✧ ♥ ✧

His mother... Baghra was Aleksander's mother! And clearly a Shadow Summoner as well; the room was almost entirely dark now.

This actually explained a lot. Katya remembered the story she had read in the book about the Saints, and the reason why Sankt Ilya had been banished from his home together with his daughter – Baghra.

"Listen to me," said Baghra now, her voice softening. "You are still young, and your heart is pure. My son is a killer, but for you there is yet hope – if you stay far away from his influence."

"A killer? This from you." Katya furrowed her brow angrily. "Aleksander is a soldier, and this is a war! But you. I know history – I know you murdered your sister. What kind of monster kills their own flesh and blood?"

Baghra paled, except for two red spots on her cheeks. "You have no idea what it was like, what she was like." Her voice was calm but bitingly cold, and around her the darkness grew more compact with her summoning. "My mother favored her; gave her all the love, all the attention. Even taking my few toys and giving them to her. That day, Mother took the only beautiful thing I had – a swan, a wooden swan that my father had carved to me – and gave it to her, so she could ruin it like she did with everything. Yes, I killed my sister. I used the Cut on her, but I was a child, and I didn't know better. Aleksander, now... He is an adult. You have no idea how many innocent lives he has on his conscience. Stay away from him."

Suddenly furious, Katya summoned a new fireball. This time she did what Baghra had said earlier and used her anger, pouring her white-hot rage into the flames, fueling them until the ball was even hotter than the time in the woods with Aleksander. Several feet wide, her fireball easily banished Baghras shadows, dispelling them like darkness flees before the bright light of day.

Gasping, the old woman shaded her eyes against the radiant, bluish flame. "Careful, girl... I–"

"I am not a little girl." Katya took a step towards Baghra, who backed away. "And if there's anyone I should stay away from, it's you, who sliced your own sister in halves over a freaking toy!"

Baghra was white as a sheet by now, her back pressed against the wall in her attempt to escape the seething young summoner.

"Leave Aleksander and I alone." Abruptly smothering her fire before she could do something she would regret, Katya turned her back on the shaking woman and left.

✧ ♥ ✧

Katya waited until the storm within her had calmed somewhat before she sought out Aleksander. She found him in the room he used for his private exercise.

"I can't train with Baghra again. Sorry, but it just won't work." She shut the door behind her with excessive force.

Aleksander was doing pull-ups on a bar attached to the ceiling, wearing only a pair of black pants.

He dropped to the floor, his bare torso glistening with sweat. Taking a towel, he wiped his face before coming to meet her. "She is the best teacher here," he said calmly.

"And one who told me to stay away from you. She insulted you, her own son. Yes, don't look surprised. She informed me of that little detail, which you had conveniently forgotten to tell me. I'm not spending time with a bloody murderer like her!"

His eyes narrowed. "So why are you here? I'm a bloody murderer too."

"You're not. You–" But before she could finish the sentence, she found herself pressed against the wall, strong hands securing her arms on either side of her head.

"I am," he hissed, locking eyes with her. "I thought you knew I'm not a good person, and accepted that."

Surprised by his reaction, Katya stared at him. "I accept who you are," she murmured, feeling her heart beat faster, but not because she was afraid. Instead it was his dark, intense gaze, in combination with his half-naked body almost flush against hers that procured the reaction.

"Then you have to accept who my mother is as well."

"Are you defending her?"

"No. But no matter what she did in her past, she'll always be my mother. I'm not severing my bond with her – even for you."

"I never asked you to." Katya frowned, trying not to look at his heaving chest. "But I won't practice with her again."

"Don't you want to summon a sun?"

"I do, but I can learn on my own – or with you."

"I can't always take time to teach you. After me, Baghra is the world's strongest summoner. Don't let a childish argument stop you from getting taught by the best."

Through her arms, still pinned to the wall, she felt his amplifying force seep into her, but in this position she couldn't summon – or she would have shown him just how hot her fire could be when she was using her anger to channel her power. "She already taught me all she could – the hard way."

At her words, his gaze instantly flicked to her hand, as if he knew what he would see there. Suddenly cursing, he stepped away and took it between his, softly turning it up to expose the angry red stripes. "I'm sorry. I should have known–"

"Don't." Katya was a bit surprised at his sudden change. "She did teach me something of value, about using my anger – and that was what I needed. I can best her now. My fire easily chased her shadows away."

His eyes widened. "You bested her?"

"I guess she's not the second strongest summoner anymore." She smirked.

"Quite." His eyes sparkled with delight.

Katya couldn't resist that look, and did what she had longed to do for some time now: she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "Kiss me."

She did not have to ask twice.

✧ ♥ ✧

A while later Katya and Aleksander lay side by side on his bed, both in their shifts. He was examining her hand again. "You should see a Healer," he mumbled.

She waved away his concern. "While it lasts, I shall use the pain as a reminder of my anger – savoring it, like Baghra said."

"I'm sorry," he said again, kissing her fingers softly. "I told Mother to stop using violence when teaching – a long time ago. I really thought she had ceased."

"What was it like for you? Growing up with her, I mean."

"Lonely." He broke eye-contact. "She taught me never to rely on, or care about anyone but myself and her – because they would soon be gone anyway."

"That sounds horrible."

He shrugged. "It was true, though. Everyone else died eventually."

"Did she beat you?"

He smiled lopsidedly. "She has always been temperamental, but believe it or not, I was a very obedient child. She rarely had to punish me."

Katya chuckled. "I do believe that."

"Like I said before, she will always be my mother – my constant. She protected and cared for me all my life, and helped me become who I am today."

"It didn't sound that way when she spoke to me," Katya said carefully.

"She just tried to frighten you. She doesn't want me to get involved with anyone – for the reasons I just said. They will die." He moved closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "But she doesn't count on how strong you are. With more amplifiers–"

"Ha! You know what I think of amplifiers." The voice caught Katya and Aleksander by surprise.

Jumping to his feet, and snatching a blanket to cover his chest, Aleksander stared angrily at his mother. "You can't come here unannounced!"

Baghra didn't even flinch at his furious tone. "Then why did you have the secret escape passage built? It works in both directions, you know."

"Get out!"

"Not until I've made you see reason. Will you ruin everything we have here, everything you built for the Grisha, only to go chasing amplifiers for this slip of a girl?"

"I thought you too wanted to create a Sun Summoner – why are you suddenly working against me?" he accused.

"That was before, when I believed that you would undo the abomination you have made, and destroy the Fold with all the cursed monsters that reside there," she hissed. "I still had hopes for you then. But now..." Suddenly her aged face grew deeply sad. "What have you become?"

Aleksander didn't listen. He grasped her arm roughly and dragged her over to one of the bookcases. Pressing a hidden lever, he caused it to swing out and expose a dark opening. "Go. And don't even think of coming this way again." With that, he pushed her into the passage and slammed the bookshelf shut.

Katya still lay half-dressed on his bed, too shocked to have even thought of covering herself. The nerve of that woman!

"I'm sorry about that." Aleksander came back to the bed and began to dress, fastening his kefta buttons with trembling fingers. "I didn't think it would come to this. But don't worry, she won't enter here again. I will remove her from the Little Palace." He sounded angrier than Katya had ever heard him. Angry – and betrayed. "I guess you were right. My mother no longer supports my cause."

A/N:

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy this story, and want more – please let me know. I hope y'all aren't bored yet. :)