All Things Must End

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕 • 𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕖 𝕐𝕠𝕦

        I open my mouth to object, but he stops me and continues on before I can say anything. "But I will try to fix what I've done; I will try to deserve you, no matter how long it may take. That, I can promise you."

        I sigh as he strokes my snow-white hair with a feather-light touch. As much as I want this moment to remain affectionate, I voice my argument anyway. Though he would never admit it, he was scared by the attempt at my life because they were Ravkans. Our own people who turned against me. If they were Fjerdan or Shu Han, he could have focused all of his hate on them, fought, declared war, but he cannot battle his own country. He has replaced his fear with paranoia of everyone since his followers betrayed him in the worst way they could have: taking away the thing he loves most. But that still doesn't make any of what he's done right.

        "How is keeping me in our bedroom any different than holding me prisoner as you did a year ago?"

        "My intentions this time are different. Before, I was being selfish. I know the reason for the precautions I am currently taking—to keep you and Amelia safe. It may seem unfair or heartless even, but know that it is precisely my heart that I am using while making this choice. Now, lets go back to our chambers. We can talk more there."

        A single hopeless tear trickles down my face. His sympathetic frown deepens, and he kisses it away.

        "I won't go back to the bedroom," I say with a new wave of rightfully attained stubbornness. "I can't go back to being your prisoner. I won't!"

        "Just a few more days—"

        "No!"

        I know I sound like a disobedient child, but I will not go back to how things were a year ago when he still acted like my captor rather than my husband.

        A shadow casts over his eyes. "Alina, I don't want to do this, but I am no longer asking you to come with me."

        Erratic whisps of light emit from my skin in my anger. I yank my hand out of his. "And I am no longer entertaining your demented idea that keeping me locked away will make my life any safer. I'm. Not. Going," I seethe with a set jaw and clenched fists.

        Aleksander's slate eyes never leave mine. He says, "Do you know why I keep saying 'a few more days'?"

        "You are just prolonging my prison sentence," I growl. "You want me to think it isn't permanent."

        "No," he denies in a melancholy voice. My eyebrows scrunch down in shock and confusion.

        He raises his hand in a motion I know all too well. Behind him, a monster ten feet tall, made of shadow, forms in a menacing stance, ready to carry out his silent orders. I thought I had seen the last of his nichevo'ya a long time ago when we were on opposing sides of the war.

        I shake my head. "No. No, what are you doing? Wait!"

        I send the Cut barrelling at the monster. It dissociates into nothing only for another one to take its place. Again, I send the Cut through the abomination, but it was only a diversion. Another one forms behind me, capturing my arms to prevent me from summoning. It holds me above the ground. I kick and scream, but it covers my mouth with its long, slender arm, the other holding me securely to its chest.

        My breath is labored as I use all of my strength to fight it. It is futile. The Darkling approaches me, stroking his fingers across my cheek as a way to comfort me. It is hard, however, to comfort someone if you are the cause of the distress.

        "This is why," he says, gesturing to his monster. "A few more days is all it will take to finish my tasks. You have seen the beginning of my plan: ridding the Grand Palace of everyone considered a loose link." Which was everyone in his eyes, I think to myself. He steps closer, tracing the outline of my jaw as he says, "I've realized that my creations are far more loyal than any otkazat'sya or Grisha we could employ. They follow my orders. They will protect you at my decree. I just need time to create more, then everything will be as it was."

Everything will be as it was. His words ruminate in my mind. Yes, it will be as it was. As it was when we were at war with one another, fighting battle after battle, losing lives to the feud. I shake my head, angrily mumbling curses against the restricting hold of the nichevo'ya.

        Now that I know what he has been doing, I see the damage it's caused. I scan his face closer. There is a heavy exhaustion there that I hadn't noticed before. The merzost is wearing him down, forcing its heavy expense upon him and his health.

        "I know what you are thinking, milaya. But I am willing to pay the price of using merzost if it means keeping you safe. And that is exactly what they will do. My nichevo'ya can injure, but they can also protect."

I finally free my head from the monster's arm by craning my neck to the side. I cry out in desperation, "I don't want your protection! I want my husband back."

        His eyes grow wide. He is taken aback by my outburst. Then, his face hardens, and I watch his throat bob up and down. "Take her," is all he has to say for the nichevo'ya to conform to his demand. I kick and writhe in the shadowy arms as it takes me upstairs to our chambers. My blood boils as he doesn't spare me another glance. The Darkling leaves in the other direction, most likely to continue with his ignorant plan of creating more nichevo'ya.

The monster tosses me through the doorway and I tumble inside. Before I can get to the door, it slams shut.

He isn't getting out of this fight that easily.

There is a new lock on the door. I try to use my power by melting the lock as I did last time. The metal turns red with heat, but it never warps no matter how much light I direct at it. I scoff. Aleksander was quick to get a Durest to create a Sun Summoner-resistant lock.

Okay, maybe he is getting out of this fight that easily.

"Alina?" I hear Amelia's soft voice say from the other end of the room. She peeps over the top of the couch. "Madraya, are you alright?" she asks.

I sigh heavily and meander over to the sitting area, leaning over the couch to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Yes, milaya. Your father is just being very stubborn —adamant about protecting us."

"This is protecting us?" she asks skeptically.

I smile wearily and round the couch, plopping down next to her. She cuddles up on my lap, hugging my core tightly. "In his own little way, this is how he shows his love," I explain while stroking her golden curls. "It is not the right thing to do, but he has lost so many people that he loves. It scares him more than anything to lose us too. He'll come around eventually." I just have to make sure he doesn't kill himself by using dark magic first.

        She nods drowsily, her eyes fluttering shut as I speak. "Padraya loves us," she states in a quiet sigh.

        "Indeed he does."

        And maybe someday, he will realize that keeping us safe means nothing if he drives us away in the process.

***

        Amelia and I doze off on the velvet couch with the crackling fireplace casting comforting heat onto our skin. She holds Morozova's gifted locket in her palm protectively as she sleeps. I am unsure of how late it is by the time I feel movement. Amelia's fragile frame lifts off of my lap. I flinch, my arm instinctually reaching out for her. Then, it falls back to my side, and I feel myself get lifted off the couch as well before sleep reclaims me. Strong arms hold me close to their body as I am carried to the bed and slipped under the covers. The mattress dips down beside me. What I vaguely register as Aleksander's hand smooths my hair in a pacifying manner. It takes me less than a minute to fall back into peaceful oblivion with my husband and daughter beside me. My family. My shelter. This will always be my motivation to fight for Aleksander and continue to see the good in him. It reminds me that he is still here with us, fighting as hard as I am to keep our family whole. I will do everything in my power go make sure Aleksander doesn't lose himself to greed and power for one simple reason: I love him.