Before I could ask what she meant by that, I was transported out of my dream state and sitting straight up in my bed, screaming.
I patted the sheets by my sides, trying to familiarize myself with my surroundings. I drew in a few shaky breaths, blowing them out even more shuddered.
My door burst open, startling me even further.
Sawyer ran in, his eyes bulging. “What's wrong?” he panted.
I clutched my blanket, holding it against my stomach. “Nothing. I?—”
“I heard you screaming when I left Kohen's room. Is someone in here?” Sawyer drew his dagger and started parading around my room, checking behind my curtains and in my washroom.
“What? No. I just had a bad dream.”
“Oh.” He dropped his blade, sheathing it against his thigh.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.”
“You probably scared the whole floor. You got some strong vocal cords.” Sawyer moved towards my bed, slumping to the bottom of my mattress. “What was your dream about?”
“I don’t remember.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You're dripping sweat and still breathing heavily. You remember.”
I pulled my blanket up higher to hide my chest. “It was just a dream.”
“Uh huh,” Sawyer mumbled in a tone that said he didn't believe me. He laid the back of his hand against my forehead. “You're burning up,” he said when he pulled it away, placing it instead around my wrist.
I gulped and forced a small grin. “Just a bit under the weather, I guess.”
His fingers unfurled as Sawyer rose to crack my window open, allowing some fresh air into the room. “Alright, well if you need me, you know where to find me.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
He was halfway out the door when I stopped him. “Actually, would you mind just staying until I fall asleep?” To be completely blunt, the revisitation of my nightmare had my anxiety at one level below panic.
“Of course.” Sawyer settled himself into my armchair, and when I woke up in the morning, he was gone.
After my wieldingsession that evening, I stopped by Professor Stoll’s office, planning to break in. Unfortunately, I had to take Sawyer with me as he refused to let me walk back to my room by myself.
Stoll usually left the door to his classroom open, but tonight, of all nights, it was closed and locked.
“What are we doing here?” Sawyer asked as I fidgeted with the lock.
I held a finger up to my mouth, shushing him as I twisted and turned the knob. A heavy groan escaped my lips when I realized it was not going to work.
“Move over.” Sawyer waved me away.
He used his magic to create a powerful stream of water from his fingers. The liquid leaked into the knob, and the pressure of it cracked the lock. Sawyer turned the handle and pulled the door open.
I guess having him here turned out to be pretty useful.
I made straight for Stoll’s bookcase, rummaging through it. Sawyer walked up behind me, observing as I scanned my eyes over the bindings, in search of the familiar text.
“Yes!” I whispered excitedly when I found it. I removed the manuscript from the shelf and started flipping through the pages, not lifting my eyes as I moved to sit at one of the desks.
Sawyer mirrored my movements, taking a seat next to me. “Willawood, what are we doing?—”
I shushed him again, and this time, he listened.
