Saints and Sinners

Thirty-three:

Thirty-three:

Nina hadn't expected a visit. As far as she knew, Aleksander had taken the day off because he had been away from Alina for too long and it was making him weak. Hanne was staying in a separate safe house for their safety, and she had not even seen her since she had stepped foot in Ravka. Aleksander kept on trying to argue that the mark on Nina's wrist wasn't a true Blessing, but it sure felt like one. Matthias was dead, and in his place the Saints had marked Hanne's name. Her oldest friend. Her first love. At least that was what she felt.

She could feel Hanne since she had received the Blessing. She was frantic, and worried, and Nina tried to calm her down, but nothing was helping. Nina understood. She had met Jarl Brum and knew how he was with his family. He treated both his wife and his daughter like objects, and he had never cared much what they wanted. So she knew it wasn't Hanne, and it wasn't Aleksander, so she was surprised when she opened the door and saw Alina there. She was wearing, to her surprise, a black and gold kefta like the old Ravkaan First Army used to wear.

"Lina," she said, "what are you doing here?"

Alina smiled at her. "I came to see you. Aleksander took a break, and I talked him into letting me see you for the day. I thought you could use some company."

"Oh." Nina smiled. "That's nice. Why don't you come in?"

"Thanks," Alina said.

She walked inside and Nina couldn't help but glance back at her.

"What's with the costume?" Nina said. "Feeling nostalgic for the old empire?"

Alina laughed. "Oh, no not me. But um, Aleksander has very particular tastes and so I went out and got the costume to surprise him."

Nina smirked over her shoulder at her. "You know, I never thought I saw the day that little Alina Starkov would be excited over sex games. Especially with big, bad Aleksander Morozova. You two did not like each other when you first met."

Alina smirked. "Well, it makes a difference being with someone that has such an insatiable appetite like Aleksander."

"I know that," said Nina, "Matthias was like that. He seemed like he was all business, but the minute that we were alone..."

Alina squinted at her. "I wanted to ask you about that. You know Aleksander and I had a rocky start because of his background...how is it that you're still alive?"

Nina frowned. "Didn't Aleksander tell you?"

"Well yeah, he did. But it didn't quite make sense when he explained it. You know how he is. I just...I wanted to hear it from you, so that I could understand better."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay? Because if you and Aleksander are playing sex games involving costumes, I think you're just fine as soulmates. There's no reason to try and look for a way out."

"I'm not looking for a way out!" Alina hissed. "I just want to know how the fuck you are alive still, because that's not the way I designed it."

"Alina," she said softly, "what are you talking about?"

Alina's eyes turned a dark black. "I went to great lengths to ensure pain, and misery for him. And no one is supposed to survive the soulmate mark. But somehow, you have, and that screws thing up."

Nina stared at her friend in shock, and the hair on the back of her neck went up. "You're not Alina."

Alina---or the person wearing Alina's face----smiled at her. "Well, you've got brains at least. That's more than I can say for your little friend. She doesn't have a clue what's going on and stopped asking questions the minute Aleksander gave her an orgasm. Sex makes people do irrational, stupid things."

Nina grabbed for her cell phone and quickly called Aleksander.

"Oh, no, no, no." Alina raised her hand, and a blue light came from her fingertips that zapped the phone, making Nina drop it as she yelped in pain. "There won't be any calling. No, you ruined my curse, and you are going to do what you should have done in the first place."

"What are you talking about?" Nina asked. "Who are you?"

Alina smiled and laughed. "You aren't going to be alive for much longer, so it won't matter."

"Whoever you are, I don't know you, and I haven't done anything to you. Let me go----"

"Not a chance."

Nina found herself lifted into the air by something that she couldn't name, and she struggled for air as she could feel an invisible force tightening. Her vision dimmed. Nina tried to scream but she couldn't.

And then------then the shadows came, filling the room, until there was nothing but them. Then there was a glimmer of light and she saw grey eyes looking down at her. "Aleksander?" she murmured.

"Not quite," she heard a derisive voice say and then that was the last thing she remembered.