He was about to say something, anything to break the tension, when a shadow fell over their table.
"Morning, Valerian."
Aria Vale dropped into the seat right beside Cane as if she belonged there, her movements easy and confident. Her sudden appearance drew more than a few stares from the surrounding tables. Kai flinched, visibly startled by the company. Cane’s first thought, buried deep beneath a layer of practiced nonchalance, was a spike of pure, triumphant satisfaction. It worked. The little seed of doubt he’d planted in the woods had actually sprouted. He didn’t let a single flicker of it show on his face.
Aria leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand, her arm brushing against his. The white blouse of her uniform was, as always, locked in a heroic struggle with a chest that was simply too magnificent for regulation attire.
"I’ll wager I can guess what you ordered for breakfast." Her tone was light and teasing. "My bet is something bland and predictable, just like your reputation."
She guessed wrong, naming some fancy fruit parfait. He played along, matching her exaggerated tone.
"My taste in breakfast is a closely guarded secret, my lady. Worth far more than whatever meager sum you’re offering as a wager."
She rolled her eyes, but a real laugh escaped before she could stifle it. "Oh, please. Speaking of secrets, do you rehearse those lines in a mirror? The whole ’my reputation is ruined’ bit from the other day was a masterpiece of melodrama."
"Some men are born with talent," he shot back, leaning in just a fraction. "Others have to practice. I was simply born gifted."
The exchange kept that same rhythm, a quick, light volley. Neither of them landed a real blow, and it was obvious both of them were enjoying it more than they let on. At one point, she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a more serious, conspiratorial whisper.
"You know, you’re not at all what I expected. Once you get past the... everything."
For a split second, his usual armour of crude jokes and deflections failed him. Something almost honest, something real, threatened to surface. He shoved it back down, burying it under the first piece of filth that came to mind.
"That’s what all the girls say right before I ruin their lives. It’s part of the charm. Maybe I’ll ruin yours too," Cane said with a smirk, basically staring at her tits.
But Aria did not recoil... she simply watched him.
He watched her, too, tracking her every move. The easy way she sat, so close their shoulders were almost touching. The genuine amusement in her eyes. He filed it all away, progress updates in a quest he was determined to win.
A loud, jarring bell cut through the hall, signalling the start of first period. Aria stood as he did, the motion fluid and natural.
"We have Combat Theory together, right? Might as well walk over." A genuine glint of interest shone in her eyes, and it had nothing to do with academics.
Before Cane could even form a response, a voice cut through the air, cold and flat as a whetstone.
"Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen."
Raven Harbringer stood a few feet away. She was leaning against a nearby pillar, her weight on one hip, arms crossed loosely over her chest. The posture pulled her uniform skirt tight across her backside, emphasizing the solid, powerful curve of her toned ass and the width of her hips. Her expression, however, was a complete blank.
She spoke directly to Aria, but her eyes were fixed on Cane. "He already promised to skip first period with me."
Cane blinked. For a full second, he was genuinely lost. Then it landed. This wasn’t about class.
This was about the woods.
This was about the secrets he’d poked and prodded. This was Raven, finally coming to collect, and she’d chosen the most public, high-pressure moment possible to make it non-negotiable.
Aria’s expression shifted, the playful warmth curdling into something sharp and territorial. "I’m sure whatever it is can wait. Cane doesn’t have to go anywhere he doesn’t want to."
Cane cut her off, his voice gentle but firm.
"She’s right. I did promise." He turned to her, offering an apologetic shrug that didn’t invite argument. "My mistake. Rain check?"
Aria’s mouth tightened into a firm line. She wasn’t going to cause a scene, but the pout was unmistakable, a flash of genuine disappointment and annoyance.
"Fine. See you in class, then." She turned and walked away toward the main doors without a backward glance, her hips swaying with an irritation she wasn’t trying to hide.
Hey, hey! What are you doing!? The Quest?! Hello!? "Kiss Aria Vale". Remember that quest? Hello!?
Cane ignored the system, looking at Raven directly.
Right now she was more interesting.
Sue him.
Raven didn’t wait for the moment to settle. She pushed off the pillar and started walking, heading for a side entrance, her stride confident and unhurried. She didn’t look back. She didn’t have to. She knew he would follow.
He did. They moved down a quieter, less-travelled corridor, away from the lingering breakfast crowd. With every step they took away from the noise and the witnesses, the air between them grew tighter, charged with unspoken questions. It became brutally obvious that whatever conversation was about to happen could never have taken place in a room full of people.
Raven moved with a purpose that tolerated no interruption. She didn’t look back to see if he followed; she simply walked, and Cane fell into step behind her, not beside her. The placement was instinctual, and it put her directly in his line of sight. He didn’t pretend not to look. Her stride was unhurried, a liquid and powerful roll of her hips that was nothing like Elana’s bratty, deliberate sway.
This was the unconscious, efficient movement of a body built for it, a rhythm that was all business, and the sheer lack of performance somehow made it a thousand times more distracting.