By the time Alina was halfway through her fourteenth year, she was stronger than all but a few Grisha in the Little Palace. As well as making golden figures and scenes, she learned to bend the light to create more realistic illusions, as well as creating her own shields. Most importantly, she could also turn herself fully invisible. Her Grisha theory was excellent, and she was one of the most talented in her age group in Botkin's lessons.

But despite this, she was getting into more and more trouble elsewhere. She often went for forbidden rides in the forest, skipped lessons with her friends, stole alcohol from the cellars, and was rude to her teachers. And her rivalry with Yuri Vasiliev had reached new heights, particularly as the year progressed.

"Give it back, Vasiliev," Alina stormed into the boy's dormitory one evening, which was empty except for the object of her anger. "I know you took it,"

"Took what?" Yuri glared at her, getting to his feet, clearly ready for another fight.

"You know what," A crate of alcohol she and Viktor had stashed in an abandoned corner of the cellars.

"Well I clearly don't, Starkova. It would be nice if you told me what I'm being screamed at for,"

"You saw where I stashed it. I saw you poking around when we left, now give it back you lying snake," She jabbed a finger into his chest those last few words, for emphasis.

"Why the fuck should I?" He glared at her, batting her hand away. "Even if I did have whatever you're talking about, barging in here and speaking to me like I'm the dirt on your shoe won't make me give it back. I dislike you enough as it is,"

She laughed derisively. "I don't give a shit if you like me or not. As if you haven't spoken to me like that since the day I arrived here,"

"Someone needs to keep that ego of yours in check, malyshka. The Darkling lets you get away with murder. You're his little Sun Summoner princess,"

"You think I get away lightly with the things I do, koshechka?" Alina scoffed, meeting his demeaning pet name with one of her own. "When me and my friends get caught, they get sent to a teacher or matron for discipline. I get sent to the General of the Second Army. I doubt he's ever set those shadows on you before, but I'll tell you now, it's not an enjoyable experience,"

"As if he'd truly hurt you," Yuri waved her off without hesitation. "All I've seen is your friends getting put on half rations and servant's duty, while you get off scot free. Bet all you have to do is beg forgiveness then get on your knees and suck the Darkling's cock - "

She punched him in the shoulder. Not as hard as she could have done, and not his face, but it was enough to hurt. He staggered but caught her wrist; she often forgot he was near her equal in the training yard, and was surprisingly quick for someone his size.

"Saints, why can't you slap like most girls do?" He glared down at her in dislike.

"Why can't you watch your fucking mouth?" Alina could twist out of Yuri's grip, but would have to think about it first; he was stronger than she was. "If anyone deserves a punch, it's you, you worthless, scumbag piece of - "

He kissed her.

Caught off guard, Aline froze. Part of her wanted to shove him away, punch him again, scorch him with sunlight. The other half was... curious. That half won. She kissed him back, but not kindly. Alina had not kissed many people before - only her friends when they were drunk, no one else would dare - and quite honestly Zoya had been a better at it than Yuri was, but it sent a thrill through her nonetheless. His hands were wandering and she let them, kicking the door shut and returning the favour.

"I still hate you," She said honestly, the moment they broke apart, somewhat horrified at what had just happened.

Yuri looked as shocked as she felt. "The feeling is entirely mutual," He sounded very conflicted at what he had done.

There was a silence. Neither of them moved. Until Alina mentally shrugged, stood on her tiptoes and pulled him back in for another kiss.

She emerged from that room half an hour later, crate of returned alcohol under one arm, rather stunned at what had happened. What she had just done. She still hated him, of course; he was a terrible person. But hating him was rather attractive in itself. He seemed to feel a similar way about her, too. Sex had been... strange. It had hurt at first, quite a lot, though she hadn't given him the satisfaction of appearing in pain. It had gotten better after a while, though was not the mind-blowing event that many made it out to be. She felt no different, really, only a bit sore.

A chuckle rose in her throat, at the fact that she had lost her virginity to one of the people she disliked most in the world. That hadn't changed. Some part of her had been embarrassed that Yuri of all people had seen her bare like that, had wanted to shrink away from his lust-filled gaze, particularly after they both had their clothes back on again, but her pride would not allow it. Would never allow it.

She knew already that this would likely happen again. There was something liberating about having your enemy under your fingertips like that, gasping at a single touch, looking at you with such desire. She had not looked at him like that either, which made it even more satisfying.

None of the guards knew that she wasn't in her rooms. Despite the fact she didn't have two oprichniki trailing around after her anymore, they definitely still reported on her. Alina regularly turned herself invisible and used the secret passage in her rooms to escape without them being any the wiser. She suspected that Arkady believed she could walk through walls. So she returned to her chambers without any trouble.

She felt a stab of fear when she sat down to the Darkling at breakfast the next day, as though he would be able to sense what she had done. It wasn't unreasonable that he would know, actually, seeing as he had eyes all over the Little Palace. She hoped that Yuri had the sense to keep quiet about what happened between them. Surely even he wasn't stupid enough to go round shooting his mouth off about the fact he had slept with the Darkling's little pet. They would both be in trouble if it got out, though it was the kind of trouble Alina would recover from; him, she wasn't so sure.

Was that why she had done it? Alina remembered how the Darkling had got when he even suspected that there was something between her and Kasper. How she doubted he would ever accept her being with anyone at all. And of everyone here, Yuri was the one person she hated enough to sacrifice if it ever got out. That was a rather disturbing realisation on her part, one she tried not to think about too much.

The Darkling didn't know, she realised the moment he asked her how her evening had been. There was no dark undercurrent or agenda, merely small talk; she knew him well enough to tell the difference. Alina had been keeping secrets from him her whole life, small things then bigger ones later on. Nothing like this, though. It was thrilling, in a way.

Although knowing herself as she did, she would just end up throwing it in his face to win an argument, just to spite him, though the consequences would be infinitely worse for her.

*

"You've got a secret, girl," Baghra said shrewdly at their next meeting.

"Like what?" She said, disinterested.

"Yuri Vasiliev's door has been opened by an invisible hand a lot recently,"

Alina froze. "How the hell do you know that?"

"I have eyes in the palace, girl," The old hag waved a dismissive hand. "I could not care less what you do with that wretched boy. Though you'd be a fool not to know that my son will think differently,"

"Don't you dare - "

"I won't tell him," Baghra scoffed. "As I said, I couldn't care less. All the same, be prepared for this to end in blood,"

"Why do you think I chose Yuri?" The callous words were out her mouth before she could stop them. Alina hated how they were true. "I still hate him,"

The woman laughed unpleasantly. "A strategic move," It wasn't a compliment. "Just don't fall with child, unless you want to be held down and have it forcibly removed by Healers,"

"Don't worry. I wouldn't need to be held down," Alina muttered. The idea of bearing Yuri's child - anyone's child - was repulsive.

There was a pause.

"Why does he care so much?" She burst out. "It's none of his business. He's not like this with any of the other Grisha. I know he's a controlling bastard - is it because he's worried I'll fall in love with someone and my first loyalty won't be to him and the Second Army? Too late for that - I'd put my friends and family first anyway,"

Baghra scoffed. "If you can't see it then you're more stupid than I thought,"

"He's possessive, I know that," Alina said. "Doesn't want anyone else touching someone he's waiting centuries to find. But it's not up to him. I'm not staying celibate my whole life to save his pride,"

The woman's lips twisted. "I don't think he has any intention of that,"

She pretended to not know what she meant by that, disliking it when she was mocked about such things.

*

Alina had been noticing lately the increasing amount of looks she was getting from Sofia Novikova, the Head of the Corporalki who she saw often in council meetings. It tended to be whenever she interacted with the Darkling. When he escorted her into the room on his arm, grabbed her wrist, even looked at her too long or spoke to her in a certain way.

This came to a head when the woman pulled her aside in the hallways of the Little Palace. "Miss Starkova, could I have a word? It won't take long,"

Curious, Alina told her friends not to wait for her and followed the stern woman to a more secluded corridor. "What is it, my lady?"

As ever, Sofia was straight to the point. "I've noticed the way the General has begun to act around you. It was always there, but more so now you are older. Ah, let me talk," She held up a hand at Alina's protest. "You do not need to say anything right now, however if it gets... too much, or you ever need anything - anything at all - know that I am here for you. You are not alone here, Alina. I understand your position is a difficult one, despite what others may see. I know you are a smart girl, and that you can handle yourself, but please - come to me if a line ever gets crossed," She pressed a small bottle into her hand.

It was hard to make Alina blush. Normally comments insinuating such things just made her angry, and she lashed out accordingly. Sofia's words were unfortunately direct, no-nonsense and well-meant. In a way, she was touched that the woman cared enough. Though that did not overshadow her embarrassment in the least; was this what all the adults here thought of her? Some kind of victim?

"I'm not - " She started, for once lost for words. "He isn't - " At Sofia's raised eyebrow she broke off. "Thank you," That was the safest thing to say.

She made her escape as soon as possible, catching up with her friends and easily deflecting their questions, happy to pretend that conversation never happened. Though a covert glance at the bottle in her hand made her wince. A contraceptive tonic. Really?

It was only when she returned to her chambers after lunch that she realised there was a purple bite mark just peeking out of the collar of her kefta. Sofia was eagle-eyed enough to spot it, even if no one else was. Alina swore, incredibly glad that she had not run into the Darkling that day. After taking her hair out so it hung loose around her shoulders, she hurried to find Genya.

"Please don't tell him, just get rid of it," She begged her friend.

"Tell who?" Genya started, eyes widening at the livid mark, but Alina wasn't having that. "Is that what I think it is?"

"You had to have known I knew," She said impatiently. "You report on me to the Darkling. I worked it out when I was about ten. I don't care, really, I'm just asking you this once to not say a word,"

Her friend swallowed, looking rather abashed but getting to work. "I won't tell him. I'm sorry. I don't tell him important things, just... how you are,"

Because I don't tell you any secrets I actually want kept secret, and never have. Not that she had many of those, until now.

"It's fine," Alina had never held it against her, aside from the initial shock of finding out. "Please just get rid of this,"

"Who was it?" Genya asked slyly.

"Don't push your luck,"

The girl looked offended. "Alina, I just said I wasn't going to tell him,"

"Oh, fine," She grinned. "But only because it'll give you a heart attack," She whispered the name in Genya's ear, and the girl's shriek probably carried all the way to the city walls.

*

It wasn't Alina's fault all her friends found out, if you asked her. She had not wanted to give Yuri a goodbye kiss in the doorway of his dorm - conveniently empty, after the three boys he had shared with had aged out - but the prick had caught her by surprise, no doubt just to anger her. Irritated enough to forget to turn herself invisible, wiping spit from her mouth, she hurried out, only to be faced with perhaps two of the worst people to have seen her; Kasper and Viktor.

Both had stared at her, eyes bulging. When Viktor had started to laugh, eyes lighting up in predatory delight, it was obvious they had seen what had happened. Even Kasper, who had only experienced the hatred between her and Yuri for barely a year, clapped a hand to his mouth in shocked amusement. Alina really was not in the mood to deal with the fallout from that, turning herself invisible and making her escape before either could say anything.

The confrontation the next day was painful. She tried to avoid her friends, but it wasn't long before they cornered her, dragging her off to their alcove in the library.

"I didn't tell anyone," Kasper said ruefully, nodding at Viktor. "He did, though,"

The worst of it was, she could not even defend herself. Their jokes and bullying were all entirely justified, completely deserved. She forcefully clarified that she still very much hated Yuri and had not forgotten they had tried to make each other's lives hell for the past five years. Viktor and Nina couldn't stop laughing. Kasper and Katya were caught between feeling sorry for her and biting back their own smiles. Even Zoya was smirking.

"Jokes aside, I'm sure I don't need to tell you not to say a word to anyone," Alina glared at them all.

"Depends how much Vasiliev pisses me off. If he crosses a line, the Darkling finds out and he's a dead man," Viktor said, too eagerly. "Do you think I could blackmail him?"

"Go ahead," She shrugged, uncaring.

"That's terrible," Nina said unconvincingly, then burst out laughing again. "Yuri Vasiliev, Alina, honestly. He's good looking, especially since he grew about a foot overnight, but surely his personality is repulsive enough to make up for that?"

"You could do so much better than lowering yourself to that nasty little boy," Zoya sneered.

Even Kasper nodded in agreement.

"It's convenient," She shrugged, trying not to flush but no doubt failing. "He's not bad-looking, and he's too stupid to care about how much trouble he could get into,"

"And if he does get into trouble, who cares, right?" Viktor grinned, seeing right through her.

Alina said nothing.

"Is that really why? I thought you were joking!" Katya's eyes widened. "If it wasn't Yuri I might feel bad for him,"

She snorted. "Why? He still hates me as much as I hate him. He hasn't confessed his undying love," She caught the doubtful look Nina and Katya shared. "Don't you even think about giving me that terrible excuse about boys secretly fancying the girls they torment,"

"We wouldn't dare," Nina grinned.

*

Alina almost had a heart attack the day she stepped around a set of shelves in a deserted corner of the library, only to come face to face with Fedyor deep in a passionate embrace with none other than Ivan. The Darkling's second-in-command Ivan. Ivan, who she had never seen smile once, who had a special glare reserved just for her, the one person she had never been able to crack.

"Saints!" She swore, startled, and the two sprang apart. Alina had heard of two men or two women being together as a man and a woman did. There were rumours about several of the Grisha at the Little Palace, though no one seemed to be against such things. She was certainly no different, though she was questioning why her lively, laughing friend was attracted to someone so... stoic.

"Alina," Fedyor looked ruffled but was grinning, seeming amused by the situation. "Having a good morning?"

"Not as good as yours, apparently," She looked doubtfully at Ivan, who glared back at her; he was definitely not amused at all. "I - didn't know you were so... close," She smirked at Ivan. "I didn't know you had it in you, honestly," That was what made it more curious. She doubted that man would be involved in something so frivolous as a fling, which likely meant it was something more.

"Bite your tongue, girl," The man growled at her.

Alina just laughed, not fazed by his intimidating stature. "Don't worry, Vanya, I'll leave you alone to bite Fedyor's,"

She left them hearing Fedyor's laugh behind her, as he attempted to sooth the angry older man's ruffled feathers. Perhaps they were better suited than she first thought.

*

"Do you know him?" She was walking with Kasper through the corridors, when she caught him wave and smile at a middle-aged Tidemaker walking past.

"He's my uncle," The boy said, surprising her. "Jakob. You wouldn't have seen him before, he got sent away to train in the field the moment we arrived. He came with me from Fjerda, after the Druskelle came poking around. It wasn't worth the risk of staying,"

Alina didn't think he'd ever revealed so much about himself before. "Is no one else in your family Grisha?"

His smile faded. "My grandmother. She's a Healer, like me, and taught me everything I know. But she's stubborn and wouldn't hear of leaving. She's still there, with the rest of my family who aren't Grisha. I can't even write to them - people would notice if they were getting letters from Os Alta,"

"Saints," Alina wasn't good at comforting people. "That must be... hard,"

That amused him, at least. "You don't have to try and be nice, Alina, I know it doesn't come naturally,"

"Well I can't laugh at you right after you told me about your tragic past!" She protested.

"I appreciate your restraint," He snorted. "If you really want to make me feel better, then come and spar with me,"

"You want to feel better by getting bruised and battered by a girl half your size?" Kasper had had little to no combat training before coming to the Little Palace, and though he had improved in the year since he'd been here, it was nowhere near enough to beat Alina.

"You're not half my size anymore. You've grown a lot in a year. You were barely over five feet tall when I met you. You've got to be at least four or five inches taller, now,"

Alina supposed she had, now she thought on it. She had always been a small, scrawny child; eating regular meals could only do so much to fix years of malnutrition and stunted growth. The innate Grisha vitality must have something to do with it. "Justify it to yourself however you like,"

"You know that's not what I meant," He rolled his eyes. "There's no shame in losing to you. Everyone knows you're good, no matter how tall you are. I need to practise somehow, and I refuse to fight with the eight-year-olds, who are the only ones on my level. Besides, you're an insufferable winner. You'll annoy me into trying harder,"

She grinned, taking that as a compliment. "Well, you asked for it,"

*

"Genya," Alina said one evening, a smile playing at her lips. "How come I saw you scurrying into the Fabrikator workshops earlier?"

"An errand," Her friend said, too nonchalant. All it took for her to cave was Alina's disbelieving stare. "Alright, fine, but only because it's you," She grumbled. "I wanted to say thank you to someone, that's all. He - they - came across me when I was... rather upset. The King was... awful, that day. But the person who found me was very kind. Even if they weren't exactly a natural at comforting crying girls, they tried,"

"Who was it?" Alina asked, curious. At Genya's silence, she grinned. "Oh, go on. I told you about you-know-who,"

"Something I still struggle to comprehend," The girl muttered, but smiled. "It's nothing like that, which is why I won't tell you. He was just being kind - or tried to be, at least,"

"Hm," She said, resolving to discover more another time. "If you say so,"

*

I hope I won't lose too many readers from this haha. If it was not clear in the chapter, Alina still hates Yuri and thinks he's a terrible person. You don't have to like someone to sleep with them!! I know fourteen is a young age to lose your virginity but I know plenty of people who were that age. Honestly judging from many Darklina stories (especially ones with the 'dead dove' tag, some of which are downright disturbing and, worse, not portrayed as being wrong), it's healthier that Alina is sleeping with someone her own age, someone she has a somewhat equal power dynamic to, which is what I wanted to achieve with this. I hate the trope in fiction where the main male character is very experienced and the main female character is a clueless virgin and he's her one and only. Needless to say, prepare for the Darkling absolutely not being Alina's 'one and only'. It doesn't fit with her character or attitude, nor my own views.

Thoughts? On Yuri, Sofia, Kasper, Genya, Fedyor and Ivan, the story in general? Thanks so much for all the kind comments, the fact that people enjoy something I've spent literal days on at this point is incredible.