Now to get back to work or I will be breaking my pact with Maggie Gheil! XD
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Chapter Three
Valentine�s Day came quickly. Everyone was running around, giving their girlfriend or boyfriend flowers or chocolate.
Leona sighed heavily as she watched the older girls giggling with their flowers and handmade cards. She even spied Max with a bouquet of flowers and a girl from his year blushing madly as he read something she had given him.
Leona�s disposition sunk even lower. She didn�t want to tell Fern that Max was getting attention from the older girls.
�Aww�Sage�s dorky boyfriend hasn�t given her anything for Valentine�s Day. How sad.�
Leona knew that voice and desperately tried to keep the lion from coming out. She snapped around, about to give Damien a piece of her mind, when she was met by something she hadn�t anticipated.
She had a rather large daisy in her face. She glanced up and saw Damien gazing down at her pointedly. His cheeks were tinged with pink.
�D-Damien?� she asked.
�Take it. Just take it.� Damien growled. Then, he took Leona�s right hand and shoved the flower into it; closing her hand around it with his. Then, he turned around and stalked off.
Fern came up behind Leona and patted Leona on her shoulder. She giggled lightly. �Looks like he felt sorry for you, Leona. You didn�t get anything for Valentine�s Day, so he picked you a daisy from outside�Just for you.�
�What?�
Fern smiled knowingly at Leona. �He can be sweet when he�s not being a complete prat, you know.� Then, she tugged on Leona�s shoulder. �Come on, we need to get to class! Break time is over!�
While they were walking, Leona hesitated to ask Fern the one thing she didn�t want to. �F-Fern, I-�
�LEONA!�
Leona turned to see Jack running toward as hard as he could. When he finally reached her, he looked extremely exhausted. �Jack? Are you all right?�
He held out a large bouquet of flowers from the garden outside as he bent over to catch his breath. When he glanced up, he noticed that she was holding a single daisy in her hands. �Who gave you that?� he huffed at her.
�This? Damien gave it to me, why?�
Jack�s face went purple. �Damien, again! This past month he has been trying to keep me away from you! Now he gave you a flower because he figured I wouldn�t give you anything for Valentine�s Day, right?!�
Leona suddenly noticed Fern, however short she was, was somehow standing in front of Leona as though protecting her. �There�s no need to yell at Leona, Jack. She didn�t do anything wrong.� Fern�s voice was calm as usual, but it was icy cold.
Jack�s face was still a purple color, but it had gone to a deep shade of red. �Here. Take these flowers. I was intending to give them to you earlier today, but I couldn�t get away quickly enough.�
Leona took the bouquet and smelled the flowers. �It�s very lovely! Thank you, Jack.� Leona smiled at Jack.
He nodded curtly toward her and stalked off. Fern sighed heavily as she turned around to face Leona. �Jack�s anger is going to be his undoing, I swear it.�
�There wasn�t any reason for Jack to get jealous. Damien was just trying to be nice, however odd that is to say.� Leona said as they continued on to math class.
After class, Jennifer O�Connor, the red haired girl Leona had only known as Jen, bounced up to Leona cheerfully. �I see that Jack gave you some flowers! You are so lucky to have a boyfriend as smart as he is!� she giggled at Leona.
Jennifer�s brunette friend, Sarah Riley, came up behind Jennifer and tapped her on the shoulder. �Come on, Jen, we need to get to the tower or we�ll miss that boy you like!� Then, she noticed Leona and Fern were standing before her and glared slightly. �Sorry to bother you, Kipling� Sage.� She nodded toward them as she said their names.
Then, Jennifer and Sarah were gone. Leona glanced at Fern questioningly, but Fern smiled and shrugged at her.
When, Leona and Fern reached the third year tower, there was a sudden scream from the girls� dormitory. Leona ran up the staircase as fast as she could. She could feel the lion moving around inside her head, waiting for the chance to come out.
Leona opened the door to the girls� dormitory. Before her was Jennifer and Sarah and they were jumping on Jennifer�s bed excitedly. �HE LIKES YOU! HE LIKES YOU! HE LIKES YOU!� Sarah screamed loudly.
Leona now noticed that her heart was racing faster than she thought was possible. She slumped against the wall behind her and breathed out a sigh, trying to steady her heart.
Jennifer and Sarah suddenly turned and noticed Leona was there. Fern burst through the door now with Damien and another boy at her side. �LEONA!� she cried.
�I�m fine. I�m right here.� Leona raised her hand to show where she was. Fern turned and sighed in relief.
�Well, this was a bloody waste of time.� Damien muttered.
�Sod off, Conrad!� Fern growled.
Both Leona and Damien stared at Fern in surprise. The second boy, a blonde haired boy, sighed and walked out the door quickly. �Wow, you were actually worried, Fern, weren�t you.� said Damien as he scratched his head.
�Yes! Do you mind not talking, Damien!� Fern growled. Then, she gave him an evil smile.
Damien gulped and walked over to Leona�s bed and sat down on her trunk. Leona stood up on her own and walked over to her bed. Jennifer and Sarah hurried out as fast as possible.
Leona sighed heavily. �Why is it that I�m so worked up over nothing.� she whimpered to Fern.
Fern sat next to Leona and patted her on her back. �Oh, you thought you would run into another weird, freakish creature like before.�
�True. I just can�t get over the fact that people keep coming here because of this stupid necklace!� Leona grumbled.
�So THAT�S what they�re after?�
Leona hadn�t fully realized that Damien was still in the room with her. In fact, she now noticed that he was going through her trunk. �OY! What are you doing in my trunk, Conrad!� Leona snapped.
He peered over the lid of her trunk and stood up. She realized what he had in his hands. It was the box with the second necklace in his hands. �D-Don�t touch that, Damien!� Leona yelped.
�Why? Is there some kind of secret letter or something inside it?� He had a hungry look in his eyes as he hastily dodged Leona and opened the box.
�Give it back, now, Damien! You don�t want to know what�s in there!� She made another grab for the box, but Damien dodged her again and took out the necklace.
�Oh! An animal tooth! Wicked!� Then, he put it on and posed for her. �What do you think? Am I God-like?� He smirked deviously at her.
Leona made a grab for the necklace, her hand barely touching the metal, when a sudden burst of electricity threw her back. She landed on the ground hard. She shielded her eyes as she watched Damien engulfed in the light barrage. �NO!� she cried.
Damien was suspended in the air like a marionette. His face was pointed up toward the ceiling and his body was rigid. �Damien! Take off the necklace, NOW!� Leona cried again.
Damien was still rigid. Then, another light burst from him and he landed on the ground on his feet. Leona slowly gazed up to his face. He smiled deviously down at her. �Munirah. I sense you in this half-grown girl.� He said in an unearthly voice. Then, Leona noticed his eyes. They were no longer light blue, but completely golden.
Leona backed away from the new entity in front of her and stood up. �Wh-Who are you!�
He cocked his head to the side and smiled the hungry smile. �I am Ndale. I am the trickster�and you are the keeper of Munirah.�
Leona barely had time to react. Damien held her against a wall and grinned insanely at her. �Munirah�why don�t you come out and play?� He almost sounded like a little child whimpering to their playmate.
�Let go of me! HELP ME!� Leona clawed at Damien�s hand, but it didn�t budge.
Fern sat frozen on Leona�s bed. Leona briefly wondered why she didn�t get up and do something when Ndale seemed to answer it. �Munirah isn�t the only one who can bend time, little girl.�
Then, suddenly, his lips were crushed against hers. She gasped at the sensation as he deepened the kiss. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she tried to figure what to do next.
She suddenly caught herself moaning slightly and returning his kiss. When he broke it, he smiled deviously at her. �Too bad�she tastes a bit like sweet fruit.�
Fern hit Damien with a chair and he fell to the ground in a heap. �Leona! Are you all right?!�
Leona could feel her cheeks burning as she gazed down at the crumpled form of Damien. �H-He-he kissed m-me.�
�You mean he�� Fern suddenly looked happy. Then, she laughed insanely and ran out of the dorm.
Damien stirred as Leona was about to walk away. She could feel the lion coming out, now. Munirah felt furious.
Damien stood up, but his eyes were still amber, like Leona�s were now. �Munirah�How nice to see you again.� he said sweetly.
�Don�t Munirah ME, Ndale. You terrorized this poor girl!�
Leona noticed that Munirah�s voice came from another source. She glanced up and saw the figure of a beautiful Egyptian woman in ceremonial dress.
�It was the only way to get you out here, Munirah. I have a host now, and can play again.� Damien licked his lips hungrily as he gazed at Leona with Ndale�s amber eyes.
�You are going to leave that boy alone, Ndale�or do I get to inflict massive damage on that poor ego of yours?� Munirah smiled evilly at Damien.
Damien let out an animal growl. Then, he grinned at Leona and glanced back up to Munirah. �Catch me if you can, lioness!�
Suddenly, he took of faster than Leona could catch. Leona felt the lion trying to take full control of her. She ran after Damien, but soon found it almost impossible.
�He runs like the wind!� Leona gasped to Munirah.
�He�s a cheetah at the moment, Leona. Be on the watch! He�s a tricky one when he takes over a host.� Munirah�s voice interceded on Leona�s thoughts.
She stopped outside in the courtyard. She had to stop to breathe. �I can�t�I can�t keep up.�
She collapsed onto the ground in her exhaustion. She felt someone step close to her. She was about to kick at their ankles when she heard Jack speak. �Are you all right, Leona?�
She gazed up at Jack and smiled a wary smile. �Hullo, Jack. Could you help me up?�
Jack knelt down and helped Leona to her feet. �Why are you out here? Why do you look like you�ve just run a marathon?�
�I practically have.� Leona said sarcastically.
Suddenly, an arm snaked around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug from behind. She could feel Damien�s breath on her ear and cheek as he spoke to Jack. �You know, you really ought to go after a girl who�s more your type.�
Jack looked furious. �Get your hands off of her, Conrad!�
Damien kissed Leona on her cheek. She felt like she was frozen in place. Then, he smirked at Jack. His amber eyes flashed deviously. �Make me, Jack.�
Jack made a punch at Damien�s face, but fell onto the ground. Leona was being steered by the entity inside Damien. Damien whispered into her ear with Ndale�s voice. �I think I like you, Miss Sage. You taste sweet, like wild berries.� Then, he licked her ear.
She drove her elbow into his stomach. The lion came out; her eyes became amber instead of grey. She pounced on the fallen Damien and clawed at his neck. He blocked her hands rather well.
Then, he flipped her over and laughed softly. �This has been fun. I look forward to more games, Miss Sage.� Then, Damien slumped over on Leona.
Fern ran out from the other side of the courtyard. �LEONA! DAMIEN!�
�Just help me get him to the hospital wing, Fern!� Leona cried as she lifted Damien up. The lion was giving her the strength to pick him up. Then, they ran off to the hospital wing.
Leona sat in the chair beside Damien�s bed. He woke up and glanced around in a dazed fashion. �I feel like I�ve been hit by a bloody truck.� he grumbled.
�Funny you should say that.� Fern said.
�I TOLD you not to put on that necklace, but noooo�you wouldn�t listen to me�had to go do your own thing!� Leona grumbled at him.
�It was amazing! You could run faster than I have ever seen anything!� cried Fern.
�What are you talking about?� Damien rubbed his eyes and yawned. He then looked at his arms. He had bandages all over his arms and a couple on his face. �What happened to me.�
�Leona did.� Fern giggled again.
�What?�
Leona sighed heavily. �I suppose I ought to tell you now. If only for your own good.� Then, she leaned forward and opened Damien�s shirt to reveal the necklace he wore. �You are wearing an enchanted necklace, Conrad. It is virtually identical to the one I wear.�
Then, she exposed her necklace. Damien glanced down at his collar bone and back to hers. �W-what are you talking about?�
�These necklaces have spirits inside them that give you powers. Leona gains a large amount of strength and claws because the animal inside her necklace is a lion. Yours gave you insurmountable speed because you have one with a cheetah inside it.� Fern said cheerfully.
�Huh?� Damien stared incredulously at the two girls.
�Just trust us. You have speed as an advantage over our dear ickle Leona here!� Then, Fern reached over and pinched Leona�s cheek. Leona simply sighed.
�Do you understand?� Leona asked.
�I don�t know.� Damien said.
�Why don�t we just leave him to rest, Leo. I�m sure he�ll figure it out.� Fern said as she stood up. She took Leona�s hand and tugged on her.
�Is that what happened to you when you attacked me that first time?� Damien�s rang out loudly.
Leona turned around. She blushed furiously. �Y-yes.�
Damien settled back into his bed. �All right. I believe you now.�
Leona stared hard at Damien before being turned around by Fern. Then, they headed off to the tower.