𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 | ✓

24 - Learning

VALENTINA'S POV

Deep breath in, deep breath out.
That's how you do it right?

I was thinking to myself as I felt my body lurch forward, I felt as though my wings were gone now.

"VAL-" I heard a rushed voice behind me, but before I could turn around to see who it was, I crashed into the floor harshly as a weight was put on top of me.

"What were you doing?" Francis asked in a demanding voice making my pupils dilate. I took in my surroundings and realised he now had me pinned to the marble ground of the balcony. He was on top of me, hands on either side of my head.

"Huh?" I asked, not fully registering what was going on, but as I looked at my body and pressed my back against the floor harder, I did not feel anything under me and that's when I realised that I had done it.

"I did it!" I cheered to myself out loud, and I saw the anger in Francis's eyes fade into confusion.

"What?" he puffed out, almost like releasing his anger as he sat up to let me do the same.

"I contracted my wings, just like you did!" I explained and turned to feel my back and saw that there was no sign of feathers on my back.

I looked back at Francis and saw he was dumbfounded by what I had just said.

"You weren't trying to escape?" he asks quietly, almost like it was to himself, but I shook my head, making his eyes light up.

"Why would I? I've learnt from the last two times, you know." I question but instead of answering me, all he does was hug me, burying his head in my neck. It dawned on me that he was so happy that I wasn't trying to escape for once.

Looking down at his messy hair, I brushed my fingers through it, making him say something but it came out muffled so I couldn't hear.

As I breathed out softly, I felt a surge go through my body and then I felt soft feathers pressing against my back once again. Breaking myself from the half hug of Francis I stood up and took another deep breath in, thinking of making my wings disappear again, and sure enough, they did so.

I felt my back and suddenly realised that my clothes were still in contact with wings shooting out of my back and I looked back at Francis as he got up as he seemed to exactly know what my questions were. Am I that readable?

"Our wings are so developed that in human society they can phase through simple clothing, unlike those chains that I had in prison," he says casually, and I nod my head, as I walked back into the room he followed me curiously and I looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What is it?" I ask him but he just turns away, waving his head.

"Nothing. I've just got to go do more work, so you can go see Quinn or something," he said, and I shook my head as I followed him out the bedroom door, but turned a different way, already knowing where she was.

Sure enough, I find my friend in the women's training room, beating the life out of a boxing bag. I laughed as she missed her hit and tripped over from the pull. Quinn flipped her head around and once she saw me, she grunted and got up to hug me but stopped as she pulled back as saw that my wings were gone.

"I learnt it from Francis!" I say proudly as I felt my wings pop out again, she nodded, clearly impressed.

"I'm glad you're talking to him again, but what made you do it?" Quinn asked in a cheeky tone, and I smile back, sheepishly.

"We may have.. kissed," I utter, and she double takes when she looks back at me, jaw dropped open, and eyes widened.

As I told her about what happened in the hospital room and the masquerade party, she was left stunned, and I had to wave my hands in front of her face to wake her of her daze. And once I did, there was a wide grin was left on her face as she hugged me tightly.