Page 86 of Echoes of the Banshee

“He’s not a witch, and I’m waiting for my mate.”

She cocks her head. “I didn’t know you guys had mates.”

“You think the goddess favors shifters?” I tease. “We have them, but not like you guys.”

She nods and takes a big bite of her sandwich.

“Speaking of, when shifters find their mates, they lose attraction to other people right?” I ask.

“Yes. That’s what they say,”

“I didn’t ask what they say.”

She purses her lips. “I’m probably not the right person to ask about this, I’m not the child of a mated couple and have no desire to ever find my fated mate.”

“Then you’re exactly the right person.”

She studies me for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, that’s supposedly how you know when your about to find your fated one. You lose all interest in sex with anyone else. But, I call bullshit on that.”

“Oh?” I quirk an eyebrow.

“Mates cheat on each other all the time,” she says around a mouthful of food. “I think it’s just one of those stories they use to convince us that finding our mate is our ticket to happiness.”

“Hm, thank you. That actually helps.”

“Really?” she asks.

“Yes. I had a… premonition and I found my mate in it. So I know he’s out there. But I’m still attracted to other guys. Was starting to think I was broken.”

“Nope, just human.” She smirks. “You are human, right?”

“I’m not the one who turns into a wild animal every full moon.” I wink at her and she starts laughing.

“That’s such a silly stereotype. Seriously where did the nightblind get this crap?”

We both laugh and go back and forth naming ridiculous things the nightblind believe about us as we both eat our plates clean.

“Want to tell me about the blood?” I ask while watching her for a reaction.

“Got a cut on my leg from a box at work yesterday.” It’s probably a lie but I decide not to press it. Even if she let me, I’m shit at healing. “Actually, I should probably head that way.” She starts to pull on her gloves.

“Do you have gloves like that with fingers?” I ask. She looks down at her gloves. “Elbow gloves with fingers.” I wiggle my fingers like she doesn’t understand what they are. Realize I’m doing it and drop them to my lap.

“Oh, yeah. Why?”

“Can I borrow a pair?”

“Now?”

“If you have time.”

She nods and we pick up our trays and I follow her towards the dorms. She leads me to one of the nightblind ones.

“Why do you live here?” I ask in a whisper as I pass a group of nightblind girls staring at me. I hear them whisper Zair’s name. Great.

“What do you mean?” she asks as we take the empty stairs.