Chapter Eight #2
“Hopefully it stays that way. From the sounds of it we’re going to be hard pressed to find someone to help to train me otherwise. It doesn’t help that I don’t really know what my main gift is, I can feel it but I am entirely unsure what it is.”
“Some of the rarer gifts are like that, they have a test at the academy that will be able to determine what it is. As for finding someone to train your shadows it would be impossible. Like I said no one has it anymore.”
Kai yawns and the rest of us soon follow.
“Why am I so tired? We woke up not that long ago and although we were fighting those things. I’m never normally this exhausted.” Hunter mutters sitting down on the floor with thump.
“It’s called magical exhaustion.” Kysen says sitting down near the fire and rummaging through his bag.
“What’s that and why do I feel like I could eat like a bear about to hibernate?” Kai asks, gnawing on some jerky.
“We put out a lot of magic in order to heal Levi, enough that our magic levels are low and Levi’s will be too, his magic more than likely spent the entire time he was unconscious fighting the poison and the bite.” Kysen explains as he pulls out and smooth navy blue and green stone.
“So how do we fix it. We need to get on the road if we have any hope of reaching the academy and trying to find my parents.” I ask.
“I’m still holding out hope that we will hear something in one of the towns. Otherwise the whole redirecting the portal makes absolutely no sense and it doesn’t feel like it was just an accident.” Maverick says, helping himself to some jerky too.
“We met Kysen. Maybe that was the reason for the redirection?” Hunt suggests.
“It feels bigger than that.” I mutter.
“Ok, Beautiful well then we’ll keep listening. In all fairness we have been slightly distracted in the last two towns.” Kai replies.
“That’s true.” Kysen replies. “To answer your question Sage all we need is a couple of hours of sleep and then something proper to eat and we’ll be good to go.”
“What about keeping watch?” Levi asks, a giant yawn overtaking him.
“Well, Harry’s going to absolutely kill me for using it but I can’t think of a better time to or another way around it if I’m honest so he can suck it.
” Kysen chuckles, “I have a shielding spell we can use. They’re extremely rare and very expensive which is why Harry’s going to kill me.
” He grins not seeming that repentant and holding up the small stone. “Harry’s one of my brothers.” He adds.
“Yeah that sounds about right for a brother.” Kai smirks, ducking before Hunt can smack the back of his head again.
“It’s a shame we don’t have Erin with us. Her gift is shielding.” I explain to Kysen. We have told him about Erin and the guys, including very briefly touching on Cole.
“I doubt she’d be able to keep it up for that long if she’s only just got it, like you said.” Kysen grins.
“Alright I’m fading fast.” Maverick says. “Everyone grab someone comfy. Kysen do you need help to activate the spell or anything?”
“Nope, I’ve just got to say the word and it will trigger.”
“Once it’s up, we will be completely safe right?” Levi asks cautiously.
“Yep, that’s why its so expensive. It will only last two and a half hours though.”
Ghost and Knot appear and make their way over to me both in their raven forms. I expect it of Ghost as he has always been a raven and Nyx told me he might not ever get another form. But Knot has her fox form and I’m quite fond of it. I miss it if I’m honest. I hope its not gone forever.
As if hearing me, she perches on my lap and transforms into her fox form. I smile as I stroke her and she licks my fingers sending me a message at the same time.
“They’ll keep watch too.” I say explaining the message I just got.
I don’t really understand how I can understand them and how they understand me. We just do.
“Even better.” Kysen says, “Clypeus.” He mutters in Latin and there’s a burst of light and magic as the stone disintegrates.
I watch as the magic expands around us stretching high above us and below us too.
There’s enough room to move around inside the circle but not much.
Once its expanded as much as its going to the sheen of magic disappears and it becomes invisible.
I was slightly worried that it would be obvious and then we’d end up attracting attention it would be just my luck for us to sleep peacefully for a couple of hours only to awake to find us surrounded by people waiting for the protective shield to drop so they can challenge or kill us.
We all settle down and I end up wedged between Levi and Maverick, it’s seconds before I fall asleep the magical drain taking it’s toll and dragging me under.
******
I’m in that state between being awake and asleep where I’m sort of aware of what’s going on around me but I’m not entirely sure if I’m dreaming or not.
“What the hell?” Jax says sounding confused and sleepy and damn right cute.
The exclamation didn’t sound particularly alarmed so it doesn’t wake me up properly and I try to go back to sleep properly not ready to wake up yet and enjoying my cuddle immensely.
Maverick’s arm tightens around my waist as he pulls me back against him even tighter and Levi buries his head further into my neck as my arms wrap around him.
“Seriously guys. Wake up!” Kai says as I feel him kick one of the guys cuddling me. We’re so close together that I can feel it reverberate through all three of us.
“Ouch, did you have to kick me so fucking hard dickhead.” Maverick grumbles as he untangles himself from me and gets up.
I sit up with him Levi doing the same and stretching, giving me a gorgeous glimpse of abs.
“What the fuck?” Levi says glancing around us and bringing me back to the situation.
“That’s what I said!” Jax exclaims.
We can’t have been asleep for the full two and a half hours as the protection shield is still up and surrounding us on all sides is an array of different animals some I recognise from the Earth realm and some are completely foreign to me.
They don’t seem to be aggressive or anything like that and they’re all getting on with one another although I’m pretty sure that some of them should be attacking the others.
“Where did they all come from?” I ask.
“Hunter must’ve summoned them,” Kysen replies sounding slightly baffled as he looks around at them all and rubs the back of his neck.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” Hunter says sounding even more confused.
“You didn’t need to. It doesn’t work the same with supernaturals as it does with normal creatures.
You’re an alpha and a damn strong one at that.
Even though you don’t know the extent of your gifts yet and are still learning.
These creatures would’ve sensed that your power level was low and that you were weakened so they’ve come to protect you whilst you were vulnerable.
There’s no competition to be the alpha or try to move up ranks in this situation.
They all know that you are the strongest and will protect them if needed therefore they all band together to protect you. ”
“That’s pretty fucking amazing.” Hunter says and we all make sounds of agreement.
Mav pulls out a notebook and starts sketching the creature closest to him, a mix between a stag and a lion I think. That’s the best I can compare it anyway.
I didn’t know he could draw. It makes me sad that there’s still some pretty big things that I don’t know about them.
“How do I thank them and get them to go back to their homes now?” Hunter asks curiously walking closer to the barrier.
As he does the nearest animals get as low to the floor as possible and bare their necks. Hunter immediately transforms into his wolf and walks around the circle dipping his head.
“That’s incredible.” Kysen mutters, “To thank them and let them know that their duty is fulfilled you simply think it and then project it to all of the animals.” He says louder to Hunter.
After a few moments the animals start to dissipate and Hunter transforms back into his human form.
That was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait until we can find out more about our gifts and their strengths.