Saints and Sinners

Two:

Two

Mal slipped out of the party early, insisting that he only came to let Alina know that he had found Eva. When he was gone, Genya shot her a look. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Alina sighed. "I'm fine."

"You are not fine; you have downed three things of champagne since he told you."

She snorted. "You don't have to worry until I switch to vodka."

"You are staying away from the vodka," Genya told her, "Look, you want to stay here for the night? I know your roommates. It might be a little bit weird at home right now."

Alina shook her head. "I am not going to let his happiness scare me out of my own apartment. I'm happy for him, really. He's my oldest friend. He's gotten blessed by the saints. This is a good, good, good thing."

"You're lying," Genya said, "your voice is doing that weird, high pitched thing."

"Look, I walked here because I thought Mal would be giving me a ride. I'll just walk home."

"You're going to walk home, alone, in the dark streets of Ravka? Lina, I know that you're drunk but please tell me that you're not stupid." Genya placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let me call you a cab at least."

Alina shook her head. "Look Gen, I know you are worried. But I'll be fine. I promise. We're only a few blocks from you, yeah?"

Genya sighed. "A lot can happen in a few blocks. Especially with a drunk girl walking alone."

"I'll be fine," Alina insisted.

Genya shook her head. "Okay. Just promise me you'll text me when you get home?"

Alina nodded and hugged her. "Tell David congratulations for me again."

Genya grinned. "I will. Look honey, don't let this eat you up, okay? The saints know when you're ready for a soulmate. Once you are ready to receive your blessing, they will give it to you."

"Thanks, Gen."

Alina walked over to the coat closet, grabbed her coat and purse, and started the trek to her apartment. She couldn't believe that green-eyed, pig snouted Eva from the café was Mal's soulmate. It made her heart ache just thinking about it. How many years had she mooned after him, wanting him for herself? Far too many.

Even with her jacket on, it was still too cold out. She was wearing a black dress, complete with tights, and an old necklace that Mal had given her. She'd had some naïve fantasy that her best friend getting her blessing would magically make hers happen. And that everything would align perfectly, and it would be Mal. But the saints hadn't seen fit to give her that blessing. Alina walked over to a nearby bridge that overlooked a flowing river. She took the necklace off, and she gripped it in her hand.

"Okay saints," she said, "I hear you loud and clear. It's time to call it." She tossed the necklace into the river and heard the splash of it as it sunk to the bottom. The wish she'd had the longest was now dead, gone, and buried.

She turned from the bridge and started walking home again. As she walked, she passed by a loud night club, pulsating with music. There was an alley way there, and as Alina walked away, she heard a tortured scream. Alina froze, hoping that she hadn't heard that sound. But then, there was a second scream.

There were three men standing there, with one on the ground. One of the men had knife in his hands, and his face was covered in blood. He wore a white shirt, his sleeves pulled up, and had jet black hair that was falling into his eyes. He was breathing heavily. As if he sensed her watching, he looked up and locked eyes with her. Alina's heart pounded against her chest. She needed to do something, anything, but she was having trouble believing what she was seeing. There was a man killing another man in front of her. She was witnessing a murder, right before her very eyes.

The man stood there, staring at her. Finally, Alina managed to regain her senses, and she started to run. She was in heels, she remembered, and most of the streets of Ravka were cobblestone because they were so old. Her feet were killing her, but she tried not to focus on the pain as she ran. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Starkov, what the fuck? What the fuck did you just see! You are a law school student. You're supposed to fight crime, you're not supposed to WITNESS THEM. SHIT, FUCK, SHIT----"

A strong hand grabbed her wrist. "You're a little bit out of your way, Miss Starkov."

Alina froze. She recognized the stranger that had grabbed her wrist. She had heard that voice before. She had dreamed about that voice, that sounded like night, and smoke, and never failed to leave her heart racing. "Mr. Morozova?" Alina said.

The man laughed. "Please, Alina. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Aleksander?"

Aleksander Morozova had both of her wrists pinned against him. She could feel the cool tip of a knife, dripping with something wet. Slowly, she found herself turned around to face the man who she had just witnessed killing someone in an alleyway. The same man that happened to be Mal's cousin. His face was, indeed, covered in blood.

Alina was trembling. "Mr. Morozova, I---I didn't see anything. I swear. I saw nothing. Please, just let me go and I won't tell anyone anything."

Aleksander smirked at her. "See, I can't let you go, Miss Starkov, because this happened to me shortly after meeting you." He lifted his wrist up and showed her name inked across his wrist. And at that same, precise moment, Alina cried out in pain as the saints inked Aleksander Morozova's name on her skin.