And the one who did this to me—he could be anywhere. I search the sea of faces, but I don’t see Isaac’s sandy hair nearby. I don’t pick up his scent either.
I cut my way through the crowd, keeping myself as small as possible, until I reach Amund. At least with him, I’ll be safe. The irony of that isn’t lost on me considering he was literallyhuntingme until recently. But he also saved my life.
Amund’s eyes widen as soon as he sees me. “Edith.” His gaze flicks briefly to my lips. “You’re healing well. I’m glad.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t come here just to check on me, though,” I say, trying to make a joke.
His face doesn’t move, like he has absolutely no sense of humorwhatsoever. “I’m looking for someone,” he says seriously.
I sigh. “Yeah, I figured. A berserkr student?”
Now it’s his turn to nod. “One named Isaac came to the clinic after the attack.”
Isaac. I knew it.
Amund continues, “I need to confirm his injuries match the ones I inflicted, but…”
“No one will talk to you,” I finish for him. Actually, no one will even getcloseto him. There’s a wide perimeter around us. I’m glad for the space, honestly.
He looks defeated. “Yeah.”
“I could help you,” I point out. “I can be your eyes on the inside. I’ve suspected Isaac for a while now. He was seeing Emilía in secret.”
“What?” His body tenses.
“I can help you catch him. Please.”
Amund looks me over with a frown. “No. You’ll be putting yourself in danger, and next time, I might not be there to help you.”
I give a frustrated huff. “You’ll never be able to catch him by yourself.”
“I won’t endanger you,” Amund says, his voice like steel.
My stomach flutters at his protective tone. “As long as Isaac is out there, my little sister is in danger, along with every other girl on this campus.” I hesitate, meeting his dark gaze. “I won’t let that happen again. Next time, I’ll be ready. I’m going to learn how to control my ability.Please.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks.
“Fine,” Amund grits out. “But only if you’ll let me teach you self-defense in the meantime. With your strength, you should be able to protect yourself once you learn how.”
I rub my arms. Amund is offering me something I didn’t even know I needed.
“How soon can we start?” I ask him.
“Tomorrow night, if you’re up for it,” Amund says. “Come by the training grounds after classes.”
I nod. I don’t want to feel that helpless ever again. I thought if I never allowed anyone close, I wouldn’t get hurt. But I know now that isn’t the case. No matter what I do, just being a girl endangers me.
It’s time I learned how to fight back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTAMUND
Idris paces in front of the classroom. Every Tuesday and Thursday, he trades his combat leathers for a button-down shirt, dark pants, and thick-rimmed glasses to teach us Philosophy and Ethics. Of all my classes, this one always makes me most uncomfortable. Idris challenges us in different ways than our other instructors. Not every hunter likes it, but I do.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard about the attack last week.” He adjusts his glasses as he looks over the class. “Today, I’d like to discuss how you think it should be dealt with. It poses a moral dilemma, doesn’t it? Hunting and killing wild berserkir is one thing—based on our current understanding, they’ve lost their humanity, which means it’s not so different from hunting an animal. Although, I’d like to remind you, there’s a case to be made against that, too.”
“Yeah, right,” Dorian mutters across from me.
Idris clears his throat. “What about when the berserkr is a fellow student? Someone who is animal enough to attack—and possibly kill—their classmates, but still human enough to hide themselves? Followingthe hunter code, what would be the right action to take?”
