Starlight

Chapter 14 - Rejection

Marack gestured to the chair he had been sitting on when we had first entered the room and took a seat on the bed. Awkwardly, I took a seat, realizing what state I must be in. My clothes were still soaked from my altercation with the fire demon, my parka abandoned with the boy we had saved. There was a good size rip in the side of my jeans, exposing a little pale flesh, and I could only guess I had caught it on the underside of the truck I had hidden under. There were splashes of blood on my shirt and at least one on my pants, and I wasn't sure if it was mine or someone else's.

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling my fingers tangle in the mess of wet snarled waves. I didn't know what to say, a lump sitting in my stomach as Marack surveyed me.

"So..." I muttered.

As if not sensing the heaviness in the room, Marack leaned forward waiting for me to

continue. But I didn't know where to begin. Or what he expected.

And as if he realized I wasn't just being mute, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about earlier..."

"You said 'What are you doing here', like you knew me," I blurted out, and felt the heat rise to my face again.

Guarded, Marack leaned back, his head resting against the wall behind him.

"I'm familiar with many of the people from Spectra..." He began.

"Because you were going to marry the Princess?"

He stopped.

Just shut up and let him talk, I scolded myself.

"Yes," he answered simply. "I'd like to hear your story."

A change in topic. That I could handle.

"You mean, what happened today?"

He shrugged. "Is today the first time anything," he paused. "Out of the ordinary has happened?"

I shook my head. And I told him. I left out most of the emotion, I felt as if I had already expressed enough with my outburst earlier. But I told him about my life. About the things I had seen and how not only had my mother not believed me, but had felt threatened by my strange visions. I told him of the countless hours of counseling, and medicine I had been forced to choke down till I barely had a personality and felt like I was just a person struggling through a fog. And how it had helped a little, but hadn't kept things at bay. How I had still seen strange things now and again.

He listened intently, but still, his face was guarded. His expression was blank and didn't hit towards whether he had heard the same story countless times or if what I was saying was new to him. But I continued with my story, leaving out the dreams with him in it. I wasn't sure I was ready to expose that piece yet. It just seemed to crazy and, it was obviously a private event... a painful even between him and his fiancee, not something some random girl should have seen. And while I had mentioned that I had somehow gotten between Jake's house and the mall in just minutes, I was vague. The fact that I had done that somehow without a crystal frightened me. And, I didn't want to give him any reason to not trust me. To want me to leave. Seth had said only people from Mu could travel the rifts without a crystal.

And as I finished, Marack simply nodded.

"It sounds like you've had a hard childhood. I'm sorry for that."

And I believed him, hearing the sincerity of his voice. I shrugged. "At least I'm not crazy," I said with a strangled laugh.

Marack chuckled as well, but regained his solemn composure.

"We appreciate your help with the boy. Sometimes, we don't always make it in time. It's a hard balance." He gave me a forced smile. "It was very brave of you."

I blushed and looked down at my boots. I tapped them lightly against the floor.

"I would of done it for anyone in trouble."

He cleared his throat bringing my eyes back to his.

"Yes, well," he stood up and began to walk to the table. "I'll have Ash bring you home."

Home? I looked at him, confusingly. "I didn't see many people around... is there like a housing quarters outside of the castle?"

He looked away, picking up a cloak that was folded beside the end table. "No, I mean your home."

Back there? But, why would I go home? I searched him, but he refused to meet my eyes.

"Why would I go home?" I asked, as he handed me the cloak. I took it dumbly, not unfolding it. "Am I coming back later? Seth said you'd want to test me to see what I was capable of and..."

He sighed but I was too busy trying to comprehend what was happening. Was he dismissing me?

"Look," His voice was gentle but stern and he finally raised his eyes to look at me. "This doesn't need to be your fight."

"And you feel like that is your decision to make?" I asked. "Did you make that decision for other people to?"

"Jamie," he said, his voice tense.

But it wasn't fair. And I owed him nothing. "No. You don't get to make that decision for me. I want to help. I CAN help!"

"I am acting regent..." He began but I cut him off.

"So I'm just suppose to go away and pretend none of this happened?"

Hadn't he heard a thing I said? About how suffocating my life had been? And maybe it was selfish of me to want to hold onto this new chance...

But I had never really been selfish before.

Something flashed in his eyes but he said nothing as he walked to the door.

I stared after him, standing in his chambers holding the folded cloak. This couldn't be happening. Finally, FINALLY, something made sense and he was throwing me out?

"No."

He turned and looked at me. "No?" he questioned.

"No. I won't accept this," I set the cloak down on the table. "Everyone always makes decisions for me. I'm done being this blind little girl!"

An annoyed chuckle escaped his lips as he rolled his eyes.

I broke. Something about that gesture was so familiar and so infuriating. I stepped towards him, ready to slug him.

With lightening quickness, he caught my wrist, bending it and wrapped his body behind me. I stumbled and he pressed me up against the wall, his body tight against mine, his breath husky against my ear. My body trembled in answer, my heart desperate to claw itself from my chest.

"You need to leave."

Marack let go of me, leaving me with only the memory of his breath hot against my ear and his grip on my wrist. He threw the door open and stalked out. I scrambled back from the wall.

What the hell was that? Something had passed between us when his skin met mine. Ancient and feral. Had he tried using magic to intimidate me? That arrogant son of a b---

I spun after him but froze to find Ash at the door.

"Sorry, kid," he whispered, and I saw true sorrow in his face right before his hand touched my shoulder. Something hard and sharp was in his palm and before I could even open my mouth, everything went black.