Elementals || Grishaverse

Chapter 23: A Walk

Storm. Thunder. Lightening. Tree catching fire. Adaline touching the glass. Drowning. Sharp pain, and blinding white light.

Adaline had the same nightmare again. It was exactly the same one. She woke up covered in sweat, gasping for air. But that time towards the end, she saw the brown eyes of an acquaintance looking at her as if she was laying down on the ground. Her light brown curls fell over her face but the whisper was clear as light.

Trust nobody but yourself.

The woman had been right. Whoever she was, she knew what she meant. Adaline had to find her somehow because the woman may have had the answers that she was searching for.

"Adaline?" Stefan brought her out of her trip down memory lane. "I asked if you are feeling better." He repeated his question politely to help her not feel guilty about not listening to him in the first place.

"Oh." She held her forehead and smiled at herself. "I'm feeling better, thanks to you."

The two of them were taking a walk together in the castle grounds. Adaline refused to go to her lessons but when Stefan suggested a walk outside, she agreed. She ignored the stares that came with it because she did not care. She was going to trust herself.

Stefan could understand what she was going through. To be given a responsibility that you never asked for was something that he had been feeling his entire life. He did not want to rule Ravka. He was not the leader that the country needed. He always doubted himself.

There was constant talk about him taking over the throne and he just wished that he could stop the rumours. But somehow, being with Adaline helped him take control of his own reality. He was only Stefan when he was around her, though he feared telling that to her.

"I need to stay away from him." She hissed under her breath when they came across two oprichniki that were making their way towards the castle.

He knew who she was talking about. He had been doing it himself ever since he returned to his home. The Darkling had an ice cold stare for everyone that he could not use for his purpose. Stefan realised that very soon in his life. "He is only trying to keep things under control."

She stared at him. "How can you say that after what happened?"

"He is the leader of the Second Army. He seems to have everything under control. You can never surprise him for he is always ready."

The Darkling was prepared for anything that could come his way. But when we look at this story from his perspective, he was not expecting Adaline to walk into his life. "That's because he is a hypocrite."

Imposter. Pretender. Alone.

"True. But he is a leader altogether. And although I hate to say it, he makes a good one." She frowned. "Biggest irony in history?"

"Aye aye captain."

She meant her smile ever since the night of the dance. She was still ignoring everyone and she scraped by with it. She needed her time away because she would always be an outsider, and it was always meant to be that way. She was never going to fit in the Little Palace.

Her friendship with Stefan was contradicting even to her because she had resented the royals her entire life. But he was different, and it was a good difference. She could definitely tolerate him and it was like he had pointed out. She didn't mind his touch.

Both of them walked the edge of the lake when they saw a couple walking next to each other on the other side. "Maxwell and Irina make a good pair." Stefan said.

"They really do." Adaline smiled thinking about how happy she was that they had found each other. "I'm glad that Carolyn helped me push them to admit their feelings for each other. I wonder how long they've been hiding it."

"That's only a part of who we are, and that's what makes us human."

She looked into his eyes and saw a truth in there. Stefan was speaking from experience. He had been heartbroken in the past and he was not afraid to show it. He did not hide who he was from the world. He showed both his vulnerability and his strength out. And that made her heart flutter.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked. "It's more of a request really."

"Of course."

Adaline wasn't sure how to tell him what it was that she wanted. "Can I meet my family?"

Stefan hadn't been expecting that, but he was going to be honest to her. "The Darkling decides that. I wish I could help, but you live in the Little Palace."

"I'm not working for him."

"You aren't working for us either."

He was right. Adaline was a pawn. It took her some time for that information to sink in. She really was stuck in Ravka. "Then can I send messages to them? I know that Grisha don't keep in touch with their family but-"

"You're not Grisha." She smirked. She had been saying for quite some time that people could finish her sentences with it. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Stefan. Truly."

They continued walking and after a while, Stefan complimented her once again. "Your eyes do reveal your secrets, you know?"

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Refusing is not going to stop you, is it?"

"Not really, no."

"Then feel free."

She nodded. She was starting to accept that there could be something between them. Maybe he wasn't so annoying after all. "Why do you keep complimenting my eyes?"

"Ah." He said. "I didn't realise that I was doing it a lot. My apologies."

"No, it's fine." She said. "Is it just me or do you do it with swoon-overs?" She teased him.

He laughed along with her but his eyes were filled with grief. He was going to be taking a trip down memory lane for her. He was going to tell her about the one person he never talked about. "You remind me of someone."