Heretics

Chapter 16: Combat

     The next few days went by without incident. I trained in shadows with Aleksander. Still unable to find him within them. I trained with Alina in the sun summoning.

      I had a new kefta made. This time it was black with white detailing. Much more subtle. I actually was inclined to like this one much more than my other one. The one that was destroyed.

     I shook my head putting my hands back up to block my face. I was training with Boktin today. If I was not on my guard I would get hit and I did not fancy a trip to the healers today. I cracked my neck and went again.

      I felt something hard smack my wrist and looked over in that direction. "Fix you're stance." Boktin corrected me. My wrist stung but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

     I fixed my stance. Letting my right foot slide a little closer to my left but still shoulder with apart. I held my hands in front of my face. They were balled into fists. He walked to stand in front of my. He shook his head at my thumbs and fixed them. "You'll break them." He explained as he stepped back.

      I saw a flash of black in the side of my vision. I ignored it and continued to watch and listen to Boktin. "Leave us." Aleksander's deep voice caught my attention. I pretended I didn't hear him and threw my punch.

     Aleksander caught my fist in his palm. His almost black looking eyes looking into my own. "You're in my way." I stated. I hadn't really seen much of Aleksander unless we were training.

     "I hadn't noticed." He dropped my hand and it fell to my side with a thump against my kefta. I had been favoring my left leg more recently. He took notice. "You missed our lesson today. How's your hip?"

I caught his eyes as he glanced down to my hip. I didn't have my kefta on at this moment. I usually didn't wear it while I trained. It was much to hot to wear it while I trained. I noticed Boktin was no longer anywhere in sight. I mentally cursed him. I had avoided Aleksander at all costs this morning after a nightmare I had the evening before.

"It's fine." I brought my hand back up and put it into its defensive position. I let a few more punch fly and cried out in pain when he grabbed my hip pulling me closer to him.

"Try again." His voice was harsh against my ear and I hit back a sob. I had told no one about using the cut on myself. Not even Zoya or Alina. He knew something was wrong. He pulled his hand away from my hip. His fingers were a crimson color.

"They're fine." I managed to say through gritted teeth. I hadn't took to ice of his hand just yet and he grabbed my arm pulling me harshly into one of the huts were younger grisha trained in their abilities.

"No it's not." He held his hand in front of my face and I sighed. He was going to drag me to the healers. I hated the healers. I hated how getting healed felt. It was wrong so, unbelievably wrong. "Show me."

I scoffed at him. This was way I was avoiding him. My hip was aching this morning and I wasn't in the mood to have this conversation with him. "You are not my keeper, soverenyi." A dark look passed over his features as the rom was shrouded in dark shadows.

"Miyala." He walked closer to me and gently grabbed my left wrist. A light enveloped the room. It was just enough for the two of us to see one another fully. He put a finger through one of the belt loops on my pants.

"General." I warned. I knew my place, even if Alina didn't. My place was below Kirigan. He was my superior no matter if I wanted him to be more. I knew something that would get him to stop. "Have you spoken to your Madraya?"

The question caught him off guard. He dropped my hand and growled as the shadows receded. His face was full of anger. "How do you know?"

"I figured it out. Shadow summoners are rare. Only two unrelated people from different families were ever recorded having this ability. I saw a photo of you and her. I guessed and I was correct. Thank you for giving me that information." I bowed and went to leave the hut.

"You've been using the cut on yourself haven't you?" I paused in the door way. It was more of a statement than a question. I scoffed and kept walking. I heard him sigh as I made my way down to the little lake that ran through the little palace grounds.

I saw Zoya standing on the dock and walked over to her. I put my hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" I giggled and she hummed.

"Genya?"

"Ew. No she doesn't like you."

"She doesn't like you much more Yelly." I took my hands off of her eyes at my nickname. Zoya's kefta lay forgotten behind her on the dock. Something was obviously on her mind. I sighed and sat on the edge. The tips of my shoes barley touching the water.

"What is wrong Z?" I asked as she sat next to me crossing her legs and folding her hands on her lap.

"Do you ever feel like you're fighting for the wring side?" Her question was something that played on my mind more than she knew. I grabbed her hand and we laid back watching the clouds in the sky. "I just," She sighed. "Something feels off around here anymore."

"I know what you mean. I think about it. I thought about it when I was apart of the First Army, when I was at the orphanage. I love Alina, I do. But something about constantly fighting her fight doesn't feel right to me."

She turned her head to look at me and she smiled. A genuine smile I only got every once and a while. A real Zoya smile was definitely more rare than a sun summoner. I smiled back and it quickly faded as thoughts of Alina drifted into my head.

"What's wrong?" Zoya's voice broke me from my thoughts and i looked over at her again.

"Alina and I have a sort of connection. I can feel when she is in trouble or pain. Is that normal?" She looked confused for a moment before answering.

"A connection like that is usually found in twins or triplets. Its incredibly rare though. Polina and her twin have that connection. I've never heard it between cousins though." Her answer just gave me more questions and I sighed. "Wanna go lay down?"

I nodded and she helped me up and put her kefta around me. I was a little cold after a breeze had made itself known. I should have worn my kefta this morning. I looped my arm through hers as we made our way back to my room in the little palace.