Warsong | Celeste Academy Series Book #4

Epilogue ⚜ An Invitation

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Epilogue ⚜ An Invitation

It was subtle. Nothing too overwhelming. Still, it flooded her heart with devastating surges of emotions—and memories. Flashes of his childhood days came rushing straight in. He saw it too, but he didn't mind. He freely let their auras merge, entwining even.

Her eyes slowly opened and she withdrew, the shock inching in seconds after. It felt like roses on her mouth, accompanied by warm tingles that climbed up to her brain. His familiar scent of musk and mint traveled up her nose as she breathed in, her brain lagging to comprehend what just occurred.

"Wear that ring," he told her. It was no request. "Only the woman who can keep the fire grounded is worthy of the Cosmos."

He pulled back his hand and rested them on his stomach, his eyes closing as he took in deep and steady breaths.

Valeriana straightened up as her hand flew over to her mouth. She stared wide-eyed at the first-ranker, blinking several times. "Holy . . . shiznits."

She wanted to bash his head open, but he was already bleeding and suffering, so it was no use. Not to mention his moment of vulnerability just a few moments before. Taking those into account, instead of head bashing, her fingers brushed against the wet tendrils of his hair—swearing that the next time he grew it long, she wound spend the day brushing through their lengths.

Her heart stuttered several times and she stared blankly at the space before her, cursing at the thoughts that ran through her mind.

She recalled the gesture, his soft touch, and the look in his eyes.

"Just like that, you goddamned insensitive . . . arrogant . . . bullheaded jackass!" she whispered under her breath, the redness tinting her cheeks. She breathed heavily. Despite her spouting an endless stream of curses at him, Corvan seemed to have totally passed out.

The aftershocks came in harder than tsunamis and her vision blurred.

"Sorry to interrupt a special moment," echoed an eerie voice.

The loud reverberations made Valeriana squeak in fright as she turned to find the source. Unfortunately, she could only see the glowing crystals flash in accordance to the intensity of the sound. Corvan remained unresponsive, which made the fifth-ranker further nervous. If ever the enemy came at them, she would have a hard time trying to move him.

"Fear not," it continued. "You are in the spiritual facet of the Aetherian channel."

"And that makes you?"

"A Chicova," it answered.

Valeriana jerked at the response that she nearly threw Corvan off her lap. Thankfully, she managed to force the impulse down. "Y-you . . . are you still alive?"

"Our spirits have all departed the corporeal plane."

The disappointment sunk in, the hope murdered before it even came alive. "How is this even possible?" she asked.

"What do you think our element is?"

She thought for a few moments and nodded in understanding.

"But even if our element was spirit, this kind of communication would have been impossible without you summoning your animus.

Her brows furrowed. "Animus?"

"That Gilerad."

"Ah, you mean Cifaro."

"Not to mention the flowers," it added. "Anyhow, I don't have time to explain every detail to you. Know that you have been granted an invitation."