Chapter 1
His arrival at my birthday party was like a kick in the gut. He was standing at the door, wearing a black blazer over a white t-shirt and jeans, hiding well-defined muscles. He was standing by the front door, gorgeous green eyes scanning for something as he ran a hand through his dark hair. A cold shiver ran down my spine as his gaze fell on me. His piercing green eyes turned confused, and then recognition hit him, and he was coming towards me.
Who was he?
"Brit," Kayla, my best friend of five years, grabbed my arm and pulled me through the crowd towards the kitchen. "There's one last thing Rachel and I made for you for your birthday." She was so excited, like a child finally getting a lollipop. "You're going to love it!" I peered out at the crowd and was surprised to be a little disappointed that the handsome stranger was gone.
We arrived at the kitchen. The dining table was decorated with my favorite color; blue. Blue paper cups, blue paper plates, blue balloons, blue presents, and the biggest blue cake I've ever seen. It read: Happy Birthday, Brittany. We love you. A tear escaped my large blue eyes as I realized that my best friends had done so much to make my birthday the best I've ever had. I hugged Rachel and Kayla like I've never had and wiped the tear away. They patted my back and pushed me towards the cake. The blaring music softened as the clock stroked 12.
"Happy birthday, Brittany!" the guests shouted in unison. I was about to make a wish when a certain dark-haired caught my eye.
It was that stranger. He grinned so wide at me that I felt like I was melting. Right at that moment, I knew what to wish for.
I wished for a guy, who would smile at me like that and would always treat me like a princess.
That night, as I was getting ready for bed, there was a knock on the door. My mom popped into the room, looking like a supermodel even in her bunny pajamas. She seemed surprised to see me still awake and half-naked. I quickly put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
"Brittany," my mom began. She had the most gorgeous red hair ever and I was jealous she didn't pass that down to me. Her features were completely different from mine. She had once told me I was the exact replica of my late father. I've never seen nor asked to see his picture before, so I couldn't be sure.
My mom made herself comfortable at the edge of my queen-sized bed, while I sat cross-legged on the bed, leaning against the pillows. She took a deep breath. "First of all, happy birthday, Brittany, you're finally sixteen…" She reached into the pocket of her pajamas and took out a blue box. "It's finally time for me to tell you everything." She placed the box into my hands. "Open it," she ordered.
I lifted the lid off the box and gasped. It was a glistening crown. A perfect circle, it was the size of my palm. It sparkled with expensive-looking jewels. I looked up at the green eyes of my mother. "This must be expensive! I told you not to get me anything."
She shook her head. "Listen carefully. I'm going to tell you everything." I nodded. She continued, "On this very day, sixteen years ago, I was sitting by the fireplace downstairs reading a good book. Then, I heard a knock on the door, and wondered who that was so late at night. I opened the door and saw this dark-haired, dark-eyed man. He had the same hair color as you; black, with a hint of blue." She tugged at my own blue-black hair. Then, she got back into the story. "That man… His name was Ethan Abrams, and he was wearing this dark brown robe, with a hood. Beside him, there was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her name was Elena. She had white-blond hair, rosy cheeks and blue, blue eyes. She was also wearing the same brown-hooded robe. You look just like her, except for the hair."
Wait, what? "Are you saying, this Ethan and Elena… Are they my…my parents? And you…you're not my mom?" I interrupted. She nodded slightly. "Are they still alive?"
"I don't know, honey. I'm not in contact with them." She continued, "Elena had this bundle of cloth she was carrying and she practically begged me to take you in. I agreed. That baby, you, had that crown on your tiny head. They told me that the Kako is coming for you and that you must be hidden from him so that you could survive."
"Kako?" I asked.
"Kako literally translates to evil, and he's proud of the fact that everyone calls him that. He's a spirit, an evil spirit that would do anything to come back to life. You're his last piece. If he finds you, he will kill you and suck your soul into him, causing him to be stronger and more powerful than ever. He will keep sucking souls out of everyone, until he finds you. Your soul is what is keeping him from coming back to life."
"What would he do when he comes back to life?"
"If he comes back to life, he would destroy everything. It could be the end of the world. He would be so powerful that even the best of the Dark Warriors couldn't stop him."
"Who are the Dark Warriors?"
"They are the ones who protect everyone from harm, every single one." She paused for dramatic effect. "You're a part of them too, Brittany."
"What? Me? But, I'm just Brittany."
"You are a Dark Warrior. Well, you're not just any Dark Warrior. You're their princess."
The world tilted to the right, then left, and before long, my vision clouded, and then everything went blank.
The next day at school, I felt so empty. It was like the old full-of-life Brittany was gone and an emptiness has taken over.
"What's up with you today?" Kayla questioned me during lunch on our table in the cafeteria, twirling her long blond hair around her finger.
Rachel patted my hand. "Isn't it your actual birthday today? Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I'mfine." Not. "I'm just tired, that's all." I explained.
Kayla shrugged. "Whatever you say." She knew very well that something was wrong. But I couldn't tell her that I'm the Dark Warrior Princess, even if I thought it was ridiculous too. It would just be too weird.
"Hey, Brit, I hope you're fine enough to go to Burger Bar later today." Rachel asked, cutting the hard steak with a pathetic plastic knife.
"Of course I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for anything." I smiled. Kayla, Rachel and I have been going to Burger Bar every Thursday since the start of the school term. It was what we did every week to catch up as Thursday was the only day that Kayla didn't have cheer practice, Rachel didn't have basketball training, and I didn't have archery practice.
Kayla jerked her chin at the entrance of the cafeteria. "Who's that guy?"
Rachel and I looked at where Kayla was staring at. I was struck speechless. It was him. He was wearing a pair of Bermudas and a white t-shirt. Even in casual attire, he was hot. Rachel recognized him. "He's new. I saw him in my Math class." Rachel paused and racked her brain for his name.
"Stefan Maude." A deep voice behind me said. I turned, and gasped. I was staring into very green eyes.
I regained my composure and smiled at him. "Hi," I chirped, "Would you like to join us?"
Stefan took a seat next to me and placed his tray on the table. He leaned closer to me and whispered, "Happy birthday, Brittany."
I blushed and thanked him, trying not to make a fool out of myself. The way he said my name… It was wonderful.
Kayla cleared her throat and introduced herself and she did something shocking. She invited Stefan to Burger Bar later this evening.
And he, surprisingly, agreed.