The more advanced stuff, though, you needed training for, even if you were a natural. Lots and lots of training. So here we were.
And I was failing.
I was definitely not a natural.
I eyed Dane as he stared into the glowing orb in his hands. Of course he was amazing at this. Even little Starla had a collection of tiny lights cupped in her palm. Rip kept thrusting spheres that blasted outward and then fizzled. So he couldn’t control it, but at least he could conjure the magic up.
As for me, however, I wasn’t even seeing sparks.
I groaned and shook my hands out before trying again. I closed my eyes and created a space between my hands, willing a glowing ball of magic into existence. I could feel it, warming my hands with its otherworldly glow.
I was so sure I had done it that I opened one eye a crack to see.
Nothing.
Not even what the two-leggers called ‘fireflies.’
“This is surprising, Spark,” a voice murmured from directly behind my ear. I jumped, squealing, and all the energy I had tried to gather dissipated.
Not that anyone could see it.
Grendor was calmly examining me, like I was a sea slug that had crawled out from under a rock. She wasn’t cruel, like the General, but she wasn’t exactly doling out hugs either. I lifted my chin.
“I thought I had . . . something. But when I opened my eyes, it was gone.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
“You’re blocked.”
“What if I just don’t . . . have magic?”
It was true that all Mers had some magic, but the well was nearly dry in the unlucky few. Those Mers also didn’t enjoy quite the same extended lifespan the rest of the Mers did.
“Yes, you do. I can feel it.”
My shoulders drew back and I stared at her.
“You can? Truly?”
She nodded and gave me a small smile. She was on my side, it seemed. I had at least one teacher who didn’t think of me as an upstart and an interloper.
“Yes. It’s not insignificant, either. You must have gotten it from your mother.”
“My—” My jaw dropped open. Grendor knew my mother? “You knew her?”
She nodded solemnly.
“We went through the Academy together.” I nearly did a flip. I didn’t know my mother had even been in the Academy. But as what? Did she finish? “If you are anything like her, you hold yourself back. You simply need proper motivation.”
She swam to the front of the classroom and clapped her hands. Mers everywhere dropped their glowing orbs to face her.
“I need a volunteer.” She gave us a stern look. “This will be dangerous, so you will have to wear armor.”
A few hands shot up. She ignored them.
“Juno,” she said sweetly. “Thank you for volunteering.”
The big Mer grumbled as he was fitted into the armor. It was a shell, built to fit Mers but constructed of magically enhanced and expanded lobster shell. This particular lobster had been speckled green and blue and brown. I almost laughed.
Now Juno had freckles too.
Once he was strapped in and protected, he turned toward the class and waited.
“Clear the way, everyone. Not you, Tri.” She smiled at me benignly, then tossed Juno a weapon.
“Attack her.”
I stared at her in shock. He was the fiercest of all the warriors in training. He had a weapon and armor. I had none.
Grendor is trying to kill me too!
He landed a blow to my shoulder as I tried to evade him. I groaned and pivoted, protecting my flank with luck and speed. I sped away, ignoring the giggles of my classmates. I turned to see him barreling toward me with the fighting stick pointed right at me. If he hit me at that speed, he would impale me.
I liked eating shish kabobs. I didn’t want to become one.
“Katriana! Focus!”
I ground my teeth and threw my hands forward, not even bothering with forming an energy ball. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening. And then something did.
A massive wave of gold poured out of my hands and over Juno’s armor. The figure in front of me was blasted backward, not stopping until he hit the wall. He was held there, seemingly unconscious, as the energy coming from my hands continued to pummel him.
I vaguely heard people shouting. Dane’s voice finally broke through to me. He sounded worried. I tried to make sense of what he was saying.
“Tri! Stop! You’re killing him!”
His words came into sharp focus.
“I can’t!”
“Close your hands together, Katriana!” Grendor commanded. I did as she told me. I felt a tremendous tremor roll up my arms as I struggled to contain my power. I barely noticed as Juno slid to the floor.
The whirling mass in my hands condensed to a hard, smooth, glowing ball. I stared as it turned from gold to silver and then white.
“Keep going! Do not release it, Katriana. It’s far too dangerous!”
I exhaled, trying to concentrate as the ball hardened and shrank again. It looked dangerous. More than that, it looked heavy. As if it would break the floor if I released it. My friends and classmates were here. I could not let go, even though I was shaking with the effort. I felt exhausted.
I watched in awe as the ball broke apart into shards of bright white light. They swirled together until becoming a single point of light. It was so bright it hurt to look at it.
But I couldn’t look away.
“Now reabsorb it. Close your hands.”
I did as Grendor instructed and felt the jolt all the way up my arms. The shaking started to recede. I faltered, tilting to the side. Rip caught me before I fell.
“I’m okay. Thanks.”
I looked around the room, suddenly embarrassed. Of course I couldn’t just have normal magic like everyone else. I had thought I had no magic for so long. It turned out I had too much.
I was pretty much a freak of nature.
“You did well.”
I stared at Grendor skeptically, one eyebrow raised.
“You will need one on one training. Separate from the class. From now on, you will only observe here.” She gave me a small smile and I realized it was genuine. “I see now why you were chosen as Spark.”
Well, that was nice of her to say, I thought to myself. I felt a little kernel of hope inside me. Maybe I really could do this. Maybe I was worthy to be Spark.
I watched as Juno was revived and helped out of his armor. He would be skipping the afternoon classes, but Grendor assured me that he would be fine. He gave me an odd look as he swam past. I wondered if it had been anyone else, could I have held back more easily? My feelings toward Juno were not exactly the warm and fuzzy variety.
The bell chimed and it was time to go to our next class. My friends surrounded me. I smiled at them shakily, giving them a double thumbs-up.
“Are you okay? That was incredible,” Starla said breathlessly.
“I’m two for two so far. And it’s not even lunch.” I tried to act like everything was normal, but Dane was staring at me with yet another concerned look on his face. “I think I kind of suck at school, you guys.”
“That was not sucking, Tri,” Rip said with a rueful laugh. “You kicked tail!”
“What is your next class? Do you want us to help you?”
“Magical transformation. I’ll get her there.”
Dane went back to ignoring me other than the firm grasp he had on my arm. He propelled me forward as I waved to my friends over my shoulder. Dane was swimming so fast, I could barely keep up.
Magical Transformation was one of the ‘Spark only’ classes, like Human History and Etiquette. So it was just us. I was a little worried that I’d turn into a cuttlefish after what had just happened. I might have magic, but it was utterly wild and uncontrolled.
“Maybe this is a bad idea,” I said, swishing my tail to stop Dane before he dragged me into the Transformation classroom. I looked around ner
vously. “Maybe I should just quit.”
“What are you talking about, Tri?”
“I’ve already gotten sidelined twice. I hurt Juno. I could have killed him.”
“Don’t tell me you give a swordfish about Juno.”
“I don’t. Not really. But I don’t want to hurt anyone.” I sighed. “And I’m kind of tired of getting battered in every single class.”
He stared at me, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“You are not giving up, Katriana Spark!” He leaned closer, his voice a harsh whisper. “You are the strongest person I know. You have already beaten insurmountable odds. You are not a coward. You will not quit on me now.”
I stared at him in shock. Well. I tried to tell myself he was right about my not being a coward. I didn’t want to be one, anyway.
“I think you’re just hungry. Here.”
I eagerly accepted the seaweed wrapped lobster he pulled from his bag. I shoved a big bite into my mouth before I even thanked him. Bad manners, but I couldn’t help it.
He was right. I was famished. And it was still a few hours until lunch.
“Does this mean we are friends again?”
“We were always friends, Kat.”
I smiled at him stupidly as I demolished the food. I covered my mouth as a tiny burp escaped.
“Excuse me. And thank you.”
His face broke into a smile and he shook his head.
“You are one of a kind, that is for sure.” He grabbed my hand. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”
I was still licking my fingers as we swam into the small chamber.
There were benches here, but only one row lined the walls. And instead of a podium was a table with a chair.
Behind the table sat a teeger. Its majestic orange and black fur floated gently in the water. It yawned and revealed a mouth full of wickedly sharp-looking teeth. I blinked, not sure I could believe my eyes. I’d always wanted to see one. It was one of the reasons I had dreamed of becoming Spark.
We stared, unsure what to do.
“Should we . . . sit?” I asked in a low voice.
“Yeah,” Dane answered, equally low. “I think we should.”
We swam sideways, not willing to take our eyes off the teeger for a minute. Of course, it wasn’t really here. Teegers did not live at the bottom of the sea. This was magic and part of our first lesson.
I know logically that there was nothing to fear other than the possibility of both of us looking like cuttlefish.
But we still leaned back when the teeger leapt onto the table and started to pace back and forth, eyeing us like a tasty treat.
“Teegers like fish, don’t they?”
“We aren’t fish, Tri.”
“Yes, but . . . our tails probably taste like fish.”
Dane and I exchanged a worried glance. The teeger plopped down on the table and started licking its massive paw. Then it did something even more astounding than just its very existence.
It spoke.
“Welcome, Prince Pollux Spark and Katriana Spark. I am Jonquar Spark.”
Jonquar Spark was famous. He had lived on land for decades, creating a whole life and a career in politics during the late 1800s. He tried to stem the tide of industry, especially when it came to the sea. He probably did slow it down.
In the end, the two-leggers were too determined and too numerous.
Now someone had to try again. The currently active Spark was named Betemina Spark. We would be meeting her later, maybe not until after we graduated. Her dry land activities were secret. Only after a mission was over would the details be revealed to the general public.
Or if the Spark did not make it back to the sea.
Sadly, that had happened more than once.
We might have longevity on our side, but we were still flesh and bone. We could be hurt or killed. Hopefully, the transformation class would teach us not just how to grow legs but how to get ourselves out of tricky or dangerous situations.
Turning into a teeger would be a really good way to freak out a human.
I knew that for certain because even though I knew it was magic, even though I knew it was Jonquar, I was still pretty freaked out. I couldn’t imagine how someone who didn’t know about magic would react.
“Come closer. I won’t bite,” the teeger said with what looked like a smile. I shuddered. The effect was terrifying. But I pushed off from my seat and swam toward him. I barely noticed Dane at my side.
“Would you like to touch my fur?” The teeger preened a bit, still licking his paw. “Normally, I wouldn’t allow it, but I know you have a fascination with these creatures.”
“You . . . do?” I asked in awe. Had I told anyone about it? Or had Annaruth seen it in my heart?
The teeger lay down, offering us its side.
“I was told you weren’t timid, Katriana.”
I reached out, seeing Dane watching nervously from the corner of my eye. He had warned me. I was a target. But I wasn’t sensing a threat here.
And I really, really wanted to pet the teeger.
“Ohh . . .” I sighed as my hand sank into the silky fur. I ran my fingers down its flank, then lifted it and stroked downward again.
A loud rumble escaped the teeger. I froze as it lifted its head.
“Apparently, teegers like being petted.”
“You can’t control that?”
“No. My body is now the teeger’s body. I can’t make myself less teeger-like. For example, if you snuck up on me, I would definitely bite you.”
“Good to know,” I said with a shy smile. “Dane, you have to feel this.”
The teeger laid its head down again.
I took Dane’s hand and guided it to the teeger’s curved ribs. He stared at me in shock. We didn’t really have anything this soft under the sea. Not that I’d experienced. A stingray’s belly was smooth and tender, but unless you had one as a familiar, you were not likely to pet one.
Of course, Dane’s familiar was in fact a giant stingray.
“Is it as soft as Zyrina?”
“Softer. Different,” he said, his voice full of awe. I stroked the teeger once again and then we both backed away.
“Turn around, children.”
We definitely were not children. I was almost eighteen in human years, and Dane was a few years older. But to the nearly three-hundred-year-old Spark, we must be mere babes. I definitely wasn’t going to contradict my favorite teacher.
And Jonquar was definitely my favorite.
He floated there, tall and distinguished. He looked to be in his forties in two-legger years, so at least two hundred and seventy or so. He wore a tunic that he adjusted over his shoulders while we watched.
“One of the problems with transformation is the nudity. Of course, we have specially designed clothing that transforms with us. Anything with an open bottom will do. That doesn’t work when you change into animals, however.”
He tilted his head to the side.
“I wonder if Annaruth could spell something to cling to our Mer forms and reappear after we transition.”
I found myself nodding. Not that I wanted to turn into a land animal, but the naked thing was definitely embarrassing to even contemplate. Especially with the Prince around.
“You may sit down again, children. We are going to talk about the process this week. Perhaps if I feel you are ready, we can try a minor transformation in time.”
Triton. So it was another class where we just talked. I was kind of relieved we weren’t changing today, though. As much as I’d been eager to try, what happened in Magical Combat had scared me.
Way more than I was letting on.
I was pretty much losing my mind about it. To think after all this time that I had magic! It was better than the alternative, I knew, but it still made me worry. What if I hurt someone else? What if I hurt someone I loved?
I unrolled my scroll and raised my quill, ready to take notes.
“No need for that, Katriana.
What we discus in this class is not only forbidden to all others” —Jonquar smiled at us with a twinkle in his large gold eyes— “but it is also very, very hard to forget.”
I nodded and put my quill and scroll away, leaning forward.
“The first part of transformation is to access your magic. I understand that we may need some practice with that, eh?”
I glanced at Dane and nodded with a sheepish look on my face.
“Yes. I do.”
“Some of the most powerful Priestesses, Mages, Seers, and Sparks have had the same difficulty.”
“We haven’t had a true Mage in centuries.”
Jonquar gave us a secret smile.
“We will see. It doesn’t concern either of you. Unless you do, indeed, rule together someday.”
Triton. I wasn’t expecting him to say that.
I was pretty sure I wore a Prince Pollux-sized blush for the rest of the class.
Chapter 7
“I hope the General wasn’t as hard on you today,” Annaruth murmured as she waved her hands over me. We were meeting before dinner to begin attempting to focus my magic. So far, I’d blown up every object she put in front of me.
And most of the furniture in the small chamber as well.
Thankfully, we were in a part of the Palace that was rarely used, so no one had to hear the explosions.
Even Annaruth had let out a less than dignified, un-Priestess-like squeal as she leapt out of the way.
“No one tried to shish kabob me during daily laps. But I didn’t really give them a chance.”
“Good. They will if you let your guard down.”
“I know.” She smiled at me sadly as I let myself feel self-pity for exactly one second. “It’s exhausting.”
I nodded, knowing that for once, she didn’t need to look into my heart to see how I felt. I was dragging fins tonight. Maybe I just needed to eat . . .
“You are impressing several of your teachers, Katriana. Try not to let the others get to you.”
I nodded. She suggested that we try again, set a target in the center of the room, and then wisely got out of the way.
“Maybe behind me is safer.”
“Good idea,” she said and swam around me.
“All clear?”
“Yes. Remember to breathe and—”
Mermaid Academy Page 4
