Viktorija Adelyte Kazlauskas

Chapter Eighteen

Viktorija didn’t remember the last she had been happy to see this pole of a building; maybe the first time she had walked into the forest at the four, because a mob had been chasing her; but wouldn’t follow the moment she made her way through one of the open gates.

She remembered them muttering how the forest would kill her, they had hated her more when she had walked out a week later alive. Not a single mark on her person, one of the guards around the tower had escorted her out, not before giving her food and somewhere safe to sleep.

Since then, she had learnt to love the forest in small bursts. She had held a litter of Shadow Cat kittens to her heart, most of them died because they were too small to live in this eat or be eaten world.

Looking towards Aldona and her team, Viktorija watched as the sun started to set. They would need to go to bed soon; the third round would start and Viktorija knew that the third round would be the one that knocked Ismay out.

She knew that they would need to enter at different point, since they weren’t from the same village and Nestanha discouraged making alliances with anyone outside of Nestanha. They would look at her like she was a traditor and spy; they would never look at Ismay or Etienne, no Viktorija was the monster and therefore she was the traditor.

Viktorija didn’t feel like being questioned about her relationship with Aldona and Azuloas; or with the entire village of Sashan. She didn’t even know if Sashan would take her into their ranks; knowing what she was and how much Nestanha would try to get her back, even if they feared her.

Viktorija was their secret weapon; a weapon that would sooner then one them then turn on Sashan.

“We’ll need to enter at different points,” Viktorija told them. “They’ll be a place to put the charms at the end of the room.”

“Meet us afterwards,” Aldona told her, pulling her into a hug. Viktorija returning it, allowed Aldona to pick her up and wrap her legs around her torso. “We’ll share a room, cousin, we won’t leave you with Ismay, you’ll kill her and get kicked out.”

“And we’ll most likely share a bed,” Jakoba chimed in.

“As long as I’m away from Ismay,” Viktorija told them, Aldona putting her down as she backed away slowly. Etienne walking to stand behind her, keeping an eye on the forest. Just in case someone tried to attack them. “I don’t really mind.”

“Etienne can join us,” Aldona told her, patting her shoulder before following Azuloas and Montgomery into one of the closet open doors, Launce closing it behind him. Etienne kept Aldona’s offer in mind; he had a feeling that he and Viktorija were going to take them up on it.

He didn’t want to be around Ismay; the escort mission had taught him one thing. He couldn’t be around her too long, before he got too stab-y and wanted to kill her.

“Let’s get this over with,” Viktorija told them before walking into another open door, Ismay walking in and Etienne closing the door. Seconds afterwards, there was blood curling screams heard behind them and Ismay paled.

“What was that?” Ismay asked.

“Welcome to our world,” Viktorija told her.

The room they were in was a blinding white. A table being the only thing in the room, a place to put both the Moon and Sun Necklaces; when Viktorija unsealed them, she placed them into their correct places while Ismay continued paling.

The door opening next to her.

“Emilio,” Viktorija greeted.

“Viktorija, Emilek is late,” Emilio told her.

“He’s always late,” Viktorija told him.

“Always,” Etienne agreed.

“Xavierra wants to see you,” Emilio told her, looking at her shoulder and his eyes widened. “What happened?”

“Lynne Serpent attacked us,” Etienne told them. “Not only us, but a team from Sashan. They’ll tell their teacher.”

“You all knew the risk before you entered the forest,” Emilio told them.

“Ismay and I will tell Emilek, when he shows up,” Etienne told Emilio, he would tell Emilek that Ismay was an embarrassment to the village; then he’d be forced to be their teacher and tell her that she was going to get them killed if she didn’t anything about her behaviour.

“I’ll take you to Xavierra,” Emilio told Viktorija, who nodded her head. “There’s another two days left to this test. Relax, because Xavierra will just dump you into the third test after this is done, even if you have no chakra left.”

--

Emilio walked away from the door and onto the first floor, before he turned around and hugged Viktorija. His hand pulling her hair out of her high ponytail, running his fingers through it as he started whispering in her hair. She never understood what he said, it wasn’t in a language she understood.

“Lynne will pay for this,” Emilio promised her. “He won’t get away with hurting you, Maz Māsa, I promise.”

“Don’t die doing it,” Viktorija told him.

“Nav solījumu,” Emilio whispered. “Now go find Xavierra, I’ll tell Ahndray.”

“I’ll will,” Viktorija told him, before running through the hallways, in the direction that she knew that Xavierra was coming in. Pausing, she looked at her older sister and Xavierra was covered in bruises and wounds.

“Xavierra, what happened?” Viktorija asked her, Xavierra had once told her that Lynne knew this forest as well as she did. That she knew that Xavierra would go after Lynne if he ever appeared near her, even if Viktorija didn’t know the reason behind her actions. “Are you okay? sœur aînée, do you need a medic?”

“Maz Māsa, you hate medics,” Xavierra told her wrapping her into a hug, when she spotted Viktorija’s shoulder, she hugged her tighter. Viktorija put a healing seal on Xavierra’s shoulder, it would deal with anything short of organ failure. “Vik, Via, why didn’t you tell them that man got you.”

“I don’t want them thinking the Snake’s taking over,” Viktorija told her, putting her head on Xavierra’s shoulder; tears going down her checks. Emilio, Ahndray and Xavierra were the only ones she felt comfortable crying around. “You know that they will; they already think I’m the Snake of Envy, this will only make it worse.”

“Is it?” Xavierra asked her.

“No.”

“I believe you.”

“The seal’s keeping the snake back?”

“And the monster?”

“There’s five different seals keeping his back,” Viktorija told her pulling back and trying her tears on the back of her wrist. “Turns out putting something near the Sin of Envy isn’t a good idea, its not very good at sharing.”

“Envy doesn’t share,” Xavierra agreed.

Viktorija smiled at her, before remembering what happened before her marking. Something that Xavierra might find amusing, at least she hoped that Xavierra found it amusing. “I killed one of Leodegrance’s.”

“One less that he can summon.”

“True. But I know why you love riding your snakes.”

“Via, my innocent Via, you -”

“I don’t want to know where your mind went,” Viktorija told her, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence.

“My sweet innocent rose,” Xavierra called her.

“Boy toy,” Viktorija reminded her.

“How are they?” Xavierra asked pulling Viktorija behind her, going into an office and shutting the door behind her. Xavierra sitting down at the desk, Viktorija sitting in front of her and she knew that Xavierra would need to document what happened.

“Fine,” Viktorija told her, smiling as she put her hands on her knees. “Causing trouble and causing other heart ache, but they’re fine.”

“One day, they might be yours.”

“You can keep them.”

“You’re loss, Via.” Xavierra smiled at her, before putting the pen and looking at her shoulder again and put the piece of paper on a seal that looked familiar. It was like Viktorija had seen that handwriting before and it wasn’t her sœur aînée’s. “You need to know how to trick both men and woman.”

“And it’s best to practice on those you know,” Viktorija echoed; it was something that she had told her more than once. A lesion that she would need to learn, so someone didn’t catch her in the middle of a mission.

“You got it, don’t want you dying before your forties.”

“Do you think I could seduce either Jakoba or Antoinette?” Viktorija asked her after five minutes of silence.

Xavierra just looked at her, before throwing her head back and laughing. She didn’t think she’d hear that coming from Viktorija’s mouth. She knew that Antionette’s teacher, her friend, wouldn’t be happy if someone tried doing that to her adopted munchkin. Katriane was protective of her students; Xavierra had jokingly nicknamed her Mama Bear after knowing her for a year.

“It’s not funny,” Viktorija told her.

“I know, Via, you’re a pretty girl. You could get anyone you wanted, if they happen to also like females,” Xavierra told her, Viktorija’s seals always worked. She hadn’t seen one fail, which was why she knew that she would be fine. “Brat, after this exam, we’ll have to continue your training there’s some new treats down at the Espionner Unit.”

“New blood?”

“Only the best for my Maz Māsa.”

“Don’t worry, chère sœur aînée,” Viktorija told her with a sweet smile on her face, she would track down Aldona and Azuloas after this, but she was glad to know that Etienne was waiting for them and that Ismay was still with Emilek. “They’ll be singing like canneries once I’m done with them.”

“Of course, Maz Māsa, I know,” Xavierra told her, putting paperwork done and smiling at her before frowning and looking at the door. “Maz Māsa, why don’t you go to bed. I’ll be here in the morning.”

“Promise?” Viktorija asked her.

“Always,” Xavierra told her, Viktorija nodding her head before starting to make her way towards where Etienne was waiting. If she got there before Aldona, Jakoba and Azuloas, then she’d wait with Etienne.