Reluctantly I went back to the Darklings chambers, I was as angry with him as I was with Koldan.

"That wasn't very nice," he commented as I entered, he was looking out the window and had a perfect view of where I had punched Koldan.

Koldan was still sitting in the mud, his head down, I saw Zina and Luka running towards him from ukryt'sya, he no doubtubly, would tell them what happend. Good, it would save me from having to confront them.

"Shut up," I snapped as I sank down on one of the couches, my head in my knees.

His face was priceless, obviously he didn't get told to shut up enough.

"I don't know why you're angry with me-" he started.

"Then you're more of an idiot than I thought," my voice started to rise, "Those were my friends, my only friends, and you had them spy on me."

"Don't raise your voice at me," he said calmly, "And they could have just said no."

I scoffed, "Ya, because their going to refuse you. I don't know if you've ever heard the rumours, but normally people who don't follow your orders, end up dead."

"Alas that's all they are. Rumours."

How on earth was he staying so calm, "Rumours still scare people. And no matter what you say, all rumours have a little truth to them."

He considered this fact while I buried my head back into my knees. He stood up and walked over to me offering his hand to help me up. Reluctantly I took it while I wiped my eyes free from the tears that were threatening to roll down my face.

"Use this," he said.

"Use what?"

"You're anger, you're irritation." He told me, "Up until now I could tell you've only been using good emotions, good memories."

"Because every book I've read says to," I stated, "They say using negative emotions is dangerous and unpredictable."

"I won't let it get to that," he reassured me, "Make us both invisible. Go on, try."

I hesitated briefly before closing my eyes and concentrating, I focused on the betrayal I felt when Koldan handed him that report, the anger that was coursing through my veins, the irritation I felt as he tried to justify what he had done, as if it would make it any better.

I opened my eyes and saw, well nothing, I saw an empty room. I felt a hand on my shoulder but when I looked behind me there was no one there.

"Well done, Rena," the Darkling said behind me. I couldn't see him, I couldn't see myself for that matter.

I had done it, I had actually done it, I was fully invisible.

"Now let it fade slowly, let the light bounce back off of us," he said. I did as he said and sure enough we came back into sight.

"Not so dangerous, is it?" He said mockingly.

I didn't respond, I was still in shock that I could actually do it.

I went back to my room that evening in shock and tears, luckily everyone was at dinner so no one saw me as I headed to the safety of my room.

On my way I ran into a servant and asked if they could bring a dinner tray to my room, I couldn't go eat with them tonight, not after finding out that every little detail I said or did would be given to the Darkling.

The next day at breakfast I sat by myself, I wanted to get out of there before they came down, as I was finishing my breakfast Zina and Luka came into the domed hall and made to sit next to me, immediately, I quietly stood up and left, they stared after me as I exited.

When I was leaving I bumped into Koldan who was coming down the stairs, he had a bruise from where I had punched him yesterday.

As I passed him by he grabbed my arm, "Ren would you just listen to me," he pleaded.

I glared at him, "There's nothing to listen to. You should get that checked out," I gestured to the bruise and walked away.

In class, instead of sitting beside Zina like I normally did, I sat beside a lone Materialki who was always by herself. She looked a bit confused when I sat next to her but I gave her a friendly smile and she went back to fiddling with random pieces of metal, not questioning it.

I buried myself in a book, and started talking to the Materialki girl when Zina, Luka and Koldan walked.

I pointedly ignored them, Zina made to come over but Luka grabbed her arm and just shook his head, Zina frowned and gave me an apologetic look but I pretended I didn't see them.

The Materialki girl beside me groaned, "Not working?" I asked.

She shook her head staring at the small contraption.

"May I?" I asked, offering her help, she looked worried at first but nodded letting me help her.

"I'm Rena by the way," I said.

"Sophie," she responded.

"Well Sophie, you have loose screw at the bottom. I think if I just..." I tightened the screw and the wheels on the little contraption started to move.

"Are you sure you're not a Durast," Sophie exclaimed happily.

"Unfortunately," I responded.

She raised a brow but didn't question me further.

We spent the rest of the class in silence, occasionally exchanging a few words or a small smile, Sophie was nice and friendly, but she couldn't compare to the jokes Zina and I had made together, she wasn't as sure of herself as Luka, and she wasn't as daring as Koldan.

After class I stuck with Sophie until the turn off at the path, she said she had to get to the workshops while I went to combat training with some of the others.

I mostly walked alone, listening in on some of the others conversations, but mostly trying to stay away from Zina, Luka and Koldan.

Ignoring them was difficult in combat training, we were the top of the class so naturally we were always paired up together, before it hadn't been a problem, but now, now it was infuriating.

I was put with Luka today. I didn't look him in the eye as we sparred, my eyes trained on his movements. He caught my punch pushing me back.

"You can't ignore us forever Rena," he said, I kicked him in the stomach making him gasp for breath and stop talking.

I narrowly dodged one of his punches and grabbed his elbow, flipping him over on his back.

I didn't try to help him up as Botkin dismissed the class for the day.

"Little girl stays back, yes" Botkin told me as I was leaving.

Once everyone had left he spoke to me in Shu, knowing it was easier for both of us, 'Attack me,' he had said.

I hesitated for a moment but he threw a punch to my stomach giving me no choice but to fight back. We circled each other around the ring once before continuing, we both kicked, dogged, punched and ducked for about 20 minutes until Botkin had secured me on the ground, trapping my wrists so that, if I was allowed to use my powers, I wouldn't have been able.

We both knew that was going to be the result, no one could beat Botkin in hand to hand combat, 'I'm impressed' he stated in Shu.

It was nice knowing that for once when I responded to someone I could do it without messing up, 'Thank you.'

He went over to a bench and pulled something out of a pouch, 'For you' he said handing me a dagger in a leather scabbard to me, its hilt had a leather grip the colour of chocolate and the scabbard ever so slightly darker, 'Small but deadly, made of Grisha steel, like the one I gave your mother'

My head snapped up from the dagger, 'You knew my mother?'

He chuckled to himself slightly, 'Ah yes, she was quite the little warrior, but a mouse always has a bite"

I relished the small details I got out of people about her, no matter how long I spent in the library, she was too recent to have any sort of accounts on her, and the only accounts of any sun summoner were just legends.

'Come, I will show you how to fight with it," he said standing up.

I unsheathed it from it's scabbard and the blade glinted in the afternoon light. The weight of it was perfect, not too heavy so my arm would droop, but not too light so it didn't seem flimsy. We practiced until another class started to show up and I adjusted the belt of the scabbard to fit around the outside of my thigh, underneath my kefta, I then thanked Botkin and left with the comfortable weight of the dagger around my leg.

___________________________

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Outside of classes it was even harder to ignore them, Genya would always insist that I get out of my room and into the fresh air, I couldn't bring myself to tell her what had happened yet.

After lots of pestering she had managed to convince me to go on a walk on my own, said it would "clear the mind", I did it just to satisfy her.

I had managed to, once again, lose the guards who were trailing me, but I was nearly certain that they were used to it at that point.

As I walked past ukryt'sya I heard someone shout down, "Hey Rena, wait up." I quickened my pace, trying to avoid this confrontation. I rounded the corner and heard a set of footsteps running after me, quickly I decided to run into the forest of trees for cover, it would be the last place they looked for me. Taking the opportunity I went deeper into the forest, trying to lose them if they did decide to follow.

I found an old tree stump and sat down, burying my head in my knees, why was my life like this? Why couldn't it have gone on like before? Did fate hate me this much?

"Why are you sulking around girl?" I heard a voice say.

Immediately I was on my feet, my hands raised with shadows and light dancing in each. What I didn't expect was an old woman bundled up like it was winter, leaning on a cane staring back at me. She had black hair that was starting to gray at the roots, her posture and wrinkles making her look old enough to be my grandmother.

Her eyes widened when she looked at my hands, I put them down, feeling stupid for being so jumpy, "Sorry," I grumbled, "You scared me."

She pulled her cloak closer, "Where did you learn to do that?" She demanded. I was silent, unsure of what she was talking about. "Where did you learn to control the shadows and light, it's impossible," she insisted.

I took a step back, "Well, I was told I got them from my parents," I explained.

"And who are your parents?" She questioned.

I fiddled with my hands, "I never knew my mother, ma'am," I told her.

"And your father? Who is he?"

I gave her a questioning look, I thought everyone knew this, "He's-"

"RENA!!" A familiar voice bellowed in the distance, dammit, busted. No point in hiding now.

"Over here!!" I shouted back, the woman still had her eyes narrowed at me.

I heard the crunching of leaves behind me, "How many times do I have to tell you-" he stopped and noticed I was talking to someone, "What do you think you're doing," he asked.

I had thought he was addressing me, he had always told me that I wasn't allowed in the forest, but apparently not as the woman straightened up and looked him straight in the eyes, I could see the defiance in hers, "I could ask you the same thing," she said.

Unlike others, she didn't flinch when he stepped closer, the proximity forcing her to have to look up at him, "Stay away from my daughter," he growled.

She narrowed her eyes, "I will do as I please." Either my mind was playing tricks on me, or the shadows around us had gotten darker and more pronounced, she laughed a dry low laugh, "Your little tricks don't scare me, boy."

He narrowed his own eyes and without looking at me he said, "Get back to your room, Rena."

I didn't want to leave, I was too curious about what was going on between these two, "But-"

His head turned around and he gave me a stern look that said there would be no arguing about this, "Now," he ordered.

I made to leave but turned as I was about to leave the clearing, "It was nice to meet you," I told the old lady, she looked at me then grunted in response, another hard look from my father made me quicken my pace back to my room.