We quickly close the door.
“They can sense it too,” I say slowly.
“Sense what?” Amund asks, his voice desperate.
“Nils is trying to complete the ritual.”
Amund tenses, searching my face. “I’ll stop him.”
“How? The gym is crawling with berserkir.”
Amund reaches for something in his pocket. The invisibility stave. “It’s my last helm of concealment,” he says, glancing at the lignite, “but it should be enough to allow me to escape.”
Part of me wants to offer to help him. It’s going to be difficult for him to face Nils. I worry my lip between my teeth. But someone has to stay and keep the berserkir from killing everyone else until the fly agaric wears off. If I leave now…
Amund must sense my struggle because he says, “Help the berserkir.”
I nod, grateful he gets it. “Okay. He’s in the seer school, but be careful. Nils… I don’t think you know this version of him. He’s unhinged.”
Amund’s expression doesn’t waver. “He’s still my brother.”
CHAPTER FIFTYAMUND
I allow myself one last look at Edith before I leave.
Then I activate the helm of concealment and slip outside the locker room, closing the door behind me. A bear rises on its hind legs nearby. I freeze, gripping the lignite more tightly, but instead of attacking, the bear lumbers past me.
I advance through the gym quickly. So far, the stave seems to be working. None of the animals have detected me. Yet. Several bodies litter the gym floor, a grim reminder of what will happen to me if this lignite runs out.
I feel sick to my stomach as I look around the gym. This is all because of my brother. When Edith told me, I couldn’t believe her. Didn’t want to. I can’t imagine my younger brother could be capable of killing in cold blood. If Nils reallyisresponsible, then I have to stop him before he does something even worse.
As soon as I’m outside, cold air shocks my system.
My eyes dart around campus as I scan for more threats. To my surprise, Skallagrim looks… peaceful. Quiet. There’s no indication of thehorrors that happened inside the gym. Out here, it seems as normal as any other November night.
But if Nils completes the ritual, Skallagrim will never be the same.
I sprint for the seer school, feet pounding over pavement. Hopefully I’m not too late. I fling open the school doors and dash down the hall. A foul smell leads me to a classroom at the end. I burst inside, taking in the scene.
Busted chains.
Entrails on the floor.
Father, unmoving. My heart misses a beat. He must have figured out who the killer really was and went to confront Nils on his own.That’swhy he wasn’t at the dance.
I rush over to him and check his pulse.
Still alive.
And then I see my brother. Nothing could prepare me for the sight of Nils, bloody and broken. The wolf pelt hangs in tatters on his body. His right arm is limp at his side, but he uses his other hand to shape the intestines on the floor, gritting his teeth.
Edith’s warning comes back to me.I don’t think you know this version of him. He’s unhinged.
I shake Father, trying desperately to wake him.
“Of course you’d run right to him,” Nils says bitterly. My lignite must have crumbled because he’s looking straight at me.
“See? I told you.”The quiet hiss comes from the shadowed crevices, jolting me.“You don’t matter to your brother, just as I didn’t matter to mine.”
