A SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS | grishaverse

.ix.

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nine

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"You're early," Baghra mused as Nerezza entered, "You're never early."

Nerezza didn't reply, she only clasped her palms together and then pushed her hands forward.

A shockwave of darkness, so powerful that it sent Baghra stumbling, reverberated through the cave and burst forth from her, tendrils of shimmering shadow unfurled from her fingers and swept the room in an impending, coal black shadow.

Baghra smirked, "Good, now the real work beings."

...

One, Two, Three.

Turn.

Shoot.

Nerezza spun around, braid whipping behind her as she raised her bow and shot.

The arrow and knife point clanged in mid-air, the sound reverberating for a moment as the throwing knife was thrown off course and the arrow buried itself into a target.

"Bullseye."

Nerezza turned, only to see a curvy woman, with brown hair, pale blue eyes and a face full of freckles walk towards her, from her red kefta – it was clear she was a heartrender.

"You must be that shadow summoner everyone's taking about – the one who used to be a gang mercenary," she mused.

Part of Nerezza wanted to notch a new arrow immediately, demand who this woman was and defend herself.

She's not here to hurt you, Nerezza soothed herself, no more defence mode.

She could relax in the little palace, she no long had to be in fight or flight. The heartrender was probably just trying to make conversation, not attack her.

Nerezza grabbed another throwing knife, "And you are?"

"Someone who knows you're scared of me."

Nerezza threw the knife, so that it was poised to hit the heartrender. She notched another arrow, aiming and releasing it – the projectile hitting the knife and sending it to the ground, them impaling itself into a tree barely missing the girl's head.

"Impressive," the girl mused, "I'm not here to hurt you, you know."

"So, what are you here to do?" Nerezza snapped.

The girl smirked, "Tell you that Zoya's a bitch and you shouldn't listen to her."

A sigh escaped Nerezza's lips, "You saw what she did today?"

"She spilled kvas on you, so what?" The heartrender mused, "She knows that you could impale her eyes with arrows if you wanted to."

A short pause.

"How do you know I won't impale your eyes with arrows, then?"

She laughed, "I'm Nina Zenik. You?"

"Nerezza Adiram."

Nina smiled, "Look, we've exchanged introductions know – we're officially friends."

Nerezza held back a laugh, "Am I going to regret this?"

"Probably," Nina quipped, causing both girls to laugh.