Chapter 5 - Girl or Woman?
It was about an hour later when Ace, lying on his bed reading, heard Sparx storming upstairs to her room, which was on the level above his. Listening to her door slam, he guessed she'd lost her side of the fight.
Standing with her back against the door she had just slammed, Sparx was fuming.
What was the point of going to bed so early? She'd never get to sleep! Letting out her plait and grabbing her brush, she sat in front of her mirror. Why were they being so hard on her? Looking up at her reflection, Sparx suddenly knew exactly why.
Staring back at her was the face of a stubborn, difficult girl. But they didn't need a girl for this job, they needed a woman.
"Is this what you want? Do you want to be a Lightning Knight?" Sparx asked her reflection.
She knew the answer before the words had even left her mouth. Of course she wanted it, she'd just never realised how much. Even though they called Randy and Ace 'the boys' Sparx knew that the old Knights accepted them as men. It was time for her to grow up. Opening the drawer, she pulled out the knife that the person who taught her to fight had given her when she 'graduated'. The blade, though small, was lethal. The gold handle was carved with dragons that had small red stones for eyes.
"Though you are but a girl, Sparx, one day you will find the woman within you." He had said as he gave it to her. Sparx knew that day was now.
Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her hair around her hand. With one swift stroke of the knife she sliced through it and let it fall to the floor. All that was left just brushed her shoulders. Bunching it up into a neat bun, she held it in place with her hair band and brushed her fringe to one side. The effect was startling. For the first time in her life, Sparx looked her age. Climbing into bed, she shed a few tears for her lost locks before drifting off to sleep, thinking, tomorrow I'll not only look my age, I'll act it!
Carrying a tray of food, Salvatore knocked on Sparx's door. When she didn't answer, he pushed it open and stepped in quietly. She was curled up in bed asleep, with her head under a pillow. Salvatore smiled and sat the tray down on her bedside table. He had grown fond of her over the past six months, though he'd be the last to admit it, but he was beginning to worry that she would not become a Lightning Knight.
"Don't let me down, Sparx." He said, shutting the door.