Page 20 of Soul of Shadow #1

“We only have two days left.”

Lou spoke these words as she slammed down her physics textbook in between Charlie and Abigail. Charlie flinched violently at the sound.

“Geez.” Lou eyed Charlie suspiciously. “What’s up your butt?”

“Nothing,” Charlie said quickly.

Her lack of sleep the night before was starting to get to her. Not to mention there was this gnome thing sitting in her backpack, and a pair of golden stags had followed her car all the way to school.

“And why the hell are you wearing sunglasses indoors ? Are you trying to start a new fashion trend?” Lou asked.

Charlie hesitated. She had kept the sunglasses on all morning, afraid of what she would see if she took them off, but Lou was right: she did look ridiculous wearing them in physics class.

A glance at the far wall revealed sunlight streaming in from between half-shuttered blinds. Perhaps that would be enough.

To be honest, Charlie was a few steps from losing it.

When she stepped out of her house that morning, nothing felt the same.

Even with sunglasses on, the green of the grass was brighter, the warmth of the sun more powerful, the trees seeming to whisper as the wind blew through them.

Overhead, a pair of the two-headed birds she saw the night before swooped circles around each other.

When she glanced over her shoulder, she could’ve sworn she saw a three-foot-tall, pointy-eared man holding a violin disappear around the corner of her house.

The world was entirely new.

Inside the school, the changes weren’t as obvious; there were no stray vines crawling up lockers or pink snakes slithering along the tiled floor.

It was as if Asgard’s powers withered beneath paneled ceilings and fluorescent lighting.

Charlie was grateful; she couldn’t afford to panic in front of her classmates over something they couldn’t see.

Slowly, she slid the glasses off her face and blinked.

She had been right; though the sunlight streaming in the windows was still a few degrees brighter than it should have been, it was slight enough for her to ignore.

“God, Lou,” said Abigail. “Maybe nothing is wrong with Charlie. Maybe you’re the problem, banging your books around so early in the morning.”

“Aw, did someone forget to drink plain coffee with her plain toast this morning?” Lou pouted at Abigail, before looking between the two of them excitedly. “I’m serious. We only have two days left to find dates.”

“Or what?” Charlie asked, her lack of sleep making her surlier than usual.

“ Or I broadcast to the entire school that video of you singing Ariana Grande’s Christmas album when you were ten,” Lou said.

Down in her backpack, the little creature squeaked and leapt out, landing on the lab table. Charlie forced herself not to look down at him. “You wouldn’t,” she said .

“I think we both know I would.” Lou clapped once. “Now. Let’s brainstorm. Abigail, who are you thinking of asking?”

Abigail reached down into her backpack and pulled out a dark-blue binder. She tossed it onto the desk and opened it to the first page. “Well,” she said, flipping past what looked like a screenshot of someone’s Instagram page, “I’ve compiled a list of every eligible junior and senior at our school—”

“You’ve what ?” Lou grabbed the binder from Abigail, ignoring her friend’s protests as she leafed quickly through the pages. “Jesus, Abigail. What are you, an FBI detective?”

“No.” Abigail snatched the binder back. “I’m just thorough. If I’m going to put precious time into asking someone to a dance, they need to fit a certain set of criteria.”

Lou arched an eyebrow. “Such as?”

Abigail held up a finger as she ticked off each necessary trait. “Involvement in at least two after-school activities, minimum GPA of three point five—”

“ Minimum GPA ?” Lou’s mouth hung open. “What is this, a college application?”

“It might as well be,” said Abigail. “If I’m going to take up with someone, they cannot reflect poorly on my image.”

“Abigail.” Lou rested her fingertips on her freckled temple. “Harvard isn’t going to review your list of high school relationships.”

Abigail recoiled in horror. “Who said anything about a relationship ? I don’t have the time for that. Relationships require a level of maintenance that—”

“All right!” said their teacher, Ms. Feldman, clapping her hands to draw the attention of the class.

“So sorry to interrupt the scintillating conversation filling this classroom”—she cast a look at Charlie’s corner of the room—“but I have an announcement. We have a late enrollment in Introductory Physics. He’s also new to our school, so everyone please give him a warm welcome. ” She gestured to the doorway—

Elias .

Charlie inhaled sharply. He was back in his human form, tall and pale and tousle-haired, as if the night before had never happened.

But it had. It had, and Charlie felt it in the shadow he cast in the doorway, the way his brilliant green eyes landed right on hers, the mocking smile that pulled at his lips. He knew exactly what he was doing. He’d probably joined this class just to torture her.

“Oh my God,” Lou whispered. “He’s here. He’s joining our class .” She turned her gaze to Charlie, eyes wide with wonder. “And he’s staring right at you, Charles.”

“No he’s not,” Charlie said as Elias continued to stare right at her.

“Come on in, Elias,” Ms. Feldman said, gesturing to an open lab table at the front of the room. “Or do you prefer Eli?”

“I don’t,” Elias said, finally tearing his gaze away from Charlie. “Elias is fine. Thanks for the intro, Teach.”

“ Ms. Feldman is also fine,” she said, eyeing Elias like she already knew he was going to be a problem.

“Right.” Elias slid into the chair next to Charlie’s and winked at Ms. Feldman. “Whatever you say, Teach.”

Charlie dug her fingernails into her palms.

Odin save her; this was going to be a long hour.