Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight Read Free

focused stare as
recognition flashed in her body’s posture; she raised her slender
right arm in confirmation. "Here," she said in a soft tone.
    To his upper right, Marie snorted. "The new
girl looks ridiculous. Just look at her clothes. And her hair—I
mean, come on."
    Danny glared at her, intent on doing or
saying something in Sabrina's defense.
    As if sensing his anger from behind, Marie
turned around. "Boo, can I help you?"
    Danny bit his lip and turned his gaze back to
Sabrina Drake as she walked to her designated place and descended
with a practiced grace, folding her legs as she sat. She flicked
the length of her long black ponytail behind her so that it rested
in the small of her back just before turning and looking in Danny's
direction. Whether she'd sensed his gaze or heard Marie's comments,
Danny wasn't sure. In either case, her eyes stared into his.
    He felt his heart skip a beat for the second
time as his body temperature jumped ten degrees. He dropped his
gaze with a quick jerk of the head and turned to Chris, who looked
interested in a girl of his own.
    In group A, in the first row, second back,
sat Ann Nelson. She was athletic, labeled by most as a tomboy,
which Danny surmised held Chris' attention. Her deep-red hair
danced as she talked with another girl behind her.
    "You talk to her yet?" Danny asked, trying to
puzzle out his own emotions.
    Chris shrugged. "Yeah, but I think I'm stuck
in the category of 'just friends.'" He held up his hands and made
little quotation marks with his fingers to emphasize his point.
"What class do you have next?" he asked, changing the subject.
    "Uh," Danny said, digging in his pockets and
pulling out a half-sheet of white paper, "Science. What about
you?"
    "Shop class, Ann is in the same class."
    "That should be fun."
    "Yeah, we'll see."
    The time passed slower than Danny would have
liked. The first day of school was always the worst. It was the
distinct and final end of the summer, a time of freedom and
exploration. The start of school signaled the end of fun and the
beginning of learning.
    Fantasies and daydreams danced through
Danny's head as Mr. Ingram explained the rules and outlined the
activities of the year. Occasionally, Danny would hear something
that caught his attention, but he spent most of the time staring at
the new girl or lost in his own creative delusions.
    At long last, the bell rang, an indistinct
tone came through the school’s intercom system.
    "Thank god," said Marie and, for once, Danny
was inclined to agree with her.
    "Which way you going, Danny?" Chris asked,
standing up, stretching, looking in the opposite direction.
    "I have to go to my locker and get my science
book." Danny followed his friend's gaze and saw Ann in deep
conversation with another girl. "I'll see you later, man."
    Chris nodded, "Yeah, later, man." He waved
and walked toward the group that held Ann's attention.
    Danny searched the dispersing group and found
what he sought. Sabrina Drake was about to walk out of the double
doors on the left side of the gym. He needed to hurry if he was
going to find out where her locker was.
    Danny made quick time to his own locker,
surprising himself as he remembered the combination without looking
at the piece of paper in his pocket. Pulling out his backpack and
stuffing the science book inside, he slammed his locker shut, spun
the lock and darted off down the hall. He felt a rush of excitement
as he dashed in, around, and between the busy students of the
crowded hallway. Taking an immediate right down the smaller hall
that led to the stairs, he weaved between two groups of bodies. He
took the steps two at a time; he knew he had to hurry if he was
going to catch her. By his calculations, she should be halfway down
the upper hall. Luckily, this part of the school was much wider,
giving him ample room to maneuver.
    "Stop running in the halls!"
    Danny knew that voice didn't belong to a
student. Strong arms gripped him, grinding his progress to