The Celestial Knight (fanfic)

What if 4 (part 3)

Due to the sudden demonic presence that the girl felt, Valeriana forgot that she was near the grill and accidentally burned her finger.

"Crap!" she yelped as she waved her hand away from the coal.

Before Lily could move to help her daughter, Corvan beat her to it. In haste, he sauntered towards the girl. He quickly took her hand and began inspecting it, which to his relief could only pass as a minor burn.

"Stupid girl! You should have been more careful." He reprimanded before he unexpectedly lifted Valeriana's burnt finger. Without any warning, he brought her finger to his mouth and licked it, which surprised both the girl and her mother.

"Ah... Corvan..." Valeriana started saying. A tinge of pink marred her cheeks at the sensations that the first ranker's tongue brought on her finger. The throbbing sting gradually dissipated and an onslaught of sparks replaced it.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked as she tried to ignore the tingles and the visions that accompanied them. It seemed some memories they had spent together flashed before her eyes.

Valeriana's finger was already a few seconds on his mouth, when Corvan finally realized what he was doing. Though reluctant, he let her finger go.

His face colored before he turned away. Clearing his throat, he tried to explain. "That was one of the ways to prevent your finger from swelling. At the same time, it also takes away the pain."

"Right." Valeriana awkwardly agreed while still feeling the effects of the first ranker's remedy on her injury.

"Is it just me or is it getting hot out here?" Lily butted in while fanning herself. An amusing glint shone in her eyes.

"Mom!" Valeriana protested but refused to meet neither her mother's nor Corvan's eyes.

Embarrassed, the two rankers made excuses to get away from Valeriana's mother. Lily, on the other hand, just gave them a knowing smile.

~~~

"You were not bluffing when you said that you have an official mission here." Valeriana asked while making her way to the beach house they had rented. The other rankers must have been there by now.

"No, we weren't." Although Corvan could still feel the after effects of what had happened just a few moments ago, he chose to act as if it was nothing. He was secretly grateful that Valeriana did not bring up the finger-licking good incident.

"How did you get to have this mission?" The fifth ranker asked while trying to ignore the tension between her and the first ranker. "I thought only full-fledged knights are allowed to pursue demons who escaped from the gates to Earth."

Corvan scowled as he explained. For some reasons, his patience was wearing thin. "We were called on by Lord Aeron. There was a shortage of Celestes, so he gave us a special permission to exterminate demons. But as a condition, we will have the guidance of the headmaster."

"I still can't believe it! All the while, I thought you were just messing around." She muttered.

"Am I the type who would mess around?" he grumbled in annoyance.

You can't blame me. You guys looked like you just want to go on a summer vacation." She bit back in irritation. "with your beach get up and all."

"No one is forcing you to believe me, stupid witch!"

"Shut up, idiot devil."

While bickering they happened to glare at each other. But when their eyes met, the finger licking incident flashed. Flustered, they both turned away from each other with blood rushing to their faces.