Her

Kaida woke up with the first rays of sun, it was early, really early, and it was the perfect hour to get out of there.

She walked to the closet and took almost the same things of yesterday except for the shirt that was navy. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw her front shoulder with the birthmark she had always had, with a strange figure. It was an unclosed triangle with two circles in the middle and the smaller one crossed out and three dots between each line of the unfinished triangle. She didn't understand why, but she didn't even care very much. She tied her hair in a ponytail and turned around to face the window. She was determined to leave the Little Palace. Quickly, she opened the window and without thinking, she started climbing. When she was already at the edge of the window she jumped to the grass and rolled a little bit so she wouldn't hurt herself. She stood up quickly and looked to the sides to check that no one was there she started to run in the direction of the woods. She was running as fast as she could when a voice behind her caught her attention.

"Hey, come back! Someone take her!" a guard shouted in the window of the room she was seconds before. Another voice, now on her left, caught her attention. It was a boy running after a black horse, it was beautiful.

Kaida saw that the guards were already running after her so she decided to run towards the horse.

"Hey, beautiful" she said standing in front of the horse and raising her hand calmly so that the horse would not be frightened "It seems that you also want to get out of here" she said touching the horse's head calmly "What if we help each other?" The horse didn't move so she walked slowly to the side of the horse and held on to its neck carefully, checking that it was not frightened, and when she saw that the horse gave her permission, she climbed on to it and she give a big smile "Good boy" she said touching her neck with love. The horse whinnied in annoyance and lowered its head while lightly tapping the ground with its foot "Sorry, girl" she said with a smile.

"Stop, stop. Someone stop her!" the guards shouted getting closer to her.

"Okay, it's time to go" Kaida took the horse's mane between her fingers for support and gently tapped the horse's feet to get it to start riding. She took the ponytail of her hair letting the wind hit her in the face and threw her hair backwards. She looked back to see the guards in the distance running after her, making her smile shyly, but when she turned her head to the front another human figure in a black horse made her stop abruptly, it was the General who was standing in a black horse in front of her. Her smile disappeared "Crap"

"I'm just going to tell you ones, get off of that horse" he said with a serious voice. Kaida looked at him defiantly, without any intention of getting off of the horse. The General, noticing that, decided to use his small science and all around them started to get darker. Like the other time, she wasn't scared, but the horse started to move with fear.

"Shh, shh, It's okay" she told the horse trying to calm it down "Stopped, you are scaring her" she said madly. The General just looked at her and the shadows started to get closer to her making the horse more anxious. Kaida, noticing that the General wasn't going to stop and she didn't want to make the horse scared she decided to do what she was asked for "Okay, okay, I'll do it, but stop, you are scaring her" she said getting off of the horse "Happy?" she said when she was already down.

"General Kirigan" one of the Guards said when all of them stopped running "She-she, we-" he said trying to recover his breath making Kaida roll her eyes.

"Take Miss Deveraux to the war room at the Little Palace, and make sure she doesn't escape. I'll order to put two guards on her window until I think of something to put on the windows" he said with a monotone voice.

"Yes sir" the guard said. Two guards took Kaida's arms, each one of them and scolded her to the war room while the General went to the stable to leave his horse and the one that Kaida took.

✴✴✴

Kaida was waiting alone in what General Kirigan called the war room with two guards in the door making sure she didn't escape.

She was sitting in one of the chairs that were around the dark wood table playing with her hair bored.

"Good morning Miss Deveraux" the General spoked entering the room.

"Stop" she said, annoyed.

"Stop what?" the General confused walking towards her.

"Stop calling me Miss Deveraux, my name is Kaida" she said looking at him with exasperation.

"Okay, then, Kaida" he said taking a sit in front of her "I want to know"

"Know what?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"All about you" he answered.

"Well, then ask, I'm not scared of telling you my past"she said with confidence.

"Well, then, tell me where you were tested" he said, looking at her.

"I wasn't tested" she answered simply. The General looked at her curiously.

"Tell me your story Kaida" the General said, interlocking his hands on the table.

"My story is quite long and complicated" Kaida said with a smirk.

"Well, the sooner you start the sooner you'll finish" the General Kirigan said, accommodating on the chair. Kaida let out a heavy sigh and looked to the General for a few seconds. Noticing that he wouldn't let her go until she told him everything she looked away and sighed again.

"Okay, well. My parents died when I was little and since then I've been living on the streets" she said.

"What happened with those guys, the ones that we found in the back part of a bar?"he asked gently. Kaida faces change to seriousness.

"I met a boy long ago, we became best friends, like brothers. He used to bring me blankets in winter, food, water... The day of the incident, I was with him. We were just having fun and a group of 4 drunk men started to annoy us, especially me. He tried to defend me when one of them tried to touch me, making the man angry and punching him. The other three started to punch him too, I screamed at them, asking them to stop, but they didn't. The anger ran through all my body and I lost control, the men and women around me started to scream in terror. I didn't know how to make it stop. Scared, I took my friend from the floor and started to run. After the accident I got into a ship with a crew of really noblemen and I spent two years with them. When I was back to Ravka I searched for my friend and spent a month with him until those men you rescued me from yesterday kidnaped me. You don't know what horrible things they did to me. Someday the only thing I wanted to do was die but I didn't let myself give up and you know the rest" when she ended her story she took a deep breath holding her tears.

"I'm sorry to hear that. That's the reason why I built these places, to protect all the Grisha from that" Kirigan said and she nodded with sarcasm "When did you meet this boy?"

"When I was 12, but before him I met another boy. I was 9 and I got lost in the woods, by accident I ended up in the gardens of the Grand palace. I was totally lost when a sound in the bushes startled me. Out of the bushes came a boy with blond hair and hazel eyes. He lived in the Grand Palace. We became great friends, every week we saw each other in the forest. We were seeing each other for 4 years until one day he disappeared, and I never saw him again. I don't know why he disappeared without telling me anything or anything like that" she said sadly "He was a good friend"

They both stayed in silence for a few minutes and Kaida decided to talk.

"I answered your question, now you answer mine," Kaida said seriously. "What am I?"

The Darkling took a deep breath "You are a Grisha, but your power is quite different" he made a pause trying to organize his ideas.

"Are you going to tell me or are you going to stay silent?" Kaida asked, crashing her arms over her chest.

"The power that you have is a myth, or it use to" he said making her frown "You can control the emotions of the people, but the main one is fear and pain" he said making Kaida leave her shoulder fall because of the surprise "And you are an Amplifier, like me"

"Wait. Are you telling me that I'm the only one with this power? And why fear and pain?"she asked worriedly.

"Yes. I guess that's because you've been living with fear and pain all your life " he answered directly.

"I don't live in fear or pain"she said even when she knew it was a lie.

"I don't believe that. You have lived in the streets since a young age. You met a boy that you considered your friend and then he left you without saying anything. Then you killed a lot of people by accident and you ran to the sea so the crown wouldn't take you and then you were kidnaped and abused" he said in a polite voice.

"Great. You just did a summary of my depressing life. Thank you so much " she said, annoyed "How-how is it possible that I'm the only one with this Small Science?"

"I don't know, but I'll help you to control your Small Science. It would be alright" he said looking at her worried expression.

"You don't get it. I don't want your help" she said with firm voice "I just want to get out of here"

"I can't let you do that" he said calmly.

"And why, exactly?" she asked, annoyed.

"Because without knowing how to use your small science you are dangerous and when the rumor of another human amplifier expands, a lot of people are going to try and come for you" he said seriously but with a calm expression.

"So basically it's stay here or stay here" she said frustrated.

"Yes" he said "Now rest, you will start your lessons tomorrow. Ivan!" Ivan entered the room "Take Miss Deveraux to her room, and make sure she doesn't escape" the Darkling demanded. The Grisha/Guard nodded and he started to escort Kaida to her room.

The two of them arrived at the room "Can I at least have something to read or paint or entertain myself with since I'm locked up here?" she asked with a mock. Ivan just looked at her and closed the door. Kaida heard the sound of the key by locking the door, she was locked in. She threw herself to the bed and let out a long singh.

✴✴✴

She stared at the ceiling for what seemed like days to her until a knock in her door called her attention.

"Miss Deveraux, The General asked me to escort you to the lunch room" a man with a red kefta said politely. Kaida rolled her eyes and started to walk behind him. She was hungry and she wanted to eat, but she also wanted to be alone so she could think about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours of her life.

They walked through the long halls of the little palace until they arrived at the lunch room. ​​When Kaida opened the large doors and entered the room, she noticed that it was filled with Grisha, who stopped talking as soon as they saw her enter. The brown haired girl felt watched and uncomfortable but kept walking forward. The people around her began to murmur, she couldn't understand them but she knew they were talking about her anyway. Her head spun when she heard the doors of the room burst open, through them came The Darklin. All the Grisha kept silent as they watched him walk towards his table.

"Miss Kaida will sit next to me during lunch and dinner from now on," The Darkling declared. All the Grisha in the room turned their heads in surprise to look at Kaida, who just wanted to run away at that moment.

"Miss Kaida, please, would you do me the favor of sitting next to me," Kirigan said. Kaida's heart couldn't have been pounding harder and with every step she took towards the table she became more nervous. She reached General Kirigan's side and moved the chair cautiously to sit next to him "Let lunch begin" he said and all the Grisha went back to their business.

"Why did you do that?" Kaida asked madly "I'm already a weirdo, I don't need more reasons to be one" she said.

"Listen, as I told you, you are an amplifier, until you learn how to control your small science and how to defend yourself, you would eat with me" Kirigan declared. Kaida sighed with frustration while she rolled her eyes.

"So, you live in the Grand Palace, how is that? Living in a palace, I mean" Kaida asked, sitting down on the floor next to Nikolai.

"Boring, strict, especially with the annoying human being of my brother" he said, making Kaida smile.

"Well, at least you have a place to stay" she said, looking at the horizon.

"You could live here, I can talk with my parents and-" he started to say.

"No, no. Niko, I appreciate you, a lot, but I can't stay here and you know that" Kaida said softly.

"Yeah, I know. It 's just... My life has been way better since I met you and this thing of seeing each other once a week. I don't like it" Nikolai said, frustrated.

"I know it's hard, but we'll figure it out" she said, hugging him.

A small smile came to Kaida's lips.

"Kaida, you said you knew a boy and that you used to have contact with him. Do you know where he could be?" Kirigan asked Kaida, she turned her head to look at him.

"Umm... No, no, I don't know where he is at. Why?" she asked eating a piece of her meal, but she was lying.

"Just curiosity" he said without interest. Kaida looked at him and frowned with confusion but she didn't say anything else and she continued eating.

After lunch a guard escorted her back to her room. She was bored, really bored, she didn't have anything to do in the room alone. She was laying on the bed playing with a little purple mist, the only thing she knew how to control of her Small Science, between her fingers when she heard the lock of the door open. She looked up to see The Darkling and four Grisha entering the room.

"Get up" Kirigan demanded. Kaida looked at him with surprise and incredulously but she did it anyway.

"What's going on here?" she asked, confused.

"Take out your clothes" he said without answering her question.

"Excuse me?" Kaida said in disbelief and angrily "Who the hell do you think you are?" she said.

"Don't worry Miss Deveraux, we are just going to take your measures for a kefta" one of the Grisha said.

"It wasn't easier to tell me what the hell you were going to do instead of telling me to take out my clothes?" she asked, looking at the Darkling crossing her arms over her chest.

"You are right, I'm sorry" he said politely "I'll leave you alone so you can take her measures" he said and he left the room.

Uncomfortable, she took her clothes and the Grisha took her measures to make her kefta. She was worried about the girls that were taking her measures and if they would say something to The Darkling or ask about the big scars she has on her back, she wasn't scared or ashamed of showing them, but answering the question of why they were there, that was something she wasn't ready to tell. Fortunately, they didn't say anything, now, she just had to wait and see if they would tell The Darkling.

✴✴✴

The next morning she woke up because of the knocks on her door. When she opened the door she just founded a box. She took it confused and got back to her room leaving the box on the bed. When she opened the box she found a blue kefta with light purple and silver accessories. With a deep breath she took it out of the box and left it on the bed to get ready. When she was ready she put it on and in that moment someone knocked on the door.

"Hello Kaida" a woman with red hair, blue eyes and a white kefta entered the room.

"Who are you?" Kaida asked.

"I'm Genya, and I'm a Tailor"she answered. "The Darkling sent me to fix your hair and black circles under your eyes," she said walking towards Kaida.

"Wow, it's very flattering on his part" she said sarcastically.

"Come on, I have to be quick, your train starts in an hour" Genya said.

When they were finished Ivan took Kaida to where the training was.

"I'll pick you up when you are finished," Ivan said.

"I'm not a baby, I don't need escort or anything" she said annoyed.

"If the General says to escort you, I will escort you" he said seriously.

"Whatever" she said annoyed.

"Everyone!" A man shouted. All the Grisha in the training building surrounded the man, Kaida deduced that he was the trainer. "As you know, we have a new Grisha between us" he said "Miss Deveraux, please, take a step forward" Kaida froze in her position and then she took a small step forwards. "Do you know how to defend yourself?" he asked.

"Yes" she answered.

"Good, choose your opponent" he said. She looked around the group of Grisha and a girl with brown hair and dark eyes took a step forward.

"I'll do it" she said.

"Alright, Clarisse against Kaida''. Kaida looked at the girl in front of her, it looked like she had something against her. Clarisse took the first step and threw a punch to Kaida's face but she avoided and moved her foot to hit Clarisse's leg making her fall to the ground. Clarisse got up quickly and threw another punch to her face, Kaida blocked the punch and punched Clarisse's ribs. Clarisse got mad and threw her fist at Kaida's chin causing her head to snap back from the blow. Kaida took a few steps back from the blow and then looked at Clarisse angrily. She ran towards her and started trying to hit her, but Clarisse blocked them, the tables turned and Clarisse started trying to hit Kaida and as before, she blocked them. In a moment of distraction, Kaida bent down and with her leg hit the back of Clarisse's knee knocking her to the floor.

"Enough" the trainer said. Clarisse got up from the floor and with her wind power threw Kaida. The brown haired rolled on the floor and let out a grunt of pain. "Clarisse!"

Kaida got up from the floor and purple mist appeared in her hands; she lifted her hands towards Clarisse and the mist flew to her eyes. Clarisse started to scream terrified.

"Oh, my God. Someone do something!" the Grisha around them started to scream.

"Stop it!" the trainer shouted to Kaida.

"I-I-I don't know how" she said worriedly. Clarisse's screams got stronger.

"Stop it! Make it stop!" Clarisse screamed in agony.

"Stop it!" the trainer shouted to her. Kaida's breath became fast.

"Okay, okay, Kaida, you can do this, you can't let her die '' she whispered to herself. Kaida lifted her arms and tried to focus on Clarisse. "Come on, come on" she whispered. The purple mist got out from Clarisse's eyes and went back to Kaida's hands. The Grisha girl fell to the ground crying and panting. The other Grisha ran after her worriedly.

"What happened here?!" a strong voice said.

"General Kirigan" the trainer said respectfully.

"What happened? Who did it?" he asked angrily. Everyone looked at Kaida. The General moved his head to look at her and his face relaxed a little and looked to her eyes and when he saw her eyes, he knew she was going to run away. "Take her" he said to Ivan the second before Kaida started to run.

The brown head was running as fast as she could in the direction of the forest. She wanted to disappear, to run away and not return to the Little Palace, but she could hear the footsteps of the guards behind her. Ivan managed to catch up with her.

"Let me go" she asked desperately "I just want to get out of here. I swear I didn't do it on purpose. Let me go!"

"I can't do that, I'm sorry" said Ivan approaching her. Kaida began to fight the guard. Ivan was surprised by Kaida's ability to fight,