Chapter 2 'Consequences of your actions"

                                    

                                          



Alina stared in disbelief at Alexander. 
The tone of the room changed completely, he could tell she was shocked. 
He decided not to say anything, instead, he tried to decipher the look on her face. 
'You're not serious" -she said. 
Looking at him still. 
"Alina if you only let me explain"- he said hastily.
"This is some kind of joke, you... you can't"-
 She started to shake her head in as she stopped talking before she started to stutter. 
" Alina please, I'm not the bad guy, just let me explain"- 
"Explain... EXPLAIN" -she yelled at him.
 "You have nothing to say that can possibly explain the fold, all the lives your CREATION has taken, my friends, my parents, so many innocents, HOW do you explain that" 
"IF you think I'm not haunted by every single life that the fold has taken you are SEVERLY MISTAKEN"-he said.
 Still maintaining his cool tone but with an emphasis on some words. 
He didn't raise his voice, he had centuries to master masking his feelings and manipulating others.  
"How could you have done such a thing, use a forbidden force, have such LITTLE thought over the consequences of your actions... all the pain and suffering you caused"- she said. 
"Alina the fold was a mistake, it was a desperate last-minute attempt to SAVE us to save ALL GRISHA from total annihilation"-he said as he got closer to the table.  
Alina was still sitting at the table.
 (And she felt grateful that she wasn't standing otherwise her legs would have given off once she learned this)
"That doesn't justify it, did you ever even really try to destroy it"- she added with a harsh tone. 
"Of course I did, I spent countless nights researching more on Morotzova and how to reverse it, but I couldn't do it alone, I needed something id have to wait 500 years for... you'- he said as he touched her shoulders. 
(She felt this pull of energy towards him) 
"Don't touch me"- she said. (She got up and went to the other side of the room) 
She needed to be away from him, she needed to think, gather her messy thoughts and identify her feelings about this, after a moment of silence she decided to speak.  
"Why"- she said softly, almost as a whisper. 
"Why what"- Aleksander said in a very calm tone, looking directly at her. 
"Why tell me, is this another trick of yours? To manipulate me, to get me to trust you" "why why "she wanted to continue but he interrupted her. 
"I already told you earlier today, you mean a lot to me Alina"- he said 
At this moment there was a banging on the door, something about it sounded urgent. 
Aleksander went and talked to someone, Alina thought she heard Ivans's voice, but she couldn't concentrate on what they were talking about, her mind was in a state of disbelief and shock. 
"Has something happened?"- she asked. 
"Nothing you need to worry about"- he replied.
'Stay here ill come back and you can ask me anything you want and ill do my best to explain it to you" 
"You mean your best to lie and tell me half-truths," she said. In an accusative tone. 
"If I wanted to lie to you Alina I wouldn't have told you the truth just now".
"I need to go to my room" 
"No, it isn't safe for you there, wait for me here ill leave my guard outside, I won't be long" 
She didn't say anything as he got close and touched her hand giving it a kiss. 
"Please don't give up on me yet, don't dive up on us"- he said. 
Since she couldn't say anything, words and letters were all mixed in her head, she just looked at him and gave an involuntary small nod. 
After Aleksander left, she got close to the map table in the middle of the room, staring at the fold she remembered when Ana Kunya first told her about it, how much she practiced her drawing skills in order not to end up with a gun in her hands.
 How could Aleksander have done this, was it really a mistake? 
She heard the sound of the guards from outside, it sounded like they were getting knocked out. As someone entered she acted on reflex and put up her hands, light shining through to protect herself. 
"whoa, whoa, whoa It's me, it's me, Alina it's me Mal"- said a familiar voice. 
"Oh, Mal"- she said. 
And she lowered her hands and jumped to hug him. It really was Mal, her friend her crush, her rock. She didn't notice how much she had missed him these past months while they were apart. 
'Look at you"- he said. 
As he detached from the hug and stared at her with a smile. 
"Why are you crying"- he said. In a worried tone. 
"I'm fine I'm just, I... I'm happy to see you"- she said. 
"Alina, I know you, tell me what happened"- he said. 
Alina never was a very convincing liar, Mal could always tell whenever she lied even as kids. She decided not to tell him the truth, she was still processing herself. 
"Mal, what are you doing here"- she said. 
"Well, you said it yourself you can't keep best friends apart for long"-he said. 
"Also, I found the stag"- he added. 
"What stag," she said. 
"The one you always drew in your journals, I came to the palace to tell the General, and also to see you"- he explained.
"You found it" 
"Does he know its location?" she added.
 With a hint of panic in her voice. 
Aleksander planned to use that stag for something, and with the information, he just told her she knew it was not something good. This is why he left so abruptly, to tell his Grisha soldiers to haunt it down and bring it to him. 
"No, I wouldn't tell him until I saw you first, but then this lady took me to this old woman's hut and she tried to kill me" 
"Old woman... Bagrah, of course"- she said. 
"It all makes sense, I've been so stupid" 
"Alina what are you talking about" 
"Mal we have to go, you have to help me escape and find the stag, we have to find it before he does" 
"Why, he is the leader Alina you're not making any sense".
"I'll explain later, but for now let's get away from here". 
Alina and Mal somehow managed to escape that night, as they got on a horse and mal rode it fast to leave the Little Palace Alina glanced back, she couldn't help but wonder if she should have stayed.