The sizzling brightness burns my eyes. I can’t see anything.
“What the hell is happening?” I ask Valerie, voice shaking.
“Like I would know!”
Hot sparks finally stop falling.
We stumble onto our feet. Slowly, my vision adjusts, and I take in the gym in horror. Berserkir watch us with empty white eyes, bright beacons in the darkness. Their bodies look lit from within, radiating spiritual energy.
“Oh no, no, no,no…” Trembling, I turn to Valerie. “Nils, he… he must have finished the ritual. I think they’re possessed.”
She swears under her breath. “And Amund—?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
Valerie looks as terrified as I feel by the thought of something happening to him.
A cacophony of growls and grunts reverberates through the gym.
Berserkir prowl toward us, their eyes glowing white. Their movements are jerky, clumsy, like they’re newborn animals unused to their limbs. Claws scrape over the floor like nails dragging down a chalkboard. Boars crash into each other with high-pitched squeals. Wolves snarl and snap at them.
A massive boar stops in front of me, hooves beating the ground. I stare into glowing white eyes—wait. The septum ring. The numerous ear piercings.
“Kris—”
They charge at me before I can finish.
I barely throw myself out of the way in time, rolling over the rough ground—and into a wolf’s path. The wolf lunges for my throat. Teeth sink into my leathers as I throw my arm up at the last moment, blocking the bite. I grit my teeth, looking into the wolf’s face.
Tala.
Her empty eyes glow white as she gnaws on my arm, frothing at the mouth. Saliva splashes my cheeks as I fight to keep her jaws away from my face.Damn it. What the hell do I do? I don’t want to hurt Tala. She isn’t the one attacking me. The seer possessing her is.
Wet teeth inch closer to my face.
With one final push, I shove Tala off me. She quickly rights herself with a snarl.
Valerie is beside me, dagger ready.
The seers won’t stop until they’ve killedeveryone.
I grit my teeth, struggling to rise from the ground. Like this, I don’t stand a chance. But I don’t want to fight them. I want to bring them back. Even if I can use the skrækr, would the scream work on possessed berserkir?
I stagger to my feet and face Tala. I have totry.
She growls, hackles raised.
I breathe in deeply with my diaphragm like I do before track, drawing as much air into my lungs as possible. And then I close my eyes andscream.My throat aches, but the sound of my scream is swallowed by all the chaos.
Tala snaps at me.
More berserkir are closing in on us.
My voice dies in my throat. It didn’t work. Of course it didn’t work.
At this rate, Valerie and I are going to be mauled to death.
No, no, no.
