I grinned in triumph, and Ryuu nodded his head.
"Including restricted areas. It's going to be handy if we need to search certain spells or gain knowledge we can't normally access," he acknowledged.
"That's a really good reward. Some wouldn't think so, but knowledge is power when it comes to school," Yuriel noted.
"I'm sure the rest of your classmates were jealous." Wolfgang chuckled.
"We definitely got a few glares on our way down the hall," I confessed.
"They had to hold buckets of ice on their heads while their feet were on hot pads or something. I don't even want to imagine how painful that would be," Ryuu added.
"Half your body freezing because the ice will begin to melt and overflow while your lower half is burning from the heat flowing upward. Then to add the exhaustion of staying still and the aches you'd get holding the bucket."
"And they were still drenched from the class. Your body already freezing. Professor London is evil," Wolfgang concluded.
Dimitri and Yuriel nodded. "Agreed."
"How was your cla—" I questioned but my stomach interrupted. The growl that left it was so loud, it was like a wolf howling for its pack.
My face grew bright red and Dimitri had a cute smirk on his face while he rubbed his hand up and down my left arm. "Hungry, Blossom?"
"Uh...yeah. Using a lot of magic makes me hungry," I revealed.
"Why didn't you guys get food?" Wolfgang asked.
"We wanted to wait for you guys," Ryuu replied with a shrug.
"Aww. Isn't that sweet," Dimitri drawled out.
"Fuck off, stalker," Ryuu huffed. Dimitri just grinned and leaned over to give me a kiss on the cheek. "We'll go get you something to eat, Blossom. What would you like?"
"I can go with you," I suggested.
Yuriel rose up and stretched. "We can go. Sounded like your class was the most stressful and energy consuming."
"Not to forget you guys waited for us and reserved a table. Let us get your food. You two relax," Wolfgang encouraged. I looked to Ryuu, who nodded.
"All right. I want a rib combo with fries and a Diet Coke," he ordered. Wolfgang nodded and glanced my way. "And for you, Silver?"
"Um." I thought for a long moment.
"You can get whatever you want, Blossom," Dimitri acknowledged.
"Are you sure?" I asked sheepishly.
"Positive," Dimitri replied, and the other two nodded in approval.
"In that case, can I get a well-done steak, one rack of barbeque ribs glazed in extra sauce, a bowl of mushroom soup, chili cheese fries, a medium order of coleslaw, a side order of mashed potatoes, two rolls of white bread with butter in the middle, a bottle of lemon water, a bottle of normal water, and an ice cream sandwich for dessert, please?”
Ryuu, Wolfgang, and Dimitri were speechless, the three of them staring at me like I'd lost my mind. Yuriel blinked a few times and nodded.
"Steak, ribs, mushroom soup, chili cheese fries, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, white bread rolls, regular and lemon water, and an ice cream sandwich. I got the other details. Anything else? I heard they got new cinnamon donuts."
"Cinnamon?" I gasped, already tasting the warm, sweet delicacy in my mouth. "Yes, please!"
"All right. Let's go. Steak and ribs take a while," Yuriel encouraged, turning around and heading toward one of the many restaurants in the cafe.
Wolfgang and Dimitri blinked out of their shock and nodded. "We'll be back!"
Ryuu and I watched them disappear in the crowd. He got up and moved around the table to sit on my right side.
"Was that too much food?" I wondered, feeling a tad worried about eating so much.
I was grateful my metabolism was as fast as it was, but the moment I used magic to a certain extent, all bets were off when it came to food.
My original goal was not to show that until I got to really know the guys — or my roommates in general when I thought about it — but alas, here we were.
"Hmm. With your magic caliber, I guess that's normal right? I mean you have to eat and stay hydrated to replenish your energy. Plus, as long as you don't land in the nurse's office with a stomach ache, you can eat as much as you want. At least it's not wine."
I beamed at his approval. "I feel less weird when you say that," I whispered.
"You're not weird to us," Ryuu replied honestly. "You're a pretty badass ‘angel’ shifter." He winked at my current camouflage and I laughed.
"Right," I emphasized, looking down to the gold ring.
It still had a heaviness to it, but it felt nice to wear it. It did catch a few students’ attention in class, but that all changed when the focus was on the trial.
That reminded me of what Mr. London had said before our test. "Hey, Ryuu?"
"Hmm?" he replied.
His eyes were focused on a group of students who wore their uniforms almost too perfectly. I followed his gaze to the table of about six students. The group gave off those "elite" vibes — a general feeling that those shifters thought they were the best of the best.
"Did you notice Mr. London was hinting at something during his little speech?"
"Like when he mentioned the importance of not losing something valuable and looked at your ring," he suggested.
"Yes. Like that," I replied. "What was up with that? Also, why did you tense up?"
Ryuu was silent, his eyes still focused on the group. I turned my attention back to him, but I didn't push it, wondering why he was so focused on the table of shifters.
Does he know someone from there?
Feeling intrigued, I was ready to turn my head to get a better view of the group, but he answered me.
"The thought of losing someone I care about makes me tense," he revealed. "I'm sure everyone experiences that. A hint of fear that spikes through you at never seeing a person again. When someone brings up the possibilities, it leaves me in a position to question whether I'm strong enough to protect the person or people I care about."
"It is normal to feel that way, but is there a deeper meaning to it?" I quietly asked.
"Well," he began, his eyes still on the group. "When I was young, my family was friends with Wolfgang's. We were really young back then, I'm not even sure what age at this point, but both our parents were S.S.S. spies. Keep in mind that dragon and wolf shifters have a different way of categorizing family. Of course, we have the parents who gave birth to us, but in general, until we're old enough to protect ourselves, the group of dragons is like family. Same goes with a pack of wolves raising their pup."
He turned his gaze to me and continued.
"Since our parents were close friends, Wolfgang and I connected well. We did everything together and even if some teased us that we were completely different shifter races, we didn't care. We couldn't shift on command, only when we were afraid or sometimes angry. Either way, it was a good childhood until Wolfgang's pack members began to disappear."
"Disappear?" I questioned. "As in they went missing?"
Ryuu nodded. "We didn’t notice at first. Wolfgang would stay with us for long periods unless his family had to do pack runs. It wasn't until their next pack run that we realized what was happening. Then Wolfgang went missing."
"Wolfgang?! What happened when you guys found out?" I questioned.
"A full search went out. I was left behind because I was too young, but then my parents went missing."
I gawked in horror, trying to follow this mystery. Ryuu smiled and reached out to lift my jaw so my mouth wasn't hanging wide open in clear shock.
"The king and queen of our herd of dragons set out to find them. I tagged along because I'd be able to pick up their scent a lot faster than anyone else. What made the situation worrisome was my Mom was pregnant at the time. It's hard for dragon shifters to get pregnant. Takes a bunch of trials and all these extra steps, which was why the situation escalated to the point of the royal family getting involved."
He looked around the cafeteria while he continued.
"We finally located them, but Wolfgang's pack was slaughtered. It was a horrendous sight to see. Dead wolves everywhere. Clearly, a huge fight had taken place, and sadly, our side had lost. I'm sure it must have been some payback move from one of the many missions Wolfgang's pack had conducted, but you never really expect those things to happen. When you're a spy, you get a level of protection granted, but it wasn't as advanced as it is now."
I gulped at the dread in his voice.
Wolfgang seemed so relaxed and happy all the time. I wouldn't have imagined his past would have revolved around witnessing the death of his entire pack.
"It took us a long time before we found my parents. My dad was already dead. My mom was barely breathing. The queen and the female dragons that came with the rescue team performed an emergency operation to try and save the dragon egg. My mom must have known she wasn’t going to make it because she put a spell on my sister's egg that protected her. Think of it like crystalizing a body to preserve until ready to bring back to life."
"Your sister is super young now, so does that mean it took a while for her egg to hatch?" I questioned.
"Yeah. A few years and many trials. We'd found a witch who knew how to remove the spell. That's when my sister was born."
"After your sister’s egg was retrieved, your mother passed?"
He nodded, looking back at me once again.
"Yup. We didn't find out until after that there had been one more egg. It was supposedly a boy, or should I say my younger brother. It's hard to tell how many kids a dragon shifter will have because their eggs are positioned weirdly. My mom was sure she was having a girl, but I don't think she realized there were twins. My mother had used her body to shield Wolfgang. She'd cradled around him and when we did find him, he was unconscious. The shock of it all really hit him. He felt as though it was because of him that his whole pack died and my parents as well. He didn't talk for months."
I couldn't say anything, speechless at their harsh past. Ryuu gently stroked my cheek, removing a tear I hadn't even realized left my right eye.
"Don't cry, Blossom. It's in the past," Ryuu whispered while his eyes softened. "It's comforting to know our story can move you to tears."
I slowly nodded and blinked away my tears. He grinned and let out a long sigh.
"After that, well. It took a while to pick ourselves back up again. My sister’s egg was kept with the king and queen, and Wolfgang and I would eventually have to be put up for adoption. We didn't want to be torn apart, so whenever I got an opportunity to be adopted, I refused. I wasn't going to abandon Wolfgang. Wolf shifters don't really adopt. Not because they don't understand a lone wolf's situation, but because wolf shifters strive better within their own packs. Wolfgang may not have adapted well to a new group of wolves and they wouldn't have much sympathy or compassion for him because he wasn't born within the pack."
"But you eventually got adopted right?" I confirmed, my brain already putting the pieces together. He nodded.
"The king and queen had gotten into a legal battle with the specific organization that hired our parents for the missions. S.S.S. normally doesn't get involved, but because our parents were all highly ranked and graduates of this school, the issue was escalated to the highest court for review. The organization working under S.S.S. was terminated, and the king and queen were given permission to adopt both of us."
"That's why you guys refer to each other as brothers." Even though their pasts were both sad, they had each other and stuck through the pain and heartache.
"Yup. We're legal brothers on paper. Wolfgang kept his last name in his pack's honor. We moved in with the king and queen, who are now our parents, and then my sister’s egg hatched with the help of a witch. We decided to come to the school when we moved here because we wanted to make sure what happened to our families didn't occur again. There are many different paths you can take as a spy. It's not only in the field that you listen in and solve missions. There's protective services and escorts that aid in making sure shifters are safe. I'm not sure if that's exactly what I want to do, but I have four years to figure it out."
"I'm sure when the time comes, you'll know exactly what you want to do. As long as you choose what will make you happy and complete. That’s what matters," I encouraged. "I'm really happy you and Wolfgang are brothers, and that your adorable sister is okay now."
"Me too," Ryuu replied. "Makes this school journey worth it, I think. Interesting how we just met and it feels rather comforting to tell you about my past. That's definitely a first." He stretched his arms out.
"It's difficult for me to open up to people. Wolfgang likes to tease me because most dragon shifters are like that, but I feel comfortable telling you. Could be because we're technically dating, or because you were willing to work as a team during our test. Who knows?”
"I've questioned myself a few times as to why I feel really relaxed with you guys, too. Could be our new bond." I presented my left hand and wiggled my fingers for extra emphasis. "Whatever it is, I like it," I admitted. "I'm not good at making friends, I guess."
"I doubt that. Sure, we only bumped into each other because we wanted the same quest and all, but it didn't mean we had to come along. I only wanted the quest because of its connection with my dad, but I could have easily chosen something else. I just hope you don't go kissing everyone who tries to take what you want." He gave me an accusing look while my cheeks burned red.
"T-that was a one-time deal! It felt like a good idea at the time," I grumbled.
Ryuu smirked, leaning in until he was right in my face and his lips were centimeters from mine. "I'm not the sharing type, but only us four get to have you. I'll burn everyone else to ashes if they try to take what's ours."
"I feel like property," I grumbled, but a small smile formed on my lips. "If that's your way of being romantic, not bad." I kissed him before he could reply, and his cheeks burned while I heard Wolfgang's loud laughter.
"Awww. Blossom got Ryuu good. Look how red his face got in five seconds."
"She's sneaky," Yuriel replied.
"We're back, love birds! We gotta go back to get the second batch of food," Dimitri greeted.
Ryuu leaned away from me, his face still beet red, while I looked to the others with a wide grin. "Food! Thank you, guys."
They lowered the feast onto our table and went to grab the second batch. I turned to Ryuu and placed my hand on his. "Thanks for telling me a bit about your past," I whispered.
"It's fine. You're my girlfriend after all." He shyly met my gaze and my smile only widened.
I could be moving fast with this relationship thing, but it felt nice to be acknowledged and learn more about each of them. If this was how the first day was, I couldn't imagine what the rest of the semester would have in store for me.
The others returned with the second batch of food, and we all settled in and got to work eating. We talked and laughed, as the others told us about how their classes had gone.
I noticed the multiple glances we got with all the food at our table, but the guys made sure I wouldn't stop eating because of the flickers of attention those students gave us.
It left me wishing I would have had a group of friends like this in my younger years.
That I had my own group of individuals who accepted me regardless of my magical power, family background, or looks.
This could have been why cliques were popular, though I was sure not all of them had the best interest of everyone within the group at heart.
Maybe I needed to experience and recall the memories of being alone to appreciate this moment surrounded by my teammates.
Or in my special case, boyfriends.
23
Supernatural Weapon Enhancement Arts
"In this class, our focus for the semester is all about how to make the best weapons to aid you in a mission. As a spy, every task you accept will be different. It won't be a routine where a sword will always get you out of a jam. This class is what's going to prepare
you for your gym session later on today. I, Professor Thanos, am going to teach you how to analyze every weapon and its magic potential."
A student raised his hand, and I mentally sighed.
It was some snake shifter called Adam Molark and he'd been asking stupid, annoying questions since the beginning of class ten minutes ago. He and his other snake shifter friends were in the back corner, while Wolfgang and I sat closer to the front.
Weapon class had fewer people than my last two classes because we'd been split in half to make things easier for when we had hands-on assignments. It would give us the opportunity to have one on one interactions with Mr. Thanos.
However, from the disrespectful questions and mocking commentary Adam and his friends had already managed in ten minutes, I felt we'd be lucky to have a decent class that didn't involve upsetting Mr. Thanos.
Today wasn't going to be one of them.
Mr. Thanos looked over to him. "If you're going to ask about my name, don't."
A few students snickered, and Wolfgang sighed. "Talk about immature."
"I bet he despised his surname after that movie came out. I wonder if people thought his weapons would turn them into dust or something," I whispered back.
"Sorry, sir, but you have to admit, it's pretty funny," another student mentioned, sitting behind Adam. "Do people question if your weapons have a three-month expiration? Like poof, to dust."
A few more students joined the hysterics, giggling and whispering while Mr. Thanos looked annoyed but didn't reply. I raised my hand, catching his attention.
"Yes," Mr. Thanos nodded to me.
The other students glanced my way, clearly thinking I was joining in the mockery.
"Sir. I think you should snap your fingers and teach them a lesson. We all know what happens when you snap your fingers." I gave him a wink, while my own magic began to flow down to my fingertips.
The tingle sensation made my lips widen in a mischievous grin, and Mr. Thanos began to smile.
"You're right, Miss—"
"Solange," I announced.
I wasn't doing this to make myself some type of teacher’s pet. I wanted our lesson to actually start and not continue to be interrupted by these slithering assholes.
SSS: Year One (Supernatural Spy School Book 1) Page 25