Heretics

Chapter 22: Alina

"You're late." Kaz stepped out from somewhere I hadn't seen and I silently cursed myself for not paying more attention. Though I was exhausted and dehydrated. I turned my attention towards him.

"Didn't exactly help that I had almost died." I snapped at him. I watched Jesper and Inej circle around me. Jesper had his guns trained on me and Inej was praying. Her hands folded together as she grasped a little fabric necklace around her neck.

      "Sankta." I groaned at the name the people had given me and focused my attention back on Kaz. He was in a black coat with a pristine suit under it. His cane the same as the one he had knocked me out with all those days ago. I smiled at it. Not exactly fond of the memories.

      "Either we talk alone or I leave now." I said letting little whips of shadow escape my fingers. Kaz scowled at me and nodded to Inej and Jesper who backed off. They walked back towards the little village I had just come from. They looked to have started an intense conversation in whispers as they had left the two of us alone in the field.

     "Sit." We sat against the cart that had been long since abandoned in the field and Kaz looked over and smiled at me. His eyes betraying his rather confident attitude. "You're safe?"

     "Someone's worried? Do they have a little crush?" I smirked at him and gasped as I saw Aleksander stood standing behind Kaz. His kefta billowed in the wind. I sucked in a breath and my hands had begun to shake.

      "What? What's wrong?" Kaz looked behind him to see what had caught my attention. The fear radiated off of me. I hadn't heard what he had said next. My attention still on the form of Aleksander standing with his hands folded behind his back. Shadows radiated from him.

The shadows pooled around him. His feet covered in shadow. His eyes had no whites only smoke cascading out of them. In his hands was a body. My body. Black tears rolled down his cheeks and his head jerked to my body in his hands. "Why did you leave?" His voice was pained beyond anything I had ever heard him say.

I felt my throat close as whimpered escaped through my lips. My whole body was shaking now. All I felt was a horrible, horrible detachment from Alina and Aleksander like somehow with a flick of his wrist he severed anything that tied the three of us together. I scratched at my neck feeling the skin rip beneath my finger nails.

I felt Kaz's hand cup my cheek and my attention was brought back to him. I hadn't realized I had started to cry while watching the form of Aleksander. "What did you see? Are you alright?" His face showed concern and I was speechless.

I had forgotten how to speak and I looked at Kaz and then back to the spot where Aleksander had been standing only moments before. "I need to go. Speak quickly." I was still shaking as I pulled my face from his hands. I wiped my tears on the sleeve of my kefta and winced when my wrist hit my neck. I pushed the kefta against it and when I pulled it away there was blood on the sleeve.

"We need your help to get into the little palace." He took a deep breath. "A million kruger. Alina has a million kruger on her head. We need her. We need her to get back to Keterdam with us." I laughed. I actually full on laughed at his comment.

"You want me to get you into the little palace? You must have a death wish." I was still laughing. The world around me became a daze as I grabbed my stomach which was in pain from how much I had been laughing.

"I see you do as well. Considering you're not wearing the uniform or gloves I sent." I scowled at him after I had calmed down a little. His face showed that of amusement.

"No but I brought the kvas!" I pulled it out of my bag and took a big drink and handed him the bottle. He took it from my hand smirking and took a sip before handing it back. "The winter fete. You'll see the signs. Find a way there and into the palace. I'll help you with the rest. I'll help you smuggle my sister out of the Little Palace."

      The same feeling of darkness looming in the distance consumed me. Aleksander was coming. "You need to leave. Look for the signs." I pushed him to get going and I ran to the fold the bottle still in my hands.

      Inches before the fold I stopped and put my free hand against it. It felt different. Not like it was last time. It called to me, pulled me towards it when I was here last but now. Now it felt like it was fighting against me. A flood of emotions came over me in this moment.

     I was angry. Angry at Alina and Ana for not telling me. I was mad at Genya because I figured she probably knew as well. I was livid at Aleksander but, most of all I was angry at the Fold. Once it called to me and now it pushed me away.

     Light washed the shadows at my feet. My left hand was blowing a bright white light while my right hung limply by my side. I was yes to be feared. I didn't want to be a saint I wanted to be the villain. I wanted command because people were giving it not because they trusted me.

      I shot my left hand forward and a tunnel formed in the fold. Specks of West Ravka could be seen from where I was standing. I could feel the fear of everyone who was watching. Except one pair of eyes. Those felt like trust. I glanced back and saw Aleksander at the top of the hill I had previously ran down. A smirk played on my lips and I shot my right hand forward letting the fold consume the power I was giving it. I heard gasps when the fold expanded. It was only about two inches but it moved.

      I turned around and my eyes me his. I let the light stop flowing and I made a path of darkness to Aleksander who slowly started to walk towards me. I felt like I was on fire. This feeling being like nothing I had ever felt before. I loved it and as Aleksander stepped closer to me I let the darkness surrounding the two of us close until we were in a little dome. Just us, the two of us.

      "You left."

     "I did."

     "Why?"

      "This." I watched as the white that covered my left arm slowly began to bleed black. My nails turned black first and slowly the color oozed up my arm covering it. "I am no saint Aleksander. I am but a demon."

     I pulled him to me with my shadows and he leaned down to whisper in my ear and instead of saying anything he grabbed my face and pulled me into a rough kiss which I gladly took and continued. The shadows feel and a collective gasp was heard from his grisha as they watched.

     He was mine. Alina was going to resize this the hard way. This is who I was now. I was a shadow summoner. Though I could still summon the light, I felt a connection with the dark that I had never felt with anything before.  I let the darkness cover me like a blanket as I pulled from Aleksander and looked into his eyes.

     "You are mine Koya." I whispered to him so only he could hear it. I watched as a look crossed his features. He wasn't used to being commanded and I liked that I could command him. He nodded his head.

     "And you mine Milaya."

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I fucking love this chapter.
Pardon my language skittles
But my god

This is the pinnacle for Yelna. This is one of her many high points in our story but this one. This one is Mount Everest.