Katia watched on in amazement as the cut on her arm was healed, the skin knitting together under a Corporalki's skilled hand. The small wound throbbed with heat for a few short moments before leaving nothing but a slight scar behind. Katia turned to her sister with excitement, wanting to see if she had also witnessed the amazing sight, but the younger girl was still staring out of the back window of the carriage they had spent the last few hours in. The General's Carriage.
Katia opened her mouth to soothe Alina's nerves, but the words died on her tongue. What could she say? That everything would be alright? From the expressions on the two Heartrenders on the opposite side of the carriage, that would have been an outright lie. The Corporalki who had healed her then moved her attention to Alina, taking the girl's arm before she could protest.
"How long have you both known you were Grisha?" Katia inquired, wanting to cut through the tense silence.
"Probably not for as long as you have" Alina muttered under her breath, as Katia pursed her lips.
"Most Grisha are tested when they are children. How is it you two slipped through the net?" One of the Heartrenders questioned.
"I don't tend to tell secrets to men who haven't even told me their names" Katia pointed out.
"Apologies for my partner, Ivan means well but his manners...they need some work" The other Heartrender confessed, earning an annoyed glare from Ivan.
"I'm often told the same" Katia grinned at him.
"My name is Fedyor, Miss Starkov. It truly is a pleasure to meet you. Both of you" Fedyor stated.
"Give the Sun Summoner your kefta" Ivan ordered the Healer, who had now finished her work on Alina.
"I'm not cold" Alina frowned, as the Healer did as she was asked without question.
"The uniform of the Second Army is bulletproof. You should wear it if you hope to see tomorrow's sunrise" Ivan explained, as Alina reluctantly accepted the kefta.
"What about her?" Katia asked, gesturing to the Healer who was now just wearing a thin shirt.
"Anyone of us would give our lives for a Saint" The Healer smiled, as Ivan knocked twice on the carriage behind him and they came to a sudden halt.
Katia's eyes widened as the Corporalki threw the carriage doors open and jumped out without another word. Ivan was on his feet in an instant, shutting the doors, as his brows knitted together. He was then shrugging off his own red kefta and thrusting it in Katia's face, his expression telling her not to argue with him.
"Where's she going?" Alina couldn't help but ask, looking out of the window to see the woman now walking in the other direction, as the horses began to move once again.
"Back to Kribirsk. We'll travel faster with less weight" Ivan explained, as both Alina and Katia pulled their kefta's on.
"You still haven't said why no one has looked twice at you before?" Ivan insisted, his lips drawn in a fine line.
"Are you joking? Maybe it's nicer inside the Little Palace, but out here, when you're different, when you look different, everything's at risk of becoming a fight" Alina explained, bitterly.
Katia couldn't help but nod along to what she said, after all, the whole reason she had been sent into the Fold was because of her looks. If she had looked Ravkan, would any of this be happening?
"Do you know why the Little Palace has walls in the first place? Hmm? Because for years, being Grisha was a death sentence. At least now, thanks to General Kirigan, we're protected. Feared. And that's how we survive. Not by being overlooked, but by making them look, and knowing you're powerful" Ivan informed her.
"I don't want anyone to fear me" Alina retorted, with a shake of her head.
"You're Grisha now, girl. Like it or not, but you'll always be feared. I imagine that's why your sister here has hidden her shadows away" Ivan huffed, watching as Alina's jaw tensed.
"How long have you known?" Alina couldn't help but ask Katia.
"...Since I was ten—" Katia began, but Alina cut her off with a scoff.
"All these years...how could you keep something like this from me?" Alina muttered.
"You've heard what people say about the Darkling. If anyone found out that I was a Shadow Summoner, they'd treat me the same. Or worse. They'd think I was a monster" Katia sighed, running a hand through her black hair.
"You...you thought I'd hate you?" Alina realised.
"I saw how you looked at me on the ship, Alina. How you flinch every time I speak since. I knew this would happen" Katia mumbled, blinking away the tears in her eyes.
Didn't Alina remember all the nights she and Mal had cursed the Grisha? The names they had called them? Just the day before, Katia had witnessed the look of disdain on Alina's face when she had seen the Grisha training. Every one of those moments assured her that all the lies were worthwhile.
"I saw you cut a Volcra in half. How could I not be terrified?" Alina insisted, as Ivan's eyes grew wide.
"You used the Cut?" He gaped.
"I...I don't know. My hands moved before my mind knew what was happening. It was like..." Katia trailed off, unsure of what word to use.
"Instinct?" Fedyor smiled, as she nodded.
"I have no such instinct. What happened in the tent...it wasn't my doing. The Darkling did something when he touched me" Alina interjected, causing Ivan to laugh.
"He didn't do anything. He's an amplifier" Ivan stated, making Katia frown.
"A what?" She questioned.
In response, Ivan reached inside the collar of his kefta and removed something tied to a silver chain. Katia and Alina both leaned forward to get a better view, seeing what appeared to be a cluster of sharp black claws. Katia could feel the strange buzzing in her veins return the longer she looked at the claws.
"What are they?" Alina inquired.
"My amplifier. The claws from a Sherborn bear. I killed it myself when I left school and joined the Darkling's service. Only his most favoured Grisha have them" Ivan explained, proudly.
"The Darkling is a living amplifier. That's what you felt" Fedyor went on.
Katia thought back to the calm that had come over her when the General touched her skin. All her thoughts had quieted, and she felt so sure of...everything. It was an exhilarating feeling, something she knew would be far too easy to crave. Katia squirmed in her seat as the Darkling's black eyes came to the forefront of her mind, causing her heart to speed up, something which she could tell Ivan was aware of.
"How did—" Katia started, but her words were cut off by a shout from outside the carriage.
"The road is blocked! Be alert!" One of the riders announced, causing Katia to tense.
Katia's hand instantly went to the inside of her boot, pulling out the army knife she was glad she still had. Both Ivan and Fedyor were jumping out of the coach without another word, their shoulders stiff as they slammed the doors shut behind them. It was deathly quiet for almost a minute before Katia heard the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground.
"Drüskelle!" A voice cried, as Katia instinctively reached for her sister's arm.
Bullets whizzed through the air, shattering the wood of the coach, making Alina cry out in fear. Still, Katia didn't move. Short, panicked gasps left her lips, as an awful memory she had spent over a decade trying to forget, rose to the surface. Dread twisted in her gut, as she felt her hands grow clammy, almost losing the grip of the knife in her hands.
"Katia, what do we do?!" Alina exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic.
Alina's words broke through the trance her sister had fallen into, as she was pushing Alina toward the floor a moment later, pulling her kefta over her head, trying to protect her from the onslaught. She was then jumping up onto the leather seats and pushing herself flush against one corner of the coach, hiding in the dark shadows.
"If they get in here, you run. Don't look back, don't wait for me. Just run" Katia insisted, gripping the handle of her knife tighter.
She wasn't a little girl anymore. She had fought against the Drüskelle before, and she had won. She could do it again. Katia said those words over and over in her head like a prayer, until the coach doors swung open, and a dirty face peered through, his eyes instantly falling on Alina's crumpled form. He yelled a word in Fjerdan before reaching out for Alina, his hands stilling when a knife was forced into his throat. The Drüskelle's mouth went slack, as blood spilt from his lips, eyes finally connecting with Katia's, who jumped down from the seats, her palm still wrapped around the knife. With a growl, she pushed the knife further into his neck, through the tough muscles there and threw his body toward the ground, the man dead before he hit the dirt. She was then jumping out of the coach to retrieve her knife, ducking just in time to avoid an arrow which flew past her. A sharp cry caught her attention, as she looked up to see Zoya being thrown onto her back, a bullet having connected with her kefta. Before she could get back onto her feat, one of their attackers raced forward, a rifle in his hand, finger on the trigger. Without a second thought, Katia sent her knife hurtling through the air, as it found its target in the Drüskelle's chest, who instantly fell to his knees. Zoya twisted around to face her, shock flashing over her pretty features when she saw who had saved her. Instinctively, she nodded a thanks to Katia, before her gaze moved to the carriage behind her.
"No...no!" Katia gaped, when she saw the other door to the coach was now open and her little sister was nowhere to be seen.
Alina's screams suddenly echoed through the forest, as Katia raced toward them, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She spotted Alina being dragged into a clearing, a Drüskelle's hands clutching her legs, ignoring Alina's begging. Katia began to sprint toward her, when a body collided with her own, shoving her to the ground. Her head slammed against the forest floor, causing her vision to blur for a moment. When her vision cleared, she found a Drüskelle on top of her, with a knife raised above her head. Suddenly, the air around them became thick, followed by the sounds of hooves. Katia looked past her attacker to see a figure jumping down from his horse, as shadows swarmed around him, before accumulating above his hands. In the next second, the shadows were hurtling through the air, slicing Alina's attacker in half, as blood splattered over the grass. Katia could see the fear that flashed over the Drüskelle's face who was still hovering above her before his lips morphed into a snarl.
"We both die here, witch" The man muttered, in a heavy accent, before he sent his knife down toward her.
The Drüskelle's eyes widened as he saw Katia had moved her hand up at the last moment, the knife going through her palm instead of her chest, as she screeched in pain. With her other hand, she sent a hand punch to the man's face, pushing him off her. Katia readied herself for another attack, but it never came. In the next second, the man's head was falling from his shoulders, cut clean away from his neck by the Darkling. The man in question shoved the Drüskelle's headless body away and came to loom over Katia, who was trembling from the shock of everything she had witnessed. His eyes flew to the knife embedded in her hand and called out for a Healer before he crouched down in front of her. His dark eyes roved over her body for a few moments, searching for any further injuries, before he was satisfied. Katia's brow furrowed as he reached for her other hand, his palm pressing against her cold skin, and pleasant calmness stirred within her once again. Her fluttering heart slowed, and even the pain throbbing in her hand seemed to ebb. She almost protested when he pulled his hand back and allowed a muddy Healer to take his place, her sharp eyes surveying the knife.
"I should be able to stem the blood once the knife is removed. There will be a considerable amount of pain. I'll gather my kit, I have some pain relief that should—" The Healer began, but Katia cut her off, knowing they needed to move as soon as possible.
"We don't have time. There could be more Drüskelle coming" Katia muttered, before placing her uninjured hand on the blade of the knife.
The Healer let out a horrified gasp as she watched Katia rip the knife from her own hand, nothing more than a low groan escaping the Shadow Summoner's lips. The Healer blinked a few times, as Katia thrust her hand toward her, as blood began to spill from the wound. Katia grimaced as the woman got to work, almost able to feel as the woman stitched her skin back together, her palm feeling uncomfortably hot. She looked up toward the Darkling, whose head was cocked to one side, his eyes somehow appearing darker than before. His lips spread into a pleased smile, as Katia noticed how his own hand seemed to twitch for a moment as if he could feel what she could.
"General. Are you hurt?" Zoya's voice called out, her gaze on the dried blood staining his fingers, gained when he had clutched Katia's hand.
"Where were you? Where were any of you?! The Summoner's were almost killed!" The Darkling growled, causing Zoya to flinch at his harsh words.
"There were too many of them, we tried to protect—" Fedyor exclaimed, his arm slung over Ivan's shoulder, his kefta littered with dents from the bullets that had come his way.
"Evidently, not well enough" The Darkling spat out, as Fedyor hung his head in shame.
"The Drüskelle are more monsters than men. These Grisha fought valiantly against them, perhaps if you had been here, you would know that" Katia pointed out, as silence rang out through the forest.
The Healer's hand stilled, a look of shock on her face, as Katia realised how rare it was likely was for someone to speak up against the General. Katia looked up at the Darkling, to find he also seemed taken aback, an elegant brow raised up.
"...Sir" Katia mumbled, awkwardly.
She couldn't be sure, but for a split second, she could swear the Darkling's lips twitched into a smile. He was then holding his hand out to her, making her frown.
"You ride with me" The Darkling announced.
Katia's hand was moving to meet his before her brain had caught up with the action. The Darkling's fingers were instantly wrapping around her smaller hand and hauling her upright, with ease. Katia stumbled forward a step, the blood loss causing her to feel lightheaded as she felt his grip on her tighten. Her veins buzzed with a strange excitement, as her woes ebbed away.
It was her this time that tugged her hand away first, as she kept her gaze low on the ground. She didn't know the man standing in front of her, and she certainly knew well enough to fear powerful men. For all she knew, being an 'amplifier' was some sort of mind control, a way for the Darkling to keep his Grisha in line. Katia decided there and then that she needed to keep her guard up against the General.
"No...you should travel with Alina. She needs your protection, not I" Katia clarified, when she saw the confusion on the older man's face.
"I have healed her hand as best I can, but the limb will not be strong enough to hold onto the reins of a horse yet" The Healer interjected.
"Then I will ride with another" Katia suggested, more concerned with her sister's safety than her own.
"Zoya. You will accompany the Shadow Summoner on our journey to the Little Palace. And you will protect her with your life" The Darkling insisted, turning to face the Squaller.
"...Yes, General" Zoya nodded, with a clenched jaw.
The journey onwards was brutal, as the four stayed on the side roads and hunting trails, rather than the easier terrain of the Vy. The sun was quickly setting, causing a strange sense of doom to wash over Katia, her eyes constantly darting around the treeline for Drüskelle. Despite how the horse they rode galloped, Zoya never seemed to lose her posture, her arms wrapped around Katia and holding onto the horse's reins. Katia herself didn't fare so well, not accustomed to riding such an animal, as her back quickly began to ache.
"You're welcome, by the way" Katia exclaimed, not needing to turn to know Zoya was frowning.
"For what?" The Squaller questioned.
"For saving your arse back there" Katia grinned, hearing the other woman huff.
"I was handling it" Zoya insisted.
"Hmm. I could see that" Katia mocked.
"Saints, I think I'd rather ride with your blessed sister. Perhaps then I wouldn't have to listen to your incessant wittering" Zoya muttered, making Katia laugh.
"Are all Squallers so easy to get a rise out of?" Katia smirked.
"Your novelty will soon wear off, orphan. The General will see you for what you really are" Zoya told her.
"More fun than you?" Katia suggested, hearing the groan that left Zoya's lips.
"Insufferable" Zoya mumbled.
"Thank you" Katia replied, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Her eyes drifted over to where the Darkling rode with her sister, his strong arms wrapped around her, one hand on the horses' reins and the other touching Alina's waist. Both she and Zoya frowned at the sight, unbeknownst to the pair. Alina's lips moved a moment after, as the Darkling pulled on the reins of his horse, bringing the animal toward a nearby stream, as Zoya followed suit. Once Alina was off the horse, she seemed happy to put as much distance between her and the Darkling as possible.
"Zoya, take Miss Starkov to the treeline to relieve herself. We will rest for a short time" The Darkling announced, as Zoya hopped down from her horse.
"And if she tries to run?" Zoya grinned, looking excited at the idea.
"If a hair on her head is harmed, you will suffer the same fate" The Darkling stated, in an almost bored tone.
"She won't run" Katia insisted, from where she was still perched on the horse, realising it would be difficult to dismount with her weak hand.
"Let me help you" The Darkling exclaimed, suddenly by her side in a matter of seconds.
"I've got it" Katia grumbled, swinging her legs across the horse and trying to jump down without holding onto anything.
As a result, she ended up falling toward the grass face first, collapsing in a heap much to her own embarrassment. She let out a long groan, wondering if she could simply crawl away.
"I didn't have it" Katia murmured.
Her head snapped up when she heard a strange sound coming from the Darkling. He was laughing. It was a rich, unrestrained sound that seemed so odd coming from his lips. Joined by the genuine smile on his face, Katia found his laughter contagious and began chuckling herself. She then picked herself up off the ground and started dusting her kefta off with her good hand, as the Darkling's laughter ebbed.
"Have I done something to offend you?" The Darkling inquired, as she gave him a confused look.
"You did not wish to ride with me, and you have just now declined my assistance once again" He explained.
"The Drüskelle are after Alina. You're the most powerful Grisha in the world. It makes sense that she ride with you. No one can protect her like you can" Katia replied.
"A strategic decision then. Spoken like a true Sergeant" The Darkling nodded, with a hint of amusement.
"How do you know my title?" She frowned.
"I have only known but one Shadow Summoner apart from myself. You are a very rare thing. I thought it right to find out all I could about you in Kribirsk" He confessed, making her cringe.
"I doubt there was much good to be said" Katia huffed.
"Nonsense. Lieutenant Bohdan spoke very highly of you" The Darkling informed her.
"And the others called me Shu scum?" Katia suggested, watching as his eyes softened somewhat, and he took a step closer to her.
"There is matter to everything. Even air. Or shadow. Too small to see. The Cut is something a Summoner can do, but it requires tremendous skill. Yet...you conjured it in the Fold. I don't care what the First Army think of you. They do not matter. You have already proved your worth to the Grisha" The Darkling explained.
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing" Katia mumbled, under her breath.
"Why didn't you use the Cut against the Drüskelle?" He couldn't help but ask.
"I like to be in control. It makes me a good Sergeant. But with...that power..." Katia trailed off, with a shake of her head, as understanding dawned on the Darkling's face.
"You're scared to lose control. You think you won't be able to control the shadows" The Darkling realised, as she nodded.
"I can help you with that" The Darkling went on, as her eyes narrowed.
"Why? You don't even know me?" Katia pointed out, as he leaned in closer.
"You are Grisha. We look after our own" He stated.
"A noble ideal, but I doubt its existence in a tight spot" Katia retorted, as he pursed his lips.
"No harm will come to you or your sister in the Little Palace. That I can promise you" The Darkling exclaimed, as Katia quirked an eyebrow.
"Then you might have to keep Zoya away from me. I fear she plans to off me in my sleep" Katia scoffed, as the Darkling gave her an amused smile, before reaching into the pocket of his kefta.
She saw a black handkerchief in his palm, lined with a red border, appearing to be silk. It looked more expensive than anything she had ever owned.
"For your face" He murmured, in a tone far gentler and more welcoming than Katia was used to.
"Thank you" Katia nodded, before wiping away the blood and dirt that had covered her cheeks.
After she was satisfied that her face was somewhat clean once again, she looked up to see the Darkling staring at her, his mouth slack. He blinked a few times, appearing to come out of the trance he had fallen into. They heard muttering from close by, turning to see Alina and Zoya stumbling toward them, both girls looking less than amused. Katia opened her mouth to offer the handkerchief back, but decided against it, stuffing the cloth into the pocket of her kefta without another word.
Night came quickly, and the group found shelter in an abandoned farm, filled with cobwebs and shattered windows. Still, it kept out the night-time chill and after the Darkling had built a small fire in the main barn, it truly didn't seem so bad. Katia had found some blankets in the back of the barn and placed one over Alina's shaking shoulders, but still, her sister wouldn't look at her. She did accept the flask of water that she handed to her, though.
"How long do you think you'll stay angry at me?" Katia mumbled, sitting beside the shorter girl, who turned to her in disbelief.
"I thought I knew you. I thought I could depend on you, trust you with anything and now..." Alina trailed off, with a shake of her head.
"All because I'm Grisha? Just as you are?" Katia insisted, making Alina scoff.
"As soon as we reach the Little Palace, I will ask the Darkling to transfer this...gift to someone who can use it" Alina confessed, as Katia's eyes doubled in size.
"Alina, you can't be serious? How can you even think of giving up your gift?" Katia gaped.
"Because I don't want it! I want to go back to Kribirsk, to be with Mal" Alina retorted, as Katia shook her head.
"The same Mal who has hated Grisha since he was a little boy. You really think he won't look differently at you now?" Katia muttered, as Alina flinched as if she had been struck.
"...I should have known what you were. There's always been a darkness in you, Katia. And it rears its head every time you get angry" Alina told her.
"Well, we can't all be Saints like you, Alina" Katia spat out, as her sister glared at her, before standing up and storming away dramatically to the other side of the barn.
Katia watched as Alina slumped down on the ground and pulled her blanket all the way over her head, just as she always did when they had a fight. It told her Alina would not hear her out until morning and her anger had receded. But what if this wasn't something that could be made better? What if Alina learnt to see her as a monster too?
"She will come around" The Darkling's deep voice announced, as she twisted around to see him looming above hr.
"Clearly, you don't know my sister so well. She's as stubborn as a bull" Katia stated, as the Darkling bent his knees and lowered himself to the floor.
"I wonder where she gets that from" He said, in a mocking tone, causing a smile to grow on Katia's lips.
"I've heard stories about you since I was a little girl, you know? The big, bad Darkling. You're...younger than I expected" Katia confessed, as he took a sip from the flask in his hand.
"I sense there is a question you wish to ask" He mumbled.
"How old are you?" Katia inquired, curiously.
"I don't know exactly" The Darkling confessed, as she raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if you don't want to tell me you could have just said that" Katia huffed.
"How old are you, exactly?" The Darkling retorted, with a smirk.
"Twenty-four...or twenty-five...or...well, I know I'm older than my sister, that's for sure" Katia stuttered, amusing the Darkling further.
"I could be a hundred...or perhaps, one hundred and twenty, but I'm certainly older than you" The Darkling explained, as Katia's jaw dropped open.
"How is that possible?" Katia gaped.
"Using our power makes us stronger. It feeds us instead of consuming us. Most Grisha live long lives" The Darkling confessed.
"What, are you telling me Zoya's actually five hundred?" Katia scoffed, as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"No. The length of a Grisha's life is proportional to his or her power. The greater the power, the longer the life. And when that power is amplified..." He trailed off, with a shrug.
"And you're a living amplifier. Which means, you're gonna' live a very, very long time" Katia realised, as the Darkling nodded.
"...I'm sorry" Katia murmured, after a few moments, as he gave her a questioning look.
"Living that long...means losing everything you once cared about, doesn't it?" Katia pointed out, as his eyes widened a fraction.
"You should get some sleep. We will need to ride all day and night tomorrow if we hope to reach the Little Palace without further interruption" The Darkling advised, pushing himself to his feet.
Katia frowned at his sudden change in demeanour, wondering if she had said something wrong. She cursed herself for worrying about such a thing. All that mattered was Alina. Keeping her safe. The hairs on the back of her neck were rising a moment later, as Katia whipped around to see Zoya glaring at her, cutting an apple with a sharp knife, looking like she wouldn't mind putting the blade through her eye.
"Can't wait for tomorrow" Katia sighed, before settling down to sleep.
The moon was high in the sky by the time Katia had finally fallen asleep, having moved closer toward Alina, as protective as ever. The Darkling had told Zoya he would take the first watch, guarding them against their enemies while the others rested. It allowed him to look over the new Shadow Summoner freely for the first time. She was sprawled out on the ground, her dark hair covering half her face, shoulders shaking every so often. It took the Darkling a moment to realise she was shaking, recognising the chill running through his own body. His legs were moving a moment later, as he crouched down in front of the sleeping girl and pulled the thin blanket higher over her shoulders. His hand lingered on the blanket for a second before he reached up to brush some of her black hair away from her face. His eyes flickered over her olive skin, to the pink of her lips, as he brushed the back of his finger over her soft cheek.
She was everything he had been waiting for.