Chapter 4 — The Scent of Blood
1836 Words
The first thing Elara noticed when she woke was the silence.
The second was the smell of blood.
Her eyes opened instantly.
She sat upright in bed.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Mira was still asleep across the room, wrapped tightly in her blanket. Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, painting pale lines across the floor.
Everything looked normal.
Everything sounded normal.
But the scent remained.
Blood.
Fresh.
Human.
Elara's senses sharpened.
She could hear Mira's heartbeat.
Steady.
Healthy.
Alive.
The scent wasn't coming from her roommate.
Elara slowly turned toward the window.
Nothing.
Then toward the door.
Nothing.
She closed her eyes and breathed in again.
The smell was faint, but unmistakable.
Someone had been bleeding nearby.
Very recently.
Elara slipped out of bed.
She moved silently across the room and opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
Students were beginning to wake. Doors opened farther down the corridor. Someone laughed. A shower ran somewhere.
Normal campus life.
Elara stepped outside.
The scent was stronger.
She followed it down the hallway.
Past two rooms.
Then three.
It led toward the stairwell.
She stopped.
A small red drop rested on the floor.
Elara stared at it.
Her pupils narrowed.
Blood.
She crouched.
She didn't touch it.
The scent was human.
But there was something strange beneath it.
Something bitter.
Something almost metallic.
Elara straightened.
Someone had been hurt.
And whoever it was had walked this way.
She followed the trail down the stairs.
It disappeared near the entrance.
Students moved through the lobby carrying backpacks and coffee cups.
Nobody seemed concerned.
Elara's jaw tightened.
Either no one had noticed—
Or someone had cleaned the rest.
She looked toward the glass doors.
A figure stood outside.
A university security officer.
He was speaking into a radio.
Elara couldn't hear what he said.
Then he looked directly toward the building.
Toward her.
Their eyes met.
The man immediately looked away.
Elara's suspicion deepened.
She turned around.
Mira was standing at the top of the stairs.
"Elara?"
Elara looked up.
"You're awake."
"Clearly."
Mira rubbed her eyes.
"Why are you downstairs?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Again?"
Elara shrugged.
Mira walked toward her.
Then frowned.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine."
"You look pale."
Elara almost laughed.
If only you knew.
"I'm always pale."
Mira considered that.
"Fair point."
They walked back upstairs.
But Elara couldn't forget the blood.
Or the strange scent beneath it.
By nine o'clock, rumors had spread across campus.
A student had been found unconscious behind the old arts building.
Nobody knew what happened.
Some students claimed it was an assault.
Others said it was a medical emergency.
Someone insisted the student had been attacked by an animal.
By lunchtime, there were already six different versions.
Elara sat across from Mira in the cafeteria, listening.
"Apparently he was found with scratches."
Mira lowered her voice.
"Three long ones."
Elara looked up.
"Who?"
"Some second-year student."
"Is he alive?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Mira nodded.
"They took him to the hospital."
Elara pushed her fork through her food.
She wasn't hungry.
She hadn't been hungry since the previous night.
The pendant.
The book.
The vision.
And now this.
Something was happening at Blackwood.
Something supernatural.
She was certain.
Mira leaned forward.
"Do you think it was a wolf?"
Elara froze.
"A wolf?"
"Someone said they saw one near the woods."
Elara forced herself to smile.
"People see strange things at night."
"True."
Mira took a bite.
Then added casually, "Ronan was there."
Elara's eyes lifted.
"Where?"
"Near the old arts building."
"When?"
"This morning."
Elara frowned.
Mira noticed.
"Why do you look interested?"
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm trying to understand why you keep talking about him."
Mira grinned.
"Because you're clearly curious."
"I'm not."
"Sure."
Elara sighed.
Before she could respond, someone dropped into the empty chair beside Mira.
Adrian Vale.
He smiled.
"Mind if I join you?"
Mira looked surprised.
"Do I know you?"
"No."
"Then why are you joining us?"
Adrian pointed toward the crowded cafeteria.
"Every other table is full."
Mira glanced around.
There were at least five empty tables.
She looked back at him.
Adrian smiled innocently.
Elara almost laughed.
He was clearly Ronan's friend.
Which meant trouble.
"You're Adrian," Elara said.
His eyebrows rose.
"You remember me?"
"You were with Ronan yesterday."
"Ah."
His grin widened.
"So you do remember."
"I remember everyone who talks too loudly."
"That's definitely me."
Mira looked between them.
"Wait. You know Ronan?"
"Unfortunately," Adrian said.
Elara raised an eyebrow.
"He's your friend."
"Unfortunately."
She smiled.
Adrian leaned closer.
"Are you two enemies?"
"No," Elara said.
"Yes," Adrian said at exactly the same time.
Mira laughed.
Elara glared at Adrian.
He looked delighted.
Then his expression suddenly changed.
His gaze shifted past Elara.
She didn't need to turn around to know who had entered the cafeteria.
Ronan.
His eyes found her almost immediately.
His expression became unreadable.
Adrian noticed.
"Well."
Ronan approached.
"Adrian."
"Ronan."
A pause.
Then Ronan looked at Elara.
"Elara."
She took a sip of water.
"Ronan."
Mira looked between them.
"You two really don't like each other."
"No," Ronan said.
"Not at all," Elara added.
Adrian laughed.
"This is going to be fun."
Ronan ignored him.
"Professor Gray wants to see you."
Elara frowned.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"You seem to know everything else."
His eyes narrowed.
"Don't start."
"Then don't give me reasons."
Mira looked confused.
"Why does a professor want to see her?"
Elara stood.
"I'll find out."
Ronan moved aside.
As she passed him, she caught the faint scent of his skin.
Her instincts reacted immediately.
That same wild presence.
Stronger in daylight.
She hated how quickly she noticed it now.
Ronan's head turned slightly.
He had noticed something too.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
Elara walked away.
Behind her, Adrian whispered,
"You're staring."
Ronan answered coldly.
"Shut up."
Professor Elias Gray's office was located in the oldest section of the humanities building.
The door was already open.
Elara knocked anyway.
"Come in."
She entered.
Professor Gray sat behind his desk.
Books covered nearly every surface.
Some were modern.
Others looked ancient.
Far too ancient to belong in a university office.
Elara's attention immediately went to a large leather-bound volume on a side table.
The same symbol was carved into its cover.
The crescent.
The jagged line.
Her birthmark burned again.
Gray noticed.
"You've seen it."
Elara looked at him.
"Seen what?"
"The symbol."
She said nothing.
Gray leaned back.
"Miss Veyne, Blackwood has a long history."
"So I've heard."
"Much longer than the university's official records suggest."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you found something you shouldn't have."
Elara's expression hardened.
"The book."
Gray nodded.
"And the pendant."
Her eyes sharpened.
"How do you know about the pendant?"
"I know many things."
"That's not an answer."
"No."
Gray smiled faintly.
"It isn't."
Elara stepped closer.
"Who are you?"
"Professor Elias Gray."
"I know your title."
"Then you know enough."
"No. I don't."
For the first time, Gray's expression became serious.
"That's precisely the problem."
Silence settled between them.
Elara studied him.
There was no fear in his eyes.
Only caution.
"Something happened last night," she said.
Gray didn't respond.
"Something beneath the library."
Still nothing.
"A heartbeat."
His eyes changed.
Barely.
But she saw it.
"You heard it."
Gray slowly folded his hands.
"Blackwood is built on ancient ground."
"I know."
"No," he said quietly. "You don't."
A chill passed through her.
"What is beneath it?"
Gray looked toward the window.
"The past."
Elara almost laughed.
"That's your answer?"
"Sometimes the past is more dangerous than the future."
He stood.
"Stay away from the restricted buildings."
Elara's patience snapped.
"Everyone keeps telling me that."
"Then perhaps you should listen."
"Why?"
"Because some doors should remain closed."
"And if I open them?"
Gray looked directly into her eyes.
"Then something may come through."
Ronan was waiting outside.
Elara stopped when she saw him.
"Are you following me?"
"No."
"You were waiting."
"Yes."
"That's worse."
He pushed away from the wall.
"What did Gray tell you?"
Elara stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because he called me earlier."
"About me?"
"No."
"Then why are you asking?"
Ronan hesitated.
"Because I don't trust him."
Elara considered that.
"Neither do I."
Something shifted in his expression.
Agreement.
Brief and reluctant.
Then he asked,
"Did he mention the book?"
Elara's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"So he did."
She smiled.
"You're not very good at hiding things."
"And you're too good at finding them."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I'll take it anyway."
They walked down the corridor together.
For once, neither argued.
The silence wasn't comfortable.
But it wasn't unpleasant either.
Elara broke it.
"Where were you this morning?"
Ronan glanced at her.
"Why?"
"There was an injured student."
"I know."
"You were there."
"So?"
"You tell me."
He stopped walking.
"Why do you care?"
"Because someone was attacked."
His eyes remained fixed on hers.
"I found him."
Elara's expression changed.
"Was he attacked by an animal?"
Ronan didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"Yes."
"What kind?"
"A large one."
"That's vague."
"It's all I know."
Elara studied his face.
He was lying.
Not completely.
But enough.
"You know more."
"So do you."
She looked away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Neither do I."
They continued walking.
Neither believed the other.
That evening, Elara returned to Ravens Hall alone.
Mira had gone to a study group.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Elara locked the door.
She removed her coat.
Then froze.
Something was wrong.
The window was open.
She was certain she had closed it.
Cold air moved through the room.
The curtains swayed.
Elara walked toward the window.
There was a faint scratch across the outer frame.
Three marks.
Long.
Deep.
Her expression hardened.
She touched them.
Fresh.
A drop of blood rested beneath one claw mark.
Not human.
Elara's senses sharpened.
Werewolf.
The realization came instinctively.
Her blood sense recognized it.
She stepped back.
Ronan.
The thought came immediately.
She hated that it did.
But there was no proof.
The scent could belong to anyone.
She closed the window.
Then noticed something on the floor.
A piece of black fabric.
Elara picked it up.
A small silver thread was stitched into the edge.
She didn't recognize it.
She placed it on her desk.
Then—
Three knocks sounded at the door.
Elara froze.
She opened it.
Nobody was there.
Her eyes moved down.
A folded piece of paper lay on the floor.
She picked it up.
There was only one sentence written inside.
Stop looking beneath Blackwood.
Elara stared at the words.
Then another line appeared.
Not written in ink.
Written in blood.
He cannot protect you.
Elara's expression changed.
She looked down the empty hallway.
No one.
Nothing.
Then, somewhere far beneath the university, the ancient heartbeat began again.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
But this time, Elara heard something else.
A low growl.
And from the darkness outside her window came a single pair of silver eyes.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then they vanished.
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