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CHAPTER TWELVE ▪▫▪▫▪
MORANA ZORESLAVA HAD SUMMONED DAWN.
That's what Tolya had said, that's what she had felt, the balance between light and dark, the moment where one isn't sure whether it's still night or if the new day is about to come. She felt that balance and then the shadows won, and she was plunged into darkness—yet, for a split second, she could feel the day trying to arrive.
Which was why she'd woken up with a small smile on her face. Whatever it was that was plunging her into darkness had an escape and she would find whatever it was and slaughter it to free herself.
And if it was her father... Oh, how delightful would be to end his life.
She'd woken up with a new purpose in Ravka and that was to make sure when she left nothing could ever drag her back; especially not by some pesky little connection to a madman or, for that matter, a tracker.
"How about a demonstration?" asked Tamar, gesturing for Morana to take the area of the training center, where they, Nadia, and Alina were training—technically it was for Alina to try and master her power but the girl was taking a break. "I've never seen the Crimson Mirage off sea."
Morana's eyes twinkled in excitement and she smirked, "Catch me if I pass out?"
"Why would you pass out?" asked Nadia, who'd been trusted enough by Tamar to learn of her light and shadow manipulations as well as Alina who'd already half figured it out.
"Small Science affects me differently," Morana replied simply as she reached the middle of the room, nodding to Tamar who was hovering around her.
Morana would usually only use her powers at dawn, when she felt the most powerful, but she was hoping she could summon whatever it was she had last night, only now without needing her father's power beckoning her.
Raising her hands in the air, Morana swirled them around, gathering shadows and lights and bending them, and suddenly it was as if the four of them were standing underwater.
Algae sprouted from the sand replacing the floor and all types of colorful fishes, sharks, and creatures swam around them. And though her mind was starting to feel faint Morana tugged at the feeling she had the night prior, trying to bring the power to the surface.
She could hear Alina, Nadia, and Tamar laughing as they swiped their hands in the air, and they passed right through everything like it wasn't even there; mirages, that's all they were. And for a moment Morana felt it, the freeing consuming feeling that made her feel stronger instead of weaker like Small Science. And as balanced as it was at the moment, as balanced as she tried to keep it, the shadows won.
Morana faltered back, her arms falling to the side, and she panted, cursing under her breath. Tamar was by her side in a second, helping her stay upright; once she could breathe and was past the little moment of disappointment, Morana turned to the girls with a grin, wiping the trail of blood she felt running down her nose.
