I smiled and closed the book, giving Star a few seconds to stare at the book and work her magic. Then she lifted from my left shoulder, glitter raining down from her body as she moved to the shelf. She began to pat the empty spot, waiting for me to put the book back.
It would look as though she wanted me to put it away so we could head out, but her glittering magic was already working on creating the illusion of me still holding the book while I quickly teleported the original under Yuriel's bed with my thoughts and magic.
Once the deed was done, I lifted the replica to the shelf. Star moved out of the way, returning to my shoulder and watching me slide the book back in place.
"Silver?"
I looked over to see Dimitri, his hands in his pocket.
"Hey," I greeted. "I just put it back."
"Mewr!" Star hopped off my shoulder and began to float toward Dimitri, landing on his shoulder and rubbing her head against his cheek.
"Hey, Star. You showed up randomly," Dimitri petted her head and she began to purr.
He walked over to me and smoothly wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," I replied and kissed him. He seemed surprised by the move, but he kissed me right back. It took me a bit to notice the sudden burst of energy flowing from him to me, and I moaned and deepened the kiss like he was now oxygen I needed to breathe.
We didn't break the kiss until we heard footsteps, but we took the extra moment to catch our breath.
"Thought you'd need a bit more," he whispered.
"Thank you."
"There you two are. Are you done with everything?" the librarian asked.
"Yes, we're done. Sorry for staying so late," I apologized.
"Nothing to worry about." The man chuckled. "Be on your way. I'll make sure everything is set for closing."
"Thank you," Dimitri replied. He slipped his hand into mine and we began to make our way toward the elevator on the other side of the meeting room.
"Have a pleasant night," the man said.
"You too. Also, give your daughter a kiss goodnight for me. Her name is Daisy, right?" I asked as we reached the end of the hall and looked back at the librarian who was Daisy's dad.
"Yes. I'll make sure I do that, and she knows you said goodnight."
"Also, let her know that her white dress with cherry blossoms was beautiful. Really cute for a little girl," I praised.
"She sure does love those dresses. Cherry blossoms are her favorite. I'm sure she'll be super happy when she wakes up that you complimented her white dress. I'll let her know." He grinned happily, looking like a proud dad.
I smiled back, and Dimitri squeezed my hand.
"Thank you," I voiced. "Have a good night." I bid him farewell again, and we headed down the hall. We stopped for two seconds in front of the meeting room, and I closed my eyes once more and pressed my hand on the lock.
"Protect what is threatened to fall. Ina Lo Ru Kaga Nu Lash Ro Vu."
Just like that, the spell was written in stone, and we continued walking like nothing had happened. We reached the elevator at the end of the hall, the doors opening from the simple press of the button.
We entered and turned around, my hand still in Dimitri's as he used his free hand to press the button.
The librarian was at the end of the hall, and he waved. I gave a wave back, but as the doors began to close, I noticed the shift in his eye color — those lovely blue eyes shifting to vivid purple.
I continued to smile, and it only grew bigger, for I'd just given us the upper hand.
10
Hunted Glory
"Dimitri, Wolfgang. Get the car. Ryuu, go get Professor Xin. He said he'd be waiting at the coffee shop down the street from here if anything happened," I ordered.
"Okay," they replied, noticing how I went from relaxed to full-on spy mode.
Yuriel waited until we exited the building and went down the cement stairs before he spoke.
"What's wrong? Did someone find out why we were there?"
"Even worse," I replied. "It's already infiltrated, and they know exactly what book we were looking at."
"Shit," Ryuu cursed. "Let's get moving."
"Right!" Dimitri and Wolfgang said together. We shared a look and nodded once before the three of them jolted, heading in the direction they needed to go to get their tasks done.
Yuriel and I walked farther away from the building, reaching a tree that was near a stone bench. We looked around to make sure there were no other enemies nearby, noticing the townspeople walking by and children playing around.
My eyes landed on Daisy, who was in her baby blue dress with sunflowers adorning the bottom half. Her white mini wings were still out as she played with the other kids her age.
"Are you sure there's an intruder?" Yuriel asked.
"Positive," I replied. "We saw the librarian."
"Daniel?" Yuriel clarified.
"Yup," I replied.
"He hasn't come back from the coffee shop though," Yuriel said.
"I'm aware," I replied, looking back at Daisy. "The person we saw was definitely not Daniel."
"How were you able to tell?"
"I asked what dress Daisy was wearing," I replied.
"And the response?"
"White with cherry blossoms."
Yuriel frowned and followed my gaze that was still on Daisy. "Baby blue with sunflowers. Shit. Who was it?"
"Nikko," I replied. "No one else I know has purple eyes like that. Succubi are good with disguises."
"Great," Yuriel huffed. "Let's get farther away from—"
"HUNTERS!"
Our heads darted to our left, just as a group of men wearing all black and carrying large machetes raced out into the open. Children shrieked, racing toward their parents, who rushed to grab them as other angels went straight into action, summoning their wings and weapons for the impending battle.
Yuriel cursed under his breath and immediately stood protectively in front of me, summoning his scythe and black wings.
"Silver, stay here," he commanded.
He didn't wait for me to reply, pushing off the ground and soaring forward into the air to meet the first set of men trying to capture angel shifters.
As I frowned and tried to make sense of the chaos, the ring began to burn with magic. Without much thought, the ring dissolved into a golden glow and shifted into a bow.
Grasping the weapon in my hand, I smiled and mentally thanked Lia for her assistance, my eyes darting around to analyze the situation. I wasn't sure if my aim was still good, but I was confident I'd hit a target once my eyes locked onto them.
My gaze locked onto a new group of hunters, and I immediately summoned magic arrows and nocked them in the bow as I began to aim.
"Hit thy target and bring them to their knees! Rola Nuke La Knee Paralyzona!"
The arrows glowed a brilliant gold, and I felt the magic burst through me. My hair began to float from the aura growing around me, and before anyone could guess what I was doing, I let go of the arrows.
They soared towards their targets, and I immediately summoned more, moving onto the next set of targets. Again, and again, I sent arrows into multiple sets of hunters, realizing that this wasn't a normal ambush.
I'd had to launch at least thirty arrows in less than a minute and more hunters seemed to come from around the damn corner. It didn't even account for the ones Yuriel was working on taking down, his scythe wounding hunters left and right.
From his attacks, he was clearly using disabling moves to leave them paralyzed on the ground like my arrows were currently doing. We continued to attack the seemingly never-ending flow of hunters, bodies piling up as we worked on ending this assault.
Yuriel moved closer and closer to the corner, with the clear intention of pushing the hunters farther back from the townspeople who were crowded in fear.
I continued to shoot arrows, hitting any hunters who jumped out of nowhere. I hadn't rea
lized Star had shown up until I saw her pouncing on hunters, her glitter sprinkling onto them and paralyzing them automatically.
Two minutes felt like two hours as we continued to fight. I could sense the others approaching and I couldn't wait for their assistance. I didn't want to admit it, but I was starting to struggle as my magic withered.
I launched three more arrows, all of them hitting their targets, and took a second to catch my breath. Lowering the bow, I panted as my magic fizzled out and the bow began to glow and dissolve. The remaining golden magic wrapped around my finger, the ring returning to its rightful place.
Placing my hands on my knees, I fought to catch my breath.
"Mewr!"
I noticed Star had created a rainbow blast of energy, the ball hitting five hunters that went flying back from the impact.
She was standing a few steps in front of the huddled children that were crowding around one of the trees. Star began to stretch, shaking out her fur and sprinkling a bunch of glitter to the ground before she sat down began to groom herself.
Really, Star?
My familiar looked at me and blinked those adorable eyes of hers innocently.
Great. My familiar is a killing machine who grooms herself during battle.
With a sigh, I rose back up and looked around for Yuriel. He was just finishing a final blow to the last set of hunters. He looked just as exhausted as I felt, his shoulders moving up and down as he fought for air.
There weren’t any more hunters coming around the corner, and the angels who were assisting called out for more backup to secure the area for the arrests.
We did it!
I sighed in relief and closed my eyes, which I could just curl up and fall asleep. The burning energy within me seemed to be the only thing supplying me with a bit of juice, just in case anything else occurred.
Though this was completely uncalled for, I was happy that we survived.
"Mewr?"
I lifted my heavy eyelids, thinking Star was at my feet, but she was still sitting in her place and currently focused on her right paw, which she was playfully tapping on the ground.
My eyes trailed over to Daisy and the rest of the children, noticing how she was checking on each of them and making sure they weren't hurt. She noticed my gaze and smiled, giving me a thumbs-up.
I smirked and copied her and felt a little proud we'd been able to defend this part of town.
Her blue eyes twinkled with excitement, looking back toward Star before they grew wide.
"No!" She screamed, and I watched in confusion as she ran forward without a second thought. I followed her trail, realizing she was running to where Star was still playfully patting the ground.
I still wasn't following what was going on, but finally saw one of the men who should have been paralyzed was now up on shaky legs, his hands out in front of him as he tried to create a ball of magic.
SHIT!
I looked back at Daisy, just as she scooped Star up. Wrapping my familiar in her arms and hugging her to her chest, she braced herself for the attack that was aimed right at her — the attack that would kill her.
"Daisy!" Yuriel’s scream echoed through the air, grabbing everyone's attention.
I didn't think. No, I couldn't think. My instincts went from zero to one thousand as the speck of burning energy seemed to triple in strength and vibrate through me.
I pushed forward with my right foot, bones cracking out of place as my body soared through the air. The flaming force enveloped my body like a flash flood and I ignored both the discomfort and sheer heat that fought to cripple me.
There was no time for anything but protecting the little angel girl and my familiar, and within a second, I was in front of them. With a massive inhale, I created a ball of flames that grew bigger and bigger, and right when the man shot out at us, I sent the ball of flames outward to counter his attack, the two colliding.
The aftershock of the collision spread through the square, and I stomped my front paws to create a protective ring around us. I felt Daisy's presence close to my tail, and I waited patiently as the dust and smoke cleared up.
The enemy fell to his knees, his body covered with burns, some parts still lit with mini flames. He fell forward onto the ground his body unmoving.
The square was completely silent, no one saying a word as they looked from the man to me. I stretched my body and shook out my fur, feeling as though I was a wolf, but a lot hotter.
Sitting down, I waited for anything else to happen, the flaming ring still around us protectively.
"Mewr!" Star piped up, and I lowered my head to see her little body was now in front of me, looking up at me with pride.
I wasn't sure how I felt about her. It was a mixture of protective and admiration. Lowering my head to where she sat patiently, I took a sniff of her.
She smells like a mix of rainbows and love. Is that a combination? Hmm. I wouldn't have thought it would smell like Froot Loops.
I poked her with my nose playfully, and she purred and began to tap her paw on my nose over and over again. I growled and poked her again, the force enough to knock her over. I waited for a reaction, her eyes shocked at first.
Then she rolled over and wiggled her legs, waiting for me to rub her stomach. I used my nose to rub her belly, and she purred and rolled over again to get on her feet. Then she fluttered her fur and rained glitter everywhere.
I sneezed, making a tiny flame poof out. That only made Star happier and she began to run around me, leaving glitter all over the place.
Something soft patted my head, and I looked to see Daisy watching me in wonder.
"Fire puppy!" she cheered.
I blinked and looked at her, intrigued by how colorful and radiant she appeared. It was like her whole body was glowing, and it felt as though she was a bundle of pure energy.
Her little white wings glowed brilliantly, like a light at the end of a pitch-black tunnel, and her blonde hair seemed almost incandescent. She actually smelled like daisies, and the scent alone reminded me of pure innocence.
She had great power within herself, but even more, she'd be someone of greatness that many would look up to. She'd be the one to bring change to the way this town viewed certain angels.
It made me happy.
She began to stroke my head, and I let her, deciding to sit down and rest my head on the ground. I was tired and wanted to sleep, but wasn’t sure if everything was safe yet.
"Thank you." Daisy moved to hug my head. I didn't mind how her little arms hugged me, and though it was at a weird angle, the feel of her adoration and the scent of her love made me feel calm.
My eyes looked over to Yuriel, noticing his proud grin and loving gaze that peered at the scene. I could smell his baby powder scent from here, but I also caught onto the scent of the pride he had for me.
I wasn't sure why he was so proud of me, but it didn't matter. It was a comforting scent to enjoy, and I'd bask in it for as long as I could.
His gaze remained on us, and my eyes began to grow heavy, but before I could close them, I noticed the way Yuriel's eyes widened.
The sudden spike of fear that hit the air and reached my nostrils was enough to wake me right up. I rose up and growled, trying to figure out where the approaching enemy was coming from, the ring of fire doubling in intensity and heat.
Daisy moved closer to me, fear leaking off of her, and I wanted to do anything to protect her now. She was innocent and didn't deserve to feel this way.
There was a loud howl from the distance, my ears picking it up and catching the warning that was attached.
SKY ATTACK!
I lifted my head all the way up, my nose sniffing the air once before my eyes caught onto the first gold circle that began to appear in the sky. I watched in horror as a second circle formed that was bigger than the first, followed by a third that was even bigger.
It reminded me of the end-of-the-year exam. The same circles had appeared above and below Yuriel — seconds before
they struck him down.
My thought process sped up, and I knew there was no way I'd provide close to the protection we needed in this form. With a long howl in warning, my body began the change, bones cracking and shifting back into place until I was in my human form.
I used my magic to make a white gown on myself to cloak my naked body, seconds before my wings shot out from my back. Daisy ran right into my arms that were open and waiting for her, and Star hopped onto Daisy's shoulder. I hugged her tightly, ready to push off the ground and out of the way, but then I spotted the first bolts of magic.
We won't make it...
I looked back at Yuriel, watching the realization of what was about to happen sink in and reflect in those navy-blue eyes with rings of silver.
This was it. I wouldn't survive this attack. Not like this. I'd protect Daisy and Star. My inevitable death would lead to my familiar's downfall, but at least she'd feel no pain. She'd simply fade away, knowing that I loved her. That her bundle of rainbow cuteness had brought so much change and joy into my life.
I smiled at Yuriel, hoping it told him that no matter what happened, it would be okay. I could accept it.
"I love you," I mouthed, and hugged Daisy tightly against me before my wings wrapped around us like an extra layer of protection. I'd be the shield she needed, and though my path in life was about to end, at least Daisy would grow to walk down the road she was meant to.
The road to change.
"SILVER!"
The scream sounded like Ryuu's, but I couldn't tell as the loudest boom of thunder roared through the entire square. I braced for the attack, listening to the screams and shrieks that hit the air.
I waited...and waited...and waited some more. Either I was dead and already in heaven, or the spell hadn’t. Something dripped onto my back. It had to be my wings, but drop after drop continued to fall onto them, leaving me to wonder if it was indeed raining.
Opening my eyes, I opened up the winged shield I made and slowly looked up. Another drop hit my face, rolling down my cheek.
I finally began to register what was happening, and as my eyes grew wider in shock, more droplets fell to my face. They weren't droplets of rain.
SSS: Year Three (Supernatural Spy School Book 3) Page 13