Shadow and Bone

wonder she thought I was crazy for refusing the Darkling’s
offer. And maybe she was right.
The thought stayed with me through the long walk back
across the grounds to the Little Palace. Dusk was falling, and
servants were lighting the lamps that lined the gravel path. By
the time we climbed the stairs to my room, my stomach was in
knots.
I sat down by the window, staring out at the grounds. While
I brooded, Genya rang for a servant, whom she sent to find a
seamstress and order up a dinner tray. But before she sent the
girl away, she turned to me. “Maybe you’d prefer to wait and
dine with the Grisha later tonight?” she asked.
I shook my head. I was far too tired and overwhelmed to
even think about being around another crowd of people. “But
would you stay?” I asked her.
She hesitated.
“You don’t have to, of course,” I said quickly. “I’m sure
you’ll want to eat with everyone else.”
“Not at all. Dinner for two then,” she said imperiously, and
the servant raced off. Genya closed the door and walked to the
little dressing table, where she started straightening the items
on its surface: a comb, a brush, a pen and pot of ink. I didn’t
recognize any of them, but someone must have had them
brought to my room for me.
With her back still to me, Genya said, “Alina, you should
understand that, when you start your training tomorrow …
well, Corporalki don’t eat with Summoners. Summoners don’t
dine with Fabrikators, and—”
I felt instantly defensive. “Look, if you don’t want to stay
for dinner, I promise not to cry into my soup.”
“No!” she exclaimed. “It’s not that at all! I’m just trying to
explain the way things work.”
“Forget it.”
Genya blew out a frustrated breath. “You don’t understand.
It’s a great honor to be asked to dine with you, but the other