Page 90 of A University of Betrayal

I wanted to say something else, but she disappeared inside and a few seconds later the door closed.

I let my arms hang down with a sigh and turned toward the street. My eyes fell on the streetlight under which I had almost died. Ravens had gathered underneath it. A shiver ran down my spine.

Why had Mum come here with me?

Cellar

Jay Varton

It was strangely quiet as I entered the first floor of the house.

“Mum?” I called out and listened carefully for an answer. In vain. Mum had to be at work.

Normally, I wouldn’t be here either, but I had found out through a coincidence calledEmelythat Julian wanted to go home again to pick up the last of his things to take with him to campus, and I hadn’t missed out on the chance of a ride.

I had forgotten quite a lot this morning, but I didn’t want Mum to bring me anything extra either.

I’d been trying to get everything I could out of Julian, and all I knew so far about the affair between his family and the Quatura was that Mia had moved out this morning. And that Julian was planning to move back to campus completely. He hadn’t exactly been talkative, had seemed absent.

I walked through the living room to the kitchen and spotted a package on the kitchen island, which I inspected curiously and when I deciphered my name on the address label, my curiosity increased considerably.

Who sentmea parcel?

It was just sitting here and... there was a crest with two wolf heads…

Vanderwood University?

I quickly tore the cardboard apart and was startled by my strength, which reminded me of the meeting with the professor. I had tried to suppress it at Mady’s, but now it all came flooding back.

After seeing my reflection, it was easy for me to believe him, but that didn’t change the shock of the fact, or the fear of turning and possibly dying in the process.

Me,a cursed werewolf? Something like Julian and Emely?

I hadn’t said a word about it, of course, but I was confused. Yesterday afternoon, before the rite of passage, my eyes had lit up like that. Now, at least, I could be sure that it wasn’t a reflection of the sun or my imagination that I had seen flashing in the mirror.

But how was that possible? There was only one answer, and I didn’t even want to think it through.

I doggedly pulled the plastic bag with the soft contents out of the box, and wasn’t surprised when I pulled out a white blouse, a black skirt and a navy-blue sweater, as well as a knitted sweater vest, with the Vanderwood crest, plus other items of clothing in navy blue, dark green and black. I started rummaging around, looking for pants, but found none. The crest was also on the chest of the other sweater vests and knitted sweaters, with the dagger with tendrils woven around the handle and two wolf heads sticking out at the tip. 1866 was written underneath, as was the name of the university.

With an unenthusiastic expression, I threw the clothes onto the worktop.

Only over my dead body would I wear askirtonthiscampus.

A note floated toward me and I quickly grabbed it before it could fall off.

The university offers other clothing items, which are available at the local store at Vanderwood.

Of course,I had to go to a store first to get an item of clothing that I didn’t even want to wear voluntarily.

That co-director... Who the hell was she, and how did it occur to her to introduce school uniforms at a Canadianuniversity?As a fucking obligation?!

I snorted in disapproval.

A cool breeze crept over the back of my neck and I wheeled around.

There was nothing there. No window was open, and I had even pulled the door shut behind me.

I was just about to turn back to my uniform when I heard a muffled noise.

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