I jumped high in my seat at the intrusion of a foreign voice in my head. Sophia hissed quietly at me, flinching at my movement.
“Is everything okay?” Dr. Phears asked.
“Yes. Sorry,” I mumbled. She hummed and continued her lecture.
Was I losing my mind? Hearing voices?
“Listen.”
I flinched again, less violently.
“Stop flailing around like a fish.”The voice inside my head laughed at me.“I know what you’re thinking, and no, you haven’t lost your marbles. My name’s Heidi. I’m sat two rows behind you. I’m of House Coactus.A witch, like you - well, you’re half a witch so not quite the same. My magic allows me to communicate telepathically with others. If you speak to me directly, I will hear you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked aloud. Dr. Phears looked at me perturbed at the interruption and began to re-explain the effects of shock on the body.
“Speak to me inside your head, you fool.”Heidi laughed again.
“Why are you speaking to me? How are you inside my head? I don’t like this,”I told her, thinking the words.
“I wanted to speak with the curious half-witch that has the future Queen so wrapped around her little finger she’s made her way into a healing class,”Heidi replied. I was becoming used to the odd sensation of whispering in my head.
“Well, I don’t want to speak to you,”I told her. Who did she think she was barging into my head like this?
“You could always kick me out. If you know how.”She laughed again.
“That’s not fair,”I replied.“You can’t just go about speaking to people, all creepy like.”
Quiet giggling interrupted Dr. Phears' lecture.
“Heidi, the least you can do in my class, is pretend to pay attention!” Dr. Phears angrily chastised.
“Sorry, Dr. Phears. It won’t happen again,” the real voice of Heidi answered.
“You’re quite outspoken for a servant, Percy. So, my fellow witch, what is your gift? Anything special? It must be to have attracted a Royal.”
“I can grow plants and increase the length of active blooms,”I told her; she obviously wasn’t going to leave my head anytime soon.
“That’s hardly a gift at all!”she complained.“I thought for sure you would be more interesting. Hmm, so rumours are true; you’re gifted in other ways?”she asked. I was confused.
“What do you mean?”I asked.
“Don’t play innocent, Percy. I’m told you’re constantly covered in your mistress’s scent, and why would the Princess of the Borealis Kingdom keep a useless half-witch so close if she wasn’t getting something from you more than blood? You must be quite the lay,”she answered, and my cheeks flushed heavily.
Were people talking about the Princess and me? There were rumours about us?
“I can see you blushing from here. You are rather pure looking. I don’t see you as the wild vixen type, but I suspect you could prove me wrong, eh?”She laughed.
“I wouldn’t be interested in you,”I told her firmly.
“Really? What a disappointment. Here I was hoping for Borealis’ seconds.”She laughed sarcastically.
“Why are you bothering me? I’ve done nothing to you,”I asked, angry and embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention to upset you,”she answered softer.“I find this class, well, utterly boring. You are far more interesting. I’m surrounded by pureblood shifters and vampires all day long. If you hadn't noticed, there aren’t many witches at Sanguis Academy.”
“If you want to be friends, forcing me to speak with you only to insult me isn’t the best way to go about it,”I told her. Was this how all purebloods acted, even witches?
“Friends?”She hummed thoughtfully.“I’ve never thought of a servant as being able to be a friend. There is a first time for everything, and you’re a special class of servant, not as low as the others. Maybe.”