Chapter 13: The Preparation

Carving of little roses and intricate designs of runes from the temple is engraved on the golden handle of the sword, and Xiao is almost in tears of how beautiful it is.

She knew Yin had ulterior motives when she tore a page off Xiao's book and acted like nothing happened. Does Yin know what the runes meant? Or she just thought it's just a style of design?

"Poker?" Raxithak asked her to join the game, but Xiao just shook her head.

"No, thanks. I'm tired." She leaned her head on Jin Qiu's bed, the short sword is still in her hands.

The young witch just teleported from the Silverin Temple to her room, and then she rode a broom to the twins' dorm. The library was a lie. Well, she did return the the book and had a chat with Ms. Arya Oyekan after she's done with her exams.

Also, she had questions about a few things in the exam, and she asked the demon himself about it. He told her more than she wanted to know.

"Bring out the alcohol." Alexander clicked his fingers, and Xiao watched in amazement as the ever introverted Raxithak reached into their pile of messenger bags and pulled out a dark green bottle, no doubt wine.

"I got them from the town last week." Raxith passed it to the twins; both of them accepted it with both hands.

"You're an angel, Raxy." The prince leaned his head on her cousin's shoulder like a lovesick maiden in a play.

Raxithak only snorted and passed another bottle to his roommate. Seeing such a rule follower opening a bottle of wine with bare hands is surreal...

Meanwhile, Yin moved from her seat next to Xiao and crawled over to the source of the alcohol.

"We better not smell." The older witch giggled as she put a bottle in front of Xiao. "I brought perfume."

"How thoughtful of you." Jacob popped open the cork. His twin brother already has a glass ready in his hand.

Xiao sighed, and she reached into her messenger bag. Since she didn't bring a glass, her empty flask shall do.

Drinking alcohol is against the rules, but since Raxithak is getting it, Xiao can't miss this. After what she's been through for the past few weeks, she deserves this.

Three minutes passed midnight, the young witch activated a teleportation spell for both Yin and herself. She's never teleported two people at the same time before, but she knew it's possible because she saw some people did it all the time, like Uncle David.

"Bye." She said to Alexander. The prince is the only one who's still awake at this point

Awake but not sober. He ran his fingers through Raxithak's dark brown hair, and Xiao couldn't help but giggle. The prince is a silent drunk while her cousins are sleepy drunk. The twins are piled up on top of each other on Jin Qiu's bed, and the witch looked at them one last time before she's gone from the room in a flash of white.

After tucking her cousin into bed, Xiao collapsed on her own bed. She has one more day to prepare for the quarter ranking competition, and she will make it into top five. It's harder for her father to find a suitor who's stronger than her, and hopefully she won't meet said suitor anytime soon.

The young witch looked up at her ceiling, her mind drifted off to the demon in the temple. What was she thinking? At least he's teaching her something...

She reached for her messenger bag, and her fingers traced the intricate designs on the short sword's scabbard.

"Ode to the fallen," Xiao whispered the poem, hoping that the runes which are engraved into the gold would glow. "Do you hear my woe?"

Instead, she's greeted with silence in her dark room. Beady black eyes blinked at the short sword, and Xiao sighed as she held the weapon to her chest. Maybe Yin doesn't know it's runes after all.

To be honest, Xiao stole those runes from the temple, the ones at middle tower's door frame. She sketched it into a dagger, and Yin just so happened to rip that page off and put it on her birthday gift. The witch knows that her cousins mean well... She hasn't even had the chance to thank Uncle David yet. Dropping her messenger bag and weapon to the floor, Xiao finally closed her eyes to rest.

Instead of actually preparing for the ranking competition, Yin and Xiao spent half the day sleeping in.

Once the afternoon sun covered every corner of their room, Yin is the first one to panic.