The Academy of the Jade Blades

I looked at the beautiful man before me. His blue eyes were kind, and his smile was inviting. He was tall, at least 6'4, and had a face that looked as if it were carved by a sculpture; full lips, a nice strong chin and jaw line, and eyes that would make you melt at his feet. He looked to be only in his early twenties, but looks can obvioucly be decieving because he did apply to be my foster parent. He looked at me with a studying gaze, almost as if he was assessing me. His eyes sparkled in bright curiosity.

"Your name is Daisy," he said suddenly. "You are fourteen years old, your parents died in a car crash when you were nine, and you've been in this foster home for five years. You've only been adopted once, and after that you've never tried to get adopted again."

Okay, I didn't even tell him anything. Did he even look at the report? No, he couldn't have! It's in my hands! Is this guy some kind of mind reader?

I heard a tap, and looked into the amused eyes of the man before me. His smirk was proud, and his gaze was kind. Looking into his beautiful blue eyes made me feel...safe. That was something I haven't felt in a long time.

"I could read you so well because of the look in your eyes," he said, smiling kindly. "You looked as if you were ready to challenge me. That would work well at the Academy."

"Academy?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, smiling. "Most of the year, my two sons and I travel to Europe to work at the Academy of the Jade Blades. It's an Academy where people are trained to work as masters of Martial Arts, Sword fighting, and all different kinds of combat." I narrowed my eyes at him. That sounded like something out of a dream; there's no way that place can be real! "I'll cut you a deal, little one. Come with me to the Academy and I'll sign the papers to be your legal guardian, and then I'll sign your papers for legal emancipation."

"What?!" I had wanted to be emancipated for a while, but hearing that someone was actually willing to do something like that for me was just freaking amazing.

"On one condition," he said.

"Of course! I'll do anything!" Shoot, as long as I'm emancipated, I'm fine with whatever; at least I won't be living in this horrible foster home anymore!

"You will live with me and my sons until you are eighteen," he said, watching my reaction. "At least that way I know you'll be safe until you are an adult and able to take care of yourself on your own."

Hmm...get emancipation and yet still live with a foster parent or stay in this ragedy foster home until I'm eighteen?

"Deal," I said, shaking the man's hand. His smile was wide and proud.

~*~

I had just finished packing when I felt the air stir around me. Someone was here. Maybe it's another last minute visitor coming to say goodbye, so I might as well get another goodbye over with.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye yet again, my friend. You know I'll come back to visit-." I stopped cold when I met a pair of golden eyes staring back at me.

No one at this foster home has hazel golden eyes like that.

The boy in the doorway smirked. He was handsome, standing at a tall 6'1, with bright carrot red hair, a nice strong chin, biege freckles spread across his his face, and light pink full lips. He was thin, but obviously well-built in the athletic department.

"Goodbye? Don't you mean hello?" he remarked, walking into the room.

Wait, what is he talking about?

"You must be Daisy," he said, only mere inches from me now. I had to look up to see his eyes, he was so damn tall. "I'm Kyo. It's nice to meet you!"

"Okay; well hello, Kyo! And...who are you?" I asked, shaking his hand.

"Oh, that's right!" he said, awkwardly realeashing his hand from mine. "I'm one of the sons of the guy who adopted you."

"Oh! Well then, hello Kyo!" I said, smiling and shaking his hand. I looked at the five duffel bags I had lying on the ground. "Uh, can you, uh, help me with-?"

"Already there!" he said happily. Expecting him to grab only two bags, I stupidly reached for one. I ended up touching air. When I looked up, Kyo had all five bags; two were in each hand and one was wrapped around his right shoulder.

"You grabbed all five?!" I said incredulously. "Uh, you didn't need to do that! I could have grabbed a few of those."

"No biggie," he said, smiling. "I like carrying stuff, and besides; I couldn't let a pretty girl like you carry all these by herself, now could I?"

I'm pretty sure I was tomato red halfway through what he said. He laughed, and told me to follow him out of the room. Instead of going outside to a car, like I expected, we went all the way to the roof where a freaking black helicopter was waiting on the roof. If I was carrying anything, I would have dropped it.

"Come on, Daisy!" Kyo cheered. "Have you ever been on a helicopter before?"

"Uh, no!" I said, backing away slightly. Okay, so we're going to their house on a heliocopter? They have a freaking helicopter! "I'm kinda afraid of falling."

"That's okay," Kyo said as he got on the airplane. "If you fall, I'll catch you!"

"Stop flirting with her," another voice said from inside the plane. "Are you coming, little one, or are we going to have to leave you here?"

"No, no! I'll get on the thing!" I reassured, running into the plane.

What have I gotten myself into?