Warsong | Celeste Academy Series Book #4

Chapter Fourteen ⚜ Trouble on the Horizon

Valeriana woke up earlier than usual. She had been immersed in the dream state with her father, learning new moves with swordsmanship. His lecture was certainly helpful as he helped point out some of Valeriana's shortcomings and bad habits she'd developed over her constant solo practice.

He had taught her as well when she was young, but he was letting her in on more knowledge than he showed before. This made her feel a bit nostalgic about how they lived back on Earth—times she took for granted.

Janus—or Garvyn—kept track of time in the real world and urged her when it was time to rise. He did so dutifully and was mindful of every moment. Seeing as times were short more often than not, they spent most of their time getting productive things done.

As a result, when Valeriana woke up that morning, it was still awfully early, but her well-rested state bid no signs of sleeplessness at all. 'Meditating' with the white jade sphere granted her more energy whenever she slept—like a miraculous energy ball.

She went down her floor to the seating room where the Twelve usually congregated. It was filled with ghostly silence and the chandelier was lit dimly, casting pale shadows on walls and cramming the room with an eerie vibe. She wanted to head for the kitchen where they kept a fresh supply of drinking water from a dispenser, but was greeted by a voice she was not expecting to hear.

"Why are you up so early?"

She turned, a bit startled. She saw Corvan reclining on the armchair he usually took for reading.

"I should be the one asking you that. Don't you have your own library? Why are you down here reading? Especially when it's so dark. At least light up the candles a bit brighter." She wanted to snap her finger to adjust the brightness, but Corvan stopped her. Valemnia's installed mechanism were meant to be stimulated with sound, quite like modern day inventions, only that it heavily relied on magic.

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I find solace in doing this."

"O . . . kay? That's weird. Whatever floats your boat, I guess," she muttered, turning for the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

When she returned, she found Corvan in the same place doing the same thing. Seeing as she had nothing to do, she took the seat across his, placed the glass of water on the coffee table between them, and relaxed.

"You're returning to Arlandia today?"

"I suppose," he replied. "I might as well make use of this time to help my father resolve the issues currently plaguing the continent at the moment. It hasn't been long since the demon attack, I'm sure he will be able to make use of my assistance getting things back together. It will be good to check on Avaro's back and how they're faring."

"I see." She grabbed an apple from the basket of fruits on the coffee table as well and bit into it. She chewed, then swallowed. "Say hello to Emmillyse for me and everyone else."

Corvan did not answer, but continued reading. Silence—he probably meant yes.

They sat there in awkward silence, neither one talking. Valeriana continued munching on the apple, biting into its fleshy cheeks as the sound of paper sheets rubbing and turning filled the room.

"So . . . what's up with the preference?" she asked, referring to the dim lights and reading in the middle of the night. "Not that I'm prying, or anything. It's just that—" she stopped, noticing she was making a fool out of herself.

Valeriana sighed and Corvan looked up to meet her eyes. She avoided the contact and gazed at the ring around her finger. Perhaps it was time to return it. Seeing her eyeing the ornament, Corvan seemed suddenly . . . well, suddenly. She was unsure how to describe it, seeing his poker-face.