Yvaine turned.
Lucien leaned on a wall with a smug look on his beautiful face... No, not beautiful. Ugh!
She wanted to slap the smug off his face but hell! She couldn't even look at him.
"Please," she said, her voice tight. "I can't take any more of your aura games. What do you want from me?"
Lucien laughed. Cold. Sharp. No humor in it.
"Who says I'm here to suppress you?" he said. "Maybe later…"
Her stomach dropped. Her face went pale.
"Come on, ease up," he added, like they were just having a chat.
Ease up? Around him?
He made her pass out in front of the entire class and almost passing out in front of the whole school.
She held on to the edge of the sink. Harder than she'd intended.
Lucien tilted his head. "I haven't welcomed you to Moonfire."
She stared at him blankly.
"There's a welcome party going on in the hall" she said dryly, as she let go of the sink. "So I'm good. I'll just go now. Thanks for the offer."
She turned for the door.
"Not so fast, Theolux."
Then it hit.
That same painful ring in her head.
"Lucien… you said… argh!" Her knees gave out. She dropped, clutching her head.
He chuckles and bent down, eyes digging into her.
"Yeah, I know what I said."
Her throat dried up. She wanted to scream. Call for Nyx. Anyone. But nothing came out. Just the dull sound of blood rushing in her ears.
Two shadows moved behind him. She couldn't see their faces. Just shapes.
"Bag her," Lucien said calmly.
Rough hands grabbed her.
"No—wait—!"
But it was too late.
They shoved her into something—cloth, thick, heavy. A sack. She couldn't breathe right. She kicked, twisted.
"Stay still," Lucien snapped.
She didn't.
Couldn't.
But her body had limits.
Everything spun.
Then everything went dark.
_____
Zully looked around the hall. Most people were leaving already.
She walked over to Nyx.
"Hey… have you seen Yvaine?"
Nyx shook her head. "Not since she said she was going to the bathroom."
"That was a while ago."
Just then, Elyan and Veylor joined them.
"She's not in the bathroom," Elyan said. "We checked."
Zully's brows pulled together. "Maybe we should ask that guy she was dancing with?"
"Yeah," Nyx said. "He might know something."
They turned and walked over to Ed. He was standing alone, holding a drink.
Zully stepped forward. "Hey, Ed. Have you seen Yvaine?"
Ed looked up. "She said she was going to the bathroom. That was like thirty minutes ago. I thought she left me."
Veylor frowned. "Maybe she's already in the dorm?"
Then the speakers came on with a loud crackle.
"All students, you have five minutes to leave the hall and return to your dorms."
"Well, we'll just head to the dorms. I'll send a message if she's in." Zully tells the boys.
"Alright. Please do tell her I waited for her." Ed adds.
"Sure." Zully replied.
Zully and Nyx left the hall, heading back to Wolffire East.
_______
Yvaine stirred.
Her head throbbed. Everything ached.
She opened her eyes slowly.
Darkness.
She blinked, trying to adjust. But it was no use—she couldn't see a thing.
"Hello?" Her voice cracked. "Lucien? Zully? Nyx?... anyone?"
Nothing.
Just her voice bouncing back at her.
She sat up slowly, her whole body sore. Her wrists hurt. Her legs too.
Where was she?
She hugged herself, trying to breathe.
Gods, if she'd just shifted already—she could use wolf vision right now. Maybe even a little strength. Anything.
But no.
Late blooming loser.
She got up, her legs felt like jelly. She held out her palm.
Maybe… maybe a light spell?
She muttered quietly, "Luxaignis."
A soft glow lit her hand. Small, but there.
She smiled. "Okay… baby magic. I'll take it."
Then it flickered.
And went out.
Her smile faded.
"Come on," she whispered. She tried again. "Luxaignis."
Nothing.
"Ughhh!" she groaned. "I hate you, Lucien Lioréan!"
And then—click.
Lights buzzed on above her.
She froze.
What the—
She wasn't waiting to find out . She ran as fast as she could.
Her heart was beating really fast
"Ooh cold!" She shook as the wind hit her.
She rubbed her arms. The cold was getting to her.
It definitely was midnight.
She had to go back to the dorm.
Somehow.
"Just great," she muttered. "Kidnapped by a psycho wolf, dumped in some haunted room, and no one knows where I am."
She kept walking.
One step after the other.
Yvaine's legs were tired. Really tired.
She'd been walking for a while now. Maybe twenty minutes. The dorms were up ahead, but they still felt so far.
She groaned. "This would be a good time to have wolf speed."
She kicked a small stone on the ground.
"Thank you, Moon Goddess, for making me slow," she muttered.
Her feet hurt. Her head was still aching. Her whole body just felt heavy.
She spotted a stone pillar up ahead. She walked to it.
"Okay. Just a few minutes" she said to herself.
Her breathing became shallow in. It was colder now. She rubbed her arms. The sweatshirt wasn't helping much.
Everything was too quiet.
Then she heard it.
A sharp scream.
She sat up straighter, heart picking up speed.
Her eyes scanned the area.
"Hello?" she called out.
Nothing.
She got to her feet. "Yeah, okay, time to go."
She started walking again. Faster this time.
Her shoes made noises as she walked.
Then she heard it again.
The scream.
Clearer now. Closer.
Yvaine stopped.
It came from ahead. Near the dorms, but not quite.
She tried to laugh it off. "Maybe someone's just drunk. Or being silly."
But her legs didn't believe her. They were already moving faster.
The wind hit her face. Cold and sharp.
The path ahead split into two.
Left—towards the dorm building.
Right—towards the hideous garden.
She swallowed.
The scream came from the right.
She looked at the left path.
She looked at the right.
She should turn left. Go to her room. Get under the blanket. Sleep.
But her feet started moving right.
"Stupid," she muttered. "This is stupid."
But she didn't stop.
She kept walking.
Not because she wasn't scared.
Heck! She was so scared.
But she wanted to see what or rather...who it was.
Yvaine stepped into the garden. It was quiet.
She looked around, hugging her arms.
"Hello?" she called out again.
No answer.
She walked a little further.
Then—something dropped on her face.
It was warm. Wet. Sticky.
She gasped and wiped it off with her palm.
Her hand froze.
Blood.
Her chest tightened.
Slowly, she looked up.
Her heart stopped.
"ARGGHHHH!"
It echoed through the garden.