James looked like he was gonna snap back, but I raised my hand.
"Really, James?" I said in Japanese. I knew the guys could probably understand me, but I was too pissed off to care. I felt like shit and he didn't seem to care at all.
"I'm not sleeping in this house with six men. We can talk about everything else later. You said you wanted to rest," he huffed in Japanese.
"Why are you acting like this?" I snarled, crossing my arms.
"Why are we even arguing?"
"What happened to my James who always made sure I was okay and promised you'd make us a real thing?" I whispered.
He stared into my eyes and gave me a sympathetic look. "I've just been stressed, Crim. Just...we'll deal with it later. And I'm not sleeping in a house with that wolf who tried to bite my balls." James pointed at Uru who began to crouch into a defensive position, widening her stance and looking ready to try again.
"Fine! Go." I moved to the door, opening it for him and using my hand to gesture for him to leave.
He didn't delay further, walking out. "I'll come by later tomorrow," he whispered.
A thought came to my mind which made me wonder about the guys and their concern about secrecy.
"James, hand," I gestured.
He gave me a confused look but extended his hand.
I placed mine on top of his. "Promise you won't tell anyone the guys are here. That includes your parents," I ordered.
"Seriously? Crim, are you asking me to do a magic oath for these douc—" he began, but I raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes. "Fine! I vow to keep the knowledge of Storm Yuna's guards’ whereabouts a secret to remain hidden from everyone else. I will honor this pledge with my magic," he proclaimed reluctantly.
I felt my hand grow hot in response and a small pink magic circle formed between our palms and spread out. Within seconds, it vanished, but I felt the toll of the magic usage. I ignored the dizziness and nausea that came with such a spell, standing my ground.
"Thanks, James. I'll see you tomorrow," I sighed. I was gonna close the door, but James placed his hand on it to prevent me from shutting it.
"Just...make sure you rest. You're seriously pale," he whispered.
"I'll be fine, James. Make sure you get home safely," I mumbled, closing the door behind him. I sighed, pressing my head against the door and closing my eyes.
"Crim?" I heard Malachi call out. His voice sounded far away and even with my eyes closed, the world was spinning.
"WOOF!" Uru barked before she began to whimper, but that too sounded far away.
Why does he keep doing this? Why do I keep putting up with it? I'm just so tired.
"Quil! Catch Crim!" I heard Haru suddenly shout, but it seemed to echo in my head which continued to pound and pound. I didn't realize I was falling until I felt something wrap around my waist. Everything was spinning and my body felt extremely hot.
"Haru! She's burning up."
"We need to cool her down. Her body isn't used to using magic and she's used it twice today," Haru instructed.
"Malachi, fill the bath with cold water. She needs to cool off fast or she's gonna get worse," Aki added.
I pressed my face against what I assumed was someone's shirt.
It didn't smell like cherry blossoms like Malachi, but more like strawberries.
"You’re gonna be okay, Crim. This is just a little side effect. Just relax." I heard Quillian's soothing voice. It was different from his usual harsh tone and made me relax immediately.
I couldn't stop the tears that stained my cheeks, feeling horrible about everything.
"Why am I such a burden? Why does James keep hurting me? Do I deserve it? He didn't even care," I cried, unsure whether I was talking out loud or thinking these thoughts.
"Crim, it's okay. James is a jerk." I heard Yoshi’s voice from somewhere to the right.
I felt myself being lifted up in strong arms as I continued to cry quietly.
"Quil, its cold. You're not going in there too, are you?" Aki asked.
"Don't care. A little cold isn’t gonna kill me, even if I hate it. She needs to cool down and I would rather one of us held her. She's in my arms so it makes sense I do it."
"Crimson, this is gonna be very cold, but because your body is burning up it won't hurt. I promise," Haru reassured me.
I didn't care, I just wanted the pain to stop. I knew my internal wounds would remain, but if I could just sleep in peace, I could go back to being my strong self tomorrow. I tried to nod, but I struggled to move my head.
"She gets it," Malachi assured.
I felt myself being submerged in water with just my head above the surface, but it didn't feel cold at all. Maybe just a pinch, but it did have an effect, making me sigh in relief. I heard Quil curse while he held me against him.
The room was quiet and the spinning in my head began to lessen. I felt something cool touch my forehead and my headache began to slowly fade too.
I moaned in relief, relaxing in Quillian’s embrace as the water finally began to feel chilly against my feverish body.
I struggled to open my eyes, to see the guys and show my relief, but the dark pull of my mind was stronger and my mind was drifting before I realized.
These strangers had shown me more compassion, love, and care in the last six days than my family and boyfriend had shown my entire life. That alone moved my heart and made me realize how blessed Storm was to have such men in her life. It made me wish they would stay so I could show them just how much their love meant to me.
I wanted to learn more about each of them and learn their strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, I wanted to protect them. I knew I didn't have magic of my own, but I wanted to ensure their safety and never allow their hearts to be shattered again.
These were my thoughts as my mind drifted and I hoped I remembered my internal vow when I woke up, so I could stand by them.
"Arigato," I whispered weakly.
"You're welcome, Crim. Just relax. We'll take care of you. Promise," Quil whispered.
Before my conscious was claimed by oblivion, I saw the same Kitsune-like creature I had once before. Her pink eyes locked onto mine, holding a level of wisdom and clarity. Her tails waved side to side and she watched me carefully. She nodded her head and I knew she'd heard my vow. She'd hold me to my word.
I didn't mind. This place would be the guys’ temporary home, and I would learn everything about them. My so-called relationship with James was withering away, but my gut told me one thing.
One man's loss was another man's treasure.
"You worry too much."
"I worry about you, Storm."
I sighed and let my hands glide through my long silver locks as I stared at Quillian. My gaze trailed down his bare chiseled chest and I had to remember to not get distracted by his attractiveness. Sure, I was upset by the situation, but I wouldn't deny an enjoyable moment with him if it arose.
"I want to help bring peace to Homatomashi. We all know the Emperor is unwell and people have assumed he's turned a blind eye to all the crime going on. This treaty will help us crack down on this silly organization and we can finally have a break." I laid out the information, needing him to understand our purpose for heading to Nokamato.
"Storm, I get it. I really do. But my gut is telling me no. The guys feel it too. Especially Aki and Malachi. You know how paranoid they are. Yoshi, Haru, and Itsuki are trying to hide it, but they're just as worried. We just don't want to put you in harm's way," Quillian explained. His normally harsh voice was soft and filled with compassion.
His eyes trailed down my body that was clothed in nothing but a white t-shirt that belonged to my Quil. I knew he was trying to hide his desire for me, but his eyes were giving him away as they went from his normal bright pink to a dark mahogany.