Noble Hope| General Kirigan

𝟘𝟚𝟙

{Chapter twenty-one}

"ALINA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Adaline asked as she took a deep breath, relieved to find herself safe from an unknown enemy and instead in the presence of her sister holding a lit lantern. Alina, on the other hand, seemed much more stressed than her older sibling.

"Addy, please," Alina looked side to side wearily, as if something could emerge from the shadows and take her. "There's no time to dawdle."

Adaline was simply confused, but more concerned for the Sun Summoner's odd actions as the younger Starkov took rushed steps into the room. "Dawdle? Dawdle on what—"

"We need to leave this place. Now."

"What? Why? Alina—"

"Adaline Melinna Starkov, I said now! For once in your Saints—be—damned life, will you listen to me?!" Alina cried with a desperate look on her face, leading the two into a dark tunnel where she pressed down on a golden rod sticking out of the wall, making the bookcase slide shut once more. Adaline didn't fail to notice her younger sister's hand slightly graze her kefta pocket suspiciously.

They continued down the walkway, both slightly shivering from the cold until the Darkling broke the silence.

"Alina, tell me what's going on," Adaline said calmly, trying to keep her own temper tame as Alina led them down a set of stone stairs.

"I'm trying to save us."

"Save us?" Adaline began to get frustrated with Alina's sudden game of 'guess what'. "Whatever's wrong, we should go back and find Alek... General Kirigan. You know he can help."

Alina let out an exasperated sigh, turning to her sister with a stern look as they came to a stop in a doorway.

"Who do you think we're running from?"

The first thing Adaline's thoughts screamed were, she knows.

She knows, and she wants us to leave. But how did she know?

"He wants to expand the Fold and use it as a weapon. That's what he created it for in the first place. Don't you see? He's the Black Heretic!" Alina said, her voice nearly choked with tears at the thought of breaking her sister's heart.

Most of these words should have been a surprise, but only the last part did Adaline recognize.

"I know! Damn it, Alina, I know he's the Heretic." Adaline finally snapped, stepping in front of the rushing Sun Summoner, throwing her hands up into the air exasperatedly. "I know, alright? He told me, I figured it out. I-I don't know what exactly is true about what you're telling me, but I know he's good, he has to be."

Alina's eyes watered as she set the lantern down and took Adaline's hands between her own, looking down at her feet as she spoke. "I know you love him, Addy. I can see it by how you look at him, but please. He's not good, he's our enemy. The Volcra? They were human. All he wanted was power." she began to plead. "He's centuries years old. The amount of power he has? It's allowed him to live this long, all so he can use me, use us."

"Alina, please—"

"Baghra is his mother. She told me everything, and he's been collecting Morozova's Creatures for power. You don't have to listen right now, Addy, but please just come with me somewhere where he can't hear us." she began again, taking a hold of Adaline's wrist once more and pulling her along after picking up the lantern.