Salem Starkov is Alina Starkov's cousin who like her is a cartographer for the first army but when they both unexpectedly enter the Fold on a mission they are both exposed as people of myth, but the real question is, is everything in the myths true?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I'm at home, I'm Ravka. Alina is lounging on the sofa, her head resting on Mal's lap and he is combing through her hair lovingly. I look around and see Kaz coming in with his cane, after work. Wait, how do I know that? "Kaz" Alina says jumping up "you're back. Good. Salem was being infuriating without you here" Kaz and I smile at each other and I stand up too. I go over and he kisses my temple, I laugh as Mal starts making fake puking noises. Kaz sits down in the chair I was just sitting in and I sit at his feet, "so, how has the others been?" I ask my husband and he shrugs placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a comfortable squeeze "Nina is driving Mathias up the wall as usual" he explains "Jesper and Wylan haven't burned the Crow Club down yet so that's a plus", Mal sits forward a smirk on his face ""there is still time my friend" Then it hits me. Where am I? this isn't my life, the last thing I remember is working on a job, Kaz certainly isn't my husband and I haven't seen Alina and Mal in years. Saints I miss them.
I stand up and go over towards the window "Salem what are you doing?" Kaz asks me and I shrug not looking back at the scene I would sell my soul to experience for real and not in a dream. "Just looking" I say, something shifts and I turn again "Salem you need to wake up" my parents are standing in front me now. Frowning I step towards them "where am I?" papa shakes his head and says "wake up sweetie". For some reason I trust them and I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
When I open them again and I feel like I am still in a dream, I am lying on a bed Genya and Zoya sitting on ether side of me. Rubbing my eyes sleepily I sit up "Genya, Zoya? what are you guys doing here?" I ask and Genya hits me. I wince and rub the spot on my arm where she hit me "what was that for?" she hits me again and says "that's for scaring us to death" I look at Zoya for help and she leans on the bed with her elbows "we came here to make a preposition with Kaz Brekker" my eyes go wide and I look around "wait, where am I?" I wrap the cover over me, cold from the open window. "you are in the hotel we own" someone says from the door way, I turn and there stands Kaz, clutching his cane and a man I don't recognise standing next to him. The unknown man gives me a handsome smirk "you are as serene awake as you are asleep my dear" he says and I raise an eyebrow, Genya and Zoya stand, Zoya giving the man an irritated look "Salem this is King Nikolai Lantsov. Of Ravka" my eyes go wide and I move to stand up but Nikolai rushes to stop me "I don't want none of that my gorgeous lady. I am only the king after all and you need to rest".
What happened on the roof suddenly comes flooding back and I grapple with my shirt to check my wound. A wound that should have killed me. When I look at my stomach there is a nasty red scar where the knife jerked through me, "I should be dead" I say softly, tracing the scar with my finger. I look up to my friend and say "you healed me didn't you", I try to ignore the fact that Kaz leaves the room. Genya nods and sits down on the bed, taking my hands in hers and she kisses them "you scared us half to death Salem seriously! if it wasn't for the fact I am insanely talented you would have died" she says and I give her my flashiest smile "what can I say I got bested" she huffs and Nina comes in sighing at the sight of me awake "you're alive, thanks the saints for that" she says and I shift, Zoya grabs my arm "don't you are still hurt" I am surprised she cares but I just shake my head and continue moving "I need to talk to Kaz" everyone in the room shares a look which I choose to ignore.
"Nina can you help me?" I ask and she nods eagerly, comes over and helps me move towards the main room. The others are all sitting around, including Jesper's dad, Jesper is cleaning his pistols and when he sees me he whoops and claps his hands. I smile at him and Nina gives him a subtle nod, I look around trying to find Kaz "he is in the bathroom" Wylan tells me who is looking like himself, the ginger haired him not the fake him. I nod my head and he goes to say something else but stops himself. I move off of Nina and make my way across the room by myself, wincing at the pain in my legs. When I get to the bathroom door I open it slowly and silently to see Kaz wrapping Inej's wounds in bandages, that isn't strange what is strange is that they are so close, she is sitting on the bathroom counter and he is standing in between her legs, barely touching but touching all the same, this is an intimate moment. I gasp, a hand covering my mouth, they both look over and Inej looks sad "Salem" she starts but I shake my head "sorry for interrupting" I mutter and head out, choking back my tears.
"Salem, Salem whats wrong?" Matthias asks moving to stand up, I ignore him and make for the door out into the hall way. "I need time alone" I tell them and disappear through the door. Heading down the hall I let my tears slip, I have been out all of a few days and Kaz is already not interested in me anymore, when did they become so close anyway? I have a pit in my stomach as I think back to the dream I had before I woke up, that was never going to be a reality so why do I feel so disappointed? I stop at the staircase and sit down on them, looking at my hands and thinking.
A few minutes later footsteps sound in the hallway but I don't look up, then Kaz sits beside me. We sit in silence for a few moments before he breaks it "Salem it wasn't what it looked like" I turn to him then, my vision blurry with tears "then what was it?" I ask throwing up my hands in frustration "because it looked to me that I became useless to you and so you lost interest" this makes Kaz's face contort and he stretches his bad leg out "I cold never look interest in you" he says quietly, I start picking at my nails embarrassed "you have hardly shown any interest in me, one minute I think we are getting somewhere and then I get pushed away" I snort "hell I get more attention from Matthias" this causes Kazans to tense, "would you rather be with Matthias?" he asks and I laugh standing up and making my way towards the hall "you still don't get it do you?" and I turn to walk away. Before I can get far though Kaz grabs my wrist turns me to face him, grabs my jaw and bends down to kiss me.
Sparks light where our bodies touch and I wrap my arms around his neck, his arms snaking around my waist. As we pull away I smile and he says, his voice deep ad rough "I get it just fine" and we kiss again.
A/N: I thought I would bless y'all with a new chapter early after how I ended the last.
