Mercenary Little Death Bringer (6 page)

“Good,” he said softly, “Now I want you to
change that spark into a flame.”

I’d never tried that before. Could I change a
spark into a flame? How? I had to trust that he knew I could learn
it. I took another cleansing breath and imagined the spark being
changed into a flame.

Nothing happened.

I almost laughed at myself. I couldn’t
change
a spark into a flame. I pictured the spark flaring
into the next stage of a spark, a flame. You couldn’t change an
item, you had to use a catalyst or use the next stage of an item’s
life. I had to use a lot of strength to do it, but after a moment
of straining the flame flared in my palm and I smiled
victoriously.

“Good. Now pull the flame into your core
where your power is and let it mix with your power.”

I concentrated and slowly, but surely, pulled
the flame into the spot where my power was. The instant the flames
touched the spark my body filled with power and the spark was
transformed into a flame. I gasped in shock and my eyes flew open
as it surged through me. Gradually the power subsided inside of me
and instead of the spark which had been there, a flame flickered
within me.

“How do you feel?” he asked me with a smug
smile.

“Wow,” I whispered. “That was intense.”

“Yes, but now your power will be permanently
increased.”

“Can you exponentially increase your power
this way?” I asked him as I shook out my body which felt tingly all
over.

“How do you think Elves gain so much power?
You can only do this once every two months, but as you can imagine,
over time it can make you extremely powerful.”

“Do other races know of this technique?” I
asked him. If humans were aware of this there were bound to be many
overly powerful beings.

“No. This is an elf only technique,” he said
seriously.

I jerked my head up to meet his eyes. “Why
did you teach me? Won’t you get in trouble? I don’t want you
getting in trouble because of me.”

He put his hand on my shoulder and met my
eyes with his serious prince gaze. “You are part of the Elves. You
are a favored daughter of the King and Queen, no matter your
rounded ears and darker skin,” he said as he lightly tugged on the
top of my ear where his became pointed, but mine stayed round. “I
taught you because you needed to know to increase your power and I
trust that you won’t teach anyone else the technique.”

I felt my eyes starting to water and clenched
them shut. “Thank you.”

He wiped a tear that had escaped off of my
face and laughed softly. “You females are so tender,” he
whispered.

I opened my eyes and punched him as hard as I
could in the shoulder. He grunted in pain and tackled me to the
ground. I rolled out from under him and we faced off. I knew I
couldn’t win because he was faster and stronger, but we had been
sparring partners since we were kids and old habits die hard. He
darted forward, trying to grab me around my waist, but I jumped up
over his head, having to duck my head down so I wouldn’t hit the
ceiling and wrapped my arms around his neck. Unfortunately he
turned just before I did that and we ended up embracing each other
with our noses touching. My cheeks flooded with blood and I jerked
away from him just as someone knocked on my door.

“Enter,” Favian said as I turned away from
them to face the back wall and fought with my strange emotions once
again.

“Macon summons you,” Micah said in his fake
serious tone.

Why was I embarrassed? Favian and I had
hugged many times. I had shared sleeping sacks with him many times
as well. Why did a close hug now make my blood pound and my head
spin?

“Alright,” Favian replied. I heard him
walking, but was still trying to figure out the weird feelings so I
had not moved yet. “Marin?”

I finally calmed my heart and got the blood
to flow out of my face. “Sorry,” I whispered, “I was just
thinking.” I turned around and followed behind them as we
walked.

“How was your break?” Micah asked Favian.

Favian shrugged. “Same as always. I do my
part as prince, bowing and dancing and flirting with maidens. The
only happy parts were during the nights when Marin and I snuck off
to practice.”

“Is she any better?” Micah asked.

“She can hear you,” I said before smacking
Micah in the back of the head.

Micah laughed. “I wasn’t sure if she was
paying attention.”

“She is better, but still a slow girl,”
Favian teased.

“I can kick your butt. I just choose not to,”
I said defensively. “If I were to beat you, your reputation and
title as Prince would be put in jeopardy and as your friend I
cannot allow that to happen.”

Favian rolled his eyes at me and Micah
laughed at us both.

We arrived at Macon’s office and Micah opened
the door for us. Macon waved us in and I was shocked to see all of
the employees and the leaders of each of the years of students
inside of the office. It was extremely cramped with so many people
inside, but I made my way in and nodded at the people I hadn’t had
a chance to say hello to yet.

“We’ve just updated everyone on your
situation,” Macon told me, “And unfortunately with so little
information we have no way of figuring out who is after you.”

“But we think we have a plan,” Master Sean
said.

“What kind of plan?” Favian asked
skeptically.

“Would you be ready for your final exam in
one month instead of three?” Macon asked me.

“Yes,” I said in my strong mercenary
voice.

“Good,” Macon said with a smile. “Then this
year’s finalists will be taking their exam two months early and
this will probably be the most difficult exam ever given.”

“Sir, what plan do you have to find out who
is after Marin?” Favian asked.

All eyes turned to him, shocked at his
serious tone. I rarely heard him use the tone, usually only when
ordering people around for important items when he was in prince
mode. And I’d never heard him use it on a superior before.

“We’re going to use all of the finalists to
stage an operation to lure out the kidnapper to apprehend them.
Once apprehended we will either get them to confess who hired them
or torture them until they tell us,” Macon said.

“You’re going to use me as bait,” I said with
a smile.

Master Martin smiled back at me. “You are the
best looking bait we’ve got in this school.”

“No,” Favian said angrily, “We are not using
her as bait. She could be hurt or killed. She could be kidnapped
and…”

“And that is the only way that we will be
able to find out who is after me,” I said softly, stopping Macon
from yelling at Favian’s outburst. Macon’s eyes glowed with fury
and I knew that if I didn’t defuse Favian quickly, he would take
the brunt of that anger.

“Marin, I will not allow you to…” Favian
began.

I turned and stared straight into his eyes.
“Don’t you think I’m aware that I could be killed?! You think I
want to play damsel in distress when someone’s not right beside me?
I don’t want to, but it’s necessary and besides, it’s my decision.
I want to find out who is after me and why and if the only way to
do that is to prance around the city square then dammit I will put
on a dress and prance around. I know you are worried and I
appreciate it, but this is what we are trained for. You have to
trust your brothers to be able to help us. Most of all we have to
do this or we won’t graduate.”

“Father won’t allow it,” he said giving me
his cold stare.

I hated the cold stare. It meant that he was
mad at me and wouldn’t talk to me for the next day or two. “Father
does not need to know what we are planning. You can apprise him of
our encounter and leave it at that.”

“This is ridiculous,” he said. “Does no one
but me value your life?”

“You’ve crossed a line with those words,”
Macon said dangerously angry.

“You are all mad,” Favian said and then
stormed out of the office.

I’d never heard of anyone walking out of
Macon’s office without permission. I turned and Macon waved his
hand dismissively. “Leave him be.”

“Why wait a month?” I asked him, “Why can’t
we do this sooner?”

“We need to plan everything out and be sure
that we can protect you during this operation.”

“I can protect myself,” I reminded him.

Macon smiled. “We are all aware of your
capabilities, Marin. We are not belittling them, but I will not put
a student in any type of danger which could possibly end with your
death. After you leave these grounds then you can do as many
dangerous jobs as you like.”

“If they had wanted me dead they would have
told them to kill me, not kidnap me alive.”

“Perhaps whoever it is wants to kill you
themselves,” Micah suggested.

“That is a possibility,” Master Sean
agreed.

“So, for the next month the Masters and I
will plan the operation out while you work your hardest on your
close combat and escape maneuvers. You’ll need everything you’ve
been taught during this final,” Macon said. “For now all of you go
eat lunch.”

All of the students who had been sitting
stood up and everyone saluted Macon. “Yes, sir,” we said in
unison.

I walked out the door and Micah walked beside
me. “This is exciting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my upcoming kidnapping and probable
death is very exciting,” I said sarcastically.

“Oh come on. You know you’ll be safe,” he
said with a smile.

“Come on we need to find Favian for lunch,” I
replied to change the subject.

“Any idea where he is?” he asked.

I smiled. “I know exactly where he is.” We
jogged around the dorms and I led Micah to the outdoor training
ground. As soon as we were within ear shot we heard the yells of
several males battling and when it came into viewing I could see
Favian battling with six other students.

We walked up to the arena and I stepped
inside, moving out into the ring so he would see me. The six
fighting Favian were other finalists and some of the toughest
students in the school. Favian ducked a punch from two of them at
once and then darted forward to punch a third in the face before he
could pull his sword from his belt. I watched Favian’s speed and
grace and smiled at his flawless form.

When Favian was focused, no one could beat
him. I however knew his one weakness. Fortunate for me his weakness
happened to be
me
. The six students were tired and I could
see they were beginning to falter. If I didn’t intercede soon one
of them would get injured by Favian’s anger. I stepped around one
of the students and pulled my sword from my sheath. Favian spun
around, hearing the sword drawn and stopped with his sword a
fraction of an inch from mine. “Blowing off some steam?” I
asked.

He pulled his sword back and took a step
back. “I hate when you do that.”

“Macon ordered all of us to lunch. Let’s go
before you get in trouble for your rudeness earlier and disobeying
him now,” I said and took a step back.

“I’m not hungry,” he said as he turned
towards a new student who had replaced one of the tired ones.

I darted forward and sliced at Favian’s back.
He spun around and blocked my blade with his. “Macon has summoned
everyone for lunch. All of you need to leave.” The other students
grumbled, but left, including Micah, leaving Favian and I alone. I
waited until everyone was out of ear shot and said, “Talk to
me.”

Favian sheathed his sword and headed out of
the arena. “It’s lunch time.”

I grabbed his arm and turned him back towards
me, but he wouldn’t look at me. “Don’t ignore me,” I said angrily,
“We’re partners remember?”

“What good is a partner if they will not
listen to you?” he asked bitterly before pulling out of my hold and
walking away.

He’d never been so angry with me before.
Didn’t he understand that I was scared? That I didn’t want to risk
my life even though I knew I needed to? How could he abandon me
when I needed him at my back the most?

I walked numbly to the food hall finding it
out of habit instead of sight and walked inside. Everyone was
already eating and talking so I made my way up the line and got
food quickly. There were very few people who didn’t like a girl
being at the Academy so I could sit with anyone, but I usually sat
with Favian and Micah. With Favian being so mad at me though, I
didn’t want to sit with him or anyone else. I carried my tray with
a bowl of soup and chunk of bread and sat at the single empty table
where I had spent my first two weeks when I’d originally come to
the Academy. I could have sat with Favian when I had first come
here, but I had been trying to give him time to make friends with
some of the males and so I had sat alone.

Sitting at the table again made me feel alone
and sad for the first time since I’d come here six years ago.
Several pairs of eyes were turned towards me as people gossiped
about the rumors and what they had found out so far. The only pair
of eyes averted from me were Favian’s. I wanted to cry and yell at
him at the same time. I ate my food with my eyes cast down and
ignored anyone who came near me in an attempt to talk. Things were
going fine until Brian came to my table.

Brian was tall with dark hair and eyes and a
perpetually foul demeanor. “You and your boyfriend having a fight?”
he asked with a sneer.

“I’m not in the mood, Brian,” I said before
taking a bite of my bread.

“It must be hard to have him mad at you and
not be able to run to him for affection. I’m willing to show you
some affection if you’re lonely,” he said as he reached towards
me.

I slapped his hand away and stood up. All
eyes turned to us. “Touch me and I’ll stab you,” I said
venomously.

“I’m just offering my services to a needy
damsel,” he said smugly and then reached for my bread.