Child of Legend - Volume 2

Chapter Eight

Mikhail was starting to annoy me.

He was the perfect soldier, punctual, experienced, disciplined, loyal and polished to a tee, all perfectly good traits that would impress anyone lucky enough to be guarded by him.

Not me, I couldn't stand it.

On the the walk back from the Grand Palace he walked behind me just so, a respectful distance but enough to catch me if I bolted, outside my dorm he stood straight as a plank, scaring a tired Andrei and causing all toilets in the vicinity to explode.

No one was invincible, he had to sleep at some point, had to have a break, my father is most things but cruel to his staff is never one. Another thing about Ser.Perfect, he knew everything I tried before I did it, one of the many disadvantages in him being closer to my age. He knew every sneaky exit, every hideout, my father was probably overjoyed.

Slowly more Grisha were starting to be discovered, the dorm becoming more energetic and lived in. And although I had to start to share my sleeping area, not much as most being found were younger, I enjoyed it, I would always be different from my peers but having the small luxury of fitting in even a small bit warmed me from head to toe.

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"You're late."

"Thank you for that keen observation Mikhail, however, I will be the one bearing the punishment for that, not you."

Mikhail rolled his eyes but said nothing, just followed me as I made my way through the halls towards my fathers study. He was meant to be training me today at the advisement of one of the instructors after I had burnt myself, unable to dismiss my light.

I turned another corner and came face to face with the double doors that led to his study, dark oak with an eclipse carved onto each one. Two Oprichniki stood to attention outside as I came into view. They opened the doors for me as I entered and Mikhail joined them standing by a wall.

"You're late," my father grumbled, not looking up from where he was sat in an armchair.

I jumped onto the couch next to him, "I was preoccupied," I said as way of apology.

He breathed deeply as he stared intensely at my shoes on one of the cushions and I slowly removed them sitting more upright. He held out both his hands, "Show me."

Hesitantly I unwrapped the bandages covering my hands and offered them to him. They were an angry red colour with parts of my flesh singed and raw looking, it felt hot to the touch and sensitive. He carefully turned them this way and that, inspecting the damage.

"How?" He asked.

"You already know how."

"No, how did you let it get this bad before coming to me, before you had to come to me."

I didn't answer, mostly because I didn't have an answer. It had been like this since the church, I didn't know why, didn't particularly care either. But now, now it was worse, now I was getting hurt because I couldn't control myself, how long till others were hurt too.

He didn't press me for an answer, "The Healers didn't fix it?"

"They said it needed time, that they had healed the main areas so I wouldn't be in as much pain but they didn't think going further at that time was a good idea, something about not wanting to rush the process."

He nodded his agreement, and dropped my hands, "Have you tried to summon since?" I shook my head, in all honesty I was slightly scared to try, "Go on," he prompted.

I tentatively touch my hands together and a small whisp of shadow appeared, there and gone.

My father sat back into the tall armchair, "I see the problem," he told me, "Your scared, why?."

"And you can tell that from a sliver of shadow? I didn't know we had a suli fortune teller in the family."

He ignored my comment, "The day this happened, what were you doing?"

"It doesn't matter," I tried to tell him.

"Rena."

My eyes went downcast, "I had tried to make contact with mother, it didn't work."

He sighed, "She's weak right now, coming to the throne room that day, I could see how much it drained her, she has no energy to spare for a new entity to just appear," he told me, "But that's not the only thing you tried, is it?"

"I tried to visit Baghra," I admitted, then hopeful, "And I almost did it aswell, I had that floating feeing but instead of sailing I just sank."

He scoffed and sat back in his chair, staring into the fire, "That old hag will do nothing but plant lies in your head."

"That so called old hag," I retaliated, "Is your mother."

He didn't respond but his face hardened as he continued to look into the fire as if it would solve everything.

"You never answered my question," he said eventually turning back to me, "Why are you scared of your power?"

"I'm not-"

"Oh stop lying, it is beneath you."

"Maybe because I saw what it does to people," I bit out, "To you, to her. I didn't notice till later but I know you did, I don't think that the colour of her hair was the only thing that it took from her."

He leaned towards me taking one of my hands in his own, I tried to ignore the slight sting, "That was different."

"How?"

"She was using merzots when she was incredibly underprepared to, it took me centuries to do so safely and even that went wrong," he took a deep breath, "It was incredibly stupid of her to put herself at risk like that. It's a miracle she survived."

It was quiet for a while as we both just sat there, the only sound the crackle of the fire. "Do you have any idea of her whereabouts?" I asked him.

"No."

"Truthfully?"

"I swear to you Rena."