A year after Alina Starkov tears down the Shadow Fold, she is finally able to settle into her peaceful life. There is no more war with Ravka. The Darkling, once her enemy, is now a loyal, protective husband, and a father to their adoptive daughter...
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I GIᐯE ᗩᒪEKSᗩᑎᗪEᖇ a concerned sideglance before following the two frazzled guards. Aleksander and I follow them all the way outside into the chilly courtyard, where it does not take long to find what they are taking us to see.
The blanket of fresh white snow on the ground abruptly stops and is replaced with charred grass and disseminated stone. The ground crunches under my boot as we emerge into the destroyed circumference of territory. A few spots are still aflame, sparks fly in the air, and smoke swirls with the wind. In the middle of the explosion is a stunned Amelia, staring blankly off into the distance. Her hands are extended at her sides as if she is scared to let them touch.
I call Amelia's name and break into a sprint, kicking up the debris from under my feet. Aleksander is faster than me, however, and kneels next to her to assess the damage. There appears to be no harm done to her, though. "Amelia. . ." I mutter as I look around, finally comprehending that the damage is surrounding her. "Did you do this?"
Her mask of emotionlessness breaks, and she bursts into tears, throwing her arms around me. "I didn't mean to!" she sobs into my kefta. My fingers run through her hair, gathering it at the base of her neck to cradle her head closer to my chest. Aleksander is right beside me, comforting her too. "I–I just had a fuzzy feeling inside me, and then it tried to get out, and I couldn't stop it. The fire just came out of me."
Fire?
I mouth, "Inferni?" to Aleksander. He nods, and my eyes trace the bob of his throat, the downward flick of his gaze. He's nervous.
A Squaller, Tidemaker, and Inferni. Fate really knows how to skrew with us. The one child I had an affinity for turned out to be the most powerful kid there is. The thought terrifies me because I may be powerful and the only one of my kind, but not even I know how to navigate having multiple abilities, therefore, I don't know how to help her.
"A fuzzy feeling?" Aleksander asks, his brow wrinkling.
"That's what I felt," I tell him quietly, "the first time I entered the Fold and discovered my power. It was like a warm tingling in my chest that kept building until my power rushed to the surface, and the light exploded from within me." I'm guessing that is what Amelia felt after suppressing this power for so long. She probably didn't even know she had this power. She seems as surprised as us.
The hair stands up on my arms and I suddenly have the feeling that we are being watched. I scan the courtyard, but everyone had been cleared from the area before we arrived. I've learned not to dismiss that feeling so quickly, however, the weeping child in my arms takes priority. "Let's get you cleaned up," I whisper in her ear. I have her wrap her arms and legs around me before I stand up, and we all go back inside. I leave in the direction of the bathtub, where Aleksander branches off in the throne room to bark orders about cleaning up the mess outside.
