Katya turns out to be a Fire Summoner with unusual power. General Kirigan gives her private lessons and she loves his shadows - especially when they summon together, skin against skin. But what happens when a Sun Summoner shows up?
Based on the Netf...
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A month had gone by since Katya's arrival at the Little Palace, and she was so ready to leave. She wished she could run away and never come back, but of course that was impossible; she was a soldier now, and would be chased down and punished as a deserter.
It was not a bad place, not as such. Contrary to her apprehension beforehand, the other Grisha treated her well, and had welcomed her to the Second Army as one of their own. She had a room with a tub and a soft bed, nice clothes – the traditional blue kefta coat showing that she was Inferni, which was what Fire Summoners were called –and was served food that, though simple, was tasty and wholesome.
She enjoyed her summoning lessons as well. Baghra, the old woman who was her teacher, had explained that Katya was not a witch, nor a magician. What Grisha did was science. Her specific type had an affinity for the element of fire, and therefore it served her, while others could do the same thing with air, water, metal and even human bodies.
It was a huge relief to know that she was no freak, although it would not help her getting her old life back. To the non-Grisha, her sort were witches, and nothing she could say would make them change their minds.
When she didn't practice fire summoning, Katya had Combat Class. She needed to get physically stronger and more agile in order to be a good soldier. Thus, in the evenings she was so tired she fell into a dreamless sleep almost instantly.
This way, the days had gone past in a blur, and for an onlooker all seemed well.
Only, all wasn't well. Despite having people constantly around her, Katya felt utterly alone.
The others had come here as children; they had grown up together and formed their friendships long ago. She was a stranger who had lived a life they did not understand. At meals, she was mostly silent, and if anyone spoke to her it was polite small talk.
In addition, Katya had always suppressed her powers, so using them now was a novelty. She made beginner's mistakes summoners of her age had long since grown out of. During training she was paired with Zoya, a Squaller who could control the wind, and the other won every sparring match easily. Katya felt weak and useless.
Today, at least something new would happen, and Katya looked forward to a change of routine. She had been called to her commander's office; the legendary General Kirigan, the only Shadow Summoner in the world. She had not met him before, for he never showed up at meals or during practice, and she had to admit to be slightly curious about the man. Everyone spoke of him with such awe.
The general's part of the Little Palace was much finer than Katya's. Here, the corridors had oil paintings on the walls and soft carpets on the floors, and instead of smoky lanterns there were wax candles in gilded holders.
A servant showed her into a spacious office with elegant mahogany furniture and bookcases full of serious-looking tomes.
Almost instantly her eyes were drawn to the general, who sat at a desk in the center of the room. He was a very handsome man, of an age hard to define – thirty-five perhaps, or forty? He wore a jet black kefta, showing he was a Shadow Summoner, and his neat, short hair and beard were black too, matching his outfit. Even his eyes were of such a dark shade of brown they looked black.
