“I’ve got you; we can share,” Heidi said, sitting her textbook heavily on the desk. I hadn’t noticed the canvas tote bag under her arm.
“Thanks,” I replied and scooted closer to her.
During Dr. Phears' lecture, I began to feel a sort of buzzing in my head. It was odd and annoying. Naturally, I looked to Heidi who winked at me.
She wrote on her notepad and passed it to me.
That’s me. I’m knocking. Let me in.
She had written in neat script.
How?
I wrote back.
Try imagining a door opening and me on the other side.
I huffed, more interested in Dr. Phears' lecture, but did as she suggested. I imagined a turquoise door, the colour of her House, with the Coactus cat crest and opened the door to her.
“I’m in!” she sang in my head.
“What do you want?” I asked her.
“I realised I taught you how to kick me out but not how to let me back in. It might be useful for us to communicate like this in the future,” she said.
“Can you speak like this with anyone you choose?” I asked her.
“Yes, mostly, only other witches or those with enchantments have the power to keep me out. And most non-witches find it difficult even to reply. I’m told it gives them a nasty headache. Do I give you a headache, Percy?” she asked me.
“Not with your magic,” I replied, and she laughed in response.
“I think your Mistress and I will become good friends. She’s not as dull as she first appears. In fact, she has quite the dirty mind,” she told me. I blushed at her words but didn’t reply. “I’m sure you’ve benefited from her sexual proclivities.”
“Heidi, don’t talk about her like that. Please,” I asked her, embarrassedly remembering the previous night and then all at once horrified that Heidi might have seen my memory.
“Okay, sorry. You’re very protective of her, aren’t you?” she asked me, and I was relieved that Heidi had not gotten a very personal insight into my relationship with the Princess. If she had even glimpsed that thought, she would not have let it go.
“Yes, she’s very important to me,” I told her.
“Why?” I could feel the curiosity in her question.
“I don’t understand the question,” I told her.
“Why is she important to you? It can’t be sex, I mean, I imagine she is a force of nature in bed, but great sex isn’t enough to be as head over heels as you are. Why is she so important to you?” she pressed her question.
“I feel complete when I’m with her. It’s easy and natural. She’s my opposite almost in every way, but it makes sense,” I told her. I was careful to only talk about myself. I would not give away information about Selene. She didn’t have to know that I loved the way she ran her fingers through my hair. Or how the rhythm of her heart and voice soothed me to sleep most nights. She didn’t have to know how playful she was, how freely she smiled in my company, or how she made me feel safe. And she couldn’t know Selene was my soul match.
“How romantic,” she replied, and again I felt the sadness in her response.
“Am I feeling your emotions?” I asked her.
“Yes.”
“Can you feel mine?” I questioned.
“Yes.”
“Why are you sad?”