INIQUITY- kaz brekker

Seven

Iris stood proudly on the balcony of the Little Palace gazing down at the clusters of people scattered like bugs across the hall floor. She spotted Alina Starkov enter and the room fell to a hush. Whispers echoed around as they studied the girl and how she walked up to him. General Kirigan.

Like a creature from your nightmares come to life, the man swept his charming gaze throughout the Little Palace, holding secrets like blades to people's necks. He had the world fooled into a senile state of belief that he would be the one to bring Ravka redemption, that he had brought a Sun Summoner to tear down the Fold.

Kirigan was an actor and Ravka was his stage.

"It's reflective glass," Kaz grumbled as he glanced at the pair who were moving into the centre of the room. "Bounce the light into that, and people won't know whether it's coming or going", he directed towards Inej who stood between the pillars next to him. He hoped he could erase any religious zeal she had with this demonstration tonight.

"Her name is Alina Starkov. And she will bring liberation to us all," Kirigan shouted he brought forth the darkness. It flew in swirling clouds, suffocating the chests of the guests. The Sun Summoner raised her hands and formed orbs of sunlight that lit a path in the gloom. She melded the two together at her chest that had been for show and sent them hurtling towards the darkness, incinerating it and ensuring Iris could breath again. 

She saw the way the pair looked at each other, as if the room was empty bar them. Tainted love.

The guests began to whisper, then murmur and then the voices changed and became louder, proclaiming miracles and wonder.

"Sankta Alina," they cried out.

"Sankta Alina"

"Sankta Alina," Inej smiled softly as she bent down slowly and clutched her heart in joy.

Iris shifted uncomfortably from her place in the balcony and grimaced when the General turned his piercing glare in her direction. Sweeping his eyes over her they narrowed before returning dotingly to Alina. Iris passed it off as him simply recollecting which guard she was. She turned to speak to Kaz but a hand landed on her shoulder, twisting her around.

~~~~

"What? What is it?" Baghra whispered angrily as Manya and Luna stormed in worriedly.

"Someone has found it", Manya gasped.

"That's impossible. Who says so?"

"A tracker from Chernast. With another soldier"

"Bring him to me", Baghra croaked in a horrified tone.

"He's already been taken to see the general. Apparently, he'd issued the order to find the Stag"

"We cannot let him obtain that kind of power"

"Another thing. She's here", Luna shivered.

"What do we do?"

"Listen to me... carefully", Baghra spoke in a hushed tone.

~~~~

"You are needed in the grounds soldier", a female voice spoke to Iris as she steered the girl from the room. She inched away from the soldiers grasp, gasping at the unfamiliar contact. Iris glanced back in fear at Kaz who simply turned away to speak to Inej.

The woman steered Iris from the hall and brought her outside to a boy who seemed completely out of place in the regality of the grounds. He was dirt-ridden and walked with a slight limp as if he had been through a hundred wars and survived with shell shock.