Lowering the bow and my free arm, I stared down at the lava long and hard before closing my eyes.
"Thank you for your sacrifice," I whispered.
My body ached, and I let go of my initial anger, enough for Lia to return the weapon into ring form. My wings felt heavier than before, but I took a deep inhale and decided to get moving. I stopped for a second, catching an interesting scent.
It reminded me of Dimitri, but that didn't make sense. He was on the ledge with the others.
"SILVER! LOOK BEHIND!"
Wolfgang's voice shocked me, but I did as he said, just in time to spot the large meteor heading straight for me. I shrieked and tried to avoid it, but it bashed into my side.
I screamed, feeling as though my ribs had crushed inward, and my body began to fall once more.
NO!"
Biting my lip hard, I fought to get my wings to work, but it was as though they had reached their limit as well. I tried and tried until they returned to my back altogether. I noticed the approaching lava, and I could feel Wolfgang's fear.
I didn't expect the simple sentence to roll into my mind, and when it did, time seemed to slow down.
No matter what, please know that we love you, Silver Spell Solange.
I'd failed my men and was on my way to my doom, and yet they still were able to tell me how much they loved me. Not that I was a failure, or that I'd end up causing them more grief, but that I was loved by all of them.
It should have given me relief to know I was adored as I approached my death.
But it made me angry.
Why did my men and I always have to face death? Why did they have to suffer when I was around? It wasn't fair! The single, scorching flame that coursed through me burned with fury, and before I knew it, my body was shifting, bones cracking out and into place.
I had four legs now, and I turned my body around. The lava didn't frighten me. It would obey me because I was its commander.
The moment my paws hit the sizzling surface, I darted forward, fast and hard. My lungs burned but my body coursed with energy as I ran on top of the lava and headed to the ledge.
The sight of my men and their shocked expression motivated me even more, and with ease, I doubled my speed. I heard approaching steps, which made no sense on lava, but I didn't focus on it.
Reaching the edge of the rocky wall, I began to make the climb, jumping up from left to right, going faster and faster as I felt the approaching presence.
I reached the ledge and used my last bit of energy to soar through the barrier, hearing the sound of snapping teeth at my heels.
I tried to skid to a stop, but I only tumbled and landed on my side. My breath was heavy, and my body began to shift back on its own. My broken rib was killing me, and I fought to not breathe deeply because it felt like a million piercing needles.
"Silver!" I heard my guys call out, and I opened my eyes just slightly to look at my watch.
The light shone green once again, and my eyes came to a close, my mind completely at peace.
14
Mission Two- Tattoo Parlors
"Are you sure about this?" Dimitri held me back, his hand in mine as we headed down the dimly lit street. The others were a few steps ahead, their purpose to scan the area and make sure we wouldn't get jumped.
"We don't have much of a choice, Dimitri." I gave him a comforting smile. "This is a mission, after all. Or a Trial...or whatever we're going to call this."
He didn't look pleased with my comment, and I sighed.
"The goal is to choose the right tattoo parlor and get a magic one. That's it. Pretty easy. There's nothing we can do but keep going. I know none of you guys like the fact that I'm not fully healed, but that's the spy life. Missions wait for no one and sometimes you just gotta save the world with a few broken ribs."
"You're not saving the world," he mumbled.
"True, but we will one day."
"But—"
"You're pretty cute when you're angry," I noted.
"Silver." He gave me a look, but I shrugged.
"We're already here, Dimitri," I whispered, moving to face him. "We can't back down now."
"Can't we use our strikes or something?" he mumbled.
"From the hellhound who used two strikes already." I smirked when his cheeks began to grow red.
"But..." He trailed off.
"Dimitri." I reached out to stroke his cheek. "It's just a few broken ribs. Those take time to heal, even for witches and supernaturals. I'll be okay. I just have to be careful not to bruise them, or well...touch them."
He frowned again, and I giggled.
"Don't make that face."
He met my loving gaze, the two of us staring into each other's eyes for a long moment. With another sigh, he laid his lips lightly on mine.
I kissed him back, pressing my body against his as his hands moved to hold my hips. After a minute of kissing, he released my lips and whispered, "I hate when you're in pain."
My heart melted at his confession, and I hugged him as best I could without hurting myself in the process.
"I know."
"It makes me feel hopeless."
"You shouldn't. There's nothing that can be done with injuries like this. At least I'm alive and moving. That's what matters."
"True," he whispered and kissed the side of my neck. "Just be careful."
"Okay," I replied.
He pulled back to look down at me, and we shared another blissful kiss.
"Let's get this mission over with," I quietly cheered.
Dimitri took a few extra seconds to stare down at me. "You know how much I love you, right?"
"Yes, I know." I laughed.
He smirked and took my hand in his. "Let's finish this so we can go home and have awesome sex."
"I can't believe you said that so confidently in public." I shook my head.
"I'm proud to have a strong, healthy relationship with my girlfriend." Dimitri grinned with pride.
"At least you're happy." I smiled and squeezed his hand. "Let's have really steamy sex tonight," I purred.
He looked back at me, his eyes beginning to flicker until they landed on a red shade.
"Did I scare Dimitri away?" I asked Hellsin, who was now in control. He chuckled and moved to give me a gentle hug, avoiding my ribs as much as he could.
"He needs a minute to calm his hormones or he'd take you into that alley and fuck you," Hellsin revealed.
"Well..." I blushed at his comment, unsure what to say. "I've been rendered speechless."
"Good." Hellsin chuckled and kissed me. "He'll be back shortly. Shall we go and catch up to the others? I think they're waiting for us."
I looked up the street to see Wolfgang, Yuriel, and Ryuu waiting in front of a crowded store with a neon sign.
"Yes," I replied and squeezed his hand. "Let's do this!"
We quickly caught up to the others and joined the line at the tattoo parlor. As we got closer to the entrance, I looked over to the other side of the street, noticing the small sign that read: MAGIC TATTOOS - Get your dream marking with a bit of skill, strength, and survival abilities.
The longer I stared it, the greater my magic tingled inside me — enough for me to head out of the line and tug Hellsin with me.
"Blossom?" Dimitri's voice was back, but I ignored his call, my instincts taking over with such strong force, I couldn't focus on anything else but the shop.
We reached the door, and I checked to see if they were open, only to notice it was locked.
Pouting at it, I continued to stare at it until my head was lifted up slightly. I expected it to be Dimitri, but it was Yuriel. I looked into his navy eyes for about five seconds before I looked back at the door and tried again.
Staring at the closed shop, my shoulders sank and I pouted my lips.
"Um...anyone want to explain why Silver looks like a sad puppy who got denied access to a world of doggy treats? I mean, she is kinda cute when she's sulking, but now my heart hurts a
nd I want to do anything to make her smile again," Wolfgang voiced.
"She looks like she's in some type of trance," Yuriel admitted. "Her eyes are silver."
"What?" the others questioned.
"Check yourself," Yuriel encouraged.
I continued to stare at the door, wondering how I'd be able to get inside.
"Blossom?" Dimitri's voice was at my ear, and he tilted my head up until I was looking into his eyes. He stared at me long and hard, before he let me go back to staring activities.
"You're right. It's her magic reacting to something inside there," Dimitri noted.
"But it's closed," Ryuu pointed out. "The ‘open’ sign is off."
"This is an exam," Yuriel countered. "They want us to think it's closed."
"If Silver is reacting so strongly to it, there must be something inside," Wolfgang confirmed.
"Silver?" Dimitri whispered again. I didn't reply, but noticed his hand rest atop mine on the door handle. "Is someone or something inside there?"
"Yes," I replied immediately. "Must go inside."
My voice sounded robotic, which really should have freaked me out, but then again, I was far too intrigued with what was behind this door.
"Let's try to get inside. No one is looking right now," Wolfgang urged. "If we are going to break in, might as well have the least amount of witnesses."
"Sounds good," the others replied.
Dimitri wrapped his fingers around my hand. "Silver? I need to move your hand from here for a few seconds."
I pouted at his words, and his soft chuckle followed.
"I promise, we're going inside," he whispered. I took a second to think about it, but finally gave in and let go.
"Thank you, Blossom," he whispered and kissed my cheek.
I remained where I was, though I did enjoy the tingling sensation the simple kiss gave me.
Wolfgang walked in front of me, blocking my sight of the door, which made me frown in return. I heard Ryuu chuckle next to me.
"Our Blossom isn't fond of you blocking her path, Wolfgang," Ryuu disclosed.
"Sorry, baby," Wolfgang directed to me. "Give me a minute."
He closed his eyes and began to breathe in and out. I zoned him out shortly after, the strong magical pull fighting for my attention once again.
When a minute passed, I began to tap my foot impatiently. By the second minute, I was attempting to move from my spot, but arms wrapped around my waist.
I paused only because the slight touch gave me a pinch of pain in my ribs. With a frown, I looked up and saw a wicked smile from the man with red eyes.
"Blossom. You're being impatient there," Hellsin whispered with a seductive smile.
"I want to go inside," I stated with my deadpan tone.
"I know," he replied and kissed me.
At first, I was annoyed by the distractive move, but then his hands moved to my hips as he deepened the kiss. I let my eyes close and kissed him back, my attention solely on how Hellsin's tongue was intertwined with mine.
"I'm surprised that wasn't you, Ryuu," Yuriel mumbled.
"What? I'm not the smooth one. Dimitri and Hellsin are, which is a little annoying," Ryuu argued.
"Uh, can you two not be so loud," Wolfgang asked. "I'm already struggling with those two making out."
"Really?" Yuriel commented.
"Why?" Ryuu questioned.
"Mate bond, remember?" Wolfgang muttered.
"Right," Yuriel and Ryuu said together.
There was a sudden clicking noise that caught my attention and broke the spell between Hellsin and me.
"I opened—AH," Wolfgang began, but I pushed him aside like he was nothing. Yuriel had to reach out and catch him while I opened the door and snuck in the small space.
"Damn," Wolfgang commented. "What kind of magic is possessing her?"
"The kind that wants her attention," Hellsin stated. "Let's go inside before she breaks something."
I was standing inside the dark room, my eyes scanning around for the source of magic. When my eyes landed in the middle of the room, I noticed a single orb that glowed a bright silver with hints of gold and turquoise.
A grin of triumph glazed my lips and I began to walk forward until I was right in front of it. I reached for it, longing to let my fingertips feel the cool touch of the crystal ball on the small table, but arms wrapped around me again and a hand held my wrist, stopping me from touching the very item that tugged at my power.
I had to blink a few times before I slowly looked to my side to see Dimitri's grin. "Blossom. You can't touch things that aren't yours," he voiced.
"It is mine," I replied earnestly.
That left him a little confused, and it showed in his eyes. "No, it's not, Silver."
He was using my name on purpose, to get my attention, but I frowned and repeated, "This orb is mine. It is of nothing but my magic. Don't interfere."
He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. The others were close by, but my attention returned to the orb.
"Mine," I voiced again.
There was a soft giggle, the sound enough to tug my attention to our right. All of us looked over to see a woman walk out from the shadows.
She wore a witch’s outfit and with a large witch hat topping her long silver hair.
"She's right," the woman said. "It is her magic. However, it's not time for her to have it yet."
Dimitri held a little tighter, the move making me flinch just slightly from the pressure against my ribs.
"Sorry, Silver," he immediately apologized.
I pouted at him but returned my gaze to the woman. From her outfit, I could guarantee that she was a witch — a very powerful one — but I'd never met her before.
At least, I didn't remember meeting someone with such a radiant aura.
The colors of silver, pink, and gold danced around her in bursts of power. It was hard to not get lost in the colors that melted together.
"What do you mean?" Yuriel asked.
"Yeah. That's not Silver's magic in the crystal ball," Ryuu added.
"It is," the woman replied and shrugged. "However, it's not time for me to answer your questions."
"Why not?" Wolfgang questioned.
"Your exam is complete. No need for me to explain myself," she replied.
"Huh? No, it's—" Yuriel began, but our watches beeped.
I lifted my wrist to see the green light, and it as if that was the antidote I needed to snap out of my daze.
"We...passed?" I mumbled before I lifted my head to look around. "Huh? Where are we?"
My four men turned to look at me and Dimitri chuckled next to my ear. "Is our Blossom back?"
"When did I leave?" I asked.
"You were in some weird daze saying your magic was in the crystal ball," Yuriel explained.
"Yeah. You pushed Wolfgang over to try and get in here," Ryuu added.
I looked at Wolfgang. "I'm strong, but I don't think I'd push him hard enough to knock him over," I voiced.
"You did," he replied with a sympathetic smile. "My man pride is hurt."
"Oh..." I looked around them, and from their eyes, I could tell they weren't lying. "What happened to possess me?"
"That's what we're trying to find out from the woma...hey? Where did she go?"
We all looked back to see the woman was gone. Actually, the longer we looked, the more we realized the place looked like a normal store.
Glancing back at the place where I thought I saw a crystal ball, I frowned to see it was just a wooden stand.
"Guys? Was that all just an illusion or something?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," Wolfgang admitted. "It felt real."
"It's an exam, though," Ryuu admitted. "Could have been all a setup."
"But...don't you think it was too easy?" Yuriel questioned.
"Something isn't right," Dimitri mumbled and let go of me. "But we passed. We can't say anything."
I thought about it for a moment and sighed. "How about
we finish the final mission and then have a talk with Clarissa and Shirley. I think we're overdue for a long chat."
"Agreed," the rest of the guys said.
Something fishy was going on, or at least, that's what my gut told me.
But what was truly the problem?
15
Mission Three – Princess Rescue Mission
"I'm on my way!" I ran on top of the buildings, with my magically enhanced guns in hand. Reaching the edge, I pushed off it and used my magic to levitate across the gap between buildings.
"I have the item in possession. Heading to the final checkpoint. Once the watch turns green, we'll regroup," I ordered through the intercom in my ear.
"Got it," they replied.
I disconnected and continued to race along the buildings. I was minutes from the checkpoint, and I was delighted to finally get this over with.
Skidding to a stop, I leaned against the hidden spot along the wall, needing to catch my breath and hide from the opposing agents who were supposed to stop me.
My phone began to vibrate, and I pulled it out to give the screen a confused look.
Ryuu's sister.
I couldn’t ignore here call.
"Hello?"
"Silver?" Ryuu’s sister questioned.
"What's wrong, princess?" I asked in confusion. Even though the phone, I could smell her fear.
"I need your help. I'm trapped."
"Trapped?" I whispered into the phone and knelt down to the ground to keep myself from being seen.
"Yes. Trapped. I need help," she repeated. "The scary girl may come back,"
"Where are you? I'm coming," I voiced.
"There are lots of buildings where I am. I'm in a cage thing. It's not hard to open, but I'm scared to leave."
Closing my eyes, I focused on trying to pick up where she was. I knew her scent from when I visited during the summer, and now that I was more focused, I picked it up with a single breeze that passed by.
She's close!
"I'm coming!' I voiced.
"Okay," she replied. "I love you, Silver."
"I love you, too. What I want you to do is get out of the cage thing if you can and hide. I'll know where you are," I encouraged.
SSS: Year Three (Supernatural Spy School Book 3) Page 19
