A year after Alina Starkov tears down the Shadow Fold, she is finally able to settle into her peaceful life. There is no more war with Ravka. The Darkling, once her enemy, is now a loyal, protective husband, and a father to their adoptive daughter...
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𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓉𝒽𝓈 𝓁𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇. . .
I love early mornings.
Mornings just after waking up are when I can forget all about my troubles in the groggy haze of sleep. Until I look over at the empty divot on the other side of the bed, then all the memories come flooding back.
After Amelia was attacked, I convinced Aleksander to rehire more guards and invite his trusted Grisha back to stay at the Grand Palace. We will need more than ten guards to keep watch. But that wasn't enough for Aleksander. Every day, it seems like there are new nichevo'ya popping up, looming around every corner. There are twice the amount of monsters than there are men in this castle which has done nothing to benefit his health.
Shu Han has been eerily dormant lately. Aleksander says it's because they are waiting to catch us off guard, which is why he is always in the war room asking for reports on any advancements from the Shu. When he isn't in the war room, he is sorting out strategies in his head, musing, distant; even when he is in the same room. It's why I've woken up alone for the past three months. He never sleeps. He will never rest until this war is over.
I sit up with a sigh, resting my back against the headboard and tapping my fingers in thought. Then, I do something I have not needed to do for a long time. I find that invisible tether between Aleksander and me—infinitely strong and unbreakable—and I tug on it, calling to him wherever he might be during the early hours of dawn. My amplifiers flare with power, and the skin encasing them tingles when the bond lightly vibrates back, letting me know that he felt it.
As I wait, golden sun dances between my fingertips. I summon light from the sunrise that streams through our cloth curtains and clings to my skin like a comforting warm blanket. The sun flares and fades with every breath I take, reminding me that the sun is a part of me, through and through.
The light sputters out when the door bursts open. I jump at the loud noise. Aleksander beelines straight for me, cupping my face in both hands to inspect me with panicked eyes. I should have expected this reaction. He has been on edge, ready for a fight, every hour of every day. It's no wonder he hasn't gotten a wink of sleep.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
I arch a brow at him and take his hands off my face, holding them in my lap as gently as one would handle a newborn.
"I'm perfectly fine."
"Then why did you use our connection to call out to me?"
I frown, patting the spot next to me on the mattress.
He shakes his head and says, "I don't have time to sit and rest—"
"Sit down!" I demand a bit more forcefully than intended.
"Alright," he sighs wearily, plopping down next to me on his side of the bed. "What have I done this time to draw out 'scary Alina'?"
