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  THE WOMAN IN THE mirror looked like Viktoriya, but she was an imposter. The grey and black kefta that fit her perfectly was a ruse, a lie. The kefta of the Moon Summoner. A real, living, breathing saint. But that was all a facade, made to trick the people of Ravka, make them think that she and the Sun Summoner would be their saviours. Viktoriya was not a saint, she was a girl who had her life stolen from her by the Darkling. 

She knew who he really was. She knew the evil that was hidden underneath. But what could she do about it? She was merely a girl and he was the Black Heretic. Viktoriya stared at her reflection. She had been denied the use of her powers for days now. Her skin had begun to pale and deep bags formed under her eyes. Her lips were cracked and dry and her heart was heavy. That was the cost of Grisha magic. If not used frequently, they wilt.

She touched her cheek slowly, carefully. The skin was ruff and she shuddered. The knowledge that in just a few short hours she would board the barge to cross the Shadow Fold and once again be able to use her power sent a thrill through her. Excitement tingled all over her at the thought that for a short period of time, she would be out of the Darkling's watchful gaze. 

From behind her, she could hear the flap of the tent open, followed by the clearing of a throat. "Excuse me, Sankta..." Viktoriya tensed at that word. Sankta. Saint. She turned slowly to see one of the Darkling's Squallers. He bowed. "He has requested your presence. I have been sent to escort you."

Viktoriya took a deep breath. It was time to put the mask back on. She straightened her back and began to walk towards the tent flap. "That won't be necessary," She kept her chin high as she moved past the Squaller and pushed herself into the sun.

 The military camp was bustling, preparing for the day's voyage. Viktoriya tried to ignore the stares of other Grisha or from the military enlistees. A few men whistled but she kept forward. The Squaller was quick to keep up, rushing to her side. "I must accompany you! The Darkling asked specifically!"

"I do not doubt that," Viktoriya's voice was stern as she kept her head forward. She could see the spire of the Darkling's large tent. "But I can manage to walk a few metres on my own."

"Of course, Sankta," The Squaller bowed, but he stayed at her side. Viktoriya tensed and the urge to turn and snap at him, to yell and tell him to never call her that again was powerful, but she held it in. Instead, she bit her tongue till she tasted the familiar iron tinge of blood. She reached the black tent and pushed open its flaps without a word. The Darkling stood in its centre, his black kefta nearly rendering him invisible in the darkness of the tent. "Sankta Viktoriya, sir." The Squaller bowed and scurried off. 

The Darkling turned around, smiling softly at her. Viktoriya crossed her arms and mentally prepared herself for what came next. She walked towards him and allowed the Darkling to hug her. She kept her arms crossed. When he let go, she could see the disappointment in his nearly pitch-black eyes. She knew she would be scolded for that later, once they returned to the Little Palace. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed tightly. She held in her wince. "Viktoriya..." His voice was low and held warning. 

"Sir," She tried to keep herself tall, but being under the scrutiny of his gaze caused her to shrink back and her voice faltered ever so slightly. "You requested my audience?"

"I did," He let go of her shoulder and pivoted. She followed him without question to the small war table, where two Heartrender's waited and discussed quietly, but at the sight of the Darkling and Viktoriya approaching, they stood at attention. "Come, I need your opinion on something."

No, you don't, Viktoriya scoffed. You just want to keep me in your sight. "What is it?" She held her tongue as she moved to his side, staring down at the map that was spread across the table.

"Do you think you will be able to summon while in the fold?" He asked, tilting his head to watch her out of the corner of his eye.

"Of course," She answered without question. "Why do you ask?"

"The volcra are particularly vicious. You have never faced them before," He turned to her. "They will challenge you." 

"I am prepared. You trained me for this," She bowed slightly. 

The Darkling stood straighter, a satisfied smile briefly crossing his face. "Then you will not fail me?"

Where was this coming from? Viktoriya shook her head. "Of course not."

"Good," The Darkling nodded. "You may go." With a swipe of his kefta, he turned his attention back to the war table.

Viktoriya froze in hesitation. "That's all?" 

The Darkling sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Yes. That is all, Viktoriya. Vlad will escort you back to your tent and when it is time for the skiff to set sail, he will fetch you once more," Vlad must have been the Squaller because at the mention of his name, the same boy that had accompanied her to the Darkling reappeared, a nervous smile on his face. "Is that understood?" His eyes darkened as he glanced over his shoulder. 

Viktoriya sucked in her breath and nodded stiffly. "Yes, sir," She bowed and turned on her heel, keeping her head high as she walked past Vlad. 

"Sankta!" She heard him call after her as she stepped back outside. She squinted in the sunlight, stopping in her tracks. Vlad huffed as he ran to her side. "Please humour me. I have been instructed to escort you." His voice trembled ever so slightly. 

Viktoriya turned her head and glanced down at him. His eyes were wide with fear. What had the Darkling said to frighten this poor boy so much? Viktoriya knew the answer to that question, but she chose not to dwell on it. "Alright," She sighed. "Escort me, Squaller." She hated the way she spat his class, like he was below her. Some part of her knew it was wrong, but that was the Darkling's teachings -- they all were below them. No one matched their power.

"Right this way, Sankta," Vlad bowed. Viktoriya followed him back to her tent. He held the flaps open for her as she entered. "I'll be right outside if you need anything." His voice was rushed and he quickly let the flaps fall.

Viktoriya dropped her shoulders and head, letting out the breath she had been holding since Vlad had first fetched her. She wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to bury her head deeper into the collar of her kefta as she trudged to her red velvet lounge chair. She flopped onto it with a groan and let the soft foam encompass her body. It would only be an hour until the skiff was set to leave, but Viktoriya closed her eyes anyway, allowing sleep to overtake her. 










  Her sleep was restless and filled with horrors, but she woke up as if it was a restful sleep filled with dreams of happiness and hope. Her face was straight and held little emotion. Only if you looked close enough would you see the terror in her eyes. "Sankta?" Vlad called softly as he opened the tent flaps and peeked inside. 

Viktoriya stood from her lounge chair, flattening out her kefta. "Is it time?" 

"Yes, Sankta," Vlad bowed. 

"Very well," She sighed. "Lead the way."

Vlad bowed, gesturing with his hand for her to follow. Viktoriya could feel the tension as soon as she left her tent. Nervous eyes watched her, every one filled with expectations. She watched people quietly mutter prayers or merely stay silent. She held her head high as she followed behind Vlad, eyeing the large wooden skiff in the distance. She kept notice of how the Darkling was nowhere to be found. 

"Ma'am," The captain of the skiff bowed when she reached the port. Vlad had already scurried off. 

"Captain," Viktoriya bowed back. "I presume everything is ready?" 

"Yes, we're just waiting on you, Sankta," She watched him shake in her presence and her stomach sank. 

She tried to smile the best she could, they did not come easy to her. "Well, let's not keep you waiting any longer. We're crossing the Shadow Fold." 

Some tension seemed to release from the captain's shoulder at her soft smile. He nodded leading the way onto the barge. Viktoriya followed him, ignoring the sick feeling she got from the hundred pairs of eyes on her. The captain led her to the front of the skiff, where a familiar face stood. "Zoya." Viktoriya greeted with a curt nod.

"Viktoriya," Zoya replied, her voice laced with irritation. Despite the dislike the women had for each other, one thing Viktoriya always appreciated was that Zoya never called her Sankta, she treated her like any other Grisha. "Finally gracing us with your presence?" 

Viktoriya chuckled bitterly. "I was to board last, his orders, not mine." 

Zoya rolled her eyes. "Who am I to go against the Darkling's orders?" She shook her head and turned her head to the front of the skiff, where the Shadow Fold loomed. 

The dark wall of shadow sent a chill down Viktoriya's spine. If she listed close enough, she could hear the cries of the volcra, horrid creatures that used to be human. Those were the stories she heard as a child. Not fairytales with happy endings and princesses, but horrifying truths, gruesome throughout. But the stories weren't fiction. They were all real and the man that had raised her had done it. "Time to set sail, captain," Viktoriya said lowly. 

As the skiff lurched forward into the sand, sails pushed by Squaller wind, Viktoriya tried to ignore the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, a warning to turn back and to run. But she stayed planted like a stubborn old tree, unmoving. The skiff moved faster and soon they were encompassed in all-consuming darkness. Inferni lit lanterns, a soft source of light, but not enough to protect them from the volcra. That was Viktoriya's job. 

Though they were inside the Shadow Fold, Viktoriya felt calm, excited, even. Finally, she would get to use her powers. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and extending her hands out from her sides. She called on the moon, to give her a source of white light to light the Fold like it did the night sky. The rush it gave her to summon was like nothing else. A soft glow emanated from her skin as the moonlight began to pulsate around her, inching outwards. 

Viktoriya had to focus. She opened her eyes to see how far her light had stretched. She had only covered half of the skiff. Sucking in, she pushed the moonlight harder and soon the entire skiff was enveloped in her soft glowing light. She heard sighs of relief be let out as everyone on board began to realize they were safe. For now, Viktoriya thought grimly. She would only be able to hold the light for so long. She was no Sun Summoner, she could not call on the light as they would. Moonlight was not as strong as the sun, and it would only be a matter of time until she could no longer hold it. 

They weren't even a quarter of the way through when the first bead of sweat dripped down her forehead and the first volcra cry was heard. The tension that had been slowly melting away returned and everyone on the skiff jumped. "How long can you hold it?" Viktoriya heard the captain ask. 

She took a shaky breath in. The weight of the light was getting heavier and heavier with every passing second. "Light summoning is not my specialty. But I should be able to hold it until we've cleared the Fold." 

Should. Her whole life Viktoriya had been trained to summon moonlight, but it never came easy to her. Moonlight was flimsy and unpredictable, unlike sunlight. It was heavy and most of the time had a mind of its own. All of her training and hard work led to this moment, but what if she wasn't enough? She could hear his voice in the depths of her mind, taunting her, telling her she wasn't good enough and it drove her forward. 

There was another volcra cry. It startled Viktoriya and she nearly lost her grip on the light. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as it flickered. She pushed harder, expanding the light further out to try and chase the volcra away. "Alright there, Moon Summoner?" Zoya's condescending voice echoed through her ears. 

"Shut. Up." Viktoriya spoke through her clenched jaw. Zoya would not ruin this for her. But she could feel the light slipping away from her. No, she thought, pushing harder. I will not fail!

"Inferni!" A strong and commanding voice called out. "Ready!" Viktoriya peeked her eyes open, glancing over her shoulder. Six Inferni, three on each side of the skiff were preparing flames. The volcra were slipping through. She was failing. At the sound of volcra cry, "Fire!" was shouted. Balls of flame shot out and lit up the darkness above the moonlight. 

Viktoriya's eyes widened. There were not just a few volcra, there were hundreds. She knitted her brows together as the moonlight flickered once more, shrinking. "Viktoriya..." Zoya spoke her name slowly. 

"I know," Viktoriya breathed. "I'm working on it." 

"The light is shrinking!" Zoya huffed. 

"And I am working on it!" Viktoriya yelled, whipping her head towards the Squaller, her hands balling into fists. The world went dark, the only source of light was from the Inferni's flames. Viktoriya choked, stunned at her foolishness. She let Zoya get under her skin. But was it really Zoya she was angry at? It may have been Zoya's words but she was thinking it too -- she was failing. A part of her hoped that a volcra would scoop her up and take her away so she would never have to face the Darkling. "I- that wasn't supposed to...I didn't mean..." Viktoriya's hands began to shake.

No one heard her. It was pure chaos. Shouts of fear and screams of horror filled the air as the volcra swooped down onto the skiff. She watched Grisha and army men alike be grabbed and pulled into the sky. Blood rained down the deck of the skiff, causing others to slip. Another call of fire and more balls of flame shot at the beasts, now followed by gunshots. But nothing would stop them, only light could deflect the volcra.

A shrill cry echoed above Viktoriya. Her head snapped up to see a volcra diving for her. She jumped to the wooden floor, ignoring how her shoulder painfully popped and rolled, narrowly avoiding the beast's talons. But the creature was persistent. It scurried after her, one talon managing to grab hold of her kefta sleeve. "Damn you!" She grunted, using her free hand to unclip the buttons of her kefta, allowing her to roll out of the fabric. 

Jumping to her feet, Viktoriya outstretched her arms and hands, narrowing her eyes towards the volcra, who had discarded her kefta. Feeling the gravitational pull around the volcra, she twisted her hands slowly, watching with satisfaction as the volcra began to slow down. It moaned in agony, its body's centre of gravity being twisted and manipulated. With a swift motion of her hands, she took its life. The volcra slumped to the skiff deck. 

There was more shouting, screams grew louder and louder. Viktoriya had to call the light back, but she was shaken. But then, as if a miracle, a burst of light exploded on board the skiff, blinding and bright. 

AUTHORS NOTE
I didn't expect the first chapter to be so long but here we are! I'm quite proud of how this turned out and I think this has been some of my best writing yet! What did you think lol?