12. Nora

12

NORA

It was the third Monday of the semester and I was done with John Andrews, the Dean’s son, and the most asinine student that I’d ever met in my entire life. I didn’t care who he was. I didn’t care if I risked my job by kicking him out.

It had been two weeks of hearing him challenge me over established psychology principles. Asking absurd questions. Trying to undermine me over and over.

I was done.

“Mr. Andrews, if you interrupt me once more, you will be made to leave this room.” I kept my tone cold and professional, even as his cheeks turned tomato red, close to bursting with heat.

I took a quiet breath to continue, pretending as though nothing happened. I could feel him stewing. There was practically steam bursting from his ears.

Don’t fucking do it. Don’t interrupt me.

“Our subconscious minds process intuition, cognitions, and interoception. But without desire, creative thought?— ”

He opened his idiotic, asinine mouth again. “What about dreams?”

My gaze fell on him and I imagined hitting him square in the throat. Instead, I pointed to the door. “Get out of my classroom.”

He scoffed. “You can’t be serious. My father is the?—”

“Leave, Mr. Andrews.” I was trying to be so patient, but that patience was waning quickly.

His face contorted with rage. The other students watched nervously, their gazes batting from me to him. I dropped my finger towards the door again, waiting for him to budge. He was so used to getting everything that he wanted in life. He expected a woman, even someone above him, to obey him.

This would be the sad, sad story of John Andrews III, and a memorable day for all. I left my podium, marched towards him, and grabbed him by his ear like a spoiled child. He cried out as I dragged him out of his seat and when he reached for me, I grabbed his wrist, pinned it behind him, and physically shoved him out the door of my class.

I might have been taking things too far, but I’d long since given up on caring. If I didn’t react strongly, then the rest of the year would turn to chaos.

“Good day, Mr. Andrews,” I snarled as I pushed him.

He landed on his knees and turned over like a cornered cat. “My father will hear about this, you old bitch! You know the whole university knows you just bought your way in here with all the dead Woulfe family money?—”

The air turned much colder as a sinister presence joined us, startling enough that we both looked up. Standing down the hall was Alec Briar, his grey eyes fixated on Mr. Andrews. I’d never seen a man’s eyes physically flash with heat before, but his certainly did. He came towards us, his footsteps echoing in the dooming silence.

My breath hitched when Alec stopped before us.

I hadn’t seen him since the last time we spoke. I’d tried to forget he existed, which felt foolish now.

He was unforgettable.

“Sir,” Mr. Andrews squeaked.

“Get on your knees,” Alec growled.

“Sir?”

“Get. On. Your. Knees.”

My cheeks heated. I could feel the whole room of eyes on us, trying to see as much as they could. Their whispers rose and I knew that we’d be the talk of the university for the rest of the week now.

Professor Briar’s hand darted out, grabbing the back of Mr. Andrews head and yanking, forcing his gaze to mine.

“Ask Dr. Woulfe for forgiveness, or I will be having a very stark conversation with your father,” Professor Briar demanded. His voice made my blood thrum, my cheeks continuing to heat.

“This is too much,” I said. “I merely want him gone. He was disrupting.”

“I heard. Ask Professor Woulfe for forgiveness, little John.” He leaned in, his whisper only loud enough for the three of us to hear. “Or I will feed your tiny cock to the campus hounds at dawn.”

“I’m sorry,” he immediately blurted out. “My behaviour was appalling. Please forgive me.”

“You don’t have to forgive him,” Briar said, meeting my gaze.

There was a gleam of amusement there, but it was the kind I liked.

I fought a smirk.

“Please, Professor Woulfe. I’m begging you.”

“Hmm.” I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I suppose I can forgive you this once. Return tomorrow with a better attitude, Mr. Andrews. If this happens again, the hounds will be the least of your worries. Understood?”

The hate didn’t leave him, but he nodded regardless. Professor Briar released him and the two of us watched as a grown man— because he was technically a grown man old enough to vote, go to war, and wed—took off running down the hall like he’d seen a ghoul.

The entire classroom erupted in shouts and applause and laughter. I closed my eyes for a moment, fighting the laughter I felt bubbling up. Professor Briar chuckled, offering me a small smile. It was the first time I’d ever seen him at ease, I realised. And of course it was because he’d brought discomfort to another.

There was no doubt in my mind that this man was a sadist.

Alec winked and then turned, slinking off like a dark shadow, although there was a bit more pep in his step than before. I stared after him for a few moments and then tried to refocus on the class room.

Which would be impossible.

I hated the heat I felt from wondering what it would be like to be with him. It was absurd to even wonder, but I still drew in a shaky breath, attempting to regulate myself.

Finally, I left the doorway and entered the class again.

“Labs will start next week,” I announced as I returned to my podium. “This week we will be focusing on the last of the principles and discussing dreams. There are theories that dreams are a pathway to the unconscious mind. Now, I am dismissing class early. Have a good rest of your day.”

The shuffle of books and movement filled the room as they gathered their things and filed out. One of the students, Bianca, came to the podium with a tentative smile.

“Miss Graham,” I greeted. “What can I help with?”

“I just wanted to ask something… ”

I raised a brow at her, waiting for her to continue. Please don’t ask me about Professor Briar.

She tucked a dark strand behind her ear, a nervous habit. “I… I wanted to ask how one would know if they are seeing things.”

I studied her closely now. Sunlight caught the scattered dust particles around us as they floated towards the floor. “Like hallucinating?”

“Yes. Seeing things that aren’t there. How would one know?”

“I suppose it depends on the severity of the visions,” I said. “For those with dementia praecox, the things they see can be very convincingly real to them.”

“Right,” she whispered. “And how would one know?”

I frowned. “Are you seeing things, Miss Graham?”

“Just one thing. A couple different times.”

“Would you care to explain further? I can make us tea.”

She hesitated and glanced up at the clock that ticked in the corner of the room. “I really should get to my next class.”

“Come to the tower then and visit me,” I said. I fought the excitement I felt, which came from the thought of having someone to study. “You’re not alone in this world. And I know how difficult being at university can be. Whatever you’re seeing is probably a manifestation of stress.”

She nodded and her shoulders relaxed. “When should I visit?”

“Perhaps Thursday after classes,” I said.

“I’ll visit then. See you tomorrow, Professor.”

I nodded and watched as she left, wondering what exactly she had seen. I’d told her the same thing I’d told myself countless times: That stress could manifest in bizarre ways.

I hadn’t seen the monster again. Either I’d grown used to hearing odd things at night and could ignore them or they’d stopped.

Alec crossed my mind again. I was surprised he had intervened earlier, but it was clear he did not like the Dean’s son.

My plan for tonight was to finally dive into the history books I’d stolen. Well, borrowed. I would return them at some point, although sneaking back into the library might be harder than the first time.

Before I left for the day, I spent some time reorganising my notes and textbooks, and outlined everything I would be teaching for the rest of the week. By the time sunlight started to turn to purple and blue shadows, I realised that was my sign to go home. I gathered my things and headed out the door.

Taking the back path past the greenhouse and maze had become my routine, but I’d left my bicycle at home this morning and opted to walk. It felt good to stretch my legs after standing in one spot or sitting at my desk for hours.

The path wound and narrowed until it reached the mouth of the maze. A rustling to the left made me pause and I turned just in time to step back as a figure lunged at me.

“You bitch .”

His voice was filled with rage. John Andrews stood in front of me, his bright blue eyes filled with violence. I’d forgotten how someone could change so quickly. He was no longer just the athletic student with blonde hair and a bad attitude, but a threat.

“Whatever you think you want to do, you do not,” I whispered. “John, put the weapon down.”

Sunlight glinted off the steel. His hand shook, his knuckles white around the hilt of the blade.

“You shouldn’t have humiliated me. I’m the Dean’s son . I own this place. I’m a god here, and you’re nothing. You can’t kick me out of class and make me bow down before you. You’re going to regret that.”

His hatred clawed at my mind, reminding me of another time. Another person. Flames burned through my mind as I spoke. “You were being disruptive. Actions have consequences. Put the knife down, John, and we can talk.”

“I don’t want to talk,” he sneered.

I took a step back. “John. Be reasonable. This will ruin your life.”

“No one will know,” he said. “I'm going to humiliate you like you did to me. Make you feel as worthless as you are. Show you your place. Fuck you then kill you. Nobody will know."

He jumped forward again, moving faster than I expected. I threw myself to the side as the blade caught the strap of my satchel, slicing through it cleanly.

Fuck. My heart slammed in my chest as I tried to remember all the self defence I’d been taught. Now was not the time to freeze.

He meant what he said.

“They won’t even care. No one cares who dies here. Especially not a professor.”

He moved again, but my instincts kicked in. I jumped to the side and took off, dropping my bag as I fled in a full sprint. The sun was gone, the sky empty of the moon. But I knew this path, and I’d been in the maze at least twice.

I ran past the two lions of the maze, their mouths snarling and sharp teeth bared.

He was right behind me.

I took a sharp left, but it didn’t matter. John was taller and stronger and could move just as fast. Mentally, I ran through my options. His intention was clear.

“Come back here, you stupid whore!”

I didn’t want to hurt him, but I had no choice.

I came to a halt and turned, grabbing his wrist as he tackled me to the ground. He still held onto the knife. The breath was knocked from me as we hit the damp earth hard, his heavy body weighing down on me. He straddled me, but I fought, twisting and writhing to avoid the sharp blade. I yelped as I felt it slice my arm and struck his throat with the butt of my palm.

He choked, his eyes widening from the strike. The sound sickened me, but I refused to linger on that.

The knife slipped loose and I grabbed onto it as I attempted to shove him off.

He recovered and slammed me down again, both hands closing around my throat. I choked and sputtered as he squeezed hard, pain blooming. I couldn’t breathe.

“I’m going to kill you and then fuck you,” he rasped. “You shouldn’t have embarrassed me like that. I’m better than you. I’m better and I will get away with this. You stupid?—”

I brought the knife up.

Pain flashed. His mouth opened as his breath left him. Rage curled through me, violent and deep. I felt the blade sink into his stomach and ripped it out, shoving it inside him again and again and again and?—

Red splashed on me. It was hot and sticky as it gushed out. My nostrils flared with the metallic scent of his blood.

Fury filled me as his body slumped to the side. I rolled him over and straddled him, bringing the knife down again.

Over and over.

I counted every strike. By the time I got to twenty, I couldn’t recognize the body beneath me. He was still twitching.

The sounds were sickening but I couldn’t stop . His threats screamed in my mind as I stabbed him, a sob leaving me as he went from man to carcass.

Thirty six times.

A warm presence behind me broke me from my violent trance. I froze as vines wrapped around my body, slipping down my arm and halting me. A set of long claws gently grabbed my face and tipped my chin up.

The monster.

It can’t be… But he felt real .

He felt so real.

I stared at him through blurry tears. My chest rose and fell rapidly as hyperventilations began, my mind spinning, attempting to grasp what had just happened. I killed him. All of the self defence I’d been taught… I didn’t have to kill him, but I had. Maybe I could have done something different, but…

Had I wanted to?

“He was going to… he was… he was…”

He couldn’t do any of it now. He was dead.

I kept repeating myself. I couldn’t speak. The sky was so dark, the ground soaked with John’s blood.

I’d killed a student. My student.

The vines tightened around me, but they weren’t constricting.

“He got what he deserved. I will take care of the body.”

His voice soothed me, deep and timbre. He lifted me with ease and strength I’d never felt before.

“We can’t—we can’t leave him.”

“Breathe.”

I can’t, I can’t, I can’t ? —

“ Breathe .”

I curled into him, burying my face against his hard chest. When I breathed, I took in his earthy scent. It was comforting, the same way the forest was after a fresh rain.

Darkness shrouded us. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out as he carried me along.

Was this a dream? Was I imagining things?

But I could feel him. I could touch him. And I felt like I knew him, even if I’d only imagined him once before.

The door to my tower creaked as he took me inside. I didn’t open my eyes until he went up the stairs and laid me on my bed, hovering over me.

A vine slid up my body, sending small waves of pleasure through me. I became hyper aware of his touch and that I wasn’t afraid of him.

He might have been a monster, but he wasn’t a monster like John.

“What is happening to me?” I whispered.

His mouth gave a slight tug, his skin cracking, the bark rough but somehow comforting to look at. “Do I feel real now, Nora?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “I killed him.”

“I will take care of it.”

“I have to turn myself in,” I rasped. “I murdered someone. I murdered him.”

“He was going to kill you.” His voice lowered into a soft whisper as his face neared mine. His features were so strange, so bizarre, and all I could think about were the vines that snaked gently over my body, tugging at my clothing. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it to you in time like before.”

My breaths began to quicken again as fire danced through my mind. I felt the need to claw at my brain, an unscratchable itch raging within. Unreachable.

“It was you,” I whispered. “You killed the professors.”

He let out a dark hum, the vines slipping up my bloodied skirt.

“Are you going to kill me?” I rasped.

“No. I’m going to save you. But no more pretending I am not real. Your little mind is so close to shattering already, Nora. What took place before can only protect you so much. I can’t help you if you believe I am not real.”

I whimpered as the vines brushed over my apex. What did he mean by what happened before? I wanted to know, but could barely think straight, especially with him touching me.

He shuddered, closing his eyes for a moment.

What am I doing? He’s a monster.

“No more exploring the dark,” he murmured gently. “Promise me.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Then it will consume you.”

“I’ve already been consumed,” I whispered.

He sighed and the vine drew back. His mouth was so close to mine and everything within me screamed to close the gap. Even his sharp teeth intrigued me.

I’m losing it. I’m losing my mind.

“Then promise me you won’t turn yourself in. I will take care of the body. Wash yourself and burn your clothes.”

“What about the knife?”

He drew back, releasing me completely. He stood there at the side of my bed, a massive, monstrous, earthly figure that seemed to consume everything around him.

“I will take care of it. Wash yourself, burn your clothes, and sleep.”

With one last look, he turned and moved in a breathtaking blur, leaving me alone, drenched in blood, a killer.