I shook my head. “They’re human. They don’t know anything about this world either.”
“Right.” She pulled her headphones from around her neck and sat them on the desk. “The bond is a magical connection between two supes. Sometimes we call those two people pairs. When a pair finds each other and forms the bond, it can amplify their abilities making them individually more powerful, as well as together.”
I’d read enough fantasy romance novels for this to make sense. I never thought I’d be living in one though.
“How do you find your pair?” I asked.
“That’s the tricky part. There is no way of knowing who it is until you meet them, and even then, sometimes it isn’t an instant connection. Some people say they feel a sort of energy around their pair, but others don't. Some just get lucky.”
“Then why are you making that spell?”
She grinned. “Because it’s one of the few magical ways to find your pair. The problem is that it takes some trial and error customizing it for the bond. The one I’m working on is close. We’ve been able to narrow it down to the school, so now I’m working on getting it even more specific.”
And nail clippings were supposed to help with that?
“It’s one of the tricks witches have that shifters and vampires want access to. Finding your pair is a big deal,” she continued while looking back at her notebook.
Yeah, most people would want to be more powerful.
“Can the bond be between anyone?” I asked.
“Like shifter and witch?” she asked to clarify, and I nodded. “Yeah, but there are some traditionalists who refuse to accept that. Or they think that the bond is only platonic in those cases.”
“Are they not all that way? Is a bond more than just about powers?”
“Most––if not all––pairs end up in a romantic relationship if that’s what you’re asking,” she said with a smirk.
“So it’s like your soul mate?”
She shot me an exasperated look. “If you want to turn it into a fairytale, sure.”
“And your friend’s pair is here? At the school? That’s amazing.” What were the odds of that happening?
“It’s not that unusual. There’s a reason the student body is so diverse. This was the only school that accepted all three species for a long time, and it’s the best one in the world. With such a high concentration of supes in one spot, it makes finding your pair a lot easier.”
That reminded me of what Hannah said on my very first day. “The bonded pairs live with the older students?”
“Yeah, once you bond, you don’t really want to live apart from your pair so the school allows them to live together, no matter their age.”
I leaned against the wall. “So have you tried to find yours?”
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don't need or want anyone telling me what to do or trying to control me,” she snapped back.
I flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean––.”
“It’s fine. You didn’t know.” She sucked in a breath. “Not everyone wants to be in a bond. They don’t always end in a happily ever after.”
I wanted to ask what that meant, but she spun back to her desk and put her headphones on, ending the conversation.
My history book could no longer hold my attention, so I grabbed my shower caddy and headed to the bathroom.
Later that night, when I was lying in bed, fighting to keep from falling asleep, a familiar tug pulled at me. I closed my eyes, allowing it to take over.
When I opened them, I was in my wildflower field with a brilliant cotton candy sunset hanging over the horizon.