Sound Your Name (Oh, My Darling)

5. Power & Passion

~~~

The sly tried to become her friends offering her overzealous compliments that even back when she was young and new to the politics of the Little Palace she knew they weren’t what they seemed. She grew in power and gained admiration and jealousy from many. She excelled quickly in her studies, soaking in the knowledge like a sponge; taking in as much as she could not knowing what could be relevant later on. 

She trained alongside Botkin and became one of his star pupils until she asked for additional training that only a mercenary would know. When he heard her reason of wishing to protect her own, he acquiesced after getting the General’s permission. 

By the time she was fifteen she had encountered the drüskelle three times, surviving each attempt on Grisha lives and saving many others. She became well known as a force to be reckoned with. When she was eighteen and she had her second successful Fold crossing, she was called into the General’s war room. 

She stood at attention before his war table as he finished perusing his current maps awaiting for the time he acknowledged her. 

“Ah yes, Miss Nazyalensky I expect you have some idea why I called you here today.” 

His gaze was steadfast and inquiring, his trademark almost smile upon his lips. Zoya always felt as if it was a test, while others could only think it handsome. 

“I do not, moi soverenyi.” 

Zoya stood straighter and kept her gaze straight ahead, hands clasped behind her back. 

He tilted his head to the side and hummed slightly under his breath, “You have made incredible progress despite coming to the Little Palace later than the other children. You’ve far exceeded the required training and asked for more.” There was that smile again, this time his eyes searched her own as if looking for something specific. “For one so young you have survived the drüskelle and the Fold far more than some seasoned Grisha have in the past. I believe its time that you receive your own amplifier.” 

Zoya had to nearly bite through her tongue to stop the shout that threatened to burst from her throat, even then she was sure she wasn’t able to school her emotions quite as well as she might have hoped. The Darkling’s eyes flickered with a discerning emotion before fading quickly away. 

“I appreciate the honor, moi soverenyi. However, I wish to continue growing stronger by my own power.”

~~~

Then one night she had a dream of her soulmate getting notification that he was being sent into the Fold on the new Ultralight. 

The next day she asked her fellow Squaller for a friendly spar before his trip to Kirbirsk, all it took was a scathing comment and his male pride couldn’t stop him from the stupid decision. When he was thoroughly beaten to a pulp, in their ‘light spar’ she offered herself to take his place on the Ultralight. 

Botkin was suspicious of course, taking her to the side, “What was that?”

“I hate self-righteous idiots.” 

He let out a long sigh before putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Make it out alive.” 

Zoya grinned, “I plan on it.” 

~~~

The closer to Kirbirsk she got, the warmer she felt.