ll Tessa abo

ock myself in the bathroom and bare my teeth at my own reflection like an idiot. Rounded. Ordinary. A

to side. I pressed a finger

alf asleep, and the lamp was dim, and you'd b

et against my chest was still cold as river stones, and I

e," Tessa announce

nk y

fighting ghosts." She was lacing her boots on the ed

ing lik

inned up at me, lopsided and sunny, and tossed me my jacket. "Come

bed. Instead I followed her out into the corridor, and

ed with

night? Pale as a corpse." I looked around, but no one was near. The stairwell was empty except for Tessa

ir legs, a baby's laughter, impossible, because there were no babies at Duskmere. A flock of birds some

e stairs and gri

ar

loud," I

at

ryth

athing. A page turning in the library. The scratch of a pencil three buildings over, and the muffled, rhythmic thud of a heart that belo

o difference. The sounds weren't coming th

gently pulling my hands down. Her amber eyes searched my

ca

hed a little at herself. "That sounde

t of her heart, the faint hum of the fabric where her sleeve brushed mine. Slowly, the roar

ong, shaki

ett

voice cracked

n odd, careful look, the way you look at a stranger who has jus

ago you said it was too loud. But

kno

did yo

. It's the altitude. But Tessa's eyes were steady, and there was no jud

," I said. "She asked so

our floors down and

kno

breath. "That's n

sounded thin eve

ot a nose, remember? You smell like rain and old books and something that's got no business smelling like that on a girl

ed. "Are you goin

nuinely startled. "Of cou

y are yo

cing up and down the empty stairwell. "And I don't know what's wrong with you. I don't thi

indly, but the words settle

me,"

ha

ar away. Whisper it, and I'

ed, walked up three flights to the landing at the to

ard it as clearly as if she ha

lves are fools, and I hid my l

slowly, and I repea

rise, she began to laugh, a helpless, brea

not human! Mara, I don't care what you say, you ar

ef, and for a moment we stood there together in the empty

up, wiping our eyes, Tessa's

t you are," she said. "B

o we eve

my arm. "But I'll figure it out

e I didn't trust

heartbeat of every student within fifty feet, and I was thrown into the mud twice by a boy who apologized both times. Tessa l

bragging that I fel

ned my

r one shoulder. He wasn't training. He was just standing there, as though he had come out to the fiel

r his heartb

ard, thudding rhythm that sounded almost like a drum. His lips parted

on closed. He dropped his hand, turned on his heel,

g my gaze. "Every time he sees you. I

hy

cared." She frowned. "I'v

went looking fo

eep early, worn out from her mud-soaked victory. I slipped out into the corridor, pulled my jacket tight, and followed the twis

at the end of a long passage

fr

dn't help it. The words slid through

" said a man's voice, low and tense. "Be

answered, quieter, her word

e seal has broken. There

heavy

that I would have missed it if I ha

e girl has