e us like the jaw of

ouths frozen open in eternal silence. Beyond it, a driveway stretched

idn't look back at me. Didn't need to. His

uld be

y suitcase

from the fog like a

clouds, arched windows glowing with amber light, stone walls covered in climbing ivy that looked centuri

moon A

above the main entrance, the letters f

caught on a crack in the cobblestone p

s. A place that had existed for centuries before I wa

st t

e from behind

and the porcelain face-was looking at me with an expression

id. "Is it t

her eyes. "You're the only one w

ght purple. A gift from my mother two bir

-leather, metal corners, monograms I couldn't read. One boy

" I

e girl rep

hed her go, her silver uniform jacket catching the

t belon

of this impossible building, surrounded by students who moved like they'

I doin

n was held in

seen anyth

invisible chains, casting pale light across rows of wooden benches. A massive fireplace dominated one wall,

re-everywher

an. Some not. They watched me as I walked in, as I found a

dn't

llowed me l

her? Th

oesn't even kn

She won't l

er. She's

was sitting three rows ahead, but he turned around to look at me as he s

oked

re shaking. I pressed them betwe

cry. Don't let

Vane stood at the

, his face lined like ancient parchment, but his eyes... his eyes were

n he spoke, his voice filled every corner of the h

said, "to Silv

ven the flames in the f

hifters in the world. Here, you will learn control. You will learn st

cross the room-a

e a hand arou

s. Students from seventeen countries. Bloodlines that span c

spers e

d you.

She shouldn

she eve

aised his hand. S

said. "Her presence is not a mistake. It is not an acc

pau

strength to stay-that

rientation pa

lunar cycles and monthly rites and forbidden territor

retain

the eyes. Boring into the back of my he

lly dismissed us, I grab

was called M

lowed white in the darkness. The windows were narrow, the stone walls covered in moss, an

the third flo

, of course-and fumbled with the

s small but

that faced the forest. A wardrobe carved with wolf motifs. A fire

ood on the desk. Bread, chees

the bed and

pect me

whispers meant. They didn't think I belonged here,

the apple.

etest thing I'

ave fall

al, my cheek pressed against the rough fabric of the pill

d died down

om was

ne was wa

ess, the same one that had woken me the night the wo

ned m

nding in t

at, almost white-blonde, falling across a face that looked like it had been carved from ice an

eyes that sto

l

mmer skies. Not the war

The blue of something ancient an

e like I was a bug

o fast my

oice came out smaller than I

ay with his impossible height, his arms crossed over

ied again. "You mu

e the

something close to it. And flat. Completely flat, li

s. I'

who yo

step int

headboard. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to run,

n't be here

everyone keep

one is

saw something move beneath his skin. A ripple. A shift. L

eath

you?" I

e. And for a moment-just a moment-something flicke

it wa

y out of everyone's way. And maybe-

lked out without

istening to his footste

ko

uld learn it the way you learn the shape of a

t sleep a

ked at me. The contempt. The warning. The something else underne

. The room was dark except for the m

close the

d lock

do a lot

y there, frozen, w

ed sh

, heart

ing was in the bed with me.

back the

scre

efore I could stop it, raw and an

a wolf i

t the massive gray beast

fur still soft and dar

at had b

g across the mattress like spilled wine. The pup

t it here whil

lie next to a dying a

e wall. My legs gave out. I slid to the floor, my

was sti

lway wa

n the shadows,

ght

istant.

knees to my chest, and for the first time since I

use I wa

finally

sn't a

s a bat

ad just drawn