Page 14 of The Banshee and the Warlock

"Disappointed?" I quip.

A blush rises to her cheeks, only made more prominent by the paleness of her skin and the silver of her hair. "That's not what I said."

"But you are." Satisfaction sings through me.

"You're putting words in my mouth," she responds. "So, why are you still here? We're not supposed to be in this part of the academy at night."

"I was reading," I respond. "And I didn't realise the time. I was trying to sneak back to my flat when I found you in the courtyard."

She wraps herself up inside my blazer and takes a deep breath. "What were you reading?"

"The Doctor's Monster."

"Are you going to tell me that you connected with the monster?"

I let out a small laugh. "No, I promised my sister I'd help her with her coursework when we go home for winter break. She's supposed to be doing an essay on The Doctor's Monster, so I'm reading it."

"That's sweet."

"Thanks. So, the dream?"

She sighs and runs a hand over her face. "They're probably just dreams."

"They?"

She bites her lip and nods. "They started after I turned twenty-one. At first, it was just one a week, but now it feels like I'm having them every night."

I frown. That's not good. "Are they always the same?"

"Variations of the same," she says, looking off into the distance. "There's always an eerie mist and a river. Can we not talk about it?"

I nod. "If that's what you want." As much as I want to help her, I know I have to let her tell me things like this in her own time.

For a moment, I think she's going to change her mind, but she just keeps staring out into the courtyard. I want to ask her more about the dreams, especially because it sounds as if they've been plaguing her for a while, but I know better than to push her on this. If she wants to tell me, then she will. I can't protect her if she doesn't want to let me near her. I have to earn her trust for her to tell me about her dreams.

Another shiver travels through her.

"Come on." I get to my feet and hold out my hand to her.

"Where?"

"Trust me, and you'll find out."

She lets out a small laugh, already seeming more like herself now the dream has been shaken away. "What if I don't?"

"You do."

"Yes." She slips her hand into mine, and I feel as if something clicks within me.

I'm not sure precisely what's happening right now, but I'm grateful for it, especially when it means I'm getting to spend time with her outside of the Potions lab.

Chapter 7

Anja

"Where are we?" I ask as Cethin pulls me through a door with a small window.

"One of the cookery classrooms," he responds.