We lowered into the forest before he did a swift left turn. I had no idea where we were going, but it looked like a cave was up ahead. I pointed to it.
"There?" I exclaimed.
We swiftly entered the cave and jerked to a stop, a second from hitting the solid wall.
I sighed in relief, but I knew we weren't out of the woods yet. My body was lowered to the ground and I turned to face them, all of us out of breath.
I was glad the others had switched back to their human forms, but now we needed to figure out how to get out of this mess.
"You still got the ring?" Wolfgang asked.
I grinned, slipping my hand into my bra. The four of them waited patiently, looking anywhere but at my breasts.
I couldn't help but grin at their modesty as I pulled the ring out and presented the gem for the others to see once again.
Even in the dim cave, it seemed to illuminate like multiple lights were shining upon it. I had no idea what magic it possibly possessed, but I couldn't wait to use it.
My eyes stared at the gold ring, noticing the big white pearl that was surrounded by four other gems; a jewel as bright as fire, one that was a teal turquoise like water, one that twinkled like a golden star, and one as pure as the dark night sky.
There were letterings on the gold band, piquing my interest. I took a closer look, unable to comprehend how a ring could be so radiant.
"It's in one piece, but how the hell are we going to get out of this situation?" I questioned, looking across the cave to peer into each of their eyes.
"Maybe we can make a replica?" Ryuu suggested.
"A copy?" Wolfgang questioned. "That's a good idea, but how are we going to teleport it back in its spot?"
"I can do it?" I offered.
"I don't think so." Dimitri shook his head. "If we need to make a replica, we have to activate the ring."
"We do?" Wolfgang questioned.
Dimitri nodded. "Yup. I've read about duplication spells and if the item is an artifact or one with magic, it needs to be activated, or the copy will look completely fake."
"All right. I'll activate it, but who's going to teleport?"
"I can," Yuriel replied. "I remember the spot and box. It'll look like it was never removed."
"Let's do this fast then," Ryuu encouraged. "I can sense Guardia.”
"I'm going to need help though," I confessed, taking a closer inspection of the ring while I made a plan how to activate it. "I need four different elements. Maybe...fire, water, ice, and...darkness? I can provide the light magic. It needs four different types to represent the four jewels while my light magic will represent the center."
"That's easy enough," Wolfgang suggested. "I can do ice."
"Water for me," Ryuu replied.
"Fire is my specialty," Dimitri replied.
"Darkness," Yuriel mumbled.
"Okay, I'm going to start. Can you guys make sure we remain hidden? The magic I'm going to use will be strong and may give us away,” I acknowledged.
The four of them nodded. Closing my eyes, the pitch-black darkness greeted me as I was pulled back into the black room.
Opening my eyes within my subconsciousness, I looked down at the ring, noticing its glorious illumination.
With a few inhales and intense concentration, I began to cast the spell.
"I, Silver Spell Solange, call upon the magic within this ring. We promised you a glimpse of freedom, but will you grant us even more? To ensure we are not caught, we must make a replica fit enough to not reveal your real location. This may allow us to keep you out of solitude for a little longer, but I make no promises, for disappointment hurts far more than giving one trust. Please consider our plea as we offer you five elements to secure this connection with thee."
I let my eyes close once more, allowing the light magic to come forth from the depths of my heart.
It was one of those elements that if not summoned for good, wouldn't respond to anyone's call.
Tricky element, but when it did respond, it made your body feel so good — a wave of happiness and serenity flooding every fiber within you.
Without opening my eyes, I could feel the other elements begin to trickle in: the hot sensation of fire, the calm flow of water, the chilling breeze of ice shards, and pure darkness, one that felt like a sucking void of nothingness.
For the last part, I needed my vision, and my eyes lifted slightly to see the magic begin to wrap around me, taking shape until four outlined silhouettes stood before me.
In flaming orange was a hellhound. In gold-white was a wolf. A dragon stood in bluish-purple, and in a dark outline with hints of white was an angel.
The four of them bowed down as if I was their creator and soon to be master. Their outlined silhouettes began to be sucked up into the ring, and the pure white magic that represented light swarmed around my feet, circling and growing bigger and bigger until I stood in the middle of a tornado of purity.
It gathered up and dove down through the middle of itself, crashing into the ring, solidifying the spell.
Pulling out from my subconsciousness, I felt like I was in a daze, peering at the ring with pride as I slowly slipped it onto my ring finger, sealing the contract the five us made with the entity of the ring.
After taking an appreciative moment to peer at its alluring appearance, I closed my other hand, picturing the ring's replica. It didn't take long to feel something within my once-empty hand.
Opening it up, I grinned in satisfaction while the others sighed in relief.
"You did it," Dimitri praised.
"Yeah,” I breathed, doing my best to stay standing.
Yuriel moved to stand behind me, allowing my body to rest against his. "You all right?"
"I will be. I can rest in the ca—" I began but was cut off by a loud roar, a wave of heat flowing into the cave.
"Shit. We gotta act fast," Wolfgang snapped. Yuriel reached out to my hand that carried the ring.
"Return to your rightful place, one for safekeeping until your duty has been fulfilled. Ashla Moga No Nula Telepanio Lo Ka Shi Ne Da."
I could tell right away he was using angel speech for the second part, which sounded like a mesh of Latin and Japanese. My hand felt hot, but in seconds, the feeling of something in my palm vanished.
Yuriel placed an arm around my waist to keep my steady, but I was still grasping how the ring was now gone.
"You actually did it. Impressive," I praised in awe.
"Now it's show time," Ryuu announced, pulling out his phone.
The ground shook like a sudden earthquake, and we turned to the entrance to see large scaly feet.
Yuriel snapped his fingers, a soundproof bubble wrapping around us. Ryuu was hastily tapping the screen of his phone, and my ears caught onto the faint ringing sound.
Ryuu put the phone against his ear, clearing his throat. "Hey, Guardia. Where you at?"
There was a loud rumbling noise, the sound of his shuffling deeper into the shadows of the cave while Ryuu sighed.
"Why are you even in dragon form?"
There was an exchange and Ryuu rolled his eyes, clearly immersed in the conversation.
"There are no intruders. You just left the mountain unattended with our princess sleeping in her quarters. I don't think my dad, the king, would be fond of that knowledge. Better yet, Mom would freak out. She doesn't care about me, but with little sis, she'd burn you alive."
Another rumble vibrated into the cave. "Guardia, you know my parents. I'm not pulling bullshit from my ass. I'm literally at the mountain now. I had to grab my sets of daggers because I forgot...what ring? Dad has far too many. How do you know one is even missing?"
A huff of steam trickled down to the ground, right in front of the cave. "You saw the box was empty? Are you seeing things? You know magic artifacts aren't easy to steal. They won't even let people touch them unless they are deemed worthy of such power. You must be seeing things. How about this, I'm still in the room. Want me to check?"
>
"Roar!" We flinched at the loud sound.
"Stop roaring up a storm. I'm doing you a damn favor instead of calling my parents and ratting your blind ass out. Hold on." Ryuu paused, and Dimitri and Wolfgang moved to make shuffling noises.
"All righty. You said the one in the red box...it's right here, Guardia. Looking nice and fresh. Jeez, what a waste of time. Get your ass back here."
There was a muffling sound. "You saw someone who looked like me? Guardia. Have you been drinking? I literally just got here and took the alternate route since there are all those S.S.S. students waltzing around. My scales are red and orange because of the fall season, remember? I'm only blue-purple in the summer. You really need to get your eyes checked. Hurry and come back. I'll leave through the other entrance when I see you on the horizon."
A quiet roar sounded off. "You're damn welcome. I still hate your guts, but I guess you're doing your job to keep us royals safe. I appreciate that. I'm starting my initiation tonight. Once it's done, I'll come back over with Wolfgang and we can have a feast. Oh. You also gotta tell me how you answer the phone in your dragon form. I can never get the wind to slide the on button."
"Grumph."
"Must be nice to multitask. I'll see you when I get my acceptance." Ryuu waited for another roar in reply before he hung up.
We watched in silent patience as the large feet moved once. There was another roar, before the beast pushed off the ground, wind rushing into the cave from the flapping of wings.
It wasn't until the area was completely silent that Dimitri sighed. "He's gone."
"That was brilliant," Wolfgang praised, looking at each of us. I smiled in relief, lifting my hands to rub my eyes, my vision growing blurry.
"Silver. Are you sure you're all right?" Ryuu questioned, his worry was apparent in his voice.
I moved my hands but felt something press against my forehead. Leaning my head back slightly, I noticed it was Yuriel, who was clearly checking my temperature with his hand.
"You're hot."
"Why, thank you." I gave him a playful grin. The others sighed.
"You're gonna need rest," Yuriel encouraged.
"I'll take a nap on the car ride back. I'll be fine,” I reassured him and the others. "But I swear, we're forgetting something."
"Hey, Ryuu." Dimitri turned his head to look at the dragon shifter, who arched an eyebrow in return.
"What?"
"You're a prince?" Dimitri clarified.
"Yeah," Ryuu replied with a shrug. "What about it?"
All of us but Wolfgang looked surprised. "Um. That's not something we can just take in lightly. You're royalty? Like you'll be king one day?"
"Yup. Unless I don't want it. Then it goes down to my sis and I'll be her advisor," Ryuu elaborated. "It really isn't a big deal."
"In other words, we stole from a king," Yuriel concluded.
"Don't worry, guys. King Kensuke is chill. He's really nice. Besides, we're 'borrowing' and we made a replica in its place. Once we're done with the quest, we'll return it. Easy peasy," Wolfgang acknowledged.
"I guess," I replied before stifling a yawn. "Let's get going. I really need a nap."
"You guys did really good in the air. You're a really strong witch, Silver," Ryuu acknowledged.
"And Yuriel, your wings are huge," Dimitri added.
"Thanks," Yuriel mumbled.
I yawned again. "You guys...looked awesome, too." I replied, closing my eyes.
"Why do I have a hunch that Blossom's going to fall asleep on us?" Dimitri mentioned.
"Wouldn't be surprised. I'm certain an average mage wouldn't have enough power to tame the ring, hover in the air, unleash that badass phoenix, and activate the ring with our combined powers. Hey, Ryuu. Didn't you say the magic artifacts can only be touched by someone worthy of their power?" Wolfgang questioned.
"Yeah. I think it was really smart to choose Silver. She has the strongest magic potential out of all of us," Ryuu complimented.
"Mhm," I mumbled, my way of saying thanks.
"Let's talk and walk," Yuriel suggested.
I didn't flinch when my body leaned back and was lifted off the ground.
I snuggled against who I assumed was Yuriel, feeling safe in his arms as my mind began to drift.
After the up and down chaos that had just occurred, it felt nice to relax in victorious bliss. I'd gotten the key item that would help me get into S.S.S. and the thought alone was beyond comforting.
Before I allowed the darkness to take me, I heard the last bit of conversation between the guys.
"Aw, fuck,” Yuriel cursed.
"You really need to let me know how angels can curse," Dimitri noted.
"What?" Wolfgang asked.
"I knew we forgot something," Yuriel groaned.
"What did we forget?" Ryuu asked.
Yuriel sighed. "The instructions."
11
Challenge Accepted
"Here's a strawberry shake, Blossom. I got it from the cafe and Yuriel did some magic juju thing on it," Dimitri announced, offering me the clear glass of smooth strawberry delight.
I glanced up from the ring to give the both of them an appreciative smile, accepting the glass.
"Thanks, guys. I'm seriously all right. That nap helped a lot."
I didn't want to worry them, but my rather pale complexion had them a little anxious. "I haven't used that much magic in a while so it was a little shock to me, that's all."
I was sitting down in the single chair in front of Clarissa's desk in her office.
I'd fallen right asleep and remained that way for the entire car ride. I would have remained asleep if it wasn't for the cool foreign energy that had trickled through my body, waking me up from my deep slumber to see Clarissa doing a diagnostic on me.
I'd yet to figure out what kind of shifter she was, but her magic skills were on par. Her magic felt as strong as my mother's, and though it was clearly different, I didn't mind that she was giving me a little boost.
Witches and Wizards were super picky when it came to magic boosts. It meant you had to rely on another to replenish your mana stores.
Obviously, I hated relying on anyone, but because she was a professor, I didn't see the harm.
If it was a stranger, however, my magic would have rebelled against it.
Boosts could be one way for a mage to take over the other's magic, draining it slowly without their knowledge until they were powerless — perfect chance to be attacked and murdered.
After Clarissa gave me a boost, she suggested I rest for a little bit and the others get something to eat prior to the evaluation. She'd review our quest and if she felt we deserved to pass, she would call the Dean to get the final stamp of approval.
It appeared to me that Clarissa was one of the higher-up professors, somewhat like a vice president if you had to put a position to it. I could have been assuming too much, but that was the vibe I got from her.
Wolfgang and Ryuu had gone to get some food for all of us and find a blanket for me since I was freezing.
I could have used magic to heat myself up, but I decided to just wait it out. I could last a few minutes being cold.
Yuriel and Dimitri moved to rest against the desk, so they could face me. I tried to ignore their worried gazes, focusing on sipping the sweet drink.
Clearly, I was being counterproductive in drinking something cold when I was freezing, but sugar always helped boost my magic.
My sister always carried sour candy with her, a fast boost of energy for her. Any type of sweets did the job for me.
My parents had been similar as well, though Mom needed tea or anything warm to boost her magic, while my father drank anything cold like milkshakes or slushes.
It was one of those weird traits with us magic users, but at least our family had more general needs to help boost our magic.
Other people had far more specific needs, like bacon, curry, red velvet cake, and even alcohol.
Finishing abo
ut half of the milkshake, I sighed in relief, but couldn't stop myself from shivering.
Dimitri moved to stand in front of me, piquing my curiosity as I glanced up. He grinned and knelt down, presenting his hand before me.
With a snap of his fingers, a flame appeared in his palm, the warmth already beginning to wrap around me.
"Right. I forgot." I giggled.
Yuriel took my milkshake from me, giving me the chance to put my hands near the flame to warm them up.
"Don't you guys think you're far too nice to me? We’ve really only known each other for less than twenty-four hours. Well, aside from Dimitri."
"Did you forget our request?" Yuriel reminded, that slight smile forming on his lips as he lowered my milkshake onto Clarissa's desk.
"I forgot that, too," I admitted. "Wow. So this is how boyfriends are supposed to treat their girlfriends."
"Well, yeah. Boyfriend or not, we should still care about you. Whether friend or even teammate. It's thanks to you we passed. I don't think any of us would have been able to take the ring out of the box," Dimitri explained.
"We're back," Wolfgang announced, entering the room with Ryuu.
They were both holding trays of food. I peered at the fries in the five bowls, noticing they had something that looked like chunks of cheese and steaming hot gravy layered on top.
On closer inspection, it looked like there was even pulled pork mixed in the combination.
"What is that?" I questioned, taking a deep inhale to try and determine the combined smell.
Dimitri turned his flame off, rising up to help Wolfgang out. Ryuu answered my question.
"It's something called poutine."
"Is that a foreign food?" I questioned.
Dimitri brought my bowl to me.
I gave him quick thanks before taking the bowl from his hold with the fork. It smelled so good, and I was far too tempted to dive right in, poking a big chunk of fries, chunky cheese, and pulled pork.
Putting it into my mouth, I groaned. "This is so fucking good."
"It's from...uh,” Ryuu began but paused, moving to stand with the others as they all now had their share of this poutine. "Wolfgang. What was the original country called again? Before they renamed."
SSS: Year One (Supernatural Spy School Book 1) Page 12