DARLING | Nikolai Lantsov

Chapter 6 - Unexpected Visitors

------ Nikolai's POV------

---The Next Day---

"Will you hand me that basket?" Mara said, pulling his attention back to reality. She stood on the top step of a ladder, head in the branches on a lovely blossoming tree. They had been making small talk before he got lost in his thoughts. Again. He leaned down and grabbed the basket from under the tree and handed it to her.

"Thanks!" She quickly smiling, putting it under her arm as she began to pick some pale-yellow pears. He gazed up as her, watching her work, letting his eyes wander over the smooth curves of her body. Her long hair loose, and wavy. Glistening in the sun. It looked so soft. He had met many women, many different kinds of women. But he couldn't say that he ever had a preference. But Mara was different. And for some reason, he couldn't look away.

She went on her tip toes to reach the fruit just out of reach and the ladder wobbled. She gasped and braced her hand down to try and catch herself. Nikolai reacted quickly, his hands wrapping around her ankles. Both of them let out an exasperated breath, before looking at each other and laughing. She finished the branch she was working on, his hand hesitantly leaving her ankle.

"So, this what you do all day, every day. Just pick fruit." He joked. Sinking to the ground, and grabbing a piece of grass, fiddling with it.

"I do more than that." She laughed. Purposefully dropping a pear on his head, watching as he cursed and peered up at her with an annoyed look on his face.

"Ow." He said coldly, before grabbing the fruit and polishing it on his shirt.

"Opps." She replied, trying to hide her smile.

"Do you want to continue to pretend that you dropping this was a mistake or are you going to tell me what you do that makes being alone worth it." He spoke, taking a bite of the pear. Crossing his arms and looking out over the scenery.

"And why should I tell you?" Mara answered, starting to come down from the ladder.

"Why be weird about it. Sounds like you've got quite the secret." He chuckled.

Mara opened her mouth to reply but was stopped suddenly. "Did you hear that?" She said, stepping off the last step of the ladder. Nikolai nodded. They both ran to the cliff side, laying on their stomachs and looking over the edge. Peering from behind the sparse long grass that covered the hill.

A few small boats had just reached the shore. Probably about 6 men per boat.

"Friends of yours?" He whispered. "I knew it was too good to be true, that a woman like you would live alone. All dedicated suitors I presume." He smirked. When she didn't respond, He looked at her. Her eyes were wide, fear creeping over her face, before she abruptly stood up and ran to the house. He pushed himself up and hurried after her. When he arrived in the house, she was frantic. Shoving all sorts of things into a large bag. Breads, cheese, dried fruit. 2 glass bottles of water. A few candles, and a jar of matches. And a few other odds and ends. "Wha-"

"They are here for the oranges and to test me." She said quickly. "They have come once before, I hid. They just load up and leave after a day or two. They looked for me at first, threatening to show me the good life. They'll take me away; I know they would. And I don't know what would happen to you, but whatever it would be, I couldn't live with myself knowing I caused it." She finished, grabbing a blanket that was draped over a chair. Blowing out all the candles around the room, before grabbing his hand in hers and dragging him out the door.

"I'm sorry Nikolai, we are going to have to hide." She added, looking back at him apologetically before pulling him to the lighthouse. Nikolai's mind was racing, a million thoughts coming in and out all at once. When they got inside, she went to the built-in broom closet, and pushed everything to the corners of the closet, before putting her bag and blanket down. Then turned around and met Nikolai's gaze.

"Please Nikolai." She said softly. "There's too many of them. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

He nodded. "Alright."

He stepped into the closet, and she followed after him, grabbing a broom and closing the door behind them. She took the handle of the broom and slid it through the vertical door handle. Making a make-shift lock for ourselves. He could hear her breath, and he could almost feel it on his chest. She peaked through a small crack in the wood door, keeping completely still as they listened.

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After a few hours of standing, Nikolai picked up the bag off the ground and sat down. Moving his legs so they were on either side of hers as she continued to watch standing up. He reached up and grabbed her hand.

"Come on," He said calmly. Pulling on her hand. "We are safe. They will probably be gone by morning."

She looked at him, then back at the door, then back at him. And nodded. Crouching down, then settling herself on the piece of ground in between his legs.

"Why did you stay here?" He asked. "I mean after this happened last time, are you just planning to do this every time they come, hide away?"

"I'm not sure, I've never given much thought to what it would be like to leave. I never let myself make it an option." She replied.

"This corner of your world is magnificent; I'll give you that. But what about the rest of the world, don't you want to see it, experience all it has to offer?"

"I do want that." She whispered. "Who would stay here to make sure the orange trees were taken care of though, or to see that the light house was in working order? You see, it's only me, and well... now you. We are the only ones that know what is truly here. And not just take what we think is ours and leave. And there are other reasons, reasons why I prefer to not be in the public view."

"Those trees didn't ask you to give up your life for them. Your father wouldn't have wanted that. I didn't have the pleasure of knowing him, but I think he'd agree with me."

She drew quiet, processing what he had said he guessed.

"You said that these men," Nikolai motioned roughly to the door. "Want to test you? Do you mean the Grisha Test?" He finished.

She stayed quiet.

"You have been tested already though, right?" He spoke a little louder. Leaning forward.

"Yes." She whispered. "But only I know about it. My parents were the ones to test me, and when they died, the secret was mine to keep."

"Ah I get it, you're an orange magician." He teased. "I've heard of you. Incredibly dangerous." He chuckled. She gave his chest a shove. "And feisty." He added.

"Very funny." She said sharply.

"Fine keep your secret. But there's so much out there Mara. I'd love to see the look on your face when you see even a sliver of it. Because it will change your life. Take my life for example, I find new islands that I've never been to every year. Including yours. Now if I didn't seek out adventure, I would have never met you. Yes, I didn't wash up on your shore on purpose," He chuckled "But I'm glad I did. Because then I get to have the pleasure of this conversation."

"Really?" She said sitting up a little. I couldn't see her in front of me, but I could tell by her breath softly blowing on my cheek and by the hairs sticking up on the back of my neck. She was very close.  Saints, she was mysterious. His hands searched the dark for her.

When he found her face. He threaded his fingers into her hair, and held the back of her head, tilting her face upwards.

"Really. You're not just sunshine, sunshine." He whispered, before he leaned forward to kiss her.