She pushed the door open just enough for me to see inside.
Light poured through the stained-glass windows in fractured blues and reds, spilling over rows of pews and stone statues. A chandelier made from bones hung in the center of the vaulted ceiling. Skulls formed its base, ribs arched like wings, andvertebrae spiraled outward into candleholders. It was delicate, intricate… and downright horrifying.
“Tourists love it,” Allegra said, rolling her eyes. “It’s one of the university’s most-visited sites. There are even night tours in October.”
A shiver ghosted down my spine. “I can see why.”
“We don’t actually need to go inside,” Allegra said, letting go of the doorhandle. “If you want to check out the ossuary later, it’s down the stairs at the back of the chapel.”
Just before the door creaked shut behind us, I thought I heard something from below; a faint, rhythmic sound, like the echo of footsteps on stone. But when I glanced at Allegra, she was already chatting again, oblivious.
“So we did the admin building, the dining hall, the library, all the historical sites, and all the major lecture theaters. What have I missed?” she asked, mostly talking to herself. “Oh, I know! The medical center. It’s all the way over on the west side. I really should’ve taken you there first.”
She quickened her pace, and I followed, wrapping my coat tighter around myself as the chill deepened. A moment later, she gave me a sidewards glance, brows rising. “Where did you say you transferred from again?”
“Ravenswood University. It’s in California.”
“Oh, that’s right. Long way to travel.”
“Yeah, it took me a whole week to drive here,” I replied. “Counting rest breaks, that is. But I wanted to keep my car, and it was an amazing road trip, so it was worth it.”
Allegra’s nose wrinkled again, ever-so-slightly, and she waved a hand around us. “Why would you trade in all that sun for this?”
I took a deep breath before I answered. I had to get used to answering this question without telling the morbid truth.
“Well, the weather isn’t always perfect in California,” I said. “Besides, I actually love gray skies and all those spooky season kind of vibes. Also, BHU’s a great school.”
“That’s true. Did you see we beat out half the Ivies in the rankings last year?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“But… Ravenswood did really well too. Just as well as BHU, from what I recall,” she said, giving me another curious sidewards glance. “So I guess you really did transfer for the vibes, huh?”
I forced another smile. “Yup.”
She tugged her scarf tighter around her throat and nodded toward a nearby path winding past a garden. “There’s a pretty cool statue over there. Saint Dionysius. Or, you know,Dionysus,depending on who you ask. The university insists it’s the saint, but…” She shrugged and gave me a lopsided smile. “The wine cup in his hand says otherwise.”
Her voice faded as my attention drifted past the statue she was pointing to.
Three men stood near its base, their breath visible in the cold air as they talked. One of them—taller than the others, with tousled dark hair and the kind of self-assured stillness that instantly drew my attention—had his hands tucked into the pockets of a black coat. I could see a tattoo curling out from beneath his collar, black ink against tan skin.
As if sensing my gaze, he turned, eyes locking on me. His face was breathtakingly handsome with stormy gray-blue eyes and a jaw that could probably cut glass.
His stare was steady, unblinking, like he was cataloguing me. Stripping me down. Then a slow, crooked smile ghosted across his mouth, and his head tilted ever-so-slightly, angling more toward me.
Even though he was easily one of the hottest guys I’d ever seen, something about his fierce gaze was unnerving. It didn’t feel like attraction. It felt more like a warning. Like a predator watching something small and unaware wander too close to it.
I swallowed hard and tore my eyes away, pretending to be deeply interested in whatever Allegra was saying about the history of the statue. My pulse wouldn’t stop hammering against my throat.
“Oh, another thing I forgot to mention earlier,” Allegra went on, pointing to the opposite side of the path. “If you head that way, you’ll end up on Sorority Row. All of the major houses are along there, including mine. Delta Theta Sigma.”
“Oh, cool.”
“That’s actually why I do so many of these campus tours for newbies. It’s part of our community service requirement,” she went on. She paused, head tilting. “Are you planning on rushing any of the sororities?”
“I don’t think so,” I said with a polite smile. Considering what I’d really come to BHU to do, joining a sorority wasn’t exactly at the top of my list. “It sounds fun, but I don’t think I’ll have time.”
Allegra arched a brow. “If you’re holding out hope for an invitation from the Dionysus Club, don’t bother. They only recruit men.”
