Aleksander Morozova Imagined

Hidden in plain sight part 1

I hold my breath refusing to look at him. "It'd serve you best to pay attention to where you're going. I wouldn't want you to run into anyone that will be less lenient than I." I nod my head still not looking at him. I jolt as he squeezes my arm. The cool leather pressed into my skin. Only then do I look at him. I swallow before replying, "Of course Darkling, I understand. Thank you." He stares at me for a few more seconds before seeming satisfied and releasing my arm. He turns away from me continuing down the hall his oprichniki striding after him. My feet are rooted to the spot as I stand there shaking like a leaf. 

That is where Pervak finds me. "Adri are you ok? Adri? Can you hear me? Adrianna?" He questions voice rising in pitch as he nears me. He puts his hands on my shoulders turning me to face him. I look into his warm comforting hazel eyes, so different from the Darkling's cold grey ones. Instantly I wrap my arms around him. He is surprised at first but he quickly recovers wrapping his arms around me. "*что случилось малыш?*" I burrow my head into his chest, silent tears slip from my eyes. What if he knows? What will he do? Pervak just holds me there until the sun slips behind mountains and the stars wink down at us through the windows. 

*What's wrong little one? in Russian, I used Google translate so I'm sorry if it's wrong. *

Pervak's POV

My day had gone surprisingly smoothly. I was able to not drop any dishes today thanks to one of my shadows catching it before it could smash on the floor. I know Adri would have a heart attack if she knew I was using my power so openly but for a majority of the day, it's just myself and my shadows cleaning dishes. I wouldn't dare risk using them like this if there were other people around to witness it. 

Everything was going great until I found Adri in a deserted hall mumbling to herself. I had a bad feeling in my gut when she skipped Lunch but she did it often enough that it couldn't be considered out of the ordinary. Albeit she skipped mealtime far too often for my liking but she claimed to use that time to sneak into the library or Corporalki rooms to study. I don't want to block her from mastering her gift and being who she is, I just wish it didn't cost her mealtime. 

I can safely say that of all my 28 years on this earth I have only been deeply disturbed 3 times before. Seeing Adri like this made my soul shiver and my heart crack. She was talking so quietly I could barely make out the words only being able to pick up on a few, if, he, know, what, do, we. To make it worse she not only hugged me but started to cry. I haven't seen her cry since the time a group of inferni thought it would be funny to aim their fireballs at her and one ended up hitting her hand, lighting her sleeve on fire. She ended up jumping into the lake only for all the Grisha students there to laugh at her. I swear I was about to unleash my shadows on them right then and there; consequences be damned but Adri calmed me back down. She rose from the lake like a queen does from her thrown and strode proudly out of it dragging me back up the path to the little palace. Only when we were in an alcove hidden by my shadows did she let her tears flow. 

Yet here we stood in a dark hallway, her face buried in my chest as sobs wracked her body. I put my arms around her trying to comfort her. My concern only grew when I realized just how thin she had gotten. She won't be skipping mealtime anytime soon, that's for sure. "Ari, what's wrong? What happened?" I ask once her crying subsides, reducing her sniffles. She pulls back looking up at me. Her green eyes are bloodshot and puffy. 

"I bumped into the Darkling today," She replies after a few minutes. 

"Oh ok, that's not too bad. We've seen him before, don't let it get to you if he didn't pay attention to you."

"No Vak you don't understand. I literally bumped into him and fell on my bum."

"Did he threaten you?" 

"No, not really." 

"What do you mean not really?" 

"He didn't threaten me but he certainly implied that there would be consequences next time." 

"Well, that's not too bad. I'm sure everything will be fine. He's probably already forgotten already anyways, I mean it's not like the man has a country to run or something. " 

"Vak he looked at me, really looked. What if he knows I'm Grisha? What if he discovers you? Especially with your powers, it would be awful. Oh, Vak I'm so sorry," Her voice barely above a whisper. She starts crying again. 

I pull us into an abandoned room looking around to make sure no one heard. Not a creature in sight luckily. My shadows wrap around us blocking out the sound of our voices. "Shh, it's ok, it's just your anxiety getting the best of you. If the Darkling knew you were Grisha you would know. He would not have left you there. He would have dragged you to Saints knows where and tortured you into discovering why you hid. Ok? The Darkling does not know and he will never find out ok? Do you hear me?" I cup her jaw softly. She swallows crying slowly coming to a stop. "But what if he does?" She questions. I shake my head, "Life is too short to be live it by what-ifs ok? If the Darkling knew he would be raining hellfire and whatever else he could down on us. But if you're that worried we can always leave." 

"No!" She shouts, I'm startled by her sudden outburst. 

"No, we can't just leave that will look even more suspicious and he will just track us down if we do that," She replies quieter this time. 

"Ok, then we stay and just avoid the Darkling. It shouldn't be that hard we've been unintentionally doing it for years." 

"Ok you are right, I was just being paranoid." 

"Yeah but just to be safe no more skipping meals to practice and keep an eye out for anyone that's watching you." 

"Ok." 

"Come on let's go see if there is anything we can snag from the kitchens." She nods taking my hand as we walk through the empty halls together. It's nighttime so most of the Grisha and servants have gone to bed already. Normally Adrianna and I would use times like this to practice but now that the Darkling potentially knows that we are Grisha we have to be more cautious. 

Author's Note

I was so tempted to invoke everyone's PTSD and put and then his grey orbs locked with mine. But then I couldn't take the cringe so you're welcome. Is cocking an eyebrow the same thing as raising a brow? I don't know what people that aren't a part of the second army call the darkling. Like I know the darkling is his title but it feels wrong to use that like, I'm sorry darkling? IDK it sounds weird to me. You can clearly see the difference between Pervaks's perspective and Adrianna's and I'm proud of myself for that. I have no idea what kind of writing drug I was on when I wrote Adrianna's perspective but it was clearly something good, like DAMN. Also, do you guys want me to start writing in the second person, so it would be: you slam into something hard and fall. Or do you want me to use pronouns like she/they or they/them? I'm trying to write from a guy's perspective that's not a botched Darkling perspective but I don't really know how to write guys. If you have any tips or anything you want to see let me know. Yes, there will be a part two. Thank you so much for your support and please don't be afraid to comment or vote they mean the world when you do. I wish you a good day/night!

-K