Aleksander Morozova Imagined

Hidden in plain sight part 3

Summary: In light of his sister, Adrianna Cesarz, disappearance Pervak Cesarz has been trying to find her but keeps getting distracted. In denial that the Darkling discovered that the siblings are Grisha that hid their powers from him for years. 

Pervaks's POV

It's now been three days since Adri's gone missing. It all started a few months ago when Adri ran into the Darkling, literally. She physically bumped into the darkling, which led her to freak out. She kept saying that he knew. I thought she was paranoid, but now ... I can't find her. The Darkling couldn't have discovered she was a heartrender.  If he did, we would both be dead. Or maybe he would have just been mad and sent us out to the front lines. 

Either way, if the Darkling knew- I would know. Adrianna probably just got too scared and left. She's probably with Ivanna in the grand palace. Yeah, that's where she is. Servants probably get spooked by the Darkling a lot and ask to be transferred. It would be entirely normal for her to do that. She didn't tell me because I would have been a sucky older brother and just told her she was overreacting and tried to convince her to stay. 

Knowing Adrianna wouldn't have, it still would have weighed on her conscience. She's just with Ivanna and the stuck-up royal family. After my shift today I'll check on them. It will be great to see Ivanna again. I'd love to hear one of her stories about mom. As the years pass, I remember less and less of her. Then again Adri was closer to her than I was. I should have spent more time with Mom, maybe I would have been better at taking care of Adrianna. Find Adrianna first and apologize for being a shitty brother second. 

When I went to her room, I can't even call it a room. It's more of a cubby with one tiny bed with white threadbare sheets pushed against the wall and a wobbly wooden dresser with a cracked mirror on top of it. She doesn't even have a door, it's just a curtain. The curtain doesn't even do much. Her cubby is in the back corner where it always smells like mold and mildew. Now that I think of it maybe that's why she left for the grand palace. Probably sick of breathing in mold. There is no way that is healthy I should tell someone. 

The problem is who? The head servant doesn't have the authority to do anything about it. The most she could do is bring it to the Darkling and he doesn't care. Granted he does more for Ravka than the actual Tsar and Tsarevich, but the Darkling only cares about his Grisha. I guess Adrianna would count, she is Grisha after all, but the Darkling would be too mad to actually help. Not to mention she's never really liked the Darkling. Whenever I mentioned him she would get this distant look in her eyes and then say something like he's not worth your breath Vak. I always assumed it was that she'd seen or heard something that she didn't think the General of the Second Army should do. 

Me? I don't care what the General does in his spare time as long as the country doesn't fall apart and I still get my wages. Course I can't tell Adri that. She'd complain about me being like every other witless male and how she could ever be related to such a thing is the true crime of the century. Then she'd call me all these big fancy words that she learned by reading them, so there's an 85% chance she's pronouncing them wrong. I never bother to correct her though cause I don't know either. Saints, she's only been gone 72 hours and I'm already bored out of my mind. 

Anyways, back to what I was saying. When I went to her cubby all of her things were gone and when I asked one of the servant girls she just shrugged and asked if she was my girlfriend. When I answered no she giggled and twirled her golden hair between her fingers. She was cute I guess, I might have asked her out if I wasn't so worried for my sister. Thinking back on it the girl looked like she was about 17, so I wouldn't have asked her out. I know some guys dig that and most chicks dig older dudes, but I don't mess with teenage girls. Maybe in a few years if she's still interested. 

After that, I went to the library. No luck, the only thing I got there was a bunch of stares from the Grisha students. I checked the lake, the woods, the spare rooms, the alcoves, and even Baghra's hut. I thought the old bat was going to kill me. I don't know how Adrianna could stand playing poker with the old thing. I was burning to death just being in there for a few minutes not to mention the unpleasant company. Asking the head servant is out of the question. If I do she'll yell at me for being a terrible brother and the worst thing about that is she'll never actually tell me where my sister is. 

After finishing changing the sheets in one of the Grisha student's bedrooms I hurry down to the kitchens. The cook, Philippe, smiled at me. "How you been Pervak?" He asks giving me a clap on the back. "I've been good man. How about you?" The cook shrugs his stalky shoulders. "Just cooking and spending time with the family. How's your twig of a sister?" 

"I'm looking for her actually. Haven't happened to see her have you?" 

"Not for a couple of days. Last I saw her she was snagging a roll and heading to bed. Now that I think about it she wasn't looking so good. Of course, no one looks good when they don't eat my food." 

"That's true man, your food is the best." 

"Your sister doesn't share the same sentiments," He grumbles. Getting a grilled piece of herring off the stove and serving it on a plate. Adri's words float back to me, I'll eat it when it doesn't taste like ash. It had tasted fine to me, and to her up until a few months ago. That damned encounter with the Darkling really screwed her over. 

"Take this," Philippe says. He is stuffing a sandwich with grilled herring, red onions, and pickles on a roll into a brown paper bag. He adds a few grapes and an extra roll before saying, "For your sister." He hands the bag to me. "Thanks, Philippe you're the best." 

"I know," He replies dismissing me with a wave. "Tell your sister I said hello!" he calls as I leave the kitchen.

I exit the little palace and head up the path toward the grand palace. The moon has risen and the pathway is empty except for a few guards. When I reach the door to the palace I'm stopped. "What is your business here?" A guard asks. "I'm visiting one of the servants here, Ivanna. I'm a servant in the little palace," I reply. 

"You can't just walk over here you need proper paperwork," the guard to my left states. 

"Why? I have my uniform on." 

"It's a security measure," says the one on my right. 

"But how would they get a servant's uniform outside of the palace? they can't unless they're already in the palace meaning this security measure is useless." 

"Well...um I don't know what to say," the left guard replies. 

"Just let me in I promise I'm not some assassin or something."

"Fine," they both huff. 

The guard signals and the doors open. Must be my lucky day. That was not supposed to work. Shitty security system. I'll have to warn Adri, I don't want her working in a place where she can be killed. I guess technically she always was at the little palace but at least the Darkling had good security for everyone. I make my way toward Ivanna's chambers. I pass paintings and sculptures. Diamond-encrusted bowls and marble statues almost make me sick. People are starving and the country is in debt while these pigs use what little wealth we have to decorate. 

It doesn't take long to find long to find Ivanna. She smiles at me and pinches my cheek. "Oh, how are you, my son?" She asks. I smile at her. "I'm not too bad. You're looking good Ivanna," I tell her. She just smiles at me. "Come I have a few people that would love to meet you," She says wrapping an arm around me. I follow her and I'm about to ask if she's seen Adri when she asks "So where's your sister? I figured you'd both visit if the two of you ever got the chance." I stop in my tracks. I feel like my heart has stopped and my stomach's dropped out of my ass.  "I thought Adri was with you Ivanna," I say quietly. She grips me a sense of urgency on her face. "You don't know where she is?" I shake my head no. "I've been looking for her. Nobody knows where she is."  Horror crosses into Ivanna's eyes. 

What the fuck did the Darkling do? 

Author's Note

Can you tell I have no male friends? This is a continuation of the Heartrender and shadow summoner siblings that have hid their abilities from the darkling but got caught. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bye everyone! 

-K