Page 40 of The Banshee and the Warlock

His eyes darken. "Yes. I think."

"Does it have to be sex that seals the bond?" I ask curiously. That wasn't clear when I was doing my research.

"No. And just having sex wouldn't be enough either. It only works because of our emotions." He brushes my hair away from my face. "And I think it's more of a constant thing. We have to constantly want and respect each other for the mate bond to hold."

"So you were worried about sleeping with me because of how strongly you felt?" I ask.

"Yes." He pulls back and starts sorting himself out.

"And if I hadn't felt the same..."

"Then it wouldn't have worked," he admits.

I'm not sure what he's been worrying about if that's the case, but I appreciate it all the same, especially now.

A loud noise blares through the room.

Cethin chuckles. "It's my timer. The potion's ready."

I start laughing. "Well, that's a downer. I was starting to plan round two."

He leans in and kisses me softly. It's tender and only increases the intensity of the emotions I'm feeling towards him. "That can wait."

"I have to admit, I'm disappointed."

"I'll make it up to you later," he promises. "But now we should sort out your potion."

I nod, though really, all I can think about is what later might bring.

Chapter 17

Anja

I drink the potion, hating the smell and taste even more than before. It's like someone heated up bathwater and decided to make me drink it. Except that I'm the one who is making me drink it. But I want answers, and this is the only way I've got to find them.

Cethin takes the cup away from me and pulls me to him, letting me lay my head on his chest while he leans against the bench. The warmth of his arms makes it almost pleasant as I let the effects of the potion take hold, and I find myself vanishing into sleep. It's a shame that we haven't been able to enjoy the aftereffects of sleeping together without the interruption, but I know this is good for me, and for him in the long run.

The mist comes immediately, but this time I'm ready for it. If I thought everything was sharper the last time I was here because of a potion, it's even more intense this time around. Or maybe that's just because I'm thinking more clearly about things and coming into this with the knowledge that I might be a banshee.

A coolness drifts through the air that I haven't felt before, but I ignore it. For all I know, it's just a breeze in the Potions classroom and not in the dream.

The mist clears and several of the figures who have been just out of sight before make their way towards me.

I turn in a circle, but not out of fear. I want to see their faces and to know if what I'm thinking is correct. Everywhere I look, there's someone who shares some of my features. I'm not being visited by one ancestor but by many of them.

"Hello, child."

I whip around to find the woman from the book standing in front of me. Every other banshee from my past is part of the circle, but not her.

"My name is Anja," I say.

"Anja." The whisper rushes around the circle.

The woman smiles. "You are back sooner than I expected."

"You told me that I needed to accept what I am. I'm here to do that. There is no one to teach me what to do or who I am. I don't even know who my mother is."

"Your mother does not matter," she says. "You are one of us. We are all part of the chain of magic."