CELESTIA

by Yumoyori Wilson

  I slid off the bed, walking over to check on Arielle who was still asleep in her cage. I opened it up, gently stroking her head. She'd been by my side all week including classes, which wasn't usually permitted. The professors had tried to tell me she wasn't allowed, but Arielle wasn't going to have any of that, shifting back and forth between her phoenix form and harpy form to cause a scene.

  After setting one of the professor's wigs on fire, she'd gotten a free pass from the school administration as a "support" familiar. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and the guys agreed.

  Arielle had gotten used to all the guys, taking turns sitting on their shoulders during class and would steal pieces of their food during meal time. It felt nice that they accepted her with ease, not questioning her short temper or her efforts to take anything shiny from their rooms at night when she wasn’t in her cage.

  I closed the cage again, walking over to the standing mirror and noticed my bracelets were on my left side. Seeing as I was still in my shorts and tank top from earlier in the day, Sia must have taken over, but had wanted to go back to sleep, using the bracelets to force herself to do so.

  Sia had made a few appearances during the week and the guys hadn't minded. They said she was rather different from me; more of a sly personality, still projecting a sense of confidence that I too, shared.

  When they had explained it to me, I felt touched. I had never felt confident and if I acted like I was, it was all fake. I would have to stand in the mirror and give myself pep-talks to build that confidence that I apparently demonstrated so effortlessly now.

  But after only two weeks at Aslan, I could feel the difference in my level of confidence. I didn't know if it was because of the guys’ presence or my ongoing growth physically and magically, but I was enjoying these incremental improvements.

  It made me that much closer to my goal of becoming a huntress and making my parents and Magnor proud.

  I fixed my white tank top, noticing how thin the fabric was.

  "Just getting water, anyways. It won’t matter," I mumbled, yawning again. I rubbed my eyes, quietly leaving our room and walking down the hall. I made it down the stairs, and over to the fridge to get a glass of water from the filtered jug.

  Finn said the water from the tap wasn't clean enough for his taste, insisting we use the filtering device he’d brought with him.

  With our recent classes, we'd noticed that anything could be used as a test. We would rather play it safe and drink filtered water than get sick from drinking the tap water that was poisoned intentionally. Better to be safe than sorry.

  I finished my glass, then began walking back to the stairs, but stopped; my ears picked up a sound. I tilted my head, closing my eyes to focus on enhancing my hearing. The swing of a sword, the whoosh sounds and repetitive wave of movement I picked up made me realize someone was up and training.

  I followed the sound, passing the living room and heading down the hall. I walked until I reached our little training room. It was simple and had no gym equipment. It was equipped with boarded walls that were protected from high levels of magic. It didn't matter if you blasted balls of fire at the wooden walls, they wouldn't catch fire.

  I walked into to the room; the moonlight shone brightly from the floor to ceiling sliding doors that led to the backyard of the large dorm house. My eyes landed on the six-one male who continued doing his fast slashing movements.

  Even though it’d been two weeks since I had met the guys, Cairus was the only one I really hadn't got a chance to take a moment and appreciate his handsomeness.

  He did share almost identical characteristics with his brother: their height, slim but built body structure, and same neck tattoos, but his blue hair, blue and gold eyes, and his tattoo being on the left side of his neck compared to Caio’s on the right, gave him away.

  But as he continued his moves, I noticed his hair was orange, and his tattoo was hidden by the cloak he wore as he fought. I leaned against the door frame, analyzing his body movements and steps. That's not Caio...

  He turned around, twirling the bamboo stick effortlessly in his left hand. His eyes landed on mine; the usual mismatched pair were now a gold. He paused, stopping the twirling bamboo in his hand and rising up from his wide stance. He smiled.

  “Cutie Pie. What are you doing up?” he asked; the tone of his voice was neutral, not giving me a hint of which twin he was.

  I walked into the room, my bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor. I reached his side and raised my hand to brush lightly against his cheek. He raised an eyebrow at me, those golden eyes were breathtaking up close.

  “You forgot to add ‘Dearest,’ Cairus,” I whispered.

  “What if I’m Caio?” he asked.

  “You’re not.”

  “Can you confirm that?” He gave me a playful grin.

  “Caio is right-handed, not left. Your lips are slightly pinker than his, you have smoother skin and a slightly paler complexion than him because he likes to stay outside more than you. Finally, you’re using magic to hide your blue hair because Caio’s hair is a bright orange ginger, not as dark as your rendition,” I explained.

  His grin widened and he chuckled. “You sure pay attention to detail, Dearest.” Cairus ruffled his locks that began to shift back to their bright blue color and his right eye returned to its turquoise shade.

  “People can’t tell? It’s rather obvious,” I replied.

  “Nope. Not normally. Takes a while. Theo’s even mixed us up a few times and he’s known us the longest,” Cairus revealed.

  “That’s interesting,” I considered.

  “Why are you awake?” he asked again.

  “I was thirsty,” I replied, smiling up at him.

  His eyes scanned my body and I could see a hint of desire in them.

  I blinked, realizing how thin my shirt was and knew my hard nipples were doing their best to peek through the fabric. I blushed, crossing my arms. Totally give yourself away at how hot he looked while training, ugh. Damn body and its attempt to embarrass me.

  "Thirsty, huh?" he whispered.

  "Not that thirsty. I mean...never mind," I huffed.

  Cairus laughed, undoing the knot of his cape. He tugged it off, revealing his bare chest and fine abs, then aired it out. A wave of magic flowed through the fabric, ridding it of any lingering sweat. He wrapped it around my shoulders, the black material covered my chest and reached my knees.

  "Here. It'll make you feel more comfortable." He winked.

  "Thanks," I whispered, giving him an appreciative smile.

  "You're going back to bed?" Cairus asked.

  I glanced around the empty room, wondering if I wanted to sleep just yet. I never got alone time with either of the twins. They were always together and we hadn't gotten enough chill time this week to get to learn more about one another.

  "I'm not sleep—" I began, but was cut off by a yawn.

  Cairus grinned. "You want to spend some one-on-one time with me?" he asked.

  "How did you know?" I countered.

  "When you’re hesitant about something, you have an interesting look on your face. You do it a lot with Orion, Finn, and Hunter when they ask you questions," Cairus replied.

  "You're just as perceptive as I am," I mumbled under my breath.

  "That I am. I'm the observant twin," he boasted.

  I smiled, glancing at the glass sliding doors. I felt Cairus’ hand grasp mine. I returned my gaze to see his amused expression.

  "Want to go for a quick walk?" he asked.

  I gave him a wide smile and nodded. "That would be awesome. I haven't been able to enjoy the scenery here," I admitted.

  He nodded in agreement. "It's because these last two weeks have been hectic with everything from the exams to the Forsaken and now someone is trying to hurt our Celestia," Cairus huffed. He gently tugged me over to the corner, placing his bamboo stick back in its spot before we made our way outside to the back porch.

  "I love that I am
shareable." I giggled, curious if they were just joking or really did want to share me. I wasn't very knowledgeable about love, only learning the basics from books, online dramas, and seeing couples in the village.

  This was all new territory for me and I didn't know if it was okay to date more than one guy, especially amongst a close group of friends.

  We walked through the grass, using our magic to protect our feet from any sharp objects. It would be a hassle to go back to the house to get shoes and neither of us wanted to wake the others up.

  "What are you thinking about now?" he asked when we reached a large flat rock, sitting down there to enjoy the peaceful sounds of the night.

  "A lot of things," I replied, staring at the night sky filled with stars

  "Care to share a few?" Cairus asked.

  "Hmm. Well...why did you come to the exam late? I know Caio said you were on some expedition with your mom and would maybe miss the entrance exam, but I never expected you to arrive in time to save me. I'm also interested that you guys are fine with um...sharing me? As friends, right? I've...never really experienced love, but isn't there some rule that states I can only love one person? Maybe I'm just going to ruin this, but I'm not sure who it’s okay for me to be interested in. I've gone from being a nobody with no friends, to someone who has a group of people wanting me hurt or dead. I also have six amazing male teammates that I consider friends, but, what if I wanted more with them? I feel connected to Orion, but I like Finn and Hunter too. Theo also, and even though I don’t know much about you or Caio, I...think I'd be interested too? My mind’s just a mess and even though I've tried to ignore it the last few days, I think I'm rushing into things without setting boundaries. I think I like all of you, but don’t want anyone to get hurt," I rambled, finally pausing to take a breath.

  When I was greeted with silence, I looked up and saw Cairus’ flushed expression.

  "I said something weird, didn't I?" I asked in a hushed tone.

  He blinked, quickly shaking his head. "No. Just trying to gather everything you just said so I can answer it in some type of order," Cairus replied. He crossed his legs on the rock we sat on, turning to face me.

  I copied his position, still facing him.

  Cairus lifted his finger, signaling a one.

  "First thing. I was late for the exam because I was on an expedition with my mother that got delayed. Our gatekeeper had an emergency which needed to be dealt with before he could transport us back home. When I got back, I found out that Caio and I both got into Aslan. My mother is good friends with Othello and Ms. Arcadia and explained the situation. The gatekeeper also vouched for us and that's why I was able to write my exam after everyone had done theirs. When I finished, most teams had either failed or were too far in for me to participate. They decided since Team Misfit hadn't finished the targeted goal, I could join you all," Cairus explained.

  "Oh. But, how did you find us?" I asked.

  "Caio came when you guys were asleep. As twins, we can sense when we're near each other. He knew I'd entered the exam and met me halfway. When we got back to the camp, we realized no one was there and heard the Forsaken's screams throughout the forest. We knew you guys were in trouble. We shifted and when I arrived I saw the Rhinroy preparing to charge toward you. One look at your face and I knew you'd accepted that you were about to die. I didn't need to know you. My body told me I had to protect you and I just sprang into action," Cairus described.

  "Thank you for saving me, Cairus." I bowed my head to him. I hadn't gotten a chance to show him how grateful I was for his interference and instant acceptance. He didn't even know if we were on the same team. He simply sprang into action cause his body told him to. If it was anyone from my village, they would have rather watched me get killed than put themselves in harm’s way.

  "There’s no need to thank me. You saved us right back when that twenty-foot Forsaken came out of nowhere," Cairus reminded.

  I lifted my head and smiled at him.

  He reached out, patting my head before he continued. "Second. Sharing. Caio and I are close to Theo, followed by Hunter, Finn, and Orion. I can't one hundred percent guarantee we have the same feelings on this topic, but if it was you...I wouldn't mind sharing. We're already friends, Celestia. But if you wanted something more...then I wouldn't mind," Cairus admitted, his cheeks tinged a light pink as he looked away from my stunned gaze.

  I could feel my cheeks grow hot at his confirmation. "But. That's like...you know...um...not legal?" I asked.

  Cairus snickered. "If it makes you feel better, my mom is married to two tiger shifters," he announced.

  "What? TWO? Wait, really? That's okay?" I bombarded him with questions.

  He grinned, meeting my shocked stare. "Yup. It's accepted in our culture. Lion shifters as well. Their Queen usually needs multiple mates to survive. Tiger shifters are similar, but it's not a requirement. Some of us choose to be with one mate, while others have multiple. In most other dimensions, it's not looked down upon," he acknowledged.

  "But. What about other shifters?" I questioned.

  "Phoenix shifters are very low in number. They have really no option but to mate with more than one male if they expect to grow their population. Hunter's mom chose to have just one lover, but most other phoenix shifters have multiple. Vampires and bat shifters can have multiple mates and pixies are fine with the idea of it, but they normally stick to one lover and build a family, unless they’re unable to," Cairus revealed.

  "How about Orion? I haven't gotten a chance to ask him what shifter he is," I confessed.

  Cairus grinned. "I can't help you there, Cutie Pie, Dearest. Even we don't know what Orion is. He only recently joined our group and he's still rather shy amongst us. It took a while before we even knew his name. Finn would call him Purple until Orion got annoyed enough and finally told us his name. I believe only Finn has a guess of what he is, but I have no clue," Cairus expressed.

  "Interesting. I wonder if he'd be okay with sharing me? I mean, if he liked me in that way. I mean...not like I like him like him. He's just attractive like the rest of you and..." I trailed off, my face growing red. "Ugh, never mind." I brushed off the topic, looking away.

  "Celestia."

  I turned to see Cairus soft expression, his blue and gold eyes twinkled with admiration.

  "We all have one thing in common. We've experienced what it's like to be alone. To wonder if we'd ever be appreciated or loved. Rest assured that we're all friends and if any of us decided to approach that next step with you, it would be more of an honor than anything. I don't want you to feel rushed or that you have to make a decision right away. Just let your body guide you and tell your mind to take a vacation. Whatever happens, we'll all support you because we want you to be happy. As teammates, friends and maybe one day as potential lovers, your happiness all that we want," Cairus vowed.

  "Cairus," I whispered, unsure what to say.

  He smiled, leaning forward. He pressed his forehead against mine. "Don't let your mind control what your body wants. Follow your heart and let your body show you the right path. That's how us tiger shifters live," Cairus admitted.

  I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his forehead against mine. "Okay. I'll follow my heart and let my body lead me on the path to self-discovery," I summarized. I opened my eyes to see his wide grin.

  "Couldn't have said it better myself, Dearest," he replied.

  We uncrossed our legs and rose to our feet. Cairus slipped his hand into mine and we made our way back to the house. I yawned as we entered the training room, rubbing my eyes.

  "I think you should go back to sleep," Cairus suggested.

  "I guess. Aren't you going to bed?" I pondered.

  "In a bit. Caio will be up soon to train so I'll want to greet him and wish him goodnight before I go back to sleep," Cairus explained.

  "You two are really close," I acknowledged.

  Cairus nodded. "He's always been there for me, just as I've been there for him. Thankful
ly we get along really well. Haven't gotten into any major arguments. I hope it stays that way," Cairus revealed.

  "Me too," I replied.

  Cairus wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a warm embrace.

  "Get some sleep, Cutie Pie Dearest," he hummed.

  "Cutie Pie Dearest? You guys keep adding nicknames," I pointed out.

  He pulled back to give me a sly smile. "No, Celestia. Only I get to use Dearest on you," he declared.

  "Oh," I replied, blushing.

  He chuckled. "Go get some rest," he encouraged.

  "Okay. Make sure you sleep as well," I encouraged.

  "I will. Night, Celestia." Cairus gave me a small wave.

  I gave him a tired smile, yawning. "Night, Cairus. See you in the morning." I waved back, walking out from the training room, closing the door behind me. I walked down the hall; when I turned the corner, I bumped into something solid.

  "Oops. Sorry," I apologized, opening my eyes to see a pair of mismatched ones.

  "Cutie Pie? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Caio asked.

  "I'm about to. Morning, Caio," I replied absentmindedly.

  "Hmm. I should take you upstairs. You look like you’re gonna trip and fall. I don't want Orion or the others kicking my ass for leaving you alone right now," Caio suggested.

  "I'm fine," I mumbled, yawning again. This was one of the reasons why Sia took over during the night. Once I got too sleepy to keep my eyes open, it was a difficult mission to get to my bed. I could sleep on the floor. That doesn't sound bad. Or the stairs? Hmm.

  "Celestia?"

  Hmm, that sounds like Orion. Why does he sound so far away? I wonder if I can see him later. I really want to sleep now.

  "She can sleep standing?" Caio asked.

  "Sia said something about that," Orion pointed out.

  "Cutie Pie? Celestia?" Caio called out, but seemed farther away.

  I want to get a chance with Caio too. Maybe during breakfast? Or lunch...or sometime today...studying? I’ll just finish our conversation later.

  One twin down, one to go.

  Where are you guys going?" I asked, noticing Hunter, Theo, Finn, and Orion in casual clothes, about to leave.