Spark (Legends of the Shifters) (19 page)

“
You
did what you could, and it was astounding. You have earned my respect
as a fellow student…and a friend.”

I
smiled at her grimly. “Yes, but you don’t know the worst
of what happened in the fight.”

She
wrinkled her forehead. “And what is that?”

I
wondered if I should tell her, but I had already said too much to go
back now, and someone might as well know.

“
I
had a sudden memory of my childhood. I grew up an orphan, but this
was before that. And somehow, I figured out that Kurt is actually
my...my brother.” I stumbled on the sentence, unused to the
way the words felt in my
mouth.

Liana
was silent for a few moments. “Is that a good thing or a bad
thing?” she asked, peeking down at me.

“
Considering
the fact that he used it as a distraction to beat me, a bad thing.”

She
frowned deeply. “You know, I’ve never thought that Kurt
fit in with the headmaster’s family. I mean, I knew he was
adopted, but usually when someone joins a family, they have at least
a few similarities—”

She
was interrupted by the nurse. “Ivy Oliver,” the nurse
said with a smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you, you know.
And especially about the events of today. What a brave thing to do!”

I
forced a smile. “I try.”

She
looked down at the arm that I was holding and said, “I’m
going to examine your arm to see if it’s broken. You might feel
a little pain.”

The
nurse sat me down on a cot, and put her ice-cold fingers on my arm,
feeling around my elbow where it hurt. I jerked it back and gasped
through clenched teeth. She gave me a pitying look. “I’m
afraid that it is, in fact, broken. The only thing I can do for you
is set it and put it in a splint.”

“
Set
it?” I asked.

“
Yes,”
she answered. “Your bones were snapped out of place, so to grow
back together correctly, I'll have to force them into the right
position.”

The
very thought of it made my stomach churn.

The
nurse fumbled around in a nearby drawer before coming up with
something that looked like a stick. She held it up to my mouth.
“Open,” she ordered.

My
eyes widened in fear. “Right now?” I asked.

“
The
sooner, the better,” she answered.

I did
as she said, and bit down on the stick. Liana held my other hand. I
shut my eyes tightly as the nurse took a hold of my arm.

For a
moment, everything was still. Then, she jerked my arm just below the
elbow. Unbearable pain shot up my arm and my vision was clouded with
black dots. The entire tent went silent when I bit down on the wood
and screamed.

The
pain began to ebb, but I still felt nausea boil up in my stomach.
Everything around me felt like a trance, fading in and out of sight.
The nurse laid me down on the cot and set a cool cloth on my
forehead.

“
There,
there,” she said. “The hard part is over.”

She
took the stick from my mouth and tossed it to the ground. Liana
tugged her hand out of my grip. I realized in my confusion that I
must have squeezed her hand too tightly.

Gradually,
the nausea faded away, and my head stopped swimming.

The
nurse measured my arm, and then went off to get the materials for my
splint. I focused my attention back on Liana. “Shouldn’t
you be training right now?” I asked wearily.

She
shrugged, and took my hand once again. “I don’t know. My
trainer hasn’t come to collect me yet.”

I
glowered. “I don’t know why you’re here. You could
be off doing something more enjoyable than this.”

“
I
know,” she replied. “But you were there for me when I was
sick, or at least you would have been if Natalia hadn't pushed you
away. This is just what friends do for each other.”

I
managed to smile at her, although it was quickly replaced by a frown
when I saw the nurse again.

Liana
stayed with me until her trainer showed up, angry because he hadn’t
been able to find her. She apologized for having to leave as he
dragged her out.

The
nurse wrapped a bandage around the splint in a thick layer, and then
let me go when I was able to stand without feeling woozy. I made my
way to my dorm with a stiff and hurting arm, and a headache from the
worries of the day.

*****

I
jerked awake. I hadn’t been aware that I was sleeping. My mind
had to make an effort to remember where I was and what was happening.
Only then did I realize that someone was banging on the door, like
people do when it’s morning. Strange how there were no trumpets
or blinding lights. I looked around the room, but it was empty except
for me. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, grateful that I'd
kept the same bunk even after Roselle had left.

I
tried to stand up, but I nearly collapsed. I caught myself with my
good arm and stumbled for the door, cracking it open to see the old
clerk that managed Headmaster Drake’s affairs.

“
Took
you long enough,” he grumbled. “The headmaster would like
to see you.”

“
What
for?” I asked.

“
I
don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. What
does
matter is that he’s
waiting in his office for you, and he’s not very good at being
patient.”

I
scowled, but followed him. Only when we departed from the dorm did I
worry about my appearance. My clothes were wrinkled and my hair was
probably a mess. I made an effort to straighten everything, although
I don’t know why. Who was I trying to impress? I didn’t
really care what the headmaster thought.

We
entered the boys’ dorm, which was directly in front of the
girls’. We climbed up the crumbling marble steps and went
through the corridor and into the office.

“
That'll
be all, Gibble. You can leave now.”

The
old man nodded several times as he backed out of the room, muttering
unintelligibly.

I
watched him leave before turning to the headmaster.

“
So
what do you want?” I asked.

“
Oh,
no, my dear. This is not about want
I
want. This is mainly about
what
you
want.”

I
narrowed my eyes. That wasn’t what it sounded like.

He
continued. “For instance, you want to graduate as soon as
possible. And I can help you accomplish that…after your arm
heals, of course.”

“
How?”
I interrupted.

He
held up a hand. “Let me finish. I have never done this before,
but because you show promise, I’m thinking about sending you on
a quest.”

“
A
quest? A quest for what?”

“
There
is a plant, rumored to exist on the Isle of Ginsey. Its leaves are
bright green, its flowers small and golden. But the elixir...the
elixir is said to come from the stem, which is dark purple. It is
said to heal any wound, and perhaps even grant eternal life.”

“
Ginsey?
Isn’t that all the way across—”

“
Yes,
it’s about a thousand miles away. But with your flight, I think
that you could get there in a matter of weeks, perhaps. Once you have
fully recovered.”

“
If
I went on this quest for you...would I be able to graduate as soon as
I got back?”

Headmaster
Drake waved his hand before answering, “Sure, as long as you
are successful.”

“
Then,
I’ll go,” I said. It wasn't freedom that he was granting
me, but it was very close. I wasn’t about to turn it down.

He
smiled. “Good. When it is time for you to leave, I’ll
give you more information on its whereabouts.”

I
nodded and stood up to leave.

“
And
also, I want to congratulate you on your performance in the
challenge. You did quite well considering the skill level of your two
opponents. I’ve decided that because of your accomplishments
and good behavior, and the fact that Kurt beat Niko in front of the
crowds, I’m going to appoint Kurt as your trainer once again.”

I
clenched my teeth. After what happened in the challenge cage, I
wasn't sure who was worse.

“
What?
I thought you’d be happy,” the headmaster said, seeing my
obvious discomfort.

I
forced a smile. “Oh, of course I am. Just surprised is all.”

He
didn't look convinced, but he said, “Good. You may leave now.”

As
soon as my back was turned, the smile disappeared from my face. I
would have to deal with my brother every day now. I wondered if he
had already known that I was his sister when he threw me to the
ground and broke my arm.

I
went off to my dorm, ready to lie down for another nap, but was
intercepted by Kuris. Figures.

“
Hey,
where do you think you’re going?” he said, heading
straight toward me.

“
To
my dorm,” I said.

“
No
you’re not. You’re going to follow me.”

“
I'd
rather not
,” I
said, not slowing my pace.

He
grabbed my good arm and dragged me in a different direction. I
stumbled over my feet. “Hey! Let me go!”

He
didn’t reply but brought me to a tent that sat among a series
of tents behind the boys’ dorms. These were for the male
trainers, just like the ones behind our dorm were for the female
trainers.

Inside,
it was plain. Just a bed, a desk, a dresser and a wood-stove that had
a pipe going out of the roof. Scattered on the desk were a few
papers, although I didn’t know what paperwork he needed to be
dealing with. He offered me the chair at the desk, and I took it
unenthusiastically. He sat down on the bed across from me.

“
I
want you to understand something,” Kuris said. “I know
you think I’m your brother—”

“
Aren’t
you?” I asked.

“
Here,
I’m not,” he answered. “You can’t tell
anyone. We need to make sure that the headmaster never finds out
about this, because he’ll only use it to his advantage.”

“
I
don’t understand.”

“
There
are a lot of things you don’t understand. Just remember not to
give the headmaster too much information about yourself. He will
definitely use it against you.”

“
I
already know that!” I exclaimed, exasperated.

“
Do
you? Because you have expressed fully your want to leave the school,
and he’s already given you a quest to accomplish. I told you
once that my
student
died, and do you want to know how?”