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"How close?" asked Pavel

I looked to Mal

"Hard to say," he replied "A mile Maybe two"

"So there’s some limit to his power," Fedyor said, with no slad to be able to relate so that wasn’t coet to us Thatand that he’ll be vulnerable He can’t summon them the way he summons darkness The effort seems to cost him"

"Because it’s not Grisha power," David said "It’s ic and abomination was the same Basic Grisha theory stated thatBut that was a tenet of the Small Science Merzost was different, a corruption of theat the heart of the world

David fiddled with a loose thread at his sleeve "That energy, that substance has to co fro it?" asked Zoya "Has there ever been a Grisha with this kind of power?"

"The real question is how to fight them," said Fedyor

Talk turned to defense of the Little Palace and the possible advantages of confronting the Darkling in the field But I atching David When Zoya had asked about other Grisha, he’d looked directly at me for the first time since I’d arrived at the Little Palace Well, not atat the table, but if possible, he seemed even ht know about Morozova And I wanted an answer to Zoya’s question, too I didn’t know if I had the training or the nerve to atte, but was there a way to su’s shadow arive , but as soon as we adjourned, he shot out the door Any thoughts I had of cornering him in the Materialki workshops that afternoon were squelched by the piles of paper waiting forthe Grisha pardon and signing countless docu funds and provisions for the outposts the Second Arei had tried to ’s duties, butsee way possible I had to read and reread what should have been simple requests By the time I’d made a small dent in the pile, I was late for dinner--my first meal in the domed hall I would have preferred to take a tray in my room, but it was important that I assert my presence at the Little Palace I also wanted tofollowed, and that the Grisha were actually ’s table In an effort to get to know so them any excuse to form a new elite, I’d decided that different people would dine with ht It was a nice idea, but I had none of Mal’s easy way or Nikolai’s charm The conversation was stilted and pockmarked with aard mo much better The Grisha sat side by side in a ju The clink of silverware echoed off the cracked doun their repairs

I didn’t knohether to laugh or scream It was as if I’d asked theei and Marie seemed content, even if Nadia looked like she wanted to disappear into the butter dish as they cuddled and cooed beside her I was happy for them, I supposed And maybe a little jealous, too

I made a silent count--forty Grisha, maybe fifty, ht with a sigh My glorious reign was off to aparty, and I rose early the nextto realize that ould have less privacy at the Little Palace than we’d had on the road Between Tolya and Ta servants, I’d started to think we et a ht in the Darkling’s bed, re if Ithe couards’ quarters, but I wasn’t sure as on duty, and the thought of Tolya or Ta ue of the dayI knew, it was le fountain, the path to the palace gates ar with people and horses: Vasily and his aristocrat friends in their elaborate riding regalia, First Arion of servants in white and gold

I found Mal checking his saddle near a group of royal trackers He was easy to pick out in his peasant roughspun He had a glea ne on his back and a quiver of arrows fletched in the pale blue and gold of the Ravkan king The formal Ravkan hunt forbade the use of firearms, but I noticed that several of the servants had rifles on their backs, just in case the animals proved to be tooup beside hi down a few boar?"

Mal snorted "This is nothing Another group of servants left before dawn to set up the ca on a hot cup of tea"

A horn blew and the riders began to fall into place in a clatter of hooves and clanking stirrups Mal shook his head and gave a firruh-polished boots "Maybe I should have outfitted you in so a little more … shiny"

"There’s a reason peacocks aren’t birds of prey," he said with a grin It was an easy, open soing, I realized He’s grulad I tried not to take it personally

"And you’re like a big brok?" I asked

"Exactly"

"Or an overlarge pigeon?"

"Let’s stick with hawk"

The others weretheir horses to join the rest of the party as they headed down the gravel path

"Let’s go, Oretsev," called a tracker with sandy hair

I felt suddenly aard, keenly aware of the people surrounding us, of their inquisitive stares I had probably breached sooodbye

"Well," I said, patting his horse’s flank, "have fun Try not to shoot anyone"

"Got it Wait, don’t shoot anyone?"