Heaven's Shadow

Chapter 20 | The Pastor and the Darling

A picnic at the edge of Blackash Forest was peculiar, but not completely rejected. There were far stranger things that Maven had done, and this didn't even make it in the top ten. 

She suspected Yun and Remigius had made up yesterday. When she ate breakfast in the dining hall, she spotted the two walking shoulder to shoulder, seemingly absorbed in their own world. Remigius's eyes fixed on Yun as the boy had approached Maven with a wave and swiped some food from her plate.

She and Remigius had exchanged glances, and there was something unspoken between them. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the air between them changed into a deeper, more cloudy fog. She had connected some of the dots of what may have happened on the Chosen Trial, but was blindsided to the true story. Yet seeing him smile at Yun, eyes the shape of crescent moons, a part of her couldn't bear to ask him. 

Another day, he seemed to tell her. For now, she would keep it to herself, but she would not let it be forgotten.  

She wanted to give the two some space to spend time together. Yun had been going through his Remigius withdrawals the past few weeks—it was almost as bad as when he came back from the Real World and demanded to see Remigius immediately after getting off the AirRail—and his arm was permanently wrapped around the other's shoulder. Remigius was just as bad—he was grouchier than usual when Yun left for the Real World—and focused his gaze on Yun even when the other wasn't talking. 

It was why she accepted Sonya's offer to a picnic in Blackash Forest. The girl had been discharged from the infirmary and wished for some fresh air, and Maven needed some time to gather her thoughts.

"How are you feeling?" Maven asked her. The concussion and blow to the head were a nasty wound, and she grimaced, remembering the line of remedies Sonya took every day. 

She sighed, lying on the blanket and staring up at the sky. "I never expected a student to try and kill me. You won't believe how worried my dad and Aston were when they found me in the infirmary."

It was rare to see Aston cursing another's name instead of Malachi Sonnet's. He had been so furious that Maven worried his head would explode. 

"Did the Headmaster question you about it?" Maven lay next to her, also gazing up at the sky. The sun shone beneath them with clouds passing by, though Maven still wore her winter uniform these days. Today, she wore her casual clothing for the weekend and regretted not bringing a thicker cardigan.   

"No kidding!" Sonya laughed. "I was asked every detail possible about it. I could barely even remember myself fighting her, no less whether there were any people around or the colour of the portal she was making."

It chilled her to think about demons infiltrating the academy again. It had been such a frightening aura. The entire ground shook, and an unbreathable scorching air made her lungs hack. The presence of multiple demons was a feeling she couldn't shake off. 

"Things seem more depressing every day with all this Infernals news," she said. The newspaper highlighted demon attacks in the busier districts. There were yet to be any major casualties, but she had a feeling that the Infernals were going easy on them. With an attack so big on the academy, a single demon felt like a mockery. 

"Don't feel too upset about it," Sonya said, smiling at her sadly. "I know the Church will find a way to defeat the Infernals. They have to!" 

Maven nodded, though the thought worried her more. Sonya seemed to notice her concern and decided to shift gears. 

"Besides, there's so much for us to look forward to!" She then nudged Maven with a grin. "You know, Auburnswell is coming up."

Already? Time had flown by so fast that February had snuck up on her and the holiday was merely a few days away.