Little Spark

26 - Intruder Alert

When Apollo and I walk into Caldwell on Thursday—Luca is working on the secret project she won't tell us about, and Candis had some school club meeting, so it's just the two of us—Mr. Casey is nowhere to be seen. Apollo sits on a counter and sends me further into the warehouse in case he's is waiting for me down one of the aisles.

When I get to the break between the sections of rows, something feels off. The air around me seems just a teensy bit less stale, like the space was recently occupied by another living, breathing human being—recently as in within the past few seconds.

I gulp. "Mr. Casey?" I look in the direction of the hidden entrance to The Powerhouse, and I swear the last bit of a shadow on the wall is just slipping out of sight.

Crap in a cupcake.

"Mr. Casey, are you there?"

No response.

"Uhh... Pol?"

Nothing.

I turn to head back up the aisle the way I came, but when I get halfway down, a figure dressed in all black jumps out at the end. My instincts kick in and I shoot a wicked bright orb from my palm; it hits the person smack in the chest, and he or she (or it?) drops to the floor.

I whip around to run the other way, but a second figure is coming toward me. I lift both hands: one orb, two orbs. The first hits the person in the stomach and disintegrates like it did on my door, but the second hits him—I'm pretty sure it's a him—in the face.

The person stops dead... and sneezes.

I hear laughter behind me. Enemy number one has gotten to his feet and removed his ski mask: Apollo, clad in black from shoulder to toe, is leaned against one of the racks, sniggering his dirty-blonde head off.

"What the—Pol?"

"Sorry, Bliss. It was his idea." He points over my shoulder.

I turn around and Mr. Casey is standing there, his ski mask also removed, beaming. "You, my dear, are—what's that animal metaphor you kids use? A bear?"

"A beast," Apollo offers.

"That's it... You're an absolute beast, Bliss!"

What I am is absolutely pissed off.

"You set me up?!" I turn to look at Apollo. "And you were in on it? I can't believe you two! That was—ugggh!" Now that the adrenaline rush is wearing off, I'm shaking. I sit on the floor to catch my breath. "Rude. That's what it was. Rude and inconsiderate and—"

"I understand your dismay, Miss Myer, but do understand how imperative it is for you to be able to defend yourself against unexpected attacks, especially considering who you are and what you're doing."

"Bliss," Apollo comes to sit next to me, "I know you're probably super mad at me, but that was amazing for someone who just started training a few weeks ago. It took me six months to not freeze up. You're a freakin' warrior, dude."

"Don't you, "dude" me, chump. I wish that blast would've knocked you out for real."

He laughs.

Mr. Casey comes to sit at my other side. "Let's talk before we move on to more physical tasks."

I lean my head back and close my eyes. "I'm going to pretend you did not just say more physical tasks."

"Enjoy the delusion while it lasts, dear. Now, update me on your quest progress."

I take one of Candis' cleansing breaths in attempt to clear my head. "We're up to four definite clues, and I think the fifth is a grave marker."

He raises an eyebrow.