REFLECTIONS OF US (Brighten Magic Academy Book 3) Read online

  I smiled and gave her an appreciative look. "You really do spoil us."

  "I do no such thing," she mumbled but blushed at my words which made my smile widen.

  "Is there anything we should be aware of for this year's school semester?" I questioned.

  Meredith glanced at the door once before she turned her gaze on me. "Apparently, there's been some weird activity going on since last semester, just before the summer break."

  "Weird activity as in?" I pressed, sitting up to give her 100% of my focus.

  "We're lacking magic teachers," she pointed out.

  "I'm aware," I replied. It was one of the few reasons why Nixon, Braxton, and I were assigned as magic dual teachers.

  "Well, the majority of them have been kidnapped or killed."

  I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "Kidnapped or killed? In what context? Or, what I mean to ask, is why?" I elaborated, trying to get a better understanding of exactly what was going on.

  "As of now, we have no clue. All the kidnappings have been done off campus either with a professor returning home or they've been found dead in their living corridors."

  "A serial killer who's interested in killing mage professors? Makes no sense to me,” I mumbled.

  "I agree. It could be a past student?"

  "I really think it would be rather stupid for a past student to go on a professor killing spree. If they had failed, it still wouldn't help me believe that they were capable of killing professors at such ranks, solo. It had to be calculating to catch the professor off guard. How many murders?"

  "Two so far. The last attempt failed. The professor was able to teleport before the final blow." Meredith sighed as she reached out for some forms.

  "Guess our purpose of being professors can be an advantage?" I was catching up real fast and she smiled.

  "We chose you, Nixon, and Braxton out of good faith. However, I'm a little worried and would rather not put you in danger. I still need to discuss this in a meeting later today, but I'd like all three of you to be partnered up when teaching. We didn't choose Logan because he's a good asset to have with leadership and would help the students understand that by being among them and not in front of them teaching. I'll work on making sure he's in a few of the classes you and the others are teaching. As for Zane and Kage, I'd love to have them assisting with the healing clinic."

  "Zane's healing magic has improved a lot. He'd be helpful along with Kage. I don't want him straining himself," I noted. "And Maximus?"

  "He'll be assisting with all duels and magic combat sessions. He's good in all areas of fighting. That would help out Ms. Landsford tremendously since the professor who taught that is now deceased."

  I nodded my head in understanding, lowering my right leg down to cross my left leg over and take a few seconds to think. "You think this has to do with us returning this year?"

  "I was pondering on it, but it would have started when you guys arrived, not a few weeks before. I think that would be an idiotic move, especially when they could have been caught."

  "Could have. If they're cocky enough, they would accept that challenge," I muttered and dropped my head back to look at the ceiling. "This is going to be annoying."

  "No doubt about it. Are you guys willing to assist?"

  "As if we have a choice?" I adjusted my head to stare at her with a confident grin. "You know by now I love challenges."

  "Indeed, you do, especially if they're close to death," Meredith lightly scolded, which made me laugh.

  "Ah, death is just so friendly to me. She even knows my name."

  "Since when was death a female?"

  "Since I met her." I winked.

  "I worry for you." Meredith gave me a concerned look. "Please don't play with your eight lives."

  "I'll try my hardest, but no guarantees." I smirked and decided it was time for me to get going.

  I stood from my seat and stretched. "Should we continue using our Elite outfits? Or will we be receiving Brighten professor outfits?"

  "I'd like you to use your Elite uniforms for combat and exam sessions. We already have your team’s measurements and your attire for this semester is almost complete. They'll be delivered tomorrow to your dorm house."

  "And what's Jinn's role?" I asked out of curiosity.

  "Leadership and Anti-bullying advisor," Meredith said, looking over at her computer.

  "Interesting choice."

  "I didn't choose," she replied. My eyebrow arched as I gave her a questioning look. Turning her head to meet my curious gaze, she elaborated. "Jinn was voted in by 99% of the student body."

  "99%?! Well, damn. I feel honored." I placed my hands in the pockets of my coat. "Let's see if it's with good intentions or if our little killer is plotting something."

  "I need to teach you to turn off that Mage Warrior overanalyzing everything viewpoint," Meredith noted.

  "Teach me well, Sensei," I replied, and we both smiled.

  "Please, be careful and take the next few weeks slow. Due to the last unexpected mission, you didn't get any rest. I've already given your team a talk to keep an eye on your reckless behavior."

  "I'm in no shape or form reckless," I argued. It was Meredith's turn to lift an eyebrow at me, and I sighed. "I'll be a good girl and rest when I can. As long as you do the same."

  "With all these files and murder sprees? We'll see."

  "My mother offered to help. So did Antoinette and Diana," I mentioned.

  "Once we've captured this murderer, I'll gladly accept their assistance. I'll have a few Elite members come by and assist. Emily and her team will be coming to help."

  "Oh. Emily and her triplet lovers?! I haven't seen her in months. Make sure she comes to visit me with her men candy."

  "And there's the girly side of you. I also wonder how you handle six boyfriends," Meredith mused.

  I giggled and put my hands on my waist with pride.

  "You just have to love them right. Balancing is a pain in the ass though." I sighed dramatically with extra emphasis. "Emily has it easy with three men. I don't know how she tells them apart. Did you see them in the last mission? Identical. Now even a slight hair difference. I'd fail at telling the difference."

  "She surprisingly gets it right too. For that mission, they had to look identical to their roles. I think they've dyed their hair since then. Everyone at base was getting confused." Meredith rose up from her desk and walked over to me.

  "Don't blame them," I commented. "We're at the same house as first year?"

  "Yes. We decided not to assign it to anyone last year. You'll be getting new furniture tomorrow, but the rooms have been cleaned and organized to a higher standard."

  "We're getting the Elite treatment." I crossed my arms with a broad grin.

  "The best of the best," she added.

  Placing her hands on my shoulders, she looked at me with pride.

  "Out of all the Elite teams I've taken in before, I've never been more proud and thankful to have you and your team accomplish all you've done these past 12 months. I know it was hard and tested many of your team’s limits, but you've shown great growth without losing your compassionate selves. That makes me extremely grateful. Please, take it easy. And you know I'm always here to talk, whether in person or on the phone."

  I stared into her golden eyes and I blinked a few times to hold back the tears that wanted to form in my red ones.

  We'd bonded a lot during in the last 12 months, and it felt like she was my second mom.

  It was a difficult transition from student to Elite, and not having the comfort of my mother was a little hard on me. Meredith, however, had helped plenty to ensure we got through the stress of it all and I was immensely grateful.

  "Thank you, Meredith," I whispered.

  She nodded and pulled me into a hug. I squeezed her tight, hoping she'd be okay with her workload.

  I didn't know how she did it, from juggling being a headmaster here and still having a watchful eye on the Elites. She was like the superwoman of Brighten and I just wanted to make sure she'd be okay.

  "If you need help with anything, you'll let me know, right?" I asked.

  "I certainly will. Now get going and take a long nap. We've installed food service options in the home as well so feel free to order a late lunch or early dinner if you'd like."

  "Wow. Just like a base? I'm impressed," I complimented.

  I gathered the paperwork and teaching handbook Meredith had organized for me and we exchanged goodbyes. I'd most likely see her tomorrow or sometime this week and I'd make sure to bake some of the icing cookies she loved.

  It was my way of telling her she could do it, through baking her favorite sugar cookies.

  I always added an extra energy boost in them to help her, and she knew never to eat more than three.

  After the stuffy walk through the halls, I finally made it outside. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I headed towards our dorm house.

  I couldn't help but stop at the fountain and take an admiring moment to stare at the tall tower that was still marked off limits.

  Hey, Gabriel.

  I hope you're not too lonely up there with the other angels. I'm back at Brighten again, but I can be in my female form. Funny how I'm working on becoming an official Mage Warrior and now going to be a temporary professor here. I always said I wanted to save people and teach others how to do the same. Guess I got my wish. Are you watching? I hope I make you proud...and I miss you. Only a few months until I'll rescue Dad. We'll come with Mother to your grave to say hi.

  I love you and keep a watchful eye on me and Alice.

  I took a deep breath and began to walk away, my determination to graduate from Brighten and achieve my goals as strong as ever.

  Time to begin this final year.
I, Jewel Starfire, am ready for whatever comes our way.

  Once I closed the door, I turned and walked into the very empty living room of our old dorm home.

  My lips curled upwards and I enjoyed the nostalgic feeling that gripped me as I moved to the middle of the wide open space.

  I noticed the kitchen countertops had been changed completely to a white marble surface with gold and silver undertones that glittered from the brand-new lights that hung over the new kitchen island.

  There were already four white stools arranged at the island and the remaining three were placed at the side of the wall.

  All the appliances were updated; they appeared to be similar to the ones at base, which were made with advanced technology that wasn't out to the public yet.

  A bouquet of flowers sat in the middle of the island with a ‘WELCOME BRIGHTEN ELITE’ note that rested against the clear vase.

  My boots clicked against the smooth, black wooden floors that shifted to white tiled floors in the kitchen, and I reached out for the card to read the back.

  * * *

  "To our Elite Team.

  We hope you will be comfortable in these living arrangements until you can return to base.

  Best of luck with your final year."

  * * *

  "So professional," I mumbled as I placed the card down.

  I turned back to glance at the living room again, already picturing where the new furniture would be situated when it arrived.

  I figured all of us would rest up tonight and have a little celebration tomorrow once the furniture was set up.

  I had to admit I was exhausted. It was going to be the first time we'd be having some "chill" time compared to our constant go-go mentality.

  It almost felt wrong to relax when so much could be done and more people could be saved.

  The real magical world was nothing like people pictured it to be. Being an Elite opened up our view to how dangerous some parts of the world were, making the living conditions for those who couldn't use magic or had very little of it almost uninhabitable.

  As Elites, we had been informed about the alternate universe we had that contributed to making the conditions of those places even worse.

  Some of us called it AlteraU for short, but it was like the mirror image of our world, but everything felt inverted.

  That was where the scary shit resided. Creatures of odd shapes that sometimes crept into our real world to cause disaster and harm in some of our almost uninhabitable environments.

  I didn't think it was real when I first heard about it six months into our training, but after our mission three months later took the turn and landed us in the middle of the hell hole and resulted in my healing back and Maximus’ eye scar, I had no doubts.

  If magic was real, why couldn't there be an alternate universe? Or even multiple worlds.

  My eyes closed as I enjoyed the tranquility our home delivered, making me wish that once we became official Mage Warriors we'd get a place of our own and enjoy each other's company.

  Life as a Mage Warrior was a little chaotic, and though the first half led to us to having some quality time together as a unit while we learned the ropes, the second half was a mixture of group assignments, partnerships, and solo work.

  I was normally shuffled around the group, while the usual partnerships were Logan and Nixon, Braxton and Maximus, and Kage and Zane.

  The good thing about this downtime was we'd be able to bond again with everyone.

  My breathing slowed as I pondered about how my father was. This last year was especially difficult knowing that my father was caged in a mold filled dungeon with barely any light, food, or water.

  I'd begun practicing teleportation daily, as well as whenever I had down time, checking in on him and trying to become stronger at playing around with the locks.

  I'd yet to get strong enough to teleport him entirely, but I was getting there bit by bit.

  We'd test it out by placing a piece of clothing or item and I'd touch it and teleport back and it would be in my hands.

  I just needed enough mana and concentration to bring Father back here.

  * * *

  "You look extra beautiful today, my Jewel."

  I opened my eyes, the dark, stained wall and dimly lit light greeted me instead of the white, bright environment of our dorm home.

  Looking over my shoulder, I locked eyes with those familiar tired red ones that were filled with pride and admiration.

  My body turned to face my father who was sitting cross-legged today in his brown tainted clothing.

  "Thanks, Dad. Looks like they changed your position?" I questioned.

  He was normally on his knees, which I disliked but couldn't do much about.

  "Yes," Father said with a grim tone. "You can't keep visiting me, Jewel. They're noticing. I can't afford for you to be trapped here."

  His words made me smile, though my eyes were filled with sadness and ultimately, regret.

  Why can't I just take him away from all of this now? Why can't I save my own father who has suffered enough?

  Father sighed and whispered, "Come here, Jewel."

  I walked over to him, kneeling down to one knee as I reached out to run my hand against his rough cheek. They had at least trimmed his beard, which was nice, but it still wasn't enough for me.

  It was obvious that they were only taking care of him because they must have realized I'd been coming here.

  Even so, I didn't see the change in heart. All they were doing was practically grooming my father to only give me hope, making the perfect bait for me to fall for.

  He lifted his chained hands and brushed my cheek, his rough hand catching the tear that escaped my left eye.

  "Don't cry, my daughter. I'm well. It's not like I don't want you here. I can't afford to go through all this suffering just for you to end up in their hands. They need you and will do everything in their power to get you."

  "I have the power to save you...and yet, you're here," I whispered. "You should be back home with Mom. You shouldn't be here anymore, Dad."

  "Patience is key, Jewel. You are strong enough to get me out, but it's not the right time. It will come soon, and I know you'll remove these shackles and return me to life among people instead of a life enclosed in this moldy room."

  He smiled and leaned forward to press his forehead against mine. I took a deep breath, letting the last tear fall.

  He's right. I'm strong enough to get him out, but we need more time.

  The perfect opportunity needs to reveal itself so that I can take him away from this place with the guys' help.

  I can't do this alone.

  Something touched my shoulder, but I knew after multiple experiences that it wasn't my spiritual body but my physical body standing in the middle of the empty living room.

  "I have to go, Dad."

  "One of your boyfriends?"

  I smirked and pulled back to meet his gaze with a softened smile. "Ya. Probably Logan."

  "Ah, your prince in shining armor." Dad chuckled quietly. "He’s always loved you."

  "I know. Just took us way too long to confess to each other," I admitted.

  "At least it happened. He's the reason the others had a chance, right?"

  I nodded. "Ya."

  Whenever I had the opportunity to see Father, I told him bits and pieces of my life. Even if it was only for a quick few minutes, I'd continue where I left off, almost like a morning or nightly storytelling of all the years he'd missed.

  Even during missions with the little downtime we had, I did my best to visit him. Sometimes it was by accident, other times intentional.

  Regardless, I took every opportunity to share my life with him throughout my year as an Elite. He knew all about Mother's diagnosis and progress. I'd explained about Gabriel and how he'd now moved on up into the sky above.

  I talked about my boyfriends, explaining how we'd ended up as a team and that was how everything kind of blossomed. It could have been because of our year of training, but I was super comfortable with the idea of dating them now.

  Before, it was difficult to express that I loved all of them, simply because it wasn't a normal standard here.

  However, at base, my good friend Emily had already paved the path for us. She had multiple lovers, and though it did get me a few intrigued looks, Emily shut anyone down who dared to look down on my harem of love.