Crazy Talk (CorVal)

Ch. 7 ▲ Kiss

As she threw up in the blackberry bushes, she wondered what kind of horse she was riding. A random thought, but for some weird reason it helped calm her stomach.

Corvan helped her up as she wiped at her mouth. "Bleh. Oh... " He stared at her for a few seconds, before awkwardly glancing at the floor. Dazed, she stumbled back to her tent, alone. Collapsing on her blanket, she instantly fell asleep as she clutched the ring around her neck.

Collapsing on her blanket, she instantly fell asleep as she clutched the ring around her neck

A large clearing came into view, tall birch trees forming a circle. A tall, blue-headed boy walked towards her, a bemused expression forming on his face. "Zion-" She choked out, unable to speak.

"Have you no answer for me yet? I give you one month to respond." He calmly stepped back, and Valeriana was suddenly filled with fear, he couldn't just leave her.

"Zion! You bastard . . . You don't just leave me in the middle of the forest." She grumbled to herself.

"Where the hell am I anyways? I swear I went to sleep in a tent."

"Valeriana!"

"Val!

"Where are you?"

"Where did that stupid witch go..." Corvan mumbled, worry seeping through his voice. "Didn't she go to sleep in the camp?" He stepped over some bushes. "Valeriana!"

"Corvan! Thank goodness your here! I was getting worried!" Were what he expected to come out of her mouth. Not what did come out of her lips.

"Corvan, you idiot! Why the hell did you freaking leave me alone in the middle of the forest! I hate you, I hate you!"

"Val..." He pleaded. She was having none of it. "Please, listen to-"

Slap!

He stared curiously at her raised hand. His cheek burned slightly, but he didn't notice it. A wave of anger overtook him at the half-Valemnian.

"Valeriana! Stop at once this unruly behaviour!"

"You left me behind!" She snarled. "Alone with that, freak."

"What do you mean?"

"Zion was here. You know how much I hate him."

"Didn't you go leaping with joy when he proposed to you?" He mocked.

"Bastard. I was enchanted with the beauty of the ring itself. Not that sunnuvabeetch. Besides, it came from Tiffany's. I've always wanted something from there."

He drew his lips back in a snarl. "I don't care! That ring came from him, and as my future wife, you shall not be permitted to carry it!" He looked shocked as he immediately hardened his face.

"I'm sorry, Valeriana."

"I-it's a-alright I suppose? I get that you're looking out for me. After all, isn't that what fiancees do?"

"Yes, I suppose."

She growled. "Don't 'suppose' me you royal bastard."

"Sorry. Please, explain to me why you believe you saw Zion in this clearing."

"I did see him. That's the problem. He said that I have one month or something like that. I wasn't actually listening. Oh, and then he like disappeared into the mist- kinda like Rowe's soul did actually, now that I think about it."

"That must have been how he did it then. He was assisted, however. Did you leave anything in the academy? Any hairs perhaps?"

"Well duh. I tend to brush my hair after I take a bath-" She shuddered as a sudden thought came to her. "Holy frick, did he sneak into the girl's baths and take some of my hair?"

He relaxed her. "I doubt he did that." He frowned. "He most likely used some of his charms to convince another girl to retrieve some of your hair. Perhaps that girl you always hung out with?"

"Chavi?"

He shrugged. "I don't remember her name, truthfully. She gives me a bad feeling. Don't trust her."

"But she's my friend!"

"Have you two ever discussed her past?"

"Well-no." She hung her head shamefully. "We didn't talk too much. Mostly about my training and how horrible the Twelve are." She clasped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry!"

He shot her a bemused grin. She relaxed slightly.

"And she did seem infatuated with Zion, though, always gushing about him. I think she was one of the Valion shippers. Always bugging me to go hang out with that sunnuvabeetch, despite the fact that I firmly told her that I hated him with all my heart. Especially after the weekend before my birthday."

"What did he do?"

She blushed and hung her head again. "He, um, snuck into my room and decided to give me a farewell present..." Her hands twisted nervously in her lap. "And it didn't feel good! There was no spark, no nothing!"

She felt extremely guilty at how far Zion had gone.

One look though at her torn face gave him all the answers he needed though.

"He- kissed you?" He felt a strange emotion course through him.

"Yeah."

"Was it your first kiss?"

She flushed scarlet. "Yeah."

"Valeriana!"

His arms swiftly went around her, as strong and steady as they were when she'd cried in Preluresia. Feeling a rush of helplessness, she collapsed to the floor. He carried her gently to the tree stump. Panicking slightly, she again relaxed as he bent her head across his arm.

His soft lips felt like satin as they crashed down on her own. He kissed her softly at first, and then with a swift graduation of passion that made her cling to him as the world spun. His insistent mouth was parting her lips, sending tremblings along her nerves, extracting sensations she had never felt before. And before she even realised who was kissing her with such intensity, she was kissing him back.

Gasping at last for breath, the two fell apart. Her chest was heaving up and down, her weak heart beating so quickly she was mildly afraid it was going to burst free.

"D-did," she breathlessly whispered. "That just happen?"

"Y-yes. I believe so."