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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The heavy leather tome was dusty and made Katya's nose itch, and the squiggly letters looked like they had been formed by a blind scribe on drugs. She was on her tenth book this afternoon, and this was the dullest of them all so far; mostly containing lists of purchases and sales made by a merchant some four hundred years ago.
Stoically Katya forced herself to focus, meticulously going through every crowded page in her quest for clues about amplifiers, but not only was it boring – her work was also made harder by her edginess. Every time she heard someone enter the library she looked up with a pounding heart, thinking it could be the Apparat coming to assault her again.
So far she had thankfully not seen him, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he sought her out again. And what would she do then? She could not evade him forever.
She wished Aleksander could be with her – the priest would leave her alone then, for sure – but he was busy at the king's palace all day today, and had asked her to study on her own. After their magical night together she didn't want to disappoint him.
Sighing, she turned the page. There was nothing for it, she just had to continue. At least her nervousness made her alert, and less likely to fall asleep over the unexciting books.
Right now she was working her way through a several pages long recount of the merchant's wedding arrangements for his daughter, complete with a long list of items he had bought for the happy occasion.
Why did the man need twelve pink flamingos imported from the south? Did he serve them at the banquet, or what?
The rest of the commission was rather weird too: "...1 young Oxe, slaughtered and welle hung; 24 partridges; 5 black Swine; 12 swanes; 12 duckes; 128 Dove eggs of the fynest Quality; a conne-shaped Sugar Loaf..." Not only did the merchant have a bad taste in food, he also couldn't spell.
Wearily, Katya continued. "... and these ytems I ordered from my goode Freind and Neighbour Ivan Ivanov for the pryce I mentioned previousley. The Wedding feist will be held at the groome's Father's great Hall, and Sudar Kozlov did kindly allow Luda to move there 1 Week prior to the Wedding and make herself at Home in her new residence."
Katya frowned. Luda? Just like Aleksander's dead lover. But it was probably only a coincidence.
The next entry in the book was very short, and dated about a month later. "May 15. I wryte this in Haste, for my daughter has Eloped with a stranger. We fear it could be one of the disgusting Grisha who passed by last week. I pray to the Saints I am wronge."
Grisha... Aleksander. Katya was suddenly certain this was about his Luda. The one he claimed she herself looked just like...
Feeling icy tendrils sluggishly trickle down her spine, she read on:
"May 18. Still no news.
"May 21. Reached by a Rumor that Luda and the Grisha hide in the forest south of Tula Valley. Sudar Kozlov agreed to help.
"May 22. Sudar Kozlov kindly promised to ask his Relative the King for more Menne. I must remaine at my Shoppe.
"May 28. Horrible Rumor from Kozlov, who claimes that my Daughter, my lovely Luda is a Grisha as welle. I do NOTTE believe it."
The following passage was written in a new, a lot neater hand:
"June 30. My husband and master, Radomir Garin, passed away on June 15 from an illness of the heart, possibly caused by the tragic events following our eldest daughter's betrothal, elopement and demise. May she rest in peace. I have decided to keep the shop and run it together with my surviving children. The world is ripped apart by shadow, but as long as there is a demand for merchandise, we shall supply it. May the Saints protect us all."
Feeling numb, Katya closed the book.
Radomir Garin. That was the name of her father.
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A/N:
Look at that! How can this be possible? Any suggestions?
