the shadow and bone

chapter 9

IT WAS A COMPLETE DISASTER. When Baghra fastened her bony hand

around my wrist, I realized instantly that she was an amplifier like the

Darkling. I felt the same jolting surety flood through me, and sunlight

erupted through the room, shimmering over the stone walls of Baghra's hut.

But when she released me and told me to call the power on my own, I was

hopeless. She chided me, cajoled me, even hit me once with her stick.

"What am I supposed to do with a girl who can't call her own power?"

she growled at me. "Even children can do this."

She slid her hand around my wrist again, and I felt that thing inside me

rising up, struggling to break the surface. I reached for it, grasping, sure I

could feel it. Then she let go, and the power slipped away from me, sinking

like a stone. Finally, she shooed me away with a disgusted wave of her

hand.

The day did not improve. I spent the rest of the morning at the library,

where I was given a towering stack of books on Grisha theory and Grisha

history and informed that this was just a fraction of my reading list. At

lunch, I looked for Genya, but she was nowhere to be found. I sat down at

the Summoners' table and was quickly swarmed by Etherealki.

I picked at my plate as Marie and Nadia prodded me with questions about

my first lesson, where my room was, if I wanted to go with them to the

banya that night. When they realized they weren't going to get much out of

me, they turned to the other Summoners to chat about their classes. While I

suffered with Baghra, the other Grisha were studying advanced theory,

languages, military strategy. Apparently, this was all to prepare for when

they left the Little Palace next summer. Most of them would travel to the

Fold or to the northern or southern front to assume command positions in

the Second Army. But the greatest honor was to be asked to travel with the

Darkling as Ivan did.

I did my best to pay attention, but my mind kept wandering back to my

disastrous lesson with Baghra. At some point I realized that Marie must

have asked me a question, because she and Nadia were both staring at me.

"Sorry, what?" I said.

They exchanged a glance.

"Do you want to walk with us to the stables?" Marie asked. "For combat

training?"

Combat training? I looked down at the little schedule Genya had left with

me. Listed after lunch were the words "Combat Training, Botkin, West

Stables." So this day was actually going to get worse.

"Sure," I said numbly, and stood up with them. The servants sprang

forward to pull our chairs out and clear the dishes. I doubted I'd ever get