The Light That Blinds {Grishaverse Big Bang 2020}

Chapter 6

Leoni gasped. "Look at all the pretty dresses!"

Alina smiled. Her arm was linked with Leoni's, and Jesper's was linked with Inej's.

"They are very pretty, aren't they?" she asked. Leoni beamed and nodded.

Later, when Inej and Jesper had gone to try on potential ball outfits, Alina's commander held up two dresses to her figure.

"Which one do you think would suit me?" Leoni asked.

One dress was golden and flowy, with sunflower decorations on the straps. The other dress had a poofier skirt, was pink, and had sparkling rose decorations at the waist and at the hem.

Alina felt breathless. "You'd look beautiful in either of them."

Leoni laughed. When she did, Alina was reminded of the wind chimes she had in her bedroom as a child, that tinkled against each other when the wind blew through the window on those warm summer days. At night, she'd take them down so she could have a peaceful sleep, then she'd put them back up again in the morning.

Leoni settled for the golden dress, and Alina watched as she spun around outside the small changing room near the stall, the skirt flowing outwards. Like many passers-by, Alina was captivated. All she could do was stare at her commander - kind, caring, fierce, loving - and feel her heart burst as Leoni smiled. Her face could outshine a thousand suns, Alina thought as she took her friend's hand.

"You look like a sun maiden."

"And you look like the tides that are moved by the moon."

Alina snorted, blushing. "Stop it, you."

Leoni beamed, and Alina offered her arm. Leoni linked her arm with Alina's, and the two women walked off to find Jesper and Inej.

They found the two sitting on a fountain, eating lunch. "Hey," Jesper greeted as the two people sat down next to the two teenagers. "We bought you guys lunch too."

"Oh Jesper, you didn't have to do that!" Leoni said, accepting the lunch with a smile.

"I'll pay you back," Alina said with a nod. Inej laughed.

"You don't need to do that Wylan! You've already paid off our contracts, remember?"

Alina shifted a bit as she picked up the food Inej had bought for her. "I did." She sighed. "I might have to go back soon."

Jesper stared at her. "Kaz wants you back already? Did you get a letter?"

Leoni looked at Alina. It was enough to say, be careful.

"No," Alina said, shaking her head quickly. She bit into the panini. "No, I just...have a feeling, somehow. I mean, Kaz doesn't have any other mapmakers, right?"

Jesper and Inej glanced at each other. Alina's heart beat faster.

"He does...but they're not as good as you - mapmaking isn't their primary work. Right, Jesper?"

Jesper was looking at Alina. The latter stiffened. He's looked at me like that before. It was like he was trying to discern who she was. Hadn't he said it in the past? "You look like someone I know." Jesper was a prodigy. He had to know something was up.

"Right."

Alina relaxed. But something inside her told her, the cracks are showing.

Alina ate her lunch in silence, looking out at the horizon.