My Blood

Chapter 8 - Skulls & Dark Clouds

The library was quiet, the usual murmur of students replaced by a peaceful silence that only deepened my focus. I browsed through several shelves before stumbling across a large, dusty tome on magical plants and their healing properties. Curiosity piqued, I hauled the heavy book to a nearby table and began to leaf through it.

Hours slipped by as I absorbed the information, taking meticulous notes on anything that seemed relevant. The detailed illustrations and descriptions of rare magical herbs and their uses in potion-making and direct healing applications were fascinating. I was so engrossed that I didn't notice the time passing until my eyelids began to droop heavily.

Eventually, my body gave in to the fatigue, and I fell asleep right there in the library, my head resting on an open page of the book. I awoke sometime later, the moon casting a pale glow through the tall windows. The library was utterly silent, bathed in the soft, silvery light.

I gathered my notes and the book, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and quietly made my way out of the library. The castle corridors were deserted, the only sound my soft footsteps echoing off the stone walls as I headed back to my common room.

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Once there, I quickly readied myself for bed, my mind still replaying the bits of information I had learned earlier. Despite the unconventional end to the day, there was a part of me that felt fulfilled, knowing I had possibly found something that could make a difference for Anne.

As I lay in bed, the soft sheets wrapped around me, my mind began to replay the events of the day, each memory vivid and stirring. I thought about how Sebastian had stepped in to protect me against Prewett, his presence like a shield when the shadows of my past loomed too close. He was there, steadfast and unyielding, his promise echoing in my mind: 'I'll never let anyone hurt you again.'

His words were comforting, and a warmth spread through me as I remembered how attentively he had listened to my fears, how he had held my hand in his, providing a silent reassurance that he was indeed a friend I could rely on. But then, my thoughts drifted to that moment at the bottom of the hill, our laughter fading into the night as we lay there, so close. The memory of how his eyes searched mine, the way our breaths mingled-just a whisper apart from a kiss-sent a shiver down my spine.

Yet, as quickly as the warmth came, a wave of denial washed over it. It was foolish, wasn't it? Sebastian and I were friends, and any flutter of something more was just a trick of the moment, a slip of the heart when adrenaline ran high. And even if, by some miracle, Sebastian did harbor feelings that mirrored my own burgeoning ones, there was the unscalable wall of my parents' expectations. They would never allow anything more between us. They had plans for me, alliances to forge that had no room for a love born out of true affection rather than strategic advantage.

Turning on my side, I pulled my baby blanket closer, trying to quiet the turmoil inside. It was safer not to venture beyond the boundaries of friendship. Safer for my heart, safer for the life I was expected to lead. Yet, as I drifted toward sleep, Sebastian's smile-the way it reached his eyes, the way it made me feel seen and understood-lingered in my mind, a sweet dream that I knew could only live in the hushed confines of night.

Exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the day, I fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep, the kind where the world fades away completely and nothing can disturb you. It was a sleep so profound that I overslept, the sunlight streaming in through the curtains when I finally stirred. My eyes snapped open, and I bolted upright, panic flooding through me as I glanced at the clock. It was much later than I usually woke up, and my first class-Beast Class-was about to start.

I rushed to get ready, throwing on my clothes and grabbing my satchel in a flurry. I didn't even have time for breakfast; I just sprinted out of my dormitory, down the stairs of the common room, and out of the castle. The crisp morning air hit my face as I dashed across the grounds, my heart pounding not just from the run but also from the excitement for today's class: Beast Class. I adored animals, and this was one of the classes I looked forward to the most.