Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (z-lib.org).mobi

“Well, I don’t want to be high above all others.”
Genya threw up her hands in exasperation and took me by the elbow, leading
me back through the palace to the main entrance. Two liveried servants opened
the large golden doors for us. With a jolt, I realised that they were wearing white
and gold, the same colours as Genya’s kefta, a servant’s colours. No wonder she
thought I was crazy for refusing the Darkling’s offer. And maybe she was right.
The thought stayed with me through the long walk back across the grounds to
the Little Palace. Dusk was falling, and servants were lighting the lamps that
lined the gravel path. By the time we climbed the stairs to my room, my stomach
was in knots.
I sat down by the window, staring out at the grounds. While I brooded, Genya
rang for a servant, whom she sent to find a seamstress and order up a dinner tray.
But before she sent the girl away, she turned to me. “Maybe you’d prefer to wait
and dine with the Grisha later tonight?” she asked.
I shook my head. I was far too tired and overwhelmed to even think about
being around another crowd of people. “But would you stay?” I asked her.
She hesitated.
“You don’t have to, of course,” I said quickly. “I’m sure you’ll want to eat
with everyone else.”
“Not at all. Dinner for two then,” she said imperiously, and the servant raced
off. Genya closed the door and walked to the little dressing table, where she
started straightening the items on its surface: a comb, a brush, a pen and pot of
ink. I didn’t recognise any of them, but someone must have had them brought to
my room.
With her back still to me, Genya said, “Alina, you should understand that,
when you start your training tomorrow … well, Corporalki don’t eat with
Summoners. Summoners don’t dine with Fabrikators, and—”
I felt instantly defensive. “Look, if you don’t want to stay for dinner, I
promise not to cry into my soup.”
“No!” she exclaimed. “It’s not that at all! I’m just trying to explain the way
things work.”
“Forget it.”
Genya blew out a frustrated breath. “You don’t understand. It’s a great honour
to be asked to dine with you, but the other Grisha might not approve.”
“Why?”
Genya sighed and sat down on one of the carved chairs. “Because I’m the
Queen’s pet. Because they don’t consider what I do valuable. A lot of reasons.”
I considered what the other reasons might be and if they had something to do
with the King. I thought of the liveried servants standing at every doorway in the