Dead Flesh

his friends. I could see that he was frail and at a breaking point.

So I stepped forward out of line and said, “It was me. I did it.”

McCain looked at me, “Well, well, well!” he said as if swallowing a mouthful of bile. “Hunt, come here.” He pointed to a spot on the floor within a couple of feet of him. I moved towards it.

“Do you have any idea of the consequences of your actions?” McCain roared at me, his anger now completely unleashed and uncontrollable. “Do you even care?”

I said nothing and stared at him.

“Answer me!” He screeched.

His eyes glowed yellow and spun in their sunken sockets. I knew it didn’t matter what I said — what excuses I gave — the outcome was inevitable, he was still going to send me to the Rat-House. As I stared back at him, all I could think of was what Potter might say if face to face with McCain. Then, by accident and without thinking, I said, “Let’s get this over with shall we, McCain?”

On hearing my remark, some of the other kids began to snigger and McCain’s head turned a darker shade of crimson. I was convinced I saw his head actually swell in size, and I wondered if it might just go bang! right in front of me. A deep greeny-blue vein appeared in the centre of his forehead and began to pulsate like a deformed heart.

“Goddamnyou!” he cried one last time as he gripped me by the arm and shoved me across the courtyard and back into the school. As he led me away, I turned and looked at Sam. He looked scared for me. I then caught sight of Pryor who smirked.

I mouthed the word coward at him, then looked away.

McCain dug his fingers deeply into my flesh.But instead of taking me to the Rat-House like he had threatened, McCain forced me through the winding corridors and up the stairs to my room. Pushing me against the door, he shoved me inside. He closed the door behind him, and stood looking at me.

“There is something different about you,” he whispered, taking a step closer towards me.

“I’m not sure what you mean?” I said, pulling my blazer tight about me. I wasn’t scared of him hurting me, I was scared that he might realise that I was different — different from the others at the school.

He came closer still, so he was brushing up against me. Then, leaning over me, he rested his cheek against mine. I flinched away at his touch. McCain pressed the tip of his nose into my cheek. It felt wet, like a dog’s. I thought of how he had sniffed at the bloodstains on Emily Clarke’s bedroom wall and I felt sick.

“Who are you?” he whispered in my ear, his breath hot against my cheek. “What are you?”

“I’m Kayla Hunt,” I said. “I’m human.”

“You don’t smell like any human I’ve smelt before,” he sighed,

as if he was actually getting a thrill out of sniffing me. The urge to kick his arse was unbearable.

“I thought I was going to the Rat-House?” I asked him, as he ran his nose through my hair.

“No, no, no,” he breathed. “There is something about you.”

“What?” I asked, closing my eyes, not knowing for how much longer I could bear his touch.

“I don’t know,” he said, his voice now sounding soft — dreamlike — as if he was being intoxicated by my smell. “You have courage. You’re fearless and have an anger that I admire. I’ve never tried to match someone like you before.” McCain pulled back from me, his yellow eyes glazed-looking. He stared at me. Then, taking his nasal spray from his trouser pocket, he shoved it into each nostril and breathed deeply.

“You’ll stay where I can keep an eye on you, Kayla Hunt,” he said. “You interest me. I’m not sure, but I might have the perfect match for you.”

“And who is that?” I asked him.

McCain went to my bedroom door, opened it and looked back at me. “She’s very special. I shall be telling the Wolf Man all about you.”

Then, without another word, he slipped from my room and closed the door. With a huge sigh, I collapsed onto my bed. I needed to get that camera to Isidor and quick. Hopefully the camera held all the evidence that we would need to nail McCain and I could get out of Ravenwood before he got this special wolf to match with me.

Chapter Thirty-One

Kayla

Lying alone in my room, I knew that I wouldn’t get a better opportunity to try and sneak from the school grounds and leave the camera on the other side of the wall for Isidor to find later. The rest of the kids were in lessons along with most of the teachers. All I had to do was get across the main grassy area in front of the school, to the cover of the trees that grew against the wall circling the school grounds.

I took the camera from my bag which was hidden beneath my wardrobe and tucked it inside the pocket of my blazer. The camera was small, and the front of my blazer didn’t stick out too much. I placed my iPod in my trouser pocket, planning on taking a picture of the place where I finally hid the camera, which I could then send to Kiera to help Isidor locate it.

The corridor was quiet and empty, so closing my bedroom door behind me, I snuck from my room. I made it with no problem down the winding staircase. I listened intently for any noise that might suggest that a Grey was nearby or that I was being followed. Like I had hoped, the corridors and passageways were empty and only twice did I have to hide in the shadows of a nearby stairwell or doorway as a Grey shuffled past me. Before long, I began to feel disorientated and wished that I had Sam to show me the way. But I wouldn’t have been able to take him with me as he would’ve wondered why I was placing the camera outside of the school grounds. I couldn’t tell him about the others — just in case.

In case of what? I wondered. Sam seemed like a good guy and I hoped that I could trust him. After all, he had risked everything last night leading me to Emily Clarke’s room. But I had trusted a man before and I’d ended up dead. So just for now, I would go on alone.

I reached a side door that led out into the grounds of the school. Crouching in the shadows, I looked left and right to make sure no one was around. When I was sure that I wasn’t being watched, I made my way as quickly as possible across the grassy area to the trees. I’d only got about halfway, when I heard someone call my name.

“Hey, Kayla!”

Hearing my name being shouted, I froze just like the statue I had seen in the forbidden wing back at Hallowed Manor. I turned around to see Sam trotting across the lawn towards me.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Nowhere,” I lied, feeling flustered. “I’m just going for a walk.”

“I thought you’d be in the Rat-House by now,” he said with a look of concern on his face.

“And I thought you’d be back in class by now,” I said back, annoyed that he had seen me.

“McCain gave us the rest of the morning off,” he explained. “Hasn’t got a replacement Grey.”

“Oh,” I said.

“Do you want some company?” he asked me.

“I’d rather be alone,” I smiled, hoping I didn’t hurt his feelings. Sam had been a good friend to me since arriving at Ravenwood.

“Don’t be like that,” he half-smiled. “I’ve got nothing to do. Let me hang with you. Stuff always happens when I’m with you.”

“What sort of stuff?” I frowned.

“Crazy stuff,” he smiled. Then, he was heading away towards the trees.

I followed him until we were hidden by the crop of trees that stretched away from the school building.

“So how come McCain didn’t chuck you into the Rat-house?” he asked me, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets. It was cold amongst the trees.

“He said he thought there was something different about me,” I explained.

“See, didn’t I say you weren’t like any other girl that I’d ever met?” he smiled, eyes twinkling.