Without wasting any more time, I turn on my heels and rush in. The empty room stops me short. Reaching up, I absently start to untangle my hair, drawing out stubborn leaves. My hand freezes mid air when the murmur of a crowd down below becomes audible.
I rake my fingers through my hair frantically, desperately hoping I've managed to remove any evidence of being in the woods. Throwing the door open, I rush down the cold halls. The stairwell is suddenly too long, every step I take sending a rush of dread snaking through me.
Finally I get to the common room. Following the voices, I make my way to the dinning hall.
Up to a hundred pairs of eyes turn to laser on me. I fight the urge to shrink away.
The girls wear varying looks of irritation, still in their night wear. Veloria's matron is th
