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creatures like Graplars every day was just business as usual, but I didn’t find it even remotely entertaining.
    “So what do we do?” I knew what my father would have done. He would have grabbed his katana and chased after the beast, not coming back until his clothes were sticky with its blood. And when he did return, his eyes would be alight with a strange fire—one that would simultaneously terrify me and make me very proud. But I wasn’t my father.
    “If you want to live, I suggest you do exactly what I tell you, without question. Understand?”
    I nodded slowly, wishing I could turn my head even slightly so that I could glimpse the man I’d just agreed to take orders from. The Graplar emitted a low growl, as if chastising me for even thinking about moving any farther.
    “On my signal, run north, toward Shadow Academy.”
    I was still nodding—as slowly as I could manage—when I said, “Question.”
    “I thought I said no questions.”
    “This one’s kind of important.”
    He released an irritated sigh, which elicited a grunt from the monster that was eyeballing me. “Fine. What is it?”
    “Which way’s north?”
    “To your right. Past that big tree and straight up the hill.” He paused, letting his instructions sink in. “Are you ready?”
    My mouth went horribly dry as I slowly shoved the headmaster’s letter in my pocket and braced myself to run. Then I blinked and whispered frantically, “Wait…I thought you said running was bad!”
    “GO!”
    A split second before I could move, the man started to run in the opposite direction he’d told me to go. I guessed he was trying to lure the creature away long enough for me to escape. So I dropped my trunk and took off as fast as I could, slipping on the leaves under my feet. Once I had solid ground under my shoes, I bolted up the hill, leaving both the man and the monster behind.
    The Graplar didn’t follow him for long.
    The ground behind me pounded as the monster made chase after me, the horrible, hungry sound of its breath panting on my heels. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might explode right out of my chest, but I picked up the pace, running faster than I ever had before. Fear gripped me, driving me forward, but I knewit was just a matter of time before the beast got me, that I was just delaying the inevitable. Once it tired of the chase, or if I slowed down even a little bit, that Graplar was going to grab me by the ankle and drag me off to wherever it preferred to chew its dinner. Or maybe it wouldn’t drag me anywhere. Maybe it’d gnaw the meat from my bones right here.
    Against my better judgment, I stole a glance over my shoulder. Its beady, black, soulless eyes stared at me intently as it licked its razor-sharp teeth—all three, ugly, Kaya-chomping rows of them. I flung my arm back, flailing a wild punch into the air. My fist connected uselessly and I kept running.
    I picked up speed, remembering what my dad had taught me about fighting something bigger and stronger than you: if you can’t hurt them, outrun them. The sounds of its movement quickened. I felt hot breath on my back, and flecks of spittle—oh God, it was drooling again—spattering against my arms and the back of my shirt. Up ahead of me one fallen tree leaned against another, leaving a triangle of space beneath it. Moving as fast as I could, I fell back and drew one leg under the other, sliding forward. I ducked under the tree and the Graplar leaped overhead. As it flew through the air, watching me more than it was watching where it was going, I dug my foot into the earth and brought myself to standing on the other side. The Graplar turned its head midair, its cold, beady eyes focused on my everymove. It was just starting to wrench its body around when it slammed into a large oak. With a high-pitched squeal it fell to the ground disoriented, shaking its head.
    With newly bought time, I took off again, my heart drumming in my ears. Sudden, unexpected confidence