A shiver spreads through me. What am Idoing, running in the dark by myself in a strange place? I turn around, ready to head back. Wind wails through the courtyard. Leaves rustle. Out of the corner of my eye, something moves.Someone. I whirl around, but the statue of Egill stands in the same position.
“Hello?” I call out, voice raspy.
No answer.
Idefinitelyheard something.
My heart pounds. I still, breath caught in my throat. I expect to find a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring out of the darkness. But there’s nothing. As I scan the shadowy alcoves, my vision starts to… change. The world takes on an eerie glow like I’m looking through night vision goggles. Even the lamps lighting the path appear brighter, searing my eyes.
I blink quickly. After a few times, my vision returns to normal.
What the hell is happening to me?
Footsteps echo through the quad, growing louder.
I start jogging faster.
For the first time, I see a bit of value in being a berserkr.
You have claws,I remind myself, picking up my pace.Use them.
Ever since I was expelled, they haven’t reappeared. Whatever is happening to me, I can’t control it. It seems more like it’s controllingme, showing up at the worst possible time. I slip the key for my dorm between my fingers and make a fist with my hand.
It’s not claws, but at least it’s something.
Hopefully I’m almost back to the berserkr campus. I swallow hard, throwing a quick glance over my shoulder. No one is there. At least not that I can see. Even so, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being stalked.
Come on, come on… I run faster, desperate to find my dorm.
My stomach flips. I don’t recognize where I am anymore. All the buildings look the same. Their weathered stone reminds me of a mausoleum. Cold dread crawls over my skin, spreading goose bumps in its wake. One of the lamps lining the path flickers and goes out.
“Edith?” a familiar voice asks.
“Oh my God!” I practically jump out of my skin. When I spin around, I’m staring into Emilía’s doe-like eyes and familiar face. She must have been following me. “You scared me.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Emilía says, waving her hands. “I was just surprised to see you out here.”
“Jet lag,” I say by way of explanation. “Since I couldn’t sleep, I decidedto go for a jog, but now I think I’m lost. Which way is Odin Hall?”
“You’re going for a jog near midnight? You must really like running.” Emilía laughs. “You’re headed toward Freyja Hall on the witch campus right now. The berserkr campus is over that way.” She gestures in the opposite direction. “Sorry, I’d offer to take you, but I’m meeting someone.”
I don’t point out that I’m not the only one out this late. She must be on her way to some kind of romantic rendezvous. Still, it’s a good thing I ran into her.
“Thanks,” I say, breathing a sigh of relief. “Again.”
“Let’s hang out soon!” She heads in the direction I was coming from.
“Sounds good,” I call after her.
I turn around, jogging toward Odin Hall.
At least now I know I’m heading the right way.
Wait. If Emilía is heading in the direction I came from, then it couldn’t have been her following me. She must have just been leaving her dorm. But if that’s the case…
My stomach sinks.
I didn’t imagine those footsteps, right? If there’s even a chance my mind wasn’t just playing tricks on me, then I can’t just let Emilía walk into danger. She could be heading toward whoever—or whatever—was stalking me. I have to warn her.
