hands and clapped to get our attention. “All right, girls. Back to bed! I’ve had a report from Hans at the guardhouse that all is well. You are all safe. I repeat, you are all safe. Now, let’s go.” She made a shooing motion, as if that would wrench the girls from their posts near the windows.
“But what happened?” asked Patricia, frowning at her. “I mean, aren’t you going to tell us what the shots were about?”
“Hans saw an intruder,” Madame said. “Whoever it was is long gone.”
“And did he hit the intruder?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“There was blood at the scene,” Madame said with a curt nod. “The local police will be out here to investigate tomorrow morning. We will learn more in the daylight and relay to you students the need-to-know facts. The important thing is that you are all safe and sound. No need to request calls home. No need to write worried letters. Everything is fine.”
But I knew it wasn’t. All I could think about was Austin. I got up from the chair, the blanket still wrapped around me. Our tired-looking teachers prodded us up the stairs. I paused at my doorway, but Mrs. Lemmon put a hand on my shoulder and guided me inside. She gave me a last look before she turned out the light and closed the door.
The barest hint of moonlight filtered through the window. I glanced up at what was left of that big full moon that had led me to Austin a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t stem my tears any longer.
Marie-Rose perched on the edge of her bed, looking for a moment like she wanted to say something. Maybe she wanted to tell me the truth about what was going on with her. Or maybe she wanted to ask me why I was I was crying. But after a moment of sitting there, she got under her covers and turned out the light.
She had the decency to let me begin my night of worried, dreamless sleep.
Chapter Ten
I woke up with a feeling of dread in my bones, deeper than anything I’d ever felt before. I was filled with the fear that I would never see Austin again.
I hadn’t slept but a few moments the whole night. And my dreams of running after prey and singing to Mother Moon were replaced with dark, tumbling nightmares wherein I was trapped in a wolf’s body with no knowledge, no home, no guidance. Those nightmares led to paralyzing realizations as the morning dawned.
I was going to be a werewolf orphan. I was going to change alone. And then what would I do? I had no access to serum. I didn’t even know where, exactly, Austin’s family castle was. Would I just show up in Muldania in the hopes that they would help me?
I went down to breakfast, moving as slow and fecklessly as a zombie. Seated in front of my bowl of cereal, I ignored the gossip flowing through the room and buzzing around our table. It felt like my life was over. Really over.
Around eight o’clock, when most of us were hanging out in the living room again, Madame LaCroix swept in with Hans and a handsome, blond man in uniform.
“Girls, we have a report on the incident,” she announced, and then she turned to the policeman, smiling. “Herr Eppler will give us an overview, so that if any of you, or your parents, have questions, you will know what to say.”
Of course Madame LaCroix’s main concern was for Steinfelder’s cash flow. One whiff of a shooting at the academy and all of us would be gone, along with our parents’ money.
Herr Eppler cleared his throat. “There is no imminent danger. Security detected an intruder and fired his weapon to deter the perpetrator.”
“I sent off several warning shots,” interjected Hans.
The policeman gave Hans a pointed look. “On investigation, we found a blood trail. The perpetrator was hit at least once.”
Blood trail . The words echoed in my mind. Was Austin out there hurt, hiding in the woods? Had the shock of the bullet forced him to change into his wolf self?
“But what happened?” asked Patricia, frowning at her. “I mean, aren’t you going to tell us what the shots were about?”
“Hans saw an intruder,” Madame said. “Whoever it was is long gone.”
“And did he hit the intruder?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“There was blood at the scene,” Madame said with a curt nod. “The local police will be out here to investigate tomorrow morning. We will learn more in the daylight and relay to you students the need-to-know facts. The important thing is that you are all safe and sound. No need to request calls home. No need to write worried letters. Everything is fine.”
But I knew it wasn’t. All I could think about was Austin. I got up from the chair, the blanket still wrapped around me. Our tired-looking teachers prodded us up the stairs. I paused at my doorway, but Mrs. Lemmon put a hand on my shoulder and guided me inside. She gave me a last look before she turned out the light and closed the door.
The barest hint of moonlight filtered through the window. I glanced up at what was left of that big full moon that had led me to Austin a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t stem my tears any longer.
Marie-Rose perched on the edge of her bed, looking for a moment like she wanted to say something. Maybe she wanted to tell me the truth about what was going on with her. Or maybe she wanted to ask me why I was I was crying. But after a moment of sitting there, she got under her covers and turned out the light.
She had the decency to let me begin my night of worried, dreamless sleep.
Chapter Ten
I woke up with a feeling of dread in my bones, deeper than anything I’d ever felt before. I was filled with the fear that I would never see Austin again.
I hadn’t slept but a few moments the whole night. And my dreams of running after prey and singing to Mother Moon were replaced with dark, tumbling nightmares wherein I was trapped in a wolf’s body with no knowledge, no home, no guidance. Those nightmares led to paralyzing realizations as the morning dawned.
I was going to be a werewolf orphan. I was going to change alone. And then what would I do? I had no access to serum. I didn’t even know where, exactly, Austin’s family castle was. Would I just show up in Muldania in the hopes that they would help me?
I went down to breakfast, moving as slow and fecklessly as a zombie. Seated in front of my bowl of cereal, I ignored the gossip flowing through the room and buzzing around our table. It felt like my life was over. Really over.
Around eight o’clock, when most of us were hanging out in the living room again, Madame LaCroix swept in with Hans and a handsome, blond man in uniform.
“Girls, we have a report on the incident,” she announced, and then she turned to the policeman, smiling. “Herr Eppler will give us an overview, so that if any of you, or your parents, have questions, you will know what to say.”
Of course Madame LaCroix’s main concern was for Steinfelder’s cash flow. One whiff of a shooting at the academy and all of us would be gone, along with our parents’ money.
Herr Eppler cleared his throat. “There is no imminent danger. Security detected an intruder and fired his weapon to deter the perpetrator.”
“I sent off several warning shots,” interjected Hans.
The policeman gave Hans a pointed look. “On investigation, we found a blood trail. The perpetrator was hit at least once.”
Blood trail . The words echoed in my mind. Was Austin out there hurt, hiding in the woods? Had the shock of the bullet forced him to change into his wolf self?
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