healer around they will die." Aleksander said as I thought about it "What about stabbed in general?" I asked as he adjusted me to look at him "For normal Grisha, it could be life or death, for me my Merzost powers could save me. For you..I don't want to think about it." Aleksander said

"What if I could use Merzost? I can use the cut." I said as he moved his hand to touch my collar bone area where the stag bones used to be before I absorbed it. "I dreamed of the day I'd find my equal, the one to be with me through all this burden I've carried. You make me second guess my decisions but Merzost, you don't know what it could do to you if you use it." Aleksander said as I looked at him. "Show me your inner desire, my powers don't work here as this is your dream so you have control."

I have control, the words he's never really said to me before and I knew I had manipulated him out of his cause of wanting to eliminate the first army general for now. Still, I closed my eyes as the area around us changed, when I opened them I looked at him seeing he was in his 2nd army attire and I felt my own as I touched my neck feeling my necklace, and looked at my hand seeing my engagement ring but it wasn't alone there was a wedding ring on my hand too.

Aleksander let go as he looked around seeing we were not in the little palace anymore and I realized that too. "Where are we?" Aleksander asked as I shrugged a bit but then we heard walking coming in and when I looked I saw a girl standing in the doorway with a teddy bear. Aleksander looked at me and I looked at him knowing this was my subconscious choosing this.

"So you do want to marry me." Aleksander said as he looked at the girl and she came over hugging him. She was so small so she couldn't have been more than two or three years old as I picked her up. "You want a family?" Aleksander asked as I looked at him "Everyone thinks about their future, well most people. I guess you didn't have that thought.

I walked around the place as she was quiet but this was my dream so I guess my desire to be out of the little palace wasn't wrong. Was the luxury good? Yes, but it lacked what I wanted, some more uniqueness to a home that wasn't a room. This place reminded me of home but then I looked out the window and saw it in the distance, the little palace.

"So I want to be out of the little palace but not far from it." I said as he had walked behind me and looked out the window to see it. "I built the little palace for Grisha to be safe, I never thought a Grisha would find it to be the worst place ever." Aleksander said as I looked at him. "I was eight, I was left because of what I was and they decided it was best. I didn't get a say in what happened." I reminded him

"The library has Ravkan names. Did you look at that?" Aleksander asked as I smiled knowing I did. "I did, I found two I liked. They were girl names which explains why she's a girl here." I said as he turned and faced me expecting my answer. "Kira or Alisa." I said as he thought about those names as he seemed to be having his thoughts. "Kira Alisa Morozova but to the people Kira Alisa Kirigan." Aleksander said then looked at the little girl in my hands.

I liked that idea but I knew she didn't have powers in this dream because of the possibilities between us. "She is normal in your mind right now." Aleksander said, "there are so many possibilities. Sun Summoner, Tidemaker, or she could be like you, it's hard to tell." I admitted as I looked at her and she was keeping her teddy bear in her hands. I was going to say something more when I woke up and sat up

What just happened...I mean two sides of the same coin but this connection is something more. I thought