Chapter 19
Anja
I groan and rub my temples, already wondering how I'm going to be able to cope with Familiar Training as well as everything else.
I look up, unsurprised to find Thistle soaring above me. I don't think she's ever going to stop going off and doing her own thing, but she's definitely keeping an eye on me more.
"We need to go back up to the academy," I say to the sky.
She caws loudly.
"Oh, shhh," I tell her. "You're the one who is making me go through all of this." Even from this distance, I see her give me a look and she flies off.
"You'll get used to it," Nati promises.
I jump, not having expected to find my friend here. "What are you..."
"The snakes count as familiars," she responds. "Or they do to an extent. I'm not sure I buy it myself, but they're magically attached to me, so I suppose it counts."
I frown. "I think that makes sense?"
"It doesn't really. Are you ready to head to the dining room? I'm always starving after Familiar Training," she says.
"What did they make you do?" I ask.
"Oh, just the normal stuff about controlling the snakes so they don't eat people."
"Is that likely?" I adjust the strap of my bag over my shoulder so it doesn't dig in as much.
"Only if they don't like you. But you're safe."
"I feel totally reassured."
Nati lets out an amused laugh and sets off towards the academy. "So what did you do?"
"Just bonding stuff. They won't let me do anything else until I've mastered my bond with Thistle."
"She seems pretty bonded to me," Nati responds, watching as the raven swoops down and lands on my shoulder.
"Not according to any of the testers," I murmur. "It's fine."
Thistle taps her beak against my shoulder, and I raise my hand. She drops something onto it.
"Thank you," I say, bringing the item closer to inspect it. The seashell must have come from the shore around the island, and is entrancingly beautiful. "I'll put it with my other treasures," I say to the raven.
She caws again and flaps her wings.
"Oh, so that's what the bowl of random crap by your bed is," Nati muses.
"It isn't random crap, it's treasure."
Thistle caws in agreement, then flaps her wings again.
"All right, go do your thing," I say to the raven.
She doesn't need telling twice and jumps into the air, flying away without a backward glance.
"Seems like she understands you just fine," Nati says.
"Yeah, I can't say I really understand any of this," I admit. Despite my ancestors promising me that I'd understand my magic, the familiar part of it really hasn't been easy to get used to.
We pass through the front doors and pass a group of four students with dark hair and pale skin.
I freeze, the feeling coming from the group is different than from what I can feel coming from Nati.
She keeps walking, only seeming to notice that I'm not with her when she's halfway down the corridor. She follows my gaze to where the group of students are heading into one of the classrooms.
I shake my head and hurry to catch up with my friend.
"Why the sudden interest in vampires? I thought you were all loved up already." She raises an eyebrow.
"I'm not loved up," I murmur, though I can tell that it's a lie. I haven't said the words out loud to anyone, least of all Cethin, but I can certainly feel them. "But wait, vampires?"
"Yeah. You've been here a couple of months already, surely you know how to spot a vampire?"
"I guess? I've never thought about it." I try to shake the feeling that I'm missing something, which is surprisingly easy given the way my stomach rumbles.
We pass into the dining hall and my gaze immediately lands on the table where Cethin normally sits with his friends.
He raises his hand and waves at me.
Nati sighs. "We've got to sit with them, haven't we?"
"We don't have to," I assure her. "Look, there are some free spots there."
"And have you spend all of lunch sneaking looks at your boyfriend?" She heads right over to them without giving me a chance to protest.
I shrug, not about to complain about the fact that I get to sit next to Cethin. I slide into the seat next to him and lean in to kiss him hello.
"Nathara, it's good to see you," Cethin's friend says.
She rolls her eyes, and I swear I hear Frank hiss from within her nest of snakes. "Lunch will go much better if you keep your mouth shut, Meic," she responds.
"I don't know, I'd think anything would be improved by my commentary." He picks up an apple and bites into it.
Nati glares at him from across the table and I try to smother my laughter.
"Enjoying yourself?" Cethin asks.
"They don't realise how amusing they are," I respond softly.
"Mmm."
Someone passes behind us giving off the same sense as the vampires before. I freeze, causing Cethin to look at me with concern written all over his face. "What is it?"
"I just got a weird vibe from some vampires and then again just now. It's like they feel different from most people." I frown. "It's probably nothing."
Cethin laughs, surprising me. "Or it's just your magic."
"I'm supposed to be able to prophecise death," I point out. "Though all the research I've done seems to be suggesting that it'll take years before I've mastered that ability." I'm still not entirely sure if that's a good thing or a bad one.
"But that doesn't mean you can't already sense death," he points out.
"Vampires aren't...oh."
"Yep." He offers me a drink and I take it.
"You think it's my banshee magic sensing that they're kind of dead?"
"It makes sense. You were able to sense your hamster almost being dead when you were a kid."
"Hmm, true." I look around the room, trying to hone in on how each of the people surrounding me feels. My eyes widen as my gaze lands on Meic. He doesn't feel the same way the vampires do, but it's also not the same as what I feel coming from the others.
"Meic's a ghoul," Cethin supplies.
"How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"It was fairly obvious," he admits. "But there's your answer."
"Huh." I'm going to have to pay a lot more attention to the people around me if I want to hone this skill. I'm not sure precisely what I could use it for, but I suppose understanding my magic is important regardless of whether I can think of a specific use for it.
"Are you free later?" Cethin asks.
I nod. "What did you have in mind? More breaking and entering classrooms?"
He chuckles. "Something much less likely to get us into trouble."
"I don't know whether to be disappointed or not."
He brushes his hand against my leg under the table. "I'd like to think you won't be disappointed." The way his voice dips makes me think it's full of the promise of what's to come.
"What did you have in mind?"
"Come to my room after dinner? It's by the statue of the sneezing gargoyle," he responds. "All will be revealed."
"I'm intrigued."
"You should be." He waggles his ears at me.
"I'm going to be trying to work out what you have planned all afternoon."
"I can give you a taste." Magic jumps from his fingers to my leg, sending a bolt of desire through me.
I let out a small gasp, having to hide it when several people look at me. "Bit my tongue," I lie.
Nati's expression says that she doesn't believe me, but that she also doesn't want to ask me for more information, but she soon goes back to her verbal sparring match with Meic.
Cethin's amusement is written all over his face.
"That was mean," I chide him.
"But it'll give you something to think about during class." The corners of his lips curl up into a knowing smirk.
"And now you'll be thinking about what I'm thinking about," I tease. "Two can play at that game, Cethin."
"I've been thinking what you're thinking almost every moment since I met you," he responds.
A small shiver of desire travels through me at the idea. Later can't come soon enough.
My stomach rumbles and he pulls his hand away from my leg. "You should eat."
I nod. Though I have no idea how I'm going to be able to focus on food with some of the thoughts he's put in my head.