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marvelmusing · 2 years ago

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An Era of Power

Part Nine

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x Fem!Reader

Summary: Armed with knowledge from the library, you’re ready to face Aleksander now that he’s returned. But when a young Grisha faces a frightening ordeal, you end up confronting Baghra instead.

Word Count: 1.8K

A/N: this has taken me ages to get right so I hope you guys enjoy this next part, I’ve missed writing this story.

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The sun is setting as you walk through the hallways of the Little Palace, sharp golden rays of light illuminating your path.

Even now, hours after Baghra's revelation, your mind is muffled by nervous thoughts and frayed emotions. There's a dull ache behind your eyes, no doubt caused by reading for far too long. But you couldn't stop.

Answers still allude you, but two things are certain. Baghra doesn’t deserve your trust, and as much as it hurts, neither does Aleksander. The books in the library hadn’t outright confirmed the word of either of them.

The Kirigan line had been documented perfectly, something that was a surprise given the Little Palace’s lack of an archivist. That alone made you suspicious. Perhaps there was some truth to Baghra’s accusations.

But just because Aleksander was older than he had told you, didn’t mean that anything else she had said was true. After all, you hadn’t told him how old you really were. It doesn’t mean he’s planning to use you, or the Fold.

Your thoughts continue to tear you apart as you open the door to your bedchamber, but you still notice the envelope that had been slid under the door by someone.

There’s quite some weight to the parchment, and Aleksander’s handwriting is recognisable immediately. You read over the words carefully. He briefly explains that he’s been called away to deal with an issue in Chernast.

Before you can help it, you’re thinking about the stag. Baghra’s words echo in your mind: it’s likely he will search for it himself and simply return with your new collar. Something painful twists in your chest at the thought, and anxiety fills you. What if there is no emergency in Chernast? What if he’s on his way to kill the stag?

Tilting the envelope in your hands, you tip it to one side and a silver necklace slips out onto your waiting palm. A thin chain, with a circlet of silver - the sun in eclipse. His symbol.

The ache in your heart softens, and you clasp the piece around your neck. The metal is cool against your skin, and you ignore the shiver that runs down your spine and the twisted thoughts that goad you. A placeholder collar.

You fall into an unsettled sleep that night.

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A week later, Aleksander returns.

You cross paths with him in the entrance hallway to the Little Palace. He has snowflakes in his hair, bright white against the darkness of his raven locks. The snow on his kefta melts quickly, dampening the fabric as he looks over you.

“General Kirigan,” you say in quiet greeting, and he inclines his head, saying your name with a softness that has the entire week worth of anxiety and overthinking fading away.

Everything will be okay.

Your lips are parted, the question already on your tongue, asking him for a moment alone to talk through everything you have learnt since the last time you saw one another. To demand the truth from his own lips.

Then an Inferni - Polina - comes rushing into the hallway, gasping for breath with a frantic expression on her face. She nearly slips on the floor as the wetness on her boots meets polished marble.

Aleksander halts her, encouraging her to share what’s wrong. Both yours and Aleksander’s expression drops as she explains that a young tidemaker had fallen into the ice of the lake during a lesson with Baghra.

She’s barely finished explaining before Aleksander orders her to fetch a healer. His voice fades into the distance as you rush out through the hallway, gravel crunching under your feet as you run towards the lake.

The snowfall is light, allowing you to make your way to the lake without too much difficulty. There’s a few Grisha at the edge of the lake. They share panicked looks and anxious words as they try to figure out how to reach the boy.

The child in question is almost in the middle of the lake, his arms clinging to the ice as half of his body is already submerged in the freezing water.

Panic clouds your mind for a moment, but the sound of Aleksander’s voice pulls you out of it as he asks whether a tidemaker had been alerted of the situation. Had he run after you? Turning, you see him beginning to remove his kefta. Grasping at his sleeve, you stop him.

“I can keep the ice from cracking. I’m the only one who can reach him safely.”

Aleksander holds your gaze for several seconds, studying every emotion swimming in your eyes. The fear and the panic. You’re certain that he remembers the nightmare you had shared with him. He knows you’re thinking about your childhood friend, the boy you couldn’t save from drowning under the ice. But you’re stronger now.

You won’t let any more Grisha children die.

Aleksander nods, settling his palm over your fingers. His touch provides a surge of confidence as his power brushes against yours.

Then you’re turning away, focusing your power on the ice in front of you as Aleksander issues orders to the Grisha standing on the bank. There’s a powerful heartrender attempting to keep the boy’s body temperature up, but he’s too far away and she won’t be able to reach him for much longer.

Drawing your power into your hands, you keep your palm steady as it faces the ground you stand on.

Then you take a step onto the ice. There’s a sickening crack as the ice begins to break, but you don’t allow it to shatter. It remains frozen in time by your power and a shaky breath of relief falls from your lips.

Despite the pounding in your heart and the anxiety urging you to hurry, you step evenly over the ice. With every snap and groan of the ice you push down your fear.

Once you’re close enough you begin to speed up the freezing process of the ice beneath your feet, creating a solid floor for once you pull him out. Now you’re close enough to see the boy properly.

“What’s your name?”

There’s tears glistening in his eyes, but he swallows quickly and answers you,

“Georgi.”

As you settle down onto your knees carefully, you tell him your name.

“The ice around you is quite thin, it won’t stay frozen for long without me holding it. To pull you out, I have to use both of my hands.” Georgi nods in understanding. Very few Grisha can use their power without their hands. “When I grab onto you, I need you to wrap your arms around my neck really tight, okay?”

“You’re going to get me out?”

The fright in his voice tugs at your heart, and for a moment you imagine the ice breaking, plunging you both into the water. You nod.

“It’s going to be alright, Georgi.”

You solidify the ice surrounding him as much as you can, but with Georgi moving constantly to stay above the water, the ice doesn’t remain frozen for long.

“Ready?”

He nods.

“On three.”

You’re mostly speaking to yourself, preparing your power to hold onto the ice for as long as it can.

“One, two, three.”

As you finish your countdown, you grasp hold of Georgi and pull with all your might. His clothes are heavy with water, but he clings onto you tightly. You hear the ice snapping under your knees as the cold water soaks through the arms of your kefta as you fight to pull him free.

Once he’s clear from the water, you pull his body against yours and throw the two of you onto the ice you had thickened. Georgi is shaking as he grips onto you.

With one hand, you summon your power, keeping the ice completely still, frozen at a thickness akin to mid-winter. Relief fills you, but you can hardly process it as your heat beat echoes in your ears. The snowfall is heavier now as it lands in large clumps that cling to your frozen kefta.

Slowly, you manage to carry Georgi back to towards solid ground.

Once you finally reach the edge of the lake, your legs give way. As you stumble forwards, a handful of Grisha take Georgi. Someone wraps a kefta around him and a healer steps in to examine him before they begin walking him back towards the Little Palace.

When you sink to your knees, exhausted, Aleksander is by your side. He wraps his kefta around your shivering body, and despite the chill of the frozen air some of his warmth spreads over your skin.

His fingers curl around your wrist, his thumb smoothing over your pulse point as it continues to pound violently. The soothing feeling of his amplification has your eyes growing heavy as your forehead presses against the warmth of his neck.

Struggling to keep yourself from falling into him, you force your eyes open. Then your gaze falls on Baghra. Displeasure twists at her features as she observes you and Aleksander, and anger thrums through your body.

“You’re still here I see.”

A startled scoff leaves your lips.

“Did you think telling me running was useless would make me try it just to spite you?”

Aleksander looks between you and his mother, confusion barely visible in his eyes as you stand to face her. A demeaning smile twitches at the corner of her mouth before she nods towards Aleksander.

“He will find out what you are soon enough.”

At that, you go still. Aleksander has always told you how incredible you power is. That it is a gift. Baghra has done nothing but shame you for being different – deep down you’ve always feared that she’s right.

There is a darkness in your soul. An anger you have never forgotten, made dangerous by the magic ripped from the making at the heart of the world and forced into you. The merzost is still there inside you, all it would take is one tug.

Now, with your adrenaline running high, it begs you to answer its call, to release it all. The pain, the fear, the anger. Centuries worth of it.

He will see what you are. An abomination.

Darkling’s have been a source of fear and suspicion among the otkazat’sya for centuries. Perhaps it’s time you give them something new to fear. But you cannot do that if you spend your time cowering from an old woman, even if she has the same power as the man beside you.

She must see the shift in your expression as you step closer.

“He has his Grandfather’s eyes,” you say in a low voice. When her brows draw together you tilt your head towards him in clarification. “Aleksander.”

The corner of your mouth twitches with a smirk as you catch a glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes, you can practically see the questions flying through her mind as she processes your words. Understanding dawns on her, that you had met her father – Ilya Morozova.

Taking another step closer, you raise your chin as you hold her gaze.

“You have no idea what I am.”

The smirk lingers on your lips as she stands in stunned silence, and you step back slowly.

“Think about that, the next time you underestimate me.”

With that, you turn and walk back to the Little Palace.

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#an era of power #aleksander morozova x reader #aleksander morozova #the darkling x reader #the darkling au #shadow and bone au #shadow and bone x reader

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