She reached for my left hand, lifting it slightly for me to peer at the ring that began to glow brightly.
"There was only one I could trust. One from the Sabella family that I knew would live for many centuries with her nine lives. I entrusted the ring to her and told her of the prophecy. With that, I waited in this very throne room for my enemies to take me away. They beat me. Abused my body. Made sure I knew I was nothing but a tool for their own pleasure and delights. Once they finished their selfish acts of torture, they put a knife to my throat and told me to let them enter my mind to retrieve the location of the scriptures, ring, and the date of when the three others would return to the world. I obviously refused and vowed that if I came to this world again, I would never put my trust in friends that seek nothing but power and fame. I asked Mother Nature for forgiveness and that my blood that seeped into the cement floor mark my place and be bound to the ring by magic, so I could warn my reincarnation of what was to come." She let go of my hand and smiled.
"With that vow, my head was sliced off my body and that was where my life ended. The me you speak to now is the magic that removed itself from my body and embedded into the ring. The Sabella family was prepared for my death, and thus, Quest 999 was eventually formed. Though my enemies searched for the ring, in the beginning, it was kept deep in the castle until S.S.S. grew strong enough to give it protection. That took many years, and when it was finally time to transfer the ring, those who fight the prophecy kidnapped it. You can start to connect the dots and form the timeline when all of this occurred, but Shirley should be able to tell you the truth, as well as the King and Queen Kensuke. That won't be until after you and your men complete your Trials."
"Trials?"
"They will be explained when you return for your third year," she replied.
I debated what to say, but my eyes were starting to grow heavy.
Rubbing at them, I tried to stand up, but even that seemed like a hard task. Lia placed her hands on my shoulders, ushering me to sit back down.
"It is time for you to go back. You've been here for too long," Lia whispered.
"But...there's still so much I need to know," I whispered weakly.
I wished to open my eyes again, but they were far too heavy. My head rested against something as soft as silk, and the gentle strokes of my hair began to sooth the bits of restlessness inside me.
"Time will lead you back here, and I will answer any more questions you have for me. Until then, Silver, trust your instincts. Fight for what you believe in, cherish the love you share with your men who love you unconditionally, and most importantly..." She paused, and my senses began to fade, one after another.
It wasn't until I was nothing but a floating essence that I heard her final words.
"Trust no one."
9
Reincarnation
"Silver?"
Something cool pressed against my forehead, the action bringing a wave of relief.
My body felt like it was on fire, or at least under the burning sun, but the cool item on my forehead was easing the sizzling struggle.
"Is she awake?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure."
"Should we get help?"
"I don't think so. From what I can see, she's spent on magic, but we could give her a boost?"
"I can do it? It could really help her out through our mating bond."
"All right. Let's try to wake her up first."
My mind was still trying to figure out who was talking, but it was just far too hot. It felt like my brain was a boiling egg, the heat contributing to the bubbling process and added confusion.
"Here. Let me hold her and bring my temperature down. It'll help her."
"Okay."
My body seemed to be lifted from a lying position into someone's arms. They were hot, and I moaned in agony, hating the added heat but being too weak to pull away.
"Sorry, Silver. It won't be long. I promise." The voice held some sympathy, informing my muddled mind that the person holding me didn't mean to add to my misery.
The temperature soon began to drop, and the introduction of cool air had me sighing in relief and snuggling closer to the chilled surface.
"That's it, Silver. You'll be nice and cool in a few minutes."
I had no clue if I'd dozed off or not, but when I came seemed to come back to my senses, my body felt like it was at a normal temperature.
Aside from the bit of aching throughout my body and my clear exhaustion of magic, I generally didn't feel too bad. Opening my eyes, I realized I was resting against someone's chest, one that I soon realized was Ryuu's.
Leaning my head slightly back, I looked at Ryuu's sleeping face, realizing his back was pressed against one of the walls as we sat on the carpeted floor.
"Ryuu?" I croaked, wondering if he was truly asleep. He didn't even stir from my call.
"You're finally awake." Yuriel's relief-filled words caught my attention, and I looked to my left to see Dimitri, Wolfgang, and Yuriel sitting at the table.
Dimitri got up and walked over to us. He knelt down and gently pressed his hand against my forehead.
"Much better." Dimitri grinned and leaned in to kiss my nose. "How's our Blossom feeling?"
"Confused. Very confused," I admitted. "What happened?"
"You went into a trance and passed out," Yuriel answered.
Dimitri nodded. "It was kind of like when you passed out during our entrance quest to gain the ring, or should I say, Lia's trust."
"Right," I replied, still feeling a little confused. "Sorry, I think I'm pretty out of it right now because of my low magic level."
The three of them nodded in understanding, and Wolfgang got up from his place. "I'll give you a boost."
"A boost like Yuriel and Dimitri have given me before?" I clarified.
"Yup," Wolfgang replied, lowering to kneel in front of me. "At least you look less pale than before."
"I was that bad?" I questioned.
"Pretty bad. We knew you were heating up, but we didn't think you'd reach fever status so quickly. You seemed to respond when we tried to call you, but your temperature kept rising. Ryuu volunteered to hold you and lower your temperature a few degrees. It takes a lot out of him when he has to do it for a longer period of time so he fell asleep. It helps for him to continue the spell but rest his body," Wolfgang explained.
"Thanks, guys," I whispered with a weak smile. "Sorry. Didn't mean to—mhmm," Dimitri leaned over to kiss me, cutting me off.
"You apologize too much, Silver." He winked as he pulled away. Wolfgang rolled his eyes but pulled me out of Ryuu's arms gently and lifted me as he stood up.
Dimitri made sure Ryuu was in a comfortable position, lying him down on his side and putting a bundled-up zip-up hoodie under his head.
Wolfgang walked back to the table and claimed his seat, while Yuriel reached out to stroke my head gently from his seat next to us.
"Are you doing all right there, Silver?" Yuriel asked.
"I'm just really tired," I admitted. "Is it nighttime?"
"No, the sun is still up," he replied. "With summer approaching and the time shift, the sun doesn't set until the late evening. It's close to sunset though," he concluded.
"Hmm," I replied, resting my head against Wolfgang's chest, closing my eyes but trying not to doze off.
"That really drained her," Dimitri whispered.
"Did she fall asleep?" Yuriel asked.
"Looks like it," Wolfgang replied. "She was in that trance state for a long time."
"She must have found the answers we need," Yuriel noted. "Looks like summer is going to be busy."
"What's the plan?" Wolfgang asked. "It's funny because we're entering Year Three and I feel like we are nowhere near ready to face half the shit we're expected to."
"My brother said he's more than willing to train us during the summer. We're going to have to if we want to be ready for our exams. I'm not sure if it's going to be the same as previous years since they ch
ange it, but I think we're going to have a test or Trials to complete. Some call it spy missions, others solely think of it as exams. Either way, we're going to have to be ready because it's tricky and dangerous. If you die, it's literal. There aren't any bonus lives when trying to complete the tasks."
"So, we got to make sure we’re totally fit in the physical, magical, and emotional departments. Cool," Wolfgang concluded.
"I think we'll be okay," Dimitri voiced. "I'm a little worried about Silver."
"Me too," Yuriel admitted. "She's not being given any time to adapt. We have about three months until school starts again. Most of that will consist of training and preparing."
"And sex," Wolfgang added. There was a brief silence before he continued. "What? It's true! Are we not having sex, cause if so, that wasn't a part of the agreement."
"What agreement?" Yuriel groaned.
"The 'Get Stronger and Bond' agreement, duh. You have to start reading the fine print, Yuriel," Wolfgang countered.
Dimitri snickered. "Just admit you enjoy having sex with Silver, simple."
"I never denied it," Wolfgang replied. "It's rather addicting."
"Agreed," Dimitri replied.
"You two are hopeless," Yuriel replied.
"Why are you guys talking about sex?" Ryuu's sleep-filled voice mumbled. "And what time is it?"
"Close to sunset. Welcome back to the living," Wolfgang answered.
"Fuck you," Ryuu mumbled. "I'm sleepy."
"Like the rest of us," Dimitri replied.
"From the guy who had the best nap ever," Yuriel countered.
"Is Silver okay?" Ryuu asked.
"She woke up a few minutes ago, but then she fell asleep again," Wolfgang replied.
"She's tired. That stuff drained her," Ryuu acknowledged.
"We're worried about her burning out," Wolfgang admitted. "We were just talking about it. That and sex."
"Shouldn't we start upping that?" Ryuu questioned.
"Upping what?" Yuriel asked.
"The sex?" Ryuu replied.
Yuriel groaned. "Are you guys all horny?"
"No," Ryuu replied. "I'm serious."
"Why would we up the sex?" Yuriel asked.
"I don't think it’s the same with angels, but other shifters thrive better with mating. Wolf shifters mate during certain seasons and it helps the female shifter grow stronger. It's like fulfilling their needs and stuff," Ryuu explained.
"For us wolf shifters, the term is called Heat. The female wolf enters a stage where her body gives off a different scent and it's her mate's duty to fulfill her needs once she's been claimed. I think it’s the same with hellhounds?"
"It's similar," Dimitri replied. "You need to have sex more often or they get super anxious and short-tempered. For the sake of not burning the house or village down, its best to be sexually active. It's usually more in the winter than summer."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Yuriel sighed. "Don't tell me dragons are the same?"
"Depends on if the woman dragon is ranked as what wolves would call an Alpha. We usually refer to them as Royal Leaders or give them the common title of princess or queen. If we use Silver as an example, she'd be considered a princess because she's dating me. If we married, she'd be moved up to queen status and take leadership while I'd be king and aid in her ruling. When mating, it strengthens not only our flame, but for us Mageri dragons, it triples our elemental power. I know it sounds strange, but that's simply our way of life," Ryuu explained.
"So...when do we have to start all of that?" Yuriel questioned.
"I don't think right now. Silver is handling it well, but when the exams or Trials come along, I think it would be a good boost in the middle. Like if we have three exams, by the second, we should do something," Wolfgang suggested.
"I guess that makes sense," Yuriel mumbled.
"Plus, we have to remember Silver now has three shifter traits, in addition to her being an angel. Her angel side should be fine, but it may be a little rough for the others." Ryuu elaborated.
"All right," Yuriel replied. "For now, we'll monitor her and make sure her basic needs to sleep and eat are met. Training will be hard, but we'll go at Silver's pace and try to be consistent with a routine. Anything else?"
"Can we bunk at your place this summer?" Dimitri asked.
"All three of you and Silver?" Yuriel clarified.
"Yeah," Dimitri replied.
"Why?"
"You got a new bed," Dimitri replied.
"A sturdy one," Wolfgang added.
"That can hold all of us," Ryuu reminded.
"Sex addicts," Yuriel grumbled. "Fine. Whatever. If you ruin my sheets you have to buy new ones every single time."
"Cool," the three of them replied.
"You guys don't even care," Yuriel sighed.
"Sheets are cheap. We can take turns buying them," Dimitri concluded.
"I feel like that's going to be every other night," Ryuu chuckled.
"We kind of do sound like sex addicts," Wolfgang concluded.
The others chuckled.
"Man. I can't wait to get home," Yuriel admitted. "To be honest, we should leave soon."
"Is it dangerous at night?" Ryuu questioned.
"Not really, but I’d rather we travel back before the sun sets," Yuriel admitted.
"Cool. Wolfgang? Can you wake Silver?"
"Yeah, sure," he replied.
It wasn't like I was fully asleep, but I was definitely in a state where I didn't feel like getting up.
"Silver, love. You awake?"
I stirred as Wolfgang's voice echoed in my head. No.
His low chuckle was making me regret saying no, suddenly feeling the urge to kiss those lips of his.
"Is she awake?" Yuriel asked.
"Yeah. Just being stubborn," Wolfgang replied.
That annoyed me.
I'm not stubborn. I'm going back to sleep.
"Silver." He said my name again, and this time I opened my eyes with the intention of giving him a glare, but his golden eyes locked down at mine as he grinned seductively at me.
I couldn't think when he lowered his lips on mine. My stubborn-self wanted to push him away, but he deepened the kiss and sure enough, I was lost in those captivating lips.
A moan escaped me, and I fought to take control of the kiss, feeling a raging energy begin to build between us. It ran through my body, like a sudden surge of energy being fed into my veins and rejuvenating my magic with every second.
When we parted, the two of us were breathless, and Wolfgang managed to chuckle.
"You're cute when you're mad," he teased.
"No, I'm not." I pouted my lips but heard the others chuckle.
"You kind of are," Dimitri voiced.
"Super cute," Yuriel replied.
"Sexy cute," Ryuu hummed.
"Players," I mumbled, and the four of them laughed.
"Feeling better?" Wolfgang asked.
"Yes," I admitted and sat up. "Don't feel like I'm dying."
"Good," he replied and kissed my forehead. "We should go. It's getting late and Yuriel thinks it's safer to leave now than after sunset."
"All right," I replied, and he helped me up. It took me a moment to be steady on my feet, but when I was, my eyes scanned my men. "Thank you for taking care of me when I was out."
"You're our girlfriend," Dimitri replied. "That's what we're supposed to do."
"And technically mate," Wolfgang replied.
"And fearless leader." Yuriel grinned.
"And would do the same for any of us," Ryuu confirmed.
"True." I smiled.
"You guys want to put the books back? I can at least close the room and put this one back in place. It needs a bit of magic and I feel pretty good with that boost. Thanks, Wolfgang."
"You're welcome," Wolfgang replied. "And sure. Let's get this place cleaned up and head out."
They worked on picking as many books as they each could, leaving me to simply t
uck in the chairs. Picking up the last book, I headed for the door and looked inside the room. Closing the door, I closed my eyes and quickly cast a spell to keep it sealed unless anyone needed to return here once more.
With a mental nod, I headed down the hall to put the book back. I was ready to do just that, but a weird feeling ran through me.
What if someone tries to take it? Hmmm.
Maybe someone was watching me, because I got that lurking feeling people experienced when they felt like eyes were on them.
Opening the book to a random page, I looked at it as if I was reading. Staring at the specific page, I noticed the passage in bolded italics.
"The walls have ears. People are always watching. Be wise, warrior. To achieve greatness, you sometimes have to play dirty. Look both ways before making a move, and most importantly — Trust No One."
I inhaled deeply, doing my best to try and keep calm when my heart was racing. This was totally a sign, but how would I make sure no one got this if I went with the idea I was considering?
"Mewr."
I blinked three times before I lowered my gaze and looked slightly over to my left side to see my uni-kitten familiar at my feet. She was eyeing my white slippers.
"Mewr?" she sat down and looked up at me, patiently waiting.
"Star...can you do something for your Mistress?" I asked.
"Mewr!" She got up again and began to run around my feet, making me giggle.
"Guess that's a yes," I replied and took a deep inhale.
Star. I need you to make a replica of this book in my hand and create a distraction while I send the original under Yuriel's new bed. The comfy one. Can you do that?
"Mewr!" She hopped from the floor and began to float up until she landed on my shoulder.
SSS: Year Three (Supernatural Spy School Book 3) Page 12