Not Always the Villain • Darklina One-Shots

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧

This takes place in the middle of Ruin & Rising if Baghra didn't jump off the cliff and the Darkling captured Alina. This is more of a stand-alone chapter instead of a one-shot, but I couldn't stop writing...

Anyways, enjoy♥️

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        "Here we are again, Alina."

        The Darkling's unmistakable voice pierced through the chaos around us. I ignored him and continued to cut down waves of nichevo'ya, but it seemed my efforts were futile, for they kept materializing and throwing themselves at me and my friends.

        "Do you really think this will end in your favor? Look what happened when you tried to run from me last time," he said, gesturing to Genya's scarred face and eyepatch. Genya raised her chin dignifiedly and flared her nostrils, but I could sense her discomfort.

        More and more of the Darkling's monsters came at us. I summoned blades of light that sliced through ten or fifteen nichevo'ya at a time, but the horde kept advancing until they were close enough that I could see their dastardly features: the rows of razor-sharp teeth, gaping mouths, tall stances, and shadows where the eyes should be.

        I turned to Nikolai after I concluded that we were most certainly defeated. "Go get Baghra and bring her to safety!"

        Nikolai's ruffled golden hair fluttered in the breeze. He gave me a wary look. "Are you sure? Baghra could be of use to us. She may be the only one who can reason with her son or get him to stop."

        "No," I said. "I won't put her in danger. Now, go."

        He lingered for a second, then left in the other direction. I made the mistake of looking away and watching Nikolai leave. When I looked back, a nichevo'ya grabbed ahold of me. I used the Cut to escape, but not before it could slash through my stomach with its blade-like claws. It dissipated to nothing, leaving me clutching my core in pain. I shook away the nausea, buttoned up my jacket to cover the injury, and continued to fight. Mal was beside me firing his gun anywhere he could, however, it merely slowed them down. I was the only one who could destroy the monsters. I was the juxtaposition to the Darkling's power; I could be his strongest ally or his greatest enemy. That was why he wanted me on his side, but we were too dangerous for anything good to come from us being together.

        The Darkling continued to speak through the commotion of the fight. "Stop this foolishness, Alina. You belong with me. The tracker cannot give you what you want—what you deserve. He can't begin to comprehend your power. He shies away from it. I will tell you again: I have never turned away from you. I never will. Can he say the same?"

        "Shut up! She will never want you!" Mal screamed. Gunpowder flooded my nostrils from his ineffective firing.

        I was about to say something to Mal when I felt two long arms swoop around me, holding my hands apart. The shadow monster held me against its body, leaving my legs dangling, struggling to reach the ground. I kicked and flailed around, but it was pointless. Not a second later, the nichevo'ya swarmed us, grabbing my friends and holding them the same way as me. I struggled, squirming from the unnatural feeling of the nothings, similar to the sensation of bugs crawling on my skin.