2. General Kirigan

A month had gone by since Katya's arrival at the Little Palace, and she was so ready to leave. She wished she could run away and never come back, but of course that was impossible; she was a soldier now, and would be chased down and punished as a deserter.

It was not a bad place, not as such. Contrary to her apprehension beforehand, the other Grisha treated her well, and had welcomed her to the Second Army as one of their own. She had a room with a tub and a soft bed, nice clothes – the traditional blue kefta coat showing that she was Inferni, which was what Fire Summoners were called – and was served food that, though simple, was tasty and wholesome.

She enjoyed her summoning lessons as well. Baghra, the old woman who was her teacher, had explained that Katya was not a witch, nor a magician. What Grisha did was science. Her specific type had an affinity for the element of fire, and therefore it served her, while others could do the same thing with air, water, metal and even human bodies.

It was a huge relief to know that she was no freak, although it would not help her getting her old life back. To the non-Grisha, her sort were witches, and nothing she could say would make them change their minds.

When she didn't practice fire summoning, Katya had Combat Class. She needed to get physically stronger and more agile in order to be a good soldier. Thus, in the evenings she was so tired she fell into a dreamless sleep almost instantly.

This way, the days had gone past in a blur, and for an onlooker all seemed well.

Only, all wasn't well. Despite having people constantly around her, Katya felt utterly alone.

The others had come here as children; they had grown up together and formed their friendships long ago. She was a stranger who had lived a life they did not understand. At meals, she was mostly silent, and if anyone spoke to her it was polite small talk.

In addition, Katya had always suppressed her powers, so using them now was a novelty. She made beginner's mistakes summoners of her age had long since grown out of. During training she was paired with Zoya, a Squaller who could control the wind, and the other won every sparring match easily. Katya felt weak and useless.

Today, at least something new would happen, and Katya looked forward to a change of routine. She had been called to her commander's office; the legendary General Kirigan, the only Shadow Summoner in the world. She had not met him before, for he never showed up at meals or during practice, and she had to admit to being slightly curious about the man. Everyone spoke of him with such awe.

The general's part of the Little Palace was much finer than Katya's. Here, the corridors had oil paintings on the walls and soft carpets on the floors, and instead of smoky lanterns there were wax candles in gilded holders.

A servant showed her into a spacious office with elegant mahogany furniture and bookcases full of serious-looking tomes.

Almost instantly her eyes were drawn to the general, who sat at a desk in the center of the room. He was a very handsome man, of an age hard to define – thirty-five perhaps, or forty? He wore a jet black kefta, showing he was a Shadow Summoner, and his neat, short hair and beard were black too, matching his outfit. Even his eyes were of such a dark shade of brown they looked black.

Kirigan's persona somehow filled the room, turning everything and everyone around him dull and uninteresting in comparison. Katya could not tear her eyes away from him.

He did not look up as she entered, and said in a bored-sounding tone: "Thank you, Olga. Now, leave us."

When the door closed behind the servant, Katya took a nervous step forward. "You wanted to see me, General?"

Finally turning his gaze to her, he started to say something, but instead of words he uttered a shocked gasp. His eyes grew wide as if she were a ghost.

"Luda…" he whispered.

"Who?" She blinked.

His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her, and then he regained his composure. "Sorry. I mistook you for someone else. You look just like…" He cleared his throat, and his voice turned impassive and businesslike again. "Come closer," he ordered. "So, you're the new recruit. Do you know why I called you here?"

Katya mutely shook her head, still a bit stunned by his strange reaction before.

"Have you heard of the Sun Summoner?"

"Of course." Who hadn't read the prophecies about the one who would one day destroy the dark and dangerous Shadow Fold which had divided the country for so long?

"I've searched for many years, testing the strongest Grisha among every group of new recruits, for I know it's among them this Sun Summoner will arise. Even if their power is to control the wind or the water – or fire, like you – I'm hoping they might discover within themselves that they have the ability to summon light as well. Do you know what an amplifier is?"

"No, General."

"It's an object or a person that can amplify and increase a Grisha's power. I'm one such."

"You?"

"Yes. I was told you're a very strong summoner."

"I am?" She blinked, looking at him with genuine surprise. "But I've failed everything so far!"

His lips twitched. "Your ability is unschooled." He unfolded his long legs and rose from behind the table, taking a candle from it. Katya had to stretch her neck to meet his gaze when he walked over to her.

"Use this to create fire," he instructed, holding the candle in front of her.

Katya nodded and drew a breath. Scrunching up her face in concentration, she began to gather air from all around, focusing it on that tiny flame, feeding it. It flickered and grew, and she caught part of it between her hands until a small burning ball shimmered between them. Its heat warmed her face.

"Good. Keep it burning." Kirigan put the candle back and walked to stand close behind Katya. A musky scent reached her nostrils, and her fire wavered slightly as she lost part of her concentration.

"Focus," he ordered. His low, mellow voice so close to Katya's ear made her shiver, and maintaining her ball was harder than ever. Her forehead became damp with perspiration.

"Now, see what happens when I touch you." He reached out on either side of Katya, and enclosed her hands with his larger ones.

She instantly felt something seep from him into her, something raw and strong and dark. It filled her veins, making her heart race, and between her hands the fireball grew and grew, burning hotter and brighter than she had thought possible. Its light was dazzling.

Shocked, she stopped gathering air to feed it and in a puff of smoke it winked out.

"Amazing." Kirigan was almost purring. Still she could feel his power where their hands were joined, and it both scared her and mesmerized her. She did not want him to stop. Instead she found herself wondering what would happen if more parts of their bodies were connected.

"Amazing," he repeated. "Not a sun, not yet. But maybe, with time… We shall see. I will train you personally from now on."

Katya nodded, forgetting he stood behind her and could not see. Yes. She wanted him to train her. She wanted him to amplify her powers again.

Slowly he withdrew his hands and a coolness came in their stead.

Swallowing a disappointed sigh, she turned to face him, wanting to ask questions about what she had just experienced.

He stood so close she could feel his body heat. His nearly black eyes locked in hers, drawing her deep into their darkness, and she forgot what she had intended to say. They were like a mysterious tunnel, making her wonder what lay on the other side. Light? Or danger?

She didn't think it was light, but that didn't frighten her. Instead, she was fascinated. Kirigan was a dangerous man and he intrigued her.

"Where are you from?" he asked unexpectedly. Something about her clearly intrigued him as well.

When Katya said the name of her village, his eyes widened slightly. "I see," came his reply. He was withholding something. Had he known a villager there? A relative of hers, perhaps? He had thought she was someone else when he first saw her.

"Can we… can we do the fire again, General?" she asked, longing to experience that wondrous feeling once more.

His lips twitched and formed a genuine smile. "You enjoyed it?" he asked.

She nodded wordlessly. His smile made her legs weak.

"Tomorrow," he promised.

A/N:

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy the story, please let me know. Reviews are super appreciated. :)