Swan Song ~ Shadow & Bone

1

I couldn't believe what I was hearing when they told us.

They had found a possible Sun Summoner.

I was in the Little Palace training when I got the news, and I immediately ran to my horse, not bothering to tell anyone but Genya. I knew the General had traveled to Kribirsk earlier that day. They had developed a new skiff to attempt another crossing of the Fold. I also knew he had told me of the connection between my power and that of the Sun Summoner.

It took me hours to get to Kribirsk, and I wasted no time in tying up my horse and rushing to the General's tent. He looked up at me as I entered.

"Katya," he said. I nodded. "You got my message then." I nodded again.

"I got here as quickly as I could," I told him. "Are they here?" He shook his head.

"There were few survivors. It is thanks to her that there were any at all. She was unconscious when the skiff exited the Fold. I sent a healer to her. They should be making their way here when she wakes." I nodded.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Alina Starkov. A junior cartographer." I frowned.

"A cartographer?" He nodded. "How did the tests not find her?"

"I don't know." He smiled slyly. "But there are other children that have found ways past the tests." I sighed.

"There was no testing in Kerch, I didn't run. No one can do that."

"You'd be surprised." I was about to open my mouth to respond when Ivan ran in and told us she was on her way. The tent quickly filled with Grisha and otkazat'sya alike wanting to get even a glimpse of the supposed Sun Summoner. I silently stood next to General Kirigan as Ivan and another Heartrender brought the girl into the tent. She looked a little worse for wear, but that is to be expected after a Volcra attack.

"Bring her closer," Kirigan said. The girl hesitantly stepped closer. Barely. "Closer." She stepped forward again. "Well?" She looked up at him.

"Well, what?" she asked. "Sir."

"What are you?" She gulped.

"Alina Starkov, Assistant Cartographer, Royal Corps of Surveyors." She frowned. "They're all gone. It's my fault. That's why I'm here, isn't it?" I shook my head, holding up a hand to stop her.

"Answer the question," I told her. "What are you?" She frowned again.

"A mapmaker, miss." The Grisha around us laughed.

"Quiet," the General commanded, and the laughter immediately ceased. "So who actually saw what happened?" He glanced down at me, and I nodded, looking around the tent and spotting a face I knew was on the Skiff.

"Zoya?" I asked. She looked up at me. "You manned the main sail." She nodded.

"We were attacked barely two markers in," she told us. "Someone lit a lantern." The General nodded.

"And?"

"The volcra went after the riflemen and our Inferni first. And then there was a searing light."

"It was her," a soldier said, pointing to Alina.

"Our mapmaker," Kirigan said, smirking slightly. "Is this true? Can you summon light?" She said nothing. "Where did you grow up?"

"Keramzin." Kirigan nodded.

"And when were you tested?" She said nothing at that. "You don't remember?" Again, nothing. "Well, let us just make certain." He carefully took off his ring as he made his way to stand in front of Alina.

"Lift up your sleeve," he told her as I put out the lights in the room and he overtook it with shadow. The frightened girl looked around the tent, confused.

"What's happening?"

"Your sleeve. Please." She hesitantly obliged and rolled up her sleeve, and before long a beam of light shot to the sky. I stared at it in awe until it disappeared.

We had found the Sun Summoner.