When they left, gunshots started bullets hitting the coach. As they hit, I duck down and focus on the bullets directing them away from me. I get up and focus on the metal around where the bullets burst through the wall of the coach, and mend it, connecting the attoms so they fuse again. The sound of bullets gets quieter as if people are dropping dead. As I'm crouched down, smoke starts to fill the coach, and two yellow-haired Fjerdans enter through the doors. One grabs me by the ankles dragging me out to a hill.

The Fjerdan man gets on top of me and draws a knife and that's when I heard the hooves of a horse and someone jumps down. I'm able to peek behind the Fjerdan as he turns his head towards the man.

"Darkling," the Fjerdan says.

When I see the Darklings face, I see it is masked in cold furry. He summons the shadows and moves his arms as if he had two swords and a blade of shadows comes straight at the Fjerdan's neck. The Fjerdan realizes what going to happen and tries to doge, but he's too late. The blade slices through his neck as if it was made of butter, the head sliding off and blood splattering on me. The body stays in its position but then the body falls onto me and I push myself onto my back inching away from the body.

The Darkling comes over and reaches a hand out to me. "Come on, get on up."

I grab his hand, getting to my feet, feeling the same feeling I did when the Grisha Examiners came.

"Thanks. The other Grisha!" I say as I run off back into the forest and find the injured Grisha.

A squaller has a bullet stuck in her arm and I focus on the blood and the bullet at the same time. I get the bullet out of her and then run my finger around the wound, gradually healing it. Once I'm done I realize she was passed out but still breathing and go around healing the Grisha that were incapacitated.

I turn around and realize that the Darkling was observing me as I healed all those Grisha. Shit. I walk over to him and he shouts to Ivan, "She's riding with me!"

"Yes sir."

"Come Alina."

I follow the Darkling as he gets onto his horse. He reaches out a hand and I grab onto it, using it to steady myself as I get onto the horse in front of him, feeling his muscular body wrap around me as he reaches around for the reigns.

"Here," the Darkling says handing me a black handkerchief.

"For what?"

"For the blood on your hands and face."

I take the handkerchief. "Thanks," I say as I wipe the blood off of myself.

"Keep it. I have many."

"Thanks," I say as I feel my cheeks heat up.

We start to ride off. After we get out of the forest I ask, "Why do you want to get rid of the fold?"

"Well, it was my great-great-great-grandfather who was the Black Heretic. Contrary to what many people believe, it was an accident, and every Darkling since his time has wanted to fix the mistake."

"Where do I come into play?'

"I know you've heard the legends of the Sun Summoner. Right?"

"Yeah."

"And you're the Sun Summoner, so I think you'll be able to help me get rid of the fold."

The sun started to set as my eyelids grew heavy, my head resting on the Darkling's chest. I lean against him as I fall asleep.