Free Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight by Daniel Fife Page A

of his shoe.
    "Why do you have a dagger with you and why
did Mr. Ingram think it was a pen?"
    "We don't have time to discuss it now," said
Danny. Once his locker was open, he removed the belt from his pants
and began strapping it around his waist, just above his belly
button.
    "What're you doing?"
    After securing the belt, Danny reached around
and slipped the dagger under it at the small of his back, pinning
it in place. Turning, he showed Chris what he had done.
    "Just put it in your locker."
    "I can't."
    "What do you mean, you can't?"
    "I just can't," said Danny again, closing his
locker. "Listen, can you meet me after school?"
    Chris hesitated, "I guess so. I have football
practice so I have to stay after school anyway. Why?"
    Chris was Danny's best friend, now more than
ever and it was killing him knowing that he couldn't tell him the
truth right away. "Meet me in front of the library and I'll explain
everything."
    Chris shrugged, his face distorted in
confusion, "Okay, whatever."
    Together, both boys left the locker room and
made their way back to their assigned seating.
    Sitting back down, Danny found Sabrina
questioning him with that certain look on her face. Knowing that he
couldn't give her an answer here and now, he simply smiled.
    She didn't return the gesture.
    After gym, Danny dashed to his locker and
gathered the books he needed for science class. Midway through his
packing, Sabrina appeared beside him.
    "Hey, I thought we could walk to science
class together."
    Danny saw right through her act. "Sure," he
said, playing along. Gathering up his book bag, he set off with
Sabrina strolling beside him.
    Turning at the base of the stairs, Sabrina
pulled him to the side, "What happened in gym?"
    "Chris Greene has the gift of sight as
well."
    Sabrina took a single step back and dropped
her head as if in thought. "Three in such a short amount of time
and all in the same area," she whispered to herself.
    "What is it?"
    Sabrina's head snapped up and looked around
to make sure that she wouldn't be overheard. Taking a step back
toward Danny, she said, "Those with the gift of sight are rare
enough, but to find three at the same time, within such a small
area… It has never happened."
    "What's that mean?"
    "I don't know, perhaps Father will know."
    Before Danny could say anything else, the
warning bell rang. "We should get to class."
    Sabrina nodded, both hurried to science
class. The tardy bell rang just as they passed through the
threshold of the science lab.
    "Just in time," said Mrs. Turner from behind
her black desk.
    Danny faked a smile, made his way to his
assigned seat and dropped his book bag down on top of his desk.
    "You barely made it," whispered Matt, as he
pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.
    "Yeah," said Danny, digging through his bag,
pulling out his science book. Something shiny caught on the edge of
the book, causing it to fall to the floor in front of Matt's desk.
Danny's heart almost stopped as he watched the dagger bounce once
before coming to a stop beside his friend's left shoe.
    "Wow," said Matt as he reached down and
retrieved the blade. "Where did you get this dagger?" holding it up
parallel to his eyes for a better look.
    "Do you have a question, Mr. Mickler?" Mrs.
Turner asked before Danny could say anything.
    Shocked, Matt's eyes went wide with surprise
as he held the dagger up before him. "Um, no?" said Matt with a
squint, as if he was unsure of the answer.
    "Then why are you holding your pen up?"
    Matt's right eyebrow lifted as he looked at
the dagger in his hand, "What pen?"
    "…The pen in your hand, Mr. Mickler. Are you
feeling all right?"
    The exchange caused a sudden swell of
giggling from the other students.
    "It's not a pen," said Alonso, his voice
unable to carry past the rising laughter.
    Reaching forward, Danny punched Alonso in the
back in an attempt to quiet him.
    Not taking kindly to the gesture, Alonso
angled his fist behind him, pencil in hand, and connected