Saints and Sinners

Twenty-seven:

Twenty-seven:

The safe house was outside of Os Alta, on the border, in a place called Kerskii. Kersii was a whole lot of nothing, a small village, surrounded by forest. Aleksander had a cabin up in the woods. Like most parts of Ravka, it was surrounded with snow. When they got out of the car, Alina couldn't help but let out a gasp. It was a large, two-story cabin that seemed to be endless. "This is a safehouse?" Alina said, turning to Aleksander. "Not exactly what I pictured for a safehouse."

Nina, who stood right next to her, smiled. "Aleksander does nothing small. Even a safehouse."

Alina had no idea how she could be so calm. If she were in the same position, and she didn't know what had happened to her soulmate, she didn't think she could stay as calm as Nina was at the moment. "I'm starting to get that."

Aleksander reached out and took her hand. "Don't worry. We'll go to Fjerda, and we'll bring back Matthias, and everything will be completely and totally fine. I promise you. It won't be a long stay at all, got that?"

Alina nodded. "I believe you."

She did. Aleksander might not have believed that he had the capability for goodness in him. But that he was willing to go and rescue Matthias, Alina had to believe that it was possible for him to have goodness. Because he had her heart, and she didn't know what would happen to her if her heart went as dark as his had been. She reached out and took his hand. "If you don't come back, I'll kill you myself."

"You'd be killing you," Aleksander reminded her.

"Worth it," Alina said to him, "because you drive me crazy. I'd be doing a favor for the world considering how annoying you can be."

Aleksander smirked. "But then you'd never be able to feel all of those wonderful things that I plan on doing to you."

"Oh, that's hot." Nina winked at the two of them. "Aleksander, you better bring Matthias back so that he can tame some of the heat that you're starting here."

Aleksander chuckled. "I'll do my best. Come on. Let's go inside." They walked towards the cabin, but as they approached, Aleksander stopped.

"What's wrong?" Alina asked. "Why are you stopping."

Nina's gaze narrowed. "The door."

"What about it?" Alina said.

"The door's opened," Nina replied "someone's been here. Aleks, did Matthias know about the safe house?"

Aleksander nodded. "Yeah, he did, and I told him to go there if there was something that ever happened with him and Brum. We came up with a whole plan."

"Maybe he's here!" Nina started to run towards the house, but Fedyor grabbed Nina by the scruff of her neck.

"Matthias wouldn't leave the door open," Fedyor said with a low growl. "Everyone, stay here. That includes you, Mr. Morozova."

Aleksander rolled her eyes. "Is that really necessary, Fedyor?"

Fedyor glanced at him. "I'm security. I keep people safe. That includes you." Fedyor stepped forward and went inside the cabin.

Aleksander scowled, and Alina reached out to squeeze his hand. "It's alright, Sasha." She smiled at him. "I'm sure that you'll be able to be big and macho later on in the whole rescue mission thing, I bet."

There was the sound of scuffling and then after a moment, Fedyor appeared in the doorway again. He gestured to Aleksander to come forward. Aleksander glanced at the two girls, and then he walked forward to where his security guard was. "What's wrong, Kaminsky?" Aleksander said. "Why do you look like you're going to be sick?"

Fedyor grimaced. "Come with me." The two of them walked inside, and when they got into the living room, Aleksander was aware that there was something sticky on the floor. Aleksander looked down, and he saw that there was blood on the floor.

"Shit!" Aleksander hissed. "What's that from?"

Fedyor glanced over in the center of the living room. There, in the center of the room, was Matthias Helvar, dead. Fedyor and Aleksander exchanged glances with one another then looked back at the body.

"How's that possible?" Aleksander walked over to where Matthias's body was lying on the floor, lifeless. "Matthias has a soulmate. Nina. If Matthias is dead, Nina should also be dead too. It's impossible."

"That's why I said that the girls needed to stay outside. I don't know how to explain this, but we're going to have to call the stad watch, and they're going to have to do an investigation... that means Alina is going to find out about Alexie and Hanne...."

Aleksander winced. "Fedyor, I'm sorry I couldn't take your cousins case---"

Fedyor shook his head. "It's fine. I understand. You've got a new soulmate, and it's important. But there's a body involved in this now. Matthias was one of ours. He deserves to have his case handled properly. Do you want to keep the girls here while this is handled, or what do you want to do?"

Aleksander shook his head. "No, Nina doesn't need to see Matthias like this. I'll take the girls home, and you call the stad watch."

"How are you going to explain it to Nina?" Fedyor said.

There was movement then, and the next thing Aleksander knew, there was a sharp cry that echoed through the house. "Matthias!" this came from Nina, who was sobbing in Alina's arms.

"Poshyol ty!" Aleksander swore. He had found the briefest bit of sunlight, and now the shadows were back. Proving to him that he was right about how the world worked. There was nothing good in the world. Everything had a price. And his price for loving Alina was that she had to walk through darkness with him. He just had no idea how long she would manage to stomach that for. And, judging by the fear in her eyes then, it wouldn't be very long.