“What took so long?” Father demands.
I know better than to offer any excuse. Father is like an animal. Show a hint of fear, and he will use the opening to strike. “There was another attack.”
Father doesn’t seem surprised. “And the victim?”
Edith flashes in my mind. Her tear-streaked face, blood streaming down her chin like a gory waterfall. “Still alive.”
His eyes widen, but he quickly recovers. “So we have a witness, then. Did you question her?”
That gives me pause. I never mentioned Edith, or even that it was a girl who was attacked.
Maybe Helga has already updated him on the situation, or he heardit from one of the students we passed on our way to the infirmary. Or he could just be assuming. So far, the only victim has been a girl. It isn’t a leap to presume that another one was attacked. Father is a hunter. On a hunt, you have to predict what your prey will do next based on the information you have.
It wouldn’t be hard for him to figure that out.
“No need to. I was there.”
“Were you?” Father looks me over, surveying the rips in my leathers from the beast’s claws. I didn’t have time to change after taking Edith to the infirmary. When Nils said Father was looking for me, I knew the longer it took me to show up, the worse his mood would grow.
I press my lips together and swallow any excuses down.
He cuts me a scathing glance. “You mean you allowed the killer to escape?”
“Edith needed my help,” I tell him, deciding to stand by my choice. I know what Father would have chosen, but for once, I don’t regret that I chose differently. I couldn’t leave Edith alone. If Nils hadn’t shown up at the infirmary, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to leave her side at all. Even with Nils there, it was hard to tear myself away.
Until I saw how practiced my brother was as he tended to her, and I knew he was far better at it than I could ever be. No matter how much I wanted to be the one to care for Edith.
How much I still want to. But that’s selfish.
Foolish.
“Do you think she can be of use?” Father asks.
“I don’t want to involve her any more than she already is,” I answer honestly.
This entire time, I was wrong about her, believing her guilty when she was innocent. I hesitated briefly before I left, but now I’m certain. I don’t deserve to be anywhere near Edith after what I put her through. All I can do now is hunt down whoever hurt her.
“I was able to injure the beast before it fled,” I tell Father, hoping it will be enough to appease him, or at least keep Edith’s name out of his mouth. “I should be able to use that to identify which berserkr it was.”
Father nods. “Stop by the infirmary tomorrow and find out if anyone has come in with similar injuries.”
“Will do.”
I’m grateful for the excuse to see how Edith is doing too.
“We can discuss this while we scour the campus,” Father continues.
I fight the fatigue weighing me down at the thought of patrolling the entire campus. Despite my exhaustion, despite my pain, we have no choice. We have to catch the killer. Tonight.
“Did you see which way the beast went?” Father asks.
I shake my head. “I didn’t.”
“Luckily, it left tracks.”
Sure enough, there’s a massive paw print pressed into the soil on our right. Heading toward the berserkr campus. Maybe I won’t need to go to the infirmary tomorrow after all.
Father moves quickly. “Did you notice anything that could be useful?”
