Page 27 of Shadow and Bone (The Grisha 1)
By the time I stumbled back to my room and bathed, I just wanted to slink beneath the covers and hide. But I forced myself to return to the domed hall for dinner.
“Where’s Genya?” I asked Marie as I sat down at the Summoners’ table.
“She eats at the Grand Palace. ”
“And sleeps there,” added Nadia. “The Queen likes to make sure she’s always available. ”
“So does the King. ”
“Marie!” Nadia protested, but she was snickering.
I gaped at them. “You mean—”
“It’s just a rumor,” said Marie. But she and Nadia exchanged a knowing look.
I thought of the King’s wet lips, the broken blood vessels in his nose, and beautiful Genya in her servant’s colors. I pushed my plate away. The little bit of appetite I’d had seemed to have disappeared.
Dinner seemed to last forever. I nursed a glass of tea and endured another round of endless Summoner chatter. I was getting ready to excuse myself and escape back to my room when the doors behind the Darkling’s table opened and the domed hall fell silent.
Ivan emerged and sauntered over to the Summoners’ table, seemingly oblivious to the stares of the other Grisha.
With a sinking sensation, I realized he was walking straight toward me.
“Come with me, Starkov,” he said when he reached us, then added a mocking “please. ”
I pushed my chair
back and rose on legs that felt suddenly weak. Had Baghra told the Darkling that I was hopeless? Had Botkin told him just how badly I’d failed at my lessons? The Grisha were goggling at me. Nadia’s jaw was actually hanging open.
I followed Ivan across the silent hall and through the huge ebony doors. He led me down a hallway and through another door emblazoned with the Darkling’s symbol. It was easy to tell that I was in the war room. There were no windows, and the walls were covered with large maps of Ravka. The maps were made in the old style, with heated ink on animal hide. Under any other circumstances, I could have spent hours studying them, running my fingers over the raised mountains and twisting rivers. Instead, I stood with my hands bunched into clammy fists, my heart thudding in my chest.
The Darkling was seated at the end of a long table, reading through a pile of papers. He looked up when we entered, his quartz eyes glittering in the lamplight.
“Alina,” he said. “Please, sit. ” He gestured to the chair beside him.
I hesitated. He didn’t sound angry.
Ivan disappeared back through the door, closing it behind him. I swallowed hard and made myself cross the room and take the seat the Darkling offered.
“How was your first day?”
I swallowed again. “Fine,” I croaked.
“Really?” he asked, but he was smiling slightly. “Even Baghra? She can be a bit of a trial. ”
“Just a bit,” I managed.
“You’re tired?”
I nodded.
“Homesick?”
I shrugged. It felt strange to say I was homesick for the barracks of the First Army. “A little, I guess. ”
“It will get better. ”
I bit my lip. I hoped so. I wasn’t sure how many days like this one I could handle.
“It will be harder for you,” he said. “An Etherealnik rarely works alone. Inferni pair up. Squallers often partner with Tidemakers. But you’re the only one of your kind. ”
“Right,” I said wearily. I wasn’t really in the mood to hear about how special I was.
He rose. “Come with me,” he said.
My heart started pounding again. He led me out of the war room and down another hallway.
He pointed to a narrow door set unobtrusively into the wall. “Keep right and this will lead you back to the dormitories. I thought you might want to avoid the main hall. ”
I stared at him. “That’s it?” I blurted. “You just wanted to ask me about my day?”
He cocked his head to one side. “What were you expecting?”
I was so relieved that a little laugh escaped me. “I have no idea. Torture? Interrogation? A stern talking to?”
He frowned slightly. “I’m not a monster, Alina. Despite what you may have heard. ”
“I didn’t mean that,” I said hurriedly. “I just … I didn’t know what to expect. ”
“Other than the worst?”
“It’s an old habit. ” I knew I should stop there, but I couldn’t help myself. Maybe I wasn’t being fair. But neither was he. “Why shouldn’t I be afraid of you?” I asked. “You’re the Darkling. I’m not saying you would throw me in a ditch or ship me off to Tsibeya, but you certainly could. You can cut people in half. I think it’s fair to be a little intimidated. ”
