Page 23 of A Witch and Her Dragon
Enjoyed?
Is that what I want? For him toenjoyme? Enjoy my presence?
My chest tightens up a bit at the thought, and I quickly turn away, striding down the hallway along with the other students moving between classes or on their rest period.
Despite Raelan’s size, he moves quietly, and I can scarcely hear his boots on the stone as he follows behind me, enough paces back now that I don’t feel like he’s breathing down my neck at every waking moment.
I reachthe stairs to the north tower and start up them. A few students pass by me, smiling and nodding as they go, but soon, it’s just me and Raelan on the stairs, climbing higher and higher as the wind outside taps on the stained glass windows.
I’m breathing hard by the time we make it to NT33—no matter how many times I climb this tower, I still get out of breath. Raelan doesn’t even break a sweat.
I pull my key out of my robe pocket, force it into the heavy lock, and push the door open.
The scent of sage drifts out—Maeve lights a stick every morning before her daily meditation—immediately calming me. Yuki yips a hello from where he’s sprawled on one of the couches in front of the fire. Behind me, Raelan pauses, his boots falling silent on the stone.
Whenever I’m in my dorm room, he waits out here in the hall—unless it’s nighttime, then he retires to his room, which is just a short distance up the staircase from mine. He never comes inside, just stands here silently, waiting for me to go to my next class or to the dining hall. And he never complains, even if he often looks like he wants to.
“Would you... like to come in?” I ask, shocking even myself with the offer. “I could make us a cup of tea before archery. It’ll probably be cold on the range today.”
Surprise crosses briefly over his face, and his gaze flicks over my shoulder, to the room beyond. He draws a breath, and I think he’s going to take me up on my offer. But then he gives a sharp shake of his head and steps back, putting another foot of distance between us.
“No. I’ll wait for you here.”
Though I don’t understand why, his rejection feels like a slap to the face.
And I’m reminded that I’m just a job to him, a salary, a duty he does for his kingdom.
Foolishly, I let Maeve and Lyra get to me. But they’re wrong. Just like I told them.
“Very well,” I say, then step into the room and close the door without even glancing back. When it clicks closed, putting a physical barrier between us, I let my shoulders sag.
And I think, on the other side of the door, I hear Raelan sigh.
Chapter 12
Alina
“WHAT DOYOUTHINK DIVINATION is?” Professor Silvermoon asks the class. She walks slowly through our assembled desks, her long silver hair pulled back into a single braid.
A student at the right of the classroom speaks up. “I’m not totally sure, but I think it’s using symbols or tools to understand what’s going to happen in the future.”
“Good,” Professor Silvermoon says. “Anyone else?” Her dark blue eyes slide to my desk, where I’m seated beside Poppy. “Ms. Waverly? What does divination mean to you?”
Poppy sits up a bit straighter and pushes her round glasses farther up the bridge of her nose. “It’s... It’s a way to bring unconscious knowledge into conscious awareness,” she says, her voice soft.
Professor Silvermoon makes a gentle humming sound as she moves toward the front of the classroom. A crystal ball sits on her desk, and a stick of incense smolders, sending athin tendril of sage-scented smoke throughout the room. “Can you expand on that?” she asks.
Poppy clears her throat and adjusts in her seat. “Well... I think a lot of the time, we already know the answers we’re looking for—we just don’tknowthat we know them. Divination tools, like tarot or pendulums, help us access that inner knowing by giving it form through symbols or patterns. When we look at a card or symbol, it triggers something inside us—a memory, a feeling, a realization—that we might not have noticed otherwise. So, in a way, we’re not predicting the future so much as uncovering hidden layers of the present or ourselves.”
Professor Silvermoon tips her head. “Very good, Ms. Waverly. You have a dream-magic affinity, yes?”
Poppy’s cheeks go a touch pink as all the students turn to look at her. She nods once. “That’s right.”
“It suits you.” Professor Silvermoon gives Poppy a smile, then turns to regard the class. “Divination means many things to many different practitioners. But in this class, we treat divination as a reflective practice—a way to ask better questions, not just get easy answers. Whether you view it as a spiritual connection, a psychological mirror, or an art form, it’s ultimately about empowering you to know yourself more deeply.” She looks around the classroom. “Now, please pull out your tarot cards, and we’ll get started with a daily pull and reflection.”
When her eyes meet mine, a little tingle goes down my spine. Professor Silvermoon has a way of lookingintoyou, like she can see right through all your layers and to the core of your soul.
I reach into my bookbag and pull out my satin card bag. It’s a rich blue with little moons and stars embroidered on it with silver thread. Sliding the cards carefully from the bag, I set them on the desk in front of me.
