She still sported the same headache the morning after, when she had to navigate the whole morning of classes. Every sound was like a hammer through a nail in the middle of her brain, while drunken sailors danced Russian-style on her synapsis.

She basically didn't move for six hours, and when the last lesson finally ended, she simply crawled out from her desk and dragged her feet towards the class door.

Where she found Irissa, looking at her with a dark look.

«Are you drunk?» she asked, her voice just a little too sharp for Banshee's ears.

«What? No. Just... magic.» she said, blinking in the light as they exited the room. «Aren't you with your friends?»

«They went home, I'm waiting for...»

«Irissa!» chimed a deep voice from the corridor, and Banshee exerted herself by raising her eyes.

Bathed in the light coming from the upper windows, wearing a tight sleeveless light-blue shirt gym tank top and blue jeans that didn't leave much to imagination, River came striding along, basking in the awed glares coming from nearly everyone he passed by. His blonde hair was shining, hit by the sunlight, and his eyes were alive with a glamorous light.

His perfection was annoying, and almost made her not notice the little, black figure walking just beside him. The Irishwoman felt her heart miss a beat, when her eyes finally stopped on Staccato. Besides the night before in the Oneiron, this was the first time they met again after the trial. And even if she was desperately trying not to think that he could actually be her brother, she found herself studying his every movement, in dire need of something that could prove her right or wrong.

«River! Staccato!» the girl beamed with joy, waving furiously at them until they reached them. Banshee clearly felt Staccato's glare on her, even if she couldn't see it.

«Banshee?» River's voice was filled with surprise. «What are you doing here?»

«Recovering Academy.» she mumbled, trying not to stare at his muscles. Again.

«Irissa didn't tell us you were classmates.» Staccato said, his voice with a strange tone in it that made Irissa suddenly look nervous.

«Just for a handful of courses. I have to take almost all the Advanced ones, so we cross from time to time. She's a good sport.» Banshee answered and saw Irissa slightly relax.

Staccato didn't say anything for some moments, then nodded, slightly.

«Well, don't exert yourself. With your promotion, you'll have a new mission in no time, and it will be a good mission.» Staccato took some steps to reach Irissa and her, patted the girl's back with a paternal gesture, as she smiled to Banshee and started walking away. Staccato remained near the Irish just to whisper one last word. «Ossian.»

He left, leaving her as pale as gravel, standing in place with the expression of someone who had just been slapped in the face. That was her name. Her true name. The information.

River took one step to follow his Coven, but seeing her face hovered some seconds in place. And then doubled back.

«Hey, do you feel all right?»

She looked at him, extremely surprised yet again. She was trying not to hyperventilate.

«I... no. Yes. Kind of.»

«Want me to walk you to your car? You look like you're going to faint at any given moment. And I do my best with damsels in distress!» he offered, with a kind voice, that almost made her blush and recover her natural pale color.

«Won't Staccato be pissed if ye did?»

«He doesn't like us all to hang out together, and I'm still a bit pissed for the ass whoppin' you all gave us, but that doesn't mean I can ignore a person in need, especially a mage. Especially an attractive mage. I'm an Enforcer, after all!» he said, half smiling, half terribly seriously.

Banshee sighed. How weak was the flesh.

«I usually take the bus.» she explained. He frowned slightly, looked towards Staccato who was looking at him. Made him a signal with his hand. Staccato remained perfectly still for some seconds, but then turned and walked out.

«I'd bring you home, but I can't miss this Coven lunch. Sure it's ok if I just put you on the bus?» River said.

«Aye, aye, you don't even have to do that. I'm a grown girl, ye know?» she said, mindlessly accepting the arm he was offering her. «Wow, you communicate with each other so well.» she pointed out, walking out of the school with the unusual sensation of having all the eyes around on her.

«We're a good team. Since Staccato got in my Coven, I can actually see us get somewhere that's not the depths of Losertown.» River shrugged. «Not that I mind, but I miss a good mission where I can show off how good I am.»

«Aye, I heard your story, I'm sorry.» she said.

«I'm not. The important thing is that I'm free. I'll go back the Ranks again, I'm the one who could do it.» his smile was as bright as the light that was literally leaving her half-blind, while they walked towards the bus stop.

«How could you and the Chief be related?» Banshee shook her head.

«Heh. Everyone always asks me that. I'm so sorry for him sometimes.» River said, not feeling sorry at all. «I just hope that one day he'll simply recognize I am the one with the sight on the right things in life, while he's just wasting away.»

«Yer the family humble pie, huh?»

«Oh, no, I'm the cutie pie.» River's smile enlarged even more. «I'm sorry we never had a moment to catch up after... our first meeting. What do you say about lunch tomorrow?» he asked, casually. Banshee was taken aback, again.

«Didn't you just say Staccato doesn't like for ye to hang out with any of us?»

«Oh, but if it's just to sleep with you he won't have problems. He knows me.» River exclaimed, happy as a sunny day.

Banshee sighed.

«River, I'm not sleeping with you.»

«Ah! Come on! I even asked you out first this time! Why are you making me sweat for it so badly? We're going to have so much fun together!» he whined, suddenly turning his voice rhythm just like a child who's denied something he so obviously is owed. Banshee stopped at the bus stop, and left his arm, smiling gently at him.

«Listen, I appreciate, and believe me, in any different circumstance, I'd be all over you in a breath. But I can't. Because I don't do one-night stands. But if ye ever want a beer and some talk, just call me. Ok? Thanks again for being with me, I feel better.»

River pouted. Clearly, and childishly. She didn't feel better in the slightest, but she didn't want to keep him more. He sighed, and turned, dramatically hurt. He took some steps, then doubled back again, raised a hand and put it against her forehead. It was cold and incredibly nice. He muttered something under his breath, and his hand seemed to pass that coolness inside her head, reaching the pain inside and slowly suffocating it. In ten seconds, her headache was all but completely gone.

She looked at him, amazed.

«The other thing I'm good at.» he said, not smiling, but with a warmer voice. «See you Banshee.»

**********

Hi everyone!
Soooooo 1.2k reads happened, and over 400 votes. Let's not talk about the skyrocketing comments (I'm looking at you, NotAnerioDeorma!)

So, I'm here to be the usual grateful representative of a bunch of people in disbelief. We're amazed that, even with its flaws, the story is liked and the characters work. Thanks you all for your wonderful feedback that will help us with the further editing and development of this piece of us, and for the welcome to it. Wattpad is being a nice place to us. And to me, personally, of course.

So, thank you for your votes, your comments and the shared laughs. I'll try to answer to all the comments but, and this is not an excuse, Wattpad sometimes hides some and make them appear the next time I load the page, casually. Hope it doesn't happen only to me.

So, have a great week!
lots of love,

Daniel.