Small science

After finishing her breakfast Kaida didn't want to go back to her room so she decided to go and walk around the Little Palace.

While she was walking she paid attention to every detail around her, the Little Palace would be horrible from the outside, or at least it was what she thought, but from the inside was amazing, all the drawings on the wood walls, the gold candles hanging on the walls.

She ended in front of a pair of big doors open. In front of her was a huge shelf full of books of different colors, sizes, covers... her eyes grew with amusement and happiness. She walked in, she didn't care if she could or not, she just did it. The library in front of her had two floors and a big window where the sun came in. She walked towards the shelf and looked at the titles of the books. Every book she could imagen was there and then a question came to her mind. "Could it be that there is a book of my small science?" Excited to answer that question, she started looking at the gold letters at the top of every shelf with the categories of each book; fantasy, romance, drama... Her search took her to the second floor and she finally found the shelf with the category of Grisha history.

She started looking to every book until she found the book with the title"Kind of Grishas" she took the book out and looking at the blue cover with gold letters she sat down in one of the chairs of the second floor and left the book on the table in front of her.

"Kind of Grisha" she read the title and opened it carefully. It looked old and she didn't want to break it.

She passed the pages reading every detail of every kind of Grisha it had been through all the years.

"Shadow summoner" she read when she was almost at the end of the book.

"Shadow summoners are capable of controlling the shadows, and with enough power they can produce the cut. A powerful weapon made of shadow capable of cutting a man in half in seconds.

Years ago one of them created the shadow with the intention of destroying Ravka and becoming the King. The Black Heretic was the one of the most powerful Grisha in history and it is because of him that the Fold exists."

Under that small introduction to the Shadow summoners history were the steps to control that kind of small science and some warnings about them.

Without interest in that, Kaida turned the pages finding the Sun summoner.

"The Sun summoners are capable of creating light as bright as the sun. They are the only ones capable of destroying the Fold but for now, none has seen one.

Ravka hopes and pray to the Saints that one day, a Sun summoner would save them and destroy the Fold"

Kaida stopped reading there and turned the last page of the book, there was nothing about Empathic Grisha, nothing at all. Frustrated, she closed the book and laid back on the chair. She stood there for a few minutes when the feeling of being observed made her feel nervous. She took the book from the table and with the feeling of being observed she put it back where it was and started to walk back to the stair when something on the shelf called her attention. She turned to face the shelf and in front of her was the same symbol she had on the front part of her shoulder. She frowned with confusion and took the book out of the shelf.

"We have to find her!" she heard two guards passing away the library. Quickly, she opened her kefta and hid the book inside it before starting to run down the stairs and out of the library.

She crossed the corridor running as fast as she could to her room. When she finally arrived in her room she signed calmly, but that calm disappeared when she heard The Darkling walking towards her room. She opened her eyes worriedly and ran to hide the book under her mattress, then, she ran to the bathroom and took her shirt, bra, boots and pants off, wet her hair quickly and covered her body with a towel.

"She couldn't go far!" the angry voices of The Darkling sounded in the room. "Find her!" Kaida took a deep breath and looking at her in the mirror one more time she opened the door making the four guards and The Darkling turn to look at her.

"What's all this mess?" she asked, frowning and looking as if she was confused. The four guards, seeing Kaida with a towel and her wet hair, turned around alarmed, but The Darkling didn't. "Is there any problem?" she asked again, moving her head to one side.

"Where were you?" The Darkling asked rudely.

"I was here, in my room. Why?" she asked innocently.

"You missed lunch" he said more calmly.

"I'm sorry, I took a nap and then I took a shower" she explained, giving a cute smile. "What's going on? Is there some problem?"

The Darkling looked at her for a few seconds "No, no, sorry. We'll let you alone. Sorry." him and the guards walked towards the door "Don't be late for dinner" he said before closing the door. When the brown haired heard the door closed she allowed herself to relax and breathe calmly.

"That was close" she told herself going back to the bathroom, now, to take a real bath.

✴✴✴

After a long bath she put on her pajamas, even when she knew that she had to go to dinner she put on her pajamas. She took out the book from under her mattress and sat on her bed, ready to start reading but a knock on her door made her put the book under her pillow as fast as she could.

"Yes?" Kaida said, trying to disguise her nervousness. The door opened and Genya entered the room.

"Good afternoon, Kaida" she said politely.

"What are you doing here?" Kaida asked.

"The General asked me to help you to get ready" she said, walking more inside the room.

"Sorry, ready for what?" the brown haired asked confused.

"There is a gala today, at dinner. It's only for Grisha" she explained while she opened the closet to start looking through the dresses on it. "The General didn't tell you?"

"Let's say that my communication with him hasn't been quite good" she said, playing with the sheets.

"May I ask what happened?" she asked politely.

"Stop talking to me like that," Kaida snapped.

"How?" Genya asked, confused.

"Like if I was better than you. I'm not better than you, so quit with that" she said frustrated.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Genya said, taking out of the closet a pink dress.

"I'm not wearing that" Kaida said. "Actually, I don't know why I have to go. I don't want" she said, lifting her arms annoyed.

"The General said that you have to go" Genya said.

"Well, I don't care what he says" Kaida snapped. Genya looked at her with surprise. "What?"

"If he says that you go, you need to go" Genya said, taking out another dress, this one blue.

"No" Kaida said, referring to the dress. "I don't want to go. All the Grisha hate me and...Don't you have something red?" she asked desperately when Genya took out another dress with pink and purple tulle. "And it has to be a dress?" she asked nervously.

"Well, you are not going to go with jeans" Genya said with a smile "What's the problem with wearing a dress?" she asked, pulling out a red dress.

"I never had wear a dress" Kaida admitted shilly.

"You never had wear a dress?" she asked, completely surprised, making Kaida feel uncomfortable.

"Some people don't have that kind of privilege" the brown haired said.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't say that" Geyna apologized. "Then, I guess you also have never worn high heels, have you?" she asked, pulling out a pair of red high heels. Kaida denied. "Well, then get up, we have work to do" Genya said excitedly.

"What? What are we going to do?" Kaida asked getting up from the bed.

"I have three hours to show you how to walk with high heels" she said with a smile.

✴✴✴

For the next three hours Genya helped Kaida to walk with high heels. It was complicated, Kaida almost broke her uncle two times and then it looked like she was a duck while she was walking. They laughed a lot and made a good bond of friendship.

It was almost the hour when Genya started to do Kaida's hair. She left it natural and because Kaida asked she tied the front part of it with two braids and a bow.

"Can you tie the front part? I don't like to wear my hair down" Kaida told her.

"Yes of course" Genya said, giving her a smile.

After doing the hair, Genya covered the dark circles under Kaida's eyes and put a little bit of color in her cheeks.

"Okay, now go to the bathroom and put on that dress," Genya said with a smile. Kaida nodded and walked to the bathroom. The dress was maroon with a skirt that reached below the knees and puffed sleeves. She tried to button the buttons by herself but she wasn't able so she walked out from the bathroom.

"Can you help me, please?" she asked Genya. The red haired girl nodded and put behind Kaida.

"Oh, my God, your back" Genya said with surprise, looking at the scars. The red haired was about to touch Kaida's back, but the brown haired moved quickly, not letting Genya touch her.

"Don't touch me" Kaida said in a low voice. Genya looked at her with pity but nodded. Kaida took a step closer to her so she could button her dress, and careful that she won't touch the scars, Genya buttoned her dress. Genya gave Kaida a silver necklace and machining hearings.

"You look wonderful" Genya said with a smile.

"Thank you" Kaida said. "I just had worn this dress for five minutes and I already hate it, and don't let me talk about this shoe" she complained.

"You should get going, I don't want you to be late" the red haired girl said.

"Aren't you going?" Kaida asked with surprise.

"No, I'm not welcome there" she said sadly.

"Of course you are!" Kaida said. "Genya, you are a Grisha, and you told me that this event is for Grisha. So, you are taking a dress from that closet and going with me to that gala" Kaida said walking towards the closet. "You said you liked the pink one?" she said, taking out one dress.

"The green one" Genya corrected. Kaida nodded and took the green dress out.

✴✴✴

"You are late, and it's because of me," Genya said worriedly, walking next to Kaida on the corridors towards the room where the gala was being celebrated.

"No, it was me who told you to dress up for the gala," Kaida said, stopping next to the main doors, which were open.

"I should go from the other door, I don't want the people noticing me" Genya said nervously.

"If that makes you feel better. I'll see you later" Genya gave a smile to Kaida and Kaida nodded like an answer.

Kaida signed and walked inside the room. There were a lot of Grisha in the room and most of them turned to look at her, making feel uncomfortable, but she continued walking until she arrived at the table with food without noticing how The Darkling couldn't take his eyes from her.

"You look amazing" a deep voice said next to her. Kaida turned her head a little bit to see who was the owner of the voice finding The Darkling.

"Thank you" she said with respect but dry.

"Listen, I want to say sorry. I shouldn't have tried to force you to tell me your past" he apologized.

"I accept your apology, but don't think that because of that I'm going to tell you anything" she said in a calm voice. She saw Zoya from the distance. "If you would excuse me" Kaida gave him a small nod and walked towards Zoya.

"You just literally walked away from him" Zoya said in disbelief.

"He is a jerk" Kaida said, looking at The Darkling who was looking at her.

"Every time that you open your mouth I love you more" Zoya said with a smile. Kaida gave Zoya a small smile.

The rest of the night Kaida spent it with Zoya until The Darkling asked her to take a walk around the gardes. Kaida, without being able to say no since she had already challenged General Kirigan on several occasions that same day went with him.

"May I ask you something about your past?" The Darkling asked.

"Sure, but you might not receive an answer," Kaida said, looking at the sky.

"What happened to your parents?" Kaida stopped walking.

"They died" she answered.

"How?" he asked again.

"Murder, they were murder. I barely got out alive that day" she explained sadly.

"Sorry" he said politely.

"I don't want your pity, or anyone's. The people die and that's it" she said a little bit rudely. "I should go to bed. Have a good night Moi Soverenyi" Kaida gave him a nod and walked back to the Little Palace.

Finally in her room and wearing her pajamas she took the book ready to read it.

"This symbol belongs to one of the first Grisha families and signifies control over oneself and emotions.

This small science is not inherited. Every two centuries a baby is born with this mark on its shoulder.

Whoever possesses this mark is able to connect with the emotions of the people around him, as well as to modify them. To do so, those people will possess a purple mist that will give them control.

The empathic Grisha is capable of producing what is known as the cut, a deadly weapon capable of cutting its victims in half.

In addition, being attuned to the emotions of the people around him, the Grisha, if he concentrates hard enough, can see through people, what they are doing, where they are" Kaida stopped reading trying to process all the information.

"In order to connect to other people, the Empathic Grisha must relax and concentrate solely on the person he wants to locate. Once he has a clear image of the person he should let his small science travel through his body to his mind until he reaches a balance that will give him the ability to see the other person"

Kaida was amused with that information, and she was decided to try and see where Nikolai was.

The brown haired closed her eyes and made a perfect imagen in her mind of the Nikolia Lantsov she remembered. She took a deep breath and she started to feel her Small Science running all over her body, she was feeling powerful, strong, unstoppable, but then, the feeling disappeared. She opened her eyes and nothing had changed. She closed her eyes again and took another deep breath. She wanted to know where Nikolia was, the reason why he left her. Again, she was feeling powerful and strong, but again, she failed.

Frustrated, she closed her eyes again and now, she left her mind and her whole body relaxed. Now, the wave of power was stronger and when she opened her eyes a purple mist was surrendering her. She gasped in surprise.

"Tamar, put that box in my cabinet" the voice of Sturmhond sounded. Kaida turned around to see a perfect imagen of the red haired and blue eyed boy that she considered her friend. He was in the port of Ravka, resupplying the boat for what Kaida supposed was a new trip on sea. She stood there, looking at him for a while, until Sturmhond frowned and turned around looking in the exact direction where Kaida was. He stood there, in front of Kaida looking at what for him was just wood. Scared, Kaida moved her hands without knowing how to make the mist disappear, losing her focus. The mist disappeared.

In shock, Kaida took her hand to her mouth. "It worked" she said in disbelief. "I did it" she said happily. "Oh, my God, that was insane." she let out a sigh of relief and then she realized how tired she was.

She hid the book under her mattress again and went to bed, but a question came to her mind "If I was trying to find Nikolai, why did I see Sturmhond?"