Chapter 1: Secrets have a way of coming out
When I was young, I lived with my parents and they were always teaching me how to use my small science. I was taught a lot, my mother pushed me to my limits but there was always struggle. My father would teach me what he could of light, being what I am, one of a kind. We were Grisha but there was always the time of the year we feared once I reached a certain age. My parents would take me and leave our home going to the neighbors or taking me to my grandmother's place. During these times they put a pencil in my hand and had me sketch in the meantime.
"You are doing well, Amira." My father said as he watched me, "I know someday when you are older you will make someone very happy." He seemed to say this but his face said otherwise as I went back to sketching. When I wasn't sketching I was running around playing with a group of kids my age. I never thought of them differently than myself but I knew the truth, I was Grisha and they were not. Nicolas Stark, Nico as I called him, came with a flower as he put it in my hair. "Butterfly Iris, a very rare flower for a very rare girl." Nico said with a smile as I laughed a bit and when it was just us we walked. "You've avoided testers, they might find it suspicious." Nico said as I shrugged. "Father says it's dangerous for me to be tested so we run, have you been tested?" I asked him as he shook his head. "Around the time they came, I was injured but they kind of forgot about me." Nico said as he got in front of me "This may sound crazy but why don't we run away?"
I laughed at him as if he was joking but his expression said he was dead serious. "You're serious? We can't! We are just children, we'll get caught by testers." I said as he sighed knowing I was right. Then he took my hand as he looked at me "I will protect you Amira, I'll become strong enough you won't have to rely on your Grisha power but you must use it to keep yourself healthy." Nico said as I nodded.
Time went by since that day and we both were old enough to join the first army, since my father insisted I was sketching. I became a map maker and came in a year after Nico as I walked. Everything was fine as I made my way to my group and we all started working, it was peaceful. I couldn't help admiring Nico since that day, he'd kept to his promise on protecting me. I went for a walk as I was trying to make sense of this when I heard him. "Amira!" Nico said as I looked seeing him and smiled as he made his way down to me and put his arm around me showing me around. "Hey Nico, ah I see you found your little friend from back home." The boy said
"Little friend?" I said as he looked at me "What do you say about me?" I asked as he laughed but the two men in front of us laughed. "He's always talking about you, Amira." The other boy said as they went past us and we kept walking. Seeing the Grisha training, my smile faded knowing I was one of them disguised in first army clothing. As we walked I was fine until I felt a tingling on my wrist and I moved it down seeing initials showing AM. "AM? What is that? Do you know who has those initials?" Nico said as I did, or I had a few thoughts. "My betrothed, I was promised to a Shadow Summoner." I whispered to Nico
We were called for a meeting where people were going to be put on the skiff. Nico kept me close to him as I put my sleeve down and names were chosen. It was fine until Nico's name Nicolas Stark was chosen as I looked at him. "You said you were with my group." I whispered, "It's probably an error." Nico said as we were dismissed. I used the time to go back to my tent using some of my makeup to cover the initials before going to dinner.
If Nico goes, he'll be lost or killed. I thought
We ate in silence as I planned before we were walking later. "Tell them you're sick." I said, "I'm not that sick." Nico said, "I could shoot you in the foot." I said as he laughed. "I like my feet thank you." Nico said as he was certain. I knew how to do this though as I snuck in the captain's quarters and threw some gas in using light to light it on fire as I smiled before sneaking out. I had to wait before they found it and when they did I was there. "I could go, put me on the skiff." I said
I'll fight the Volcra too..I won't lose my only friend. I thought
What backfired on me was he put my unit on the crew, which was bad enough as I went to sleep. I knew that AM whoever he was, he was close and I couldn't shake it. Little did I know he was looking at his own wrist at my initials AS. When morning came and we were boarding the skiff I walked up behind him and he grabbed my wrist.
"What are you doing here?" Nico said, "We were assigned with you." I said calmly as he smudged the makeup I had on my wrist. "Tell them you're sick." Nico said as I glared at him. "And risk being caught by him? No, I'm never that sick." I said as I tried to go past him "I could shoot you in the foot." Nico told me as I smiled knowing I'd said the same thing last night. "I quite like my feet, thank you. Besides, if we meet any Volcra, I'll protect you." I assured him as I went to walk away but he pulled me back. "That is my job assigned by your parents to protect you." Nico said as the skiff door was closed. We were both going in and no one could change that as he let me go.
An inferni was telling the rules as it soon started to go in, I noticed some people as I watched their item go flying as I looked back. I noticed him, in the distance..The black general as they called him. I wondered why a man who was confident his skiff would make it through wasn't on it.
You're not on it...because you know they'll come for you, don't you? I thought
"Amira." Nico said as I looked at the fold, it was my enemy, the shadows made by the man who was my betrothed. My father had told me the heretic survived as Baghra was still alive. His lie was being a descendant but the truth was..there were no descendants of the black heretic. He never had kids because he was waiting for his sun summoner bride to appear as I kept my guard up.
my parents would kill me for doing this. I thought
I looked around seeing it was dark, it really was shadows as father said but Nico looked at me and I ducked down. I knew going in here was dangerous but I wasn't going to let Nico go alone, not when we'd been through everything these past years. I was a bit scared to say the least hearing their screeches. Sun only if need be. I thought just as the blue light went out and then I saw one of my unit light a flame.
Damn it! I thought
Watching as the Volcra were taking people, I got worried about what to do. One of the men in my group decided to jump off the skiff after we were told not to. "Don't do it!" I said but he jumped anyway but before I could think I heard Nico scream and looked up. "Nico!" I yelled, very angry as I put my hands together knowing what this would mean hitting it with light as it screeched off and flew away. I ran over to take his hand as I looked at him. "Nico, you big idiot...I knew we shouldn't have come on this skiff." I said as he held my hand, "I'm to protect you, Amira...Dual Summoner." Nico said as I felt tears in my eyes as I looked at him they were falling down my face as I smiled. Before I could say anything I felt one of the Volcra grab me but kept hold of his hand with both of mine as I felt him put his other on mine. "Tell my parents, I'm sorry." I said to Nico as he had this serious look on his face but then I felt it, my Grisha power surge out of me as Tidemaker and Sun Summoner combined together to send all the Volcra away before we collapsed on deck.
I fought to stay awake as I saw the Squaller looking above us before Nico was taken away. "Healer!" She yelled, the healer came over and healed what broke when I landed as I gasped my eyes fully awake as the Squaller put a hand on her head. "Bring her to the General's tent." She said as the Healer looked at her "But I'm not done yet." She told her as the Squaller looked at her "You can go with her."
Shit. I thought
Two of the first army dragged me to the Black General's tent, his tent. When we entered I knew this hide and seek game I'd started was over. "Bring her closer." He said as they pushed me closer as I stood there. I tried keeping my one arm close to me as I knew this was it, as he turned around. "Closer." He said as I stepped closer knowing the question. "Well. I didn't expect a girl." He said as I knew who he was, who he truly was but I played along. "I'm sorry, sir?" I said as he looked at me, seeing my wrist tight to my side. "What are you?" He asked as I wasn't willing to give my name yet. "Assistant Cartographer." I said
He was not buying it, I could tell as he sat down "Your name, girl?" He said as I was weary of him. "Amira Silina." I answered knowing I had no choice at this moment. "Now answer the question, what are you?" He said as I knew I was running out of comebacks and I saw him look at my wrist. "Perhaps, the answer I seek is here." He said as he walked over and took my arm. Flipping where my wrist would be up for him to see he moved it seeing makeup smudged. "You were concealing something." He said as he ever so carefully wiped it off revealing the AM. I knew it was up now as he looked at me. "You're a Su-'' Before he said it I glared at him with a bit of spite "Dual Summoner, General Kirigan." I said as everyone gasped. "And you were tested...when?" General Kirigan asked as I had no answer..I never was tested.
"Perhaps we should double check." General Kirigan said as I tried to get free. "I don't need to, I know what I am. Is this how you treat someone who is your betrothed?" I said, catching his attention as he stopped looking at everyone else. "Leave us." He commanded as they all left and he let go of my arm. I had to wait till we were alone and the tent was closed as he sat back. "So, my sun summoner bride has finally been found." He said as he thought about it. "Four hundred years and I've been waiting for this day."
I was not the one he was hoping for, on the contrary I was half of what he hoped for. "Dual Summoner, so you're Sun Summoner and something else?" General Kirigan said, as I went to try to leave but that wasn't an option. "Sun Summoner and what else?" He asked as I looked back "Tidemaker." I said
His surprised expression was enough to bring me amusement "Your parents?" General Kirigan asked as I glared a bit. "Amara Cortez and Alejandro Silina." I said as I looked at the door. "I need to see the tracker, he was put in charge of my protection by my parents." I figured he would not let me but he instead escorted me out there where Nico was as I ran and hugged Nico when I saw him. "Are you ok?" Nico asked as I nod but knew this was the last time I would see him. Nico put something in my hair as I touched it knowing the feel of the butterfly Iris. "Butterfly Iris." I said as I looked at him.
"Amira, we must go." General Kirigan said as I looked back at him knowing there wasn't going to be any chances. "I won't...I refuse to be in the 2nd army." I said, "I'll go home but Nico goes with me." I thought I had ways to get around as General Kirigan grabbed me, pulling me away from Nico. "You're too important, people will try to hunt you down and track your family if you go home." General Kirigan said as I tried to reach for Nico. "Nico!" I said as he led me away from Nico.
I'm losing everything I grew up to care about because of him. I thought
Second army, my mom told me stories of her time there and there was only one good thing I could see about it. Meeting her teacher Baghra other than that I had no use for the little palace. I knew the risk the moment I'd gone into the fold but Nico's life was worth any cost. Nico reached for me but his hand didn't get hold of mine before I was too far from him.
I had no choice but to look where we were going as I saw two Grisha in red keftas standing by his carriage. "What is this girl, General?" One of them asked, "An extremely rare Grisha, her family is Grisha and she is my betrothed bride of many years but her family did not announce her birth." General Kirigan said, surprising those men. "Your betrothed, sir?" Feydor asked as General Kirigan looked at me to stay silent but then looked at his men. "The black heretic's mother entered into a blood pact agreement, she's the other half of the blood pact agreement." General Kirigan said as he thought about it and asked one of his Grisha to give me one of their Keftas as one did.
He made me put it on as I sighed a bit knowing I had no choice, it was red like theirs. "Don't get used to it, you're meant to be in blue or black if I so choose it." General Kirigan said as I looked at him, "you sure I can't just go home?" I asked as I knew there was still that option. My family was trained to fight as he chuckled at my words. "You really don't like fighting," He said as I rolled my eyes. "I kept a pencil in my hand so I never would have a rifle put in it."
He turned me around and pushed me forward as I looked at his heartrender. "Get in." Ivan said as I stood my ground. "No." I said as I knew getting in was putting my secret at risk. "You don't have to do this." "Amira, get in the carriage. I won't be far behind, I'll let your family know you'll be having shelter at the little palace." General Kirigan said as I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I knew the moment I went in there was no going back as I tried to escape them but he grabbed me around my waist as I fought back. "Nico!" I yelled as he wasn't letting go. "I won't leave my friend!" "Your place is by my side, not here in the first army." General Kirigan said as I knew that wasn't his name but he placed me in the carriage as I pouted and glared at him. "I promise you're safe with my trusted heartrenders." He told me before they got in and the door was closed. I looked through the window in the back seeing Nico running after the carriage. "Nico..Nico.." I said as I knew that I'd actually hoped for something else...something maybe more with my closest friend instead of this.
You knew and protected me the best you could...I'll find my way back. I thought as he started to fade out of view and I had no choice but to sit and cover my eyes.