"Don't make that face," he whispered; a sorrowful expression took over as he leaned in to give me a comforting kiss. When we parted, he hugged me.
"You like the others?" he asked, sounding as if he wanted my confirmation.
"...Yes. I think I do? I...I'm so new at this. I don't know how it works and I never understood love until recently. Everything is still early yet, but I admire and feel some type of affection for each of them. Finn and his selfless personality, Hunter and his protective nature. Theo and his kindness that he tries to hide with a bold front and Caio and Cairus who do everything to make me laugh and feel better if anything troubles me. And you, who always shows up when I need someone to lean on. I don't want to lose any of you...but if it will make you unhappy to love them, I'll make the sacrifice," I declared, swallowing the lump in my throat and blinking back the tears that began to well in my eyes.
I didn't think I'd get so emotional over the matter, but speaking the words out loud and realizing I may have to let go of the men I'd slowly begun to have feelings for was harder than I'd expected.
Orion soothingly rubbed my back, followed by pressing a kiss to my neck. I relaxed in his strong hold, preparing myself for his reply.
"I'm willing to share," he confirmed.
I pulled back to meet his serene smile; tears of relief fell down my cheeks at his response. He pulled out of the embrace to wipe the tears from my cheeks.
"Don't cry, Celestia. I would never want you to be unhappy. If being with all of us fulfills you, who am I to be selfish and deny what you need? I care dearly about you and I know the others do in their own way. This isn't a competition and we have all the time in the world to get to know each other. Just don't abandon me," he whispered the last part.
I quickly shook my head. "I'd never abandon you," I declared.
"Good. Then there's nothing to be crying about. You're going to ruin your makeup," he pointed out.
I laughed, letting the last of my tears fall before moving back to the desk to fix my makeup. I finished up, applying more lip gloss. I stood and turned, waiting for Orion's approval.
He gave me a wide smile, his perfect white teeth making an appearance while his eyes twinkled with admiration.
"You’re beautiful, Celestia," he praised.
"You’re a sight to behold yourself," I complimented.
He walked over to me, slipping his hand into mine. He glanced at my lips. "I can't kiss you anymore," he realized; his lips turned down into a little pout, making him look even more adorable.
I giggled at his disappointment, "Sorry. No more kisses until the end of this meeting," I affirmed.
He looked like he was considering something; a mischievous grin formed on his lips.
"What are you thinking?" I inquired, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Nothing," he replied, lowering his head to place a kiss on my neck.
I moaned at the touch which made me shiver in anticipation. I was still learning what I did and didn’t like when it came to kissing, but I quickly discovered my body loved when Orion kissed my neck.
"That's cheating," I giggled, sighing when he nibbled my sensitive flesh.
"It's not," he mumbled, pulling away.
"That better not have left a hickey," I warned.
He shrugged, "Maybe?" he replied, not seeming to care if it did.
I wanted to quickly check, but he tightened his grip around my hand.
"We're gonna be late," he reminded.
"We have tons of...Oh! It's eleven fifty-five!" I shrieked when my eyes locked on the clock above our desk. "Isn't the meeting at noon?" I asked, turning to Orion who appeared completely relaxed.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why are you so calm? What if they kick us out?" I complained, grabbing my purse and pulling Orion out of the room. We reached the stairs. The lights were still off and thanks to the gloomy weather, the place looked as if it was in the middle of the night.
"I swear, this gloomy weather is such a pain in the—" I began, reaching the bottom of the stairs when the lights turned on.
"SURPRISE!"
I froze in place as my eyes grew wide at the scene before me. The room was decorated with arrangements of purple and pink balloons, each of them with either gold or silver stars. There were gold and silver ribbons that hung from the ceiling and a gigantic purple and pink banner that said, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELESTIA & SIA.'
There were stacks of purple and pink gifts on the kitchen island and dozens of pink and purple roses in a large vase. I turned my attention to the five guys in front of me; Orion slipped his hand out of mine and walked over to them.
They were all in formal attire, wearing dress shirts and black pants. Finn wore a light green shirt and stood next to Hunter who was sporting a sunset orange shirt. Theo's shirt was a dark red, Caio's a light orange and Cairus’ a dark teal. The twins each held an oversized teddy bear; one was white and the other a light brown, both with red hearts on their chests.
Arielle flew to land on Orion's shoulder; she wore a little necklace and a mini party hat.
"BRU-REE!" she cheered, fluttering her wings with excitement.
"What..." I tried to ask what this was all about, but I couldn't find the words.
Theo walked up to me, brushing his hand across my cheek. I hadn't even realized I was crying as I took in the entire scene.
"Happy Birthday, Celestia. I know we’re three months late, but better late than never," Theo grinned.
I noticed the ends of his hair, which had been black previously, were now a light blond, giving him a nice ombre look from red to yellow.
"Your hair?" I asked, lifting my hand to touch the silky strands.
"I heard a certain unicorn shifter didn't like that my black ends didn't fit in the rainbow. I thought it was a good time to get a new look," he teased, winking at me.
I smiled, glancing at the others.
"We would have celebrated sooner if SOMEONE didn't delay us," Hunter emphasized, glancing at Orion who rolled his eyes.
"She deserves a teddy bear. Sia too," he mumbled.
"Teddy bear?" I asked, looking back at the massive bears Caio and Cairus held. Finn laughed, walking over to me and patting my head.
"It's really hard to get stuff delivered here. We had to pull some strings and Orion had to use his enchanting looks to allow us to go through the gate to Alevon to get all this stuff ordered and prepared to be delivered," Theo explained.
"Flawless looks, huh?" I giggled.
Orion shrugged, "If it gets me what I need to make you happy, I don't mind," Orion replied.
"You guys got one for Sia too? She's gonna be thrilled," I whispered, overcome by their thoughtfulness.
The twins moved up to me, pulling me into a teddy bear hug.
"Don't cry, Celestia. You deserve a birthday party," Caio comforted.
"Yes, Dearest. You're supposed to be happy. Not sad," Cairus soothed.
"I am happy. So happy...that I can't stop crying," I sobbed.
The twins moved away and Finn and Hunter took their places, giving me a group hug.
"You can't ruin your makeup until you see our surprise," Hunter advised.
"Exactly," Finn agreed.
"Surprise?" I asked, opening my tear-filled eyes.
Orion walked over, wiping my wet cheeks.
"It's good I placed a spell when you were doing your makeup the second time," he whispered.
"Spell?" I asked.
He nodded. "Can't let that spoil all your hard work before seeing your surprise," he encouraged.
"What is it?" I asked.
He stepped to the side; the others lined up so Theo, Cairus and Caio were to my left while Finn, Hunter, and Orion were on my right.
I heard the door open followed by footsteps; silver orbs met my shocked gaze.
"Magnor!" I didn't think, running straight to him. He laughed; his arms spread wide to catch me as I jumped into his arms.
I didn't realize I'd miss him so much. Even with
my real parents being alive and well, Magnor meant so much to me and being apart made me realize what an impact he'd had in my life.
"Now, Celestia. What did I say about no boys?" He joked.
I laughed, tightening my hold around him.
"No wonder Magnor was nagging the whole way back," Ms. Arcadia's high-pitched voice announced.
"Right. He was so cranky, saying if we missed this he'd never help us kill Forsaken again," Othello's low voice complained.
I turned to see them both walk into the living room; Miss Arcadia held a wide box and Othello carried a few gift bags. I gawked at them, glancing over at the guys who looked just as surprised.
"Are Professor Arcadia and High Council Leader Othello in our dorm?" Caio asked, rubbing his eyes.
"It's a test," Cairus whispered to his brother.
Ms. Arcadia rolled her eyes. "It's the weekend. And neither of us are working after the two days we've had. We just arrived back, but a certain legend wouldn't stop ranting about missing his sweet daughter’s birthday celebration," Ms. Arcadia drawled.
I turned back to see Magnor's bright red face.
"I didn't say that!" he argued, lowering me to the ground.
Othello chuckled, "He was grumpy for the entire ride back. I have to admit, after all the years I've worked with you Magnor, that's the fastest I've seen you kill a Forsaken in a long time." Othello smirked.
"Really?" I asked Magnor who just looked away.
"Keep talking, Othello, and I'll make sure you don't get a piece of cake," Magnor threatened.
"Cake?" the guys and I all said in unison.
I'd never had a birthday cake before. In Versa, the bakery was on the outskirts of town. The closest thing to a cake I’d ever had were cupcakes.
Ms. Arcadia smiled, walking over to our dining table. She placed the white box down, opening the top to reveal a large cake. I let go of Magnor who gestured for me to get a closer look. My eyes grew wide and I gasped.
"A UNICORN CAKE!" I squealed.
The guys crowded around, all of them impressed at the colorfully designed cake.
"I know this isn't necessarily professional, but we've known Magnor for a long time and seeing as you’re family to him, we decided to bend the rules just a little to celebrate your twenty-fifth birthday. So Happy Birthday, Celestia," Ms. Arcadia cheered, clapping her hands.
Glitter appeared out of nowhere, sprinkling around us.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CELESTIA!" everyone else chimed in.
"BRU-REEEEE!" Arielle exclaimed, trying to be the loudest out of everyone.
I laughed. "Thank you, everyone...this means a lot to me. Just that you took time out from your busy schedules to celebrate my birthday...thank you," I replied. I was incredibly grateful for my team. It was thanks to them that I was enjoying my first birthday party in twenty-five years.
"You deserve it, Celestia. You've worked hard to reach this moment and we're all proud of you," Magnor praised.
The others nodded their heads in agreement. Even Othello and Ms. Arcadia nodded, wide grins on their faces.
"Now, why don't we get this party started?" Ms. Arcadia suggested.
We cheered in agreement, the guys buzzing around to get plates from the cupboards. Magnor came over to me, reaching out and patting my head.
"I read all your letters. I just didn't want to give myself away. Did I worry you?" he asked.
"Yes. I missed you," I admitted, hugging him once more.
"Me too," he replied.
"Bru!" Arielle chirped, landing on Magnor's shoulder and began nuzzling her head against his cheek. He chuckled.
"I missed you too, Arielle," he confirmed.
"Are you going to stay all day?" I asked.
He nodded. "Don't return to duties till Monday. Guess I'll be spending the weekend," he revealed.
I beamed. "I have to show you everything I've learned so far!"
"I can't wait. But why don't we get you some cake before your teammates try to eat it all?" he suggested.
I looked over to Caio and Cairus who were attempting to take a piece of cake, but Orion and Theo slapped their hands away, scolding them.
I giggled. "Yes. Let's get cake and have some fun."
~SIA~
"You should let me help you wash the dishes," I huffed.
"Or you can be a good birthday girl and let me wash them," Magnor retorted.
I grumbled, leaning against the kitchen counter as I continued watching Magnor clean the remaining dishes that couldn't fit in the dishwasher.
Today had been an amazing experience. The guys had somehow organized a surprise birthday party for us. The thought of them including me baffled me and came as such a shock when I woke up to the beautifully decorated room. Celestia and I had alternated throughout the rest of the day until she fell asleep on Orion's shoulder while we were watching a bunch of movies Othello had brought.
I wouldn't have imagined Othello and Ms. Arcadia as being very relaxed people. During school, they gave off a strict appearance and tough personalities, but today they were calm and even fun to be around.
They answered many questions we had about Aslan Academy and we took a few minutes to talk about the current situation affecting the weather. The high council was still investigating so they couldn't reveal much, but the Forsaken had something to do with the weather change. It made me wonder if this was some kind of test or if Forsaken were getting stronger and multiplying at a rapid rate. Either way, I hoped we'd gain more knowledge and skill to defeat them when the time arrived.
The guys had retreated for the night. Theo and Orion had to carry Caio to his room because he'd passed out due to the gloomy weather. Cairus had helped Finn and Hunter clean up and Ms. Arcadia and Othello had left early to finish up some school business.
"Are Ms. Arcadia and Othello dating?" I wondered out loud.
Magnor closed the tap, drying his hands with a towel. "What makes you suggest that?" Magnor asked.
"They look good together and Othello seems happy around her," I replied. I could see from the way he looked at her when she spoke that he cared dearly for her. His eyes would light up with joy and you could see how flushed her cheeks were during their little conversations; I could practically see love blossom between them.
"Between us, yes they are," Magnor replied.
"I knew it." I smiled, looking across the room to stare at the cloudy night sky.
Magnor moved to lean next to me. "What's wrong?" he seemed concerned.
"Do you regret raising me and Celestia?" I asked the question I had wondered about for a long time.
"No. Why would you think that?" he asked.
I could hear the curiosity in his voice. "Because you could have found someone too. A partner or lover. Instead, you took us in and trained us. You raised us like your own. Don’t you ever regret it? You haven’t had even one moment where you wished you hadn't made that decision? Aren't you sad you've wasted so many years on us?" I asked.
I'd always thought about why he never dated or married. He was still young in shifter years, but both Celestia and I always wondered if he'd closed himself off from finding love so he could raise and train us.
"The years spent with you and Celestia were not a waste. They were filled with laughter and I was able to watch the both of you grow and turn into the fine woman you've become today. Not only did you prove the people who bullied you wrong, you were able to protect your team and vanquish two Forsaken. That's something no student has been able to do during their entrance exam. You've brought me more joy and pride than any relationship could have. So to answer your question, no I don't regret training and raising you. The only thing I regret is not taking you in sooner," Magnor admitted.
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, turning to meet his gaze.
"Thank you, Magnor," I whispered.
"No, Sia. Thank you and Celestia for changing me. Sometimes you may think you were a burden to me. But in reality, you saved me from my own dark past. You
proved to me that no matter how hard life can be, you can change your destiny. No matter what anyone predicts you'll become and achieve, you’re the one in the driver seat and can turn the ignition and drive yourself toward what you want in life," Magnor explained.
I grinned. "Of course you'd lecture me." I giggled.
He chuckled. "Because I want you to be the best you can be. I love you and nothing will change that. Not the past or anyone trying to dim your achievements," Magnor acknowledged.
"Thank you, Magnor," I smiled affectionately at him.
"You’re welcome, Sia," He patted my head before opening his arms.
I grinned, taking a step forward into his loving embrace. I hoped I could continue to prove my worth and make Magnor proud. Maybe then, he'd feel like he could open himself up to meet his other half. That would be a rewarding surprise.
~ORION~
Do they actually expect us to have class tomorrow in this weather?" Hunter complained.
"They still haven't found what the cause is? This can't continue," Finn sighed, ruffling his pink locks.
"How's Caio?" Theo asked Cairus.
"Still sick. He can barely keep his eyes open. If it wasn't for Orion's light boosts, I swear he'd be in a coma," Cairus acknowledged.
I stared into the darkness that plagued the sky outside. This dark weather had persisted for a straight week, with no end in sight. Not an inch of sunlight had been able to penetrate the thick, grey clouds and Aslan Academy was taking a major hit because of it.
Many shifters relied on balance. Some needed more sunlight while others took energy from moonlight. I was thankful that I functioned better during the night, but I didn't like the current predicament and growing anxiety that began to build in the pit of my stomach.
We heard the sound of footsteps coming down from the stairs. We turned our attention to Ms. Arcadia who wore a stern expression. I knew that wasn't a good sign, but I needed to know what was going on.
"Ms. Arcadia. How's Celestia?" I asked.
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