The whole scene was adorable to watch, and I smiled when strong arms wrapped around me.
"Seems like Star's having fun," Ryuu commented. His hot breath next to my ear had me tingling all over.
"She sure is," I replied. Dimitri and Wolfgang arrived from parking the car, and Yuriel walked back to where we stood in front of a huge four-story building.
"That's actually the head librarian's daughter. He's going to meet us up on the fourth floor. He handles all the specially enhanced books that have a mind of their own. My brother and Shirley already told him the reason for our visit."
"I've always wondered," I began. "Why can't Shirley, Clarissa, or someone who knows about Lia, the ring, or whoever they suspect is behind all of this, tell us exactly what we're dealing with?"
The question had been on my mind for months now, but I’d assumed we'd find the answers we needed sooner or later.
However, it was looking as though we were only uncovering more questions and were never going to retrieve the answers we needed without finding something else out that we'd missed.
"I've wondered about that as well," Wolfgang mentioned. "It's not like we're not capable of handling the information or anything. We're on our way to becoming spies ourselves. If the answers are confidential and all, I get it, but now we're kind of involved in something that we have no clue about."
"It's like we're grazing the surface of a gold mine and no one wants to be that person to tell us what exact path we should take to not get blown up," Ryuu muttered.
"I honestly think they believe we'll learn to be better spies this way," Yuriel answered. "I know it sounds pretty stupid to us, especially with the significance of the ring and its role in Silver's life. With all the information we gathered so far, it's clear we're on the right path, but we're finding things out later than we should be."
"That's what frustrates me the most," I confessed. "I get we're students, but whoever we're up against — who’s powerful enough to leave S.S.S. in a chaotic mess — knows what they're seeking. Whether their target is me or this ring, they want something that my dad must have been hiding or working hard to keep a secret."
My shapeshifter, SSS DNA gene had been confirmed and it definitely wasn’t a coincidence that Lia was the only other recorded individual to have carried it. People in power knew something we didn't, and those who had clues about it either weren't telling or were actively trying to stop us from finding the information we needed..
Why, though? What could be the final puzzle piece we're missing to help make sense of all of this?
"Well, you’re the only living individual with that gene and you're a witch, which makes you into a powerhouse on the surface," Yuriel acknowledged. "We're attending S.S.S. and our team is pretty powerful. If I were the enemy, I'd be pretty set in trying to either persuade your group to join my side or get rid of your team to make sure you couldn’t get the upper hand."
"It makes sense." Dimitri nodded. "But this knowledge about Silver isn't new. If Nikko has been working for whatever organization or this new school for some time, she's been monitoring Silver on purpose. We don't even know if she was aware of what Silver really is prior to her parents seeing a change in her behavior."
"Were her parents deemed innocent in all of this?" Wolfgang asked, looking my way.
"Yup. They did all the lie detector tests and witch potion truth spells. They're completely clean and knew nothing about Nikko's motives."
"We simply need to find the source," Ryuu mumbled.
"We should look into that Markward Academy, or whatever it was called," Yuriel suggested. "It's not a huge priority, but I think it's pretty random that they not only would be assisting Nikko in all of this but be willing to spend some massive dollars to defend her."
"She could be using her succubus power," I pointed out.
"Maybe, but the headmaster of the school would be the one she'd have to speak with to gain access to any resources and they use the same protective techniques S.S.S. does," Yuriel acknowledged. "Daichi looked into them, but they're just as high security as S.S.S."
"Annoying." Wolfgang sighed and ruffled his hair. "Why don't we take one step at a time. If we discover the truth of what happened to Lia, it could aid us in figuring this all out. Then we can train our asses off over the next three months and start Year Three with more confidence."
"It seems like the most logical plan. At this point, I don't think we're going to need to do much searching before whoever wants to stop us tries another move." Dimitri stretched his arms out, putting his hands behind his head.
"We just have to be ready if they do try and get the upper hand on us again," Yuriel emphasized.
We nodded in unison and looked back at the building.
"Let's get researching," I encouraged.
8
The Prophecy Of Four
"I think I found something!" I exclaimed and pulled out the thick, leatherbound book. It was heavy, but the gold ring on my finger was burning with magic and glowing lightly.
That had to be a sign.
Dimitri walked over and took the book from my hands, relieving my already tired arms.
"Thank you," I sweetly said to him.
He gave me a saucy wink in return and the two of us moved back to the sole private meeting room in this library.
We were on the fourth floor where all the archives were kept safely. The head keeper aided in narrowing down our search to three sections and a ten-page list of books. We’d decided to designate two pages to each person and get to work. We'd been working all day, and it was only now, late into the afternoon, that I’d found something that looked promising.
The bonus was how the ring reacted to it — that could mean Lia approves of this.
We didn't speak until we entered the room, which was magically cloaked to keep all words spoken safe within these walls.
"I think we found a book that can help," I voiced and looked at the others. They appeared tired with stacks of books on the two long, connected tables.
"Your ring is glowing rather strongly," Yuriel noted and lowered the book he was two-thirds from finishing.
"That's what clued me in," I replied and made sure the door was locked. Dimitri placed the book at the end of the table where I'd been previously sitting, and Ryuu lifted his head from the table.
"Half of these books are boring gibberish," he grumbled. I could see the smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"Just admit you hate reading unless it's interesting," I concluded.
"Or benefits him with good grades or praise from the person he adores," Wolfgang drawled with a grin as he moved his crossed feet from the table and rose from his seat to move over three chairs.
"Thank you, Ryuunosuke," I purred.
His face began to flush, and he looked away. "You're...welcome."
"Isn't he cute when he's embarrassed?" Dimitri chuckled.
"Fuck you!" Ryuu countered. "Where were you anyway?"
"Helping Blossom. You know those books change slots of their own accord. Figured it would be faster to help her. I finished my list anyway."
"You mean Hellsin finished the list while you were napping," Yuriel elaborated.
I looked at Dimitri as he shrugged, a knowledgeable grin on his lips.
"Yes, but that's the benefit of teamwork. See? I was able to help our precious Silver." Dimitri defended his actions.
"You're horrible." I giggled but was happy the guys were all getting along.
Glancing down to stare at the book, I let my hand graze over the surface of it, my fingers trailing along the engraved lines and swirls of the various magic circles that I felt held power.
Closing my eyes, I let myself relax and listen to the humming magic trickling out from the book.
"This is definitely it," I announced. Opening my eyes, I noticed Yuriel and Dimitri were sitting on my left and Wolfgang and Ryuu were sitting to my right.
They gave me encouraging smiles and I returned them with my own, feel
ing a little thrilled that we'd be getting some answers to our many questions..
"I know I'm not supposed to be using magic, but it's going to be faster for me to read if I use just a bit. I'm honestly not sure how long I'll be in a meditative state, but if it seems too much, I'll pull back," I explained.
The four of them nodded in understanding, and I looked back at the book, wondering if it would tell me all its secrets, or at least the ones that were most important in discovering the truth about Lia, the Angel of Justice.
Taking a few inhales and exhales, I closed my eyes once more and began the process of calming my mind.
I zoned out the scents first. With my heightened sense of smell, it was a little difficult, especially with how amazing my men smelled, but with some extra concentration and a bit of hope that we'd get more fivesomes in the near future, I was able to put it in the back of my mind.
My hearing faded soon after, and my sense of touch was next. It soon felt like I was nothing but a burning magical essence, similar to a floating soul.
"I am here, child." Lia's voice was much closer, and I turned around to see her approaching grace.
She wore a white silk jumpsuit; the belt around her thin waist was made of gold chains and her gold heels clicked against the tiled floor. Her hair was down, and her white wings were out and as immaculate as before.
This time she wore a gold crown, and I noticed the slight heaviness on my own head. Putting my hands up to my head, I felt the sharp points of a crown.
"Lia?" Confusion couldn't even describe just how lost I was. Why was I wearing these garments? Or sitting on a throne that wasn't my own? The castle we were in must have been resting on a hill, overseeing the kingdom Lia clearly ruled in this timeline.
Why am I here? Or should I be asking why I keep coming back to this very place? Is it because Lia used to be here? That she was born and raised in this place? How would I even know that?
Lia reached where I stood and gazed upon my appearance as a pleased smile morphed on her delicate pink lips.
"You have so much to learn, child. Yet, it's not the right time for you to discover the truth."
"When will it ever be the right time?" I questioned, feeling a bit frustrated. "Lia. I need to know what's going on. We're absolutely clueless as to who is after me and why. There are far too many questions and no answers. We need answers."
Lia smirked and walked past me to the stone ledge. She placed her hands there, her head looking up at the wondrous sky.
"I understand, Silver," she whispered. "For I was the same when my team and I found out what we really were."
"Your team?" I scrunched my face and tilted my head to the side, not following what she was getting at. "What do you mean?"
"Did you know that the S.S.S. Organization has been around for many, many centuries?"
"Um...not really? Isn’t the supernatural race a recent thing? Not recent as in my generation or my parents’ or grandparents’, but in general terms, as they're still working on discovering what shifters are, just like how magic exists in the world."
"Supernatural beings have been in the world far longer than the humans are letting you know." She looked back at me with a grin on her face, the reflection of wisdom flickering in her blue eyes.
"What do you mean?" I whispered.
"The whole catastrophe in which they said there was a huge explosion that ignited a wave of energy that unlocked people's supernatural characteristics was a lie," she declared.
"What?" I blinked and tried not to gawk, but that information was shocking.
"Do you really believe if humans had a choice, they would simply introduce to the public that there is another race far greater in power, strength, skill, which has the ability to survive on this planet longer?"
It didn't take long to think about an answer to that.
"No," I replied.
"Smart girl." She winked and returned to staring up at the sky. "Supernaturals have been walking among humans for decades. Since even before my time. We lived in secluded areas, hidden by magic to keep humans from discovering us by chance or on purpose. The government worked extremely hard to ensure we remained hidden, or in my generation’s terms, within our kingdoms. There were kings of the human race and kings and queens of the supernatural race."
"Were females not in power at the time in the human race?" I clarified.
"No. It was during the time when men still thought women should remain in the kitchen. They were the most empowering years for human men, but the supernatural race never judges one gender to determine if they're fit to rule and lead. Thank goodness, because I wouldn't have survived as a human." She laughed and shook her head.
"The ultimate goal of both races was to segregate humans and supernatural beings. It was the way of life for years, and even as I gained this throne and raised a kingdom of strong men and women, the regulation continued, until there was a new race."
"New race?"
"Witches," she pointed out with a grin.
"Weren't witches alive for many decades before this?" I asked.
"They were, but their numbers were far too low to be acknowledged as a race. Some didn't manifest elemental magic like fire and water. Some could use intense healing magic by working on mending wounds with standard tools. Many disguised themselves as doctors and nurses, aiding soldiers in war or children and families during disease outbreaks. Humans acknowledged that their race existed only because people were beginning to discover them."
"Do you mean when witch hunts came to be?" I clarified.
She nodded. "Yes. When they would tie witches to the stake and burn them alive. Many unique witches died from those cruel actions. It wasn't as though the government wasn't aware of their race and their rapidly growing population. The government merely assumed that with the witch hunts, the witches would go into hiding and not think to try and overpower them."
"That wasn't the case, was it?" I clarified.
Lia looked at me. "There was a girl. One who had done far too much good for humans. It was clear she was a witch, one of strength and force. No man could bring her down or put a leash to her neck. She was fierce and had unique orange hair that caught much attention. Many men tried to take control of her, whether it was through marriage proposals or simply trying to overpower her in the ways men are good at. They never expected someone so slim and curvy to be as physically strong as she was. To put it simply, they underestimated her."
"Was she a leader? Like a queen or something?"
"Her heritage was unknown at the time. It was later discovered that she was the child of two strong witches. None of us knew whether she was able to discover her birth heritage, but we do know that she never reached her true potential."
"Why not?" I asked.
"She fell in love. Not with one, but six."
"Six?!" I exclaimed.
"Yes. The relationships were only the beginning of something deeper, but it was obvious that she loved two specific individuals. One who was pure and kind, and one who was dark but loving."
Lia lowered her gaze to the town, her eyes softening as she continued what felt like a sad tale.
"Both men were strong and from held powerful roles in their social hierarchies. If either married her, she would be a dangerous force. However, their plan wasn't to choose."
"They weren't going to choose?" I questioned.
"No. They both loved the woman and knew if she chose, it would only break her heart. Why cause pain when they could set aside their differences and love her abundantly?"
"True," I replied. "But wasn't that frowned upon back then?"
"It was," she replied. "See, the supernatural race was far more lenient when it came to having more than one partner. In our world, there were few members of each race, and usually, there were more men than women. It only made sense for women to have multiple husbands, which would aid in procreation. Humans don't think the same way. Witches were already growing in power, and the humans’ greatest fear was being
overpowered. It was simply another reason why many witch hunts occurred with very little retaliation from those in power. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were the ones to encourage it from the shadows."
"What happened to the woman? Was she able to get her happy ending?" I asked in anticipation.
Lia gave me a sad smile, and my heart sank like my shoulders.
"She didn't?" I whispered.
"On the night she'd planned to move away with her allied men, she was kidnapped," Lia whispered. "They carried her to a private section in the forest and pinned her to a pole. Using her blood, they created a magic circle with the guidance of a shaman and decided that she was a bad witch who deserved to be killed. They gathered some of the people she'd used her powers to save and told them that she was a bad witch and had done nothing to help the people. There was confusion, but in the end, they began to believe the words that those men were preaching."
"Why?!" I exclaimed. "She'd healed many of them, hadn't she? Why would they suddenly change sides?"
"Power, Silver." Lia looked into my eyes. "When one feels helpless and see someone stronger, they take the side that will either make them feel more empowered or will get rid of the threat that makes them feel weak."
"That's not fair! The girl didn't deserve it. All she did was help and want to live a life without boundaries. She wanted to love the men who supported her and to help people who needed healing. If those men in power cared so much, they would have helped the townspeople understand that."
Lia smirked and nodded. "I agree with you."
"Then? Don't tell me they..." I trailed off when she closed her eyes and nodded.
"They gathered and mocked her. There she was, on the stake, naked and mottled with bruises from the whips and kicks they inflicted upon her. Those were just the visible wounds. It didn't include the fact they raped her beforehand. That wasn't discovered by the rest of the public until what humans call an autopsy was done. The man responsible was the one who was originally in line to marry her. It was a common act of 'If I can't have you, no one can.'"
Lia took a heavy breath and continued.
SSS: Year Three (Supernatural Spy School Book 3) Page 10