Page 24 of The Banshee and the Warlock

We lose balance and he falls back, taking me with him and not breaking the kiss at all.

Caw!

I jump, breaking away from him, but not moving from my position other than that.

A raven jumps around beside us.

Caw! Caw!

I groan. "Really? Now is when you're choosing to talk to me again?"

Cethin gives me an odd look. "You know the raven?" His voice is husky and his eyes are glowing even more purple than before. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy, even if I can't explain why.

"I think so." I climb off his lap, kind of disappointed that we can't take this further, even if we're out in the grounds of the academy where anyone could come across us anyway. Next time, I should suggest a more private location.

"You're going to have to explain that."

"I keep running into it," I say, digging my hand into my pocket for the speckled white pebble I've been carrying around there in case I run into my raven friend again. "Normally after I've woken up from one of my dreams."

"Maybe it's your familiar."

I frown and hold the pebble out to the raven. "I don't have a familiar."

"Obviously."

I give him an unamused look.

The raven shifts forward and inspects the pebble. It's only now it's closer that I realise it has something in its mouth. No doubt it's trying to work out if my offering is good enough before giving it to me.

"Sorry, I know that wasn't helpful." Cethin sighs and shifts into a more comfortable position, his eyes having returned to their normal colour.

For some reason, I'm disappointed by that.

"Are you sure it's the same raven?" he asks.

I study the bird hopping around and looking at me with intelligent beady eyes. It drops a tarnished ring next to the pebble and I find myself smiling.

"Yes," I say to the warlock. "And thank you, I'll put that with my button." I pull it out of my pocket to show the raven so it knows I've been treasuring its gift.

Caw!

It's almost as if the raven is trying to tell me that it approves. Though I don't know whether it's because of our gift exchange, or my assessment about it being the same raven.

"But I don't know why it's interested in me," I admit.

"Magic," Cethin responds. "It's the most logical explanation."

"I suppose it does make more sense than the idea I'm being stalked by a raven," I muse. "What do I do about it?"

"I think that's up to you," he responds.

I look at the raven and think about what it might mean that I have one in the first place. I guess it confirms that I am magical, though I'd gathered that already simply from the fact I'm here.

"Would you like to be my familiar?" I ask the bird.

The raven flaps its wings and picks up the pebble before it jumps into the air.

Is that an answer? Or does it just mean that the raven has gotten tired of my indecision already? Just like every aspect of who I am, I'm left confused and without the answers.