"Okay," I replied, fighting to keep my eyelids open.I wish I had an energy boost.
Finn sighed, taking a step forward; his lips pressed lightly on my forehead.
"Why are you kissing her?" Hunter huffed.
"Give it a minute," Caio chuckled.
"Magic," Cairus emphasized.
Finn's lips lingered on my skin, but I felt of wave of energy flow through me. It didn't feel as strong as the concoctions Magnor would make to give me an energy boost, but I didn't feel as exhausted as I had moments before.
He pulled away, giving me a wide grin.
"Better?" he asked.
"Better. Thank you. I appreciate it," I returned his smile.
He stroked my head, giving it a final pat before he walked back to where Hunter and the others stood.
"We'll see you back at the house," Theo announced.
Orion and I nodded, bidding them goodbye before we turned and walked down the hall, heading for the west exit to walk home.
"You sure you're okay?" Orion looked concerned.
"Yup. I feel a little better," I reassured him, sliding my hand in his. He looked down at our joined hands; a small smile formed on his delicate lips.
We continued walking down the hall. I noticed there was a surprising lack of students. I frowned when we turned the corner and that hall was empty too.
"Something's up," I whispered to Orion. I looked to see his serious face; his eyes narrowed for a second before he tilted his head. He tightened his grasp, pulling me into the nearest room. He quickly put an incantation on the doorknob and pulled me into the middle of the classroom. We looked around; both of our eyes landed on the closet in the back corner of the room.
Orion gestured for me to move first. He summoned a crystal-like wand in his hand while he kept on the lookout. I opened the closet, which was thankfully empty, waving at Orion to join me. He moved swiftly to where I stood, ushering for me to go in first. He followed, closing the door and then pressing his hand lightly on the doorknob.
"HIDELORA SEAL!" he chanted; a black magic circle appeared on the door, surrounding the entire closet in a black barrier. I turned to face him.
"Is it a Forsaken?" I asked. I could feel some type of presence, but it didn't feel as impure and distraught as the Forsaken we had encountered during our exam.
Orion shook his head. "Set up. I think it's Vincent's buddies. They won't sense us, but we're going to be stuck here for a while," Orion admitted.
I nodded. "Give me a sec," I whispered, closing my eyes.
I wouldn't be able to summon Arielle for fear of revealing our location, but I could try and contact her from this distance. Magnor had taught me how to communicate with Arielle years ago and we'd practiced it for emergencies. It was just as draining as shifting her into her human form, especially the farther apart we were, but this was an emergency and I didn't know how long Orion could keep the spell up.
"Arielle?"
My mind was silent, meaning I'd have to use more magic to try to connect with her or wake her up if she was asleep.
"Arielle!"
"Bru-Bru?"she asked.
I could feel her confusion and sudden anxiety as to why I was using this form of communication.
"Orion and I are in a jam. Bring the guys back to the school and go toward the West exit. We’re in one of the classrooms,"I explained.
"Bru?"
"I'm fine."