I ran into the ballroom, skidding to a stop before I tripped over a body. Or should I say bodies? Omg, are they dead?

The soft melodic sound that flowed through the ballroom was the only speck of life in the vast ballroom with the floor filled with celebrities. I turned my head to the sound of the voice still singing – Junho in his female disguise sitting with his legs crossed with a microphone in his hand. His eyes were closed, clearly focused on the song.

“Junnie?” I called out.

He opened his eyes – bright purple orbs greeted me as they glowed. Oh shit.

He continued to sing, closing his eyes once more, as if in his own trance. I clicked on the com device.

“Ethan. What’s wrong with Junnie?” I questioned.

“He’s using his ability to keep everyone on the ship asleep.” He replied.

“What? But we’re awake? Literally, everyone on the ship is asleep?” I questioned; my face scrunched in worry seeing the exhaustion that was visible on Junho’s face, even with his eyes closed.

“Only us and whatever lackeys can fight off the urge to sleep, which most likely is Akane, Daichi and a few of their crewmates,” Ethan replied.

“Ethan, Junnie isn’t gonna last long. He...I mean she’s pale as a ghost.” I commented.

“Daniel’s coming.”

“Daniel? Daniel as in Michael’s little brother.”

Ethan and the others had given me the rundown that Makoto and the others were on the ship for their vacation and that they had been updated of the situation. We couldn’t risk Makoto getting hurt, so the plan was for some of her men to keep her distracted while Daniel and Elias assisted.

“Yup, that’s me.” A voice announced behind me.

I turned to see Daniel Moore. He pulled his black-rimmed glasses off his face, ruffling his long ash blonde hair. He was shorter than Michael but looked very similar. His gold eyes twinkled with confidence as he stood there.

“Oh shit. Michael Jr.” I commented, covering my mouth in shock. He rolled his eyes.

“We’re not that alike you know.” He pointed out.

“You guys are. Makoto would agree.” I winked. He blushed, frowning.

“Don’t you have a criminal to catch.” He reminded.

“Oh right! Make sure Junnie is okay.” I stated; my eyes scanned for the other exit that would lead me to our suite.

“Junnie? Is that Junho?” He questioned, eyeing the female who still sang softly.

“Yes, he’s in a disguise. Just make sure he’s okay. Thanks, Daniel.” I called out, dashing into a sprint.

“Be careful.” He called out. I waved, heading down the corridor before turning the corner. I was at the door of our suite in no time, closing the door behind me as I tried to catch my breath.

“Showtime.” I whispered, pulling out the lip gloss.

It didn’t take me long to change into black jeans and a white V-neck, tucking my gun into the side of my jeans. I looked in the mirror, the glamour the boys had worked on still in effect. It’s not going to last much longer, I need to do this now.

I was ready to head to the door when I heard voices.

“Madam Lucinda, we have to go! Akane and Daichi are nowhere to be found! We could get caught.” I recognized the voice as the plump man named Arnold.

“No! I’ve waited for six rotations for this transaction. SIX BLOODY ROTATIONS! I will not lose this deal. The bomb is with the men at the dock. If I don’t get what I want this ship will be blown to bits!” She snarled.

“Then why are we here? We have to fucking go.” He stressed.

“I’m not leaving without Irina.” She mumbled.

“Are you hearing yourself! Lucinda, leave the human to die!?” He roared.

“No. She...she could be useful. You sense her aura. It’s strong. Maybe she doesn’t know how to use her powers. I can teach her. She can stay with us until things blow over and we’ll head back to Japan and figure things out.” She defended.

“Don’t cry wolf if you get caught, Lucinda. I’m out.” He yelled, his footsteps faded away.

Fake Akane’s real name is Lucinda and she’s Akane’s sister. So, they are twins. Perfect.

She cursed; her deep breathes could be heard from where I stood in front of my suite door. I let time pass before she began calling my name.

“Irina? Are you here?” She called. After the third call, I unlocked the door, revealing myself.

She sighed in relief, running towards me.

“Are you okay?” She asked

“Ya. I’m sorry. I...I just had to get out of there. What’s going on? Something weird is going on.” I played on, portraying a confused look.

“Don’t worry about that. Um, I’ll explain when we get to the island. We need to leave now.” She gripped my hand, tugging me forward. I nodded, following her lead as we ran throughout the ship, ignoring the multiple people asleep on the floor. We reached the docks, a group of men working on lowering a boat into the ocean.

“Akane, hold on.” I pulled her to a stop, trying to catch my breath.

“Irina, we don’t have time. Someone’s coming this way, we have to go.” She urged.

“Wait, Akane. I still have to tell you something.” I confessed, looking up into her eyes. She smiled; her hands cradling my face. I was ready to speak when she pulled me into a kiss.

“Well, that wasn’t hard,” Aurora announced.

“So, I win the bet, right?” Serenity giggled.

“Unfair. Wasn’t the plan to get Scarlet kiss her? I totally didn’t see this coming.” Aurora argued.

“She’s head over heels over Scar. Hehehe. I bet it’s her butt.” Serenity suggested.

“Totally her butt.” Aurora agreed.

I attempted to ignore the inner debate happening in my head while we kissed – the lip gloss was our secret weapon, coating Lucinda’s lips. I let my hands slide around her waist, pulling her close as we continued to kiss. Lucinda finally pulled away, leaving me breathless once more.

“You’re a shifter, right? I know, you probably didn’t want to tell me. It’s okay. I...I’m the reason why you felt betrayed by your boyfriend. I don’t usually have to resort to such tactics, you see. I’m a succubus. I can use my powers to make anyone do what I want basically. I didn’t think I’d find someone I’d be interested in without using my powers. I knew Alexander was cheating from the multiple times he met that acquaintance of his and I didn’t want to lose the chance to be with you for someone as selfish as him. So, I asked the bartender to slip something in your drink to make you relax. I know it was deceitful, but I wanted to get alone time with you to tell you my feelings. We don’t have any more time. I need to do this business transaction before we head to the island. I need you to stay here.” She confessed.

I blinked, playing off the confused information overload look.

“I...you won’t be long, right?” I whispered. She smiled.

“No. I’ll be quick. I’ve waited six months for this moment and I need this drug. Let’s just say it will help me get rid of someone who’s trying to kill me due to my family background.” Lucinda disclosed.

Shit! Do you think this has something to do with that Trinity girl? When I’d awakened earlier this morning Ethan and the others had explained all the evidence they’d gathered - Aoitori clan coming up. Ethan stated that Trinity Aoitori was the only survivor of her clan in Japan and had resurfaced recently. As much as we wanted to research more about the issue, we didn’t have time to translate and it wouldn’t help our current case.

“Okay. Be safe.” I whispered. She pulled me in for a final kiss.

“Just wait here. Hide if you have to.” She ordered. I nodded. She headed towards the group of men.

“Scarlet can you hear me?” Ethan talked through the com device.

“Yes, Ethan. I used the secret weapon.” I disclosed.

“Christian’s close by. He’s gonna give you something to remove it from your lips so the effect doesn’t hinder your magic.”

“Roger that. Is Junho okay? How about Michael and Jaxson?” I questioned.

“Michael and Jaxson are with Daichi and the real Akane. They showed us all the evidence of Lucinda’s wrongdoings and how Lucinda has been using her powers on her father to do her bidding. He’s been informed and is pissed off. Daniel’s with Junnie who’s still placing the spell. We don’t have much time, it’s almost midnight.” Ethan explained.

“What?” I pulled out my phone - 11:45 PM displayed on the screen. Double shit.

“Do you know where the bomb is?” I questioned, looking at the group of men making a circle around Lucinda, bowing their heads.

“The guy with the black hat and red locks has it. It’s small but enough to make this boat sink before any help will reach us.” Ethan explained.

“Who’s steering the boat, to begin with?”

“Ryder.”

“Ryder? Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be with Mako?! Are they okay?” I whispered, worried about my best friend.

“Makoto should be with Elias and Kai. Marcus is headed to check on Junho and Daniel. Vinzent is heading to assist Ryder, and Cece should be with Jaxson and Michael any second.”

“Damn. What do you want me to do?” I questioned.

“Make sure that bomb doesn’t go off. And be careful, they’re armed and those aren’t normal bullets. It will kill you on impact.

“Okay,” I replied, noticing my markings on my hands began to emerge. The glamour wore off.

“There you are.” Christian appeared behind me, huffing and puffing.

“Hey Mr. Grey, you look winded,” I smirked. He sighed.

“That’s cause my girlfriend runs like Usain Bolt. Here, wipe your lips with this.” He presented me with a white cloth, similar to a makeup remover sheets.

I removed the remnants of the lip gloss; the wind passed by us – my ears rang from its call. I sighed in relief feeling the elements return to me compared to after applying the lip-gloss, and everything felt muffled.

“Much better.” I sighed. Christian’s arm wrapped around my waist, his chest pressed against my back.

“You okay?”

“Nervous,” I replied, relaxing in his embrace.

“You’ll be fine. Just do what you always do.”

“Be me?” I suggested. He groaned.

“Being you always ends with trouble.” He mumbled.

“But I get the job done.” I reminded.

“Somehow.”

A loud noise caused us to jolt, turning our heads to the group and Lucinda.

“What’s going on here! What do you mean he’s changed his mind! I haven’t been caught! No one knows who I am!” Lucinda yelled.

The male before her, who I assumed as the leader, shrugged.

“Our master changed his mind. We don’t have what you want and are not a part of this deal.” He confessed.

“You can’t do this! You should be listening to me. After all I’ve done for you lot! I’m in control.” She raged. They stood in silence, waiting for something to happen.

“What? What did you do! Why can’t I use my powers?” She demanded.

The male shrugged, turning his back to her.

“Maybe you should watch out for who you fall in love with. You should have noticed the magic leaking off that woman you’ve been hanging around with. Or better yet, the gloss lingering on your lips. You haven’t been able to use your powers since yesterday morning, but you’ve been too love struck to realize. What a shame. I guess love does make you blind.” He laughed, walking away.

“Don’t you walk away from me!” She yelled, lifting her hand up. We both jolted forward, noticing the redhead has pulled out a small device with a timer.

“If I don’t get my poison, everyone will fucking die!” She screamed.

I outstretched my hand; the markings on my arm burned to life as my back grew immensely warm.

Water shot out from the side of the ship like a whip, moving swiftly towards the red-haired male and snatched the bomb from his hand.

“SHIT!” He cursed, trying to reach the bomb that flew five feet higher, intertwined with multiple water vines.

The group turned their attention on us; my hair began to float and shift to silver.

Christian pulled out his gun.

“You’re under arrest. Put your hands up and no one gets hurt.” He commanded.

The group of men froze, cursing under their breaths while Lucinda stood there, stunned.

“Irina?” She whispered.

“Sorry, Akane. Or should I say, Lucinda? My secret is that Irina Locksworth doesn’t exist. I’m sorry I had to play you. I guess you can say, this is how karma feels.” I declared.

“You...tricked me! What did you do?!”

Christian walked forward; his gun aimed at Lucinda.

“The lipstick my girlfriend wore the night she got drunk was laced with boundary magic. It hinders you from using your spirit’s power. When she kissed you it initiated it, but the lip-gloss seals the deal for seventy-two hours. You’re a sitting duck, Lucinda. Give up, you lost.” Christian continued his slow approach.

She clenched her fists.

“DAICHI! Where is that son of a bitch?”

“Daichi is with your beloved sister and is helping clean the files off your computer with enough evidence for Lucifer himself to have a nice talk with you.” Christian disclosed. She looked around, trying to figure out an exit.

I noticed a blonde head coming into view – Elias’ green eyes locked onto us, Kai right behind him as they headed towards us. I worked on controlling my breathing, struggling to continue keeping the bomb securely in the ball of water above us.

“SCARLET!” Kai called out. Christian whipped his head; his eyes grew wide. I froze, cursing under my breath at the cold metal that pressed against my head.

“Well, well. Guess the underdog is the loyal one. All the times you treated me like shit Lucinda, yet here I am, saving your ass. You’re right, this girl has immense power. She’d be a good addition to our team.” Arnold announced.

Jaxson, Michael and Daniel came into view, skidding to stop at the sight.

“Shit.” I heard Ethan swear in the speaker. My hands trembled as sweat trickled down the side of my face.

“Ethan. I can’t hold this for much longer.” I whispered.

“Lucinda, stop! Just give up already. Father knows!” Akane threatened. She glared at her copy.

“Fuck you! You’re a fucking cunt! You ratted me out! Over what? Your little love for that pathetic excuse of a Pikachu!” She yelled, pointing at Daichi who narrowed his eyes. Electricity began to circuit around him.

“I’m sorry. This Pikachu is going to electrocute your fucking ass.” Daichi retorted.

“How about you all shut the fuck up or I blow your precious friend’s brains to bits.” Arnold advised; a click triggered a wave of silence. Fuck...I can’t get out of this one...I can’t hold this either.

“Scarlet.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before responding.

“Risuki?”

“Twenty seconds, pretend you’re about to faint, drop the water, and cartwheel forward.”

“You can’t be serious right now! The bomb will go off!” I argued.

“Do you trust me with your life?”

...Yes.

“Then listen. Ten seconds.” He announced. I took a deep breath; my hands shook as I allowed my legs to tremble.

“Arnold! Let her go! She can’t hold the bomb!” Lucinda ordered.

“You love pulling my leg, Lucinda. She’s just fakin—” He began but was cut short when I fell forward, dropping my magic completely.

Multiple curses sounded before I cartwheeled forward, whipping around and summoning the water to catch the falling bomb that was fell towards me.

“SCAR!”

I was frozen in place - A gun pointed in my direction. My eyes widened, everything happening in slow motion as I tried to think of what to do. It was all in vain, Arnold pulled the trigger.

The bullet escaped the safety of the black gun, making its way towards me.

I wanted to move, to avoid my impending death but it was useless.

I was going to die...be one with the stars.

I squeezed my eyes shut; the crystal within my heart burned my chest as if it knew my death approached.

I heard a loud clang; my eyes snapped open to see something silver before me. The curvature of the weapon was sleek silver with grey outlining, the staff of it designed with multiple colored roses.

I looked up to the familiar woman - long, navy-blue hair, the tips shifting to light purple blew in the passing breeze. She wore a sparkling short pink dress; the sleeveless ensemble glittered in the moonlight. Multiple indigo markings covered her arms and legs; the soft glow looked mesmerizing against her tanned skin. Her face had an intricate tattoo flowing from her temple down the right side of her face and around her neck.

Her eyes looked down to meet mine – midnight blue eyes greeted me.

I gawked at her, feeling a sense of Deja Vu. I can’t believe this is happening again.

“Scarlet. Why is everyone trying to kill you when we meet?” She questioned.

“Um. I think they don’t like my hair.” I replied. She pondered about it for a minute.

“Hmm. They didn’t like your hair last time either.” She reminded. I grinned.

“I knew this felt familiar,” I replied.

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?” Arnold roared, aiming the gun at the new arrival.

“None of your concern. I’m just passing by, don’t mind me.” She shrugged, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes. Her hair faded back to its brunette color; her eyes opened again to bright turquoise.

She blinked before yawning.

“Hmph? Wasn’t I in the ballroom a while ago. Huh? Scarlet! What are you doing?” Makoto announced.

“MAKOTO! BOMB above!” Kai announced. We both looked up, the last water vine holding the bomb dispersed.

“SHIT!” The multiple voices called out. I outstretched my hand, attempting to stop it from falling but I was too slow.

Makoto jumped up, catching it in her hand before landing on the rail. She looked at it in curiosity.

“I know what it is Rose. I’m not stupid. No. I’m not afraid of a small bomb. It’s just those silly devices humans make in books that cause wars. Not a big deal. I don’t get what the fuss is about.” Makoto mumbled, clearly having a conversation with her multiple spirits.

“Makoto! Get rid of the bomb!” I pressed; my eyes looked back to Arnold who had the gun aimed at Makoto. Serenity!

“Will do!” She took full control; my eyes reopened.

“I call upon thy holy strings. Capture thy enemies and bring justice to those who defy you.”

Serenity smiled, the strings only visible to our eyes wrapping around the gun and the culprit, extra strings wrapped around Lucinda.

“What? Just throw it in the ocean?” Mako turned to me tilting her head. She yawned.

“Yes, Makoto. Pretty please?” Serenity asked.

“Evening Serenity. Hope says hi. I guess I’ll get rid of it.” She announced; her eyes began to glow a pink color as she lowered her scythe; power overflowed from her body and hit all of us.

“Shit.” Aurora and I swore, feeling the change in the atmosphere thanks to the power flooding out of her. I could see the others shivering in place.

“Throw that bomb and you’re dead!” Arnold announced, readying his gun as he trembled in place. We smirked, Serenity still in control as she readied herself to tighten the strings.

Makoto looked over her shoulder; her eyes lingered on me for a second before a mischievous grin morphed on her pink lips, making her look more threatening.

“Try me?” She taunted, throwing the bomb straight up in the sky.

Serenity clenched her hand; the strings took effect.

“I CAN’T MOVE!” Arnold snarled, the rest of the criminals fighting to move or run away as the bomb began to descend.

Makoto lifted her scythe, rotating it before lifting it over her shoulder like a baseball player ready for batting. She swung it forward – the staff of her scythe made a direct hit and shot it out into the sky.

“Mako! It could hit an island!” Christian called out, but Mako ignored him as she lifted her scythe in the direction of where the bomb was arcing.

A magic circle formed beneath her, before a tiny ball of pink light formed before her scythe. Within a second it shot out like a beam heading straight for the device that was beginning to descend from its arc.

A multicolored spark blew through the sky, resembling a huge firework. We all gawked at the sight, unable to find words.

“Return, Nightmare,” Mako ordered, the scythe in her hand was engulfed in pink light before a three-tailed, fox-like creature emerged – Nightmare, or what Makoto referred to as a Foxshier, emerged.

She rotated herself on the rail, raising her hands up.

“Happy New Year.” She announced with a wide smile.

We all stared at her in astonishment.

The boys all exchanged looks before they went into agent mode; Marcus helped Junho and they made their way towards us.

Once Jaxson and Vinzent had Lucinda in handcuffs, Serenity gave me full control after releasing the strings. I wobbled to my feet, trying to stay awake.

“What a way to start the new year,” I mumbled, returning my attention to Makoto who was staring at the sky in wonder.

“Makoto. How’d you know I was in danger?” I questioned. She turned her attention to me.

“Oh. Nightmare told me. I was asleep in the lounge chairs in the ballroom. Once I moved outside Moonlight showed me how to get here.” She explained.

You know I love you right?

“I know you do. I told you to trust me.” Risuki remarked.

“Makoto, get down from there,” Marcus called out. Ryder and the others began to make their way towards us.

“Why? It’s not like I’m...gonna…fal—” She began when her eyes slowly closed, her body falling backward.

“FUCK!”

I dashed forward, hopping over the rail straight after Makoto – both of us fell into the ocean.

“WATER!” I commanded in my mind, using as much of my remaining power as I could to create a bubble around us. I pulled Makoto in my arms, sighing in relief.

“I swear to Starlight. Is this how it feels when I pass out at weird times?” I grumbled, looking down at the peacefully sleeping Mako.

“Pretty much,” Aurora replied.

“At least Makoto’s graceful when she faints. You just splat on the floor.” Serenity pointed out.

I was ready to argue when the water shifted, lifting us upward to the surface.

My makeshift bubble burst as the water continued to rise back up - Junho’s and Marcus’ eyes both glowed sapphire blue. Once we reached the rail the water froze into solid ice.

“Damn,” I commented, realizing the boat had stopped moving.

I helped to pass Makoto over to Marcus before Junho helped me back onto the boat.

“This is exactly...why we don’t let...you two hang out together.” Junho sighed, looking extremely exhausted.

“We didn’t even do anything!” I replied, yawning.

“Christian. Take her. I need to pass out.” Junho admitted; his eyes barely staying open. Christian was at my side in seconds, pulling me into his arms while Michael caught Junho.

I was going to argue but I was already beginning to drift to sleep while Christian picked me up off the ground. I relaxed, realizing we completed the mission.

“Scar?” Christian whispered. I fought to open my eyes, seeing Christian with a serene smile on his lips.

“Hmm?”

“Happy New Year.” He whispered, lowering his lips to mine.

“Hey! I claimed dibs, dammit!” I heard Ethan announce.

“Well, you failed.” Michael stated, laughing.

“C’mon you guys. Let’s start this New Year off by going the fuck to sleep. I’m requesting time off for a month.” Jaxson’s voice announced, sounding far away.

I felt something soft press against my lips.

“Happy New Year, Scarlet. You did well.” Ethan whispered. I smiled, allowing the darkness to finally take me.