Spark (Legends of the Shifters) (12 page)

They
ended the session and went to return the weapons. I fell in step
beside Liana, hoping that her trainer wouldn’t care.

“
Have
you seen Roselle?” I asked.

Her
eyes betrayed her worry. She looked at her trainer once, who was
watching us out of the corner of his eye without saying anything.
“Yes, actually,” she whispered. “She was taken by
Niko into his father’s office, which is just past the foyer in
the boys' dorms.”

I bit
my lip.

Liana’s
voice cracked as she asked, “Is she in trouble?”

“
She
might be,” I said. I looked at her trainer and then back at
her. Quietly, I said, “I’ve gotta go. If she is in
trouble, I intend to help her.”

Liana
nodded. She smiled at her trainer. “Shall we practice with the
bow?” she asked. She was a master at pretending that nothing
was wrong. I could look at her and think that the world was a perfect
place. But things were far from perfect, and I needed to try and fix
them. I headed straight for the boys' dormitory, and slipped inside,
hoping that the guards stationed around the campus wouldn’t
think anything of it.

The
boys' dorms looked grubbier and more beat up than the girls'.

The
foyer was dimly lit by lanterns, one of which hung crookedly on a
wall. A flight of stairs was directly in front of me, the marble
chipped and in need of washing.

I
went up the stairs, seeing a desk that was placed at the end of a
wide corridor. An old man that sat behind it was writing something,
and he looked up as I walked in. He had stringy white hair, and a
mousy appearance.

“
I
don’t believe you should be in here, girl,” he said,
looking back at the door he was in front of. “You should go
back to training before the headmaster knows that you came.”

I
narrowed my eyes. “Actually, I’d really like to get in
that room,” I said.

“
No.
I forbid it. There is already someone waiting who has business in
there.”

I
pursed my lips. I was desperate to get into the room to tell Roselle
what I had heard. It might help her get out of trouble if she knew.

I
pushed past him, and opened the door.

The
person that sat in the chair had bruises lining the side of their
face. Their sleeve was ripped, suggesting that there was a struggle.
Their hair was caked with blood. That person, however, was not
Roselle.

It
was Kurt.

I
gasped in surprise and horror. “Kurt? What happened to you?”

He
turned his head stiffly to look at me.

“
Ivy?
You shouldn’t be here. Go run laps around the arena,” he
said, grimacing in pain.

I
held my hand over my mouth in disbelief. “No...no, I can’t.
Not until I found out why this happened to you.”

He
raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t it obvious? I let you get
away. I let you slip out of my grasp—” He cut off his
words to reposition himself in his chair. I wondered if he did it on
purpose. If he was going to say something he’d regret or if he
already had.

I
jumped around when I heard someone clearing their throat. The
headmaster stood there, a look of derision cast over his features. “I
wondered where you had gone off to. Perhaps I should have put a guard
in charge of you.”

I
glared at him. “Why is has Kurt been treated like this?”

He
smiled coldly, a look his son had also perfected. “He let you
g
et away. He was supposed to
keep a close watch on you.”

“
It
wasn’t his fault that I left!” I protested.

The
headmaster studied me with a smirk on his face. “Oh, we know.
The girl was already turned in. We’ve taken care of her
already.”

“
Roselle?”
I asked, my confidence dripping away.

“
Yes.”

“
What
did you do to her?” I growled, even though I felt like crying.
What could I do? Especially to the headmaster.

“
Oh,
no worries. She’ll be happy with her new life. She’s
successfully reached a Level Ten. We’ve stationed her far away.
Quite far.”

I dug
my nails into my hands, trying not to show emotion. My eyes welled up
anyway. “Then…am I never to see her again?” I
asked.

The
headmaster walked around to his desk and sat. “I don’t
think so. And what a shame it was to see her go, seeing as she and
her father were so close.”

He
seemed to remember that Kurt was in the room. “And your
training will no longer be with Kurt,” he gestured to my
wounded trainer. “You will be training with Niko instead. I
suppose that’ll be punishment enough.”

He
looked behind me, and motioned for someone to come in. Niko came
around the corner and stood behind his father’s chair. A spark
of triumph was unmistakable in his eyes.

“
Thank
you, Father,” Niko said, keeping a serious look on his face. “I
will make sure that she gets trained
properly
.”

I
glanced down at Kurt, who I once thought big and powerful. He was
defeated now…and so was I.

“
Take
her to the arena, Niko. And Kurt, I’m suspending your trainer’s
status. You'll spend the next year as a guard.”

Niko
pushed me out the door.

Before
it closed, I heard Kurt's voice answer, “Yes, Father.”

*****

My
mind was racing as we walked into the training arena. Kurt was the
headmaster’s son? Niko’s brother? I found it hard to
believe. He was so different from them, failing to resemble them in
any way.

Niko
led me to an obstacle course instead of a weapon station like I was
used to. He had a whip out, but I knew that his whip would be harder
and harsher than Kurt’s. I jumped over hurdles, balanced on
beams, and swung from bar to bar with Niko’s commanding bark
and merciless whip at my back. My muscles trembled with exhaustion,
and red welts were raised on my back and on the backs of my arms and
legs. I fought not to crash to the ground. He hadn’t even let
me stop for food at break time. My stomach rolled with hunger and my
throat felt like a parched desert.

“
Go
to bed early,” Niko said as he walked away from me when the day
was done. “We have a full day tomorrow.”

I
went into the dining hall right when the weekly announcements
started. I sat down with Liana, Abby, and Natalia, who had finally
chosen to sit with them that time. Mrs. Scarls stated each victor
from the challenges this week, including my name, and then said,
“Headmaster Drake will now give the upgrades.”

She
stepped off the platform, and let the headmaster take her place. He
paced the stage as he read off a list of names in his hands and what
their level was.

“
Gregory
Mifton, Level Six. Fiona Leelum, Level Seven. Abby Vaughn, Level
Four.” He continued on for a few more minutes before my name
came up. “Ivy Oliver, Level Four.”

Several
gasps sounded throughout the room, including Liana's. She looked at
me. “You skipped
three
levels,” she whispered in awe. “That’s never
happened before.”

Headmaster
Drake didn’t even pause before reading the next name. I
received several glares from other tables, and even Abby seemed cold,
her usually bright gaze dull and sulking, her mouth turned down into
a frown.

I
wasn’t sure whether I should be angry or pleased. It meant that
I was closer to getting out of the school, but it also meant that I
might have the hardest of tasks to complete.

The
announcements ended, and platters of fruit and glasses of water were
set on each table. I was ravenous, but I didn’t want to be
unfair to the others at the table. I took only my portion, which was
gone in a second. Liana gave me a sympathetic look, and scraped some
of hers closer to me with a fork. “You can have my share. I had
a huge breakfast.”

I
thanked her, and ate her portion, but slower this time. Abby was
completely turned away from the entire time. We had never talked, but
we had been friendly acquaintances, and it made me sad that she was
responding this way.

The
platter of food was whisked away from us, some of it still uneaten,
although I knew that Liana’s and my portion were gone. The
covered, silver platter was set in front of us. The lid was lifted
and the number 81 wavered into place.

Silence
was met at the table. I'd had this number already last week, and had
failed to get anything. The caves were merciless to hunger.

When
we all materialized into the different world, it was impossible to
see anything. I flinched when something scaly touched my arm.

“
Sorry,”
said Natalia’s voice.

“
What
is that?” I asked.

She
hesitated before answering, “I’m in my half-form. It’s
a little known fact that mermaids can see in the dark. They have to
in order to hunt in the deep parts of the ocean.”

“
Oh,”
I said. After a pause, I wasn’t sure if she was there or not.
“Natalia?” I asked.

No
answer. “Liana?”

“
Yes?
I’m still here.”

“
How
do I change into half-form?” I questioned.

“
When
you’re not finished transforming into first or second form, you
cut off the thoughts of whatever it is that you think about.”

“
All
right. I’m gonna try it,” I said.

I
recollected the warmth of the sun. I felt my skin starting to change,
and the bright light was coming into view. Immediately, I thought of
Natalia instead. What must she look like in half-form? My changing
felt different this time, my skin shifting in ways it hadn't before,
a burning feeling coiling around my entire body.

“
Ivy…”
Liana whispered. “Look at your arms!”

I
looked down. I noticed straightaway that my vision was better. I
could see the shapes of the caves, and I heard sounds echoing
throughout. Bats rustling, water dripping, rocks clattering.

But I
wasn’t ready for what Liana had seen. Swirls of light veined my
skin, glowing in the darkness.

“
It’s
on your face, too,” she whispered in awe.

I
touched my cheek.

My
clothes had changed also. When I changed back from full second form,
I had on an inconvenient dress. But now that I was in half-form, the
dress had been made for battle. It was shorter in the front with a
long train of feathers, the same colors of the phoenix's, in the
back. Tall boots stretched up to mid-thigh, but oddly, it wasn't
uncomfortable. They fit me perfectly. A sword was strapped to my
waist, and leather gauntlets warmed my fingers.

I
drew the sword. It rang as it cut through the air. I took off one of
the gloves and fingered the edge, testing its sharpness, and I felt
it pierce through my skin. It was truly a dangerous weapon.

I
could see Liana now, almost perfectly. She stepped up to me and
touched my hair, holding part of it so I could see. Feathers were
entwined with my normal red curls.

I
smiled. “I guess we’d better start looking for food,”
I said. She nodded wordlessly.

I
drew my sword. It rang as it cut through the air. I fingered the
edge, testing its sharpness, and I felt it pierce through my skin. It
was truly a dangerous weapon.