Noble Hope| General Kirigan

𝟘𝟙𝟚

{Chapter twelve}

WALKING BACK TO HER ROOM IN HER ROBES WOULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSING, BUT THE ONLY THING ON ADALINE'S MIND WAS THE WAY SHE SPENT HER NIGHT AND MORNING. She was giddy and boy-crazed, and she felt like she was thirteen again with a silly crush on one of the boys from the orphanage. She couldn't even bring herself to glare at Alina when she passed her in the hallway. 

The next couple of days leading up to the winter fete were spent with Aleksander, either aggressively making out or training. Most of their training was filled with practicing her shadow summoning. Some days Aleksander felt like fighting, but Adaline was nearly positive he just wanted another excuse to touch her. 

They spent any free time together, confusing most of the Grisha in the palace except Genya and Feydor who grinned whenever they saw the general's cold façade fall around the raven-haired girl and Alina who could do no more but gaze longingly at her sister's happiness, wishing more than anything that it was herself and Mal with Adaline on the side smiling at their obliviousness. 

After roughly two nights of not being together, Adaline caved and returned to Aleksander's room where he had sat awake staring at his hands. He didn't show it, but he had been thrilled that she came to him once again, and that night had been one of the best nights sleep either had ever had, wrapped in each other's warmth and listening to the heartbeat of their lover though the words hadn't been exchanged yet. 

Adaline's abilities in terms of her shadow summoning had grown tremendously. With the help of Aleksander, she could now suppress shadows, create her own to cover a room or person, and could even produce them from her hands. 

Anytime that she practiced it would result in a slight headache but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Aleksander had encouraged her tremendously, always seeming to let his walls falter when they were alone. He even asked her to take part in Alina's presentation at the winter fete. 

Adaline, being completely soft for the man she had caught feelings for, accepted without hesitation. 

Sure, he had her wrapped around his finger as she did him, but both were still too strong-headed to let their feelings cloud their rational thoughts. 

The older Starkov had decided to wake a bit earlier the morning of the winter fete to bathe and gather her thoughts, and she was just climbing out of her bed when she noticed a little bit of light at the bottom of her door followed by a knock. 

Adaline raised a weary eyebrow and cautiously approached the door. "Who is it?" 

A sigh was heard from the other side. "It's me, Addy." 

Adaline rolled her eyes and stopped her hand at the handle at the sound of her sister's voice. "Go away, Alina." 

"Please, I just want to talk. You don't have to answer, just– just hear me out."

In all honesty, Adaline missed her sister. It hurt to know that Alina thought of her as some kind of freak her first few days at the Little Palace only because she had already adapted and Alina was in denial.

Adaline understood that her little sister missed her best friend, she really did for she missed him as well but she knew there wasn't going to be a breaking point in Alina's irrational thoughts.