Age 10:

I fell harshly to the floor wiping blood from my mouth. I scowled up at my opponent. He smiled, looking back at his teacher for approval. I took this chance to swipe his legs out from under him. He grunted as he hit the ground and his teacher shook his head. I jumped up, straddling the boy to keep him down.

"Get off me!" He yelled out in rage.

"Gotta say please." I teased, only to be caught off guard as his fist collided with my face.

I fell back and he got ready to punch again, but was halted. Talia had a thing for pausing us mid battle to see who listens better.

"Merlyn, your student is progressing well. It's remarkable considering how late you began training him." Talia began. She tried to praise me as little as she could.

It was customary to shake hands after each battle. When the boy took my hand I scraped my nails along his wrist. He didn't show any reaction, except for a scowl directed at me.

"Jace, you've been training Kayla longer yet Kayden is more advanced." Kayden... I've heard that name before.

"Talia, Kayden is allowed to leave with his master and I am not allowed to take Kayla anywhere. Obviously you've proved the benefits right there."

Flashback:

"You want me to what?"

"Throw the battle. But don't make it obvious." I scowled at Jace.

"Why?"

"This boy has been taking out into the world, if you can make Talia think it helped him get better then she'll let me take you on one of my missions. " I nodded, groaning. I hated losing. It meant hurting.

"Jace, I can see what you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Uh oh, demon lady was on to us.

"She will not leave until she's ready. From what I've seen she is far from it."

"She will never be ready if you keep her locked up!" I had never seen Jace so angry. At least not expressing it.

"I think Jace has a point Talia. The girl can't be expected to function properly if she's kept cooped up." Merlyn cut in, supporting us.

Talia just shot him a glare and looked back at Jace. Merlyn seemed to take this as his cue to leave with Kayden. "Point or not, my decision is final. Kylie doesn't leave."

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"You said Kylie."

"No I said Kayla." She looked at me for a second, eyeing off the charm around my neck. "You did take her. And you made me train her. You took my daughter!"

"You spent the last five years with her, I hardly call her taken. Besides, it's not like you would've seen her much if you left her with Bruce. You only met Mila once." Jace was turning a whole different shade, her anger building into what I can imagine to be explosive.

"Don't you dare talk about Mila! You're demon beat son stabbed her! You kidnapped and tortured my child before handing her to me to unknowingly train and-" arms suddenly grasped my shoulders and pulled me back, covering my mouth. Jace- mum I guess, - heard my muffled scream and turned, ready to fight. I tried to warn her but one of Talia's men already had the drop on her. She was knocked out clean. They dragged her off and I was taken away.

I was brought to a room with chains to attach to my arms and legs. The room was cylindrical and depressing. I didn't fight. Talia had won. I swear, one day I'm going to kill her.

Age 14:

"When are you just going to get it over with?" I sighed. Talia liked to gloat just to piss me off. This bitch came back from the grave. This bitch killed her own son. Yet somehow manages to gloat. Guess I'm the only one who'll listen. I have no choice really. But it didn't stop me from expressing my disdain for the situation.

"I'd just like to inform you that your mother has given up the search for you. She's father too busy to worry about you." I stared at her with a deadpan expression.

"Is that suppose to upset me?"

"I also told her you were dead. That helped her give up too."

"That's nice." I literally didn't care anymore.

"Also we've decided to dispose of you and give you away as a slave. We're sick of feeding you. When Kayden Scott finishes his training you will belong to him." She pulled out a small syringe with a transparent liquid inside. She grabbed my hair roughly,

Inserting the needle into my neck. She ripped of my glamour charm and threw it away. "So that's what you look like under there."

She held up a small gem showing it off before holding it against my hand. I watched in a mixture of awe and shock as my skin soaked it in. My skin was suddenly more tanned and I new it was another glamour charm.

"How'd you-"

"You did it."