Truth, Lies, and Silver Eyes (A Sequel to STRQ) [Book 2]

Chapter 27: Raven

I woke up the next morning feeling nauseated. Tai was gone, but I could hear him shuffling around downstairs. I got up slowly, careful not to trigger any more nausea, and grabbed my scroll that was laying next to me and turned it on. The mission list was still displayed, showing the ones I was most interested in. I stared at the list for a few minutes, trying to figure out which mission I wanted to do. I eventually settled on a search and destroy one that was in Patch. Apparently, there was some strong Grimm in the forest that needed clearing out. I put my scroll in my pocket and made my way downstairs. Tai was sitting at the table, staring at something. He didn't notice me standing next to him until I gave him a small tap on his shoulder.

He looked up, surprised and greeted me.
"Oh! Hey, Raven. Good morning," he told me.

I smiled at him. "Hi. What are you looking at?"

He gazed back down at the paper in front of him.
"Well... I got a letter back from Signal this morning about that teacher's assistant job I applied for."

"Really? What did they say? Did you get the job?"

Tai was quiet for a moment before answering.
"I got the position. I start as soon as next week."

I reached over to him and hugged him quickly. I must've been too rough, because when we hugged we both fell over and onto the floor.

"Um... sorry," I said.

He just laughed and smiled. "It's okay. I'm glad you're so excited, but... I am a bit nervous."

I leaned off of him and stood to my feet. I offered my hand to him, and he took it.
"I don't think you have anything to worry about. You'll do fine," I said, trying to reassure him.

"I hope so. I know it's just an assistant job, but I might want to start teaching. Then again, I don't think I'll—"

I stopped him with a kiss on his lips. "Enough. I've already picked out our mission."

His eyes widened in surprise.
"Already? That was fast."

I nodded. "Sorry. I'm just excited to go on a mission again."

He stared at me. "So which mission did you end up choosing?"

"A local one. There's some Grimm that need to be dealt with before their population gets to be too large."

Tai sighed. "Raven... I specifically told you not go on those types of missions. You could get hurt!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "For god's sake, Tai, I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself!"

He threw his hands up defensively. "Alright alright. We can go on this mission if you want."

"Thank you," I told him.

"So when does this mission start?"

"Tomorrow. We can head out in the morning. If we get there early enough, we might make it back by nightfall," I said.

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Do want any breakfast or anything?"

I thought about it for a moment. I was feeling a little hungry, but the nausea still lingered.

"Yeah. That sounds good. If you don't mind, I'm going to lay down for a bit. I'm feeling a bit nauseated."

Tai smiled and kissed my cheek gently. "Okay. I'll let you know when it's ready."

I said nothing as I walked into the living room and laid on the couch. I noticed the remote sitting in front of me on the ottoman. I grabbed it and turned on the TV. I watched the news until I eventually fell asleep. I was woken up by Tai.

"Sorry to interrupt your nap, Raven. I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is ready now if you feel like having some."

"Oh. Thank you," I said, slowly sitting up and yawning.

Tai smiled. "Feeling better?"

"I am actually. I guess a nap is what I needed," I replied, smiling back at him.

We ate breakfast quickly and spent the rest of the day preparing for the mission. By that evening, I thought we had everything together.

"What if we're out there longer than a few days?" Tai asked.

I sighed. "That's not likely. The Grimm in the forest are weak. We just need to kill some off. They're like the fleas of Remnant."

"Don't you think it's best if we're more prepared—"

"Ugh! Everything is going to be fine! Why do you worry so much?!" I yelled.

Tai stepped back a bit. "Raven... I just want to keep you safe."

"If you really want to keep me safe, then you wouldn't waste time worrying about this. I'm not waiting until tomorrow to complete this mission. If I'm smart about it, I can complete it by morning."

"What?! Raven you can't do this by yourself!"

I glared at him. "Watch me then. I'll prove it to you."

With that, I fled out the door and into the darkness.