Marked Ch. 01

From the time I was born to my twelfth birthday I remember my mother telling me that I control my own fate, that I make my own destiny. I never truly understood her until now. Now, after all this time of being without her, I finally understand what she meant. She was trying to figure out the best way to tell me about what I am.

I am one of the Marked, I am also a Carrier of the Mark and of royal descent. Let me explain from the beginning. At the beginning of mankind's era there was a goddess, she was a type of outcast from other gods. But she was also very powerful, she controlled all four elements: fire, earth, water and air, but she loved humans. She adored their lives and their mortality, and she wished to become one.

She tried a ritual, it almost worked. But instead of becoming a human as she had intended, her soul split and went into different humans. Some are born with evolutions of her powers, the lucky and cursed ones are born with her true powers.

But there has never been a Marked that has possessed more than two of her true powers. My mother was a descendant from a royal bloodline that had begun with one of those first Marked. She had the gift of earth, and she had the curse along with it. The curse we are all born with, but the ones with her true powers, especially the ones born with more than one true power, have the curse magnified almost three times as much as the others.

They are the ones that suffer the most. It is told that when the four with the true powers meet, their powers will intensify and only the true descendant of the goddess will be revealed, they call that true descendant the Khati, whomever is the true Khati is the reincarnation of the goddess.

That person alone will control all four elements along with the goddess's other gifts. I never wanted to become the Khati, I never wanted this, but I know I will have to fight thrice as hard now that the Order knows of me. The Order was made to protect the Marked, but they went rogue, seeing the power as a way to create the perfect race, the perfect world.

They began killing Marked children and gaining their powers. The Order thought that the true Khati would never reveal itself, but I did the day my mother was murdered. I was twelve years old, we were coming home from the movies and I remember laughing and giggling as she tickled me, she froze as we passed through the parking lot.

Three men came into my view, one had a scar on his left jawbone, he was the Leader of the Order. He is the one I will slaughter one day. He told my mother that she knew why they were here, he said she knew what they wanted and then he looked at me. He said I would make a fine addition, that I would make a wonderful trophy, the earth shook after that.

The two others yanked me away from my mother, I screamed for her. I wanted to do something, anything, I knew something terrible was about to happen. Her eyes cut to me and that look cost her her life. The leader slammed a knife into her heart, she cried out for me as she fell to her knees.

But she didn't die, instead she flicked her wrist and the two men holding me fell into separate holes that closed on them, the leader didn't even glance in their direction. He punched my mother in the face and turned to me. But the wind slammed into him, little did he know my mother controlled two elements.

The wind carried him far away, she turned to me then and collapsed. I remember running over to her, I remember her telling me to never stop fighting, to never give up on anything. Then she told me something she had never told me, she told me to never give up on love, to always, always fight for it.

Then she told me she loved me and would always be with me, she told me to keep training. Then she died in my arms. My powers came to me roughly and my Mark etched itself into my back on my left shoulder blade. It's in the shape of basically three ovals intertwining in the middle with thorns around it. It burns whenever danger is near or my emotions run rampant.

That night not only did my look on life change but my looks along with it. My mother told me the powers would change me but she never told me how drastically. My hair used to be dark blonde and I had green eyes and tan skin and a beautiful very slim figure. Then that all changed. My hair became thick and long and so black it has tints of blue in it. My eyes turned to ice-blue with splotches of silver and red.

My skin turned fair and completely flawless. My figure changed as well. I now have a c-cup chest and a perfectly slim stomach and perfect legs and hips. The last was told to me by my father, except for the chest part. He knows of the Marked and was apart of the Order until he met my mother and left the Order.

And ever since then he's been training me. I work best with fire and water but I am learning to use wind and earth. And I can also shield myself and my mind and I can sense things about people, I can also sometimes see the future and the past, and I can heal as well. And I can read and pretty much speak any language.

Even the Dead Language. But instead of just always using my powers I train in fighting as well. My father was a trainer for the Order and he says I am three times as powerful as most trainees. And I can pretty much use any weapon. But the nightmares haunt me every night.

My father has gotten used to the screaming though I still try to silence them. But moving from town to town so the Order doesn't catch us isn't fun, I've pretty much never had friends, but now being in Ireland I feel completely at home. Maybe because that's where the Marked originated and that's where my mother is truly from.

I jerked awake with my hand was over my mouth to silence the screams.

Sweat covered my chest, neck, forehead and back. My hair was matted to my forehead and my neck and it was so hot even though the window and it was about fifty degrees outside. I slipped my bare legs from underneath my warm quilt and lowered my bare feet to the cold hardwood floor below. I sat on the edge of my bed a moment and then jumped when the familiar blaring of my alarm clock sounded through my revere.

I slammed my right hand down on it and sighed when it became completely silent. I stood and stretched languidly, my short low cut black nightgown stuck to my body. The silky material was soaked. I pulled it off as I walked into my bathroom.

I pulled off my panties and tossed them and the nightgown into the dirty clothes hamper. I took a long cold shower and then got out and dried off completely. I pulled on a matching set of white bra and panties. I pulled on a pair of black pants that clung to my legs but let me move easily. I pulled on a low cut black tank top that clung to my slim figure.

I pulled on a long sleeve red low cut shirt that clung to my slim figure. And then I pulled on my thin black coat.

I pulled on my boots and zipped them up, they gave me two inches to my five five height. I dried my hair and then pulled it back into a messy bun letting some curled tendrils fall forward to frame my face. I stared at myself in the mirror. I never looked beautiful, or cute, the best you could describe me as is pretty. I sighed deeply and walked downstairs.

Dad looked me over and smiled, "You know there's a uniform right?" he asked.

"What!?" I exclaimed and checked the time, I had ten minutes before I needed to start my walk.

I screamed annoyance and ran upstairs and quickly changed into the mid-thigh green skirt and white mid-thigh pantyhose and the long sleeve button up deep green shirt, it clung to my slim figure.

I unbuttoned the top three buttons because it was more comfortable. I pulled on the black inch high heel shoes and yanked my hair back into a messy clip letting some curly tendrils fall on either side of my face, I actually looked okay in my uniform.

I shook my head as I ran downstairs and grabbed my bottle of water and ran outside into the cold air, I had forgotten my coat. I was freezing but I kind of liked it. I walked the short walk to the school. I met a pretty blonde girl at the front gates.

She jumped up and down when she saw me and said, "You must be Rosemarie! I'm Bree, I'm supposed to escort you to your first class! Maths! Which we have together!" she exclaimed wrapping her arm in mine like we had known each other since childhood. She pulled me to maths, the word sounded odd but then again I would have to get used to it.

In maths we sat near each other and I learned that I had already learned what Mr. Higgins was teaching last year so I tuned him out and chatted with Bree the whole class.

We became fast friends. As we sat together she looked over my shoulder for the hundredth time and scowled and said, "What in the hell have you done to Daniel Corvin?"

"Who?" I asked and she nodded over my shoulder. I turned. There standing leaning against a lamp post looking sexy as hell.

He triggered something in my memory but I couldn't place it. But he was by far the sexiest man I had ever seen. He had jet black hair that was stylishly untidy. He had silver eyes with splotches of sapphire and yellow. He had broad shoulders but wasn't grotesquely huge.

He had washboard like abs and muscular back and arms. He had a slight stubble that made him look even more dangerous and alluring. His power emanated off of him like a cologne. I felt oddly drawn to him. As I looked him over I immediately knew he was a Marked. I whipped around and said, "Nothing, I have never met him before." "Well he's giving me the creeps staring over here like that, god he's scaring me," she shivered. I could feel him staring and I could feel my irritation and own anger building.

"I'll be right back," I said standing. "Rose don't," she said. "Don't worry, I'll be right back," I said walking over to the man. "Do you have a problem with me?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest and glaring up at him. He chuckled at my appearance. "Do you?" I asked again. Another guy walked up then, he was blonde and sexy as well but not quite as muscular. I sensed he was Marked as well, my mark began pulsating. "Well Daniel, what have you found here?" the blonde asked. I struggled to hide my power from them. If they began sensing me then my life here would be ruined, I wondered if they knew each other was Marked.

I sensed Daniel controlled fire and wind, while the blonde controlled earth only. I arched one eyebrow and willed him to answer me, I didn't like influencing people a lot but I wasn't afraid to. His eyes glazed over and he answered slowly, "No I don't have a problem with you." The blonde looked from me to Daniel. "Dane?" he asked. I released my hold on him and turned on my heel. "Hey! Hold on!" Daniel shouted after me but I kept walking. About two weeks later Daniel and the blonde boy hadn't shown up to school since my first day. I was walking home when my Mark began burning.

I knew someone was searching for me so I shielded myself and kept walking in case they were watching. I acted normally and didn't respond to the burning or the ache to send out my sight to see if anyone was around. I made it to my house and unlocked my door.

I walked inside and shut it lightly, locking it quickly. I ran upstairs and into my room. I sensed them watching me. I shut my curtains and locked my windows.

I changed into my tank top and short shorts and let my hair stay up. I went downstairs, my father wouldn't be home until eleven because of his new job he had to get straightened out. I blasted the music and ate whipped cream while watching TV. I barely heard the knock on the door.

I turned down the music and licked my fingers as I opened the door. "Yes?" I asked looking up. I was startled to find Daniel standing in my doorway clad only in black jeans and a tight white T-shirt. His hair was stylishly disheveled.

He had a stubble that made him look dangerously sexy. "Yes?" I asked licking my fingers waiting. "We need to talk Rose," he said calmly. His silver eyes flitting between my fingers and mouth and the room behind me. "About?" I asked. "You being Marked," he said and my tongue froze as it licked my index finger.

I slipped it back into my mouth and looked at him dangerously. "I have no clue what you're talking about," I hissed going to shut the door. His right hand slammed into the door and I felt his magic pulsate and his eyes shifted to a dark silver mixed with swirling black and gold.

"You are Marked Rose. Don't try to deny it. Even though before when I searched for you just to see if you were Marked and you didn't react I almost refused to believe my thoughts but then I saw you in your room with the water swirling around your hand. I know what you are and you know what I am," he said.

"You have no clue what the fuck I am Daniel, I am not a Marked okay? I am more alright! Don't you understand that! That just by being around me you're family and you are in danger of being found by the Order! Don't you get that you are putting your life at stake by just speaking to me now! You weren't the only one searching for me today! The Order has their trackers out here!" I snarled at him. He paused a moment, letting the words sink in.

"What do you mean by I am more?" he asked cautiously. I waited for the realization to sink in and watched the shock cover his face, "Your the Khati!" he exclaimed. I nodded.

"Prove it," he said. I ushered him inside and locked the door.

He drew me to him, for some reason I wanted to be near him. I ached to be near him. He sat on the couch and I sat on the one across from him. I raised both my hands.

I flicked my wrists at the same time and closed my eyes, deep blue fire covered my right hand and water encircled my left. I opened my eyes and wind whipped around him and the house shook lightly. It all took less than a minute.

My eyes had changed to pale blue and were glowing. He rubbed his jaw and leaned back into the couch. "You are the Khati," he muttered. While he digested that I stood up and put the fallen knickknack back on its shelf. Suddenly he had me pinned against the wall and his hand over my mouth.

"Shh! There's someone in your house," he whispered. I was instantly silent. Even though I had a stubborn streak and a temper I still got scared. I was terrified knowing someone was in my house and I hadn't sensed them because I was around Daniel.

Something about that boy made me loose all sense. He pulled me towards the door then seemed to remember my attire. He shoved me next to the bookshelf and whispered, "You stay here. I'm going to see who's here."

"Are you crazy! They could be from the Order!" I hissed. He grinned and flicked all the lights off and disappeared upstairs.

I heard some shouting and cussing and crashing noises and then I couldn't help myself I ran upstairs and threw open the door to my bedroom and found Daniel sprawled on the floor groaning and a tracker for the Order standing above him. I froze when I saw him. It was one of the men from that night. But he had been sucked into the earth.

He looked up and froze. He recognized me and flung the knife before I had time to react. It stabbed deeply into my right side and I cried out. My power shot out and the fire slammed into him.

The wind picked up in the house and the window was thrown open. He slammed against the pane, shattering it and snapping his neck.

I dropped to my knees clutching around the knife. I knew to leave it in. "Rose! I told you to stay there I had it under control!" Daniel shouted coming towards me.

"Right because it sure as hell looked like you had it under control rolling on the floor and groaning in pain," I hissed as the pain snaked its way up my body.

He looked at the knife and said, "This is going to hurt." He yanked it out quickly.

I hissed in pain and collapsed against the wall. He touched my side and I felt fire build in his hands, he healed me easily. He had the outside healing technique as I liked to call it. He never felt what he was healing, he was healing from the outside. That is the best for the healer but not for the being healed.

The healed require more than just outside healing, outside healing doesn't always heal everything. But inside healing, which I have, is very dangerous for the healer, the healer feels everything they are healing, it's like your life energy is being sucked away, and it actually is.

But inside healing is much better for the healed because it heals absolutely everything. But it can also kill the healer. I sucked in a ragged breath and gasped,

"Thank you." A moment later I realized what I had just done. I had murdered a man, even if he was bad, even if he did help kill my mother, he may have had a family, he may have had a child or a wife or a mother.

I sucked in a breath. Daniel seemed to sense my inner battle and he said, "It wasn't your fault Rose. Your power took over."

"I have spent eighteen years training to make sure that didn't happen!" I screamed. "It's alright Rose," he said coming closer to me. "I just killed a man Daniel! How the hell is that alright!" I screamed as tears filled my eyes. I had never been able to cry but tears always filled my eyes when I was about to but they never fell. He wrapped his arms around me and then held me to him.

I sobbed but still couldn't cry. And oddly being this close to him, touching him made my heart thud so loudly I was sure he could hear it. Neither of us heard my father come home until the door opened downstairs. I jumped up and looked around worriedly. "Go downstairs, act like nothing is wrong. I'm going to talk to Fionn about the tracker, I will take care of the body," he said turning away.

"Thank you," I said touching his arm. He looked down at my hand and then back at me and said, "No problem. Just try to stay out of trouble from now on."

He smiled and jumped out the broken window. I went downstairs and acted normally, I acted like nothing had happened. A few hours later when I went up to my room I found the blonde guy from school, who's name was Rian, lounging on my bed.

I raised one eyebrow and waited. "Daniel asked me to watch over you. Told us all about the tracker, Fionn is worried and Aine is freaked though she won't admit it," he said stretching.

I shut my door and sat on the floor, leaning my head back against the door. "What's wrong?" he asked. "If I had known there were other Marked here I never would have come here. I'm sorry," I said closing my eyes.

"Don't worry about it Rose. It's good you're here, I mean another Marked doesn't just come up, let alone one that can control two true powers. God when Daniel told us you could we were all shocked," he said. He didn't tell them about me being the Khati? I thought and then wiped the shocked look off my face quickly and said, "Yea, it's harder to control now that my other power came up but I am getting used to it."

He nodded thoughtfully. I wondered why Daniel didn't tell them about me. I sighed and cracked my knuckles.

"You know from now on we're going to be with you all the time right?" he asked. "I figured as much," I muttered. He lifted his head and said, "Daniel's here now, he'll be with you for the next three days, Fionn, Aine, and I are going to Dublin to look into the Council of Trinity." He stood up and walked over to me and said, "Be nice to him Rose, he's going through a lot." He jumped out the window and about three seconds later Daniel came in carrying a small bag.

"I'm staying for tonight but tomorrow I want you to tell your dad that you'll be going to Bree's," he said calmly as he set up his things. "Fine," I said. The next day I told my dad I was staying with Bree for two days and he agreed. I packed my things and headed outside. I sensed Daniel coming up the slight hill and pulled over next to me when we were far enough away from my house.