SSS: Year Three (Supernatural Spy School Book 3)

by Yumoyori Wilson

  They were droplets of blood.

  "As if...I'd let anything happen to you," Yuriel whispered, his loving eyes gazing down into mine. His black wings were outstretched above us — or what was left of them.

  Many of the feathers were burned, while others were still alight with fire. Blood continued to drip down around me and onto my face, and my eyes began to pool with tears.

  "Don't cry," he whispered, his own eyes pooling with tears as he tried to smile. "It's okay, Blossom. This had to be fate."

  He struggled to place his hand on my cheek, wiping away the single tear that ran down my left cheek.

  "Live for me. Breathe for me. Always share that beautiful smile of yours. You're such a magnificent light, Silver. So brave and loving to everyone. No matter the color of wings they have...no matter if they're deemed useless and forsaken. You still care and love. I wish...I wish people were more like you. That we all lived happily...and worked on being accepting individuals. If...if I got a chance to live, I'd teach others. I'd show them...that a fallen angel like me...can be good. I was good...right?"

  My lip trembled, and I nodded slightly. "So good, Yuriel. You...are a strong, loving, fallen angel. An honorable one, who always protects me when I need it the most." I choked on my tears, trying not to accept this fate.

  To not accept that my fallen angel was disappearing.

  "Good." His smile widened just slightly. "I'm...glad."

  He stroked my cheek again, his hands growing colder by the second.

  "I love you...Silver. You did so much. So...so...much. I'm happy now. For once...I'm truly happy. I can go...without...any regret." His voice began to grow weaker and weaker, and his eyes began to close.

  Daisy moved to the side, Star still in her protective arms. I moved quickly to catch Yuriel as he fell forward, the two of us falling to the ground. I quickly rested his head on my lap and looked at the horrendous damage the bolts had done to his wings and back.

  There were barely any feathers now, and only the bone structure of his black wings remained — black feathers littered the ground.

  "Yuriel," I whispered, taking in the burns and wounds on his back and the way more blood began to seep out of them and soak the ground beneath us. "Yuriel?"

  I shook him slightly, hoping I wouldn't hurt him, but he didn't respond.

  "Yuriel." I shook a bit harder, my inhales and exhales coming out quickly. "Hey. You can't joke around, Yuriel. Wake up."

  He didn't respond as the remaining feathers fell, leaving only bare bone. I pressed my hand to his cheek, noticing how cold his body had become in less than a minute.

  "You're so cold, Yuriel. C'mon....wake up.” I shook him again and again, waiting for him to tell me this was all a joke. That this wasn't the reality I was now facing.

  "Yuriel, wake up! Stop joking. You're scaring me. Just open your eyes. Even just once," I begged and shook him, my tears rolling down my cheek as my lip trembled uncontrollably.

  I slid my arm under his neck and peered down into his extremely pale face. His lips were already turning purple, and the streak of blood that rolled down the side of his lip only emphasized the truth.

  "Yuriel. Please. Don't...don't go. You're my fallen angel. You're strong and loyal and brave...you can't leave me. We haven't graduated yet. You're supposed to become a professor and teach others to accept their differences. To teach other fallen angels that...being different is okay. You...you can't do that if you're gone."

  I shook him again, my tears falling onto his chest, his clothes practically in tatters from the lightning strikes.

  "Yuriel, please. Wake up," I begged again. "I can't...we can't live without you. Please? I'll...I'll be stronger. I'll do better. I'll make sure I study harder and pay attention in class more. I'll train harder, too! Just open your eyes. Please?" I tried to reason with him, stroking his cheek with my left hand.

  I leaned down, my sobs wracking through me, but I tried to remain quiet, to listen fo the sound I desperately craved.

  His heartbeat...was no more.

  "Yuriel..." I lifted my head to look back at him one more time, realizing that my loving fallen angel was truly gone.

  Cradling him to my chest, I let my tears fall as my shoulders sank.

  "Yuriel. My...sweet Yuriel," I whispered. "Why? Why did you save me? I...I can't lose you again. I already lost you once. Why again? You never got to enjoy the fruits of your hard labor. You never got to experience how your selflessness changed us. How it helped us grow and learn." I rocked him back and forth.

  "Can't you come back and stay a little while longer? We haven't even started Year Three. We're supposed to study and prove ourselves. I...I never got to tell you how much you mean to me. How your presence helped me grow and learn. How...how cherished you are and that no matter the color of your wings...you were always special to me. You were still full of light."

  I looked down at him again, noticing Star's approach. She hopped onto his chest, moving up to nudge her head against the side of his cheek.

  He didn't move, and she tried again and again.

  "Mewr?" she looked up at me with sad eyes, their colors shifting to a navy blue that reminded me of Yuriel's.

  I tried to smile, but it was impossible, a sob escaping my lips.

  "He's...gone, Star," I whispered. She looked down at him again, trying to nudge him awake. Over and over again she tried to wake him up until she sat back and looked back up at me, her eyes filling with tears.

  "M...mewr?" The desolation and heartbreak in her eyes made mine fill with more tears.

  "I can't...heal him. I have no more magic. Lia...has no more magic to offer. I...I'm sorry, Star."

  She whimpered, lowering her body against his chest and beginning to quietly cry. All it did was make me sob, and I cradled Yuriel and Star, hugging them tightly.

  "I'm sorry," I cried. "I failed you. I'm so sorry, Yuriel. I'm sorry," I repeated the words over and over, my cries growing louder and echoing around us.

  No one said a word, the air thick with sadness and defeat.

  "Yuriel!" I wailed, my wings wrapping around us as I rocked him back and forth. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me? Can you forgive my weakness? I should have never let this happen. Why did you protect me? Why did you love me enough to sacrifice yourself? You're always so damn selfless! Why wasn't the world kind to you?! WHY!" I screamed in anger, unable to control my rage.

  "You went through so much! You were ridiculed after your white wings were stripped from you. The world mocked and laughed, and all you could do was seclude yourself in the safety of your home. You worked so hard to heal, even with all the pain. Even when it felt like there was no hope. You embraced the new you, and though you feared what people thought, you still used your wings and gifts. You still aimed to bring change and protect those who needed protection. How did it end up this way? You were good! You were kind? Couldn't I have done something? Anything differently? What kind of ending is this?!"

  I looked down at his face again, stroking his cheek before resting my forehead against his.

  "You deserved a happy ending! You deserved to be loved and adored. You deserved every bit of happiness, and I'm sorry I couldn't give you that happy ending. I'm sorry that your life was filled with hardship with no reward for all your sacrifices."

  I fought to smile as I stared down at him.

  "I'm sorry we failed you. I'm sorry you never felt good enough. I'm sorry..." I whimpered and slowly lowered my head until my lips pressed against his. "I love you. I'll always love you. Forever and ever."

  I pressed my forehead against his again, rocking back and forth.

  "You can rest now. We'll...be okay. We'll work hard to make a change in your honor. No one else will go through what you did. No one will feel the pain you felt and be outcast for something that was out of their control. We'll bring change to this world. You'll watch us from above, right? I know you will."

  Closing my eyes, I quietly sobbed. Star continued to whimper, the two of us m
ourning the loss of our loved one.

  The lost of our selfless fallen angel with a heart of gold.

  When there were tiny approaching footsteps, I didn't stop crying. I couldn't stop crying. How could I get through this? To live in this world without my angel lover. There would always be a hollowness in my heart without him.

  My loving Yuriel. I'm sorry. I love you. Please...if there is a higher power up there, give him the peaceful ending he deserved.

  A soft stroke to my head caught my attention, and I slowly lifted it to see Daisy's blue eyes.

  She continued to stroke my head, and I noticed that in her left hand was a black feather. She placed it on Yuriel's chest, right in the middle, just next to Star's body.

  Taking two steps back, she looked at me.

  "Is this fair?" she asked me.

  I stared back into her eyes, unsure why she was asking such a question, but deciding to answer her.

  "No," I whispered, and looked back down at Yuriel. "None of this is fair. He didn't deserve to die. Not like this. I wanted the world to see the real him. To look past his black wings and realize he was still an angel like everyone else. No one wanted to peer past that barrier in the very place he was born and raised to love and not judge others. Why wasn't he given the same treatment? Why did people judge him for doing something that would be perceived as knightly? He was a knight in my eyes. One of power and kindness. He was a pure soul, so loving and sweet without a hint of hate. He doesn't deserve this. He deserved to live his life to the fullest and enjoy the fruits of his hard work. To watch the seeds he laid down with each selfless action grow and blossom. He wanted to bring change...and to inspire. He can't anymore. He protected me without a second thought and died a hero."

  Daisy nodded and whispered. "If you could change this, would you?"

  I stared into her eyes and without hesitation replied, "Yes."

  My voice was firm, and I hoped the universe could sense my determination. I would lay down my life for this man. I'd offer my soul in exchange for him to return to the land of the living.

  I knew it didn't matter now, but I wanted the world to know that my conviction was real.

  She slowly nodded, and her white wings outstretched behind her. She lifted her hand up like a stop sign, her fingers spreading out.

  "Let the universe judge your heart and determine your future," she whispered.

  My eyes widened when a blue magic circle appeared underneath her, followed by a golden one that twice the size, the two of them spinning and spinning as magic coursed through the air.

  The feather on Yuriel's chest began to glow and I watch it sink into his chest. My body began to glow a light turquoise with hints of gold and silver and even Star's body began to glow.

  I looked up to see a white magic circle appear above me, one that made my jaw drop in shock at how radiant it was. There was a warmth in the glistening ray of light that shone down on us, and I closed my eyes to soak up even a bit of energy from it.

  For a split second, it felt like everything was going to be okay. That Yuriel was merely sleeping and he'd wake up after a short nap. I knew in the back of my mind it was all an illusion, but I also hoped that wherever Yuriel was now, he'd finally be at peace.

  When the light dimmed, I kept my eyes closed. It wouldn't be long until I'd have to face the music and carry on with the burdens I was destined to bear, but it was nice to know that I could find a bit of peace in the midst of sorrow.

  Something pressed lightly on my cheek, and I opened my eyes, assuming I'd see Daisy standing in front of me. When I noticed she was still in her spot, her arm back to the side of her body as she stared at me, I had to take a moment to ponder.

  Lowering my eyes, I locked onto a pair of loving navy-blue ones, the silver rings around the irises bright as ever.

  "Why are you crying, Silver? It doesn't really suit you," Yuriel weakly whispered. "And you're pale again. Always so pale. We have to feed you more."

  I blinked, and with a shaky hand, pressed my palm against his cheek.

  It's warm...he's warm.

  As if I couldn't believe it, I listened closely, and there it was: a heartbeat. His beating heart.

  "Y-Yuriel?"

  He smiled and stroked my cheek. "Hey, Blossom. I'm back."

  I frowned as my eyes welled up with tears. "Y...you scared me,"

  "Did I?" he whispered, looking a little sad. "I'm sorry. I saw a man. Or at least the silhouette of a man. He told me it wasn't my time. That I had to go back. He said I'd made you sad and you'd cried. I didn't mean to make you cry, Silver. Sorry."

  My tears rolled down my cheeks, and I fought against the sobs that begged to escape me. "You silly," I whispered. "Why are you apologizing?"

  "Because you're crying. I don't like when you're sad. Also, you're an ugly crier."

  I laughed. "Thanks, Never-Smile-Hottie-Angel.”

  He smiled, and his hand ran through my hair. He gripped the back of my head and pulled me down for a sweet, long kiss.

  "I'm alive, Silver. It's going to be okay," he whispered.

  "Mewr!" Star cheered and began to purr loudly. His words finally resonated with me, and just like that, I was balling my eyes out.

  "Yuriel!" I cried.

  "Shh, Silver. I'm back. It's okay," he comforted me.

  My sobs of relief echoed around us, but I didn't care. This was beyond a miracle, and I'd just received one of the loves of my life back.

  "I love you so much, Yuriel. You know that, right? So so much," I wailed.

  "I know, Silver. Shh," he whispered into my ear and stroked my head. "It's okay. I'm alive and breathing. Don't cry."

  It took him repeating those words over and over again before I finally believed them, and when I stopped crying, I looked back into his eyes before trailing my gaze down his body.

  "You're not severely hurt anywhere?" I asked. The bones of his wings must have retracted into his back during my crying spree, and aside from a few lingering burn marks and scratches, it looked like the main wounds were already healing.

  "I'll manage. Are you okay?"

  "I am now," I replied. Looking back at Daisy, I smiled. "Thank you, Daisy."

  She grinned happily before a yawn escaped her. "You...are welcome. Night...night," she mumbled and closed her eyes.

  "Mewr!" Star jumped off Yuriel and floated toward Daisy, who was wobbling from side to side, clearly falling asleep.

  I couldn't move with Yuriel still in my lap, but before Daisy could fall over, Star caught a good chunk of her dress and slowly eased her to the ground.

  The others who were standing off to the side stared at us for ten seconds before they ran over to us. The real Daniel reached Daisy first, and after placing his hand on her back, he sighed in relief.

  "She's asleep. She must be tired from the spell she used," he announced.

  We were all relieved, and the others moved to crowd around us.

  "Yuriel!" Dimitri was the first to hug him. "Who said you can be all heroic without us?"

  "Hmm. I don't know," he replied. "Jealous?"

  "Very." Dimitri rolled his watery eyes. "Trying to grab all of Blossom's attention."

  "It was a smooth move," Yuriel joked.

  "A total smooth move," Wolfgang emphasized. "Just remember next time to not scare us like that."

  "Sure," he replied with a grin. "You cry easily."

  "Shut up," Wolfgang huffed, his tears rolling down his cheeks.

  "Good to have you back, buddy," Ryuu whispered.

  "It's good to be here," Yuriel replied. "I missed Silver's scent."

  "Addicting indeed," Ryuu replied with a smile, even as tears ran down his cheeks.

  "Yet I'm the Stalker," Dimitri huffed.

  We all began to laugh, tears streaming down our faces. We were together again, and I couldn't be happier.

  They helped Yuriel sit up, and after a good inspection of his smaller wounds, we assessed the large scarring and burns on his back.

  Pro
fessor Xin was at our side now, and after he and Yuriel had a moment, he was in Professor mode, trying to determine the extent of the damage.

  "We're going to have to take you to the medical center here first. We can heal the burns and scratches, but I'm worried about your wings," Professor Xin announced.

  Yuriel tried to keep a straight face, but I could already see the sadness in his eyes. I held his cheeks and lightly kissed him on the lips.

  "It's going to be okay. They'll heal again, and we'll be here to support you."

  He stared into my eyes and slowly nodded. "Okay."

  We waited for him to take a few steady breaths, and he turned his upper body to face me just slightly, giving him more room to let the bones of his wings out.

  He closed his eyes and summoned them, and we all gasped in shock at the sight.

  "It's that bad?" he mumbled under his breath, his voice filled with vulnerability. I struggled to answer, my eyes still taking in what we were all witnessing.

  When I finally was able to make words, I whispered, "Yuriel. Look."

  "I'm scared to look," he whispered back.

  I smiled and turned my eyes to him. "I promise it's good. Just a tiny look."

  He stared into my eyes and slowly nodded. "Okay."

  Taking a slight look back, his eyes widened in disbelief, while his jaw fell open.

  "I-impossible," he whispered, tears welling in his eyes.

  "They're real, Yuriel," I whispered, and reached out to graze my fingers along his full set of wings.

  Beautiful, white wings.

  "If one ascends to the heavens and is proven pure, will they receive what they have lost and be blessed with a new beginning."

  We all looked to Daniel, who spoke those very words. Daisy was sleeping on his shoulder, while Star was floating around them, raining glitter everywhere.

  "Those are the words of the higher gods that we look up to for guidance and strength. They are the ones who judge us angels and determine whether we've done enough good deeds in this world to be graced with a second chance or allowed to enter the gates of heaven."

  He looked to Daisy and rubbed her back soothingly.