The Darkling's cold presence echoed around Mal and Alina's room . In a few seconds after they'd arrived, Mal was on his feet , knife in hand and standing in between The Darkling and Alina . The Darkling rolled his eyes and the shadows around the room rose . "Stop it !" Alina demanded a little louder than intended , stepping protectively in front of Mal . The Darkling looked amused . "The keramzin duo never change , do they ?" He released the shadows. "What do you want ? " Mal said through gritted teeth. Alina looked a pale as her hair .
"I just wanted to check in on you two , that is all. " he said coolly . "How- how are you here? I I-I watched you burn ! I mourned you ! I killed you! I... I thought it all finished. " Alina blurted out . The Darkling seemed amused at the thought of Alina mourning him . He walked past Mal and gently held Alina's chin up to his gaze . She froze at his touch , his touch no longer sent surges of power and longing through her , but it was still cold and dangerous. "Miss Starkov , " he teased "is that what the children call you ?" "They call me Alina if they're older , Mrs Oretsev if they are still young ." Alina replied.
"Mrs ! " the Darkling exclaimed and touched a strand of Alina's loose hair , implying that she didn't look married. "She doesn't have to wear it up if she's married, I told her she doesn't have to ." Stated Mal very plainly. Married women wore their hair up or tied , Alina kept her long hair loose . They were still teenagers when they were married and they are still young now so Mal hadn't seen a reason to force Alina into wearing her hair up (not that he could force her to do anything).
The Darkling sighed and stepped back from her . She looked at him with hate. "I'm alive because darkness never truly goes away . Even when there's light , there is shadow." Alina stiffened. "Oh don't act , Darkling! There must've been a force greater than mervost , there must have been something you did to be here ." "We were once friends , Alina , don't look at me with such hate , don't accuse me of such acts ." Alina's face hardend and she looked like the powerful sun summoner ,the Santka Alina , not a care giver at an orphanage. "We were never friends , I was a naive girl and you were ancient , I was given power and you were taken by greed . You hurt and killed my friends and hurt me time and time again. You put a collar on me ! And its because of you I don't have my power any more !" She gingerly touched the skin where the collar had been . The Darkling remained calm " I don't believe all your power is gone ." Alina's expression was unrecognizable. Mal stepped in "I think she would know more than a dead man would " his look was war like and his knife was pressed hard into his palm . "If you'd like to think that , I'd let you, but tell me Alina Starkov -" "Oretsev " " '(sigh ) Oretsev , why do you look the same way you did when you arrived at the little palace all those years ago ? Skinny , sickly and tired ?" Alina regained her posture " Sickly because you're in front of me , tired and skinny because I have roughly 30 children I'm mothering ."
The Darkling walked into their bedroom examining everything. "Tracker ," he called to Mal " have you told Alina that you are the actual reason why she has no power ?" Mal faltered and became angry "how dare you? How would I have in anyway rid her of her powers?" Alina silently nodded alongside Mal . "Tracker , you and I are decendants of Morozova himself, I carry his name , you carry his life force ..." he stopped to pick up a bottle of perfume from Alina's vanity, no doubt a gift from Genya or Zoya , he sniffed the flowery , expensive scent . "... wouldn't someone who has Morozova's life force have some influence over how his theory and power plays out ?" Mal stiffened. All those days he had wished for Alina to not be a Grisha , to be powerless and normal , to just be his again , had he done this ? "NO " Alina shook her head "Mal knows I loved my power , he would never..." "Not even in his dying moment?" The Darkling asked . This time Mal spoke up . " I can assure you that all I thought about in my dying moment was that I'd see you in a few moments after Alina kills your ass. " The Darkling remained unaffected by his comment. "Alina , I think I might have a way to get you your abilities back ." Alina's face lit up, not the literal way it used to but it did . Her features gave in to the hope of having her powers again. "How ?" She said barely voicing it .