A New Party Trick

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ᗯᕼEᑎ I ᗯᗩKE ᑌᑭ, the Darkling's arm is resting on my waist

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ᗯᕼE I ᗯᗩKE ᑌᑭ, the Darkling's arm is resting on my waist. His shadow-like hair is flopped partially on the pillow and his breaths are slow and gentle. He looks so calm and serene cuddled up next to me. If I didn't know him better, I would almost say he looked as innocent as a sleeping child. However, not even sleep can hide his black heart.

Being careful to not wake him up, I wiggle out from under his arm and tiptoe to the dresser. I pull out a black, glossy robe with golden suns threaded in the fabric. After I am dressed and pull open the door, I am surprised to see that no Heartrenders are guarding our door. This is most likely due to them thinking I am being watched by the Darkling. I hate that I am constantly being guarded in the palace, although I provide them good reasons to watch my every move, given I am sneaking away the first time I am not being observed.

I don't care what the consequences are; I need to find Nikolai. There are only three days until the wedding and I need to get him out before I am swept up in the marriage planning and final details. He has been kept hidden from me since the escape plan went wrong. Nikolai, Mal, and I were all supposed to make it out of the palace that day. However, two of us are prisoners of the Darkling and Mal... I cut off my thoughts as tears sting my eyes.

Nikolai has to be in the palace. The Darkling interrogated him just as he has Genya. I hope they are both okay.

I walk down to the main level of the palace, avoiding Grisha roaming around in the early morning hours. This would be considerably easier if I was invisible. An absurd thought pops into my head for a moment, however, I do not dismiss it. What if I could bend light around myself, making me invisible?It is worth a try.

After hiding behind a marble column, I outstretch my arm in front of me. I focus on the light surrounding my fingers and envision it wrapping around me. Nothing happens and I feel idiotic for believing I could. But something inside me tells me to try again. I close my eyes and feel the light that borders my hand. I imagine the border pushing back and covering my fingertips. Sure enough, when I open my eyes, the light starts to engulf me slowly. The invisibility moves to my wrist and up my arm. My other arm is concealed, followed by my head, trunk, and finally my legs.

It takes a few tries to walk without seeing my feet. I trip and stumble until I eventually get used to my full invisibility. Hesitantly, I step out of my hiding place. Two Squallers walk past me without a single glance in my direction. As I walk down a hallway, no one seems to notice my existence.

An Otkazat'sya guard carries a tray of food past me. He turns a corner and I run to catch up with him. Whoever the food is for, it is not a prominent guest. I hold back a gag as I smell the scent of the sludge. It might have been oatmeal at one point, but I do not get near it to find out.

The guard arrives at the end of the hall. He is met with a heavy, stone door. It has iron locks that he pulls out a key for. The door makes a clanking noise as it is opened. The spiral staircase ahead is steep and dark as it goes down. I really hope he is down here. As I descend the stone stairs, I try to stay close to the guard's lantern, but not too close or he will hear my footsteps. I nearly fall a couple of times from the disorienting darkness.

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