Chapter 31 Velra
~Velra~
The perfect storm of highly amusing chaotic energy.
That was what was happening right now with my men.
They were immersed in Ritual Ethics & Celestial Lawfare taught by Cassius.
My bad—Professor Ashmoor.
It had been a couple of days since we’d all come together at his place, so it was right on the heels of that.
I’d already asked Lazriel and Sylas to tone it down around Cassius and not unnerve him in the middle of class. I knew they’d hold to it. Despite their playful teasing, neither of them wanted to make him uncomfortable.
Speaking of uncomfortable, Lazriel had urged Sylas not to search for his father yet until he’d had words with his mom.
He’d needed some time to get his head together, but now, tonight he was planning to track her via a mixture of his wolf senses and their blood connection, to finally end the silence and clear evasiveness.
Sylas hadn’t been happy about having to wait, but Cassius had reminded him that the lock he’d obtained on Remnant—we’d discover his true name soon once all of this was dragged out into the open—would be able to withstand a couple of days of not taking immediate action with tracking him.
My class that ran at the same time as theirs had been canceled because the professor, Keira Rae, had needed to attend a meeting up at the Guardian Compound.
It was Harmonic Discipline: Dark Fae Magic & Ethical Focus, a class that I shared with Kelsana Torl.
Fortunately, that had actually worked out well because it gave us the perfect time to actually go to the fusion bar.
Although I was calming down with my survival instincts, even being able to leave my Watch of Warding behind in my dorm room when I went to classes or Cassius’ place—although I had it on today because I was headed to a new place I hadn’t ventured to before—I still had some rituals that I did.
Like coming here way ahead of time today in order to scan the place and check that everything was fine and safe, and even to mentally map out the exits.
Vantiqe.
That was the name of the bar.
It was a calm and special place to relax and hang with friends, serving non-alcoholic specially crafted magical drinks as well as boasting some amazing pastries.
The exterior was a soft pastel sage with oversized frosted glass windows. A gold-accented sign with curling script hung above the door: Vantiqe.
Iron hanging planters with magical herbs decorated the front face of the place, giving a homely and serene feel.
Inside, there were plush chairs and booths in soft pastels like mauve, blush pink, baby blue, and cream.
The magical stations were topped with white and cream marble, each brewing special concoctions.
Fairy lights strung through the place beautifully.
Murals of mythical creatures drinking tea, like unicorns and centaurs, hung on the walls.
It was a really striking and special place.
And I was excited that I was finally in a state to be able to come here.
I was even dressed down in a midnight-black off-the-shoulder top and a pair of fitted violet jeans, my usual black leather get-up stowed in my dorm closet.
As I awaited Kelsana’s arrival, I looked over the most recent messages that had been sent in the Group Chat with my men.
Cassius: Enjoy your social engagement with your reformed friend.
Lazriel: Reforming. Keep it accurate, Cas.
Cassius: You are well aware that I am all about accuracy, wild one.
Sylas: My, my. Was that an attempt at an innuendo, Immortal? Or is it Immortal Hunk now? Lazriel, want to weigh in?
Lazriel: Hey! How do you know I called him that?
Sylas: You were groaning it in your sleep.
Lazriel: Shit.
Sylas: It was just as shocking hearing it, believe me.
I rolled my eyes.
Velra: This is not what you promised me about class.
Sylas: Best he gets it out of his system.
Cassius: He is not the only one. My first class, you walked in eating his face and grinding all over him. In front of everyone, making quite the spectacle.
Velra: You did what, Sylas?
Sylas: Aww, want a taste of that with the next class you and I share? Weaving & Shadow Architecture sound good?
Cassius: She is a conscientious student. Don’t sully that for her.
Sylas: Yes, Professor. Would you like me to kneel at your feet and open wide too?
Lazriel: Shit, that image is gonna be engraved on my mind for hours now.
Cassius: Rest assured that it will not transpire in reality, so you may remove it from your thoughts and fantasies.
Lazriel: Right. Sylas doesn’t kneel. Not even for pleasure.
Sylas: Since we connected, I have been more accommodating than ever before.
Velra: We know you have. He’s just messing with you.
Lazriel: I am. You’ve been the best.
Lazriel: And filthiest.
Cassius: These text discussions are certainly bracing.
I chuckled to myself.
Velra: Get to class. Have a good one.
Cassius: You too, little shadow.
Lazriel: See you right after?
Velra: Sounds perfect.
Lazriel: XOXO.
Sylas: It’s going to be one for the ages.
Sylas: Kidding. Enjoy yourself at Vantiqe.
I stowed my phone away and I didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes more before Kelsana materialized in a shimmer of indigo magic.
“Hey,” she greeted me brightly.
Her long, green hair was cascading down her shoulders so beautifully and she was in casual dress like me, but with her usual elegance along for the ride with a flowy emerald wrap blouse and a pair of wide-leg trousers in a warm bronze. Vibrant green crystal earrings completed her look.
She eyed mine, a pair of long twisting purple and black dangling things.
“Where did you get those? I’ve been thinking of jazzing up my look, and those really fit the bill.” She shook her head to herself. “I know. People going through a bad breakup are known to alter their look or do something bold like tattoo or pierce themselves. I’m a cliché.”
“Far from it,” I assured her. “It’s a completely natural thing to do. And I think it’s a really cool idea. Look at it as a time to explore and also get back to yourself, figure out yourself and everything.”
She beamed at me, emotion shining in her eyes at the understanding—and acceptance—she was getting from me. It was upsetting that it was such a staggering thing for her.
Then again, I knew all too well how that felt. From my own family, no less.
Not just my awful, fanaticized older brother, but my parents who’d disowned me when I’d been turned into a Dark Fae-Wraith hybrid after being kidnapped and experimented on by Chimera Circle.
I rarely ever allowed myself to think about them because all it brought me was bitterness and a great deal of grief.
But with what Kelsana had experienced bearing a similarity to that whole nightmare, this was one of the first times I could even reference them in my mind and see not just grief and pain, but the power in breaking from all of that, standing apart from it—and how far I’d come in carving out my own path and identity.
“As for the earrings, I made them,” I told her, veering toward that now to ease some of the heaviness.
She arched an eyebrow. “Made them?”
“Making jewelry is one of my hobbies. A creative outlet, I guess. It helps center my mind and to kind of ground me.”
“That’s really cool.”
“Well, think about what you might like and place an order.”
“Sounds amazing. Thank you.”
I chuckled and gestured at the entrance to the fusion bar. “Come on, let’s head inside.”
“So good,” Kelsana uttered as she sipped at one of the Hot Brews.
She’d ordered a Goldbark Brew, which was a spiced oat-nut latte sweetened with date syrup.
“Right there with you,” I told her, after swallowing some more of my Thornberry Tonic. It was a cranberry-blackcurrant blend with jasmine sugar pearls that tasted like the sweetest candy.
We were also sharing the first of three pastries we planned to try out while we were here, this one a Cinnamon Cloud Muffin that was an incredibly soft muffin topped with sugar glaze and a faint misting charm spelled onto it. It was seriously like eating a cloud—one wrapped in cinnamon sweetness.
She sank back against the blush-pink heavily-cushioned chair in our booth in the corner of the bar. “This is really nice, huh?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Kind of like a safe haven in all the pain and darkness?” she mused, gazing at the fairy lights overhead and hanging low enough to cast a soft glow over everything. “I don’t just mean the venue,” she told me. “Thank you for doing this. You know, befriending me, in spite of everything.”
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s been nice getting to know you.” I took another sip of my drink, then asked her, “Do you keep in contact with any of your friends from Maven Academy? You were in a clique, right?”
She winced. “Just the thought of that nonsense disgusts me. I… thought power and safety was rooted in being on top. And, disgustingly, keeping other people down in order to climb up to that peak, you know?”
“We all make mistakes when we’re feeling insecure and out of our element. Some people withdraw—like me. And others do what you did—become aggressive and take the offensive as a preventative measure.”
“You’re too understanding and forgiving,” she said, smiling warmly.
“Not really. I just have to believe in second chances. I mean, without that, what hope is there, right?”
“That’s true. Second chances when it comes to my friends from Maven seems impossible, though.
I used Dark Fae mind-meddling on them during a class exercise.
” She crossed her legs and tightened her fingers around her cup.
“Now all of Rennick’s magic has worn off, I know that he influenced me to do that.
But it still messed with their minds, still hurt them.
And even though he’d been in control of it, it was my fault we were all in that position because I was the one who hooked up with him and grew so close to him. ”