AVALANCHES | K.BREKKER

nine

It was almost the twenty-first hour of the day, anticipation swam in the air as guests awaits the arrival of the sun summoner for the last two extensive hours. The grand hall was lit with chandeliers and the plethora of guest couldn't keep their gaze from the acts of the Grisha and the royalty looking over. The only unusual thing was, probably, the presence of the guards stuck to doorways and entrances; scowls on their features as they watched guests waltz freely and talk shamelessly - or, perhaps, it was the nausea on the only female guard among the vast entrance where the doors connected the grand hall and a rather narrow corridor with red floors.

Her hands where in fists, hidden underneath the long sleeves of the uniform. Besides her nausea and the stiffness in her posture, not one person stopped to aid the girl - their faces passive as they passed her without a second thought, chattering like animals about the sun summoner and their excitement of her power.

She knew it was foolish to up and leave so far into the plan, so close to the capture. But, her being ached and she swayed on her feet and if it weren't for the dissatisfied grunts of Kaz Brekker to her right she'd probably collapsed to the floor once more.

She was tempted to pat her back for the falseness she displayed for being so composed, no one could tell the turmoil spitting in her chest, as well as her hands shaking in their tight balls.

Nobody noticed the unnerving jitter to her body, the way her teeth chattered as she grew impatient. No one called out for her, wanting to know if she was okay - she suffered silently and only grew more rigid. She can get through this. After all she was Winnie Yuller, she could withstand anything.

The ticking sound of the clock in Alina Starkov's dressing room was infuriating to Aleksander Kirigan. A dull click every few or so seconds and he could picture himself throwing the object out of the window. He couldn't focus on the tailor's hand fitting the black kefta on the sun summoner and threw another meaningless glare at the object.

So old and out dated, who would bother with such a useless object. There where newer clocks, made of the finest woods; polished and smelt heavenly of finish. With intricate details on its sides. But, the palace has not had any sustainable renovations in the last decade.

Kirigan scrunched his nose at the loud thump of the clock indicating the new hour and made his way toward his succession; Alina Starkov. The Shu peered at him through the mirror, face melting in anxiety, and quickly turned to the male with her hands over her chest.

"Nervous?" Kirigan asked, his finger stroking a loose strand away from her eye.

Alina sighed and nodded.

"You're my sun summoner, I don't like seeing you so agitated."

His gaze flickered toward the infuriating clock once more, his eyes narrowing at the time. He gently coaxed her into the corridor and whispered encouraging words into her ear as they made their way into the grand hall. Alina's skittish figure cringed whole heartedly into the darkling, tan hands gripping onto the material of his kefta.

They manipulated their way through countless of corridors, a vast selection of guards and finally into the entrance of the grand hall. Kirigan heard Alina take in a sharp intake of breath and paused the need to roll his eyes at her current anxiety. Kirigan's gaze slipped around the crowed and feverishly searched for the same molten eyes which had haunted him for the last two years, they caught each other's gaze and Kirigan only nodded at the woman.

However, Kirigan did not allow his attention on the Shu for the remainder of the night. His gaze transfixed on party goers and the sun summoner. His facade light and inviting, he was jolly with everyone he came in contact with. Pretending to value the nonsense tumbling from their privileged lips, only knowing how to stop their babbling by coaxing them with refills of champagne, his smirk only widening as they merrily accepted.