Orion," I called out, noticing a tall male with white hair turn the corner. He stopped, taking a step back and looking over his shoulder. A small smile formed on his lips at seeing me and Hunter.
"Hey," he greeted when we got closer.
"I haven't seen you since this morning," I pointed out.
"I know. Definitely a shame," he replied, pulling me into a hug.
I blushed, not used to such intimate gestures, but hugged him back.
"Orion, share," Caio called out.
I pulled back to see Caio, Cairus, and Theo walking toward us.
"Lunchtime, Dearest Celestia." Cairus came up to us, patting my head.
"What are you guys making?" I asked.
"Pasta," Caio replied, walking over to the other side to ruffle my hair.
"Ugh, don't do that. It's gonna get all frizzy," I complained.
"Finn said you didn't like that," Theo reminded.
"Where is Finn?" Hunter asked.
We were near our lockers in the middle of a crowded hall, but Finn was the only student with pink hair. It shouldn't be hard to spot him in the crowd.
"He said he'd meet us at the lockers after class," Theo recalled.
"Hmm. Why don't you guys head to the house? Orion and I can wait for him," I suggested.
The others exchanged glances before nodding in approval.
"Okay. We'll see you three in a bit," Theo announced, walking forward to give me a pat on the head before he and the twins began to make their way down the hall.
"You guys will be fine?" Hunter asked.
"Yup," Orion replied casually.
"We'll be alright Hunter. If Finn isn't here in ten minutes, we’ll look around for him," I explained.
He nodded. "Okay. See you back at the house." He patted Orion on the shoulder and began to walk away; the others waited for him at the end of the hall.
They all gave a final wave and turned the corner, disappearing from sight.
"I should get my books now so we don't have to come back here before afternoon classes," I suggested to Orion.
"Okay," Orion replied.
We walked over to my locker and I placed my hand on the lock using my magic to unlock it.
I lifted my hand to open the door, but Orion pressed his hand over it, preventing me from opening it. I looked up at him in confusion.
"Orion?"
He narrowed his eyes at the locker, a displeased look on his face.
"Don't open it," he advised.
"Why?" I asked.
"Why does Orion look like he's going to murder someone?" I looked to my left and saw Finn approaching us; the once busy hall was now empty.
"Um...I'm unsure," I replied, looking at Orion who still hadn't budged.
Finn reached us, glancing at Orion and then the locker. His eyes narrowed on the metal locker; his expression went from confused to enraged. "Celestia, come here," Finn instructed.
I looked back at the locker, not sensing anything, but I did what he asked, moving to stand behind him. Finn looked around, snapping his fingers. A green barrier engulfed us and spread to section off the rest of the hall, boxing us in.
"Finn?" I asked.
"The barrier will make it so no one else sees we’re here. It will also ward against anyone coming our way," Finn explained.
I noticed two girls heading our way. They hadn’t even gotten within ten steps of the barrier before they turned around and went back the way they came, talking about the hall smelling horrible.
"What's in my locker?" I asked.
"About to find out." Orion lifted his left hand; an ice wand formed in his grip. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.
"Revalandra Freezano!" he chanted before opening the locker.
Five black snakes shot out, but were frozen in seconds. I gawked at the serpents, shivering at the dark presence that leaked from their frozen bodies.
"Celestia. Summon Arielle and ask her to get Othello," Finn commanded.
I nodded. "Arielle!" I called out, using my magic to enhance the command. Within seconds I heard the flapping of her wings and she appeared from the corner flying over our barrier. I looked up at her.
"Go retrieve Othello. It's important," I stressed.
"Bru-REE!" she replied, soaring quickly away.
"Someone's targeting Celestia then," Finn confirmed.
Orion nodded. "That Forsaken attack wasn't a setup or for the other teams. It was on purpose and whoever set it up wanted Celestia's team to face it," Orion declared.
"With the assumption that we’d die," I said in a hushed tone.
"Bru!" Arielle chirped, flying back toward us. Othello and Ms. Arcadia were rushing behind her looking confused as they approached the barrier.
"Where are they?" Ms. Arcadia asked.
"Finn?" I asked.
"I'm not lowering the barrier. They have to walk through it," Finn pointed out.
"But they can't sense or hear us," I asked.
"Arielle heard you because she's your familiar. No one else can hear us unless I lower the barrier," Finn explained.
"Lowering the barrier can put the school at risk. I have a hold of the snakes, but I don't want to risk it," Orion spoke in a calm voice. He still looked upset, but his tone had leveled out.
"If Arielle could speak, she could direct them to walk through," I pondered out loud.
"Yes," Orion replied.
I nodded, closing my eyes.
"Cutie Pie?" Finn asked, but I didn't reply, allowing the magic within me to build.
I tuned everything out, going through my memories and remembering what Sia did to transform Arielle into her human form.
I raised my arm up, spreading my hand out.
"CHANGEANDO ROSOLO FREE!" I chanted, allowing the magic to flow out. I bit my lip, feeling dizzy, but felt Finn's body press against my back, his arm around my waist to support me.
I continued to let my energy flow till I heard two gasps. I opened my eyes to see Arielle in human form who walked straight toward us.
"Jeez. Humans and their inability to speak phoenix OR harpy! Celestia, I brought them. You okay in there?" Arielle asked, reaching the edge of the barrier.
I grinned. "Fine. A little dizzy," I replied, lowering my arm.
Orion gave me a worried look, but I shook my head.
"I'm okay," I reassured him, trying to catch my breath. Damn. This spell causes some serious magic drain.
"How did you shift?" Ms. Arcadia asked Arielle, looking astonished unlike Othello who was still looking around.
Arielle rolled her eyes, turning to face them. "Can we ask questions later? My Mistress is on the verge of death with her lovers because some idiot put darkness in her locker!" Arielle screeched.
I snickered; Orion smiled while Finn chuckled softly.
"Your familiar has character," Finn whispered in my ear, still holding me.
"Agreed," I replied.
Othello walked through the barrier, his eyes went wide at the sight of the frozen snakes.
"Are you okay, Ms. Rainbow?" Othello asked immediately, his concerned eyes scanned me up and down.
Arielle walked through with Ms. Arcadia who gasped upon seeing the darkness-tainted snakes.
"Of course she's not okay! She had to summon me just to get you guys to pass through a barrier. Someone better have an explanation as to why there are snakes in my Mistress' locker." Arielle huffed.
I could imagine steam coming out of her ears.
"Forsaken. How...impossible!" Ms. Arcadia stated, her voice barely audible.
"Can we get rid of them quickly? I can't keep this spell up for long," Orion admitted.
I noticed the beads of sweat that began to form on his forehead, one rolling down his pale face.
"Gladly," Ms. Arcadia announced. She knelt down, pulling out a dagger from her high knee boot.
"VANQUISHA LAVORA!" she commanded; anger laced her words as she sliced the frozen snakes in half. The top half of the five snakes didn't even reach the ground, fading into a dark cloud.
Othello raised his hand. "PURIFILLA," he chanted.
A burst of light blinded my vision; Finn pulled me into an embrace, my head cradled against his chest to shield my eyes. I waited till I couldn't feel the light magic anymore, then opened my eyes to see the darkness was gone.
I glanced around, surveying the barrier to make sure there wasn't even a speck of darkness in the area.
"When did this occur?" Othello asked.
"A few minutes ago. I was about to open my locker when Orion stopped me. Finn arrived and created the barrier to hide and seal the hall off from whatever was inside and Orion froze them in place after opening it," I explained. I felt rather weak and was thankful Finn was supporting me.
"I'm switching back," Arielle announced. She didn't wait for a reply, immediately shifting to her smaller bird form. She flew to my side, landing on my shoulder and began rubbing her head against my cheek.
"I'm fine, Arielle. Stop worrying," I reassured weakly.
Othello frowned.
"Mr. Charm, carry Ms. Rainbow to the nurse's office. Mr. Meadow, are you okay to walk?" Othello asked.
"I'm fine, sir," Orion replied.
Othello nodded, turning to Ms. Arcadia.
"Take them to the private nurse's office. I'll be there shortly. I'm going to call the other Council members to inspect the area and go over the surveillance footage," Othello ordered.
Ms. Arcadia nodded.
The barrier around us lowered, fading into the ground. Finn lifted me up with ease while Arielle hopped off my shoulder and went to rest on Orion's. He came to Finn's side, pressing his hand to my forehead.
"Celestia, you’re burning up," he commented.
"I'm fine. Just need a moment," I whispered. I knew that the spell had taken a toll on Sia from watching her memories, but I didn't think it would make me feel this exhausted.
Finn began to move, Orion right next to us as Finn followed behind Ms. Arcadia. A few students passed by, whispering among themselves, but I began to drift off; the swaying motion of being in Finn's arms reminded me of the times Magnor would have to carry me after our afternoon training sessions.
"Cutie Pie?"
"Did she fall asleep?" Orion asked.
"Changing a familiar into human form is very tasking on a shifter. I'm shocked she was capable of casting that spell so smoothly. It takes most individuals years to master it and they have to be very close to their familiar," Ms. Arcadia explained.
"Bru-ree." I felt something soft brush against my cheek. I figured it was Arielle from how close the sound of her reply was, but my mind felt fuzzy and I continued fading in and out.
When I finally opened my eyes, I was laying down in a dim room. My vision was blurry, but I could see someone peering down at me; concerned green eyes met my half-open ones. I blinked a few times, narrowing my eyes to help clear my vision.
"Cutie Pie?" Finn asked.
My vision finally cleared enough to see his ruffled pink hair and bright green eyes. "Finn? Where are we?" I asked.
"Nurse’s office. You fell unconscious before we got here and the nurse told us we should let you rest. Orion's asleep right now," Finn explained.
I realized I was in Finn’s arms and he sat on a medical bed. I noticed the IV in my arm that was connected to a clear fluid. I looked to my right to see Orion asleep in his designated bed, his arms around a pillow and Arielle slept on the rail of the bed.
"IV?" I asked.
"You were dehydrated. The nurse didn't know how long you'd be unconscious and wanted to ensure you didn't go into an electrolyte imbalance," Finn explained.
"Makes sense," I whispered. I tried to sit up, but Finn shook his head and kept me from moving.
"Rest. The others came back to the lockers looking for us and ran into Othello. He explained what happened and they're helping him search the premises. Hunter was really pissed and the twins are scouting the area in their shifter forms," Finn explained.
"And Theo?" I asked.
"He's doing a little snooping. He has a hunch a certain vampire is involved," Finn suggested.
"Vincent?" I asked.
"A possibility. Or someone working with him or his coven. Who knows? Theo doesn't trust the vamps and wants to make sure they're off our radar. We can't afford for you to get hurt," Finn whispered the last sentence.
"Overprotective," I mumbled with a smile.
"With you," he replied.
I blushed, meeting his serious gaze.
He lowered his head slowly, his lips pressed softly to my forehead. I remained still, my heart beat rapidly within my chest at the tender kiss. He leaned back to look into my eyes.
"I don't like when you’re hurt or in pain. We're protective because we don't want to lose you. Someone is targeting you and we won't allow them to have you." Finn’s soothing voice helped me to relax.
"But you're not required to. I know we're a team, but why go above and beyond for me?" I whispered.
"Because it's you, Cutie Pie. From the moment I saw you, I knew I'd like you. Those beautiful green eyes and those lovely purple ones you hide," Finn admitted.
"When..." I trailed off.
"Your eyes are purple right now," he pointed out.
"Are they? They're usually mismatched," I confessed.
"The nurse said it may be due to your exhaustion. She's never treated a unicorn shifter and isn't too sure, but the twins have mismatched eyes and they usually switch to one color or the other when they use a certain type of magic or are magic deprived," Finn admitted.
"Hmm. Maybe," I replied, thinking about what he'd said.
"Celestia," Finn whispered.
I met his serious gaze.
"Just be careful. Make sure one of us is always with you. I'm aware of how strong you are and this could possibly be just a test, but I’d rather you play weak and let us handle things until we know who's pushing the buttons," Finn stated.
"What if you get hurt?" I frowned.
"Why are you so selfless?" he asked.
"I don't know," I replied.
"Just rely on us a little more. We're a team, remember?"
"Okay...I'll make sure one of you guys is always with me," I confirmed.
He exhaled, using his free hand to pat my head.
"Finn. Your ability. Does it work on everyone?" I asked.
He lifted an eyebrow at me. "How did you find out about that?" he asked, sounding more amused than offended.
"Theo," I revealed.
He grinned, shaking his head and brushing a strand of my hair back behind my ear. "Yes. It works for everyone. Harder to use on those who have magic barriers around themselves to hide their aura or strength, but if I work hard enough, I can tell. It's easier when they're distressed, upset, or saddened by something because they have a harder time hiding it," he revealed.
"Do you find it helpful?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why? How does knowing how to comfort someone help you?" I asked.
"It doesn't always benefit me, but I feel it helps me learn more about an individual and get closer to them," Finn replied. He looked down to see my curious expression. He chuckled.
"When I patted your head when I found you after the written exam, didn't you feel relieved?" he asked.
"Yes," I admitted. It made me happy that he'd kept his word and found me and calmed my nerves.
"I felt more comfortable being around you after knowing I helped comfort you. I've done the same with the other guys. Sometimes it's accidental, while other times I know in that moment, they need a little comfort to help them think clearly,” Finn explained.
"How about you? Is there something that helps you calm down?" I asked.
"Mine’s silly," he replied.
"I wanna know," I urged.
"You know how for some people, if something is troubling them, they like to be alone?" he suggested.
"Yes. Magnor's like that," I replied.
"I'm the opposite. I...don't like being alone. If I'm with someone, I feel like I exist and I'm not just a small fragment in this huge universe we live in. When my family moved during my teens, I was an outcast. No one wanted to be near the pink-haired boy with green eyes in a dimension filled with blessed fae, and that resulted in me always being alone. It didn't matter what task or event I participated in. I was always picked last and always sat alone at lunch. I kinda was invisible to the people around me and soon, I didn't want people near me," Finn explained.
"Is that why you're able to make people kind of move away from you? Like as if you're in a bubble and people just step out of your way without realizing it?" I questioned.
"Yes. That’s how that skill came to life. I didn't mean it to, but once I passed puberty, hit a growth spurt and suddenly got attractive, everyone wanted to know me. I had left school for summer break as the least liked person and returned to have people suddenly acknowledge my existence, and even try to get close to me. But when it happened, I knew it was all fake and it didn't make me any happier. They weren't my real friends or people who'd risk their life for me. They just wanted me for their personal benefit and my ability to see what comforted them the most helped," Finn explained. He went on.
"The only person who never left me was Hunter. After some family issues, he came to our dimension and was staying at our home because his parents were working and wanted him to interact with other shifters. When school was over, there he was, rain or shine, standing at the entrance waiting for me. I thought for sure he was doing it to fit into our family dynamic, but day after day he was there. He knew I hated walking alone and waited for me so I didn’t have to. Even when he was sick, he'd stand there with a stupid mask on his face until I showed up. We didn't even need to exchange words when we walked home. It was his simple presence that made me feel alive. I guess that's how we became the friends we are today," Finn confirmed.
"True friendship," I whispered. I closed my eyes, imagining a teenage Finn and Hunter, walking side by side every day. "I'm glad you guys are friends," I praised.
"Me too. I'm also glad we met a certain unicorn shifter."
I opened my tired eyes to see his grin. "Funny," I replied, fighting to keep my eyes open.
"I think that's enough storytelling, Cutie Pie. Back to sleep," Finn instructed.
"You'll wake me up if you find anything out?" I asked.
"Yes, I promise. I'll let the others know as well. Now, get some snooze," Finn encouraged.
I wiggled in his embrace, sitting up slightly and resting my head against his chest. He wrapped an arm around me, rubbing my right shoulder soothingly while I got comfortable.
"Thank you, Finn, for sharing," I smiled, feeling a little closer to Finn after that deep conversation.
"It was nice to share it with someone and if it's our Cutie Pie, I don't mind," Finn complimented.
"Our," I copied, using an amused tone.
"Yup, we have a sharing contract," Finn revealed.
"Liar."
"I'm dead serious."
"I want evidence," I mumbled, slowly falling asleep.
"The proof of signed papers will be on your desk, Ms. Rainbow," Finn joked.
"Okay...I'll be watching," I whispered.
I let the darkness take me. As I drifted off, I thought about the plot to hurt me. I hoped we were able to find the guilty person and show them the power of Team Misfit.