sainthood is a death sentence. alina mourning her own self as she is claimed piece by piece. the hand she dies by is the only choice that remains hers after this loss of a normal life, a normal love. i cannot be your saint anymore, she apologises, cursed to be matryred. but inej never wanted a normal love. she never needed a boy to bring her favourite flowers, she just needed a knife pressed into her hands. you are not cursed, she says, you are loved by me.