Chapter Text
Seeing Kaz Brekker in person for the first time was like seeing a storm in a desert. He’d never felt such relief to know that another was alive, and at the same time, he could tell that this man was dangerous. Shadows—Aleksander’s shadows—curled at Kaz’s fingers with ease, poised to kill.
And then– “General Kirigan.” Hearing his own name, fake as it was, fall from Kaz’s lips made his mouth go dry.
“Kaz Brekker,” he said, savoring the name on his tongue. Soulmate, his heart screamed. Mine. There could be no doubt about it. But still, doubts seeped into his mind, poisonous and rote. His mother’s words—no one will ever complete you; monsters don’t have soulmates.
The rest of the thoughts fell away when he saw the smear of blood on Kaz’s cheek. His eyes narrowed, anger curling in his veins like fire. “You’re injured.”
Kaz blinked as his brow furrowed, like he’d forgotten. “It’s nothing,” he dismissed the concern. “It’s been dealt with.”
Aleksander looked behind Kaz and found that yes, it indeed had been dealt with. Satisfaction replaced the rage as he saw the man dead, his throat slit. Choked to death on his own blood, face smeared on the dirty warehouse floor, as he deserved.
Without the danger, the adrenaline, Aleksander felt at a loss. He needed to know for certain if Kaz was his soulmate, but didn’t know how to ask. Further, he didn’t know if he could handle it if he wasn’t, if Aleksander truly was meant to be alone in this world.
Luckily, Kaz broke the silence. “We can talk later. I have to retrieve my Crows. Follow me, or stay here.”
As if not following him could ever be an option. Aleksander had imagined that the Sun Summoner would be enrapturing, but found himself drawn in more by Kaz’s darkness which so aptly mirrored his own. He followed him to the nearby warehouse, watching with intrigue and admiration as he easily killed the two guards with his shadows. He handled the darkness with an ease that spoke of years of practice and a skillful ability to learn. Aleksander himself had centuries of practice, and was almost certain that Kaz could nearly match him, even if not completely in shadow summoning.
When they entered the warehouse, Aleksander felt more than saw when the knife was pressed to Kaz’s throat. Instantly, his shadows grew tense, ready to strike–
“Stop,” Kaz ordered, and he did. It was simple, thoughtless obedience that left Aleksander reeling and off-balance.
When Kaz greeted the person—Inej—he relaxed. “A friend?”
“Two,” another said, coming out of hiding and holstering his gun. Aleksander appraised him—a Durast, likely. The ability seemed to cling to him, the cloying smell of metal.
As they spoke, Aleksander’s mind wandered elsewhere, something about the warehouse keeping him on high-alert. Something was wrong, something other than it being a distraction. He looked around, eyes wandering over the crates, the darkness shrouding everything, mind catching on the seclusion of it all.
Right before it happened, Aleksander realized what was in the crates—explosives. One thought rang true, louder than anything else: he needed to protect his soulmate. His kefta would provide him safety, although the same couldn’t be said for the others, as his shadows would be driven off by the light.
“Get down!” Aleksander yelled, desperation seizing in his chest. He stepped toward Kaz as fast as he could, drawing him in and shielding him with his own body just as the warehouse exploded in bright light.
The kefta took most of the blast, but Aleksander felt shrapnel cut his cheek. His head was ringing awfully, but apart from that he felt rather unharmed. Bright light still shone behind his eyelids, and when he opened his eyes, he stilled.
A bright shield covered them, almost as bright as the explosion had been. It was as if the sun itself had taken up residence in the warehouse, and it basically had. A Sun Summoner. The girl—Inej, he thought—held her hands up. The glow came from her hands, spreading around them in the hastily erected shield.
Now assured in their safety, Aleksander moved away from Kaz, unwrapping him from the kefta. He appeared unharmed, but he was tense—his breathing fast, his eyes unfocused and wild.
“Kaz?” Aleksander reached out, but Kaz flinched away from him. He felt a sting of hurt at the action, and cursed himself for the weakness.
“Don’t touch me,” Kaz hissed, lips curled into a snarl. Aleksander swallowed, his jaw clenching.
All at once, the glow disappeared, and Aleksander could hear Inej collapse to the ground behind him. None of that mattered, though. All he cared about was Kaz.
Aleksander paused to gather his thoughts, clenching his fist. Kaz’s eyes were distant, like he was somewhere else, and his increased breathing indicated panic. Traumatic memories, then. The response was general, not specific to Aleksander, but he still regretted that he seemed to have caused the panic in some way. More importantly, though, he didn’t know how to help.
Jesper helped Inej over to them, supporting her with his shoulder.
“He hates being touched,” Inej explained, collapsing to her knees beside them.
“How can I help?” Aleksander asked, feeling more helpless than he’d felt in centuries.
“Just be there for him. He’ll be alright, he just needs time,” Inej answered, pulling herself into a more comfortable seated position. Jesper sat down beside her. “You’re different than I expected, Black General.”
“How so?” Aleksander asked, but his eyes never left Kaz. He seemed to be calming down, coming back to himself.
“They call you the Darkling; whisper stories of a ruthless general with the same powers that created the Fold,” Inej said, folding her hands in her lap. “You’re not the monster those stories make you out to be.”
Aleksander wasn’t expecting to hear that from someone who barely knew him. Those words struck deeper than he’d like—she was perceptive. Still, despite her approval, he could tell she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if he ever hurt Kaz. She might even succeed.
“You’re the Sun Summoner, then?” Aleksander asked in lieu of a response.
Inej paused. “My soulmate.”
Aleksander nodded, only faintly surprised. A Shadow Summoner’s soulmate, the Sun Summoner’s soulmate, and a Durast—what an interesting trio.
“...I apologize,” Kaz said, and Aleksander’s attention snapped back to him. He was gripping his cane tightly, but no longer was he lost in his panic.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Aleksander answered. If anything, he felt that he should apologize, but didn’t think that would be received well, so he stilled his tongue.
Kaz stood, propping his cane beneath him for support as he did so. Aleksander followed, as did Inej and Jesper.
“It’s too late now to intercept Pekka Rollins,” Kaz said with a grimace. “We’ll have to try again tomorrow. Inej—go home and rest. You look terrible.” Inej gave him a halfhearted glare, but didn’t protest. She could stand on her own now, but was still obviously exhausted. “Jesper, you too.”
Jesper made a dismayed face, but followed Inej out of the warehouse, sticking close to her side in case she needed support. This finally left Aleksander alone with Kaz.
“We’re going to my office.” Kaz spoke before Aleksander could say anything. “It’s more secure.”
As Kaz led them through the streets of Ketterdam to his office, Aleksander remained on high alert, shadows gathering at his fingertips. Only when they were securely inside the office did he relax, letting them dissipate.
Kaz sat down in his chair, and Aleksander remained standing. “I take it you know why I’m here,” he said, finally breaching that tenuous subject.
“Yes,” Kaz replied. He sighed, rolled up his sleeves, and removed his gloves.
The mark that curled up Kaz’s arms was distinct, and Aleksander knew it had to be his. The shadows winding up his arms from his fingers were familiar in a way, and he could see the possessive grasp they had as they curled up Kaz’s arm. His mark. His soulmate. Warmth burned through him at the thought, and he ached to reach out and trace his fingers over the mark, but restrained himself.
In turn, Aleksander removed his coat, draping it over the back of a nearby chair, and rolled up his own sleeves to bare his left forearm. Kaz's gaze remained sharp and critical as he saw it, but Aleksander could see the movement of throat as he swallowed, the clenching of his jaw.
“You are my soulmate,” Aleksander breathed, relief and warmth flooding his veins. His equal, his match. Finally, he wouldn’t be alone. He had a soulmate, and he wasn’t going to let anyone take him away.
“And you, mine,” Kaz confirmed, acknowledging the bond, an act which seemed to make it flare to life and settle in further. His gaze sharpened. “I have commitments here which I won’t abandon.”
“Of course,” Aleksander said. “As I have in Ravka. But crossing the Fold is no easy task, and you would never be wanting for anything in the Palace.”
Kaz raised an eyebrow. “I have everything I need here, and the Palace couldn’t offer me my revenge.”
“I could,” Aleksander offered, sincere. “Anything you ask of me, I will give it.”
“And if I asked you to leave?” Kaz pushed, a calculating light in his eyes. “Would you?”
Unwillingly, Aleksander felt the shadows drawn to his hands as his jaw clenched. To find his soulmate, only to be asked to leave—it would be the greatest pain he had ever known. He doubted he would even be able to bear it.
“Perhaps.”
Kaz smirked, then leaned forward, turning serious. “I wouldn’t do that. But we’ll have to work something out, else it won’t go well.”
Aleksander would find a way to tear down the Fold, if that was what it would take to stay with his soulmate. He refused to lose him. “I’ll see what I can do,” Aleksander promised, “I will never force you to stay at the Palace, though, if you’re happier here.”
“Good,” Kaz said. “I can assure you, I would hate it. It would be dull and unnecessarily opulent. However, visiting could be doable.”
The journey between Ketterdam and Os Alta was long and often dangerous. Aleksander would know; after all, he’d just made that journey recently. But all of that could be discussed later. Right now, the more pressing issue was keeping his soulmate safe. Kaz had almost died today—at least, that had been the intent.
“Good. Now, tell me more about Pekka Rollins.”