Page 34 of Blood Moon
They told me it was a risk, but I ached for her.
Article III, Lost Letters from Aadan the First
The wolf statues haunted me as we walked to the stadium. They sat, molded in stone with smooth bellies, intricately carved fur, and hardened eyes that trailed my steps. It was as if they’d been desperately waiting for a soul to uncover the mysteries they’d seen.
The stadium was past the Bowman Art Building, on the far end of campus, closest to the lake. While Naomi and I walked, we talked about how college was officially feeling more like school and less like summer camp. How the upperclassmen felt like adults who had their shit together, and how the professors dressed and acted as if they were in a secret dark-magic society—all of which wasn’t true, but a theory we joked about until we got toward the gate.
The marching band was loud and echoed all around us as we entered. Students and visitors congregated everywhere—some of them in line for concessions, others lingering in small groups with friends.
As we headed for the stands, we passed the smell of popcorn, hot dogs, and a few additional scents that were overwhelming to my sensitive nose. It was a sea of red, gold, and white. Students bore painted faces, and in the front row, a group of rambunctious guys had coated their chests in university colors. The mascot paraded up and down the aisles, and when the marching band played a familiar tune, the crowd jumped to their feet with a thrill I had never experienced before.
It was a lot to take in.
Naomi danced as we shimmied around bodies to a spot we liked. While we waited for the game to start, we watched the cheerleaders, and Naomi shouted over the noise to tell me how she convinced her parents to let her play flag football when she was seven. With the help of her cousins, her parents eventually caved. She had been good at it, and she wondered how different her life would be if she had continued to play the sport.
There was more to the story, but I missed the second half of it because moving up the steel steps with two friends beside him was Julian.
My chest throbbed languidly at the sight of him, slowly observing each moment as if in slow motion. It was how his shoulder bones contoured beneath his white shirt. How, in the brilliance of the afternoon light, every part of his body seemed molded by a sculptor. And how there was a new detail on his near-perfect face. It was practically faded now, but still visible. It curved from the apple of his cheek to the hollow skin beneath his left eye, and it was violet with splashes of green and yellow. A bruise. The mark hadn’t been there that day in the woods. And maybe that was why he’d skipped out on classes all week. Perhaps he’d been in a gruesome fight, or a strange accident. Both options seemed grim.
And I’d hate to even think it … but there was something about the way he looked a little tortured that made the red beating thing in my chest swell a tiny bit. It was despicable, I knew. But I couldn’t help it.
When Julian’s golden eyes met mine, there was a stammer there, in his gaze. A shift between astonishment and a deep-pitted sorrow, like a gentle wave lapping in an angry sea.
I glanced away, pretending I was going for my phone.
Naomi pulled me to her. “Were you just staring at Julian Santos? Didn’t you say he was being weird? Have you talked to him recently?” I’d told her briefly of the stares and how we had a class together. She knew the important parts of the story: We both hated each other.
“Yes … no … kind of?” I said between my teeth.
She gave me a look.
“I’ll explain later.”
Naomi didn’t let go at first. She considered me with a narrowness, and I was sure she was internally debating how she wanted to respond. But she released her grasp, chewed her lip, and gave a breathy “Fine.”
I exhaled.Thank god.I didn’t want to get into the dynamics. Not now.
Before the kickoff, the dean of students took the field. I hadn’t seen Duke Moore since move-in day, but he stood confidently, smiling and waving at the roaring crowd with his peppered hair and finely pressed university polo. There was so much about him that reminded me of Seven, and I wondered how proud he was of his son—of all his sons—to have had them achieve so much under his guidance and leadership.
“Timberwolves,” he began, and I could feel the rolling thrill in the heartbeats around me as they came to life one by one. “Believe me when I say how excited we are to have you all here in celebration of our championship winners’ first game of the season!”
The marching band banged on their drums and the crowd went wild. “Fight, fight, fight!” they chanted, fists soaring through the air. The guys with the painted chests jolted to the track, sprinting alongside the cheerleaders in an effort to capitalize on the growing momentum. The chanting grew louder, feet stomping into steel. Bodies jumped here and there, and all the while, the section on the opposite side of the stadium shared a long and low “boo” that ripped past the field.
Duke waved his hand as a white flag, and the crowd hushed. “A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.” He grinned. “And while today is an exciting day, it would be audacious if I didn’t mention how equally important all of your safety is to us. You may have heard of the unfortunate animal attacks near the city—one of which has even taken place here, on one of our university trails. Equally unfortunate and heart-wrenching, we’ve also been alerted of the loss of an incredible student at one of our neighboring universities. Let us please take a moment of silence for all the lives impacted by this.”
Heads bowed, and my lips trembled. I’d been so close to sharing the same fate. Sniffles grew around me, and Naomi grabbed my hand, squeezed it. I did the same.
After some time, Duke began again. “Thank you for that.” There was a tightness in his voice. “While we have increased security measures on campus by patrolling the grounds and blocking off trails, we ask that you all take precautions and be aware of your surroundings as you celebrate the events that transpire here later this evening. Know your exits, and please call the authorities if you need to. Thank you again for your time this afternoon.” He cleared his throat. “On that note … how about them Timberwolves?”
At the question, the audience responded with “I believe that we will win, I believe that we will win!” Up and down we jumped, the bleachers booming beneath our soles.
On cue, the marching band played the university fight song, and on the edge of the field, cannons exploded with red, white, and gold confetti. Over the intercom, the announcers called for the Timberwolves, and the players rushed the field.
We shouted, and after a while, I spotted Seven. It was a few minutes into the game, once the players settled down and got to the benches. It surprised me that he noticed me, even with all the distance between us. His face brightened, those dimples piercing through, and he tilted his chin in my direction, shot me a winning smile.
I waved and Naomi made kissing sounds in my ear. “I’m jealous!” She stuck her bottom lip out. “Waah, why do you get two boys, and I get no one?”
“I don’t have two boys.”
