The Forbidden Love of Aesop Sharp

Chapter 40 - Trust or thrust?*

The castle corridors lay before us, cloaked in a chilling silence as night descended. The flickering candlelight painted eerie shadows on the stone walls, their dance captivating yet unsettling with each step we took. The air was thick with a palpable stillness, broken only by the faint echo of our footsteps echoing through the darkness.

The evening had been arduous, but thankfully, it marked the end of a grueling week of classes, promising a weekend of calm and respite, despite the brewing storm outside the castle. The sun had been a rare sight these past weeks, obscured by the dense layer of clouds that enveloped the castle, leaving only fleeting moments of light each day. To add to the chaos, a thick blanket of snow mixed with ice covered the castle grounds. After several unfortunate incidents that had filled the Hospital Wing with patients, the entire teaching staff had unanimously decided to enforce a ban all outings from the castle.

This forced confinement was met with disdain from both students and teachers alike. Unfortunately, the students, failing to grasp the reasoning behind these measures, had been particularly challenging throughout the week.

Yet, amidst the serenity and silence of the late evening corridors, I found solace. The only thing preventing me from fully enjoying this moment was the persistent throbbing in my leg, each step sending electric shocks that I struggled to ignore, unwilling to stop and concede to my weakness.

"It was fascinating, wasn't it?" Katie's sudden interruption jolted me from my thoughts, shattering the silence I had sought to immerse myself in.

"I wouldn't go as far as to call it 'fascinating,' but it was certainly interesting," I replied, drawing her closer as I draped my arm around her shoulders.

"You don't believe in divination?"

I hesitated before responding, taking a moment to carefully consider my words to avoid any potential misunderstandings.

We had spent the evening in the stifling Divination classroom, listening to Professor Onai conduct an intriguing session on reading tea leaves. Despite my initial skepticism, the subject had captivated me enough to accept Katie's invitation to attend.

However, I hadn't anticipated being surrounded by students, nor had I expected Katie and me to be the only adults present besides Professor Onai and her daughter, Natsai, who was visiting her mother for a few weeks.

The evening had left me uneasy, particularly under the scrutiny of curious gazes, even though Katie seemed oblivious to them. It was risky for both of us to attend the session together, especially after the compromising position we had found ourselves in just last week with a classroom full of students just on the other side of the door.

"I can't deny that Professor Onai is a skilled teacher and that she knows how to showcase her divination talents," I remarked, feeling Katie tense immediately in my arms. Glancing at her, I saw her furrow her brows as she wrapped her arms around herself, crossing them slowly and deliberately, pulling her shawl tighter around her.

"It's just that I tend to require more evidence than just words and tea leaves," I continued.

She nodded, but remained silent, her demeanor and facial expression clearly indicating her dissatisfaction with my response.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked, genuinely concerned by her lack of communication on the matter.

"No, not really," she sighed, "it's just that I was hoping we would both have a great time together."

I stopped immediately, causing her to halt as well, and she faced me, surprised by my sudden pause.

"I enjoy every moment I spend with you, Katie. You could have taken me into the Forbidden Forest to chase Acromantulas for their venom, and I would have been happy," I confessed.