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Mara rose. Is that it? Do I go back to the wall? He looked to the boys. Number eight smirked at him. Mara had beaten him up only ye
sterday. Not smiling then, were you?
“Twelve,” a Shadow said.
No, why me again? Mara walked back to the middle to stand opposite the Shadow, now close enough not to be able to step away from a punch or kick, only able to block. Even then, a blocked strike would still send him down and hurt bad. He felt small spots of rain. Some appeared on the Shadow’s mask, then ran into lines.
“Begin,” a Shadow said.
Mara flinched, ready to block in either direction. The Shadow hopped back. Did it think I was gonna attack?
The Shadow clenched its fists, flicked its arms, and stamped a foot. It’s pissed off. Mara could see the raindrops on either side of the Shadow, falling slow enough he could count them. The Shadow’s front foot stepped forward as its back foot twisted sideways, its left fist pointed at him, while the right pulled away slightly. Here comes the kick.
Mara hopped forward and stamped into the Shadow’s front knee, snapping it backwards.
The Shadow fell, the rain speeding up as it screamed. Two others ran from the side to help it. “To your rooms,” one shouted.
Mara shuffled back, then turned to join the backs of the boys as they ran. Number eleven stared at him as they entered their rooms. Eleven was older than Mara and had always snarled when their eyes met, even after they’d fought. Eleven didn’t snarl this time. He looked scared.
7
Mara was collected from his room and led along the corridor he hadn’t seen since his first day. Not the chair again, please, not the chair. They passed the room he was tied up in and entered a cold, dark room. The Shadow lit many candles in metal holders along the walls.
The room was big, and the roof high. Many rows of long stone benches ran across it. At the other end, a set of wooden steps led up to a high, large stone. It looked like two big black wings had been drawn on the wall above it.
The Shadow pointed to a bench. “Sit.”
Another Shadow entered the room to sit opposite Mara, waving the Shadow that had brought him here away.
“You continue to impress, Mara,” the Shadow said.
It was the familiar voice from the beginning, the only one that used his name.
“Only a matter of weeks with us, and you surpass your peers with minimal training. I learn today that you have surpassed the combat abilities of a brother. An outstanding achievement, it must be said. There are only three others that have bested a brother in all our time here. All three doing so toward the end of their training. Years of training.”
Mara looked down. He never understood much of what this one said. He knew he was in trouble. I shouldn’t have done it. I should’a let it kick me.
“It is unlikely the brother will fully recover from such an injury. However, you must understand that you are not to blame.”
Mara looked up.
“The foolish curiosity of my brothers will be dealt with. You were not to be put in such a position… not for some time.”
Mara didn’t know what to say or where to look. He hated looking at the masks.
“Tell me, Mara, are you aware of the origins of your name?”
“What?”
The Shadow sighed. “We must make improvements in your elocution. You may be reliant on it someday. Do you know where your name comes from?”
“No.”
“Unsurprising, I suppose. How did you come by it?”
“Mother called me it.”
“Your own mother named you after the demon of death? Most amusing.”
