I stared into his green eyes. I could hear the honesty in his voice and his facial expression showed me a glint of hurt. It was like getting a peek into his troubled past which made me curious as to what he and the others had dealt with before coming here. Most of all, it made me wonder if we were all the same. If we were truly a bunch of misfit shifters who people didn't take seriously or care about because we weren't among the majority. And if my thoughts were true, would we find acceptance with each other?
"Friends," I repeated.
He nodded. "Friends," he confirmed.
I closed my eyes, a small smile on my lips as I thought about the simple word that brought such happiness to my lonely heart.
I'd rest a little more and hope I remembered everything when I woke up.
* * *
I woke up to see Finn next to my bed.
His eyes were closed with his arms crossed over his chest. From the way his head leaned forward, I figured he was falling asleep.
I glanced down to his chest that rose and fell in a slow rhythm. Between that and his peaceful expression, I could tell that he was on the verge of sleep.
"Finn?" I whispered.
He squeezed his eyes, opening them slightly to meet my curious gaze. He covered his mouth, yawning. "Cutie Pie, you remember me now?" he asked.
"Why would I forget you, Pixie Boy?” I questioned. I removed the wet cloth from my forehead, looking around the bed I was in. White curtains surrounded three-fourths of my bed. Only one section was open which was behind Finn, giving me a glimpse of a few other beds in my row.
I slowly sat up; Finn placed a hand on my shoulder, urging me to take my time. I took a moment to peek over Finn's shoulder. The bed next to me had a sleeping Hunter and Orion looked to be in the one on his other side.
Finn followed my gaze, pointing to the other three beds that were slightly hidden by the white curtain.
"The twins and Theo are on that side. Orion wanted to be in the bed next to yours, but apparently everyone was placed in alphabetical order," Finn explained.
"Alphabetical...McGinty and Meadow. But that makes no sense. I'm Rainbow," I countered.
"Charm, Kristopher, McGinty, Meadow, Rainbow, Sun Twins. Mine and Theo’s beds were supposed to be on this side, but I'm awake and the twins and Theo were mid-conversation and told the nurses they would go back to their beds when they were done." Finn grinned.
"They fell asleep, didn't they? And really, why alphabetical? We're all adults. That's a stupid rule," I mumbled.
"They get multiple rounds of students during entrance exams so they organized it this way so it's easier to direct their family members to their bodies," Finn replied.
I blinked. "Bodies...as in..." I trailed off.
Finn nodded. "It happens or so Hunter explained. Do you remember what happened during the exam?" Finn asked.
I took a moment to recall my thoughts.Written exam— Team M, stupid Vincent, campfire...Sia. Huh. Oh, Sia took over before I shifted. Wow, she did a good job with those Rhinroys. Hmm...oh. OH.
"I shifted and the Forsaken’s gone. Magnor! Is he here? Why is he here? He should be in Versa." I looked left and right, scanning the room as if he'd appear any moment.
Finn stood up and walked to the edge of the bed, placing his hands gently on the side of my face to stop me from doing another look around. "He's at a meeting still. You’re gonna give yourself whiplash," he mumbled.
I frowned, noticing how soft and large his hands were. I blushed and looked away from his analyzing gaze. "Okay. Sorry," I replied.
He chuckled. "You sure are interesting, Celestia," he admitted.
"Why?" I asked, glancing back to meet his gaze.
"Too many reasons to list. I'll tell you later," he replied, giving me a wink and letting go of my cheeks. He sat back down, leaning back in the chair.
"Shouldn't you resummon your familiar? I bet she's worried," Finn reminded.
My eyes grew wide as I gasped. "Oh no! Arielle. She's gonna be so pissed at me," I huffed. I could already imagine her fluttering feathers as she chirped nonstop in my ear just to annoy me. I shivered. "Ongoing chirping spree," I complained.