Even if I whisper, Isaac will still be able to hear me. I press my pen to my paper, digging in hard. If I try to pass her a note now, Isaac will see it too. He’s sitting right next to her. But I can’t let anything happen to Tala either.
Class continues, but I can’t focus on anything Maeve is saying.
Chewing my pen, I watch Isaac out of the corner of my eye. He’s not paying attention to class either. Instead, he doodles in his notebook. Unlike Tala’s meticulous notes, his pages are filled with drawings of wolves and bears and boars. They’re actually… really good. The more I watch Isaac, the more I wonder how he could be capable of killing. Unlike my dad, he seems easygoing and nonconfrontational.
“Edith,” Maeve calls, making me jump. “What about the skrækr?”
“Huh?”
Next to the diagram of the ear, Maeve writes outskrækron the board. “It meansscreamin Old Norse, but like I was saying, it’s a rare magical ability some women possess. What happens when a berserkr hears this scream?”
“Umm… well…” My mouth goes dry. “Sorry, I must have missed that.”
Maeve sighs. “I’m sure you’re taking in a lot.”
Underneathskrækr, Maeve writes outAngrboða. “Since you haven’t taken Intro to Norse Myth yet, this might help. Angrboða was Loki’s mate, and the mother of monsters. Together, they birthed the great wolf Fenrir, who was a shape-shifter like his father and giant like his mother. But then Fenrir grew so massive not even she could scold him properly. When Angrboða grew too angry, she used this scream to turn her wayward wolf-son human.
“The skrækr has a similar effect on berserkir,” Maeve continues. “The theory is our heightened hearing is particularly attuned to the frequency of this scream, and hearing it triggers us to become human again, perhaps in some subconscious attempt to protect ourselves from that painful pitch. Some women share Angrboða’s ability—usually the mothers, wives, and sisters of berserkir—and the scream became a useful fail-safe if berserkir lost themselves in battle, so they could be brought back afterward.”
The bell chimes.
Isaac stretches his hands over his head and yawns. “Freaking finally.”
Maeve casts him a warning glare.
Ignoring her, Isaac slings his backpack over his shoulder.
My mind is still spinning with the implications of Isaac potentially being Emilía’s killer—and what that means for Tala.
“Next class, we’ll take a look at the hunters’ heightened hearing,” Maeve calls as students pour out of the classroom. “And how that originated from the tonics they took.”
I turn to Tala as she finishes packing her notes away. “Can we talk?”
“Sure, what’s up?” she asks.
I follow her as she heads out.
Damn it.Isaac is waiting in the hallway, and there are too many students around still. There has to be some way I can get Tala alone. I look around and spot a restroom nearby—perfect. “Actually, can you come to the restroom with me?”
Tala frowns. “Um, sure?”
Isaac looks between us and holds up his hands. “I’m out. See you later, babe.”
Tala follows me into the restroom, the door slamming shut behind us. The walls are sleek tile, with three porcelain sinks and a line of white stalls along the other wall. I catch a flash of Tala’s confused expression in the large mirror.
“So what, do you need a tampon or something?”
“No,” I say, checking each stall to make sure we’re alone. “I need to talk to you about Isaac.”
“What about him?” Tala asks, sounding concerned.
“I don’t know how else to say it, but he’s cheating on you.”
“Oh.” Tala lets out a laugh. “Believe me, I know.”
Well, that wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. “You do?”
“Our relationship is… complicated.” Tala turns the faucet on and rinses her hands quickly. “Thanks for looking out for me, but it doesn’t bother me. Promise.”
