Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Nati

My bed is covered in all kinds of different outfits, but I still have no idea what I’m supposed to wear for a date. It’s been so long since I’ve been on one that it feels virtually impossible to choose.

The door opens, and I look up, unsurprised to find Anja stepping into our room.

She raises an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”

“I have a date,” I respond.

“Oh, who with?”

I give her a look.

“What? I wasn’t there when whoever it was asked you.”

I sigh. “You know very well who it is.”

“Just tell me, won’t you?” Anja asks.

“Meic.”

“Really? I didn’t see that coming.” The knowing expression on her face says otherwise.

“Didn’t you? Because according to him, you had something to do with his current personality shift.”

“Oh.” She looks away. “I might have told him to stop making gorgon jokes if he wanted to actually impress you.”

“Right, and did he mention that he thought we were fated mates in that conversation?”

“It was implied,” she says. “You should wear the black dress, it makes you look great.”

“Thanks.” I put it to the side and collect up my other clothes so I can put them away. “So he implied we were fated mates and you didn’t think to tell me?”

“I didn’t know for sure, and I didn’t want to get your hopes up if you are interested in him, or cloud your own feelings.” She strips off her blazer and starts switching her uniform for comfier clothes, no longer caring that I’m in the room with her unlike when she first got to the academy. Living with the same person constantly would pretty much rid anyone of their issues changing in front of someone else. “Are your hopes up?” she asks.

I sigh. “I honestly don’t know what to make of it.” I finish hanging the clothes I’m not going to wear back up and turn around, contemplating what I’ve gotten myself into. “What choice do I really have if fate is involved? It’s a lot of pressure being someone’s fated mate.”

“You can say no,” she responds. “Or I assume you can. That’s how it worked with Cethin.”

“What would have happened to him if you turned him down?”

“I don’t know,” she admits. “But I also didn’t want to find out.”

“Helpful.” I look at the black dress now lying alone on the bed. She’s right, it does make me look great. And I want to look good on our date. I want to spend time with Meic, and I want to discover some of the things we could have together.

But being his fated mate is huge. It means this isn’t just the first date of a potential relationship, it’s the first date of something so much more than that.

I shouldn’t be considering something so drastic at twenty-two. But I suppose if fate’s involved, then it must think I’m ready.

“Eurgh, why is this so complicated?” I ask out loud.

Anja shoots me an apologetic smile. “Because it’s new. Maybe it’s not as confusing as you think.”

I flop down onto my bed and run a hand over my face, managing to rouse Frank from his scaly sleep. He slithers down my forehead and I reach up to tickle his head, getting a soft hiss in response. “It feels confusing.”

“How do you feel about the date?” she asks. “Without the fated mate stuff.”

“Excited,” I whisper, realising it’s the first time I’ve really said it. “I’m looking forward to spending time with him that’s away from the dining hall or class.”

“Even if he makes dumb gorgon jokes?”

“I don’t think he’s going to do that,” I respond, though I don’t have any real basis for that other than what he’s said. “I’ve not really dated very much.”

“Why not?”

I gesture to my head.

A puzzled expression crosses the banshee’s face. “What about the snakes?”

That if they get too close to someone, they could risk turning them into stone .

I keep that to myself. I don’t want her to be scared of me accidentally doing that to her considering how much time we spend together.

“Well, they’re always there. I always end up worrying if someone is actually going to want to kiss me because of them. And I know it’s not a huge thing, but would you want snakes down there?” I gesture down my body to accentuate my point.

“Wait, are you saying...”

“What? No.” A blush rises to my cheeks. “They’re just on my head, thankfully.”

“Oh, you mean if you’re going down on someone.” A pensive expression crosses her face. “Have your snakes ever attacked anyone?”

“No.”

“Then I guess what are the chances they’ll do it for the first time when you’re with someone? And if that person doesn’t trust you, then that’s their problem. Your snakes are part of you, they’re not going anywhere.”

Hisssssss .

I don’t know if Frank is agreeing with her, or if he’s expressing his displeasure at the direction of my thoughts.

“Maybe I should take a potion to put them to sleep,” I muse.

This time, Frank’s hiss is one of alarm, making Anja laugh in response. I’m impressed by how well she’s gotten to know my snakes’ hisses.

“Is that possible?” she asks.

“Yes. I have one made up already. I just don’t like using it because I worry that it’ll hurt the snakes.” Should I drink some for my date with Meic? It’ll certainly make it easier if I decide I want to kiss him. But at the same time, I do worry about the impact on the snakes.

“I think that’s up to you.”

I sigh. “I’m overthinking it all, aren’t I?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Anja responds. “You’re nervous and this is an important date. And none of it seems to be nerves about Meic.”

“No, I guess not,” I admit. “I think I feel good about that part.”

“Then you have your answer about a lot of it. And if there’s something that’s worrying you, like the snakes, then talk to him about it. If he refuses to have an adult conversation, then you know all you need to about the situation.”

“That’s actually good advice,” I muse.

“Mmm, and it’s probably good. I haven’t had any premonitions of Meic dying.”

I snort. “Is that even how your magic works?”

“Not as far as I know, but it felt fun to say it,” she responds.

I take a deep breath. “Okay, so time to get ready for the date.” The excitement starts to rise within me to overtake the nerves, which makes me feel a little better about the whole thing, snakes or no snakes.

“It’s going to go great,” Anja assures me. “And if it doesn’t, you can message me and I’ll come up with a reason you have to come back here.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” I say. “I’m only in this position because of your boyfriend.”

Anja snorts. “Hardly. If fate’s involved, it would have found another way to bring the two of you together, with or without Cethin and Meic being friends. Maybe it would even have been the other way around and I’d now be blaming you for my date with Cethin.”

I laugh despite myself. “Now wouldn’t that be something?” Though we both know there was very little resistance to Anja getting together with Cethin, I’m sure they wouldn’t have needed my help at all.

But that’s beside the point because they’re together and I’m about to head out on my first date with my fated mate.

I just have to hope this isn’t going to turn out to be a mistake.