"That's an intriguing way of being tested," Rainer admitted.
"It is," the woman agreed and flicked her wrist. The floating book began to float back to me until I lifted my hands to accept it as it lowered into the palms of my hands.
"You're giving it back to me?" I questioned.
"Indeed. It was a gift to you after all," she declared. "Plus, you'll need it if you want to awaken the dark kingdom from their icy plague."
"Wait. The book can aid in that?" Rainer questioned.
"Indeed," the woman replied. "I'm sure you can sense the potential your bonded rose carries, am I right?"
I looked to Rainer as he nodded firmly. "I'm well aware of how powerful Rosadette is now, as well as how powerful she can become."
"Good," she replied. "She needs reinforcement to reach the level of power many don't want her unlocking."
"Who doesn't want me to unlock such powers?" I questioned, hoping we'd get a lead on whoever this group of individuals or organization was that didn't want me to grasp enough knowledge to be deemed powerful by my peers.
"The same individuals who never wanted the three kingdoms established to begin with," the woman replied. "Since their creation, those who did nothing but fight over power despised their existence. It's another reason why your mother is somewhere, hiding."
"Hiding?" I inquired. "Where can we find her?"
"Ah," she hummed. "That's all you, my dear. Your mother seemed to have loads of faith in you. Her last words before she took off were that she'd return when her daughter had grown into her element. I'm sure that means embracing who you are. Until that occurs, she will remain hidden. Wherever she is."
"But at least she's alive. That's something you can confirm, right?" Rainer prompt.
"Yes," she replied. "I can guarantee that Rosadette's mother is still alive.”
I can't believe this. My mom is still alive!
"So to find her, I have to work on myself as well as accept who I am," I concluded.
"Yes, Rosadette," she replied and clapped her hands three times. The book I held returned to its hidden place within my magic.
"I have no clue what the next hidden clue is for you to discover more about your mother's intentions, but my duty is done."
Rainer reached for my hand, the two of us entwining our fingers as the woman turned around and began to walk away.
"Wait!" I called out to her. "I never got your name! Are we going to see you again?"
She paused and looked over her shoulder.
"Shin is my fae name. As for whether we'll see one another again, that is for Mother Universe to decide," she announced. "However, I will be a little generous and state this. Ensure your bond with one another is strong, for a far more dangerous threat is brewing behind the scenes. Don't be distracted by the darkness in front of you. All that is, is a distraction from the true threat looming for both kingdoms. Roles will be revealed, and one destined to aid in the revival of the dark kingdom will join in your midst. Be cautious and train hard or defeat will be your portion."
She began to walk away once more as her final words drifted to us.
"Love one another like every day is your last. Let such intensity fuel you to victory and prove to those who dismiss such passionate bonds that with love, anything is possible."
With that, she was gone, and with three blinks, we were suddenly at the makeshift home.
We stood exactly on the spot that used to be my bed, leaving the two of us speechless as we stared around our surroundings once more.
"That was..." I trailed off.
"Unexpected," Rainer concluded.
"Looks like school is going to be interesting," I whispered.
"I think we should worry about summer training first," he suggested and turned his body to peer down at me. "Are you okay?"
"Yup," I replied earnestly. "That was a little surprising, but I feel as though we did pass some sort of test. My mom's alive still...we have a chance of finding her."
"And one of the tools we'll need to thaw the dark kingdom out of its frozen abyss."
"We're making progress when we least expected it," I concluded with relief. "I guess the saying is true."
His smile was priceless as he pulled me into a hug and kissed me.
"Why are you hugging and kissing me?"
"Showing you some love," he replied and held me tightly.
"Do you think it's weird for me to be nervous about school when it's two months away?"
"Not weird at all," he answered truthfully. "You may be nervous now, but seeing as we'll have two months of training you, I have a strong feeling you'll be pretty confident by the time Year Two starts," he declared.
"Training aka kicking my butt for your own amusement," I muttered.
"Essentially," he replied and looked into my eyes. "You're up for the challenge?"
"If it means I get to remain by your side, get stronger, learn to love myself more, and somehow find my mom in the process, I'm totally up for the challenge."
"Then let's get Camilla and head back home to start our new game plan," he declared. "At least we know one important thing."
"What's that?" I asked, giving him my full attention as he met my curious eyes.
"Kindness unlocks amazing opportunities when you least expect it," he advised. His words couldn't be more true, as my kindness and morals were the reason we’d somehow found a major clue about my mother's status and were now walking in the right direction.
Two months of training and it'll be time to face Year Two of Fae Rose Academy head-on.
Year Two Of Defying The Limits Set Upon Me
"Get your aching ass up or we're going to be late!"
The sheets were tugged off my naked body, but I couldn’t care less as I hugged my pillow and squeezed my eyes.
"Never," I groaned.
Camilla groaned impatiently. "We're actually going to be late! Hurry out of bed, you bruised-up potato!"
"Why am I a potato?" I whined, my voice thick with sleep as I tried to hide my head beneath my pillow. It was tugged out of my grasp, leaving me no choice but to groan into the soft sheets of the dorm bed that felt far too small.
Summer left me spoiled with king-size beds and cuddles with my muscled boyfriend.
"You’re right. I should call you a bruised-up banana. Jeez. Did you guys have animal sex last night? You have bruises literally everywhere," Camilla complained.
I poked an eye open to see she was in human form. Her hands were on her hips as she stood in her Shadow Fae uniform. Her hair was left down, the shoulder-length brunette strands far different from seeing her with the long ombre locks that I'd gotten used to.
"That's not from the sex. That's from you kicking my ass yesterday for a stupid 'test'!" I whined and narrowed my sleepy eyes at her. She blinked innocently and looked down my naked body again.
"Oh really? I did that? I don't recall," she sweetly declared.
"Bitch," I grumbled.
"Now, now. Don't go insulting your best friend for wanting the best for you," Camilla defended.
"You almost KILLED me!" I snapped before I shrieked and was splattered naked on the floor. I lifted my head to see Camilla had literally taken my sheets off my bed.
"Yes and no," she replied. "Yes, you could have potentially died, but I had faith in my best friend that she'd somehow survive the assault of my shadow blades. You see? I believed in you and now look. You’ve got the bruises to prove you're a survivor."
"I probably have another one from you making me fall out of the bed," I huffed and sat up. "Ugh. My butt hurts."
"Aww. Did Rainer's lollipop somehow fit in there?" she sweetly asked, which had me choking on my own saliva.
"I-I-I can't possibly fit THAT in my butthole!"
"You'd be surprised how our body accommodates," she cheered and walked over to grab my uniform from its hanging spot. She placed it on the doorknob of the washroom before looking down at my naked self.
"Get ready now or we're seriousl
y going to be late. We have the assembly that will explain our curriculum today. Hopefully, there will be no surprises since it's the first day back. Make yourself extra pretty so you can make all the haters cry over you becoming more beautiful in the last two months," she explained and turned around. "Oh ya. Rainer bought you new sets of lingerie. One of them is in the washroom already."
"Huh?" I stated, dumbfounded, before I scrambled up. "He bought me lingerie?!"
"Yup. This morning I think, but to be honest, they really don't look bought from your average fae store. They're really high quality, which isn't a given for lingerie, even in the fae lands. He may have gotten them custom made for you, which is kind of cute if you ask me. Anyways, they're in the washroom and the rest are in the closet for you to sort after school. Now hurry your ass up if we want a chance at breakfast!"
She waltzed out the door and slammed it behind her, leaving me standing there, butt naked, with a stunned expression.
Why am I so shocked that my boyfriend of nine months bought me lingerie?
The idea made my cheeks grow hot while my heart fluttered in happiness. Glancing at my bed that was basically a catastrophic mess, I closed my eyes and snapped my fingers.
"Vela Bedatan Cleanro."
By the time I opened my eyes, the bed was now made and completely wrinkle-free. I looked at it proudly before I let out a long exhale.
"At least I'm getting better at this magic lifestyle," I commented to myself before heading to the bathroom. Locking the door, I took a long look at my body and shook my head.
I could tell which bruises were from our crazy, last-day-of-training fiasco with Alicia because they were larger, darker, and still hurt. It was our fault for getting a little cocky in the fight. We were all left on our asses at the last second before the bell went off, proclaiming Alicia's victory.
Yet again, she'd proven why it was a blessing to have her training us for the last two months. She was a force to be reckoned with. I wondered if Xavier grasped even a bit of her skillful training.
Apparently, Xavier had received therapy all summer long in his dungeon, one of the punishments he agreed to endure if it meant he'd be able to attend Fae Rose still. I'm sure he was doing it so that people wouldn't find out exactly what he did to me, not to forget his immense pride that had probably been stabbed by his loss of mental control.
With the last two months of training with Rainer, I could tell when he was being influenced by traits from the past. One of those traits was a hint of possessiveness Rainer carried.
He fought hard to hide it, but I could tell during our travels throughout his kingdom that he didn't like the way certain people - particularly men - looked at me. He'd use the excuse that they were looking at me kind of funny and he disliked it, but I was pretty positive he merely wanted to keep me all to himself if he could.
These traits, however, only seemed to appear when he was in his fae form. The few times we'd returned to our standard human appearances, he’d returned to that good boy persona that he had clearly perfected.
The fae world I could now see with my awakened eyes was far different than the world I'd seen all my life. It was beyond the projection of fairytales from the lower lands or in books, with the mere colors of everything being more enhanced than the standard color wheel.
The fae world had a thing about pastel colors; the sky alone was a glorious blend of them depending on the time of day. The standard sky was red instead of blue, and the night sky was dark purple with hints of blues and greens versus the dark-blue-to-black surface I were used to.
The stars that twinkled in the sky were far closer, and if you concentrated long enough, you could hear them singing from far away.
Yes, stars can sing to you.
The creatures of the fae world were still as beautiful as ever, though some qualities like their size or wings were revealed with the awakening. This meant that it was normal to see a bee the size of your head and know they wouldn't eat you.
The two months of training had consisted of various things. Combat was a big deal and was the center of our daily sessions, which started at nine in the morning and ended at five in the evening. Early afternoons were spent gathering knowledge to back up every move or section of discovery we'd learned about during the morning combat sessions, and the last two hours was normally the time we used to summarize what we'd gathered and ask questions.
Alicia continued to prove herself as an amazing teacher to myself, Rainer, and Camilla. When she offered to train the two of them with me, it was a huge relief because I didn't want to necessarily go through this journey alone.
They were my backbone in all the craziness that had occurred since the first weeks of attending Fae Rose Academy, and it felt like such a privilege to have them continue to aid me on my journey.
After our lessons were officially over, we'd shower or bathe off the sweat from the day. The evenings were designated for us to do whatever we wanted to.
Some days we'd explore, other days we'd simply rest and talk about the crazy week, and twice a week Camilla would go see her lovely 'partner' who'd ordered her to come to see him since he was so depressed without her.
I was beginning to wonder if this guy was more than just her partner, but Camilla was being stingy about giving me his damn name. I'd seen him from far away once or twice, but that was essentially it. All I could assume was that she was shy and didn't want to introduce him to me unless she knew without a doubt in her mind that he was the one that was going to date her.
It was quite amusing since I’d always believed Camilla would be the first to have a serious boyfriend in her life. I hoped that since she’d paused her own life goals to protect me and be my friend she'd be rewarded for the sacrifices she’d made on my behalf.
Finding a friend like her was a four-leaf clover moment, and I couldn't be more grateful.
With a smile gracing my lips, I hopped into the shower and allowed the hot water to run down my aching bones. The soreness wasn't only from the intense training day from yesterday, but also because I'd been rather needy in the loving department.
And boy did my man deliver.
I knew Rainer and I had become close before the whole frozen fiasco with Xavier, but with the truth out, and having the last two months to learn bits about him and his background, we had upped our connection to new heights.
It was easier to talk to him, to lower my walls completely without judgment, and to get positive advice in return. His parents were surprisingly easy-going in comparison to what I'd assumed about them. King Emmanuel was even fine with me calling him Emmanuel now that he knew I genuinely loved his son.
He appeared to be the more protective one with a quiet exterior, while Seraphine was carefree and happy on the outside while maintaining a powerful dominance on the inside. She could be happy, free, and living her best life one minute, and planning out a plan of retaliation with intense seriousness the next.
The people of the kingdom respected both of them, which made me want to strive towards a similar persona. To be kind and loving when I need to be, but commanding and smart when push came to shove.
So far, I looked to be the girl the world seemed to underestimate. Though that was a little good because it gave me an advantage against any enemy who thought I was weak, I wanted the world to be forced to acknowledge my power. To grasp my capabilities as someone powerful and not based upon assumptions of me.
It would take time to prove, but I knew if I continued to work on myself and what I wished to achieve in this lifetime, I’d reached that level of triumph.
Lifting my arms up to stretch while the water ran down my body, I could still feel Rainer’s soft kisses as he lifted my arms up to slide my pajama top off last night. The sensual kissing led to our intimate night of intense sex that left me even more bruised up than the previous night.
Now with us back in the dorms, we didn't have the privacy we once did, which meant we wouldn't be having sex every other day. I pondered if I should fee
l relieved or saddened that our sex life would be taking a hit because of school.
I doubt school is going to stop us from enjoying sex.
"You always have the oddest thoughts."
My eyes rolled at the soothing, deep voice, one I'd gotten used to popping in at the oddest times.
How do you always know when I'm showering?
"To be fair, I didn't until I arrived and noticed the room was rather empty, but your school bag is still there."
Where are you?
"You're asking a question you already have the answer to."
The way his voice taunted me only answered the rather rhetorical question. I knew exactly where he was as the musky scent of nature began to wrap around me while a heavy presence lingered behind me.
My lips curled as I merely turned my head in time to receive a hungry kiss, his body pressing against my bare back as he hugged me against him.
"I'm running late, you know," I warned him because we both knew what Camilla was capable of if we made her late for her classes.
"Hmmm. Am I brave enough to deal with her wrath just so I can enjoy you?"
I laughed and turned right around to admire his naked, wet body before wrapping my arms around his neck. He pressed me against the tiled wall, kissing me with every bit of emotion that overrode the bit of logic I carried so early in the morning.
I gasped for breath and he took advantage by sucking my bottom lip and pressing his forehead against mine as he fought for air.
"I'd rather avoid gaining more bruises on my skin," I concluded, which only made him smirk as he lowered his lips to my neck and sucked hard. I groaned as my eyes fluttered close. My head fell back against the tiled wet surface, which only gave him access to continue marking me up with those dark purple hickeys he loved to leave behind.
Fae Rose Academy: Year Two (For The Purely Divine Book 2) Page 15
