"Because we just jumped off a mountain, almost died, sweated a ton, and I'm probably even sweating now," I argued.
Clarissa began to snicker, and the Dean had a grin on her lips.
We both paused in our debate, Dimitri and Wolfgang moving back in place.
"Sorry, Dean and Clarissa," I apologized. The two shook their heads before exchanging looks.
"Your teammate’s observation is correct," the Dean replied.
"Really?" I asked, lifting my shirt to smell it.
I gave her a confused look, not really smelling anything even with my rather heightened scent.
The Dean nodded, pressing her hands together. "There was a reason why we said to make sure you read the instructions."
We cringed at our forgetfulness, my eyes shyly looking to my peers, who looked just as embarrassed by our miscalculation.
Clarissa stepped forward, brushing her hand along the desk to make the 3D images once more.
The Dean looked straight into my eyes as she explained.
"When Lia passed away, she placed a final spell on the ring. Only one with light within their heart and the ability to love more than one individual would be able to activate and wear the ring. They would be worthy and be given all her abilities. The four others who contributed to the activation of the ring would stand firm like the kingdoms, creating a bond between the five. The connection would be as strong and powerful as the love the kingdoms had for Lia's merciful grace. Once the ring has chosen, it will aid its Master until death do them part."
I watched the entire scene play out in the 3D figures, my head wrapping around the wish and realizing my new circumstances.
"That means..." I trailed off.
Clarissa nodded. "The quest was an automatic failure to many. However, its true purpose was to find a witch bold enough to apply to our school, accept a quest that would need the help of four different shifters, and to activate the ring. The reward that comes with activation is that the witch would be blessed with the same supernatural attributes that Lia carried."
"Lia was a strong angel warrior with a high level of magic affinity. That has now been passed down to you and thus, the reason for your change of smell. You don't smell like a human now. You smell like an angel," the Dean concluded.
"And still the cherry blossom, mint, vanilla," Dimitri whispered.
The others rolled their eyes but looked just as intrigued with this new information.
I, on the other hand, was still shocked by it all.
"Mewr."
Star jumped onto the desk, looking intrigued by the 3D silhouette of Lia the angel. She reached her paw to touch it before I scooped her up. "Star, I didn't summon you."
"Mewr?" She looked up at me in confusion.
Clarissa giggled. "Guess this comes as a little shock, doesn't it?"
I sighed and nodded. "It does."
The Dean reached out to pet Star's head. "What is she?"
"Oh. Um...a uni-kitty? I never really had her until today. When I get nervous, she appears," I explained, lowering Star back onto the desk.
She moved up to the Dean, sitting back to give her full attention.
"Intriguing creation," she praised, petting Star's back, which made her purr.
"So...what do we do now?" Ryuu asked.
"More importantly, we still don't know if we passed," Yuriel added.
The Dean cleared her throat before standing up. We gave her our full attention once more.
"After watching your performance and speaking with you five formally—"
"Mewr?" Star interrupted.
The Dean grinned. "Six of you formally, it's given me an idea of what you all can contribute to our school. As I stated before, your skills and strength were on point. You also did survive one of King Kensuke strongest guards. Even with skipping the instructions, you completed this task in a very timely manner. Most quests are not completed within the first twenty-for hours so that does give you bonus points. Finally, your teamwork is commendable, and shows you will work together whether at school or in the field."
Taking a deep breath, she gave us a wide grin.
"My name is Shirley Sage Sabella, the Dean and creator of S.S.S. school. You've received a triple S score on Quest 999 and have officially been accepted to the best supernatural spy school in the world. Congrats, and welcome aboard."
12
Celebrating Success
"I'm home!" I cheered.
Slipping my shoes off, I watched them float to the right spot before rainbow glitter rained down from above me.
I giggled and lifted my hands up, looking at the ceiling with glee. "Thank you for the glittering welcome, home."
Ever since I was a kid, if something super exciting happened our house always seemed to know.
The moment I'd walk in, I'd either be hit with a spiraling warm breeze or have leaves, glitter, or feathers rain down on me in greeting. It was just one of the many things that made this house so special.
Far too special to ever give up.
The sound of footsteps coming my way made me lower my head, my sister coming into view.
"You made it?!" she shrieked.
With a snap of my fingers, a gold paperback with a multicolored stamp appeared mid-air, flying into my opened hand. I grinned and presented it to her.
"You're looking at your beloved sister who's now an official S.S.S school student!" I said with triumph.
"Ah! I knew you'd get in!" Scarlet rushed over to me, wrapping me in her arms as we both jumped up and down in the hall.
The house continued to sprinkle glitter around us, just as excited at my acceptance as the two of us.
"Mother had a hunch you'd get in so she went to get your favorite lunch! I told her to get us red velvet cake because we haven't had that in ages!" she emphasized.
"You two spoil me." I giggled, feeling beyond happy. "At least I get to have it before I go back," I revealed.
"You have to go back right away?!" My sister pouted her lips. "Mom and I agreed she'd cover lunch and I'd take you out to dinner."
I grinned and hugged her again.
"Yes. We all have to go back home, grab more belongings if we need to and inform our loved ones of our acceptance. They said if your family is far away they'll teleport you so you can share the news."
"Wow. That's very considerate of them. I guess with a triple S score, that's the least they can do,” Scarlet suggested. "How was your team? Was your quest difficult?"
"Uh..." I didn't know whether I should mention about the whole ring incident. "It was interesting. My team is made up of four guys." I gave her a sheepish grin.
She gawked at me. "Four?! You were the only female. Please tell me they're hot? Cute? Boyfriend potential? Will my baby sis finally meet a man and not a little boy who still doesn't know which hole to put his cock in?"
"Still?" I asked, ignoring her other questions.
Scarlet grinned, waltzing up the stairs. I immediately followed her, knowing a teacup filled with steamy information awaited me.
She skipped into my room, and my eyes noticed the brand new luggage set with S.S.S on it. I had to pause, staring at it in confusion while taking in the golden S.S.S lettering that was outlined in turquoise on the pinkish-purple luggage that was crafted in the shape of a chest.
"This is giving me Harry Potter vibes," I mumbled to myself.
Glancing back at Scarlet, I gave her a questioning glare. "Please don't tell me you got the catalog and started ordering stuff."
"I didn't!" she defended, putting her hand on her chest. "Those are from the school. They didn't tell you? All accepted students receive chest luggage. There's a bunch of perks when it comes to that school. You have to wear uniforms, too," Scarlet disclosed.
"Ah. They didn't mention the suitcase,” I admitted. "All they said was we'd have to come back with our things and we'd find out our dorm rooms somewhere in between."
"They're stingy with giving too much information because some shifters
back out," Scarlet replied, sitting down on my neatly made bed and crossed her legs.
"People drop after they pass?" I questioned. "I know you explained about the whole three chances type deal, but why pass the quest and drop?"
"Family problems. It's the reason why you must go home and retrieve your stuff. Even if you packed every single thing you own, they'll force you to go back."
"What if you don't have a family?" I questioned.
"If you can prove you have no living family members, close relatives, or even friends, then they won't send you, but they'll let you basically do your own thing off campus. Some people go to the mall nearby or even the cafe. Many shifters have stuff in the storage house nearby and go pick that up as well. The school has to clear out the dorms from old students or those who didn't make it, to make room for the new students. That's why they need a few hours when you pass."
"Your lover explained all this?" I inquired.
"Yup. You know, just one of those after sex conversations." She shrugged. I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I don't even want to know."
Scarlet giggled. "Now, back to your team. Hot or not?"
"They're attractive," I replied, walking over to the luggage.
Laying the biggest piece down on the floor, I began to unlock the golden lock, while Scarlet continued.
"Attractive as in you'll date one of them? What shifters are they?"
"One's a hellhound that likes to sniff me and calls me Blossom. The second one is an angel who has some mysterious aura about him, but not in a cocky way. The third guy is a dragon who had a bit of an attitude in the beginning, but he's actually really nice, and the last guy is a werewolf who's pretty laid back," I explained, opening the chest.
There was a package in an 8x10 gold envelope. Picking it up, I turned it over to see the red seal, beginning to peel it open as I continued to listen to Scarlet.
"Wow. Talk about diversity. Did you guys know each other or something?"
"Hmm, one of the professors said the same thing," I replied. "We didn't know one another. Well, I'd already met the hellhound because he was lost, and I helped him get to the station, but he was still basically a stranger. Is it not usual for a team to have different types of shifters?"
"Nope. Shifters like to cluster and stick together. Most teams consist of two of the same shifter species if possible. If they can't, I've heard shifters switch different teams to try to make it even. It's a tad silly to me, but that's what happens," Scarlet answered.
"Well, I have four different shifters who actually kinda get along. Kinda weird. They know I'm human, by the way."
"How did you pull that off? Did you seduce them with your divine beauty?"
I rolled my eyes but kept smiling. "What divine beauty? I'm just your average witch. Nothing more."
"It's the eyes." Scarlet giggled.
"Sure, it is. Apparently, I smell of cherry blossoms, mint, and vanilla." I pulled the papers out of the envelope, my eyes scanning the words.
"Did you know hellhounds are totally freaky in the sheets?" Scarlet questioned.
"Where do you get your Sex Shifter 101 information from? Don't tell me this is one of those after sex talks."
"Nah. It's legit. You really do have a good team. Angels are powerful and amazing healers. They can take the pain away with ease. Werewolves are fast, smart, and if it's an Alpha wolf, they're very protective, especially when it comes to their female. Dragons are just lethal, especially with their triggered temper, and hellhounds are super dangerous. They have split personalities."
"Come again? Split personalities?" I asked, meeting her gaze for a moment.
"Yup. If you think a hellhound is powerful in their normal form, wait till you meet their split. Overprotective as fuck, but again, amazing in bed!"
"I'll take that into account," I replied, returning my attention to the papers.
"That means you're dating the hellhound?!"
"I'm dating all of them," I said casually, not thinking about it as I focused on the paper in front of me.
It read that we'd get to celebrate our success tonight with our appointed team, which would be determined by the professor who passed us.
We'd also receive our schedules upon arriving back to the school. My dorm number was at the bottom.
"Dorm 1919-S. Hmm. What's with all these coincidences? Nineteenth letter in the alphabet is S. Two nineteens and S means SSS. Man, they must really go into these things when it comes to planning. I wonder if the guys will be nex—"
"HOLD ON!"
I jumped at Scarlet's shrill voice. "What?!"
I looked around, keeping still as though something was about to attack. There was a poof, and Star dropped into my luggage.
We both lowered our gaze to the little uni-kitten, watching her stretch and begin to run around in the bag, rolling around like it was a cat playground.
Scarlet returned to looking at me. "Does she just pop out whenever?"
"I guess. You did scare me," I noted. "And her name is Star now."
"Right," Scarlet replied before shaking her head quickly. "Back to the main topic! What do you mean you’re dating ALL OF THEM? Did my ears malfunction?"
"Long story short, I agreed to date all of them if they would be my teammates for the quest. They're good-looking, which is a bonus. It's just for the years I'm at S.S.S and if it doesn't work, I can just be friends. It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?! You're dating four amazingly hot, powerful shifters, Silver. Imagine all the fives—"
"Please leave out the sex,” I groaned.
There was a knock on the door. The two of us turned our attention to see Mother standing at the doorway.
She was wearing a simple white flowered dress and fuzzy bunny slippers and her long blue locks were up in a ponytail. She was holding a platter of cookies.
"What is this about a fivesome?"
I groaned while Scarlet giggled. "Oh, Mom! Silver landed herself four sexy boyfriends!"
"I did not, dammit!" I scrambled off the floor to tackle Scarlet onto the bed.
She merely laughed hysterically. "See, Mom? We had nothing to worry about. Initiation day and our Silver is bringing all the boys to the yard."
"Shut up!" My face must have been beet red.
Mother sighed. "You two are far too energetic. Silver, you have four boyfriends?"
"No! Well, yes! But it's not what it looks like,” I tried to strategize. My mother just giggled. "Well, that's adventurous of you. I brought cookies."
"Mom, you're so easygoing,” Scarlet teased, lifting me up with a gust of wind.
I shrieked when she let me go, face planting the bed. With a groan, I rolled over to see Scarlet get off my bed and waltz to where Mother was.
Picking up a cookie, she took a bite and squealed. "Mom, your cookies are the best! Save some for Silver and her harem. Maybe she'll get lucky tonight."
"Go away." I threw a pillow at her.
Lifting her hand, she stopped it before it hit her, allowing the fluffy bundle to fall onto the floor.
"You love me. Make sure I'm maid of honor at the future wedding. I'll do a better job than Nikko, which reminds me. Did you even tell her you got accepted?"
"Right, I forgot," I replied. "Damn, I'm slacking. I'll message her after you guys leave. I need to pack." I got off the bed but walked over to give Mother a side hug.
"Hey, Mom."
"Hey, darling. Congrats on your acceptance. I'm so proud of you," she praised.
I leaned back and gave her a teeth-glistening smile. "Thanks, Mom! It was hard, but I did it. I'm the first witch to be accepted."
"That's a huge accomplishment," Mother complimented. "I have to admit, you feel different, too."
"Feel different?" I clarified. Scarlet nodded, taking two cookies and offering me one. "Yeah, your aura changed a tad. Can't figure out how though."
After giving her a quick thanks, I took the cookie from her hand. "Ah...it could have been due to the quest
or something. I'm sure I'll go back to normal," I brushed off, biting into my cookie.
Scarlet shrugged. "Probably. S.S.S. is mysterious, after all. Mom, let's go get everything ready so Silver can pack."
"Let us know if you need any help, Silver," Mother encouraged.
"Yes, Mom. I will. Thank you for the cookies." I took four more to munch on while I packed and leaned up to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"You're welcome, darling. We'll be downstairs."
I watched the two of them leave, beginning to finish my first cookie when I noticed Star was eyeing it like a hawk.
"It's like you know when I'm going to get food," I mumbled, kneeling back down to the floor and offering her one of the cookies.
Star inspected it for a moment and took a bite. She looked pleased, taking the rest of the cookie and leaping from inside my suitcase to my bed.
"Don't leave crumbs on my bed,” I voiced. "I wonder if familiars can eat cookies?"
"They can!"
I looked to see Scarlet was back. "Don't come and take my cookies,” I muttered, knowing Scarlet was the ultimate cookie monster.
She grinned but shook her head. "Nah. Mom made me my own batch cause she loves me more."
"Very funny." I rolled my eyes, knowing our mom loved us equally. "Why did you come back?"
"Oh, right." Scarlet finished her cookie and clapped her hands. "Nom-nom, nom nom. Nom!"
When nothing happened, I arched an eyebrow at her. "Don't think it works when your mouth is full," I pointed out.
She swallowed the cookie she'd been chewing and cleared her throat. Clapping her hands, she chanted. "Vila So nah, Surprise de lantango!"
With a poof of pink mist, a wrapped pink gift floated in the air in front of her. She flicked her hand, directing the gift toward me. I presented my hand and the box landed right onto my palm.
"What's this?" I questioned.
"I couldn't let you leave without getting your gift." She lifted her chin up with pride. "Open it."
With her encouragement, I tugged at the simple gold ribbon and unraveled the pink wrapping paper. Opening the blue box, I gasped in awe.
"Holy shit. This is gorgeous! Is this from Tiffany's?" I questioned, taking the silver charm bracelet with different charms on it.
SSS: Year One (Supernatural Spy School Book 1) Page 14