Free Web NovelChapter 52: Chapter 52: Pass the wiz
"I didn’t say anything. How did he know?" Elsa thought.
"Hey, come over here, love. Remember, I need your help too."
She walked over in haste.
"Here," he said, passing her a book.
"Let’s go."
He moved to the next shelf and took more books.
"Follow along."
She did.
Book after book, the stack continued to grow.
"Em, Val, you do know I’m a council member. I don’t run errands," Elsa said.
"Oh, you don’t? Good for you."
"Good for you."
"Well, thank you."
She looked up at the stack she was carrying. It was now clearly towering over her.
"You see, I think this is a chore. An errand even."
"Well, it’s all about perspective."
"On that note, I’ll lighten things up."
"Here, let me have some," he said as he reached for the top to reduce the load.
He picked out only two books.
"Okay, let’s head on over to my desk and sort it all out."
Elsa just hissed.
’He’s a Wiz after all. Stuck up and feeling all self-important.’
They made their way back to Val’s table.
He began reading passage after passage. He was trying to memorize lines. He was targeting certain topics.
He knew what he wanted to present before the Wise Men. Now he just needed to state his claim clearly.
"Have you guys considered the scholar the Circle of Merlin would hire?" Valentine asked.
"Well, we haven’t really given it much thought."
"They always present the same middle-aged man."
"Oh, you mean Ismeac?"
"Well, I don’t know if Ismeac would be up for it. He’s retired recently, except if he’s willing to come out just to represent the Circle."
"Whatever. That’s the least of our problem," Elsa said.
There was something weighing on her mind.
She didn’t know how to present it.
Valentine looked up from the book he was currently dug into. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Something’s up. Come on, love. Come out and say it," Valentine said.
"Well, the thing is... I never gave you a reply."
"About what you said with Morgana. I don’t really know."
"Oh, that. Don’t worry. Me and Morgana can handle it. Just leave it to us."
"That’s barely an issue," Val said.
"I think I’ve got just about everything I need."
Val said, and immediately the lights went off.
"Huh? Is the power out?" Elsa asked.
"No. That’s just what happens after a full work day."
"Let’s go."
Elsa sighed as she looked at the books, knowing he wasn’t going to help her carry any. She begrudgingly began stacking them.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I said let’s go, love."
"I’m coming," she said.
He turned to see what she was doing.
"Oh, we won’t be needing those," he commented.
Pulling her by the hand, they made their way to the elevator.
"So you had this the whole time, and your assistant chose to just send me in like that?"
Val chuckled.
"What’s funny?"
"It’s funny, isn’t it?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"Fine. It’s funny," she agreed.
The elevator descended slowly and steadily.
’So he’s not going to need those books. Like he’s all prepared and whatnot.’
’I guess it’s amazing being a Wiz. It can’t be easy.’
He laughed.
It was almost as if he knew what she was thinking. The timing was no coincidence.
’Jerk.’
The elevator pinged.
The door opened.
They were now on the ground floor.
The sight was different.
Elsa didn’t recognize it.
She had come through the front entrance.
This was most certainly not the front.
"Hey, where are we?" she asked.
"Love, get in," he simply said.
They had walked out.
It was like a special exit reserved only for Valentine.
A Porsche was waiting outside.
She got in.
She was a council member. She knew money.
This was something much more.
"I have to say, I’m impressed," Elsa remarked.
"Well, that’s something I’ve been dying to get Morgana to say for a while," he noted.
He signaled the driver to proceed.
"Where are we going anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Your workplace. You’ve been to mine. I’ll go to yours," he replied.
"Ha. You just want to go see her."
She originally didn’t want to pry when Valentine mentioned trying to impress Morgana.
She didn’t want things to be weird. After all, she and Morgana were work friends.
The journey was quiet.
Valentine’s lips were moving, but you couldn’t hear anything.
He was rehearsing his angle or something.
Elsa noticed.
She didn’t want to break his concentration, so the ride remained a quiet one.
They arrived a couple of minutes later and got off.
"I’ll show you around," Elsa said.
"Oh? You really think I don’t know my way around here?" Valentine responded.
"I don’t know how you do things, but I need you to summon the other council people or whatever. I want to address you all," Valentine said.
They made their way into the building.
’He’s addressing us with little regard. He’s calling for a meeting. Only Morgana does that. At least physical ones.’
Morgana was already waiting.
A knock was heard from the door.
"Come in."
Morgana responded to the knock.
Elsa made her way in.
She, of course, wasn’t alone.
A man followed not long after.
She took her seat, and despite there being only seven seats total, Valentine took one as well.
The two stared at each other.
No words were exchanged.
"This might be awkward," Elsa said.
Eager to break the tension, Valentine spoke first.
"Oh, love. I love what you’ve done with your hair. It’s so... you."
Morgana just laughed.
"Eh?"
"Ehhhh?"
Elsa was shocked.
This wasn’t the reaction she was expecting.
Someone else walked in through the door.
It was Arthur.
"The others aren’t back," he reported.
"So this is all the audience I’ll get today? Well, that’s a shame," Valentine said.
"Oh, and love, we so have to talk about something lovely over here agreed to."
Valentine was talking to Morgana, referring to what he and Elsa had agreed on earlier.
"So let’s start, shall we?"
