"Run run run!" Theo shouted and we both dashed out of our hiding spot, running as fast as our legs would take us, doing our best to avoid the boulder that was picking up speed.
"Theo, I think there’s a place we can hide!" I called out, running even faster to give myself the few extra seconds to confirm my quick observation, I slid into the spot, realizing it was big enough to fit both of us and allow us to avoid the oversize boulder that would otherwise squish us.
Theo slid right into the hiding spot with ease. His body pressed against mine just in time; the boulder moved passed us, crashing into the black wall of the oversized maze. We both sighed and worked to catch our breath, falling to our knees.
"Fuck...I don't know if I can last much longer, Cutie Pie," Theo confessed. I wanted to answer him but was still fighting just to breathe.
We were currently in the middle of Trial Two and it was just as difficult as the first. Our task? “Avoid unconsciousness.”
Simple right? Totally wrong. The trial was scheduled to be two hours long and we were now entering the final fifteen minutes, or so the magical display indicated. However, we were both already completely exhausted.
Since the start of the exam, we'd been moving non-stop. Avoiding boulders, attacking Rhinroy, dodging flaming arrows, and various other traps set to knock us out.
If it weren’t for Theo's quick eye, we would have been hit by a massive log, which I had no doubt in my mind would have knocked the both of us right out, making us lose the trial.
I glanced at Theo, who was panting, lifting his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead. I realized he looked really pale and his eyes were doing the red glowing thing again.
"Theo, what's wrong?” I asked, now realizing he looked really sick.
"It's nothing...I just don't know if I can last the fifteen minutes if we have to keep this up,” he confessed, his weak eyes meeting mine.
I lifted my hand to brush against his cheek, and even though he was drenched in sweat, his skin was still cold. His glowing eyes lowered to my neck for a long moment before he looked away. "We should get moving,” he stressed, trying to rise back up but he could barely stand.
I quickly caught him, and helped him lower to his knees to rest against the wall. "Theo, what the fuck is going on?" I demanded.
He was silent and I groaned, rising at the sound of something coming our direction. I walked out into the path and could hear Theo's tired voice. "Fuck, Celestia don't do something stupid."
I ignored him, noticing a gigantic boulder approaching. I'd been timing the approaches of attacks and realized the bigger they were, the longer between attacks. Seeing as this boulder could barely fit between the walls of the black maze, I'd figured we'd have one more attack before the trial was over. I lifted my hands to my dual swords, pulling them out of their sheath and immediately pooling my magic into them.
They began to light up, the inscriptions glowing a dark red as I held them both aloft. I let my anger boost my energy, allowing it to grow and build until I was practically trembling with rage and power. The large brown boulder was finally seconds away from me and I prepared myself for the powerful attack.
"SLASHSONADA!" I declared with strength, lowering my arms in a swift movement which sent out two waves of power, one white and one red. The two waves merged into one and within seconds, sliced right through the boulder with ease. I lowered my blades and changed my position from facing the approaching halves of rock to standing to face the wall. The two pieces passed by me and crashed into the maze all, the impact making the ground tremble while the loud sound echoed through the air.
I lifted my swords, sliding them back into their protective covers tied to my back before looking over my shoulder at Theo, who sighed.
"Remind me not to piss you off,” he mumbled.
"You're pissing me off now by not telling me what the fuck is wrong with you," I snapped. He flinched at my harsh tone and looked away, seeming a little hurt by my words. I sighed, ruffling my hair which was loose since Orion didn't return in time to let me steal his hair tie.
I walked back to where Theo was resting, his back pressed against the wall. I knelt down in front of him, sliding my hand into his, which prompted him to lift his eyes.
"We're a couple, right?" I asked. He slowly nodded, looking confused by my question.
"Then you should be okay with telling me if something is wrong, Theo. I tell you and the others if something bothering me. Well...not all the time without a little pestering and glaring, but I'm stubborn like that." I mumbled the last bit, not liking the fact I had to acknowledge my stubbornness.
"But it's not your responsibility," he whispered.
"Why is that? We're in a trial where your life is in my hands, just as mine is in yours. I trust you to protect me and I hope you can do the same. That includes helping you when you're not feeling too hot, but that means you have to help me out when my slow brain isn't understanding why you're in pain and look as pale as a ghost," I explained.
"Pale as a vampire, Cutie Pie,” he whispered. It took me a good ten seconds before I finally understood what was going on.
"You're low on blood?" I asked, a little stunned at the realization, but it totally made sense. That's why he was taking that pill in the kitchen and why his eyes were glowing red.
He slowly nodded. "There aren't many vampires here so they don't supply blood as often. I have pills which usually carry me over just fine, but I guess maybe because I've been using my vampire powers more, it must have had a major draining effect on me,” he confessed with a sigh, resting his head back on the wall. He looked like he'd pass out within minutes if we didn't figure this out.
I glanced at the digital magic display on my left hand, 7:05 minutes left on the clock. There would be one more attack before the trial ended and we needed to be ready, but before I addressed that, I had one more question.
"Your magic. Is it derived from your vampire or bat shifter side?" I questioned. He opened his weak eyes, staring into my stern, mismatched eyes. He knew I wasn't going to drop the subject so he let out another weak, resigned sigh.
"Vampire. Bat shifters can't use magic very well,” he admitted.
I grimaced, realizing it was my fault he was suffering because of earlier. He immediately sighed, tugging my hand which pulled me forward. He wrapped his arms around me in an embrace.
"Dammit, Celestia. Don't look so depressed. It really hurts my heart to see you look so down,” he whispered.
"But it's my fault you’re in pain now!"
"It's nothing. I just need a little bit of blood. We can find a Rhinroy or something. Please don't blame yourself. It was a nice experience earlier. I...wouldn't mind doing it again. Minus the pain and cream that is." He hummed and I blushed.
"Ah...not the time to tease me," I scolded quietly. "But, sure."
He grinned, trying to get up but he could still barely move. I frowned, rising up and looking between the walls.
"One sec," I announced, bouncing on the balls of my feet before I pushed off the ground, quickly placing one foot one side of the wall and immediately pushing off to place the other leg on the opposite wall, repeating this till I was the top of the maze wall. I quickly stood there, looking across the vast land. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and zoning everything out.
My senses heightened and I secretly asked nature to help me, trying to find any living creature close enough to help us out. I waited another thirty seconds and the wind passed me, the thought flowing into my mind that all the Rhinroy were gone and there weren't any living creatures around.
I silently nodded to myself before jumping off the ledge and landing back down with ease. "Theo, there's nothing," I announced. He grimaced and looked away. I sighed, knowing exactly why he was upset.
"Why can't you use my blood?" I asked. "It better not be too glitter-filled for you."
He grinned, but shook his head. "It's complicated."
"Theo, we don't have time for this. We have four minutes and my gut is telling me something is going to go down at the last minute. We need to do this now," I declared. I walked up to his side, lowering to my knees. He met my concentrated gaze and his gaze lowered to my neck, looking a bit dazed. He slowly swallowed, his Adam's apple moving up and down, the tension showing just how much he needed this.
"It may hurt..." he began and I rolled my eyes.
"Theo Kristopher, hurry the fuck up and bite me. You can tell me the side effects later," I ordered and he rolled his eyes.
"Impatient,” he mumbled.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," I commented, moving my hair to one side so blood wouldn't get onto it. I had no idea how this worked; the only thing I had to go off was what I’d seen in the movies.
"Wait, one question," I declared.
He lifted his eyebrow at me. "What?"
"Do you sparkle?"
"Really?"
"I'm 100% serious," I stressed and he gawked at me.
"Why does everyone think we sparkle?"
"Um...because the internet says so," I replied.
He groaned. "Come here, Celestia. No, I don't sparkle. The internet is bullshitting you." He huffed and I smirked, crawling into his lap. Once I was comfortably sitting facing him, we shared a look and he took a deep breath.
"Make sure you tell me when to stop or if you feel really tired,” he warned.
I nodded. "Do your worst, Sparkle."
"I pray you don't start calling me that,” he whispered but otherwise didn't delay, leaning in so his lips brushed the left side of my neck.
I had to fight not to arch at the feel of his cool lips on my heated flesh. He slowly moved down my neck, stopping halfway between the base of my nape and shoulder.
His arms went around my waist, making sure I was close. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. He kissed the area first, sucking on it softly, which made me moan quietly. He took that moment to puncture his fangs into my flesh and I tried not to flinch. My hands were pressed on his chest, gripping his shirt tightly.
The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was definitely noticeable. But when he started to suck, drinking my blood slowly, everything went 180. My body grew hot and the tension in my muscles left as I suddenly relaxed, feeling really good. The sensation reminded me of what he'd done with his hands when applying the cream, but it was even stronger and more intense right away, giving me no time to prepare for the sensual feeling that flowed through me like a wave of cool water.
I moaned, lifting my head as I zoned everything out. It was like I was in a euphoric state where you didn't care what happened around you, only able to concentrate on the tingling growing pleasure running through you. I moaned a little louder and realized sitting on his lap had been a really a bad idea. I had such a strong urge to move my hips, just so I could rub my pussy against his groin, trying to make contact with the bulge that was slowly growing, even as I tried to keep my movements small in an effort to stay still.
It took another thirty seconds before I began to feel dizzy, even with my eyes closed. "Theo." I moaned quietly, hoping it would be enough to signal him that I wouldn't be able to take much more if he continued.
He retracted his teeth at my feeble warning, sucking at my flesh before he pulled away. I slowly opened my eyes, lowering my head back down to meet his bright red ones, the glow in them slowly dimming. He looked immediately better, color returning to his skin and he licked his lips that still had remnants of my blood.
"Fuck, now you look pale as fuck,” he whispered, lifting his hand to brush my cheek. I didn't reply, instead leaning in and kissing his lips. He looked a little shocked at my sudden move, but I closed my eyes, feeling like I needed to kiss him. He didn't push me away and it took him a moment before he was kissing me back. The kiss didn't last as long as I wanted it to; he broke us apart slowly.
"Cutie Pie, take a few deep breaths,” he coached. I ignored his words, my eyes focused on his lips. He sighed, rubbing his thumb along my cheek. "Celestia,” he said in a sterner tone, which caught my attention.
I gave him a sad look, unsure why I was suddenly in trouble. He didn't change his expression which was guarded, but his gentle rubs from his thumb hinted he wasn't angry.
"You’re a little buzzed from the bite. I need you to take a few breaths real quick,” he encouraged. I didn't really get what he meant by buzzed; my mind was feeling way too calm and foggy to hear any buzzing, but I did as he asked, taking slow deep breaths.
Inhale and exhale, over and over again, and it wasn't long before my mind finally cleared and I blinked at him in confusion. "Shit...what just happened?" I whispered.
"I promise I'll explain later when we get the chance. I feel a lot better and stronger though. Thank you,” he whispered, bowing his head to me in gratitude. I smiled, feeling relieved to see he did look a lot better than before.
"I'm glad. I think the exam is over?" I wondered. We glanced at our clocks, 1:10 and counting down.
"One more minute. Let's get up at least. You think you can stand?" he asked.
"Uh...ya," I replied, but I wasn't actually sure. My body felt like mush from whatever we just did. I never thought having one’s blood sucked could be so pleasurable. I slid off his lap and he immediately rose, presenting his hands to me.
He helped me up but I wobbled, my feet practically trembling. He slid an arm around my waist, letting me rest against him for support.
"Thanks," I whispered to him, hoping my legs would cooperate.
"No problem. Let's try to get out of the maze before-"
A loud rumbling noise rang out through the field and Theo and I watched as the ground began to shake.
"Earthquake?" we asked in unison. The trembling of the earth got stronger and stronger. The ground began to crack, little tiny lines which began to form into huge ones. Then water began to shoot out in one area and hot lava shot out on the other side.
"Uh. Theo? I can't fly," I pointed out, gripping his shirt. He didn't answer, instead quickly scooping me up and pushing off the ground. He landed on top of the wall with ease and we watched in horror at the wave of lava that was heading towards us from our left while a tsunami of water was coming our way from the right.
We are so screwed. I closed my eyes shut, pressing my forehead into Theo's shoulder. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, bracing myself for the dual collision.
"Hold on, Cutie Pie!" Theo shouted over the loud noise and I nodded. Our body was shot upward, making me realize Theo must have pushed off the ground into the air, but there was no way we'd make it through the remaining time at this point and unless he controlled gravity, we would be falling back down real fast, since what goes up, most definitely has to come down.
I heard the sizzling sound of the lava colliding with water and a burst of steam hit us, making me cough. I waited for our imminent death, wondering if we'd feel more of the cool sensation of the water or be burned to nothing by the lava. But nothing happened.
I slowly opened my eyes, pulling back to see we were high in the air, the maze below now non-existent as the water and lava battled it out.
I looked at Theo and my eyes grew wide at his wings. A smile slowly formed on my lips. "Bat wings?!" I exclaimed, feeling a little excited to see his large black wings which had hints of red in them.
He nodded with a wide smile. "I don't normally call them ‘cause they use a lot of energy, but I'm really buffed up thanks to the blood boost so it was really easy to summon them. You okay?"
I nodded, feeling a little better. I yawned. "Ya. I'm good," I reassured him. "Tired."
As I finished the word, the siren went off and the intercom clicked on. "Passed."
We both smiled in glee and I hugged him tightly. "We did it!" I cheered.
He chuckled, hugging me tightly. "We sure did." The simulation slowly returned to normal, the lava and water disappearing until the land was once more green and the maze was back in place like nothing had happened. Theo lowered us to the ground, retracting his wings as he did so.
"Um. How do we get back anyway?" I asked, realizing I wasn't awake the last time our trial finished.
"I escort you back." I heard Magnor’s voice call out. We both turned and saw him approach us, a wide grin on his face.
"Magnor!" I said happily and his expression softened at my excitement.
"You did good, Celestia,” he praised and I smiled brightly at him. He looked at my neck for a moment, raising an eyebrow at me before his grin widened.
"So Mr. Kristopher, I guess when all this is over, you'll come over for dinner some time," Magnor teased. Theo's face went bright red and I blinked in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
"Um. Yes Sure. Though, I'll bring the others too,” Theo confessed shyly.
Magnor grinned. "I guess you would. I don't think Orion's gonna let you have the upper hand though, so you better go explain."
I yawned as I rubbed my eyes, totally not following the conversation at this point.
"You two can have your manly chatter, I'm gonna go nap," I confessed.
"BRUUUUU!"
I opened my eyes to see Arielle flying towards me. I smirked. "Arielle," I greeted, lifting my arm so she had a place to land.
"Bru!" she replied, settling on my arm before leaning in to begin rubbing her cheek against mine. "Celestia. You look pooped," she hummed.
I smiled. "Ya. I'm tired," I replied out loud, yawning right after.
"Let's go back," Magnor suggested. Theo walked up to stand on my right side, sliding his hand into my free one, squeezing it comfortingly.
Arielle shifted to her smaller form, moving to land on my left shoulder. She avoided the spot where Theo had bitten. She kept hopping up and down which caught my attention.
What, Arielle?
She lifted her head to look up at me. "Bru bru bru," she replied. "I never knew you could get tattoos during the trials."
"Huh? Tattoo?" I asked out loud. Theo looked at me in confusion, both of us slowing down so Magnor wouldn't overhear our conversation.
"Arielle says I have a tattoo," I whispered.
Theo looked down to where he'd bitten me and frowned. "I think it's just a mark. It'll fade in a few days. I've seen it happen a few times back when I was in the Coven."
"Oh. Okay," I said with a shrug. I didn't really mind, but it made me wonder what it looked like. I would have to remember to check later.
"You two coming? I rather avoid your father's grumpy mood after he sees the playback of your trial," Magnor declared. We both stopped in our tracks, Theo and I exchanged glances with wide eyes before we gawked at Magnor who stopped mid-stride and looked back over his shoulder at us.
"Father's watching?!" I exclaimed.
"I thought they chose the professor randomly. Not all of them," Theo added.
Magnor grinned. "The headmaster is curious why his daughter has six guys on her team who seem to be more than just friends. I really don't want to deal with his whining, so hurry up." He shrugged, turning back and continuing to walk forward, leaving us behind him stunned.
"Is this what Magnor meant by dinner?" I asked, looking at Theo, whose cheeks were blazing red.
"No Cutie Pie, but I will leave the explaining for another day. Let's jet. I don't want to deal with your father right now,” he whined, tightening his hold on my hand before he began speed walking forward, tugging me along as he went. I grinned but didn't argue, kinda not wanting to deal with it either.
"Bru- Ree. Bru- Ree. Bru, Bru, Bruuuuu." Arielle began singing away happily and I sighed, knowing she must have figured something happened between Theo and I.
Magnor snapped his fingers, a portal appearing before him. He waited for us to catch up. "Good job today, you two. Go home and rest," Magnor encouraged, giving me a proud smile before lifting his hand to stroke my head.
I smiled back at him. "Thanks, Magnor."
"Thank you, Master Magnor." Theo smiled.
"BRU!" Arielle cheered before she continued singing away, not missing a beat. We walked into the portal. I was a little excited that we'd passed our second trial.
I was even more excited to nap, however, and a little part of me hoped Theo would be my sparkling snuggle buddy.