RAYA ▸ SHADOW AND BONE

03 | the gift

They stopped by a small riverbank halfway to the Little Palace when Alina complained of pain in her tailbone due to riding so quickly for so long. Raya remembered the first few times she had ridden Ronan and the immense pain she would feel in her legs as he galloped along.

When they stopped and each hopped off the two horses, Raya led Ronan over to the lake, allowing the horse to dip his head and quench his thirst. When she made her way back to Kirigan and Alina, the former was offering the latter a handkerchief, to wipe the blood off her face.

When Raya reached him, the General wiped the blood away from her face with his gloved hands. She smiled up at him, his eyes only breaking from hers when Alina asked what happened back at the carriage.

"Drüskelle," Raya answered the Sun Summoner, turning towards her and feeling the Darkling drop his hands from her face. "Elite members of the Fjerdan military, trained to infiltrate deep behind our lines and kill or kidnap Grisha."

General Kirigan raised his brow, impressed with the precision of Raya's definition, taken word for word from one of the Grisha encyclopedias. "You've been studying."

"Don't sound so surprised," she teasingly bit back. "I suppose there are still a few things the library can teach me."

Alina glanced between them, shocked by their lighthearted conversation. "I meant how you sliced one of them in half from a dozen paces," she snapped at the Darkling, making him smirk as he asked, "Would you rather I used a sword?"

Alina glanced between them, words completely failing her as she came to realize the truth of his words. Was she simply shocked because he had done it with his mind instead of a physical weapon?

"I don't know," she mumbled truthfully. "Sorry."

"There is matter to everything, even air," the General explained. "Or shadow. Too small to see. The Cut is something a Summoner can do, but it requires tremendous skill. And I would only use it as a last resort... like that ambush."

He glanced beside him for the umpteenth time to make sure Raya was okay after the ambush and his eyes caught a large gash along the side of her forearm. He reached a hand out to inspect it, letting Raya put her arm in it when she too saw the cut.

"Saints," Alina cursed as she watched him tend to her wound. "Is this my life now? Hunted wherever I go? Cut up and bruised?"

The Darkling glanced up at Alina before tending to Raya's wound. "You get used to it." He led Raya to the riverbank and reached a hand into the pocket of his kefta to pull out another handkerchief. He dipped the cloth into the river to dampen it before wiping the blood on Raya's arm away. "Once we get back, have a Healer look at this, okay?" His eyes met the girl's and she frowned. "Raya."

He knew she didn't like the tingling sensation in her body when a Healer tended to her wounds. It was unfamiliar and put the Grisha on edge.

"Fine," she grumbled, giving in and pulling her hand away from his. The cut was a bit cleaned up now but still clearly required healing.

"How did they even know about me?" Alina asked.

Raya snorted at that as herself and General Kirigan walked back to the Sun Summoner. "Alina, your little light show in the Fold lit up the sky. I'm sure it was visible for miles. And Saints know who's coming for you next."

"Why? Why are they coming for me?"

The General replied, "You may be the first of your kind but we've always had a name for you, for what we hope you can do. Enter the Fold. Destroy it from within. With proper training, some amplification, you could well be—"

"No!" Alina argued. "I don't want this. Why can't you get rid of it? Or her?"

General Kirigan looked back at Raya as the lighthearted smile was wiped from her face. She subtly reached up to run her fingers along the long scarred reminder that ran along her spine and ended by her shoulder blade. He could see the pained look in her eyes as she gazed at the ground.

"You think we haven't tried?" He barked, raising his voice for the first time at Alina.

"Well—How about—Can't you use some Grisha science to transfer this to someone who can use it?"

"You would give up your gift?" he asked speechlessly.

"Gift?! You dragged me away from my only friends and now I'm going to be a target for the rest of my life. You want to know why you've never found someone with this power? Maybe it's because they don't want to be found!"

"Enough!" Raya broke up the argument as she walked up to Ronan to lead him back to the group. "We can discuss this when we're at the palace. Now, let's go before you both attract another group of enemies our way."

They both listened to Raya, all three mounting their horses and making their way to the Little Palace quietly. When they entered the grounds and came upon the entrance, Raya jumped off of Ronan, a smile breaking onto her face as she heard barking long before a small golden-haired canine made his way out to the courtyard.

Raya kneeled, holding her arms open as the puppy ran into them, excitedly jumping up and around her. "Callus," she smiled, kissing his head and petting him. "Moi sobachka," she pouted, pouring all her love and affection towards the pup.

Alina watched the girl reunite with her hound before following the Darkling inside the Little Palace. "You will be safe here. The palace is the most secure building in the whole country. I made sure of it."

Raya followed the duo inside, holding the canine in her arms and walking up to General Kirigan as Alina made her way towards the stairs.

She turned around to see the Darkling still stood by the entrance, hand now reaching out to lovingly rub Callus's head as the pup sat comfortably in Raya's arms. "Where are you going?" Alina asked him as she saw him get ready to leave.

"Raya," the General started, looking up at the Grisha. "Take her to the vezda suite, please." Raya nodded, only frowning when he added, "And get a Healer to look at your cut, please."

Alina uncomfortably gazed at the amount of guards both surrounding and inside the palace. "Am I a prisoner?" She asked them.

"All of Ravka is... until we banish the Fold," the Darkling mysteriously answered before passing by Raya on his way back out, but not before he softly landed a sweet kiss to her cheek and one to Callus's head. "Be good."

"Always," she smiled mischievously at him before leading Alina up the stairs.