Daris sighed. “Blossom—”
“Get out.” I snapped. My voice was low and tired, a product of my restless sleep, but the threat was there, implied in the tensing of my body and the sharpness in my tone.
“I’m not leaving, not until we talk.”
“I don’t want to speak to you right now.”
“Fine, then I’ll talk and you’ll listen.”
Well, there goes my say in the matter.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you yesterday. I never gave you a chance to explain and just bombarded you with my view of things, refusing to listen to you, and for that, I apologize. And when you lied, I just—” He sounded so sincere, but he still didn’t get it. I felt the mattress adjust as he stood. “You shouldn’t have to be kept inside; you should be able to go places without fear that someone’s going to hurt you, but that’s your current reality. I was mad at you because you left and I felt like you were putting yourself in danger. I was mad because I wasn’t able to help keep you safe without knowing where you were. I’m sorry.”
My body tensed as I sat up and I felt myself start to shake. My voice shook when I shouted and my fingers gripped the blanket tightly. “You didn’t have to remind me of what happened over the weekend!”. I met his eyes from beneath the tangled blond waves shrouding my face.
He went silent and I expected him to stay there for a few minutes before giving up. I expected him to try to come up with another excuse, and when he didn’t, I kept screaming.
“I understand you were worried, but you didn’t have to snap at me! You didn’t have to remind that he killed her!” I choked on a sob at the end, hugging the cushion to my chest and pulling the blankets up just a bit higher. I ducked my head into the fabric, trying to wipe my eyes without it being too obvious.
Lifting my head up again, I saw Daris with his head in his hands, his back hunched and messy hair sticking out at all angles. He looked so much smaller, so tired, so frazzled. How much had it hurt him when I walked away? Did he think my tears were because of him? The thought made me sick.
“I’m an idiot, aren’t I?” He exhaled loudly, a sign of his stress. Warm arms wrapped around me a moment later. “I’m so, so sorry, Skyler.”
His blue eyes shone with sincerity, the bright, genuine color a complete opposite of what I’m sure was a red-eyed glare. “I’m sorry.”
I felt my anger melt and nodded, allowing him to pull me against his chest as my tears came back. Eventually, I cried myself into the black void of dreamless sleep.
When I woke up, the sun was high in the sky and I was beyond late for school. Shit. I jumped out of bed and scurried around my room to grab my clothes and books for the day. I nearly dropped the papers once but kept moving, slipping my shoes on with one hand while packing my backpack with another. I may not have wanted to deal with Camille, but I wanted to deal with the extra homework less. I threw my door open and ran for the front door without even bothering to grab food from the kitchen. I was four steps from the door when the floor disappeared.
“Where are you headed in such a rush?” Daris laughed. I heard the teasing smile in his voice and felt his arms tighten around my waist in warning.
“Not now, Daris. I have to get to school.” I grunted as I tried to break free of his arms.
“No, you don’t. I called in for you and said you were sick.”
I slumped and groaned.
“Don’t worry.”
“Do you know how much extra work I’m going to have? I have homework for all of my classes due tomorrow and a project that was supposed to be explained today—”
“Which is why I left the house after you fell back asleep to get your assignments.” He let me go and handed me a small stack of paper. I looked at him and he smiled sheepishly.
I glared. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Aw, come on! I thought I was forgiven.” His smile widened.
“Did you think I would let you off the hook that easily?”
He shrugged and I shook my head.
“A guy can hope, can’t he?”
I ignored him.
“Can I at least know what you were doing when you vanished?”
I smiled to myself, the energy and freedom of the memory making me feel like I was still training. “Sure. I’ll give you a demonstration later.”
“But—”
“Nope.” I held a finger in the air to stop him. “It can wait until I finish this homework.”
Daris deflated just a bit, and I almost laughed at how much smaller he looked. The pout made him look like an indignant child. Without another word, I went into my room and began the tedious task of midweek homework.
I threw the papers on my bed, got back into pajamas, unpacked my books, and started scribbling answers as fast as I could write, eager to train and feel the exhilaration I felt yesterday, to clear my head a bit. Just like last night, each subject went by quickly and the books re-stacked themselves in the corner of my bed. When I looked at the clock, it was four in the afternoon. That took me longer than I thought.
I leaned back against my pillows and sighed. I slipped the dagger out from under my pillow and slid it out of its sheath. The sensation of the cold metal, so alive with power, excited me. The memory of my abilities, of my movements, flooded me. Daris came into the room and for the first time since I met him, I felt his presence. I looked up before he had a chance to say anything.
“Apology lunch?” He handed me a plate of food. I smiled and nodded. He just stared at me skeptically before handing me the food and walking away. He was almost out of my room when I called him.
“When I’m done here,” I said without looking up from my lunch, “I’ll show you.” He hummed in response and returned to my simple kitchen where he began the process of cleaning up. The food was quickly eaten and shortly after he was done, I was changed and by the door soon enough, jumping with barely contained giddiness.
“Why are you so excited?” His voice sounded dangerous and when I looked at him, he had a serious expression, one that said he wasn’t amused and still disappointed I fled yesterday.
“Why are you such a grouch?” I walked out the door and down the stairs with Daris following close behind me. Unlike the day before, the sky was bright and sunny without a trace of darkness. There was a slight breeze that ruffled my hair and the moment my feet hit the ground, I was gone.
The dagger was cinched onto my hip, knocking against me with every step. The wind was whipping my hair back and the sun was warming my skin. Suddenly, I stopped and looked around. The buildings in the distance were the size of Legos and Daris was still running. I looked at the clear sky and spread my arms out, loving the warmth of the sun.
I was dressed in black running leggings and a bright red, short-sleeved, workout top that exposed the mark on my arm to the afternoon heat.
“What— what are we doing out here?” Daris hunched over and tried to catch his breath whilst I just inhaled deeply, not feeling tired at all.
“Tired?”
He shot me a glare. “How did you run that fast?”
I smiled. “Practice.”
“Whatever. So, what are we doing out here?”
I walked a few steps away from him and when he moved to follow me, I held up a hand, instructing him to stay where he was. I knelt to the ground and felt my energy seep into it. In return, I felt another something fill me and put me at ease. Another pulse of my magic and I felt them. I felt the small saplings rise around me one at a time until I was surrounded by at least fifteen. I looked at Daris through the foliage like a tiger getting ready to pounce. He just looked at me with awe.
“Cool, huh?”
He nodded in astonishment.
“Then wait until you see this.”
The dagger glided out of its hold with ease as though it wanted nothing more than to leave the powerless carrying case and enter my palm. I looked to Daris who seemed to be shocked into silence, his eyes eager. I raised an eyebrow inquisitively and he snappe
d out of his stupor before gesturing for me to continue. I rolled my eyes and focused on the blade.
The dangerous red glow ignited and I felt the power of the blade come alive. I sighed as the magic energized me. It flowed through my veins and into the metal, extending it to become the sword I had used last time. I looked to Daris.
“You may want to step back.”
He heeded my advice and took a few steps away from the trees, a puzzled expression on his face. That was the last thing I saw before my eyes closed and I gave myself over to the driving force that guided my weapon. I shut my mind down and like it did before, my body came alive to move with a grace I had never possessed before.
I vaguely recognized the sound of the trees falling, the weapon slicing through the thin wood, the young leaves weaving themselves into my long hair. I relished in the sensation of the power controlling my body, but not once did I panic. Even though the sword’s energy was consuming me, I was still at the wheel. I knew what my body was doing and I loved it. With barely a thought, more enemies rose to the challenge. It took no effort, however, to cut them down.
The breeze was keeping me cool, blowing softly on the sweat that had accumulated as I moved. My hair was whipping around me and narrowly avoiding the swinging blade. For the first time since Daris and I started fighting, I felt peace. I sliced the last sapling and took a deep, relaxing breath.
The weapon glowed a shining bright blue hue before minimizing itself once again. I looked to Daris who was wearing a proud smile on his face.
“What?”
“When did you figure that out?”
“Um, yesterday? You know? When we had a huge fight over my sudden absence?”
“But you weren’t gone for more than a few hours.”
“So?”
“Blossom,” he said, “it takes even the most dedicated Luxator weeks to gain control over their blade, months to grow trees, and sometimes years to perfect their individual fighting styles. You somehow did it in an afternoon.”
My jaw dropped, and I was sure my eyes were larger than golf balls.
“So, you’re saying I’m not normal in human terms or Luxator terms.” I sighed and Daris rested a hand on my shoulder.
“You might as well learn now, Blossom: there’s no such thing as normal and you should never strive for that. Be who you are because it is only then that your true beauty and strength can reveal themselves.”
I smiled shyly and put the dagger into the leather sheath. Since when did Daris get so wise?
We began the walk home, the setting sun warming our backs and the light breeze urging us along. I kept my head down the whole way, wanting to keep the blush on my face hidden, because, and I’m going to sound like a total girl now, he called me beautiful. Unfortunately, those thoughts were for another time. A time when I didn’t have to focus on the fact that what I was able to do was special.
“Daris?” I questioned. My voice was so timid it was close to pathetic. Oh God, I’m sounding like Camille when she doesn’t get her way. “What does it mean? That I figured out my powers so quickly?”
“That, combined with the mark you have, means you possess so much more strength than either of us previously thought.”
“What does my mark have to do with any of this? You know, besides identifying me as another species of human.”
“Your mark is unique. Every Luxator receives one when they come of age. However, the marks are usually very bland, small, and faded and are thus sometimes confused with natural blemishes. The larger and more defined the symbol, the more powerful that Luxator is. The shape the mark takes, as well as its location, has a specific meaning. Sometimes, they depict the past or foretell the future. They can represent a characteristic that is evident in the warrior or can be a sign of how much power they have.”
“What does mine mean?”
Daris hesitantly grabbed my arm as though his touch would cause the intense burning sensation to return. “You have three bands of black fire that wrap around your arm.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”
He looked up from my arm and raised an eyebrow to go with his sly smile that said ‘Really?’ I sighed and let him continue.
“It is the belief of the Luxators, Blossom, that any mark related to fire represents rebirth and power.” He looked away and dropped my arm. He wasn’t telling me something.
I stopped. “Daris. What else?”
He took a shaky breath. “Sometimes, people will be born with the same symbol, but this is the second time I’ve seen three bands of fire on someone’s right arm.”
“The second time?”
Daris pulled up his sleeve to reveal three prominent bands of flames. It looked just like mine. Same size, though his was wrapped around a thicker arm, and the same pitch-black shade. I wanted to touch it, to try to feel some of the power that I knew rested beneath his skin, but instead I smiled and kept walking, shaking my head as I went.
With everything that had happened in the past few days, the fact that we had the same mark was the least of my worries and the most normal thing that had occurred. Daris, on the other hand, looked worried, as if revealing this information went against some law. He needed to lighten up
“Hey, Daris.” I sped up my pace a bit so he had to move faster to keep up.
“Yeah?”
I smirked and looked at him. “Race ya!”
I bolted to the apartment, his sound of protest dying as the wind rushed past me. My dark honey-blonde hair was streaming behind me and my shoes were hitting the ground so fast that I had to look down a few times to make sure I wasn’t flying. When I looked up after the third time, I noticed Daris cruising at my side before speeding ahead. He is so teaching me that.
Daris flew in front of me, his back to his destination. He watched with gleaming eyes as a thin layer of sweat slowly began to shine on my skin. Trying to catch him was like running alongside a race car: it was futile.
He had the power of the wind and I had burning legs that were screaming, howling, begging me to stop and rest. I ignored their pleas and pushed harder, dug deeper until I found another burst of energy. My strides became longer, but my pace stayed the same and soon enough, I was running right alongside him.
I managed to take a deep breath and felt a sudden surge of power, one I recognized as not my own, one that felt more controlled and cooler. I grabbed at it and just ran. The complex was so close and Daris was right beside me, flying just as fast as I was running. I pulled ahead ever so slightly and was about to hit the edge of the building to signify my win. Unfortunately, I was lifted one foot off the ground, just enough so I couldn’t run, and was forced to listen to Daris’s deep, triumphant laugh as he hit base.
When he turned to face me, I had stopped running in place and crossed my arms. I was breathing heavily and my body was drenched in sweat. My body ached from the sudden sprint and I relished in its soothing burn.
“Cheater.”
He lowered me to the ground. “Am not.” The smile on his face and the glint in his eye were enough proof for me to know he was lying.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right, and my hair is blue,” I said it mostly to myself, but he still chuckled, the sound genuine and calm. I grinned. “Come on, let’s head inside. I’ll just beat you next time.”
“You sure about that?” He whispered in my ear before moving past me. It was a good thing he did, too, or he would have seen me turn as red as my shirt.
“Positive,” I whispered it quietly, not trusting my voice to stay steady, and followed him. At least he was smiling again.
I walked through the halls of my school, desperate for the day to end. The week was so close to ending and I was aching to run home. Daris had taken to showing up after school again to take me home after the encounter with Travis, and I would have found it sweet had he not always been on alert. Today, I was determined to hightail it out of my school the moment the bell rang.
I walked to eighth period and searched for Camille.
I hadn’t seen her all day and that was one of the reasons I was so elated. Without her, most people were ignoring me. It was utter bliss. Or at least it was until I walked into class to see the current bane of my existence.
Instead of bothering me between classes, Travis decided to wait for me by taking my seat. The one everyone, except me, wanted in the very center of the classroom. He smirked at me knowingly, but I ignored him and moved to the one desk no one ever occupied, the one in the back corner of the room right next to the window; the one that I always liked. The bell rang just as I got into my seat, and I smiled as Travis was asked to leave. With a roll of his soulless eyes, he promptly left the room.
As usual, class went by swiftly with me paying little attention to the teacher and more attention to the book that was in my hand. Unlike Camille and Melanie, I didn’t use books to conceal my phone like everyone thought I did. I enjoyed reading the various tales. Shocking, right? When the bell finally rang, I was so engrossed in the story, I didn’t notice everyone was leaving until the boy next to me nearly smacked me with his backpack.
“Watch it!”
The boy looked at me but walked away without saying anything.
I sighed and left the classroom in the swarm of teens who were rushing to get home and start their weekend. I was so close to being free, so close to being able to beat Daris to the punch when I heard it.
“Skyler!”
“Why can’t I just get home?” I muttered to myself.
“Skyler!” The high pitch came across as more forceful and I contemplated making a break for it. I was about to, too, before a cheaply manicured hand clamped down on my shoulder. On reflex, my hand went to the dagger I had tucked between my side and my jeans and I had to take a deep breath to keep my agitation in check. I turned to the girls.
“Hey, Camille.”
“Hey, Sky. Where’ve you been?”
I winced at her high voice. “Eighth period.”
Her stupid smile didn’t falter. “Why? We were having so much fun. Didn’t Travis tell you?”
Marked by Time (The Mark Series Book 1) Page 10
