Her Balance | Nikolai x Reader x Darkling

~ Chapter 12 ~

Hi!!

Let's get into it.

First Person - Y/n

I woke up the next to the sound of angry voices. For a moment, I had no idea where I was. The darkness was near perfect, broken only by a thin crack of light from beneath the door.

Then reality returned. I sat up and sent little specs of light out, although it just illuminated the dark furniture. 

"Would it have killed him to have something remotely hospitable looking," I mumbled to myself as I got off the bed. 

Nikolai had offered his room, but considering we had decided to take it extremely slow, I didn't want to rush into it. 

Although, I might just. 

The argument outside my door grew louder. I thought I recognized Sergei's voice and Tolya's angry rumble. I quickly grabbed a simple dressing gown that was laid on the bed and walked out to the common room.

I almost ran right into the twins. Tolya and Tamar were standing shoulder to shoulder, blocking a group of angry Grisha from entering my chamber. Tolya's arms were crossed, and Tamar was shaking her head as Sergei and Fedyor loudly made their case. 

I was distressed to see Zoya beside them, accompanied by the dark-skinned Inferni who had challenged me the previous day. Everyone seemed to be talking at once.

"What's going on?" I asked.

As soon as Sergei saw me, he strode forward, clutching a piece of paper in his hand. Tamar moved to block him, but I waved her off.

"It's all right," I said. "What's the problem?" 

But I thought I already knew. I recognized my own writing and the remnants of the gold sunburst seal that Nikolai had provided for me on the paper Sergei was now shaking in my face.

"This is unacceptable," Sergei huffed.

I'd sent out word the previous night, after Nikolai and I had left the chamber, that I would be convening a war council.

Each Grisha Order was to elect two representatives to attend. I was pleased to see they'd chosen Fedyor as well as Sergei, though some of my happiness wore off when the older Grisha chimed in.

"He's right," said Fedyor. "The Corporalki are the Grisha's first line of defense. We're the most experienced in military affairs and should be more fairly represented."

"We're just as valuable to the war effort," declared Zoya, her color high. I'd suspected she would be chosen to represent the Etherealki, but I certainly wasn't happy about it. 

"If there are going to be three Corporalki on the council," she said, "then there should be three Summoners, too."

Everyone started shouting again. I noted that the Materialki hadn't shown up to complain. As the lowest Grisha Order, they were probably just glad to be included, or possibly they were too caught up in their work to be bothered.

I still wasn't quite awake. I wanted my breakfast, not an argument. But I knew this had to be addressed. I intended to do things differently—and they might as well know just how differently or this effort would fall apart before it even began.

I held up my hand and they quieted instantly. Clearly, I had that trick down. Maybe they were afraid I was going to ruin another ceiling. 

"There will be two Grisha from each Order," I stated. "No more, no less."

"But—" began Sergei.

"No. The Darkling has changed. If we have any hope of beating him, we need to change, too. Two Grisha from each Order," I repeated. "And the Orders will no longer sit separately. You'll sit together, eat together, and fight together."