Betrayal

I felt comfortable being wrapped around Cera's arms more than the blanket. We walked toward the academy but no one seemed to be outside. As if everyone was evacuated or something. It was empty everywhere.

I was still in pain and Viv was following behind us.

"Is there anything else you need?" The old man asked Cera.

"Prepare a private room and ready a bath and food." For some reason, Cera seemed to have her guard down in front of these people. I was curious as to why, since she always has her guard up.

"I'll arrange it for you." When we arrived at the academy, we headed toward the principal's office. Then the old man opened a secret door I didn't see last time I was here and Cera walked into it without a care in the world.

There was a big spacious room with multiple weapons and items on the wall. Then on a pedestal, there was a small pink star floating on a water bowl. I could sense some strange power coming from it.

"I'm sorry to say, but it will hurt her when we start healing her. I hope that's okay." Said the old man.

"Are you okay with that?" Cera asked me with a compassionate look in her eyes. Like she was asking me for permission.

"Yeah, that's fine." I replied.

"Please show me your arm."

Cera put me down and took the blanket and jacket off me then I turned on my side and the old man grabbed the pink star from the water and it didn't drip, nor was it wet even though it had just been in the water. What an interesting item.

"Please bear with the pain, lady Zara." The star began to glow and my arm started contracting in different angles, causing a crushing pain to surge through my body. It wasn't as bad as when it broke, but it was lingering and it hurt as it was twisting and mending my bones back together.

I screamed out in pain and Cera hugged me from behind. Wrapping her arms around my stomach, while I tried my best to not crush the eyes in my right hand.

After a few minutes of pain, my arm was put back to how it was normally.

"I'm very surprised." said the old man.

"Why is that?" Asked Cera with a dangerous look in her eyes.

"The healing normally takes hours, but this only took a few minutes." What?

I was going to be put through hours of pain? Why didn't he mention that first?

I moved my arm around and everything seemed fine.

"Well, thank you, sir... What's your name?" I asked.

"Please feel free to call me Andrew."

"Thank you for your help, sir Andrew." Cera hugged my stomach tightly and pressed her head on my nape.

"Let's go get washed up. We smell terrible." The smell of iron didn't seem to bother anyone in the room, but it was true that it was very pungent. Then I suddenly remembered about Noire.

"Wait! What about Noire!?" I screamed in a panic.

"Don't worry she's still alive. I sensed her presence behind the destroyed house earlier. She was hiding in the midst of the fight." I forgot Cera's senses were so acute.

Knowing that Noire was fine gave me peace of mind and then sir Andrew guided us to a private room within the academy. We took a path I had never seen before and I didn't know there was multiple private suites within the academy. I became more and more surprised by their readiness. Especially by Vitri. She seemed much too relaxed and powerful to be walking around in the middle of the day like that. Not only that, but Cera mentioned something about the king? Before she left earlier, she said something about quitting her job. I guess it had to do something with the king?

"Hey, Sir Andrew, can I get a jar to hold these eyes?" I asked him before we entered the private room.

"Of course." He then took out a wand, similar to Paisely's and drew up some runes before creating a water made jar with runes written around it.

"Please use this. It'll keep the eyes in a good, natural state." I was surprised by what could be done with runes and the so-called magic of the academy.

"Thank you." I placed the bloodied eyes into the transparent water jar and they cleansed themselves of the blood and began floating with a beautiful purple glow.

"The grand sorceress was right, you got yourself a great pair of eyes." He smiled curiously, but unlike Vitri, he didn't pry any further with his gaze.

If only they knew they were Paisely's eyes... I don't think they saw her running away. And I still don't understand why she attacked me.

Cera helped me get undressed and then undressed herself and we went into the bathroom together. But the questions I had remained. I know it had something to do with Celest. I know it had to do with Cera and King Dakas of the Rena kingdom. I know Paisely and Vitri were involved somehow as well, but I didn't know how any of these things were connected.

We began by rinsing each other off and getting the blood off our bodies and hair, then proceeding to the tub. And I could no longer fend off my worries. Why did it have to be Cera?

"Cera, what is happening?" We sat in our usual way. Me leaning against her bare skin and her hugging me from behind inside the hot water.

I rested my head on her collar bone and she hugged my stomach like always. Slowly caressing me from side to side. Making me feel hotter than the water.

"The kingdoms are in a silent war right now. Our kingdom and the Rena kingdom will soon be at war. But right now, the Rena kingdom is going through a purge. And I was sent here to find harmful information and gain favor before Celest declares war on them. I told you before I'm here working for Celest and for you. Do you remember?" She got closed to my ear and began nibbling on my ear lobe.

"Y-yeah." I couldn't help but fall to her advances. She then whispered in my ear.

"I hope you enjoyed your time at the most prestigious school there is." She then bit my neck and sent Alm circulating around my body. Even though it felt good and I thought she was doing it to distract me from asking more questions, I could tell she was inspecting me. She was checking up on me and my arm. My body and well-being.

As I felt good throughout my body, I kept letting my worries out.

"Well, my job ended today so we can enjoy our time here for a while until we go back."

"What did you do to king Dakas?" She kept circulating Alm into me.

"I killed him and his family so that the academy echelons could take over the crown. They weren't strong enough to deal with the royal family."

"What about Vitri? Isn't she super powerful?"

"Yes, but she can't attack the king because of an Alm restriction she made when she became the head of the academy."

"And what about Paisely? Who is she?" I asked what was bothering me the most.

"She's the first witch and creator of this kingdom."

"How are you stronger than her?" I saw it with my own eyes, but I still didn't believe it. How can Cera overpower someone so old and powerful.

"Because you're my wife." She then began tickling my stomach and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't avoid my question!" I got a bit angry and turned around, hovering over her.

That was when she pulled me down and kissed me. Injecting a lot of Alm inside of me again, knowing that I wouldn't fight her back, she tried putting me to sleep again.

"Stop... Cera... I'm not done talking..." I tried resisting, but she didn't relent.

"I'll hear you out later, I still have things to do. So go to sleep for now."

"No... Please..." I hugged her tightly just before she put me to sleep.

"Don't leave me alone..." Then I passed out.

"I'll be here when you wake up, my love. I just need to go kill Paisely."

I finished washing up Zara and stole a few kisses before I dressed her up neatly and tucked her into bed.

"Viv, come in." Viv had been waiting outside of the door this whole time.

"Stay here and wait for the others. I'll be back soon." I said before putting on a white one-piece dress and some elegant looking sandals.

"Please kill her in the worst way possible." I could see the hatred for Paisely in her eyes.

"I will." I left the room and closed the door only to find Andrew at the end of the hallway.

"How are you not out of energy? What's your secret?" He seemed like he was sincerely asking, but I could feel the mockery.

I wasn't fine. I was already out of energy. But while I still had that feeling from earlier, I needed to take care of Paisely. I couldn't let go of such a golden opportunity. My body ached and it hurt all over. My brain was pulsing and my blood was boiling.

"Shut up. Tell Vitri to wait for me. I need to talk to her when I come back."

"Of course, miss Valentine. Or should I say future princess of the Lunite kingdom?" This is why I hated dealing with divinators. Especially one with rune knowledge. I couldn't kill him because I needed him, but he also irritated me with his remarks. He was no different than Vitri in that regard.

"Did you need something else?" I asked, irritated as all hell.

"Just to wish you luck. I will guard the other princess with my life. Do not worry and run your errands with a peaceful mind." I scoffed at him and made my way out of the school.

I could still feel Paisely's presence and it was nearby. Since he already saw my future, I guess he's okay with me killing the old witch. Rather, he can't stop me. Divinators aren't omnipotent nor omniscient. They give up a lot for being able to look into the future. He probably already lost all of his fighting power in exchange for his divination abilities.

I made my way through the hallways of the school and headed toward the empty dormitories. Where only Paisely was residing since everyone else had evacuated.

When I arrived in front of the door, I kicked it open and saw Paisely coughing up blood on the ground.

"What!?" she screamed, but only coughed up more blood, her other lung on the floor. She was struggling to breathe and seemed to be barely alive.

"Thank you for not going very far." I surrounded her with the same wind from earlier and began skinning her alive.

"How did you find me!?" Her spider legs were still protruding from her back, but this time, they were sloppily hanging and twitching slightly.

She couldn't see anymore. Blood was pouring out of her eye sockets and mouth. She was slowly dying, but whatever she did to her body, was keeping her alive. She seemed to have made some makeshift lungs. I could feel the spell.

I then conjured and added runes to the Alm contract I usually make and grabbed her by the hair.

"You will die here without being able to shout. Without being able to see. Without being able to breathe. You will try your best to survive and every minute you will get a chance to breathe. This is your punishment for harming my wife. My life line and the only reason I'm alive today. Die slowly here." I embedded the Alm contract forcefully and coughed up blood in the process.

"Before I leave, I will skin you alive." I proceeded to torture her slowly and only realized that a few hours had passed by the time I was satisfied. She was still alive, but suffocating every minute and breathing for 10 seconds after. She would be like this for the next 24 hours and eventually die here.

The floor was filled with blood and I used my power to keep it away from my dress and sandals.

When I walked out of the room, I almost stumbled over and passed out.

I had reached my limit.

That was when Viv appeared in front of me.

"I'm sorry, my liege." She quickly helped support me by lending me her shoulder.

"I followed you in secret and didn't follow your orders. Please punish me later." There was blood leaking from beneath the broken door and Viv smiled gently when she saw Paisely's body.

"I was waiting for you to finish to pick you up. I'm sure you're tired. Please allow me to disobey you, just this once." She then helped me walk back to the private room.

That was when she helped me get on the bed and I snuggled up next to Zara.

I normally didn't like showing affection in front of others, but this time, I didn't mind that Viv was in the room. I stole another kiss from Zara's sleeping lips and savored it until I fell asleep on top of her.

I was unaware of it, but Zara had been awake the whole time I did that. I had been betrayed by Viv twice in one day.

"Thank you, Viv." I knew Cera had surpassed her limits and that she was tired. I knew it and I still fell into her trap. I was glad Viv woke me up. She was sleeping calmly, but her breathing was rough and her Alm was fluctuating all over the place.

I hugged her tightly and waited for her to recover. Besides, I started blushing from thinking of how much she kissed me before she fell asleep. Has she always done things like that? I didn't know what to think. I just know I felt happy.