"It's Laria." Eira's words tumble out. "She's... she's not right. I saw her preparing something. Blood magic. The forbidden kind."
"And why would you tell me this?" My eyes narrow. "Last I checked, you two were pretty cozy."
Her feather-light brown hair shifts as she shakes her head frantically. "No, you don't understand. I made a mistake. A terrible one. But right now, I'm trying to warn you because she's coming for you."
"Right." I laugh, the sound harsh even to my own ears. "And I should trust you why, exactly?"
“Please, you have to believe me.”
Part of me wants to slam the door in her face. But the terror in her eyes seems genuine, and my magic is humming beneath my skin, sensing danger.
"Why now?" I demand. "Why help me now?"
Tears gather in Eira's eyes.“I never wanted anyone to get hurt. I was doing what my family told me to do. But Laria's lost her mind. The blood magic, it's changing her.”
I weigh her words, trying to decide if this is another trap. My instincts are screaming warnings, but I can't tell if they're about Laria or Eira herself.
"You need to leave," Eira pleads. "Right now. Before she finds you alone."
"Why should I run? I'm not scared of Laria."
"You should be." Eira's voice breaks. "What she's done, it's twisted her. She's not just jealous anymore. She's obsessed with destroying you."
I feel magic gathering in my palms, instinctive and protective. "Then let her try."
Eira steps forward, desperation etched across her face. "I'm trying to make things right."
She might be telling the truth. But it’s too late for Eira and me. Our friendship was special once. I wish with all my heart that we could have that again, though that is impossible now.
I turn back to my room and pick up a bag. I’ll come back for the rest of it later.
“I have somewhere to be,” I tell Eira, shutting the door behind me.“Excuse me.”
Without waiting for her response, I push past her and step into the corridor, my thoughts only of walking toward the comfort of Callen, Rory, Marius, Tiernan, and Lochan. They'll know what to make of all of this.
The moment I step into the hallway, the air changes. The temperature plummets, raising goosebumps on my skin. The shadows along the walls seem to deepen, stretching toward me with grasping fingers. The usual ambient sounds of the academy, distant voices, footsteps, the creaking of the old building, fall silent.
Something's wrong. Very wrong.
My steps falter as dread crawls up my spine. The corridor stretches before me, suddenly seeming miles long. I feel like the walls of the building themselves have turned hostile.
A scent like copper and ash fills my nostrils. Blood. Fresh and potent.
I barely have time to react before the air behind me ripples like water, and Laria materializes in a burst of crimson light. Her blonde hair is wild, tangled like a windstorm has ravaged it, and her pale eyes burn with an unnatural, sickly glow. The power radiating off her is chaotic, unstable, like a bomb about to explode. Her lips curl into a feral smile, and her voice slithers through the silence.
"Leaving so soon, Brigid?"
I spin around, my heart pounding, my magic surging to the surface. Shadows coil around my arms, ready to strike. "What the hell do you want, Laria?"
She tilts her head, her movements jerky and unnatural, as if she’s not entirely in control of her own body. "Oh, just your life. Nothing personal." Her laugh is high-pitched and unhinged, echoing unnaturally in the empty corridor.
Before I can respond, she lunges at me with terrifying speed. Her hand shoots out, and a wave of magic erupts from her fingertips. It crashes into me like a tidal wave, slamming me against the wall. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs, and I feel something crack in my shoulder. Pain shoots through me, sharp and blinding, but I grit my teeth and force myself to stay upright.
Laria’s eyes gleam with madness as she steps closer, her movements unnervingly fluid, like a predator stalking its prey. "You think you’re so special, don’t you? The whore queen. But you’re nothing. A weak, disgusting black hole of pathetic nothingness."
I push off the wall, my shadows writhing. "You’re one to talk," I spit back, trying to steady my breathing. "Look at you. You’ve destroyed yourself for power you can’t even control."
Her face twists with rage, and she lashes out again, another wave of blood magic surging toward me. This time I’m ready. My shadows push forward, meeting her attack in a clash of dark and crimson energy. The force of it sends me skidding backward, my boots scraping against the floor.
