Spirit Taming

Chapter 69: Trust

"Where?" Maria's eyes fluttered open. She could feel a lot of more spiritual energy flowing through her bond with Lit, However, she also saw a lot of unfamiliar things around her in the infirmary.

"You were one of the people that suffered a major injury during your exam. I found you here when I finished. Believe it or not, I was the last to finish. Lit healed you after I gave her the excessive three vials of soul dew. Now, she is a princess jellyfish since there was an insane amount of spiritual energy saved within her body." Clark spoke calmly waiting for Maria to grasp this.

One of Lit's tentacles brushed Maria's face to show that she was right there with her. "I can't believe…finally you got stronger. You worked so hard storing all that spiritual energy! I didn't think this was what you would grow in to. You can heal people so much better now!" Maria pushed herself up completely forgetting the burns she could have had.

She could feel that Lit was stronger and had certainly healed her. Along with this, there was the added strength that Lit had. The larger body, darker coloration, and purer energy in general. "I'm so proud of you." Clark didn't interrupt the pair as they embraced. He knew that it was what they needed.

"Thank you…I didn't know if I would get the soul dew. I don't think I even got close to it." Maria realized that Clark had more than come through to help her. He had gone above and beyond. What she didn't understand was why he was so soft spoken and unmoving.

"The soul dew was after the fire slimes that burned you." This made Maria check her body. She remembered the heat that burned her leg and arm. She had been so close yet so far. If only she had been stronger.

"Maria Mourne. That's your name." Clark waited a moment before saying it. He wasn't prepared even though he had been wracking his brain for the proper courage to say her full name.

"No. it's not. I am just Maria. Nothing else. I don't belong to that place. That family.

If you can even call it that. My father, brother, and even my mother don't want me." The weight of this hit Maria again. However, her face became pale after realizing that Clark had learned her real name.

"Don't speak. I know it's hard. While you were resting your half brother stopped by and I heard what he's done. I know he murdered your older sister, hates your mother, and tortured Lit. I am going to kill your whole family. Can you handle that?" There were no punches pulled.

Clark didn't see the point of sweetening his words just so that he could make it feel better. This was what it was. He had the goal of murdering Maria's family.

"I already know that. I saw you when you killed the Cain family boy. I heard you talking. I saw your other beast." Maria drew in a shaky breath to stabilize herself before figuring out what to say next.

"I was afraid of you at first. I thought you would find out about me and come after me. I don't understand why you want them all dead but they deserve it. While I grew up I was blind for some time before they kicked me out. The only reason I was left there was because they thought I might just be slow to improve. When Lit didn't grow stronger immediately, all of them locked me away for years."

"I spent a year in the city living at cheap inns with the money I had stolen from the mansion before I was thrown out. Jacob sent his red salamander to chase me the first few nights while he laughed. He said he had done the same thing to my older sister when she tried to prove that her dusk rabbit was able to beat his salamander…" There seemed to be memories resurfacing that made Maria struggle.

But she continued.

"I heard that the academy had an exam to enter and used my name to enter. It's the only time I have used that name to get anything. When you helped me I thought that I had gotten lucky. But you didn't ditch me after that so I tried to get closer. I learned a lot. You gave me a reason to learn more even though I had to hide from so many people."

"And you don't have to hide anymore. You know, I had a feeling about you when you and I first saw each other. I thought I was just messed up because all I could think about was revenge. But seeing that bastard say you were trash connected all the feelings I had about you even with the Mourne family name." Clark looked at Maria dead in the eyes.

"Join me and bring justice to everyone that the Mourne family has wronged. I am standing with the Mane family to deal with them after I get stronger. They helped me join the academy and I will repay that favor. I will kill the garbage that burned my parents alive. If justice is not done, I will seek another way."

Maria shivered. The words that Clark spoke were not scary at all. They made her entire body crawl with desire to pursue such a goal. It was the conviction that Clark had to the very core of his being. Something that many people could not ever achieve no matter how hard they tried.

"If you can accept me…I will help you heal any wound. I will stand with you against the fires they make. And if you need it, you can tell me anything." Maria sat up and held Clark's gaze. They both felt that something between them had finally reached. Finally connected at the deepest level possible.

"You have already met Crimson." Crim huffed softly acknowledging Maria. "And this is Devil, you saw him but he is a mythical ghost type beast. I was considered beastless for most of my life until now. When Devi hatched it was because he needed more energy to properly hatch at the best healthy state. Now, he is my brother. Just like Crim who is his younger brother."

The shape of Devi became clear and approached Maria. She was surprised by the difference in size and shape. But she felt that Devi was kind even with an ominous appearance. Lit didn't have any qualms floating right next to Devi and even greeting him with one of her tentacles.

"It's very nice to meet you, Devi. I like your nickname. It's very adorable just like you." The laughter that followed from Devi shocked Maria but brought a small smile to her face.

"We can catch up with each other for a while here. Professor Wright won't come looking for us since she knows that every student will meet with her privately when they are recovered. It's good to be honest with each other now." There was a weight that had lifted off Clark's shoulders. He was finally letting someone in to his life that he could trust. Not Clara or anyone of the Mane family.

Someone who had been hurt, lost those they loved, and wanted to take down the Mourne family. Someone like him.