The Light That Blinds {Grishaverse Big Bang 2020}

Chapter 11

"You feel okay?"

Alina nodded. Adrik was sitting on her bed, putting a wet flannel to her forehead. She looked up at her friend and smiled.

"Thanks, Adrik."

The blonde frowned. "You're still burning up, even after a week of being on here."

Alina sighed. It was true. She had been fine at first, and then she'd felt weird after eating.

"Maybe it was the fish."

"Or, again, maybe this event has taken a toll on you."

Alina scowled, crossing her arms. "No."

"Alina," Adrik started. "It's clear it has. Just," he sighed. "Please get some rest." He then smiled at her, and his smile was like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Adrik then took her hand in his, and squeezed it.

"It's good to have you back, Alina."

Alina sighed, looking out of the window. Adrik followed her gaze.

"What?"

"That cloud looks like a sheep."

Adrik looked confused. "A sheep?"

"Yeah! Look at the horns, and the little legs, and how fluffy it is. A sheep!"

Adrik snorted. "That looks more like a hippo."

"A hippo?" Alina sat up. "Which one are you looking at?"

"That one." Adrik pointed to the exact same cloud Alina had been looking at.

"It's a sheep!" She said, throwing her arms out in front of her. Adrik squinted.

"A sheep with a snout?"

"Hippos don't have snouts."

"They do!"

Alina crossed her arms. "Well...you're a hippo."

"I'm a hippo?" Adrik asked. A small smile came to his face. "Well then you're a sheep."

"I am not a sheep!" Alina said indignantly, crossing her arms.

"You have white hair. You're a sheep."

"Well you're...a...blonde!"

"Really? I'm glad you can tell, otherwise it would be worrying."

"Well. That cloud...is not a hippo...oh it looks like a snake now." Alina squinted. Suddenly, something big blocked her view. She frowned.

"Why is there a ship out on these waters?"

"What?" Adrik asked. He turned around, and his eyes widened.

Alina saw Adrik's face pale. "What's wrong?"

"Oh no. I need to find Leoni."

"Adrik-"

The Zemeni Squaller left. With a sigh, Alina got to her feet and looked out the window, crossing her arms.

"That's..." she drifted off, squinting at the symbol on the boat.

Wait. Is that the sign of the drüskelle?

Alina had been told about them by Nina, back when she was still undercover as Wylan Starev. Nina had drawn the symbol for her, and Alina had shuddered at how it was being used to represent such violence. Now, Alina knew what they were.

Alina squinted. There were two people on the boat, both Shu. A boy and his father. She saw that when the drüskelle weren't looking, the boy made fire appear in his hand. Alina's eyes widened.

An Inferni.

Jesper came in. "Alina, I-what are you doing?" The Fabrikator asked, now alarmed as Alina moved towards the edge of the ship at breakneck speed.

"Could you get me some parchment and a pen?" Alina asked Adrik. She leaned on the railing, her eyes fixed on the two people on the other boat. For some reason, the sun summoner felt like the boats were going to circle each other, like a predator and its prey. She felt her heart hammering in her chest.

Adrik gave her the equipment she needed, and his prosthetic hand brushed Alina's. For a moment, she jumped because of how cold it felt; here, the wind was not warm. It still hurt to know that someone had lost their arm because the Darkling had harnessed so much power. Alina shuddered at the memories and tried not to think about them as she wrote down what she wanted to say in Shu script.

"What does that say?" Adrik asked as Alina finished scribbling down her words.

"You'll know when I show you," she said, giving the blonde a wink before turning and holding up the parchment. She pointed exaggeratedly at it, and the boy squinted at the words before his eyes widened, and he shook his head. Alina could see the fear in his eyes, and she wanted to cry. Where were they taking him and his father? What did they want with them?

Alina could see Jesper watching her out of the corner of her eye, inquisitive. She sighed, closed her eyes, and summoned light.

Alina's eyes opened, and she saw the boy tug on his father's shirt and point excitedly at her. The Shu man's eyes widened in awe, and Alina flicked her wrist.

Her power made its way towards the boy. The boy grinned, looking at his father, and then created fire in his hands. Alina sucked in a breath.

Here we go.

Slowly, the boy reached his hand towards her light. Alina watched, tense, and the man held the boy tightly, wrapping both of them in his jacket.

Then, the boy touched the light, and their powers connected.

The Shu man jumped into the water, his son in his arms. Alina watched as the fire and light spun towards each other, moving in tandem, and then, suddenly-

BOOM

The entire drüskelle ship blew up.

It was a sight that Alina had never seen before. The fire and light had combined, becoming a singularity before spreading outwards in a flash - blowing the ship, and the drüskelle, to pieces.

The Shu man and the boy swam towards them. Adrik and Jesper immediately threw down rope for them, and when the father had grabbed onto it, the two boys hauled them up. The Shu man coughed, falling to his hands and knees, and Adrik and Jesper helped him to his feet. Meanwhile, the boy was shivering, and Alina wrapped him in a blanket and got him some stew with beef, carrots and peas in a thick gravy to eat. Once he'd eaten, he looked at her with wide eyes, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What's your name?" Alina asked.

"Kuwei. Kuwei Yul-Bo." he responded. "And you're Sol Koroleva."

Alina sighed, looking out the window. "That I am," she murmured. The waves were calm tonight, seemingly undisturbed by the explosion. Kuwei smiled shyly.

"Thank you for saving me and my father."

"No problem." Alina got to her feet. "Rest. You've had a long day."

Adrik was waiting outside the cabin. "Is he alright?"

"He is." Alina paused. "I haven't told him my name yet. But that's because he knows it, probably."

"Well, you are a Saint." Adrik smiled small, then his voice switched to a different tone, one that showed his curiosity. "What did you write?"

Alina grinned at him.

"'Burn the boat'."