The creature startled me, it looked so much like the volcra, yet it didn't at the same time. It barely had any face and devoid of features. I moved my leg out of its grasp but it gripped my abdomen,quick. It's claws sinked into my leather vest and through my red blouse. I could feel it sharpen into me.

I winced in pain. I wanted to scream out but decided to contain my screaming, I had to be strong plus if I did have shadow summoning maybe I could control the shadow creature clawing into me. It wasn't that hard but I raised my hand and tried the first spark of shadow summoning. I started of using my light powers then I slowly shifted it to a darkened mist. It grew stronger. But then disappeared almost instantly. The shadow creature gripped me harder and I could feel blood oozing out of me. My entire body felt a strong tingling sensation but I pulled through and attempted to summon again.

The Darkling said, shadow summoning is controlled by emotions. So my emotions towards him. Hatred, anger, frustration and something else.
I let out all my emotions and twirled some shadows in the palm of my hand I hastily showed it to the Shadow creature. It let go of me. I breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath. I put my hand down to my abdomen to feel a deep wound cut into me. But I wasn't bleeding anymore. I guess the creature responds to anyone who had shadow summoning.

No doubt one of the Darkling's creations.

I managed to stand up,holding the side of my abdomen. I looked to the creature to see it bend down to my feet. Why? Is it because I have his summoning.

I wonder how long this room has been in the Grand Palace and is there one in the Little Palace. Wait, he wanted this creature to hurt me didn't he. But did he count on me using his summoning for the first time. I have to stop thinking about him, otherwise he will be able to communicate with me. But I need him to think I didn't or couldn't, use his powers. I bent down to the creature and I decided to touch it. It felt like pure shadows wrapped overlaped on one another, like bandaged mummies from historically based fairytales.

I signalled the creature to try and hurt me, so the Darkling does not suspect anything once I get out this room. It didn't attack me. It didn't want to hurt me. As if it respected me.

I tore of patches of my own clothing to make this sharade believable. I tried some more shadow summoning. It was easier then sun summoning,but I felt my body tingle unexpectedly again. Like it didn't want me to use any shadow powers. I heard footsteps behind the doors. It had to be the Darkling.

I stopped trying to shadow summon and on cue I heard the door unlock and it opened with the Darkling steeping inside with the light from the hallways, rushing in behind him.

I felt light on my face again. I looked to the shadow creature but the Darkling vanquished it away with a wave of his hand. I squinted my eyes at him.

"Alina. I take it you've learned your lesson!" He asked staying at the entrance of the door. If I had to make my charade believable, I had to pretend I was scared. But I was scared of the creature. Not anymore.

"Maybe I have. What was that thing?"
I asked about the creature who bowed down to me.

"They're called Nichevo'ya, they came with me from the fold. Now come. You've served your punishment." He said looking up and down at me. He saw the claw marks on my side and saw the intentionally made rip outs of my clothes.

I followed him outside of the room. He then locked it behind me and then turned to me."How did you survive my nichevo'ya anyway? Those are some pretty deep cuts it inflicted onto you Alina."

I looked down to my side and could see the cut, clearly in the light. The claw markings quickly turned into dark purple scars that hurt whenever I touched them. I winced a little, touching them gently."Your little creature must have took mercy on me."

"hmm, or maybe it didn't hurt you much, as it respected you."

"Why would it do that?" I asked. Already knowing why.

"Don't play with me Alina. How I thought you had learned from being in there." He glanced at the doors of the chamber I was in. I followed his eyes. "I know you used my summoning and the creature didn't hurt you after you used it, didn't you."

How did he know?

"How did you-

"I sensed it Alina. When you used my powers for the first time, I felt a tingling sensation and I know you felt it too." I looked down at my feet. I hate how he felt the tingling too. "But it wasn't because of my powers, the Nichoven'ya respected you."

The Darkling came closer to me and reminded me of how much taller he was than me. His hand reached out and caressed the wound on my side. I let out a small scream. His eyes were focused on my wound."Do you know why Alina?"

"No." I whispered, awaiting his answer. His actions were calculated, he knew precisely were to touch my wound, to not hurt me too much. I saw the side of his face, how his beard lines went down to the crook of his neck and how his lifeless eyes observed the wound deeply. His face was chiselled to perfection. How could anyone who looked so perfect be so cruel?

He looked up to meet my eyes,snapping me out of my thoughts a out him. Sometimes the way he looks at me, like he is right now, makes me feel weak to my knees.

"It's because your the Queen of Shadows!"

***
Start- 20:04pm 2/12/21
Finished: 21:25pm 2/12/21
Published: 20:05pm 3/12/21