Page 206 of Blood & Betrayals

“My friend is out looking, and the headmaster will have told the authorities by now. You stay with me. Please?”

“You called your friend?” Alice asks, the surprise overriding her anger.

“I messaged him to ask if he was being a dick and pranking me, but he got worried and came. He told me to email the headmaster when I got back safe, so I did.”

Alice brushes me out of the way and opens the curtains a little, glancing out. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Who is it you’re looking for?”

Alice scans the trees. “I don’t know, someone.”

There is a loud bang, and the window shakes. Alice and I jump back, dropping the curtain. We stare around the room with wide eyes. Adrenaline floods my system again, and I feel my muscles tremble.

“What the fuck was that?” Alice asks. I shake my head and cautiously approach the window again. I brush aside the curtains to find a large, angry crack in the glass. Alice comes up behind me, and I think I see the brush beneath the trees shift and rustle. I narrow my eyes, trying to penetrate the shadows, but it is just too dark.

“No more walking alone. I’m putting my foot down,” Alice says.

My chest heaves, but I keep my eyes on the bushes. It may be everything that has happened today, but I feel like whatever or whoever is out there is looking back at me. I swear I can feel their evil smile.

My phone pings, and I yank it free, reading the message.

I look at the cracked window and close the curtains again. My feet feel too heavy as I walk to Alice’s bed and sit down. I lift my phone, my hands shaking as I type.

Alice paces back and forth in front of me, muttering.

“Al.” She ignores me. “Alice,” I say louder, and she finally looks at me. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“This is all kinds of fucked up, Summer.”

I nod, patting the bed next to me. Alice sits down and lays her head on my shoulder.

“I–I need you to be okay. Okay?”

I nod, sliding my hand into hers. “Okay.”

Alice sits up. “I need a drink. Want one?”

I shake my head, and Alice stands up and disappears into the living room. I openNexusagain and message the stranger.

I blink, shifting to sit with my back against the wall. Is he jealous? No. Surely not. The thought intrigues me enough to stifle the fear slightly, allowing me to breathe.

I lift my eyebrows.

Exhaustion barrels through me, and I force myself to my feet. I pad through the dorm to my bedroom and change into my pajamas before climbing into bed. I lie there, waiting for sleep toclaim me, ready to be done with today. But I keep thinking of the stranger’s reaction. I grab my phone off the bedside table.

I frown reading his message.

I blink.

He doesn’t reply, though I can feel his irritation through the runic network.

I roll my eyes and turn onto my side to sleep. My phone alerts again, and I pick it up, ready to send a very scathingly worded message to the stranger. But I smile when I see Connor has texted me.

Connor

Miss you

Summer

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