The Spark

"This is Leona, Itsuke's betrothed," the woman snapped. "She will bear a child with the transformation Spark."

"Her?" One of the older boys asked, gesturing to me, Simion's hand still on my shoulder.

"Her younger sister. We shall see about her later. Simion, put her in one of the servants rooms until the Seer can test her."

Simion immediately turned me and led me out of the room to a side hallway that was smaller and darker. "Here," he said softly, opening a door. "It is near the guard barracks. I can check on you. I will see you are brought food."

"Thank you, Simion," I said softly.

He gave a small nod and left, pulling the door shut and barring it from the outside. The servants room was larger and nicer than the bedroom my sister and I shared. There was a real cushion on the floor, larger than the one my sister and I shared and I layed on it, feeling a little resentful that these people had so much that they took for granted up here. It was thick and plush and soft and my shoulder didn't dig into the hard ground because it was too thin.

He was as good as his word, a woman brought me food in less than twenty minutes and I was shocked at the food on the plate, as well as the very clean tasting water in the cup. There was real meat and vegetables in some sort of soup in the bowl. It was delicious and I ate every bit of it, licking the bowl when I was finished.

Simion checked on me that night, just looking in and looking me over before closing the door. He did the same in the morning, looking me over as the same women brought me in more food. That night when he looked in, he asked me if I was doing alright.

"Bored. How is Leona? Are they being nicer to her?"

"She was fitted for clothes and she seems happy."

"Has she asked about me?"

He blushed and I knew that was a no. I shrugged and he gave a small nod in my direction before closing the door.

Tuesday morning, the woman brought more food, but Simion didn't check on me. I wondered if it was because I had asked about Leona and he didn't want to answer more questions.

He finally came in the middle of the day and I stood up expectantly when he walked in looking focused. I saw the other guard in the doorway and understood his cold look as he took my arm and pulled me out of the room. He led me back to the meeting room and I saw the Seer first, sitting on a large cushion, looking put upon and perturbed.

"I won't touch her until you pay the agreed upon price," the Seer snapped. "One crate of fresh fruit."

"I do not have it now, you will have to wait. I have two cases of canned stew and the fruit will be brought as soon as it arrives," the older woman said. I didn't see Leona anywhere, though Itsuke was there.

"No, Kitsume. The Stew, a case of canned fruits and a case of canned vegetables, as well as the fresh fruit when it comes."

"One case of a mixed variety of canned fruits and vegetables plus the stew and fruit."

"No tomatoes."

"No tomatoes," Kitsume agreed.

"Fine, bring her closer and release her," the Seer demanded of Simion.

Simion brought me closer and released me, but I stepped back. Simion pushed me closer, a hand on my back.

"You must not be touching her when I touch her!" the Seer said angrily.

"Be still, girl," Simion demanded, removing his hand, but keeping it close, just in case.

The Seer snatched my hand and I froze in shock as I felt a jolt of... something run through me. The Seer scowled, staring at nothing and looking inward for a long moment, then finally released my hand as she shook her head in confusion.

I stepped back, against Simion's hand, feeling drained and tired now.

The Seer turned to Kitsume. "She has the Spark and it is strong. Another box of fresh fruit for more information."

Kitsume sat up, her eyes greedy as she looked me over, but I was too tired to care. My knees gave out and I started to sit on the floor, but Simion caught me and picked me up, holding me on his arm.

"Done," Kitsume snapped, stepping closer eagerly.

"She is very strong. Strong enough you will have to trade her up. I would need two full weeks to recharge fully to know what, but I will vouch to any family that her Spark is the highest level."

Kitsume smiled grimly as she looked at me and my heart sank with that look. My head dropped to Simion's shoulder.

"What is wrong with her?" Kitsume demanded.

"I pulled from her to try and test her ability, but it is not developed in her yet. She may sleep through until tomorrow and she will need a large breakfast when she wakes. I am here now though and I will not make another trip. To whom do you wish me to testify?"

"You swear she is powerful?" Kitsume demanded.

"I said it was so."

"Then there is only one, isn't there?" Kitsume answered, smiling wickedly.

The Seer nodded. "I will go now, but you must make the announcement that there will be no Seer service for two more Sundays. Send my payment with your men."

I drifted off as they kept talking, too tired to stay awake another second.

I woke to jostling in the morning, still ridiculously tired as I was pushed down the hall by the same woman who had been bringing me food. She took my clothes off of me and shoved me into a tub of hot water, then started scrubbing me with soap. She was not even trying to be gentle, just fast.

She fed me breakfast while another woman measured me and fitted undergarments to me, then a dress that was made of a very soft fabric. The neckline was too low by far, but I wasn't given a say as I was ushered into another room where my hair was trimmed, fussed over and styled.

Finally, Simion came and looked me over from the door. He looked sad and I gave him a sad smile. "I would have picked you," I said softly to the older gentle giant.

He led me to the meeting room and Kitsume was there pacing, along with her husband. "Took you long enough! Simion, ready the palanquin. Girl, don't you give us any issues!" she snapped.

"You are trading me to a higher house as I understand it?" I asked softly.

"Yes. You will behave yourself!"

I gave a nod. "If I do as you ask and stay docile and quiet, I want a promise from you."

"What?" she asked angrily.

"You will never harm Leona or allow harm to come to her, even if she shows no Spark after her child. Allow her a nice life with Simion or one of the other guards."

Kitsume gave a curt nod. "That is reasonable enough."

I nodded, but I felt sick. I was afraid of what was about to happen. If the second level people were this awful and grasping, what would the first level people be like? Beyond insufferable.

I was led down the hall again and out the front doors to the travel box and shown in. I was alone with Kitsume and her husband this time and as the box began moving, it hit me what the Seer had said. I had Spark. I had Spark and I was going to be powerful. So much had happened that I hadn't processed it until now. I felt stunned as I sat there thinking. What would my Spark be? What was the most powerful Spark there was? Coercion was the one that had set the Nulls on us. Morphing was powerful. Telekinesis was middling, but it could be powerful if it was strong enough. Mendel Faust had almost convinced the Nulls if they didn't lay off he would pull the earth out of its orbit if they didn't stop. He had been assassinated, but it was said he could have done it. Teleportation was strong. Seeing was strong. Even as weak as the Seer was who had touched me got pretty much anything she wanted. She lived in luxury, even if she wasn't on the first level. As the only Seer, she could name her price on anything and everything. Transformation was better than middling, but not strong. It did guarantee a strong line since it was inherent. Flight was also middling since it wasn't very useful in the long run.

My mind reeled with the possibilities as I sat there in stunned silence.

"Girl, when we arrive, you will be silent," the man said finally. "You will keep your eyes down and you will not speak out or be rude, do you understand?"

"Yes, I have an agreement with Kitsume," I said with a nod. "I won't ruin your deal or whatever it is you are planning."

He gave a nod, eyeing his wife.

I went back into my own introspection, but seconds later we stopped and I looked around in surprise. Had that been fast, or had I been lost in thought for that long? I didn't know.

The panel opened and Simion helped me out. Two guards stood outside the enormous hall and escorted us into the bright, open and very white hall. It was opulent. I was sure that was the word. There were people in the large rooms, wealth on display everywhere. There was fresh fruit on the tables in the large rooms and plush chairs instead of cushions.

It was a sickening display of wealth.

I was led to a nearby room as the people looked me over from a distance and when I went in, there were a full two dozen people in the room sitting in plush chairs long enough to sit three and four people. A man and woman stood and came towards us.

"Kitsume, Suijin, it is good to see you both in such good health. This is her then? Well! I was expecting much... less. She is quite lovely for where she is from, isn't she?"

"We had to clean her up quite a bit, but no, she is not so bad as the other moles," Kitsume said.

I scowled, but said nothing as I kept my eyes down.

"What is your name, girl?" the woman asked. She sounded pleasant, almost nice even.

"Hailene Travis."

"Hailene. A lovely name. My name is Emily and this is Mikkael. Allorra said you had an extraordinary Spark, especially for where you are from. You must be happy to be given this opportunity to rise so high."

I looked up then, my eyes flashing. "I did not have my sights set so high, actually. I would have been fine to stay where I was. It was my sister who lived with her head in the higher levels. I am more practical. I dislike being uncertain and alone, not knowing what my fate will be. Being at the mercy of other people who have no care for me save for the power I might bring them."

The beautiful woman grew spots of pink on her cheeks. "You are forthright, aren't you? It is true, Hailene, that we want strength in our line, but we do offer much in return for it, do we not? I think you will find your stay here with us less than onerous. Ian? Come and meet Hailene."

A young man approached, eyeing me with pink cheeks. He was pleasant enough looking, but he looked unhappy as he looked me over. "Heilene," he offered, bowing his head slightly.

"Ian," I returned, nodding slightly, copying his cool demeanor.

"Ian is my second son. Bennett, my first son is gone at the moment. Teleportation is in very high demand right now and he does love going topside. Ian can transform into any winged creature. Do you have any inkling what your Spark may be?"

"None. I have never given it much thought. My mother said my great grandfather could phase, but that is the only Spark I know of in my line since my father died before I was born."

"I see," she said simply. She turned to Kitsume. "Well. Shall we begin negotiations?"

"Yes," Kitsume said eagerly. "I wish for two of your line with lesser Spark to be sent to my hall immediately to wed two of my own line and I wish two of my own line who have stronger Sparks to be sent there to Wed into your line. Further, I want a two year transferal of one youth between our lines."

"One of each now and one every four years for twelve years," Emily countered.

"She has a huge Spark! Allorra said so! She is worth two now for both of us and one each every two years for twenty years!"

"One each now and one every three years for fifteen years, my final offer," Emily said, shaking her head.

"The Chastain line would offer a better deal!"

"The Chastain line has a smaller family and could not honor a better deal," Emily scoffed. "And if you wish to threaten in such a way, you may go. Remember where all of your supplies come from and remember yourself! Do not rise above!"

Kitsume bowed her head deferentially. "Apologies. It will be as you say. I will send my youngest to you tomorrow and I can bring yours home with me now in trade for the girl."

Emily nodded, then turned with a small nod to her husband. She put a hand on my arm and led me away to one of the long chairs that was empty, then sat me down. Mikkael left with Kitsume and Suijin.

"Hailene. Let us first get one thing out of the way. I have two sons and I wish a strong line for both of them, but neither of them are ideal matches for you. Bennett is never home, ever and he has no wish to be tied down. Any mention of it and he disappears for weeks. And Ian... he stays home and works for the family here, but..." she trailed off, looking around the room as if searching for the right word.

"I have a lover," Ian said, sitting across from us in a smaller chair.

Emily blushed.

"I cannot marry him, of course, but I have no interest in women and you can see how it might be difficult for me to further the family line."

"I see," I said with a nod. "So you are saying a cousin or nephew then, perhaps?" I asked Emily.

"No," she said, blushing even more now. "No. When Allorra came to us yesterday, Mikkael and I made a hard decision. We had thought to let Ian live as he wished, but now we will ask him to try and... alter his lifestyle. He thinks he has a way it may work."

"I see," I said again, looking at Ian and feeling my own face turning red.

Ian was also blushing furiously and looking incredibly uncomfortable.

I swallowed hard. "Alright. I have agreed to do as I must. Kitsume has my sister and has promised not to harm her as long as I play my part in this."

"I am sorry," Emily said softly. "That is a horrible position to be in, but we will try and make the accommodation as painless for you as possible. We hope that you may even find your life here enjoyable."

I looked at her, wondering if she were serious. "You are much nicer than I thought you would be," I said finally.

She gave me a pleased smile. "Thank you! I hope to be a good mother to you, Hailene. If you and Ian can find a good compromise. I will not force this on him, but he has agreed to try."

"It may help that she isn't a complete troll," Ian said with a joking smile. Not a happy smile, a smile that said he was trying to lighten the mood even if he still wasn't comfortable with it. "Hailene? Why don't you come with me and you can meet Paul?" he asked, standing and holding a hand out to me.

I glanced at Emily who gave me an encouraging smile, then took Ian's hand. I let him lead me down the halls, through the people and children who were watching and smiling and calling hello's. He took me to another large room where a tall young man was pacing. He looked at us when we came in, the anxiety plain on his face as his eyes went to me.

I suddenly felt an affection for the man and his nervousness as he looked at me. He was just as afraid as I was in all of this. I gave him a smile and stepped up, holding my hand out. "Hailene," I said warmly.

"Paul," he answered with a nervous smile.

"You got a nicer greeting than I did," Ian said, moving to the side to pour liquid from a glass bottle into three glass cups.

The liquid was brown and smelled horrible as he handed me a glass. "I repeated your tone back to you," I said as I sat down in the seat Paul gestured to.

"I suppose you did," he answered, sitting next to Paul. They both drank the liquid and looked at me expectantly.

I took a drink, then coughed as it burned going down. "That is horrible! Why would you drink that! Are you trying to kill me?"

Ian laughed and Paul hid a shy smile. "It is whiskey. Is there no whiskey below?"

"I don't think so! Why would you willingly drink that?"

"No one gets drunk below?" Ian asked curiously.

"Never heard of that either, is that like whiskey?"

"Drunk isn't a thing or drink, it is a state you're brought to when you drink whiskey. You drink whiskey to get drunk. It makes you... less nervous, more bold. It's liquid courage. And it makes you happier."

"Oh. It just makes my stomach burn."

"It takes a minute or two to hit your system. How old are you, Hailene?"

"Nineteen."

"When will you be twenty?"

"In about a year. Leona and I are one year and three days apart."

"Is she as pretty as you?" Paul asked.

"She is beautiful. I'm not pretty at all, she is stunning though."

Paul laughed like I had made a joke.

Ian poured more drinks all around. "Alright Hailene, Paul and I talked about this and we thought the best way to try it is with all three of us."

"Umm. I mean, I have never... been with a man before, but from what I understand, that's not really how it works," I answered warily.

He gave me a tight smile. "I mean, I want Paul to lay down on his back and you to lay on his chest with your back to me. Ass up, pardon me for being crass. That way I can look at him as I... do as I must. Does that make sense? Not that you aren't you know, beautiful and all... it's just..."

"You don't have to explain. If that is what is needed, then that is what we will try. I have never been with a man, so I may need a little instruction."

"I have never been with a girl," he said, blushing and looking away.

"Right," I said, my own face burning. "I guess we both get to figure it out then."

"Well, at least it won't be awkward at all!" Paul said, jokingly.

I did laugh then, grinning at Paul. "So, I guess, after we say the vows we try this?" I asked.

Ian looked at me, his head snapping to me in confusion. "Oh! Um... I thought I was clear on that. There will be no vows until I find out if I can even do what I have to. I mean, if I can't make myself... perform as I must, then there is no use for me to marry you. It would be a waste. You know? So we have to try first, see if I can even do it, and also make sure it's not too much of a big deal for you."

"As I understand it, you are the only one who really has to be able to... umm... perform."

"Well, yeah, but I mean, if it's too awful for you to have to be with two men like that, no one is going to force that on you."

"Oh... that is very thoughtful, but I will be frank. As I have already said, my sister's life depends on me doing as I must here. You have all been very kind and I appreciate that, but if Kitsume discovers that I have not worked out for all of you, then my sister will be... disposed of the moment she has her first child. That was what the Seer saw, that her child would be born with a transformation Spark. Once she is no longer of use to them, they will get rid of her to make way for the one their son really wants. So I will do what I must, no matter how hard it might be. Perhaps... a little more liquid courage wouldn't be amiss though," I said breathlessly, swallowing down more of the burning, awful drink.

Ian nodded, looking down, but Paul looked angry. "It is criminal the way the second level treats people! They should be set down!"

"Hush, my love," Ian said gently, putting a hand over Paul's. "They should, but now is not the time for politics. Hailene... do you wish more time to talk or would now be a fine time to try?"

"Oh... I suppose the sooner it is done the less time I will have to fret about it," I said breathlessly. Not that I could be more terrified than I already was. I was trying to be professional and polite about everything, but my heart was hammering in my chest. I stood, looking at the two men with wide eyes. At least they were both attractive and not monstrously huge. That might help.

They both stood as well and I could see how tightly they were gripping each other's hands. It calmed me to see that they were both as terrified as I was. I led the way to the open door to the bedroom and set my empty glass down on the way. I turned off to the side, facing away from them as I began pulling off my dress. I didn't want them to see my tears.