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There is always a moment in everyone's lives where they just want the world to crack open and swallow them whole and there is nothing I wanted more than this to happen right now.
The General of the Second Army was standing in front of me in all his glory with his soldiers surrounding me. He wore a black embroidered kefta with golden buttons. His presence oozed power which made me realize why people fear him so much.
And he was currently looking at me from head to toe.
"What's your name?", his voice snapped me out of my trance.
"Jade. Jade Kroystiv", I replied.
"And what are you?", he asked. His gaze burning holes through me. I knew what I was, a Krovopiytsa.
"A First Army soldier, sir", I replied. It had been minutes since I discovered my powers and I didn't want to act as if I knew I had them all along.
The crowd around us erupted into a small laughter but was silenced by a glare from the Darkling.
"Tell me what happened on the skiff", he asked the Grisha that escorted me to his camp.
"We went inside the Fold and the Volcra attacked us because someone lit a lantern", she said.
"We were trying to fight off the Volcra until she screamed. Right after that, a kind of force erupted from her and all the Volcra attacking us froze on the spot".
It was pin-drop silence in the tent when she finished telling him the story. All eyes were on me especially the General's. He was eyeing me from head to toe with an amused expression on his face. Suddenly he caught me staring at him and maintained eye contact while walking towards me.
"Do it", he said.
"Do what?" I asked. He had to be more specific.
"Do what you did in the Fold", he replied.
"I don't know how I did it. A volcra attacked me", I spoke.
He stepped toward me so that we were now inches apart from each other. I was a nervous wreck. On one side, I was overwhelmed by what happened in the past few hours and on the other side, I was so intimidated by the Darkling that I was on the verge of tears.
"Give me your hand", he broke the silence.
"I beg your pardon?" I replied with a questioning tone.
"I said give me your hand", he spoke a little louder this time and as if sensing my nervousness, he added,
"Please".
I raised my hand for him to hold and he did. To be honest I was scared. All the times somebody held my hand was either to drag me into some sort of punishment or to give me a task that made me feel uncomfortable.
But when he held me hand, I felt a jolt of electricity burst through me. The feeling of something inside me erupted again and I didn't hold back. Suddenly, I felt the same force come out of me as it did on the skiff and connect to a few people standing near me.
"Ask them to do something", he said not letting go of my hand.
I suddenly felt different this time. Power was rushing through me like blood and I felt confident, almost greedy for more.
I concentrated. Fall to your knees. Fall to your knees. Fall to your knees.
And before I knew it, all the people with whom my power connected were falling on their knees in front of me one by one. The look of shock was visible on everyone's faces including mine and surprisingly, the General's as well.
And maybe my eyes played a joke on me but I saw something in his eyes.
