“I’ll talk to you about it sooner or later,” Larissa said with the same look on her face.

I just hoped she would forget about it.

I cautiously opened the chat, squinting over at Larissa to check that she wasn’t shadowing me again, but she was still looking at her own phone with a grin.

I’d love to. I texted Erik back, but he had already gone offline.

Neither the lecturer nor the rest of the students showed up for the rest of the seminar.

Something was wrong with the professors today. Probably that meeting Grace had told me about?

It was just strange that no one had posted anything in the substitution plans. But everything was going haywire here anyway. The director was a lost cause, and so was Vanderwood University.

Chapter 43

Julian

I would never have thought that Bayla Adams would turn my life upside down like this. Only a month ago, she had moved in next door to me and knew nothing about anyone here. She also had tried to avoid me, which I had accepted.

Three weeks later, she was suddenly confronted with the Quatura and a completely new system, and I could sense her feelings in a strange way.

Everything could change so quickly and, yes, I didn’t understand a thing.

Then there was the phone call with Diana Adams a few minutes ago. I wasn’t surprised that she asked me to do something like that, but it anchored all this crap deeper in my life than I wanted it to.

However, it wasn’t just anyone who had asked me to keep an eye on Bayla earlier.

“Make sure she stays away from the Copelands.”

And oh man, how I had empathized with that sentence.

Emely was different and hopefully wouldn’t cause any more problems. She had told me that when she had followed Bayla in her wolf form, that strange feeling had kicked in for the first time, and she had automatically run in a different direction. Bayla’s fear had literally gone through her bones. And it was precisely this curse, which seemed to have been on us for a week, that kept me busy day and night.

I had done some research, but what was I actually hoping for? I had also tried to talk to Julie, but it was hard to find her without her paranoid cousin, Grace.

“Try to keep her away from the other Quatura, if that’s possible.”

That had been the part I hadn’t quite understood. Why was Ms. Adams asking such a thing of me, especially when these people were stuck to her cheek, and there was little I could do about it as a Senseque? And besides, weren’t they just the right people for an inexperienced Quatura?

“You’re one of the good ones. I’m glad she has you there.”

The thought had been on my mind. Intensely. I didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone here, but since Bayla was here, I kind of had a purpose. It didn’t feel like I was babysitting her, but I couldn’t describe it any better. She simply existed, and now everything was different. I didn’t know how or if I should even judge this. What I did know was that I was very close to giving a Quatura a place in my life, which was pretty much the last thing I wanted.

Bayla was somehow involved, and I was probably driven by the will to protect her from having to lead a life like mine. Or it was her strange magic.

How could she let us get so close to her feelings without realizing it herself?

“Just keep an eye on her, if that’s okay with you... Tell her to stay away from the forest. And by the way, it’s still Diana.”

Then she’d hung up, leaving me slightly embarrassed but also overwhelmed. I didn’t even know where she’d gotten my number from, but it could only have come from Dad. Anyway, now, I had Bayla Adams’ number, too, and I didn’t know what to do with it or whether it would even be wise to contact her.

I hadn’t told Diana about the incident because that would probably have caused more trouble.

I almost felt like she wanted Bayla to have no abilities, as if she wanted her to be human.

Sometimes I thought about how different my life would be as a human. Where would I live? Would I study music like I do now? Would I let my father convince me to become a police officer? Would I want to start a family one day?

There was no question that my life would be easier.

“Bay!”

My own words brought me back to the filling campus.

It was Monday afternoon and the still-warming fall sun was high in the sky, occasionally masked by gathering cloud towers.

Bayla Adams walked across campus in black trousers, a brown knitted sweater and a dull dark brown leather backpack on her back. A few thick tomes tucked under her arm.

“It’s easy to see your major,” I joked, grinning in amusement at her appearance. She reminded me a little of Alarik when he was absentmindedly walking around campus or always forgot to adjust his shirt collar. Always carrying some kind of book. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you became Alarik’s favorite student.”

Bayla, who had stopped and turned toward me, gave me an annoyed look.

With her free hand, she brushed one of her dark strands of hair behind one ear, revealing a few more of her freckles and her turquoise eye.

“If I ever get the chance to take part in his seminars...” She actually got in on my joke. “Until now, I’ve either been permanently ill or cursed with all this witchcraft stuff. And when I did get to the English seminar, the professor didn’t show up. But maybe I’ll be murdered by the Blairville Killer before then...”

I had to grin, even though there was nothing funny about that story.

Dad had left early this morning and told Mia and me that it was an emergency. An hour later, he had called me and told me that from now on I would always take Mia home straight after school. The murder of the young woman affected him deeply, and if he was so worried about Mia, it could only mean one thing: There must be a Ruisangor behind the murder.

“You shouldn’t worry about it,” I sighed, because it was enough for me that Emely was already so concerned about this attack. Probably because her father was hitting the roof about it.

“Everything feels surreal right now. One of those fucking ravens might as well be attacking me in the next second...” She pointed to the tower of the east wing, where most of the ravens were circling. “I’d laugh.”

I smirked.

Bay looked at me questioningly. “What do you want, Julian?”

I ran my fingers through the back of my hair, trying to find a phrase that was appropriate and, more importantly, not too awkward.

“I just wanted to check that you were okay. You were gone yesterday and didn’t come home.”

This time it wasn’t me, but Bayla, whose lips curled into a grin.

“Am I dreaming or is Julian Bardot, my cocky neighbor, worried right now?”

I scowled at her, but couldn’t help softening my features.

“I’m being serious. You’ve been away for a long time.”