Chapter Five
1105 Words
Vespera froze at the door, looking at the smiling Cassiel.
"I don't see any reason why you should be happy about that."
Cassiel chuckled as he stepped into the hall. "I don't see any reason why I shouldn't," he replied. "Now I get to see you move more than I've seen you do since you got here."
Vespera turned around to leave. "Oh, not attending a class will result in a major demerit and punishment," Cassiel told her.
"I think I like that idea more," she shot over her shoulder.
Cassiel raised his hands and Vespera felt a force wrap around her. The force dragged her back into the hall and the doors shut as she passed through.
"The audacity," she spat.
"Well, as your guide-"
"You mean sitter."
"As your... sitter, allowing you to leave results in a demerit on my side as well."
Vespera scoffed, folding her arms. "And a holy one like yourself can't afford to have a tainted record," she said with a roll of her eyes.
"You do a lot of scoffing," he said. Vespera glared at him, unamused. 'How I'd love to ensure you get a bad review,' she thought.
"Students," the instructor called. The students gathered around, and Vespera stood at the back, arms still folded. Cassiel took his place next to her.
"Oh, you're a shadow too," she muttered.
"I heard that."
Vespera flashed a pretentious smile at him. That earned a small smile from him, and as she turned away, she couldn't help but give a small smile as well.
Okay, that's not right.
Was she really smiling? Vespera raised fingers to her cheek. That had felt... nice.
Was she going crazy? What was the angel doing to her?
She couldn't lie to herself though. She liked their interactions. She looked forward to seeing him again just to provoke him, and it should have been enough to be a problem.
But it wasn't. And it wasn't even unsettling to her anymore.
'Surely, I am going crazy,' she thought. Why would she be happy to exist with a being she ought to be planning his demise? Instead, here she was, acting like a teenager in love.
She cringed inwardly. She had to distance herself from Cassiel.
"Seraph Cassiel and Miss Ithraya, right? You're partners," the instructor suddenly said. Vespera snapped out of reverie.
"Did I miss something?" she asked.
"The cool, observant Miss Ithraya missed something? Now there's a shocker," Cassiel teased.
Vespera ignored him and hurried to the instructor. As she approached the instructor suddenly tensed.
"How can I help you?" she offered. "Pair me with someone else," Vespera replied coolly. "Well, er, that's hard to do seeing as everyone is paired up," the instructor tried to explain.
"Separate another pair then," Vespera said. "I can't do that too. Everyone's paired according to strengths and... well... uh..."
"In other words, the instructor sees you and I are a better match," Cassiel said, stepping up next to her. Vespera shut her eyes and uttered an oath under her breath.
"I'd suggest you change into comfortable apparel, Vespera. We are yet to see if we are a match."
Vespera shot him an icy glare. He met her gaze with a level look.
"I really don't like you," Vespera muttered, annoyed. Cassiel feigned sadness, bringing a hand to his chest.
"Oh, and here I was, thinking you did. How saddening."
Vespera turned on her heels and strode towards the females changing quarters.
Cassiel stood in the court, replaying his most recent exchange with Vespera. She annoyed him, but he had found he could incite the same reaction from her.
He had even begun enjoying the back and forth comments between them.
He even noticed the faint blush that coloured her cheeks while she stood at the back, lost in her own thoughts. He had hoped he was the reason she blushed, it was right then when he noticed her gentle features, void of the cold facade she always put on.
'Cassiel, you're not supposed to be drawn to her,' a voice in his head told him. He froze, realising that he really could be drawn to her.
Otherwise, why else would he be looking forward to going head to head with her in verbal combat?
Why else would he be finding ways to get under her composure the same she cracked through his?
He needed to start staying away from her. From the moment he saw her, to the very moment in the court, he had been feeling things he had never felt. She even managed to provoke Kaelen enough to spark rage into him, and that was something that never happened.
Cassiel made up his mind. He would just bear the rest of the day with her, and then never interact with her again unless necessary.
That was the plan.
Gone down the drain as he watched her step out of the changing rooms.
"So, what exactly are we doing?" Vespera asked. "You weren't kidding, you did miss something," Cassiel answered, clearly surprised. "Be proud of yourself, I gotta rely on you for information. Not really jumping for joy on that idea," Vespera drawled. The boredom in her tone was unmissable.
"Armed combat," Cassiel said, strolling to a large display of various weaponry.
Swords.
Staff.
Nunchucks.
Chained knives.
Daggers.
"Pick your weapon."
Cassiel watched as Vespera stepped up to the display cabinet. The look on her face was a pure kind of happiness, and Cassiel wondered if infernal beings could really feel like that, or was it just the weapons.
"You're awfully happy to see these," he said. The smile fell from her face, replaced by mild irritation.
"And you're ruining it for me," she replied.
"How?"
"By existing."
Vespera chose to pick up a chained knife.
"That's a long ranged weapon," Cassiel simply said, earning a scoff from her. Cassiel watched as she turned away from the cabinet and chose a sword. Then he followed her to where she stood, swinging the knife around herself.
"Oh so you know how to wield it?" he asked. Vespera didn't even look at him.
"What are the rules?"
Cassiel was slightly taken aback. She asked for rules?
"There aren't any rules exactly, just weapons. No abilities," he explained. She simply hummed, still swinging the knife in front of her.
"So it's not going to be any issue at all if I cut you?" she suddenly asked, a mischievous smile dancing in her lips.
The cold mask was gone.
In its place was excitement.
Pure, unrestrained excitement.
"What-"
Cassiel had no time to react as Vespera hurled a knife at him.
- Writer
