The Summoners' Heir

Chapter 44: Eya Fyela Chi, Moi Korol

ALINA

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

I had felt the call from his shadows, but it was what I saw now that shattered me. The room was torn to shreds, shadows running amok. His eyes. So haunting, brimming with unshed tears threatening to break free. Very rare, of course. The tears I had only really seen for Aleksandria. And me, I suppose. But this time there was a brokenness to them. A suppressed pain finally makes its way to the surface. This was different. He wasn't just angry. He was unhinged, losing control.

My Aleksander was breaking.

And so was my heart.

His stare met mine but was quickly blocked by the shadows. I smiled to myself. My silly shadows. He might have centuries to hide, but he could never hide from me. Our souls were entwined, bound by the Saints or something more.

He did not respond. I knew he would not ask. He probably thought I would not understand. And he's right. I suppose I couldn't truly know. He had told me about his history with the kings, the grisha. The story about the girls he mentioned to Leksi. I honestly don't know how he's made it this far. Or why he kept fighting. But I was not there for all the losses, the pain, the hurt. I was not there with him, fighting with him. Loving him through it all - and that pains me. It pains me that I could not shield him from it or lessen the blow. Lessen the weight of it all. It wasn't fair. It never would be. I might not agree with every choice, but I can understand why.

I sat next to him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Alina, please," he whispered.

His voice did not carry - a bullet to the chest. I hated seeing him like this. I hated that he thought I was coming for a fight. To challenge him. But what I hated more was that he was not fighting back - the melancholy in his 'please'.

I turned towards him, reaching out to caress his cheek. I felt the moment his shoulders dropped, relaxing into my embrace. I felt his eyes close as his lashes brushed against my thumb. Good. He'd always be safe with me.

We stayed like that for a few minutes until his quick, shallow breaths became deep and slow, in sync with mine.

"Alina, I know you and I haven't seen eye to eye on this, but I must take the crown."

It was true. I disagreed. He had lost touch with emotion - his humanity, dormant. I was not fit to be a queen. It would be one dictator for the other. The grisha were meant to rise. It was his dream - but now that had changed. And that both scared and intrigued me. I let him speak. It lifted my spirits to see that he was still fighting.

"Alina, you weren't there when they burned that little girl at the stake just because she healed her mother or when my friend was killed for protecting me from the Fjerdans or when my mother and I had to flee from a whole village chasing us with pitchforks just because I..."

The shadows were rising and falling erratically. He was yelling now.