Chapter 18
Cethin
The classroom is already full of chatter by the time I arrive, but Anja isn't here yet. I push aside my worries that she's not going to show up and take a seat. She seemed to enjoy herself last night, but I still worry that there might be regret this morning.
I check my mirror behind my bag, but don't have a message from her yet. I try not to let that bother me. This is the first class of the day, and it doesn't mean anything that she's not here. Or that I couldn't see her in the dining hall. There's got to be a perfectly good reason for that.
The door opens, and I look up, locking eyes with the gorgeous banshee making her way inside. She's carrying herself a little differently than before, with a confidence that she didn't previously have.
Her whole face lights up as she spots me, and she hurries over, glancing towards the front to make sure Professor Fairburn isn't paying any attention before leaning in and kissing my cheek.
Warmth fills me at the gesture, and I'm reassured that I haven't scared her off. I just wish we could be having our first morning-after conversation somewhere a little more private. Preferably somewhere with a bed.
"Morning," she says brightly, pulling her chair a little bit closer to mine and starting to unpack everything.
"Hey. I looked for you at breakfast," I blurt out without meaning to.
"Oh, I had a meeting with Headmistress Maddox this morning," she replies. "I should have messaged you about it, but I just got so nervous."
"How did you manage that so quickly?"
"I emailed her yesterday afternoon after you gave me the banshee book, hoping that she'd have some suggestions for me.
I woke up this morning with a response saying that she had a free half hour during breakfast if I wanted a meeting urgently, so I took it.
" The relief on her face makes it clear that it was the right decision.
"What did she say?" I ask.
"She's letting me drop one of my modules so I can take Familiar Training and has given me the paperwork to allow me to have Thistle with me on the academy grounds. I didn't even realise that was necessary. Apparently, I've been breaking all kinds of rules by bringing her inside."
"Because those are the only rules you've been breaking," I quip. I'm fairly certain there's probably an academy rule about having sex in the classrooms too.
A blush rises to her cheeks. She reaches out and puts her hand on my leg. "I'll break that rule with you as many times as you want."
I don't need a mirror to feel my eyes flare purple at the insinuation. "No regrets?"
"Not even a little one," she responds. "Or maybe one."
"Oh?"
"That there are other people in the room right now."
I let out an amused laugh. "I can see that one being a regret."
"All right, class, settle down," Professor Fairburn calls.
"Before we get started, there's just a housekeeping rule.
It's come to the faculty's attention that some students have been using classrooms after hours.
You're reminded that not only does this break the rules, but it is not what classrooms are meant to be used for. "
Anja smothers a laugh, and I look in her direction, only making it worse.
"Is everything all right, Ms Greystone?" Professor Fairburn asks, giving Anja a look that I'm surprised she has in her arsenal.
"Sorry, I've got a feather stuck down the neck of my shirt, and it tickles."
"I'll get it," I say, leaning over and quickly making a feather appear by magic, pulling it out from behind her collar.
"Hmm." The professor turns away and looks towards the board, not seeming convinced by Anja's lie. "Today's lesson will be about locking charms, though I think perhaps some of you could do with a lesson in when to respect them." She starts to go over the lesson plan.
"For you," I say, brandishing the feather to Anja.
"Thanks. I should have thought of a better lie."
"It's okay, I could work with this one," I assure her. Though if she'd come up with something different, I might have struggled.
"Do you think she knows it was us?" She takes the feather from me, her fingers lingering as they brush against mine, sending a bolt of desire through me. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to get enough of her.
"I don't think so, or we'd have been in Headmistress Maddox's office for a very different reason this morning," I assure her.
"Do you think they'd have expelled us?"
"I hope not. I don't think Dad would be very happy about that," I say.
"My parents either. They were so excited about me coming here," she responds, glancing at the front to make sure we're not about to get in trouble again. Luckily, we seem to have gotten fairly good at covert conversations.
"Have you told them that you figured out what you are yet?"
She shakes her head. "It might not surprise you to know that when I got to bed last night, I collapsed into a heap and went straight to sleep."
"Any dreams?" I don't want her to have had more nightmares after everything we did to stop them.
She gives me a knowing look. "Yes. But not the kind you're insinuating."
"So nothing vivid?"
"Oh, it was very vivid," she responds. She looks to the front where the professor is going through copious amounts of information surrounding locking charms.
I try to focus on what the professor is saying, but I can't help my mind from wandering and wondering what Anja dreamt about.
"You were the star," she says when there's the perfect break for a conversation.
"I hope I was good."
"Very." She grins. "It definitely gave me some ideas."
"I look forward to finding out more about them."
She gives me a look that makes me certain there are fun things in our future.
Though maybe we'll skip the classroom next time.