Whispered Shadows

Chapter One

The Room

Noa

Present day...

The iron gates of Graceland University rise ahead of me, their sharp points reaching for the sky like the teeth of a trap. The rain hasn't let up since I left home, turning the narrow road leading to campus into a slick ribbon of asphalt. My windshield wipers squeak with every swipe, a noise that grates against my already frayed nerves.

This is it.

I roll through the gates slowly, the words Graceland University arched in wrought iron above me. The campus spreads out beyond, its Gothic buildings looming in the mist like ghosts waiting to pounce. My stomach churns as I drive past the quad, past the football Gia used to love, past the student center where she used to meet her friends.

Everything here is Gia.

I pull into the small parking lot outside Caldwell Hall, my dorm, and turn off the engine. The silence inside the car is deafening. For a long moment, I sit there, staring at the dark brick building in front of me. It's just a dorm, I tell myself. Four walls and a roof. Nothing special.

Except it is special.

It's the place my sister lived. The place where she laughed, cried, studied, and dreamed. Three years ago, it became the place where she disappeared.

I don't realize I'm holding my breath until I exhale, long and shaky. "You can do this, Noa," I whisper, though my voice sounds hollow in the empty car.

A soft meow replies to my words in the back seat. Piper. Piper was Gia's cat. She's five now. Gia wanted me to take care of her before she came here. I couldn't leave her behind, she's a piece of Gia that I can't let go. Mom would forget to feed the poor thing even if I wanted to.

I grab my suitcase from the backseat, maneuver the cat backpack so Piper doesn't wobble too much, and step out into the rain. It's colder here than it was back home, and the wind cuts through my jacket like a blade. I haul my suitcase up the front steps of Caldwell Hall, water dripping from the brim of my hood.

The inside of the dorm smells faintly of old wood and cleaning supplies. The lobby is quiet, the kind of quiet that presses down on you. A girl at the front desk barely glances up as I approach.

"Name?" she asks, her voice flat.

"Noa Raine," I say.

Her dark eyes filled with shock flicker to mine, and I see it—the recognition. She knows who I am. Or maybe she knew who Gia was. Either way, the moment passes too quickly, and she hands me a key.

"Room 206," she says. "Second floor."

I offer a small smile, "Thanks."

I grip the key tightly as I climb the stairs, my suitcase bumping against each step. The building creaks and groans around me, every sound amplified in the stillness. When I reach the second floor, I pause in the hallway, my heart pounding.

The doors stretch out before me, each one identical except for the brass numbers gleaming in the dim light. Room 206 is at the far end. My hand shakes as I slide the key into the lock and push the door open.

The room is small, barely big enough for the furniture inside. There is a bed in the same spot Gia's was, but instead of there being another twin bed it looks like they decided to store a small old leather couch. It's also the only dorm room on this floor with a personal bathroom is nice.

A window overlooks the quad, rain streaking down the glass. The air smells faintly of dust and something floral—something that makes my stomach twist. Gia's perfume.