Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (z-lib.org).mobi
“Surely the Sun Summoner doesn’t need my help,” Zoya said with a smugsmile.I watched her warily. I wasn’t sure why this girl hated me so much, but I’dhad just about enough for one day.We took our fighting stances, and Botkin gave the signal to start.I actually managed to block Zoya’s first jab, but not the second. It caught mehard on the jaw and my head snapped back. I tried to shake it off.She danced forward and aimed a punch at my ribs. But some of Botkin’straining must have sunk in over the last few weeks. I dodged right and the blowglanced off me.She flexed her shoulders and circled. Out of the corner of my eye, I could seethat the other Summoners had left off sparring and were watching us.I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted. I took Zoya’s next punch hard to thegut. As I gasped for breath, she followed with an elbow. I managed to avoid itmore by luck than skill.She pressed her advantage and lunged forward. That was her mistake. I wasweak and I was slow, but Botkin had taught me to make use of my opponent’sstrength.I stepped to the side, and as she came in close, I hooked my leg around herankle. Zoya went down hard.The other Summoners broke into applause. But before I had a chance to evenregister my victory, Zoya sat up, her expression furious, her arm slashingthrough the air. I felt myself lifted off my feet as I flew backwards and slammedinto the training room’s wooden wall. I heard something crack, and all the breathwent out of my body as I slid to the ground.“Zoya!” Botkin roared. “You do not use power. Not in these rooms. Never inthese rooms!”Dimly, I was aware of the other Summoners gathering around, of Botkincalling for a Healer.“I’m fine,” I tried to say, but I couldn’t gather enough breath. I lay in the dirt,panting shallowly. Every time I tried to breathe, pain tore through my left side.A group of servants arrived, but when they lifted me onto the stretcher, I fainted.Marie and Nadia told me the rest when they came to visit me in the infirmary.A Healer had slowed my heart rate until I fell into a deep sleep, then mended mybroken rib and the bruises Zoya had left on me.“Botkin was furious!” Marie exclaimed. “I’ve never seen him so angry. Hethrew Zoya out of the training rooms. I thought he might hit her himself.”“Ivo says he saw Ivan take her through the domed hall to the Darkling’scouncil rooms, and when she came out, she was crying.”
Good, I thought with satisfaction. But when I thought of myself lying in aheap in the dirt, I felt a burning wave of embarrassment.“Why did she do it?” I asked as I tried to sit up. I’d had plenty of peopleignore me or look down on me. But Zoya actually seemed to hate me.Marie and Nadia gaped at me as if I’d taken a crack to the skull instead of theribs.“Because she’s jealous!” said Nadia.“Of me?” I said incredulously.Marie rolled her eyes. “She can’t bear the idea of anyone being the Darkling’sfavourite.”I laughed and then winced at the stab of pain in my side. “I’m hardly hisfavourite.”“Of course you are. Zoya’s powerful, but she’s just another Squaller. You’rethe Sun Summoner.”Nadia’s cheeks flushed when she said this, and I knew I wasn’t imagining thetinge of envy in her voice. Just how deep did that envy go? Marie and Nadiatalked as though they hated Zoya, but they smiled to her face. What do they sayabout me when I’m not around? I wondered.“Maybe he’ll demote her!” squealed Marie.“Maybe he’ll send her to Tsibeya!” crowed Nadia.A Healer appeared from the shadows to shush them and send them on theirway. They promised to visit again the next day.I must have fallen back to sleep because, when I woke a few hours later, theinfirmary was dark. The room was eerily quiet, the other beds unoccupied, theonly sound the soft ticking of a clock.I pushed myself up. I still felt a little sore, but it was hard to believe that I’dhad a broken rib just a few hours before.My mouth was dry, and I had the beginning of a headache. I dragged myselfout of bed and poured a glass of water from the pitcher at my bedside. Then Ipushed open the window and took a deep breath of night air.“Alina Starkov.”I jumped and whirled.“Who’s there?” I gasped.The Apparat emerged from the long shadows by the door.“Did I startle you?” he asked.“A bit,” I admitted. How long had he been standing there? Had he beenwatching me sleep?He seemed to glide silently across the room, his ragged robes slithering overthe infirmary floor. I took an involuntary step backwards.
- Page 47 and 48: He never finished his sentence. A s
- Page 49 and 50: Slowly, I opened my eyes and took i
- Page 51 and 52: CHAPTER 5The next few days passed i
- Page 53 and 54: on the earthen floor and built a fi
- Page 55 and 56: The Darkling sighed. “I doubt tha
- Page 57 and 58: country that had long been at war.T
- Page 59 and 60: CHAPTER 6I dreamed that I was back
- Page 61 and 62: ease in slowly. Military life had l
- Page 63 and 64: feeling the anger and embarrassment
- Page 65 and 66: A tall, broad-chested Grisha in red
- Page 67 and 68: particular affinity and made a gift
- Page 69 and 70: Light flooded the throne room, dren
- Page 71 and 72: subject.“The Apparat?”“Is he
- Page 73 and 74: Grand Palace, all of them dressed i
- Page 75 and 76: CHAPTER 8After a restless night, I
- Page 77 and 78: toothily at me. Marie looped her ar
- Page 79 and 80: a massive set of double doors in fr
- Page 81 and 82: Genya’s voice was light, but it h
- Page 83 and 84: “I can’t go with you. Not that
- Page 85 and 86: CHAPTER 9It was a complete disaster
- Page 87 and 88: the long brown robes or the dirty b
- Page 89 and 90: I nodded.“Homesick?”I shrugged.
- Page 91 and 92: CHAPTER 10Next morning, my body ach
- Page 93 and 94: us, and she still needed a flint to
- Page 95 and 96: knowing that I fitted into my new l
- Page 97: pushed my plate away. The prospect
- Page 101 and 102: Darkling’s dire words beneath the
- Page 103 and 104: CHAPTER 12The next morning wasn’t
- Page 105 and 106: I thought back, remembering Ana Kuy
- Page 107 and 108: After my conversation with the Dark
- Page 109 and 110: and the birds painted above my bed.
- Page 111 and 112: The woman in red watches me closely
- Page 113 and 114: CHAPTER 13That very afternoon, I jo
- Page 115 and 116: across my jaw).“Here,” he said,
- Page 117 and 118: “Whatever do you mean?”“You k
- Page 119 and 120: “Should I? If I can’t help you
- Page 121 and 122: CHAPTER 14As winter drew to a close
- Page 123 and 124: beautiful people in their beautiful
- Page 125 and 126: How was it that Genya had fallen so
- Page 127 and 128: She examined the toes of her satin
- Page 129 and 130: leaning on a cane.“Duke Keramsov!
- Page 131 and 132: when the room was practically vibra
- Page 133 and 134: over the ribbons at my neckline.
- Page 135 and 136: “Forgive me,” I said. “It’s
- Page 137 and 138: imagine what it’s been like here.
- Page 139 and 140: CHAPTER 15Only when I was in my roo
- Page 141 and 142: “Then talk sense,” I said. “H
- Page 143 and 144: I would never help him do that.”
- Page 145 and 146: CHAPTER 16Baghra’s relief was unm
- Page 147 and 148: “For everything.”“Hmph,” sh
Good, I thought with satisfaction. But when I thought of myself lying in a
heap in the dirt, I felt a burning wave of embarrassment.
“Why did she do it?” I asked as I tried to sit up. I’d had plenty of people
ignore me or look down on me. But Zoya actually seemed to hate me.
Marie and Nadia gaped at me as if I’d taken a crack to the skull instead of the
ribs.
“Because she’s jealous!” said Nadia.
“Of me?” I said incredulously.
Marie rolled her eyes. “She can’t bear the idea of anyone being the Darkling’s
favourite.”
I laughed and then winced at the stab of pain in my side. “I’m hardly his
favourite.”
“Of course you are. Zoya’s powerful, but she’s just another Squaller. You’re
the Sun Summoner.”
Nadia’s cheeks flushed when she said this, and I knew I wasn’t imagining the
tinge of envy in her voice. Just how deep did that envy go? Marie and Nadia
talked as though they hated Zoya, but they smiled to her face. What do they say
about me when I’m not around? I wondered.
“Maybe he’ll demote her!” squealed Marie.
“Maybe he’ll send her to Tsibeya!” crowed Nadia.
A Healer appeared from the shadows to shush them and send them on their
way. They promised to visit again the next day.
I must have fallen back to sleep because, when I woke a few hours later, the
infirmary was dark. The room was eerily quiet, the other beds unoccupied, the
only sound the soft ticking of a clock.
I pushed myself up. I still felt a little sore, but it was hard to believe that I’d
had a broken rib just a few hours before.
My mouth was dry, and I had the beginning of a headache. I dragged myself
out of bed and poured a glass of water from the pitcher at my bedside. Then I
pushed open the window and took a deep breath of night air.
“Alina Starkov.”
I jumped and whirled.
“Who’s there?” I gasped.
The Apparat emerged from the long shadows by the door.
“Did I startle you?” he asked.
“A bit,” I admitted. How long had he been standing there? Had he been
watching me sleep?
He seemed to glide silently across the room, his ragged robes slithering over
the infirmary floor. I took an involuntary step backwards.
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