“How do you talk to the huntress?” I asked, trailing after Ariah. She was showing me around and getting me acquainted with everyone. People were mostly friendly, but no one passed an opportunity to ask about my mark. Hopefully, by next week people would have grown used to it and forgotten about it. It was getting tiresome to explain the same thing, over and over again. No one seemed to come to grips with the fact that I had no clue why mine was the way it was. If anything, I’d like some answers too. “You tap into the spiritual realm. It’s quite a process, so I can’t just explain it to you. In separate lessons, you will be taught how to, most likely, since we already covered it at the beginning of the year. They always do that with new pups. Catch them up on the essentials in separate lessons, most of the time, with the headmistress.” “I see.” I didn’t know how I felt about extra classes since, from what I’ve seen, my schedule was going to be packed as it is. “This is the girl’s c
Ariah parted ways with me before lunchtime, informing me she promised one of the teachers she’d help him with something. I agreed to meet up later with her, Nate and Celeste, making my way up a flight of stairs toward the library. I wanted to find the book of the divine, among things, to see if I could learn anything about my mark or the meaning of it. I scarcely rounded the corner where the library was, spotting a sign that said: Be back in an hour. I sighed, falling back against a wall, contemplating what I could do next. I didn’t know how long an hour would be, considering there wasn’t a time stating when it was written. I didn’t want to go back to my room because I have virtually nothing there to keep me occupied. Maybe this would be a good time for me to drop in by June and see what there was that I could use for my side of the room? As I stretched out my arms, yawning and turning back the way I came when low voices behind me drew my attention. “I told you to leave me alone,
Katie’s big silver eyes sparkled as she peered around our table with anticipation. “Elijah says one of you is new here as well?” I offered her a small wave. “That would be me.” She stuck out her hand to me. “Hi, I’m so glad I’m not the only one.” I awkwardly shook it, noticing Nate hiding a smirk behind his palm. “Honestly, I’m glad too. But unfortunately, because of my mark, I stick out like a sore thumb.” “Worse than a sore thumb,” Nate supplied. I sputtered a laugh. “Yeah, thanks.” “Are you born into the club or specially hand-picked from the planet of norm?” Celeste asked. Katie smiled. “Born and bred.” “Born and bred?” Nate wiggled his brows. “No offense to you, but why do they always say born and bred? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” Celeste choked on her milkshake. “Nate, bred, as in raised, not the other bred you're thinking of.” “You mean produced? Made? Formed—” “Good gracious, Nate, you need to get laid. Your mind is in the gutter,” Ariah snorted.
Elijah didn’t stay much longer after, claiming he had some guardian business to tend. I hoped he’d make better progress regarding finding information about the mark on my neck than I have thus far. It would have helped a great deal if I knew more about this world I now find myself bound to. A sad tug inside my chest was hard to ignore each time I thought of my parents. A big part of me hoped my dad would reason with my mom, or maybe bother to call me, or send a message at the least. I haven't heard a thing from them since Mom dumped me at that train station. I gathered my things, about to leave, when my eyes caught the small sign that said the library was hiring assistants. I remembered Ariah—or was it Celeste?—mentioning it. It was getting hard for me to keep up with everything, but I couldn’t wait to get a job. I needed to take care of myself, even if I was overwhelmed. I stuffed my books into my backpack and headed for the front desk, thinking of how I could confidently phrase
A loud screech tore me from my sleep. A thud sounded beside me, and Ariah cursed. “Oh crap,” she bit out. “Hailey, you awake?” I sat up, blinking at her inky shape in the dark bedroom. “Who can sleep through this noise? What’s going on?” “I have no idea,” she answered, her shape moving toward the wall, and she flicked on the light. I cringed, taking a moment to adjust my eyes to the light. “Sound like some kind of alarm.” Ariah unlocked our bedroom door and poked her head out. “What’s going on?” she asked someone outside. I kicked the covers off from me and threw my legs over the side of the bed. I got up and headed for our shared closet, pulling out a hoodie and pulling it over my head. When I turned, Ariah was grabbing her slippers. “Everyone needs to go to the dining hall, right now.” I blinked. “Why? Did they say what’s up?” She nudged on her slippers, glancing up at me. “No, they didn’t. Just that it was urgent and those who fail to show up will get in trouble.” “Wow, oka
The crowd fell silent when the headmistress appeared, and the gigantic doors slammed shut behind her. The click of her heels echoed through the cavernous room, and every set of eyes traced after her. I felt drowsy and stifled a yawn behind my hand, trying my best to stay upright. I leaned toward Elijah. “What time is it, anyway?” Without taking his eyes of Humphrey, he stuck his hand into the pocket of his sweats and pulled out his cellphone. He waited for the headmistress to focus her attention on one of the teachers before he flicked on the screen and peered down at his phone. “Three-forty-five.” “No wonder I’m this tired,” I muttered. “I probably had like three hours of sleep, if I’m lucky.” He sighed. “You and me both.” I peered at him. “You didn’t sleep either?” “It’s complicated.” I frowned. “You always give me that answer. I’d like to know at some point what is so complicated.” He glanced at me, his brows knitted together, and didn’t say anything. I shifted, offering hi
The next day the academy was dead quiet. But unlike the other students, who were fortunate enough to remain in bed and catch up on sleep, the library was open, and I was supposed to start working. We didn’t get back to our rooms until seven. Ariah suggested hanging out in Celeste’s room, but I turned her down so I could take a shower instead. I knew she wasn’t keen on spending time in our room after what I saw. I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in our room, either. After taking a long, scalding hot shower, I stopped by the cafeteria for a large coffee and two bacon croissants. I finished my food and then headed for the library. I barely rounded the corner of the hallway where the library was located and stopped dead in my tracks, whimpering under my breath. “Not again.” Right there, in the middle of the hallway, stood a giant, ghostly wolf sniffing the air. “Miss Woods?” a sharp tone pierced the silence, and I jerked around, finding Humphrey standing behind
Things went back to normal as they could the following day at a school for wolves. Well, except for me and Ariah, who both hadn’t slept a wink. We kept rolling around in our beds, jumping up for every tiny sound, from a branch scraping against the window to someone moving outside in the hallway. By two, we both gave up sleeping and played cards until the sun came up. By then, we were drowsy, giving in to sleep, only to be jarred awake by our bedside alarm. “We can’t go on like this,” Ariah yawned, stretching out her arms above her head. “We have to do something.” I stifled my yawn, kicking my legs over the side of the bed. “What do you reckon we can do?” “I don’t know,” she sighed. “Can you see her now?” I shook my head. “I hadn’t seen her again since the last time.” “Was it the first time you saw her?” she asked. I had told Ariah about my encounter with Humphrey and that, according to her, I had the ability to see the dead. She thought it was the coolest thing ever. I didn’t. W
"Someone is following you," Elijah repeated with a stern expression on his face. "At first I thought it was Lucian—""Okay. But he's being weird," Ariah added. "Well, he's generally weird. But he told Hailey that—""Why did you think it was him?" I interrupted Ariah, not wanting her to tell Elijah what Luca had told me. "And why does it sound like you changed your mind?"Elijah's brows furrowed as he peered between me and Ariah. "What did he tell you?"Of course, he wasn't going to let this fly. I sighed. "He thinks you're up to something."Elijah released a snort. "Says him, of all people. He's up to something." I crossed my arms. "Yeah, I figured that much.""You need to be careful, Hails. Something's going on around school.""Like what?""I…" his voice trailed. The stern look morphed into concern. "I can't explain. But someone is watching you.""Who?" "I don't know.""How do you know someone is watching me?" I pressed.He placed a hand on each of my shoulders, moving closer. "I k
"Good night!" Ariah called after Nate and Celeste, turning toward our bedroom door to unlock it.I rubbed my arms, peering down the hall as students dispersed in all directions toward their rooms, then remembering I had promised Tilly, the ghost girl, that I'd leave the door to the courtyard open for her friend. I also wanted to check and ensure there was a cat named Ginger. I didn't want to risk helping someone when they were about to do something devious, like murdering someone.Tilly seemed harmless, but I wasn't taking any chances. By the time I turned back, Ariah was already inside our shared bedroom. I stuck my head through the doorway. "Hey, I forgot to take care of something. I'll be back in a few minutes.""Need me to come with you?" Ariah spun around, a mug in hand. "It's pretty late already.""Nah. It'll be quick, don't worry.""Kay. Want some coffee?" she asked, switching on the coffee machine."Before bed?" I snorted a laugh. "No, but thanks though."She waved me off, and
Hailey’s POV. “Stupid, freaking insufferable, top class, cow!” Nate hissed over his shoulder at Valerie as she offered us a saccharine sweet smile from her table in the center of the cafeteria. “One day, I swear—” “Nate, it’s okay. Just leave it, please.” I pressed four fingers to my temple and sighed. “Karma will get to her…Eventually.” “And when will that be?” he retorted as Celeste grabbed him by the arm, steering him toward the cafeteria exit with Ariah and me on their trail. “When she’s old and shriveled up like a prune?” “Honestly, that would be karma in itself. Her being all vain and that,” Celeste snorted a laugh. “I mean, it’s just juice,” I persisted. That, and my dignity along with it. When Nate paused dead in his tracks to shoot me one of those looks only Nate could pull off that said, ‘Oh yeah?’ with an attitude, I knew he wasn’t going to drop it. “Okay, fine. Then what do you suggest I do about it?” “Hmmm. Let me see.” Nate tore his arm from Celeste’s hold, eyeing
The vent was a tight fit. But, when I finally got to the second open vent and slid out, a great sense of relief took over. Being squished and unable to breathe wasn't on my 'to-do' list. I was scarce on my feet, when I could hear footsteps heading in my direction. I ducked behind piles of boxes, pulling on a scrap of material dangling over me to hide myself. It was thick with dust and I had to fight not to have a coughing fit right then and there, which would give me away. Based on what I could see, I was in some storage room. Though, I didn't spend much time mulling over it, as Ledger himself stepped into the room, carrying a small, wooden box. He placed it on top of a shelf, sending specs of dust dancing into the beam of light provided by the small lightbulb which was close to retirement. I leaned to the side, hoping to get a better look, but Elijah turned his back to me, blocking the view to whatever he kept inside that box. Not a few seconds later a grunt sounded, followed by
Luca's POV. I sat back on a chair in the far corner of the cafeteria, chomping down on a cold, stiff fry; my gaze zeroed in on Elijah, definitely up-to-something Ledger. There were guards stationed at every exit of the cafeteria and one between the boys' and girls' toilets on the other side of the room, but they seemed…distracted. More accurately, two of the three guards were eyeing the ceiling, their eyes following something I couldn't see, and the third one, by the main exit, seemed like he had a serious case of fleas. He'd been more focused on scratching various parts of his body, his attention everywhere but on Elijah. And the man in question? Well, he'd been watching the guards with a questionable smirk on his face like he was in on a joke only he was privy to. I bet all the cold fries on my plate that he had something to do with it. But, I was most interested in why he was so intent to get them off his case? I'd have bet he wouldn't mind a chance for some alone time with his
“Okay, so, I’m going to take a wild guess that you want something from me?”The ghost girl swooped through me, momentarily dazing my body with an unpleasant, cold, and stuffy feeling. I shot her a glare. “I don’t like it when you do that.”She shrugged. “It’s nice for me. The living feels homey and warm.”I ignored that statement, noticing that half the library was staring. I turned my face away so they couldn’t see me when I murmured, “What do you want from me?”“A favor.” She clasped her hands against her lap, swaying sideways, smiling sweetly. “A teeny, tiny favor.”“And what does this favor entail?” I dropped the cloth I used to try and salvage the mess, accepting defeat. There was no way I would be able to rescue the damaged books. My first salary was down the drain. I sighed. “I need you to keep a door open for me tonight.”I blinked. “You can just go through it?”“It’s not for me. It’s for a friend. A living friend.”I crossed my arms, suspicion rising inside me. “If it’s a li
I made my way toward the library with my book bag thrown over my shoulder like a bat straight out of hell—wings on fire. I almost rammed into a few people along the way. I was late, courtesy of the one student in physical who turned wolf and lost control of herself. At first she tried to pull her own fur out, then turned her own frustration on the rest of the class and our teacher. It was chaos. By the time the period was over and we tried to leave, we had to clear up the mess she left behind after getting escorted out by a flurry of guards. After that display, I was growing apprehensive over the idea of transforming into my wolf for the first time. What if that happens to me? My heart was loud in my ears as I made a beeline for the library, almost ramming right into Dibella. “I'm so, so sorry I’m late. There was an incident in physical—” Dibella tutted with a smile and waved me off. “Not to worry, love. I'll reheat the kettle. Why don’t you get settled by my desk and start worki
I had to sit through three more excruciatingly long classes before it was lunch break. Ariah called me over at the end of Numerology class, but I waved her off and rushed out to track down Elijah. It took me another few minutes, before I found him standing by the announcement board with a frown on his face. My eyes lifted onto the board, where a clear picture of both Katie and Lila, asking students to come forth if they had any information that might lead to an arrest. “Hey,” I walked up to him and the guard that had been shadowing him, turned, crossed his arms to his chest and glared at me. Elijah shot the guard a dirty look, then peered at me. “Hi.” He wasn’t smiling, which bothered me a great deal. “Is there something…” My voice trailed and I peered uncomfortably at the guard. Elijah’s jaw ticked. “I’d tell you, but I have a dimwit following me everywhere.” My mouth fell open, thinking the guard would retaliate, but he just stood silently, still eyeing us with intent. “He do
“Good afternoon class. Today we’re talking about ancient tomes and the lore evolving them,” our history teacher, Mr. Barnes, announced, followed by low, dismissal groans from students. “Now, now, why the long faces? Learning about our ancestry is by far the most exciting thing! We get to learn about where our bloodline originated, and all the other events evolving it. It’s all about those tomes!” More groans followed. I sighed, flipping open my notebook and picking up my pen. It was drawing close to exams, so I took every opportunity to take notes on everything so I wouldn’t miss anything. It was a strenuous task and so unlike me, but I had to give my everything if I didn’t want to fail. Things weren’t looking too good already. I was having a hard time keeping up in class. “We’re starting with the tome of life,” Mr. Barnes pressed on, dragging the overhead projector trolley closer to the whiteboard and positioned it to point forward. When he clicked it on, an image splashed across