The Dual Summoner and the Darkling

Puppy and realization

Glossary: nichyev'ya - nothing(s)

After we walked for so long I noticed it was getting late as he led us to a hotel. I questioned if we were staying there but he seemed to be focused. The man at the front seemed to be motioning up as we all went up there and I thought this was odd. As I looked back I noticed the man was just looking the other way as we made it into a room. It was dark and there was an eeriness to this.

"Why are we here?" I asked, he seemed to be focused on something in the corner as I watched. He'd been here before it was clear to me something had changed in the fold as I saw creatures walk out from the shadows. My skin crawled at the sight of them, they were shadows with nothing but forms and probably mouths. "We're going to wait for Alina, so I can thank her." Aleksander said, the sounds of the Grisha backing up as Aleksander gave a motion for those things to stay in the corner while he led me to a seat. I hadn't taken a chance to notice they were all in regular clothes.

So these things he got from the fold? I thought

Aleksander took a seat while waiting and he pulled me down where I was sitting in his lap and laid my head down. "As long as you side with me, the nichyev'ya will never harm you." Aleksander whispered in my ear. I felt a sense of peace being near him but I wondered what happened to him while we were away from each other. The Aleksander I knew was in there somewhere and I needed to reach him but I wasn't feeling safe with those things.

We were there for a while before the sound of footsteps coming up the room was evident. I realized Alina and Mal must have been in this place. I'd known they were in Cofton and now Aleksander wanted revenge. "Aleksander, don't hurt them too bad." I begged, "Mal could be a useful tracker to help." I felt a shift in Aleksander as I must have had a good point, I couldn't see him very well but being in darkness like this with those things in the corner was not helping either.

When the door opened the Grisha who were working with Aleksander grabbed Alina and Mal, Ivan had a knife to Mal's throat as Alina had used light but it was useless. Aleksander picked me up and set me in the chair as he walked out. "Hello Alina." Aleksander said as my group stayed by the wall. They wouldn't move unless I motioned for them to do so. "Search her for any weapons and take them." Aleksander said as those Grisha were following his orders. "How did you find us?!" Alina demanded as he showed her the golden hairpin.

"You and my wife leave an expensive trail." Aleksander said as she tried to get free. "I don't know where Amira is, she parted ways with me after we got here!" Alina said as Aleksander nodded and put his left hand on his right as the shadows left around me revealing me in the chair. "I found her first, being taken care of by someone connected to Baghra." Aleksander said as I was glad to get out of the shadows. "But I am not here to kill you Alina, even though you tried to do that with me and take away Amira's dreams of freedom and a family." Aleksander said as I just sat there. "No, I am here to thank you."

"Thank me?" Alina asked as Aleksander smirked and walked over to me as shadows surrounded us and he expanded his shadow protection to my guard group as I merely listened. The sounds of those things moving was evident, the fear in the other Grisha was evident and somehow I knew my group was safe. "You risk our people to those nothings?" I asked as Aleksander looked at me "They know who to go after." Aleksander said

I had to sit there waiting as the fight was going on, the sound of the sun easy to tell but I was scared. I looked at Aleksander as I saw this was taking a lot out of him and tears formed in my eyes. "Stop this, please." I said as I got up and went over to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "Please. I can't bear the thought of you dying over these things." I said as he looked at me. For a second I thought he'd say no, he'd refuse my request but he put a hand on my cheek as he kissed me. I hadn't felt his lips against mine in two weeks. It was what I missed the most.