My Name Is Adela Kirigan (A Shadow and Bone Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: A Dangerous Kind Of Faith

Alina walked down the steps, beaming. She felt she had done well. Her smile vanished the moment the King's spiritual adviser, the Apparat, came out of the shadows from seemingly nowhere. 

'You have earned the pride you now wear,' the Apparat said. 

'Thank you,' she said quickly, and attempted to walk away, but then he spoke again. 

'I must say, Sol Koroleva, you are becoming quite dangerous.' 

'I'm sorry?' she asked in disbelief. 

'You will become even more dangerous still. You have no idea how much larger a role you have to play, do you?' Alina frowned. 'The people are erecting altars to Sankta Alina.' 

'Why would they do that?' 

'Because there is something far greater than armies, something strong enough to topple kings and generals, to crumble nations and birth empires. Faith, Alina.' Just then Genya ran up the steps and grabbed Alina's hand. 

'There you are.' She turned to the Apparat. 'Excuse us, but General Kirigan needs Alina ready for the dinner.' She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm. 

'Faith, Alina Starkov. Remember that.' The two walked away, leaving Alina with many more questions than she started the evening with. 

A female soldier, dressed in the garb of a personal guard of the Little Palace, came into the cave where Baghra resided. Baghra was stoking the fire when the woman walked in, the door creaking open and then closing with a creak. 

'What? What is it?' she asked impatiently. 

'Someone has found it.' Baghra stopped the stoking of the fire, stabbing the poker in the flames and turning to the young soldier.

'That's impossible,' she said. 'Who says so?' 

'A tracker from Chernast. With another soldier.' 

'Bring him to me.' The soldier knelt next to Baghra. 

'He's already been taken to see the general. Apparently, he'd issued the order to find the Stag.' The older woman turned away, a distant look in her eyes as she spoke. 

'We cannot let him obtain that kind of power.' She turned back to the young soldier. 'Listen to me... carefully.' 

The party was going smoothly, with the rest of the guests, including Alina, who was now effortlessly chatting with Fedyor and Nadia, unaware that Marie now laid dead in another room, disguised as a double of the Sun Summoner. 

'And the lynx flush was to smoke out Arken,' Inej said. 

'Like I said, our futures depend on this,' Kaz replied, the two still in their soldier's garb, watching Alina converse closely with her two friends. 'I saw two identical dresses in the fitting room. The target is wearing one, and an Inferni about the same height and build was measured for the other. They need the target for the demonstration, but at the reception, that's when they'll deploy a double for security reasons. So, I set Arken after the double while we stay on the target. Arken will get caught. He chose his fate in Novokribirsk when he met with Zlatan.' 

'What if you're wrong?' Inej asked him. 'What if we sandbagged him with a lynx flush, and the meeting had nothing to do with this?' 

'The only two men in the world who profit off the Fold?' Kaz asked, turning to her. 'Doubtful.' The two turned their gaze back to Alina, who was now standing idle in the hallway, after Fedyor and Maria had gone off looking for other company. 'Now,' he whispered to Inej, and the two walked up to Alina, who was looking around uncertainly. 'Miss Starkov!' Kaz said, making Alina turn to them. 'We are to escort you to dinner? Could you come with us, please?' 

'I thought, um...' she said, looking around, but their gazes were still on her. 'Actually,' she added, rubbing her stomach lightly, 'I am quite hungry.' Kaz and Inej stood aside and Alina walked past them. The three continued their journey down the hall, Alina walking in front of them, quite unaware she was about to kidnapped. That was, until General Kirigan and his sister, Adela, appeared in front of them, the two shadow siblings still wearing their earlier garb from the demonstration. 

'Thank you,' General Kirigan said, stiff and formal. 'I'll take her from here.' The two handed her off reluctantly, not saying a word to the General. He took her aside, and handed her a bunch of deep blue irises. 'For you.' She took them with a smile from his hands and sniffed them, both Adela and the General looping their arms through Alina's and walking her away to the dinner. 

'All right, Plan B,' Kaz said, turning to Inej with a sigh of resignation, but not quite. Inej cast her glance over to where a group of people were talking and saw one of the Inferni in a blue kefta with red and gold accents from earlier, from the fire demonstration. Kaz followed her gaze. 'Scratch that. Plan F. Stay on the target and meet me at the escape route.' 

'He's an Inferni. Don't take any chances,' Inej replied, and the two parted ways, leaving the Inferni to chase the two, or at least one of them, down. 

The two siblings, with Alina in tow, walked towards General Kirigan's quarters. When the three came to the double doors, Adela stopped. 

'I'm gonna head back to the dinner. You two enjoy yourselves... don't have too much fun, brother.' She waved, walking away, moving gracefully. Adela Kirigan didn't even have to try. She was naturally beautiful, even without the help of her Tailor friend Genya. The two, now alone, walked through the door into the dark-ish room that was General Kirigan's study, map room and sleeping quarters all combined in one. 

'I don't recall this being part of the schedule,' Alina said, still inhaling the scent of the flowers that the General - Aleksander, had given her. 

'It isn't,' he said softly, turning on a lamp, filling the room with a warm light. 'Perhaps you'd prefer to attend the dinner,' he added, moving around the table towards her. 

'Marie can manage,' Alina replied. 

'By herself?' the General asked with a playful smile. 

'She has Genya.' Aleksander let out a hum of assent. 

'Well...' he said, walking closer to her, the two looking at each other. Eyes, lips, eyes, lips. Up and down. 'Then... I suppose she'll probably be all right. Don't you think?' There was silence. The two leaned forward tentatively before the General captured Alina's lips in a kiss. It slowly got more passionate before he sat her on the table and lifted her legs over his waist. The two broke apart for air and for him to ask her, 'Are you sure?' She nodded and they kept kissing. They were soon interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Pulling apart, their foreheads touching, Alina chuckled, followed by Aleksander chuckling as well. They delayed for a moment, and then the knocking came again. He finally extricated himself from her, but not before giving her another passionate kiss. More impatient knocking followed. He fully pulled away to go answer the door, leaving Alina at the table to smirk. Kirigan opened the door. 'What is it?' he said to Ivan, who was standing just outside the door. 

'Marie and Genya were attacked in the fitting room. Alina was the target,' Ivan said with a grave look on his face. 'We have a suspect in custody.' 

'Wait here,' he said, and closed the door again. He walked around to Alina once more in the room. 

'Is something wrong?' she asked, upon noticing his concern. 

'It's nothing,' he reassured her. 'I'll leave my guards outside until I return.' 

'I'll be waiting,' she replied softly as he held her cheek. Then the two parted, and he walked away, only to return suddenly, giving her a ferocious kiss that left her breathless. After another peck on Alina's lips, he finally walked away.