XXXVIII ||| Five Out of Twenty-Six

["Finally a smart brain cell in this Academy!"]

Seems like he knows how to read between the lines. At least he can read between my lines. "She made your clothes, jewels, and corsets."

"Yes."

"That's how you have all of the weapons she made and never saw the light, you inherited them, not from a distant ancestor, but from your mother," he came a step closer, towering me.

I swallowed, "Also true."

"You are two thousand years old!"

Grinning, I put my hands on my hips in a demanding way, "Not exactly. I'm two thousand and fifty-seven years old, to be precise."

"But if you're physically 17 like us, and Cosmos only adopted you 10 years ago when you were physically still 7, it means you spend," his face turned ashen pale and he swallowed. "You spent two thousand and forty years in stasis." So, River told him about my link with Cosmos.

Well, that's expected, they seem to be close brothers after all. "Yes. That's also surprisingly right," I licked my lips. "I told you, I'm the oldest in here. See? You're already second in something."

"Hel," he frowned conflicted.

But before he could finish, Rio and Irene faded to us, "Hey, new girl, that was not cool," he glared at me. "What the hell was that for?"

"You called me short," I hissed. "You bought it to yourself, cotton candy baby blue hair. Try me again, and I'll go through what I promised I would do to you."

Oliver tensed, clearly jealous again, and glared from me to Rio, "I am not on pair of what's happening, care to explain it to me, Rio?"

"New girl here," he glared at me, "got mad because I kind of called her short, and threw a enormous wave of black water on me, and made fly a kilometer away from her. Then she threatened to mutilate my legs until I was height. You fucking savage."

At least Oliver had the decency to cover his mouth with his hand to laugh at the situation, but then he turned to me, "Black water? That's some legendary type of shite, beautiful."

"Call me that again, and I'll give you a taste of my legendary shite."

Irene bit her bottom lip, as if conflicted in talking or not to me, but then she seemed to decide that it was worthy a try. "You sold Rio a weapon. Can you sell it for me too?"

"Seven million euros!" I exclaimed narrowing my eyes at her.

Her boyfriend gasped, "It's pricier?"

I pointed at Oliver, "Blame him. He told me you're filthy rich."

"Aye," she complained. "You're not a dragon but you definitely act like one. Fine, I'll pay it. It's worthy after all."

Without caring to ask or not, I held her hands and analyzed it, "Left handed. Cloud head saber," I noted, released my grip on her hands, and looked at her eyes, "am I right?"

"How the hell?" Irene gasped.

Oliver just waved his hand, "She just knows."

Only then the couple noted the three weapons with him, them they gasped, "You paid 21 million euros?" Seems like they are connected.

"Of course, not," he grinned and turned to me, "she gave me."

"For free?" Rio's eyes widened even further.

"What's your strongest element and kind of magic, Irene?"

Her jaw dropped when I called her by her name, "Green fire, water, and mirror magic which is a manipulation of reflections."

Flinching at the memory, I clicked my tongue, "No need to explain, I know very well what that can do. Next time you attack me, don't use your green fire. I have it, and while I don't control my purple flame, I'm a master of green flame. I'll fuck you up, and payback for the punch," then closed my eyes and looked for the right tattoos. Four cloud head sabers of ruby, aquamarine, sodalite, and blue topaz. "Hand up!"

She did it right away, probably because Rio told her how he did it, and after a second the cloud head saber of sodalite with a obsidian handle flew to her hand. "Oh my Goddess," she whispered in awe.

In a instant, I received a notification of 7 million euros being added to my bank account, "Don't forget to name. Thanks for the easy money."

"Hel!" Felix called me, running towards us.

"Oh my Goddess, Lix," I ran to him, ignoring the others. "We have to talk. I learned something extremely important."

His eyes widened in excitement, "About our hunt?"

"Not just our hunt, but about," I pointed at my necklace, grinning like a wolf. "You won't believe it. So much stuff, and I also got my hands on a bloody lot of things that will tell me what I need to know, to do what I have to do."

Then he crossed his arm with mine, "Tell me something!"

"My hair is not an anomaly, or a side affect of that." I grinned full of myself, "And you see my eyes? They are also not a side affect. Or an anomaly as I thought." But before I could say more, Oliver faded right to my other side, and the two kids followed him. Jack above me.

["Shall we count 5 out of 26?"]

I glared up at him. Hell no. 2 out of 26. And remember that 12 will be dying. I ain't telling them anything.

"Who's dying?" They all gasped in horror and only then I noticed that I said it out loud, then I covered my mouth instantly with my hand. Did I just fucked up?

"It's your fault!" I yelled at Jack who grinned.

["I'm just helping you."]

"Helping? You fucker. I'll mutilate your tongue if you keep it up!"

["So sweet. I'm just helping. You need 26 people, Hel. Strong kids and these three here happen to be strong. Use them!"] What?

"I don't fucking care," I used my wings to get him this time. "I do not need them. I'll find someone else, Jack, so you better keep it shut and stop messing with me and making me say more than I should!"

["Don't be unreasonable!"]

Gasp, "How am I being unreasonable? It's not reasonable to send them to their deaths, Jack!" I yelled nervous. "Ugh. I need to visit mom again and ask for more explanation. She just threw it at me and told me not to think about it. That was idiot when she must know how I am."

"Your mother is alive?" Oliver frowned.

"Who's dying?" Rio asked haunted.

"Why do you need 26 people?" Irene crossed her arms.

"What do you mean we'll be dying?" Felix fully screamed. "Which one of us? Hel, girl, don't freak me out. Tell me everything. I'm too young."

I turned to Jack, "See what you did?" I closed my eyes, turning to them, "I'm drunk, don't give importance to anything I say." I know it's a stupid lie, but it's not like I'm telling them. No way in Hell.

["What if it's them?"]

"It's not them, Jack. Crone be damned," I yelled again. "Aye, shite, I'm going insane. I'm really going insane after I free myself," I chuckled dryly. "Isn't this ironic?"

"Hel!" Oliver came to me when I went to the ground again, hiding my wings. "You can't just throw such an information like this and expect us to just let slide. Beside, you may have drunk, but you're not drunk."

"I'm spiritually drunk then," I grinned not even believing myself. "Class starts in ten minutes, we better hurry."