Elementals || Grishaverse

Chapter 18: Maybe

Dawn broke through the canopy of the trees. The atmosphere in the war room was suspenseful. Freya stood in front of an empty ebony chair. The fireplace was empty and that absence of heat sent chills down her spine. She twiddled her thumbs as she saw the Darkling pace the room with his hands behind his back. She couldn't believe it when he called her a week before and gave her an order. She didn't really prefer talking to him directly. It was usually Maxwell who kept the balance between the Darkling and the Grisha.

But standing there at that moment while staring at one concentration point, she prayed and hoped that things would get better. She couldn't disappoint him. She feared whatever that outcome would mean and refused to think about it. "What is the progress so far?" He asked her.

"The kefta will be done by the day of the ball." She assured him. "I've given the specifications that you wanted. The material is sitting at the workshop right now."

"Good." The Darkling folded his hands across his chest and leant against a blackwood cupboard. "Will she take it?"

That made Freya curious. Why was the Darkling worried about the results all of a sudden? He was the most confident person in all of Ravka. He had everyone's respect and loyalty. He had nothing to fear. "I'm sure that she will."

After dismissing her, the Darkling walked down to the lakeside to none other than Baghra's house. He saw flames from the window, its light reflecting off of the glass. "Again." He heard the old woman's voice even though he was at a distance.

"Unless you want me to burn down this place, I think we should take this outside."

That made him smile. What was it about the newcomer that made him change his views and perspectives? Why was he concerned about anyone so deeply?

His motive was to find out who she was and see if she could be useful for his vision of a world where Grisha were free. He had been hearing news about the imprisonment and slavery of Grisha, and everything that he was working towards was to give them a better place in the world, one that he never had in the many years that he had lived.

But then, why did he think about the dark-haired Adaline Chernoff whenever he got too close to destruction? Her opinion mattered to him and he wasn't sure why that was so. He had never felt that way before but she could never find out who he truly was. She would never see him the same way again.

He rolled his shoulders back. Adaline wasn't going to change her views on him. He knew that and he would expect no less. Even if she knew his true feelings, she could never feel the same way about him. He had made mistakes in the past and nothing that he would do would change that. Nothing.

He knocked on the door and went inside after Baghra told him to come in. Adaline's mouth fell open slightly and she tried to hide it. What was the Darkling doing there? "What are you doing here?" Baghra asked, speaking for both of them.

"I can go wherever I want, woman," he replied. "I'm here to accompany Adaline for a walk."

"Why?" Baghra and Adaline asked at the same time and that was the one time where they were in sync. Their training was going very badly because they had different visions about what to do with Adaline's powers.

"Are you ready?" He asked Adaline, who was sitting on the floor due to exhaustion.

Adaline looked at Baghra, who was staring at the Darkling. "Fine," spoke Baghra. "Get here early in the morning tomorrow." She told Adaline.

"When do I not?" She asked as she grabbed her coat from the corner of the room.

"Your powers are of different colours and origin, girl. Get here as soon as you wake up."

Walking beside the Darkling for a casual walk seemed strange for her. He wanted something from her and he was just waiting for the right moment. "How is training going?" He wondered why her powers drained out her energy. He had felt it when he touched her. It took him a few days before he could perform the Cut to its full capacity again. She may claim not to be Grisha but she was special. She was....one of a kind, like calls to like.

She groaned in response. "I don't even want to think about the progress let alone talk about it. Training is the most exhausting part of the day....which is all the time."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Will saying 'no' prevent you from asking?"

There it was. Her snapping back at him talking was something that he seemed to really enjoy because he had to resist a smile quite often. "Not really, no."

She clapped her hands together once. "Ask away then."

The Darkling stopped walking halfway as they reached the peach tree in the grounds. "Why don't you like it when someone touches you?"

Adaline wasn't sure why he wanted to know. Nobody did really, but she saw no harm in telling him the truth. "It started when I was around ten years old. Whenever someone wanted to play with me, their touch seemed to make me feel like my skin was on fire. I had heard about people being touch sensitive but that experience is something very different. Good that I don't want to belong anywhere because I don't find it strange. It is sort of a shield for me." She paused to take a breath and then continued, surprised at how he was very patient. "I know if I can trust someone if touching them is alright with me." She pursed her lips and nodded. "So that's it." She shrugged.

The Darkling was swaying to her voice and didn't realise that she had stopped talking until she broke eye contact. He looked at the fallen flowers on the ground and picked one up. He gestured as if to ask if he could tuck it behind her ear and when she nodded, he did the same thing that he had wanted to. "Intriguing," he replied. He kept his hand close to her cheek as if to touch her but scared that she would break like glass. "May I?" He asked for her permission once again.

Adaline's heart was beating out of her chest. What was he trying to do? "Sure."

He placed his hand on her cheek. The warmth from his hand resonated through her face. She felt comfortable. She breathed out in relief. "Is this alright?" He asked.

She nodded, a smile creeping on her face. "I'm getting used to this." She let out a shaky laugh when he pulled his hand away. "Maybe I needed to fall unconscious in your arms then."

He laughed heartily. "Glad that I caught you then." Silence filled the space between them as they continued walking. "Adaline?" He called her name, making her look at him. "You can wear black tomorrow."

It wasn't a request or even a suggestion. It was the Darkling's order.