Chapter 1

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no!"

Where was Ash when I needed him? As tiring as dealing with him is, he's at least better than some two-bit lieutenant. Interrogations are sometimes amusing, if only to lead the Blacktails on wild goose chases, but they got tiring rather quickly.

Especially when done by idiots like this one. What, like I was really going to just spill my guts over information I might not even have, just for a couple of bucks? The idea is ludicrous. Of course, it definitely helped that they weren't sure if I was even part of the rebellion.

Which, I assure you, I am, though I couldn't necessarily tell them that if I wanted to continue my relatively happy life in one piece.

"I'm going to ask you only a few more times before you go to the Inquisitor. Where-"

They were cut off when I snorted "The Inquisitor? Well, someone has a high and mighty opinion of themselves. Good Lord, I thought only chivalry had died, but apparently modesty has, too! It's a shame, really. At least none of you are pretty."

The lieutenant turned a very interesting, if concerning, shade of puce.

Idiots, the bunch of them. So sad that these kind of people rule the world now.

Well, not really. Blackburn is the one who really rules this world. These guys are just his glorified henchmen with fancy-shmancy titles like Duke of Something-or-Other, Commander of the Blah-de-Blah Army, or Sheriff of Hoop-De-Doo.

"That's is IT! I've had it with you! Absolutely NO respect! I am the" -I lost interest.

I yawned. "Listen. Why don't you do me a favor, and let me go?"

The other guy must be new, because he wasn't very impressed with the way his boss was treating me. New soldiers usually were less cruel than the older officers; the kindness hadn't been beaten out of them yet. It's a shame. Unlike the old guy, he WAS pretty.

Anyway, he told his boss guy, who obviously has been in the army for a while, "Come on, Rowan, let her go. She's harmless. All she stole was a bit of food to feed herself! You don't have to interrogate her, she already told us what she took. You can let her go."

Rowan huffed, distinctively unhappy. He scratched at his chest, and I noticed a ring on his finger; it wasn't a wedding band, no wedding band could ever look so silently malicious. It was a dull silver color, and it had sharp, rusted spikes going all the way around it. I had never seen anything like it. I filed this bit of information away for another time, a better time.

"But she's connected to The Rebellion! Can't you see, Ethan? She knows the one leading the sons of-!" He screeched.

"Do you really think a girl could help organize such intelligent, strategic, and damaging attacks? That's ridiculous! I'm letting her out."

Suddenly, I liked him much, much less. Still, gift horses and all.

"Oh, thank you!" I gushed, playing up the innocent little girl hook he had unwittingly threw me. "You don't know how relieved my family will be! They're probably worried sick."

Like I expected, he fell for the bait much faster than Rowan could dissuade him from it.

"Well, how about this? Why don't we go into the market, and I'll buy you whatever your family needs, and you won't owe me anything. Okay?"

Wow. Way to go, gift horse.

"Oh, I could never," I said sweetly, batting my eyes. "I don't even know your name!"

"I'm Ethan....Hale. Ethan Hale." He smiled at me. "Now, will you return the favor, milady?"

I smiled back. "I'm Ashley Addams," I lied smoothly, not stuttering as he had. The boy needed training if he was going to lie like that all the time. Anyone, even someone who didn't make a living conning people, could see right through him.

Still, I couldn't fault for hiding his name. According to the government, I died a long time ago, just like all the other more powerful Sparks, or people with powers. Course, since everyone already knew about us, it would be a little hard to sell that all the Sparks just up and disappeared. So, the government kept some of the weakest Sparks around for labor. The Medics, the Architects, the less powerful Earth-shakers, people like that.

I wasn't weak, so I was claimed dead.

The Sparks started to show up in the middle of World War XI, a war started by the Kali, native to a land formerly called Korea. They waged nuclear and chemical warfare for years against the original Aulam, a place called the United States of America (Their naming skills were average, weren't they?). The US needed man power, and fast, so they started a secret project they called the Genesis project. The project was to inject a chemical into pregnant women, which made the babies inside of them grow to adulthood three days after it was born. It also made it so that the baby would be ready to be born about a week after fertilization. Genesis was tested, proven, and qualified as a success. Why was it secret, you ask? Because the project required the use of women as breeders, and many would think it was barbaric.

Gee, I wonder why?

The Kali found out, and completely freaked. They worked hard and long, and finally created a chemical compound that would cancel the growth inducing chemical in the women, rendering them infertile. At least, that what they thought it would do. While it did render the growth chemical useless, it did not render the women infertile. Instead, it made it so that the babies would be a bit...different when they were born. The chemical caused the baby's cellular make up be slightly distorted; this didn't harm the baby, exactly, but it did cause some strange side effects.

Mainly, strange powers that showed up years after the baby's birth, usually involving the elements in some way. The Kali created the Sparks.

Because the anomaly was centered in the cellular make up, having powers became hereditary. All the powers were different, but usually similar to the first generation's powers. Like if the first generation could throw fireballs, the second could most likely create fires with a gesture. Things like that. Which makes it really hard for me because I don't know my parents and can't ask them for help with any of my strange, abnormal powers.

And while you might argue that all Spark powers are strange, I promise you; mine take the cake.

After World War XI, the US government was destroyed, and a man named Jason Blackburn took control. He started the Palace, the controlling force of Aulam, and named himself the Emperor. After he took control, he started conquering the countries around his territory; Now Aulam has grown to accommodate all the land between the original Texas and the southern border of what used to be Panama, as well as all of the land from what used to be Canada, the original Greenland, and the North Pole.

He was barbaric and cruel to those that questioned him, and his right hand, Cristian Claraw, were even worse. Cristian's wife, Michelle Claraw, however, was said to be as sweet as someone can be. It's said the only reason she had stayed with her violent, abusive husband was because Blackburn, knowing his man didn't want her to leave, wouldn't let her file a divorce. Eventually, Michelle attempted to flee her husband, with her beautiful baby girl, who was not even four years old, only to be shot and killed at the gate. The baby was said to be killed, but there are rumors she survived. For some reason, no one had ever seen the girl before that day, because she had some sort of condition her father was ashamed of.

Tails of his barbaric treatment spurred the people to rebel against Blackburn; but, it was in vain. There must have been ten executions a day before the people stopped challenging Blackburn.

He absolutely hated Sparks. He saw them as a threat to his authority, so he killed and discriminated the entire race. A genocide of historic proportions, the lucky ones were sold into slavery, where they could eventually get free. The unlucky ones were executed or lynched. Some of the smarter ones joined forces and started the rebellion.

Now, Jason Blackburn's grandson, Griffin Blackburn, is in control. He's almost worse than his grandfather. His father, Nicholas Blackburn, was a good leader, as fair as a Blackburn could be; but his untimely death thrust us back into violent times. Nicholas died mysteriously, possibly by Griffin's hand, and now he's in control. Griffin also had a brother, but no one knows where he went after his father died.

Griffin is currently the person the rebels are trying to stop. He's also why I was now chatting it up with a soldier in a market; food was expensive, and the Rebellion needs lots of it.

I was surprised by how much this Ethan guy liked me, but free is free. I accepted his offer of free goods gladly. As we walked through the market, Ethan bought me anything that caught my eye. Food, blankets, clothing, firewood, water purifier and more. At one point he caught me staring at a necklace. I was calculating it's worth in my head; it was a bit too flashy for me, but it had a ton of jewels on it, which could fetch a good price in the next town over if I stole it. He asked if I liked it.

I lied. Lies came easy to me at this point. Comes with the territory.

"I do very much, but a simple maid like me could never afford such beautiful gems." I said automatically. Ethan smiled at me, and asked the merchant if he could take it off the display. He turned me around to face the mirror and buckled the necklace around my neck.

I had to admit, it was beautiful. I touched it gently, marveling at its shine.

"I believe that a maid should be allowed to have fine things," He murmured, "If a Palace soldier gives it to them as a gift."

"Oh, but," I protested weakly, "I can't allow you to do that! I don't want to cause gossip, and my lady might take is from me, or a thief, and however will I pay you back for this extravagant gift?"

As I said. Lies are easy.

"I'm sure I can think of something. How about you meet me tonight for dinner at, say, 6:00? You can even take some food home for your family." He coaxed.

I stood, frozen, stunned by his bold demand. Just who the hell was this boy?

Looking at him for a second, even I couldn't deny that he was pretty. High cheekbones, light hair that had a slight wave, vibrant blue eyes that shamed the sapphires on the necklace, and the build of a laborer. I scrutinized him for any detail of his true identity, but frustratedly came up empty.

Who the hell was he? Curiosity got the better of my good judgement.

"I would love to, but I don't have anything to wear!" I said, hoping he would take the bait. The more time I spent with him, the more smitten he became, so the more he would trust me enough to reveal his true intentions; so, I needed an extra reason to stay near him. Shopping was the perfect cover.

He smiled again. "Well, let's just go remedy that. There is this dress shop at the end of the street with the best seamstresses I've ever seen. Shall we go there?" I smiled back, and said that it sounded perfect. An hour later, and I walked out with five of the most gorgeous dresses I had ever seen; and the most expensive.

Ethan put all my (read: his) purchases in a trunk, and offered to carry is home for me. I said no, explaining that we both needed to get ready for our date. I walked home with enough supplies for the entire camp.

The walk to Mirror Peak was long, treacherous, and hard to find. Luckily for me, the supplies weren't that heavy, so it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Plus, the weight was considerably lessened by the thought of all the good fortune that I would get to share with the camp.

Mirror peak was the best place for the camp to be because it was obscenely hard to get to. If the camp was ever found, the peak would act as a barrier more effective than any wall or fort. It would slow down the soldiers considerably, and I, or any other Earth Shaker, would have enough time to open the tunnel I made when we first came here. After everyone was out, it would collapse, even look as if the tunnel never existed. This entire process would take about two minutes, and the soldiers would be up the mountain in five, so there would be a bit of time for us if anything bad happens.

When I finally got to the camp, I was welcomed with as much fanfare as we could get while still staying under the radar. I hated it, but I didn't have the heart to rain on their parade. And I was in a celebratory mood. Lady Luck had smiled on us today. I wasn't the only pretty face in this camp, and we all had our would-be-captors wrapped around our little fingers.

"Maria Alice Elan!"

"Oh, no," I groaned. "I'm in for it now." I turned around, and sure enough, I saw Ash bearing down on me with a scowl on his face.

I gave him a small finger wave, doing my best to look abashed.

Ash was not amused "Where have you been? Were you captured? What went wrong? Are you hurt? Are you okay? Are you thirsty, hungry?" He paused to take a breath, and caught sight of my heavy load. "And where did you get all those supplies? What happened to staying under the radar?"

"Ash," I said softly, gently. "I'm fine. No harm done. I'm really ok."

He relaxed, and pulled me to his chest. "Are you sure, Mia?" He asked, back to the sweet and gentle Ashton that was my adoptive older brother.

I never knew my real family. They abandoned me when I was just a baby, less than four years old. Luckily, Ash's father found me and took me in. Ash loved me like a sister, and I loved him right back. He was just about all I had left.

"I was worried about you." Ash said. I felt guilty and dirty for some reason, being with Ash after willingly spending my day with Ethan, a Palace soldier. I shook it off.

"Yes, I'm sorry. But, I brought good news. Let's go over to the camp so the others can hear too, okay?" I said soothingly. Ashton is my best friend, my brother without the blood, and I love him, but he is notoriously overprotective. He hates when other guys even look at me, and he despises that I have to interact with the worst of the lookers to get food and other supplies for the camp.

He sighed. "Okay. Let's go." As we walked to the camp, I asked for status updates on everything that happened while I was gone.

"The southern sector of our rebels are coming up north. They asked if we could head out and meet them in Balimor. I said that I would ask you."

"Tell them that we can't travel that far, but we will meet them at the northern border of Washton. It's closer, and we have injured warriors that can't be moved farther than that. It's only a couple miles different, but every step counts."

"Yes, ma'am." He joked.

I laughed. "Anything else?"

He paused, a sly smile on his face. I scowled. I knew that smile.

"Don't. You. Dare." I said, gritting my teeth. I hated when he did that. It annoyed me endlessly. He held up his hands, grinning cheekily.

"Fine, fine, I surrender. I just wanted to tell you that Ajax was back from his trip."