Page 45 of The Banshee and the Warlock

"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?"