Adaline heard a knock on her door. She was sitting in the sill below the window and was looking out the window. She watched the moonlight bounce off the surface of the lake. It looked like a million diamonds had been dropped into it. That was the only way she was going to get some time with herself.

The voice of the lady who died had been haunting her. She couldn't take the pain that she saw in her eyes away from hers. She still remembered the blood on her hands and the smell of iron in the air. And after everything that had happened that morning, she decided to stay away from Stefan. She couldn't depend on another person to maintain her control.

She told the person to come in from where she sat. Her body refused to cooperate. All her energy had been drained out in that morning's episode. Maxwell was halfway in when he realised that she had been crying.

"May I come in?" She nodded while pursing her lips. She didn't want to meet anyone but Maxwell could be an exception. "A little birdie dropped this off for you." He held up the letter in his hand.

Adaline squinted her eyes to see the seal that kept the letter closed and her eyes widened when she recognised it. She stood up as instincts took over. "Is that...." The seal was something that she had seen all her life.

"Simon Petrov sends his regards."

She quickly walked towards him and he handed her the letter. She hugged him, having the biggest smile on her face. "Saints Saints Saints, thank you Maxwell! This is exactly what I needed right now."

"I'll leave you to it. I'll see you tomorrow once you feel better."

Maxwell left her to take some rest and told her that he would meet her the next morning for training. Adaline locked the door up and stood with her back to the door for some time. The letter seemed to be quite heavy because that would have the answers that she had been waiting for ever since she tried to escape.

She rushed to open the letter carefully. It was hard to read the content inside because of her excitement but she managed to calm herself down.

Dear Addy,

Things have been crazy here at camp. After you left, so did the Grisha Army. The General refused to talk to anyone for days and I had to make sure that he ate properly. Don't worry, both of us are taking care of each other as well as Kol. He seems to really miss you. We all do.

I was able to decipher the message that you wrote in your letter. Thank you for using our code. I didn't think that we would get a chance to use it again after Keramzin. It was good to go through it again.

I will wait for you at the end of the trail in a month's time. I will wait for a week if that's what it takes to bring you home. Pack your supplies carefully and be armed.

I'll see you soon.

She gasped. Simon was coming for her. She was going to get out of Os Alta.

That made one vision very clear. She couldn't trust her feelings anymore. Whatever she felt for the people inside the royal boundary....and Stefan, she could not lead anyone on. She couldn't afford to hurt anyone. Except for one.

Adaline looked around her room. She made sure that everything that she needed was packed up. That's when her eyes fell on the package that Freya had given her. Her legs led her to where she had stashed it. She picked it up with shaking hands and placed it on her bed. She opened the white ribbon and opened the package up.

It was exactly what she had suspected it to be - a black kefta with gold embroidery. It had the markings of the Corporalki, Etherealki as well as Fabrikators weaved into the silk in their respective colours. He was making a mark on her, and she knew exactly what she had to do.

The next morning, every Grisha was surprised to find the Darkling in the dining hall. He sat in his ebony chair and seemed to be waiting, though he never let his emotions show. He ate his breakfast with everyone but his eyes fell on the most beautiful being that he had ever seen in his life.

Adaline. Wearing his colours.

She entered the room late and that was deliberate. She wanted everyone to see who she was. She wasn't the Darkling's girl and nor was she the Prince's new muse. She was Adaline Chernoff, the Elemental Summoner. Nobody could take that away from her. She may not have worn a kefta but she did wear a dress with his colours.

The Darkling stood up in his seat, absolutely in awe of her. He walked towards where she stood. He put his hand out for her to take. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was absolutely magnificent.

Adaline took one good look into his eyes. He seemed pleased. Good, she thought. Because that was all that he was going to get. She gave him her hand and let him lead her into the room.

Once breakfast got over, she tried to make her way to the library where she was to submit her assignment. But she felt someone grab her arm and take her away into the shadows. "What are you doing?"

"Stefan!"

He stood quite close to her so that they weren't visible to anyone else. "Why are you wearing his colours? What are you doing?"

"Trying to prove a point." She needed to stay away from him but she couldn't hurt him. "You need to stay away from me." She looked away from him and tried her best not to let herself get overwhelmed.

Stefan was taken aback. "Why?"

"Because....death follows me. I'm always surrounded by darkness."

"Don't be so dramatic. I can be with whomever I want."

"But I can never be with you like that."

He didn't know what to say. "I never said that."

Both of them were lying. They had finally revealed their feelings for each other and realised that a little too late. They liked each other and it was really obvious. But the world was against them and so were they.

"But that's what you are implying. I see the way you look at me, Stefan. You see Bella when you look at me."

He cupped her face. "I don't." He didn't know if he would get a chance to be that close to her again. "I see you, Adaline. I see you and your powers. You're the strongest person I've had the honour of meeting. I....You may look like Bella but I know that you aren't her." He took a deep breath because she took everything away from him. He rested his forehead against hers. "I have fallen for you, Adaline. I've fallen....so deeply."

The words that she had been waiting for someone to mean was being said by Stefan. But why was she fighting herself? "You need to stay away from me."

"I don't want to."

She stared at him. All her life, she had been waiting for the right person to make her feel the way she was feeling at that moment. She was standing so close to him and for the first time, she wasn't scared. She wanted to embrace it. She wanted to ignore the drowning feeling and be with Stefan. She had been denying it but her mind had a clear goal.

"I like you, Adaline. Whatever happens, I'll be there for you. I know that you feel the same way. Please...."

Her heart broke. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't break his trust because she would be breaking her own heart. "I'm sorry." She removed his hands from her face reluctantly before walking away, her hands trembling as she spoke the biggest lie she had ever told.

The next morning changed everyone's lives.