Legend | Celeste Academy Series BK #2

Chapter 25 ♕ Change of Season (pt. 1)

"My name is Aden." Said the 'tree-pretender'—which Valeriana insisted on calling him—as he scratched the back of his head, stumbling slightly over his words as he talked. "I'm sorry if my approach was not to your liking, but I meant what I said." He looked between each of them, intimidated by the looks they were giving him.

"We're here to help retake your city of infested demons, shouldn't you be welcoming us?" Tamara asked him.

"That's the problem." Aden answered, shaking his head at the idea. "I don't think the you're welcome here at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Loquin has officially closed itself off from the outside world. It proclaimed the demand for its isolation. No one gets in, no one gets out." He told them, sighing. "But I don't think the higher family understands the intentions of the current lady."

"Asthore, you mean?" Courtney's brows puckered as she allowed the name to roll off her tongue. "Why would she do that?"

He gave them a look of disappointment and distraught. "I think she's somehow being brainwashed. After her father's death, she secluded herself within the family manor. Recently, though, she came out of her shell and suddenly proclaimed all that nonsense. The weather around the city had been . . . moody, somewhat."

"I think that a demon's somehow taking advantage of her vulnerability with her current state." Tamara thoughtfully concluded. "But, you know what? I think I know what Charles will say. If you want to take over a city, start with the ruler. You don't need hordes of demons and engage in battle to do so. Everything else will simply fall into place."

"Hey," Keelan chuckled, pointing out something he thought was amusing. "You're doing your job!"

"Shut up, ya good-for-nothing moron!" Tamara yelled at him, threatening to punch him with her balled fist.

Brindon came between them and separated the two. "Stop."

Valeriana frowned and grabbed Tamara by the arm. "Come on, you guys. We're discussing something important here."

"Have you heard of a demon staying by the lady's side? Or anything at all?" Corvan inquired, ignoring the exchange between the others.

"Hey!" Courtney exclaimed angrily from the background. "Tamara!"

Corvan, agitated by their behavior, turned and scolded everyone once and for all. "Calm yourselves! Enough with those childish antics!"

Tamara huffed, but backed down nevertheless. Everyone else was able to rest easy, but the ever mischievous Keelan was snickering to himself.

"Continue."

Aden looked at each of them, a crease appearing between his brows. Never minding the fact that they all possessed eccentric personalities, they still managed to go past the Death Tunnel. Although he had minor doubts about trusting them about the information they were demanding, he clearly had no other choice.

The boy sighed, pausing and blinking as he searched his memory. "Well . . ." He muttered. "It was during the day the of the black snow. Instead of the usual 'assistant', there was another person standing by Lady Asthore's side."

"I see. Anything else about this person you speak of?"

"He's exceptionally good at what he does." Aden shrugged. "But that's just about what I know."

"What do we do, then?" Valeriana asked, looking up at the first-ranker.

"We have to go to the family manor." Courtney said, looking concerned.

"No." Corvan replied, his voice firm. "We stick with the plan. We'll go through the city to the direction of the park and meet with the others. We aren't straying from our path and we aren't going to move without informing everyone else. If we have to visit the family manor, we'll do it right afterwards."