Willow and I spent every moment of the last several days, when we weren't in her classes, in the library. Today was no different, except for the fact that Willow was called to Master Kenji's office during her Potions class. Since then she was acting strange, well stranger than what I had grown accustomed to in the short time that I had known her.
I had asked what Kenji wanted and she had promptly told me I talk too much and if I didn't learn the art of being quiet that she'd find a spell to do the trick. And so I decided it was better to not bother her about that business, if it were about returning me home I'm sure she would tell me.
"I think I should tell you now before we get any deeper into this that I've never been much of a student," I said, trailing after Willow as she turned down another aisle in the library. My arms were starting to tremble under the weight of the books I was carrying. Apparently, I needed to find more ways to be useful to her. I shifted my arms when one of the books in the stack started to slip.
"Then I guess it's a good thing that I didn't summon you here to learn, isn't it?"
I frowned at her response. I didn't know how much longer I could stand to be stuck with this girl. She was a real terror when she wanted to be. I watched as she pulled another book from the shelf and set it on the top of the stack, adding more weight.
I grunted as I shifted my arms. "Be honest. You're punishing me aren't you?"
Willow snorted, casting a sidelong glance in my direction before turning her back to me entirely. "Give me some credit. I do have more imagination than that."
I glared at her back, trying to shift the weight of the books, hoping it would do something for the ache in my arms and shoulders. It didn't.
"Do you really need all of these?"
"Probably not, but you never know. There might be something in one of these that could help us figure out your magical potential."
"I don't see how reading a bunch of books is the way to do this."
"Which is why you're the familiar and I'm the witch," she replied.
Willow pushed her hat back out of her face, grabbing another book from the shelf and setting it atop the pile. I strained against the added weight, nearing my physical limit. She didn't seem concerned, making her way further down the aisle. With a groan, I followed after her, having trouble seeing over the stack of books in my aching arms.
"Just to clarify, you do know I am a person and not a pack mule, right?"
I was sorry for myself and every other familiar at Espora Academy. The fact that they were ripped away from whatever dimension or home they'd been in and forced into a life of servitude for the rest of their lives. It seemed like a crappy deal. I mean, what did familiars get out of the situation?
Willow hummed at my comment. "I doubt anyone would know the difference from all the noises you make. You'll have to excuse the confusion..."
"Okay, that's it." I dropped the books, not caring about the mess that I made. Even I had limits to what I was willing to put up with. "What is your problem? You've been acting even...witchier...since you got back from meeting with Old man Kenji."
"It's Master Kenji," she corrected me. "And I'm not acting witchy. I am a witch."
I wanted to reach out and strangle her. I fisted my hands at my side to quell the impulse.
"Ha. ha. You know what I meant."
She sighed, "My problem is that I am trying to focus on the task at hand and your constant stream of whining and chattering is distracting."
I rolled my eyes. This was her attempting to deflect away from the fact that something was bothering her. I knew deflection tactics too well to be fooled.
"Look, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine..."
"Will you stop bothering me if I tell you?" she interrupted, exasperated.
I looked her over silently, wondering if perhaps she did actually want to talk and was pretending to be put out by my behavior. Some people weren't sharers, not because they had nothing to share, but because they didn't know how. I was willing to bet that under her icy cold exterior that Willow had a warm center. Or at least, wanted to hope that was the case.
"I swear I will shut up and not speak unless spoken to. Scouts honor." I held up my hand, mocking the gesture.
She didn't seem to know the reference, ignoring me as she reached into the pocket of her black cloak and pulling out a piece of paper. She held it out towards me with a flat expression on her face. I took it from her, opened it and read.
Dining at Grandmother Rose's this weekend. Received word from your mother that she is to be in attendance. She will expect to see you here.
Sincerely, Aunt Sage
I tongued my cheek as I re-read it a couple more times. If this was how her family communicated with one another I completely understand why Willow was so stiff about everything. Her mother couldn't even be bothered to write to her. That's rough. I held the telegram back out towards her.
"Well, family dinner with grandma...that can't be too bad, right?" I tried to sound optimistic.
She scoffed, "I haven't seen my mother since the Winter Solstice."
"I'm guessing that was a while ago?"
"Not long enough."
Willow snatched the telegram from me, crumbling in her hand and tossing it over her shoulder without a care for the fact she had littered in the library. She glared down at it and I got the sense she wished to use her magic to incinerate it.
"The only reason she's coming, no doubt, is because she's heard about the fact that I summoned a human as my familiar and wants to see for herself."
"Just lie, say you're sick or something."
"How simple minded," she muttered.
"Well, it's worked for me loads of times."
"Even if I avoid this dinner, there will be others and you'll still be human, won't you?"
I cringed at the way she called me human. It was hard to remember that, despite her human features, Willow was something fundamentally different than me.
She sighed, expression softening for a moment. "No, it will be better for us to face my mother now and get it over with."
I recalled how concerned Willow was about the embarrassment I would bring to her family. I didn't quite understand the hierarchy when it came to familiars and what made one better than another, but I knew without a doubt, a human was not a worthy companion.
Honestly, I agreed that I made for a terrible familiar. I had a mind of my own and a stubborn streak a mile wide. But that didn't mean that I couldn't try, at least while we were around her family, to be more fitting of my current position. Something about Willow was pitiable.
"I promise to be on my best behavior around your family. They'll all be wishing they had a human as a familiar by the end of that dinner."
She turned her attention to me, eyebrows raising in quiet surprise before she regained control of herself. Willow's expression flattened and she bent for to grab a book from the mess I'd made. She rose up and held it out for me to take.
"Wonderful thought." Nothing about the tone of her voice made me feel like she was confident I'd be able to do that. I took the book and watched as she stepped over the rest of the mess. "You can begin being the best familiar by cleaning this up."
I reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist when she moved to leave. She stared at my hand for a moment before lifting her gaze to my face. We stared at each other, silent. I needed her to understand that I was serious about what I'd promised. It was like that moment when I'd challenged Laurel for her. This confusing need to stand beside her and protect her.
"I meant what I said. I won't let them look down on you or me."
Tense silence enveloped us. Then, slowly, the corner of her mouth turned up in a hesitant smile before she pulled out of my hold. Willow didn't say anything but I got the feeling that smile was a sliver of trust she was willing to put into me.
She walked away without a glance back, leaving me to my own devices. I glanced down at the books that surrounded me, shoulders slumping.
I threw back my head with a tired groan. I missed earth. I wasn't cut out for this life, and I certainly didn't want it. Who cared if I had used magic? Unless it was going to make my life around here easier or get me back home faster; it was useless to me.