To The Bone / Nikolai Lantsov

003 / shadows

To say the sun summoner looked weak would be an understatement of the century— Alina Starkov was a feeble little Shu girl, no more than six and ten, with pale and sickly-looking skin and, a skinny figure ( Roshan would even say she looked as if she hadn't properly eaten in years. . . ) and dull, black hair. How she ended up in the Army was the biggest question of the day. She did not look like a soldier. Roshan feared that the Shu may fall apart the moment she would be given something heavy to carry, and that said more than anything about the sun summoner.

But the heartrender wasn't surprised. If what the Darkling said about her was true, then she had never used her powers before the Fold happened, and it was always said that the grisha who did not use their abilities were frail and could even die because of the suppressed energy they held inside of their bodies. Roshan was sure that once Alina would start her training, she would look a thousand times better and befitting the title of the sun summoner. But now, she was just a tiny girl lost in the big world and its grand plans. Soon to be lost in the power play the Darkling has participated in since the day he lost his heart— if he ever had one.

Zoya snickered somewhere behind Roshan. "This is the girl who is supposed to destroy the Fold?"

The heartrender heard people joining Zoya's giggles as they considered the Shu. She saw the disappointment slowly making its way on the once excited faces of other grishas. Even Darkling's most sugar-coated words could not stop them from the uncertainty they all felt at the sight of Alina. They did not believe she could as much as summon a small streak of light, and the Darkling wanted her to tear down the Unsea?

"Silence," Their general demanded. "As you all well know, a grisha who has not used their power is not in shape of doing great things, but once Alina starts her training, she will get better and healthier. But now we have to focus on a more important matter— a week has passed since we found out about her, and I can assure you that we are not the only ones who know about her powers now. We have to get her to safety as soon as we can, as she is our only hope of making Ravka, our beloved country, whole again. That is why you are here, and I expect nothing less than protecting her with your own life if it comes to it. Alina Starkov is our future."

Something gleamed in the Dakling's eyes, and Roshan could not stop the feeling of unease that settled deep inside her bones. She did not doubt that Alina was his only hope, but she was also sure that he had entirely different plans for her than he was making them think he had. It was written in the way he contemplated her— the way his grey eyes gleamed with a fire only Alina was able to light up, with her mere presence.

. . .

The Darkling requested her presence sometime after he gave them instructions on how they were to proceed on their journey back to Os Alta. She hadn't seen him for a few weeks— they argued before he left the Little Palace to survey the crossings of the Fold. It was nothing new. It was simply how things always were between them— she picked trivial fights with him, and he obliged her. Their arguments were always about insignificant matters, which didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but she still felt the burning need to pick up on them. He always let her simmer in her anger. After that, he made sure not to approach her for a while, only sending her amused looks whenever they passed each other. Then, when he knew that her heart wasn't really in the fight anymore, each time he said—

"Done with your sulking, Roshan?" with that annoying quirk on his lips, his grey eyes twinkling with understanding. As if she were a rebellious child and as if he knew she didn't truly mean anything she said in the heat of their disagreements.