Page 5 of Storm of Shadows

I peer up at the academy and then I start to run. Not towards it, away from it. I’m not following the crowd. I’m getting as far away from everyone else as I can. It’s the tactic I’ve always used and nine times out of ten it’s worked. Run and hide. Don’t let them catch you.

Okay, it’ll mean I’m one of the last to arrive at the academy. But so what? It’s not like I’m going to ace any of these trials anyway. And if I’m punished? It’s nothing I haven’t handled before.

I run as hard as I can, although the pain in my ribs slows me down and makes every panted-breath agony.

At least I’m running in the wrong direction, though. At least no one is going to follow me this way. At least I’ll escape the sadistic mayhem.

Yeah, so much for that plan.

Turns out, I’m wrong.

Behind me comes the pounding of feet on hard earth.

Loud, fast, determined.

Peering over my shoulder and through the darkness, I discover a figure racing towards me. Moving at a colossal speed.

I can’t make them out, can’t see their face, or determine their identity. But I’m pretty sure they’re coming for me.

“Shit,” I mutter, driving my arms and legs faster, even though it makes the pain spike in my body.

I scramble up a bank, then skid down the other side, losing my balance for a second, before I find my feet again. A cloud of thick fog curls around me, drifts of silvery cobwebs swim past my face.

I keep running.

Maybe they’ll get bored. Maybe I’ll lose them in this mist. There must be easier prey than me out there. That crying girl for starters. I doubt she’s going to last this first night at the academy. And they were all so freaking excited about coming here.

I tut, then berate myself for my smugness. I’m not exactly doing so great myself. The pain in my ribs is excruciating, and the shadow is gaining on me. I can hear them – their panted breath, their solid footfall. Shit, I canfeelthem.

I have no idea where I am. My head aches, my ribs sting and my legs are tiring.

I grit my teeth and keep driving forward through the swirling mist.

But it’s no use.

My body lets me down, weakened by that goddamn beating.

Fucking Stanley!

I blink away tears of frustration. I try to keep moving.

My feet slow.

And a silvery shadow hooks around my middle, sliding around me, tightening its grip, and slamming me to the earth.

I land flat on my stomach and the air knocks straight from my lungs as my pursuer lands down on top of me, pinning me to the ground with their immense weight.

I close my eyes and try to breathe.

My lungs don’t work, no matter how hard I suck at the air, no matter how much my aching ribs pull. Nothing. No air. No breath. Nothing.

The dark shadows of the world encroach across my vision.

Fuck it, Briony. I thought you were made of harder stuff than this.

I jolt myself back from the abyss.

I am made of harder stuff than this. I fucking am.