Eli Fletcher: The Mark Of The King

Chapter Four: The Sicarius

Chapter Four

The Sicarius

"Jefferey!"

Behind me and down the hall, Miss O calls for me. I'm the last one to come in from the kickball game and after running into that demon, I just didn't want to be around people, so I walked around the field a few times. When I finally entered I was on my way to the pre-school room, but Miss O was waiting at the opposite end in her office. She jerks her head slightly to follow her inside. Both Michael and Fiona are already sitting down in seats facing Miss O's desk. I take the seat between them both, knowing this may take a while.

"Michael was telling me what happened out on the field today," she says, but I can't really pick up the tone; she sounds like she's testing the waters around me.

"We won," I say with a very dry sarcasm.

She smiles. "Funny, I meant about Tentatio."

"Oh, that."

"So, you know why Michael is here now."

"Is Michael your real name?" I ask, suddenly.

The dark skinned boy next to me grins, "No. It's Coquo."

"Goku?"

He laughs. "No, Coquo," he draws it out longer for me to understand better and it comes out something like Co-kwoo. It doesn't help a whole lot, but he'll probably be around a while so I'll eventually learn it.

"So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" I ask, changing the subject...well, sort of.

"Michael's basically told you, he will be helping you learn how to use and control your powers. It is a very good possibility that using your powers to their fullest will kill you, and it may take just that to close and destroy the hell mount."

I stare at Miss O and she looks devastated to give me the news she's giving me. I guess she's really struggling with the whole me-having-to-sacrifice-my-life thing. Michael-Coquo-seem to just be studying me, his face emotionless and void of expression.

Do they really expect me to kill myself to destroy some mountain? How can they ask this of me?

I look at Fiona on my left; she looks both sad and scared as she stares back at me. I can't take the look on her face anymore, so I face Miss O again. At least her sad face doesn't get to me as much as Fiona's.

"So, you're going to teach me how to one day kill myself?"

"No, we're going to teach you how to control your powers so you don't kill yourself...until it's the only thing left to do," Michael corrects me.

"But I'm still going to end up killing myself."

A sympathetic look spreads across Miss O's face.

"No, sacrifice yourself. There is a difference. Someone who willingly gives their life to save others isn't committing suicide, it's self-sacrifice," Coquo explains plainly.

"Either way, I die. That kinda sucks for me."

Coquo looks at Miss O; she seems to be holding back tears, which I don't understand because she hasn't known me that long. Is there something else she isn't telling me? Why can't I have Fiona's ability to hear people's thoughts?

I venture a look at her again out of the corner of my eye. A couple tears fall down her cheeks. I wish I knew how to make her feel better. I also wish I knew why she's so sad. I mean, I know we're friends, but...