Kess's p.o.v.

I've been sleeping the last few days.  After everything happening I'm exhausted and worse I'm sick.

My cousin and her team are on the way to a resort Loke gave us tickets to as thanks. Mine mocks me from across the room.

Saving Loke, and some of my other activities had taken a physical toll on my body.  Other things being I'd rushed to an informant and back.

Sadly the info was expired.  In my rush to get home in time I travelled in drenched clothes.

flashback$

I'd taken Sky to get close faster and hurried too the place I was supposed to meet my informant.

"Hey Jake. What's the news.", I say as he hands me a cup of tea and he passes me a napkin.

"Second question why are those guys at table two ogling me.", I say reading my napkin quickly.

"They're looking for you.", he says "They've been hired to alleviate you of your keys they seem to think."

"How long they been here?", he says. 

"Awhile, they're where I got the info.", he says as one approaches me.

"So it's a set up.", I say face palming.

"Hey sweet thang how's about we talks outshide.", he says.

"If that's a pick up line you best find someone dumb enough to like that kinda crap.",  I say.

"Is yous calling me shtupid.", he says as I pinch my nose bridge.

"No but I am questioning your hygiene, you stink.", I say paying my tab.

"Says me and my buddies jush wanna know if you know anything about rare keys.", he says as I stay emotionless.

"Nope, never seen one. You should check a library if you want information.", I say getting up "Now if you'll excuse me I'm expected somewhere" Then the dork shove me down in my seat only for me to back fist him breaking his nose and making him scream as I hop up and head out the back exit and begin running through crowded areas as moron one's friends start to chase me.

I feel a blast next to me making me fall down a hill and I can feel my arm break as I finally stop.

I get up to standing as I notice a river below as the tweedles are coming. Question is do I wanna live forever. So I jump in trying to swim on my broken arm as the thugs follow me along the river.

"Open gate of the cat and the Tiger Kyo and Tai!", I say as they appear on the shore.

"Shoot Kess what happened!", Kyo says. 

"I busted my arm and I'm being persued by thugs.", I say as they nod at me then each other Kyo going after the thugs and Tai jumps in the river pulling me out  then maintains a protective stance by me. Thankfully Kyo makes quick work of them cause he's ticked about my arm I gather about how he's yelling at the thugs as he beats them unconscious.

"Thanks guys.", I say as they nod  but walk with me till they deem I'm safe. I then call Sky and get a ride most of the way home and drag my soaked but to the guild first to get my arm looked at since I'm to tired to summon a spirit. Then I returns to my dorm change into my jammies and go to sleep."

flashback end..

My head was pounding while I felt an elephant was on my chest.   My body was achy everywhere and my appetite nonexistent.   I have no idea who heard though cause Mira's been by to check on me.  And my spirit Freya keeps popping in checking on me. 

She'd check my temps and stuff.  I was currently burrowed under my blankets where I planned to stay for awhile despite being bored and lonely.

I felt a light rustling on my blankets of someone trying to stir me so I peeked out.  "Hey kitten, I heard from Freya you under the weather.", comes Loke's voice as I look up blinking the sleep from my eyes.

"Hey Loke.", I say a weekly as I realize he's sitting in a chair by my bed so I go to sit up which he helps me with before holding out a cup of water to me getting a nod of thanks from me as I down it slowly while studying him.   He's in a suit and tie and his hair is longer, like when I first saw it. 

"How you feeling?", he asks. 

"Crappy, but I'll deal.", I say as I slowly blink when he leans forward to place a hand to my forehead.

"She's right you are a little warm.", he says before pushing the hair out of my face.

"Yup.", I say.

"I'll make you a cup of tea.", he says going to my little stove which isn't far since my bed is a hideaway bed from my couch and grabbing my kettle. "Why'd you pick the dorms instead of getting a apartment by Lucy"

"It was close to the guild, and I'm not in it much.  ", I say "Don't need a lot of space for me  anyways. I see nakama at the guild or Lucy's or what not."

"You know most Celestial mages would be disturbed one of there spirits appeared on there own.", he says.

"I'm used to it.   Kyo, Tai, Akira , Thor and Freya do it all the time.", I say "So why would I be shocked if the one I'm in a romantic relationship starts dropping in. "  as he smirks at me amused.

"You do seem to draw spirits.", he says smiling. 

"Spirits and trouble.", I say laughing lightly "That's why they talked me into joining the guild.  The wanted someone to have my back if they couldn't come."

"What kinda trouble could you draw.", he says as he brings me a cup of tea.

"You'd be surprised Loke, I'm a Kyle. And I'm my mom's daughter. ", I say " We've had our hand in a lot of stuff. Sometimes its just some idiot with a bone to pick with my parents.  Either because they were for into releasing there spirits from there contracts early.  The means weren't always ethical."

"What's the worst you could do.", he asks. 

"Well I had to kill a man to stop him from killing his spirit.", I say resting my eyes as Loke gasps.

"My parents have done worse in the name of saving spirits from bad masters.", I add looking over at him as he glances down.

"Wait you said you were there when Karen died. Did you.", he starts as he fists his hands.

"Nope.", I say popping the P. "She wanted me to duel her. She wanted to win my keys. I didn't know about your two's issue.

If she lost she was supposed to surrender her keys. Only I was late to the dual, and she fell into another mage's trap. Karen was beaten by her same tactic of using her spirits as shields.  The woman fired through her spirits and Karen as she tried to call Aries as a shield. Karen died as  tried  to get  her to a healer."

Loke's p.o.v.

It's weird hearing from someone who was there.  I can' t see Kess differently just cause she has hurt people, shoot I've hurt people.

"Kess do you know how Karen got my key.", I ask and she nods.

"I was in a contract to get your key when the other person broke there end and sold you.  He didn't tell me until I caught him abusing one of his spirits. We got into it, he nearly killed me, Left me almost dead. I couldn't move as he killed his spirit.", she says "It was horrible, I can still remember her screams as she begged and pleaded. I can still remember mine as I pleaded for her life. I remember watching the light leave her eyes as he kept going even as she turned to stardust.",  she says "My parents arrived just as his whip turned on me. I still have a long scar on my back. My dad crushed his larynx and I spent a long time recovering physically." I can see the tears fall from her eyes as I scoot next to her on the bed and pull her in my lap holding her as I bury my face in her hair. 

"Kess.", I says.

"I looked for you a long time Loke, I had to keep my promise to you. I said I'd grow into a full mage and be your friend.", she says .

"You've more than kept your promise, you've become someone I'm not sure I can live without.  So rest and I'll be joining Freya taking turns caring for you till you heal.", I say ' Who knew all that time, you were suffering with me, and for me.' I, think but can't help but wonder, who comforted her.  The cold must of done a number on her, as she drifts to sleep in my grip so I carefully lay her down on the bed careful of her injured arm. I'll have to ask Freya how she got that, although Kyo was rather agitated the other day.  I cover her back up and get a cold cloth for her head and drape it after I brush the hair out of her face enjoying how soft her hair and skin are as I drop to my knees next to her bed.

I take this chance to look around her room full of bare walls the only decoration being the bookshelf loaded with books next to the couch, other than the cat themed blanket on her bed.

I skim the shelves and find they all deal with her magic.  Either as a Telekinetic or a Celestial mage.  I find it amusing there's an encyclopedia of Zodiac spirits.  To my surprise there's one for the Chinese Zodiac, didn't know that existed.

"Actually Lady Kess has the only copy of that.", Akira says startling me as I turn my head to the currently happy sized Zodiac Dragon.

"I gave it to her, her thirst for knowledge on the keys was admirable."

"How did Kess come across the jade keys though, I thought you all were lost.", I ask

"Why she was the first and only to pass my trial I had set up, during which I read her heart.", the dragon starts "Kyo was rescued from and abusive master as was Tai.  Kyo was almost dead when Kess saved him.   There both fiercely protective of her, they see her as family not a key holder . You'll find most of her silver keys story was similar as are Thor and Freya's story, although Thor and Freya were her mom's keys that her parents had saved.  Actually as far as Celestial mages she's quite knowledgeable about the keys as well as rare keys."

"Any idea about the arm?", I ask.

"She had some bounty hunters after her keys.  She got hurt taking a fall.  Tai and Kyo were called. Tai and Kyo got her out of the water so she didn't drown trying to swim with a busted arm and took down her attackers. Thus why Kyo was grumpy, cause she got hurt." , Akira says "That's why we pop in on her, make sure she's safe an well." I swear the dragon looks to be smiling almost.

"She can't attract that much trouble ?", I ask.

"Her parents were murdered, due to the Kyle family's hand in freeing spirits from undesirable contracts and having them placed with more suitable key holders.  She's been hunting a powerful Celestial mage that has more powerful friends that would love to get there hands on her keys.  But they can't because Kess has a failsafe spell cast on her keys for if she dies. She sought it out after she thought Karen's killer had your key.", the dragon says " She wants to make sure if something happens to her we're not stuck with a bad key holder I realize looking at her.

"How do you know so much.", I say.

"How do you think she was gonna beat Karen when she held your key.", the dragon says amused "We've been together awhile. Also some stuff was learned in her trial when I read her heart.   The plan was I just had to restrain you if you were called while she took Karen head on. Of course I'd be full size."

His eyes study mine and I swear he smirks again. 

"What's so funny?",  I ask.

"Your falling for our key holder. It's fine your not the first. Let me know when you want forever with her and I'll give you the knowledge to make it happen.", he says as he stretches on the top of the couch as I blush while he studies her.