Little Spark

19 - Bang Bang

When the classroom empties on Tuesday morning, I approach Mr. Casey's desk.

"Miss Myer!" He smiles. "What can I do for you?"

I check to make sure no one's lurking near the door. "I'm ready to train some more."

"So soon?" He crosses his arms. "What exactly are you looking to focus on?"

I look over my shoulder again.

"I can assure you we're alone, Miss Myer."

"Oh. Right. Well, I really want to get that light-shooting thing down. 'Casting' I think it's called?"

"Hmmm. To what end?"

This isn't the response I anticipated. "I'm not sure I understand the question, sir."

He clasps his hands on the desk. "What are you looking to accomplish, Miss Myer?"

"Oh..." Do I tell him my fantasy of shooting fire from my palms and burning Reign and Mauro to a crisp?

"What happened, Bliss?"

"Sir?"

"Your fervor has a distinct 'afflict the afflicter' ring to it, dear. I'd like to know the inciting incident."

I sigh. "I found out a couple of guys—those guys—came after my little cousin." Just saying it out loud makes my temperature rise.

"Ah. I see," he says. "And you're angry. You'd like to blast them to smithereens, as the idiom goes?"

"Well, when you say it like that...."

Mr. Casey comes around the desk and puts his hands on my shoulders. "I'll tell you what, we will continue your training very soon, but in the meantime, I'd like for you to come to the church with Candis on Sunday. Luca has advised me that there will be a special visitor, and I believe that what you witness there will redirect your energies toward more constructive endeavors. Fighting Darkness with darkness is counterproductive, dear."

"Fighting darkness with darkness?"

"Revenge is dark business, Bliss. Your abilities will be inaccessible if you are motivated by punitive ambitions."

"But what do I do about my cousin?" I say. "What if they come back for her?"

His expression turns serious. "Lesson of the day, Bliss: our opponents have a virtually flawless track record of achieving their immediate aims. If they intended to bring bodily harm to your cousin, they would have succeeded."

"So you don't think they wanted to hurt her?"

"I'm sure the goal was to incite fear. They accomplished this, correct?"

"Yes."

"She should be in the clear then. Now get going or you'll be late to your next class." He returns to his desk. "I'll see you on Sunday."

********************

The interior of the Cocoa Falls Community Fellowship is surprisingly simple. Rows of well-worn pews flank a central aisle that leads to an elevated area up front where broad-shouldered black man with an irresistible smile addresses the crowd from behind a podium.

Twenty minutes into the sermon, the church doors groan open behind us, and a wide smile spreads across the pastor's black and gray bearded face. "Well, what a pleasant surprise!" he says. I look over my shoulder and balk as Cole Shetani steps inside the building. I haven't seen him since the flight. Eight black-suited men file in behind him and bar the exit.