Crows and Crowns

Chapter 1

- Alina's POV -

My heart stops and I stand frozen still as his lips touch hers. Malyen Oretsev, the man I've known since I was a child, my best friend, the man I've slowly fallen in love with, is kissing Zoya, the Squaller that was so cruel to me during my first stay at Os Alta. Reluctant tears begin to slowly fall down my face as I grip onto the railing for support. This is too much. I can deal with the Grisha not believing in me, in the King not believing in my abilities, in Nikolai giving up on me. But Mal? Mal is my breaking point.

We lock eyes as I let go of the railing and slowly back away. Mal's eyes widen and I see the shift of the crowd as he struggles to get to me, but I'm already running away.

"Alina!" He yells after me. I pant as I weave through the stone walkways of the Little Palace gardens, the sweet scent of blooming flowers no longer comforting. "Wait!" 

I ignore him and race through the marble hallways, diverting my eyes from the confused glances of students studying in the common room. My shoes slide across the floor as I thrust open the Darkling's chamber doors and quickly bolt them behind me.

Mal is banging on the door, yelling for me to let him explain, but I'm done listening to him. I scrub away my tears and sit down on my bed, burying my face in my hands.

Everything is a mess. The Second Army is unprepared for war. Nikolai's faith in me is deteriorating quickly. The Darkling is hunting me. And Mal is the third amplifier. One way or another, I will eventually have to kill him in order to defeat the Darkling.

I'll never forget how we found out. Right after arriving at the Little Palace, during one of our usual fights about our lives now versus in the past, Mal gripped onto my arm and I felt a shock go through me. Morozova's collar and the fetter around my wrist heated up and I felt this surge of power rush through me. All of the available light in the area rushed towards me like a dog running to it's master. We didn't even say anything; we both knew. Our lives would never be able to intertwine again. I couldn't kill him, and he believed that I had to for the well being of Ravka and the world.

I'm pulled back to reality by a cold hand squeezing on my shoulder. A shiver goes through me. I don't even have to see him to know who it is.

"So, the tracker has finally flown away from the Sun Summoner." His lips graze my ear and I quickly pull away, narrowing my eyes as ours meet. His quartz-gray eyes dance with glee as my cheeks inflame. He sits down next to me, and I'm reminded of the last time he got to me. When he disguised himself as Mal to make me want him. I frown and turn my head away from him. 

"Go away. I'm not in the mood." He chuckles softly and turns my face back to his, his fingers tracing my jaw.

"Oh Alina, if only someone had warned you that a simple otkazat'sya would never except you." He's taunting me now. Rage bubbles up inside of me.

"Go away." I repeat. I hit his hand away and stand up. He sits quietly, watching me as I pace back and forth, listening to Mal's pleas. 

"You could join me, you know." His tone catches me by surprise. For once, he sounds sincere. "We would be unstoppable. The only two of our kind, bound by Morozova's amplifiers."

I stop and look back at him.

"We're not the only two of our 'kind'. You're forgetting about Baghra." A traitorous smile emerges on my face as the Darkling grins and leans back.

"True, but it seems weird to say 'You, me and my mother are the only people of our kind'. It makes me seem like some mama's boy."

I let out a soft laugh, but stop when I'm reminded of all that he's done.