pte

NE POINT

eavier than the last. The binding stone's grip on me has tightened overnight

keep walking. Keep bre

ents laugh and shout and live their normal lives while I floa

at's for

enough to take notes. The words on the board swim together l

seat. Moving feels impossible. L

s Cr

beside my desk. His face shows concern th

ght? You look

mes out. My voice has abandoned

visit the nurse,"

urse do for magical poison? For

eans closer, lowering his voice. "Professor Blackwood would like to

ut can't place the face. Advanced Magi

r Kane adds. "She sa

re drowning. But I nod anyway because it's easi

sleep on my desk and wake up to find the classroom empty. In third period

here with that cursed stone around his neck. Can't handle watchi

head down on the cool desk. Close my eyes and

butterfly. So weak now. So fragile. A few m

t would b

ave dozed off again. My neck aches from th

Professor

p echoes like thunder in my ears. The room numbers bl

door stands slightly open, warm li

ck so

," a voi

ine every wall, filled with books that look older than the school itself. Crystals hang from the ceiling, catching the

ected, maybe thirty-five, with silver-streaked hair and eyes the color of storm clouds. When s

e sounds different in her mouth. S

her desk. My legs shake with rel

tired," sh

feel hollowed out. Scraped clean. Like someone re

ues. Her voice is soft but carries weight. Authority

u d

k. I clear my throat and try

ply. "The binding stone that

ps beating for a full second

do

sad. "Because I've seen it be

r along the spines until she finds what she's looking for. The

ions," she says, flipping through pages. "Controlling wolves w

a match struck in darkness. "Th

says simply. "And because most peopl

you

to face me, and for a moment, her eyes f

makes my skin prickle. This woman isn't just a professor. She

t human,"

e book and sets it on the desk. "Tell me, Evan

hen I was little. Uncle Mar

s trying to solve. "And your wolf? What was

tmare started. "Quiet. Gentle. She never

lackwood says carefully,

eep

for the right season to grow." She leans forward. "The binding stone doesn't jus

s dry. "What

ore than he can chew." Her smile turns sharp. Pred

ut a small glass vial. The liquid inside is deep

is t

uence temporarily." She holds it out to me. "Drink thi

angerous. Forbidden. The kind o

s the

r wolf wakes up, she may not want to go back to sleep. And if she's as powerful

my wolf i

d to suppress her before she could awaken properly." Her eyes glea

m in my hands. Hea

you hel

wolves. And because..." She pauses, something flickering

t clenches with ol

e w

secrets that could shake the foundations of our world." Professor Bla

the key to everything I've lost

k this, wh

er voice is fierce now. Certain. "And Ronan Nig

e lightning and wild roses and something deeper. Something

it h

ood doesn't lie or sugarcoat

y lips. The glass is

quietly. "Once you do this, there's n

dreams he had for me. About the way

ng to destroy and the wo

" I w

drink

, my vision goes completely white. Every nerve in my body screams. The emp

ng silence that fo

Angry. And very,