[ the question draws alina's back up straighter. for a moment, she looks ready to try to make every excuse in the book. kirigan can't kill her, but she's positive that he would have other ways of making sure that she could not continue to ask the wrong questions, making sure that she could not flee as baghra had tried to help her do.

tried, but ultimately, alina had gone her own way. she did not trust baghra any more than she trusted baghra's son.

but nina stops to think about it. that's something. that's something. and alina exhales. slowly, trying to make it look natural. she's not very good at it. ]

Old and powerful indeed.

[ she takes a bite of the biscuit to busy herself. her lips press together to hold onto crumbs until she can lick them off. ]

I'll try what you said. With the Adamant's survivors. I want people like us to be able to make a life here, to be safe here, if they want. [ even if she never can, at the very least she can help others do it. ]