Chapter 21

A flush creeps across my cheeks as I shuffle along beside Elijah to Ariah’s room. Despite my embarrassment, it doesn’t stop Elijah from grabbing my hand and lacing his fingers with mine.

“The old crone knows how to ruin a moment; that’s for sure.”

I bark a laugh. “You sound like Luca now.”

I don’t know if I imagined it, but I hear a low growl coming from him. “You’re friends with him all of a sudden?”

“No,” I confirm hesitantly. Well, I can’t say we’re enemies, either. “Guess we just happen to cross paths and have mutual acquaintances now.”

“And he marked you.”

I tip my head forward. “Yeah, that too, I suppose.”

“On your neck,” he says pointedly.

My eyes flick to him. “Okay?”

Elijah huffs, stopping mid-walk. Since we are holding hands, I have no other choice but to stop, too. “You don’t see it? Really?”

“See what?”

“Did you forget what I told you about where a werewolf chooses to mark someone?”

My mouth slacks in disbelief. “You can’t seriously think he’s into me.”

“Besides the questionable, intimate place where he chose to mark you, he is quite quick to jump to your defense.”

“Or he’s simply weird? Which, let’s be honest—he is freaking weird.”

Elijah regards me for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“Look, even if he is, I don’t care. Because I’m not into him.” I tug on his hand. “You’re starting with your mood again.”

Elijah sighs, pushing the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I don’t trust him.”

He doesn’t trust you, either. However, I choose against telling him that. “Come on. I don’t want to miss out on seeing Ariah.”

Elijah doesn’t protest further, but something in the look he passes me before I turn to walk again says he is far from over it. As we round into Ariah’s room, I’m taken aback to see her sitting up in the hospital bed, her cheeks already regaining their usual color. Nate is rambling on about something Valerie said to him while Celeste sits and stares adoringly at our friends.

There isn’t a single mark on Ariah to indicate where the blood had come from after the attack. My eyebrows squish together as I try to process what I’m seeing. I lean closer to Elijah, whispering, “So, werewolves heal pretty fast?”

“Yeah. One of our main perks.” I don’t miss the hesitance in his voice, but again, I choose to leave it be. I’m in no spirit to spark another mood swing from him. We just made up—for crying out loud.

“Hailey!” Ariah chips, cracking a wide smile. She lifts her arms, beckoning me with her small hands. “I was starting to think you were having second thoughts or something.”

I close the space, falling into a tight hug with her. A notably, way-too-tight hug. “Uh, so it’s great to see you doing better, but you’re kind of killing my lungs,” I wheeze into her neck.

She lets go of me. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“See?” Nate quips. “I told Celeste that this girl has got some extra punch in her. I’m curious what they’ve put in her meds.”

Ariah giggles. “I’m feeling a lot better now that all of you are here.”

Celeste peers at me. “She doesn’t remember a thing about what happened.”

“Yeah. It’s crazy, you know?” Ariah’s brows furrow. “I went to bed in our room and woke up in here, in the hospital of all places. In a lot of pain.”

So much for hoping she remembers her attacker’s face.

“But I’m doing great now. I heard the nurse talk about sending me home tomorrow.”

I jerk my head back. “Already?”

“Yeah. It’s really no big deal.”

Everyone other than Ariah exchanges questioning looks. Nate is the one to point out, “Girl, you were on the brink of death. I don’t think they’re going to send you home soon.”

“Well, she looks fine to me,” Celeste shrugs.

Nate spins around to look at her. “Yeah, because you didn’t see her right after the attack. Hailey and I did. Right, Hails?”

I nod slowly, my eyes focused on Ariah. “You definitely didn’t look good. We didn’t think you’d make it.”

Ariah shrugs. “Oh, well. Seems the meds must be doing their magic. Because I feel great.”

All I can do is stare. I fully expected her to be half-unconscious when we showed up. Beaten up and bruised. I don’t know—maybe even have some puncture wounds or… something.

Understand, I am grateful she’s doing much better than anticipated, but I can’t ignore the suspicion seeping into my skin like a corrosive toxin.

Even Nate, who tends to be vocal about everything, keeps shooting me with questionable looks.

Celeste and Elijah on the other hand, seem unruffled by the miraculous recovery, falling into a conversation about the happenings at the school since Ariah’s trip to the hospital. I sit down in a steel chair beside the bed, exhaustion kicking in again.

Damn, I’m tired.

I sip on my coffee, disgusted to discover it already started to turn cold.

Nate falls into a chair beside me, saying in a low voice, “This is not sitting well with me.”

I swallow a mouthful of lukewarm coffee. “Me neither.”

“I thought she was going to die.”

I glance at Nate. “Do werewolves recover this fast?”

“No,” he replies in an incredulous tone. “I mean, we do heal faster than humans. But this? This is just weird. Not a single bruise or scratch.”

“There was a lot of blood,” I counter.

“I know.”

“You two gossiping about us over there?” Celeste speaks up, leaning past Elijah to look at us. “Or is the caffeine working out of your system already?”

I hold up my cup. “It never worked to begin with.”

“Well, at least we got three days off to get some sleep in,” Nate murmurs.

“Two—today doesn’t count,” I sigh, taking another, longer sip. My eyes focus on Ariah, and I lower my cup. “You don’t have any injuries? Ones we can’t see?”

She shakes her head. “None that I’m aware of. Why?”

“Just curious.” I peek at Nate beside me, and he shrugs. “You sure you remember nothing?”

“Not a thing.” Ariah claps her hands and squeals. A nurse is strolling in, pushing a trolley with food. “I. Am. Starving!”

“Careful not to eat too fast this round. You’ll get sick.” The nurse hands her a plastic fork. “And there will be no thirds.”

“Aww.” Ariah offers a phony, sad look. “But what if I’m still hungry after that?”

“Well, then you’d simply have to deal,” the nurse chastised. “You need to recover. Not to go and make yourself sicker. A second helping is overeating as it is. A third would be flat-out ridiculous and greedy.”

“I can’t help it,” Ariah manages through a mouthful of mash and gravy. “I am hungry. Like, insanely hungry.”

The nurse rolls her eyes. “I’ll come back for a check-up after visiting hour.”

Ariah swings her fork at the nurse, then scoops up a pile of what appears to be spinach. “They need to serve more meat.”

Nate shoots me an aghast look, mouthing, “She hates meat.”

Yeah. There is undoubtedly an unsettling aspect to the situation, and it’s not just her instant sprout to full recovery.

---

“Vampires. I’m telling you this.” Nate repeatedly jabs his forefinger on the surface of the table so hard that his plate with burger and fries rattles. “It all points to vampires.”

“Nate, buddy.” Celeste lets out an exasperated breath. “There’s no way vampires can get into the school. We have not only ironclad security but the wards—”

“Ironclad?” He snorts. “Cooey, how the ever-loving cheese curds do you think the attacks are happening in the first place? Because clearly, someone’s getting in.”

“Didn’t you mention the last time that it might be someone in this school?” Celeste rolls her eyes as she bites into her burger. Speaking through a mouthful of food, she continues, “I think it’s someone in here. Why else would it keep happening?”

I poke a fry, listening to my friends bickering back and forth. Despite feeling well-rested after crashing on Celeste’s comfy sofa for the night after we came back from the hospital and the whole morning, I’m not in the mood to find myself in an argument with anyone.

Not that I’m in the position to debate, as I have no clue about how the vampire race does things or goes about to begin with. And, I seem to be out of the loop of how things function in the werewolf world as it is. I still have so much to learn.

“Well, I do believe that theory, too,” Nate snips. “I think someone in this school is letting in vampires.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Celeste picks up a fry, dipping it in mayonnaise. This rewards her with a disgusted look from Nate. “Why would any werewolf allow a vampire into the school? They are death-on-bite for us.”

“Ew, you’re going to actually—ewww!” Nate flinches as Celeste pops the fry into her mouth. “You are so freaking gross.”

“Buddy, mayonnaise is hands down the best addition to anything potato.”

“Yes. For salads. Not for fries,” he bites back.

“I’m sorry, Celeste, but Nate is right. Mayo with fries is gross,” I agree.

As she rolls her eyes, Luca appears beside our table. As per usual, he bears his cocky grin and has his hands stuck into the pockets of his jacket.

I release a long sigh. “What do you want?”

“Perk up a little, sheesh. Didn’t you get any sleep?”

“I’m waiting.”

Luca winks. “I have something you might be highly interested in.”

“And that would be?”

Luca’s eyes briefly shoot toward my friends. “It can’t be discussed in public.”

“I’m not—”

“Relax. Your ever-so-loyal companions can come with you if they feel the need to. But it’s best if the information dies by their ear.”

“Any hints?” I inquire. “At least specify what it’s about.”

“Something that you unlock things with,” he deadpans.

I was on my feet in an instant. “You know where it is?”

“Shhh!” Luca shakes his head. “Everyone and their great cousin from across the country must have heard you. Twice removed.”

I huff. “I wasn’t—”

“But do we have to do this now?” Nate stares up at Luca with a dejected look. “I’m only halfway through my meal.”

“Well, I have personal business to take care of later. So either we go now, or we don’t,” Luca presses. “I can’t wait the whole day.”

“Celeste, how about you?” I blink at her.

She picks up her burger. “I’m with Nate, sorry.” However, she gives me a look that says, “We better catch up about it later.”

Luca doesn’t speak again until we file out into the eerily vacant hallway, turning to me. “Have you considered asking ghosts if they saw who took the key?”

It takes me a moment to process what he is suggesting. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No.” He falls with his back against the wall, crossing his legs into a casual, relaxed pose in front of him. “But think about it. They’re always around. One of them must have some information or may have seen something.”

I am seconds away from heading back to the cafeteria, when I hesitate, my mind shifting to Tilly. “You know, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. That, and I have a pickle to pick with a certain one, anyway.”

“Should I even ask what it’s about?” He falls into step beside me as I head in the direction of the library.

My shoulders slump, and I release a longer-than-necessary sigh. “I made a dumb choice doing a favor for a ghost.”

Luca leaps a few steps ahead of me, then starts to walk backward, grinning. “Oh, now I just have to know what it’s about.”

My brows furrow as annoyance takes over my expression. “Remember I told Mrs. Humphrey about the ghost who convinced me to put a rock at the kitchen door to keep it open? The one—”

“Oooh. The one with the cat.” He clicks his tongue. “I completely forgot about that. But yeah, hate to break it to you, Hailstorm, that wasn’t very smart of you.”

“Thanks for stating the obvious.” I roll my eyes as we round the corner by the library. It is open but vacant today compared to every other day I’ve been here—with the exception of two librarians manning the front desk, chatting animatedly about something. One of them is Dibella.

Her eyes stretch wide when she sees me, and I swear, I can hear her let out a little excited squeal. “Miss Woods, what a pleasant surprise!”

The librarian standing beside her, whose name I don’t know, frowns. The middle-aged woman tosses her dark brown hair over her shoulder before she spins on her heels and stalks toward the back.

Luca arches a brow, smirking. “Interesting.”

“Don’t even start,” I snap while forcing a smile as I make my way to the desk. “Hi. I’m just dropping in to grab a book to read. You know, since we’re off for the next two days.”

“Oh, no need to explain. Dorm rooms can become boring without your roommate,” she waves me off. “How’s Miss Winter doing? I heard she’s recovering the last time I spoke with our kind headmistress.”

I swear, if Luca’s brows arch even higher, they might fall off. “Not sure about kind.”

I elbow him. “I probably should get a card?”

Dibella shakes her head, the least bothered by Luca’s comment. “You work here, and I know you. Go grab something. I don’t need to monitor you while taking out books. You and I know you’ll bring them straight back once you’re finished with them.”

“Right, okay.” I pass her a tight smile, grateful there aren’t any library assistants working today. Goodness forbid I don’t want to be glared at into the afterlife. “Thank you. I’ll go and—”

“Wait a second.” Dibella holds up a finger, before she ducks in behind the desk, reappearing with a pile of brand new books. She slams them down onto the desk, beaming. “I’m honestly impressed how quickly you managed to not only pay for the damaged books but replace them with new ones! You must have a remarkable knowledge of books and great contacts to get them this quick.”

“Huh?” I blink at the books. It takes me a few heartbeats before it dawns on me that Tilly had promised if I helped her, she’d help me take care of the damaged books. Though, admittedly, I didn’t expect her to go through with her promise. “Oh. Yeah. Right. It’s no problem.”

“I know I did the right thing to hire you,” she exclaimed in an elated huff of breath. “And you know what? I happened to have stocked up on some fresh cookies this morning. How about some tea and cookies?” She looks at Luca, her grin slightly faltering. “How about you? You’re with Miss Woods, I presume?”

“You really don’t—” I start, but Luca doesn’t miss jumping at the opportunity.

“Cookies? There’s no way I’m turning down cookies,” he grins. Dibella doesn’t wait for my reply, turning around and hurrying to go switch on the kettle. Luca arches a brow at my scowl. “You have some serious perks over here, don’t you?”

“We’re here to talk to a ghost. Not eat cookies and gossip.”

“Might as well multitask,” he shrugs, nudging me with an elbow. “Come on. Free, freshly baked cookies.”

I roll my eyes, heading toward the table I cleaned the stamps on the other day. “Tilly?” I test, spinning steadily to check if I can see anything of note. “Tilly? Are you here?”

“You think it’ll work by calling her out like that?” I can feel the wind stir behind me and know Luca is standing close. “You had a hard time summoning Sally with the best tools.”

“I don’t know. Ghosts are weird.” Pulling out a chair by the table, I press on, “Hey, Tilly. I need to talk to you about Ginger.”

Luca tugs a book from the shelf closest to him. On the cover is an illustration of an old man with a bushy beard holding what looks like a spear. The book is titled Death to Those Who Sleep. “Brutal,” Luca murmurs, stuffing it back.

“Tilly?” I try again.

Luca falls down on a seat across from me, snorting. “What sort of stupid name is Tilly? Kind of reminds me of a—”

A sturdy, thick, leather-bound book flies from a shelf and hits Luca on the back of the head. He bolts up from the chair he’s been sitting on, spitting out a slew of a colorful choice of words worthy to land him detention. “What the hell?”

I bark out a laugh as Tilly appears right behind him, glowering, arms crossed to her chest. “You are awfully rude.”

Of course, he can’t hear or see her. “Hi, Tilly.”

Chapter 22

“Hello.” Her scowl stays fixed on Luca, who is staring with a puzzled expression at the spot where I’m looking. “Please tell me this isn’t your friend.”

“Definitely not,” I snort. “Sorry about him.”

“She’s here?” Luca asks, looking as uncomfortable as I’ve ever seen him. He carefully rounds the table to my side and takes a seat beside me. “Was that her?”

I crack a cheeky grin. “What do you expect to happen if you insult a ghost?”

“But was throwing me with a book really necessary?”

“Yes,” both Tilly and I replied in unison. But of course, he can’t hear her. I was the one who got the death glare.

“You wanted to talk to me?” Tilly swoops past me and goes to stand right in Luca. The moment she does, he flinches, pulling the sleeves of his jacket over his hands.

“Is it just me, or is it cold all of a sudden?” He glances over his shoulder at the open window. Beams of sunlight stream in, bathing the space we are sitting in a delicious, golden glow. Though he won’t be able to appreciate the effects of it, courtesy of the ghost hovering in him out of obvious spite.

I bite down on a grin. “So, I left the door open, Tilly.”

She sighs, and as she does, Luca shivers again, cursing under his breath. “I heard about your friend. I’m really sorry, Hailey. I didn’t know something as awful as that would happen. I only wanted to help with Ginger.”

The sincerity in her voice softens the contempt I felt when I walked in here. “It’s okay,” I release a low breath. “But Tilly, I can’t leave that door open for you again. I’m not going to risk any of my friends or anyone else. I don’t want any more people to get hurt.”

Her expression falls. “But what about Ginger?”

“I can feed him for you?” I sit forward, doing my best to ignore the weird looks Luca is giving me. You’d think that, given he knows we’re here to talk to a ghost, it wouldn’t seem like the most shocking thing in the world. “It’ll be much safer for everyone living here, and Ginger won’t go hungry.”

Tilly seems to consider it, then nods. “I’ll have to talk to my friend, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”

“Great.” I don’t point out that I know that the groundskeeper takes care of the cat, according to what Mrs. Humphrey told me. I briefly wonder if Tilly was even aware that the cat is taken care of to begin with.

Hm.

“Hey, Tilly…” I hesitate, my eyes narrowing. “This friend of yours. Do they have a name?”

Tilly cracks a sheepish smile. “Well, I kind of are not allowed to tell.”

I sit forward. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“She did a binding spell on me, so…”

“A binding spell?” I ask, frowning.

“Yeah. So even if I want to tell you, I can’t,” Tilly shrugs. “I can tell you she did it because she’s worried she’ll get in trouble for stealing food.”

I consider this for a moment, studying Tilly’s expression. If she is lying, she is really good at it. I sigh, sitting back in my seat.

“But you better not forget, okay?” she presses. “If anything bad happens to Ginger, it’s on you.”

“I promise I won’t forget.” I fold my hands together on top of the table. “Actually, I’ll do that right after we leave here. Okay?”

Tilly nods again. “That’ll be great.”

“Why do you keep looking at me while talking to the ghost girl?” Luca shifts in his seat. Not a second later, Tilly vanishes, followed by his chair flipping backward—him along with it. A crash follows as he lands on his back on the floor, and he spits out an array of curse words I didn’t even know existed. “I didn’t even insult her!”

“Her name is Tilly, not ‘ghost girl,’” I remark.

Tilly shoots me an appreciative look, mouthing, “Thanks for that.”

“Anyway,” I ignore Luca’s complaining as he gets up from the floor. “I need your help with something.”

“Sure. What can I help with?” she asks.

“Oh. By the way, thank you for sorting out the books.”

“I told you I would, didn’t I?” she grins. “So, what do you need?”

“Yeah. About that.” I consider how to approach the subject. “I’m looking for a key. I had a key that went missing from my room, and I think someone might have stolen it.”

“You’ll need to be more specific,” she says. “What did it look like?”

“Well, it was a skeleton-like key. And it had a pink ribbon attached to it.”

“What’s it for?” she inquires.

“For a cupboard in my room,” I lie. “I want to put my books in there, but I can’t without a key.”

She nods, looking satisfied with the answer. “I can have a look around for you. But I can’t promise anything.”

“Or I don’t know.” I pull a face. “You’re acquainted with the other ghosts in the academy. Maybe someone saw something? You know, who might have gone into my room that isn’t supposed to be in there to begin with?”

“I can ask around for you.”

“Thank you, Tilly. I really appreciate it.” I give her a warm smile.

“Sure, no problem. You’re helping me. It’s the least I can do.” As Luca walks around the table, attempting to get some distance from Tilly, she swoops toward him and goes to stand inside him again. “I’ll do it later today if you don’t mind. I’d like to follow this one around a bit. You know, keep him a little cooled off.”

I sputter a laugh. This rewards me with an annoyed look from Luca. “That sounds like the best idea ever.”

It takes Luca and me nearly an hour after that to be able to leave. Dibella held us—or rather, me, hostage—since Luca had no qualms about having a snack while we were there. We might have been there longer if it weren’t for Tilly harassing him the whole time.

I expect Tilly to come with us when we go to feed Ginger, but she claims she has somewhere to be. However, she did promise she’ll try to find some info regarding the key—and added that she has every intention of tracking down Luca again to make his day exceptionally windy.

“You wouldn’t think it’s hot and sunny outside if you consider how cold it was inside,” Luca comments as we cross the courtyard after feeding Ginger the cat. “Can’t we sit out here for a bit? The sun is nice.”

“I’ve done my part. I’m going inside and catching up on some more sleep.”

“Wait. So you’re just going to talk to one ghost?” He pauses, his face scrunching up from the rays of sun penetrating his vision. “What was the point of going through all that trouble, then?”

“What trouble? I did all the talking. And besides, Tilly is going to do the work for me.”

“Well, excuse me, I got attacked by a ghost while you sat, talked, and ate cookies.”

“The cookies were your idea,” I say pointedly. “You’ll get over it.”

“I—” Whatever Luca says next, I don’t register. That is because as we approach the kitchen door, Elijah is standing in the door frame, looking all kinds of ticked off. His eyes are glued onto Luca.

Oh, crap. I hope he isn’t assuming what I think he’s assuming.

“Hey,” I try to clear the tension. “I was just feeding—”

But my words die at the tip of my tongue as his glare flicks to me. Without a word—but rather a low growl—he spins around and darts off.

“Phew. Looks like alpha boy needs a good nap, too.”

I ignore Luca’s comment, hurrying after Elijah. Unfortunately, by the time I got into the hall, he had disappeared. Great. Just freaking great.

I don’t see Elijah for the next two days.

I assume he’s either avoiding me because of Luca, or he’s staying clear because I spent those two days catching up on sleep.

By the third, things are back to normal as normal can be defined. Classes resume, gossip spreads, and Ariah is back—as if nothing ever happened. I’m moved back into our room with her, provided with extra security courtesy of Ariah’s parents. The windows got thick, jail-like bars installed, and additional protective wards were put in place on all forms of entry to the room.

The door has two locks installed, too. It’s too much—but I suppose I can’t blame her parents for feeling the need to protect their daughter. A gesture I’ve never experienced with mine.

It’s next to impossible not to think about them—my parents. I miss them, which makes no sense, considering how uncaring they were toward me. Trying my best to steer my mind elsewhere, I round into the cafeteria, spotting all my friends already waiting at our usual table.

I grab a tray and help myself to some lunch. Today is fried chicken and coleslaw.

“I saw him talking to himself,” Celeste snickers behind her hand, elbowing Nate beside her. “He was pretty worked up. Swinging his arms around and everything. Very chaotic.”

“Who are we talking about?” I ask, landing in a seat beside Ariah, then frowning. Ariah has about ten—if not more—pieces of chicken piled onto her plate and a second plate piled with coleslaw.

“Lucian,” Nate and Celeste reply in bemused unison.

“Oh?” I snort. “What is he doing now?”

“This morning in class, he kept complaining about it being cold. Keep in mind, it’s like thirty-five degrees out.” Celeste gestures with her hands as she explains. “And he keeps cursing and talking to himself. It’s freaking weird.”

I bark out a laugh. “Oh, that’ll be Tilly.”

“Tilly?” Nate’s brows knit together. “Huh?”

I launch into an explanation of the whole Tilly situation, trying my best to ignore the fact that Ariah has gone through her two plates in the span of maybe three minutes, max. By the time I’m finished, as Nate and Celeste crack up with laughter, Ariah gets up to grab more food. With a serious expression, I ask, “Have you guys noticed how much she’s been eating?”

Celeste waves me off. “The girl is hungry. Let her be.”

Nate lifts his fork and points it at me, saying to Celeste, “See, it’s not only me who thinks it’s weird that she’s eating like the world is ending.”

Grabbing my carton of milk, I stick my straw in and take a large sip before asking, “So, why does everyone think vampires can’t be behind the attacks?”

Celeste places her half-eaten chicken thigh on her plate. “Because vampires can’t get past the wards.”

“But what if, say—someone left the door open that is protected by a ward? Like how I stupidly did the night of the attack?”

Her eyes flick to Nate, then she lets out a groan. “Okay. They can get past that.”

“See!” Nate points his fork at her. “You finally admit it might be a possibility?”

“No. I wasn’t admitting to anything. I simply agreed that a vampire can get past a warded door if it’s left open.” She points at me. “And sure, the door was left open by Hailey. Once. For a cat. What about the other attacks? They never mentioned any doors being left open in the other incidents.”

“You know there’s truth behind the lore of vampires having to be invited in?” Nate looks at me. “Leaving a door open is considered an invitation.”

“Okay. So, there’s a possibility that a vampire could have gotten in?” I ask, sitting forward. “What if Nate is onto something? What if—”

“Impossible.” Celeste crosses her arms. “Again, besides the fact that there’s no proof it’s the case, keep in mind that a vampire’s bite is deadly to us.”

That I do recall being mentioned before. “Or like Nate has said, what if vampires are…” My voice trails off, and I frown. “Nah. You’re right, I guess. If a vampire did attack her, she’d be dead.”

“I don’t know, but I smell a rat.” Nate leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. “If it weren’t for the fact that a vampire’s bite is lethal to us, I’d swear one bit her, and she’s turning. But I hate to admit it—suppose you’re right, Celeste. It can’t be that. Still, the way Hailey described the attacker and the way Ariah’s acting… I don’t know, I just can’t shake the feeling.”

“Glad you admit that I’m right for once.” Celeste shoots him a deliberate look. “You forget, though, girls have hormones and periods. Boy troubles. And Ariah?—she’s been through a lot, okay? Those meds could be making her appetite blow up, too.”

Celeste’s explanation does make sense. But there is something about the word vampire that resonates strongly with the attacker I encountered. I can’t point out what or why I think that. It is possible that when I think of a creepy, bloodsucking vampire—that guy is precisely what my mind conjures up.

I peel off a strip of fried chicken from the bone of a wing and stick it into my mouth. Between chewing, I admit, “Yeah. Guess the attacker is on that crazy cabbage diet those almond moms are on.”

Celeste and Nate look confused.

“It’s a trending diet in the human world,” I explain. “Major celebs and so on are also on it. They literally live only off cabbage soup.”

They both pull faces. Nate is the one to respond, “Okay, that’s disgusting.”

Celeste looks thoughtful, holding up a finger. “What I do agree with Nate on is that the theory about it being someone in this school is the likeliest. But the question is, who and why?”

I shrug. “What about power? The thrill of it? Or, what about—” I fall quiet as Ariah slides into her seat, grinning widely as she picks up a piece of fried chicken.

“Is it me, or did they improve the flavor of the recipe for the chicken? It’s insanely good.” Without waiting for anyone’s response, Ariah ducks forward and tears off a piece of chicken with her teeth.

“Tastes the same to me,” Nate replies. “The only difference to our meal is that they added pineapple to the coleslaw.”

“I love pineapple,” Celeste comments.

“And on pizza, it’s even better,” Nate insists.

Celeste pauses, her face crinkling up in disgust. “I love pineapple, but I don’t like it that much. That’s just gross.”

Nate picks out a piece of pineapple from his coleslaw, then tears off a strip of chicken, pressing it together. “Oh yeah? Fight me.”

He sticks the combination of fruit and meat into his mouth, getting rewarded by a gagging noise from Celeste. “Okay. You’re going way too far, buddy.”

Nate repeats the notion, again combining chicken with a piece of pineapple and sticking it in his mouth.

“Now you’re just asking for it!” Celeste scoffs, jumping up to her feet to playfully smack him beside the head. However, as she does, she accidentally knocks over Nate’s carton of milk. It spills right into Ariah’s plate of food.

Celeste mutters a curse. “I’m so sorry, Ari—”

But Celeste doesn’t get to finish her apology. Ariah is already on her feet, her face an ugly shade of red. She plants her palms on the table, leaning toward Celeste. “Look at what you did. You destroyed my food!”

Nate’s eyes widen. “Ari, it was an accident. She didn’t—”

Ariah lifts a hand and slams a fist onto the table, a low hiss sounding from her throat. People sitting close enough to our table to hear her reaction turn to stare.

“It wasn’t. It’s not an accident if both of you act like zoo animals,” she snarls. “I was hungry, damn it!”

I sit back slightly, trying to avoid getting smacked in the face as she flings her arms around in wild gestures. “What am I supposed to eat now? This freaking milk-soaked mess?”

“Whoa, Ari, I said I’m sorry.” Celeste looks taken aback. I don’t blame her. In the time I’ve come to know Ariah, she has been, without a doubt, the calmest, most level-headed person in our group. In this short time, I have become comfortable enough to refer to her as my best friend.

The way she is acting right now is not the Ariah I know.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. Nate shoots up to his feet. “What the ever-loving yellow, bouncy cupcakes are wrong with you? Relax. I can get you another plate of food if it means so much to you. But do you have to act like a total butt-wiper?”

Ariah opens her mouth, about to say something—then closes it. She stares around us, taking in the faces gaping at her in disbelief. When her gaze settles back on Celeste, she sucks in a sob, muttering what sounds like, “Sorry.”

Before anyone can do or say anything else, she shoves back her chair and dashes out of the cafeteria.

“What. The. Hell.” Nate’s eyes swivel between me and Celeste. “Maybe the meds are making her a bit—I don’t know. Wonky?”

Celeste’s lips are shaking as she pushes back her chair. “I’ve got to go.” She, too, makes a beeline for the exit.

Nate sits down, sighing. “Okay. That escalated quickly.”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it,” I say, my brows knitting together. “She’s been through a lot. I mean, imagine you going to bed and waking up in a hospital.”

“Yeah. That or it might be the meds talking.” He lifts his gaze and notices the people staring. “What?” he snaps. “Show’s over!”

Just then, three boys enter the cafeteria, carrying a massive royal-blue banner with the words “Moon Festival” embroidered in gold. A fourth boy rushes to the server bar, unrolls a poster, and pins it to the advertisement board beside it.

Excited chatter breaks out instantly—everyone is suddenly more interested in the upcoming event than in Ariah’s outburst.

Nate mutters sourly, “Freaking rude.”

Chapter 23

I slip through the rows of dusty shelves, clutching a stack of crisp, new borrowing cards and a few books. The scent of aged paper and leather bindings fills the air, mingling with the faint hint of mildew that clings to some of the older editions.

My mind is racing, torn between Ariah’s odd behavior and the feeling that Elijah is deliberately avoiding me.

As I lift my hand to pull a book from the shelf, a cough sounds behind me. I turn, finding one of the female library assistants glaring at me. She’s carrying a stack of books of her own, her lips drawn tight as she gives me a slow, deliberate once-over.

“Yes?” I ask, switching the weight of the books in my arms. “Is there something you need?”

“So. You’re actually working for once.”

“I’m always working. I have no idea what you’re on about,” I snip, aware of what her attitude is about. The same issue every other assistant has against me in this library—apparently. Then for effect, I add, “It’s not my fault my librarian gives me snacks. If you’re that hungry, go ask her for some cookies. Bet she’d give you some.”

She stiffens, opening her mouth, then closing it. She repeats the notion a few times before she says, “Just do your job instead of chatting and eating.”

I peer around with purpose. “I wasn’t chatting until you came along.”

With a huff, the girl scurries away. I draw out a heavy breath, turning back to the shelf, my fingers barely closing around the book when I hear, “She’s freeloading on superior treatment and a free salary.” A boy’s voice is tinged with disdain as he speaks in a low whisper.

Ignoring the sting of the words, I move to the next shelf, determined to finish my task. I run my fingers along the spines of the books, feeling the textured wear of countless hands that have held them before. I place another card in front of an ancient copy of Turned By Moonlight, the pristine white of the new card stark against the yellowed pages.

Each card I place is a small rebellion against the stagnation that has settled over this place. But the hostile glances and whispered criticisms make it clear that I’m seen as the intruder here, the one who supposedly does nothing, and it’s because of my stupid mark. Determined not to let them get to me, I keep working, letting their glares roll off my back.

When I’m finished with the row and the pile I had, I move on to the next, spotting Dibella walking in. She is carrying bags—which I’m going to take a wild guess bear more snacks.

I duck in behind the shelf in an effort for her not to notice me. Of course, based on the work schedule, she knows I’m working today. But I can hope, right?

“Hey.” I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a familiar voice speak behind me. Spinning around, I place a hand on my chest, discovering Ariah standing there. She hands me a small, plain yellow gift bag. “This isn’t much…”

“What is this?” I peek into the bag filled with an assortment of chocolates. I notice she’s holding two more gift bags—one pink and one green.

“This is my way of saying I’m really, really sorry for the way I’ve acted. Look, I know chocolate doesn’t make up for it, but—I don’t know what overcame me.”

“It’s okay.” I lower the bag to my side. “And you didn’t have to bring me chocolate to apologize, you know. But thanks.”

“No, it’s not okay. I’ve been terrible.”

“I don’t think it’s me you need to apologize to, anyway.”

She releases a long breath, holding up the other two bags. “Yeah. Celeste and Nate. I know.”

I give her a soft smile. “They understand you have been dealing with things.”

“Do they?” Ariah’s brows furrow. “Because I’m convinced that Celeste hates me now.”

“She doesn’t hate you.” I inch forward, taking one of her hands and giving it a squeeze. “She was caught off guard. None of us expected that reaction from you.”

She squeezes my hand back. “I really am sorry.”

“I know.” Letting go of her hand, I follow her gaze and spot Nate running toward us as if something vicious is chasing him.

“Do. Not. Go—” Nate stops in front of us, bending over and struggling to catch his breath.

“Nate? What’s wrong?” Ariah steps toward him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He straightens, eyes wide as he looks from Ariah to me. “Do not go into the woods.”

“Oookay?” Today keeps getting weirder by the second. “What woods? And why would I go into the woods?”

“I’m not sure which woods. Just stay away from anywhere resembling woods. Please.”

Ariah’s mouth forms a wide ‘O.’ “You had another vision, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. And it was bad.” Nate wipes the sweat from his forehead with a trembling hand. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“What did you see?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I can’t exactly describe it.” His eyes narrow at the bags Ariah is carrying. “Is that chocolate?”

“Here, eat one. You look like you’re about to faint.” Ariah hands him the green one, glancing at me as Nate immediately unwraps it and pops it into his mouth. “His visions aren’t always clear. But they always come true.”

“Can you at least try to describe what you saw?” I press, watching him go for another chocolate.

“You’re in it,” he says, tossing his head back as he devours another piece. “We all are. Our entire group of friends. We were in the woods. It was dark—so, so dark. But it was more what I felt than the darkness itself.” He swallows, his expression grave. “There was a beast. It looked like a wolf, but not quite. It was just—so dark.”

“Do you think the darkness could have been someone’s emotions?” Ariah suggests. “It wouldn’t be the first time for you.”

He nods slowly. “Could be. But if it was an emotion, it felt… hungry. Like an overwhelming need to kill.”

I swallow. “Any idea when this is supposed to happen?” Not that I can think of any reason we’d end up in the woods. Fidgeting with the string of my gift bag, I ask, “Is there some camping trip or anything like that coming up?”

Ariah shakes her head. “None that I know of.”

“My visions usually come true within minutes, hours, or sometimes months. It could happen at any time.” Nate takes a deep breath. “Promise me both of you will stay away from the woods.”

“We won’t go near any if you don’t.” Ariah crosses her arms. “You said we were all there, right?”

“Yeah. But seriously, we need to avoid it. Okay?”

Ariah and I nod.

Nate’s eyes shift to Ariah. “Are you doing okay?”

He doesn’t need to say much; it’s clear he’s referring to Ariah’s outburst from earlier. She points to the bag of chocolates in Nate’s hand. “I kind of got those to say I’m sorry. I feel terrible.”

Nate rests a hand on her shoulder. “It’s all good. But we need to find Celeste. I have to tell her what I saw.”

“And I need to apologize to her, too,” Ariah sighs.

---

With a day of work behind me and my friends talking again, I navigate the bustling hallway, the castle’s stone walls echoing with the chatter and laughter of students heading to dinner in the cafeteria. The evening sun casts long shadows through the tall, arched windows, and the flickering torchlight adds a warm glow to the ancient stones. The air is filled with the delicious aroma of tonight’s meal, and my stomach rumbles in response.

My hunger might be louder than Nate’s words repeatedly going off in my mind: Stay out of the woods. I still can’t come up with any reason why I would be roaming in the woods, but okay.

As I approach my door, I notice someone sitting outside it. My heart skips a beat when I realize it’s Elijah.

He’s leaning casually against the wall, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and a book open on his lap. His golden hair falls into his eyes as he reads, and he looks up just as I reach him. A slow, warm smile spreads across his face, making my pulse quicken.

“Hey,” he says, closing the book and standing up. “I was wondering when you’d get back.”

I can’t help but return a smile despite how we parted at our last encounter. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugs, a playful glint in his eyes. “I wanted to see you. I thought I’d wait here since I figured you’d pass by eventually.”

I unlock my door, feeling a rush of warmth as he steps close to my side. “Well, you’ve found me. Want to come in?”

He nods, and I push the door open, the sweet scent greeting me. I spot the source on our bedside table—a large, silver vase stuffed with pastel-pink roses. Though my attention quickly diverts to the open window, the light breeze stirs the curtains slightly. There are now thick iron bars installed.

As we step inside, the noise of the hallway fades, leaving only the two of us in the quiet space.

“They added protective warding spells to the windows and door, too,” Elijah explains. He lifts a hand and slides a new lock to the door into place. “Along with these. So, no one can come in here without you or Ariah letting someone in.”

“Cool.” A sudden awkwardness falls over the light mood, and I find myself looking everywhere but at him.

“I acted like an idiot. Again.”

I stare at him, crossing my arms. “You said you would work on keeping your temper in check.”

He sighs, pushing his hair back from his face. I notice it’s gotten longer—remarkably longer than it was a few days ago. Or maybe I was imagining it. “I know what I’ve said. So I don’t expect you to forgive me.”

“Well, you’ve avoided me for two days flat after you saw me with Luca. You, who reacted unreasonably and didn’t even ask why I was there in the first place.”

Regret is obvious in his expression. “I don’t trust him near you.”

“And that’s my fault?” I huff. “He was with me because we were—I mean, I was talking to ghosts to see if they knew where your sister’s key might have gone. If they noticed anything or saw someone taking it.”

Elijah’s head flicks up. “You were looking for the key?”

“It was Luca’s idea. That’s why he was with me.”

“There’s a ghost in the courtyard?”

My lips draw tight. “Well, no. But the ghost I talked to wanted me to feed Ginger.”

“Let me guess—the cat? The one who’s behind the reason you left that door open the night of the attack?”

I sigh. “Yes. That cat.”

“And you think it’s safe to trust that ghost?”

“Tilly is okay.” I’m not going to explain to him why I think that. The books she had replaced were among the few. “You’ll like her. She threw Luca with a book. And knocked him over in his chair.”

This got me a slight smile from him. “Really?”

“She’s actively stalking him around school and making life hard for him, too. If you see him cursing at nothing, it’s probably her.”

Elijah barks a laugh. “Do I even want to know what he did to her?”

“Insulted her. Twice.”

“Ouch.” His smile falters. “Look, I know what I said. That I’d work harder at controlling my moods. Luca—he brings out the worst in me.”

“Did I miss anything?” I move closer to him. “Why do I have the feeling there’s more to the story than you not wanting him near me?”

Elijah looks away. “It’s just that…I don’t know—”

“What is it?”

“I don’t only blame myself for not being there for my sister when she needed me the most.” His golden eyes meet mine. “I blame him, too.”

“You couldn’t have possibly known that would happen.” Without any hesitation, I fall into his arms. And he, without so much as blinking, wraps them around me. I realize I have missed the warmth of his embrace.

“No. But if I were more present—if Luca were, she might still be here.” He falls quiet, resting his chin on top of my head. “So, did you find anything on the key?”

I sigh against his chest. “No. Nothing. But Tilly is trying to help us look for it. So there’s that.”

“Good.” He pulls back, using his fingers to lift my chin so I can look up at him. “I’m trying. I’ll try harder—I know sorry doesn’t cut it.”

I stand on the tip of my toes, my heart racing as I press my lips to his. My plan was to plant a quick kiss, a brief touch to bridge the gap between us, but Elijah had other ideas. He releases me, and for a split second, I feel a pang of disappointment. But then his hands are on either side of my face, his touch gentle yet firm, drawing me deeper into the kiss.

The world around us seems to fade away, the distant murmur of students in the hallway becoming nothing but a hum in the background. Elijah’s lips move against mine with a tender urgency, and a flurry of flutters erupts in my stomach. The sensation is intoxicating, sending waves of warmth radiating through my entire body.

Instinctively, my hands clutch at the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. The fabric bunches under my fingers as I hold on tightly, not wanting this moment to end. I can feel the steady beat of his heart against my chest, matching the rapid rhythm of my own. His breath mingles with mine, creating a heady mix that leaves me dizzy and yearning for more.

Elijah’s thumbs gently stroke my cheeks, his touch soothing and electrifying all at once. I can taste the hint of mint on his lips, a small detail that somehow makes the kiss even more intimate. As he deepens the kiss, a soft sigh escapes me, a quiet surrender to the overwhelming rush of emotions coursing through me.

Someone clears their throat.

Of course, interrupted yet again. We break apart—though a feat I find incredibly hard to do, discovering Ariah and Celeste standing in the doorway with bemused expressions. Considering Celeste has her arm hooked with Ariah’s, it is obvious they’ve made their peace.

“Sorry to interrupt you two and your steamy make-out session, but we’ve got a manicure, pedicure, and snacks date tonight,” Celeste quips, eyeing Elijah. “You done here, or are you up for a dip powder mani—in hot flamingo pink? Coffin style?”

“Er—definitely not,” Elijah smirks, holding up his hands in defeat. He looks at me. “But I just want to quickly ask Hails something else.”

Before I can divert him out into the hallway, Celeste interjects. She lets go of Ariah and then places her hands on her hips. “Go on. You can ask her.”

“Cel—” I start with a laugh, but Elijah turns to me.

Ignoring my friends, he pulls me into another embrace, whispering in my ear, “Would you go to the moon festival with me?”

I bite down on a smile, nodding eagerly. Not waiting a second later, he swoops in for another kiss—turning in such a way that he makes sure Celeste gets a full view of it.

Celeste snorts, and I sputter a laugh as Elijah breaks the kiss. “That’s all.” He winks at me before he heads out the door.

Celeste rolls her eyes. “Men. Typical.”

“So, you’re having manicures?” Despite trying to change the subject, I can’t quite wipe the grin off my face.

“Yeah. You’re joining us.” Celeste picks up a small bag I didn’t notice before, resting on the floor beside her feet, then carries it over to Ariah’s bed. “What colors do you like?”

Chapter 24

“Plum has never been my favorite, but girl, that color is so you.” Celeste admires her handiwork on my nails. I’ve never been one for manicures, but I can’t deny it—my nails look amazing.

“It is a pretty color,” I admit.

Ariah leans past me and Celeste, snatching up a light teal. “Celeste, you have an entire drugstore’s worth of nail polish in this bag. I didn’t even know half of these existed.”

“A girl can never have enough beauty products,” Celeste says with a wink. She lets go of my hand, then picks up the plum-colored nail polish bottle, tossing it into my lap. “Here, you should keep it. It’s made for you.”

I pick it up, examining the shimmering contents of the bottle. “You honestly don’t have to—”

She clicks her tongue. “Honey, I’ve had that color in my bag for months. I’ve never used it. And considering how many I already own, I’ll likely never get to it.”

“Yet you keep buying more.” Ariah rolls her eyes.

Celeste shoots her a coy look. “Oh yeah? On whose door do you usually knock if you need makeup, nail polish, or clothes? Or accessories? What would you do if I didn’t have all this stuff?”

Ariah shrugs with a smirk. “Okay, I guess you’ve got a point.”

A sharp, shrill noise sounds from where Celeste sits. She turns, sticks a hand into her bag, rummages through it for a moment, and then pulls out her cell phone.

Ariah’s face crinkles up. “Of all the sounds you can pick, you chose that one?”

“I know it sounds awful, but with that, I never miss my messages,” Celeste counters. She flicks on the screen of her cellphone and pulls a face. “Crap. I’ve got to go.”

“I thought you were hanging out with us tonight?” Ariah pouts. “What’s the sudden rush?”

Celeste sighs. “I forgot I have a report that I promised Halle I would help with.”

“Halle? The girl who’s always late for class? That Halle?”

“Yeah, I kind of owe her for helping me with research a while back.” Celeste starts picking up nail files, bottles of polish, and balls of cotton, tossing them into her bag. “I completely forgot I agreed I’d meet up with her at the library. She’s already waiting there for me.”

“That sucks.” Ariah drags open a drawer and pulls out a bag of popcorn kernels. She heads for her mini popcorn machine and pours in some kernels as she says, “I was assuming you’d join me and Hailey for a movie.”

And here I thought I was going to get extra sleep tonight. “We’re watching a movie?”

“If you want?” Ariah looks at me as she switches on the popcorn machine.

I give in. “I mean, I have nothing planned.”

“Perfect,” she beams.

“Have fun, ladies!” Celeste is already halfway out of the door, her bag slung over her shoulder. “I’ll see you both tomorrow morning at breakfast, alright?”

We wave her goodnight before she closes the door behind her. The moment the door clicks shut, Ariah is already next to it, dragging the locks into place. “Taking no chances,” she says to me.

The scent of salty butter and freshly popped popcorn fills the air, and I can’t help but feel my mouth water. “Okay, that smells amazing.”

“Right?” she grins. “People tell me it’s stupid to have a popcorn machine in my room. Tell me, what is so stupid about this?”

I bark a laugh as I head toward the closet, digging out my pajamas and reaching for my hoodie. As I lean forward, my hair catches on something—a hanger, maybe. “Ow—crap!”

“Are you okay in there?” Ariah calls from behind me.

No matter how much I tug, I can’t get my hair free. Each pull only makes the pain sharper, like needles stabbing my scalp. Frustrated, I finally cry out, “Ari—ugh, ow! Can you help? I’m stuck.”

Ariah rushes over in an instant, leaning in to untangle the mess. She giggles as she works on my hair. “How on earth did you manage this?”

I let out a mix of laughter and groans. “I wish I knew—ouch!”

“Sorry!” she says, carefully freeing the last strand. “Just a sec… there, got it.”

I stumble backward, crashing into Ariah. “Sorry!” I yelp, bracing for us both to topple over. But we don’t—Ariah’s hands grip my upper arms, keeping me steady.

“Whoa, easy there,” she says, her voice even.

I exhale in relief, closing my eyes for a moment. “Good thing you’re more balanced than I am. Seriously, I’m so sorry. Are you—”

My words die in my throat as I notice Ariah’s hands lingering on my arms, her breath warm against my neck. She’s breathing a little too hard, and I can feel the tension in the air.

“Ari, are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine.” Despite the reassurance of her words, the way she says them sends a chill dragging over my skin. Her tone sounds hollow and cold—caught up like a ghost’s voice whispering into my ear in a gusty wind.

I don’t know why, but I find it impossible to move or react. My legs are unusually heavy, and all my limbs are locked in place. I swallow, trying to open my mouth to ask what she is doing—but I can’t.

Not until her mouth brushes against the skin of my neck—followed by a sharp jab of pain as she bites into the delicate flesh.

“Ariah!” I shout, finally managing to jump out of her grasp. I swing around; my eyes are as wide as hers. “What are you doing?”

She takes a step back, a horrified look on her face. “I’m sorry, Hailey. I have no idea why I just did that. I wanted to—” Her eyes flick to the popcorn machine. “I’m hungry. I’m just so damn hungry. I think I need…” She shakes her head, hurrying to the machine. She pulls off the lid and begins to dive into the popcorn as if she were starving.

I blink slowly. “Ari, what’s going on with you?”

She doesn’t answer for a few heartbeats, stuffing her mouth with as much popcorn as she can fit in there. She takes a moment to chew before she answers without looking at me. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Something’s happening. I don’t know what. I’m so sorry, Hails.”

Ariah doesn’t wait for me to respond, savagely downing the popcorn. I lift my hand, rubbing it over the spot where she bit me. When I pull away my hand, there is a smear of blood. Half-numb, I reach beneath my bed for my slippers and kick them on.

“I’m going to grab something from the cafeteria,” I say in the steadiest tone I can manage. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

She lifts her gaze. “I’m really sorry.”

I force a slight smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

When she faces the popcorn machine, I hurry to unlock the door as fast as my trembling hands will allow me, slip out into the hallway, and break into a run.

My intention is to go straight to Mrs. Humphrey’s office, but as I pass the cafeteria, I spot Nate at the serving bar, helping himself to some coffee. I make a beeline for him instead. His brows shoot up in surprise when he sees me.

“Holy cannoli in a can—are you okay?”

I grab onto his shoulders, shaking. “Ariah tried to bite me. No—” I shake my head, recalling the incident. “She bit me.”

Nate, who is holding a spoon in his hand, drops it into the cup, standing on the serving bar, and blinks at me. “She did what?”

I push back my hair, revealing my neck to him. “What does it look like?”

He moves closer, his mouth dropping open. “Like a vampire bit you.”

“Nate, there’s something really wrong with her.”

“Where is she now?”

“In our room, eating. She said she was hungry.”

“Is that her explanation for biting you?”

I nod. “Yes. That’s what she said.”

“Hails…”

“I’m going to go to Mrs. Humphrey.”

Nate shoots a longing glance at his coffee on the server bar and sighs. “Fine. Let’s get this sorted before she tries to bite someone else.”

It isn’t until we round into the hallway where the headmistress’s office is that Nate speaks again. “She actually bit you?” he asks, incredulous. “What were you doing when she did that?”

“I got my hair stuck in the closet. She helped me.” I describe the rest to him as he listens with intent, his eyes growing wider and wider by the second.

“This is insane. If I didn’t know—” he shakes his head. “I don’t know what to think at this point.”

We stop in front of two guards stationed outside Mrs. Humphrey’s door. Before I can open my mouth, one guard speaks in a monotone, “Headmistress Humphrey isn’t available at the moment.”

“We need to talk to her. It’s urgent,” I breathe out. “Please.”

“Is anyone in direct danger?” The other guard steps forward, looking serious.

I frown, hesitating for a moment. “Well, no. I don’t think—”

“Is there an intruder?”

I shake my head. “No. But—”

“Then it can wait,” the guard continues. “The headmistress is out on important business. She won’t be back until the moon festival.”

My mouth drops open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What if there’s an emergency?” Nate cries out incredulously.

“If there is, then she will be summoned.” The guard scowls at us. “With the exception that if any student is in direct danger or if there is an intrusion on the school grounds.”

My shoulders sag. I consider how serious our situation is at that moment. “Look, one of our friends is acting really weird. She bit me.”

The guard sighs. “Drugs are not permitted in school. If that’s the case, then you’ll have to report it to a teacher or take her to the nurse. They will take the further steps necessary to—”

“She’s not on drugs!” Nate half-shouts. “She’s the girl that’s been attacked. Ariah Winter? Recognize the name doofus? She’s not herself. We don’t know if it’s the meds or something else wrong with her.”

The guard’s lips are thin, and annoyance is obvious in his expression. “In such a case, I recommend taking her to the nurse.”

I look at Nate, already feeling a sense of defeat creeping up on me.

“Fine,” Nate snaps at them. “Just keep on proving how incompetent you are. I’ll go to the nurse. Maybe, by some miracle, she’ll be a better help than you all.”

Neither of the guards reacts to Nate’s outburst. Instead, the one peers at me and says, “I suggest you have the nurse take a look at that bite mark. It might cause an infection.”

I roll my eyes, taking hold of Nate’s arm and tugging him away. “Let’s go to the nurse.”

Nate throws them with a rude gesture.

The nurse ends up calling in and examining Ariah—deciding all she needs is a proper dose of rest and some vitamins. As Ariah only has two more days left before finishing her cycle of medication, she doesn’t see it as worth cutting her off from taking them.

Nate and I question this—since Ariah supposedly has no injuries, why would she need the medication in the first place? The nurse comes up with a quick answer: it’s to keep her calm.

But then again, what if the medication is working—and once she’s done taking it, what then? If she’s already out of it while on them—off of them she might be worse. I voiced my concerns to the nurse, but her reply was, “We’ll worry about that when we get there. And that is a matter of ‘if’ we get there.”

If. It sounds more sinister than what I know the nurse means by it.

I am left with no other choice but to go back to our room with Ariah. But by then, she seems to take a great deal of effort to keep her distance from me. I share that notion, worried she might find it appealing to try to bite me again.

The school week carried on without any incidents. Well, sort of—if you exclude the two times Ariah yelled at Nate for being too loud. Or the one time she snapped at Mr. Barnes for taking too long to explain something and ran out of class.

I barely saw any of Elijah that week, except for the few times he decided to sit with us during dinner. So, by the time Friday arrived for the moon festival, I was pretty hyped to see him.

I had to borrow another outfit from Celeste for the occasion. Standing in her room as she pulls a golden halterneck top from a hanger, she says, “This will look gorgeous on you!” she says coyly, then winks. “And it will match your hottie of a boyfriend’s eyes, too.”

I flush. “It’s stunning. But don’t you think it’s a bit too—sexy for someone like me?”

She pauses, giving me a long look. “Girl, it’s made for someone like you.”

“I don’t know.” I take it from her, examining it. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Great. Now, put it on.” Celeste doesn’t wait for my reply, sticking her head back into her closet and rummaging through a pile of jeans. She withdraws a dark, skinny pair, then holds it out to me. “Thank goodness we have the same build.”

“Thank you.” I take it from her, offering her a grateful smile. “I got my first paycheck from the library this morning. Hopefully, I’ll get a pass from Mrs. Humphrey this weekend so I can do a bit of shopping.”

“How much did you get?”

My lips pursed. “Well, enough to cover toiletries and maybe two new shirts.”

“Girl, never.” She rolls her eyes. “Why pay for clothes when you can rent them for free? And not low-budget crap. These are all designer.”

I’m not much of a label girl, but I have to admit—you can tell by the material alone that these are expensive. The halterneck’s material is golden liquid, flowing through my fingers like water. Soft and smooth. “Yeah, but I feel bad about having to borrow your stuff all the time.”

Celeste grabs me by the shoulders. “That’s what friends are for.”

I offer her a genuine smile, heat prickling my eyes. It’s so sudden and unexpected. One moment, I’m smiling at her; the next moment, my mind flashes back to the day I arrived here when they all made me a makeshift cake and celebrated my belated birthday. How I wished back then that they were the real deal.

“Wishes do come true,” I suck in a shaky breath.

Her eyes widen. “Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?”

I fall into her arms, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Thank you for everything.”

“Oh, but you’re always welcome.” She returns the hug, the tenseness slipping from her. “But is everything okay?”

I let go of her, taking a step back. “Yeah. I’m just grateful to have really good friends.”

“Awww, I love you too, girl.” She pretends to pinch my cheek, grinning. “So, are you going to get dressed or not? I bet Elijah is already waiting for you. He’s always early.”

My eyes narrow onto the halterneck in my hands. I let out a sigh. “I’ll try it on first and see how I feel about it.”

Celeste snorts. “You’re going to look fabulous in that. I know it.”

After pulling on the ensemble and sticking my feet into a pair of knee-high black boots, I find myself admitting that I do feel amazing. Celeste styled my hair in a wave of curls and did a natural makeup look on me. She scarcely put down the curling wand and dabs her own lips with a shimmering russet lipstick when her bedroom door flies open.

Nate and Ariah stand in the doorway, both in jeans and matching dark blue tops. Though Nate’s is a suede button-up shirt, Ariah is wearing a frilly, spaghetti-strapped top. “Of course, they match,” Celeste smirks. “You two look great. Oh, and I see you still have the manners of a caveman.”

“So do both of you!” Nate exclaims and rushes in, then closes the door behind him just as Ariah steps inside. He ignores Celeste’s caveman comment, throwing a thumb over his shoulder and giggling. “You should see what Valerie’s wearing.”

Ariah rolls her eyes. “You’re surprised?”

“You’d think I’d be used to it by now,” Nate carries on. “But she never fails to shock everyone.”

“How bad is it?” Celeste asks.

“You know that rapper whose wife always wears skin-toned outfits that barely cover her boobs and butt?” Nate prompts. “The one who doesn’t wear shoes?”

Celeste’s face scrunches up. “Wolfgang South? Isn’t his wife’s name Betty Sensory-something?”

“Betty Senoratta. And yeah, that one.”

Celeste’s eyes bulge. “Don’t tell me she is—”

“Yes. I’m serious. You’ll see her later. There’s no way you can miss it. She might as well have gone naked.”

Ariah heads over to me as Nate falls into an array of complaints about his roommate. She reaches for my neck, and I jerk back.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, giving me an apologetic look. She lifts her hand, pointing awkwardly to my neck. “I think there’s a tag still on it. Your top, I mean.”

I lift my hand to where she is pointing. Sure enough, I feel it dangling in the hollow of my neck. “Crap. Thanks.”

“No problem. Go figure that half of Celeste’s stuff still has tags on it.”

“Hey. I’m busy all the time, okay?” Celeste quips. “I don’t always have the opportunity to sit and go through all my clothes and pull off tags. I take them off as I go.”

“Yeah? Because it will take you ten years to go through every single thing. You own a mall’s worth of clothes at this point,” Nate states. “And the collection is always growing.”

She huffs. “A girl has her priorities, okay?”

“Whatever.” Nate jabs her arm with his elbow, then looks at us. “You ladies ready?”

There’s a gentle knock on the door. Nate rolls his eyes. “I swear if it’s my roommate again…”

“He has a name, Natey,” Celeste snorts a laugh.

“Yes. Birdbrain.”

We all burst out in laughter as Nate pulls open the door. Elijah stands there, looking remarkably handsome. A blush settles on my cheeks the moment his eyes find me.

Tonight, he’s in his jeans and a perfectly fitted black shirt, accentuating his broad shoulders and hinting at the strength beneath. His hair is intentionally styled messily, adding to his boyish charm as he offers me a slight smile.

He seems to be too busy staring at me to notice that Nate is asking him a question.

“Cooey.” Nate steps into his line of vision, waving at him. “Look. I get that you’re staring at my literal goddess of a friend, which I don’t blame you for. But can I get your attention for a second?”

It sounds like Elijah mutters an apology, then proceeds with a more even-toned, “What did you ask?”

“I asked if you know who’s going to be tonight’s performers? Like, what band or singers?”

“Oh.” Elijah falls quiet for a second. “My dad mentioned some Hyler guy. But other than that, I have no clue.”

“Oh. MY. Goodness!” Nate squeaks, grabbing onto Celeste’s arm. “Did you hear that?”

Celeste and Nate break out in a hyper dance, giving Elijah a chance to slip past them and make it toward me. He shoots Ariah a questioning look, almost as if asking her permission for something. When she nods with an approving smile, he holds his arms out to me.

I melt into his arms, feeling the warmth of his embrace envelop me, his heartbeat syncing with mine. I close my eyes, savoring the sense of safety that welcomes me. He pushes my hair back from my face, the heat of his breath dancing across my cheek as he leans in and whispers in my ear, “You look beautiful.”

I flush as he plants a soft kiss against my ear. I rack my brain to offer him a compliment back, but whatever I plan to say dies at the back of my throat when his lips settle in the hollow of my neck. My heart races faster, and my fingers curl into the material on the back of his shirt.

A throat clears, then, of course, it is Nate who quips, “Just a friendly reminder that sure, you are, in fact, in a bedroom. But you’re not alone.”

“My bedroom,” Celeste clarifies.

Both Elijah and I bark out an awkward laugh, tearing away from each other. Elijah’s hand moves from my back to my waist, keeping me close as we turn to look at my friends. “Oh, you’re all still here? I thought you had left for the party,” he jokes.

Nate rolls his eyes with an uncontrollable grin, and Celeste crosses her arms with a suspicious look.

“So, I don’t know about all of you. But I’m starving,” Ariah says on the other side of me. “I can already taste warm corn dogs coated in a thick layer of melted cheese.”

“I can smell it,” Nate adds. “Now you just made me hungry. Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

Chapter 25

The academy hallway buzzes with energy, filled with the excitement of the upcoming Moon Festival.

The old stone walls are adorned with festive silver and indigo decorations, while torches flicker, casting warm, dancing shadows along the corridor. Students bustle about, their voices blending into a lively hum as they discuss the evening’s festivities. I catch snippets of conversation about the festival’s events, the full moon, and the werewolves’ traditional celebrations.

Elijah keeps me close to his side, his arm wrapped protectively around my waist as we make our way through the throng of teenagers.

As we turn a corner, I spot Valerie ahead. Sure enough, she looks like she’s naked, plus the exception of heels. But as we move closer, I can make out her skimpy, skin-matching outfit covering the essential parts of her body—though barely.

Her icy glare locks onto me immediately, and she slides into our path with a smirk. “Nice outfit, Hailey. So… boring,” she sneers, looking me up and down with disdain. Her words are meant to sting, but I don’t flinch. Opposed to the outcome she hoped for, it doesn’t affect me at all.

I know her bitterness all too well, and it’s clear she can’t handle that Elijah is holding on to me, not her—especially with the way her eyes are locked onto his arm around my waist. I sigh, ready to tell her off, but before I can get a word out, Nate moves out from behind us, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“At least Hailey doesn’t look like a prostitute,” he quips, his eyes glinting with amusement. The few students closest to us gasp and snicker, and Valerie’s cheeks turn pink. She opens her mouth to respond, but the ringing of a distant bell signals that it’s time to head to the festival grounds. With a huff, Valerie turns on her heel and stalks away, leaving us behind.

Elijah squeezes my waist gently, a silent gesture of support. Nate moves into the space on the other side of him, nudging his arm with an elbow. “How the hell did you end up dating that?”

Elijah lets out a long, exhausted breath. “An arrangement by our parents. More so than anything.”

“So the good alpha king isn’t giving you crap for dating Hailey?” Honestly, when the moon goddess handed out traits upon our births, she forgot to add a verbal filter for our boy Nate.

I tense, remembering my last encounter with Elijah’s dad. Elijah notices, giving me another reassuring squeeze. “He’s not against the idea.”

“Not considering an array of issues that he has with me,” I add.

“He was upset because you couldn’t summon Sally,” Elijah explains. “He’s used to getting his way. But when he doesn’t get his way…”

“He throws a tantrum like a toddler whose toy has been taken from him?” Nate supplies.

Celeste smacks his arm. “Your mouth is going to get you into some serious trouble at some point.”

Elijah cracks a smile. “Well, Nate isn’t wrong.”

“See?” Nate wriggles his brows.

“Anyway, he doesn’t dislike Hailey. He just has a certain expectancy of how women should dress and act.” Elijah winks at me. “He did tell me after his tantrum that he thinks she’s got a pretty face and seems like a humble girl. His words, not mine.”

I glance up at him. “Did he really say that?”

Elijah inclines his head, grinning. “He’s not known to give out compliments.”

I manage a slight smile, leaning closer to Elijah. I’ll take that as opposed to nothing at all.

“What’s his opinion on Valerie, Miss Stone Queen?” Nate inquires as we file out of the back door of the academy.

“Uh…” Elijah just lets out a laugh, shaking his head in response, looking ahead. I follow his gaze, admiring the night sky, illuminated by the full moon.

The Moon Festival is in full swing, a sea of students and their families spread out across the lush lawn that stretches to the edge of the massive woods. The trees, dark and towering, create a mysterious backdrop, their shadows dancing in the moonlight. Lanterns hang from branches and poles, their soft light adding a warm, festive touch to the cool night air.

I mutter a curse, regretting my choice of attire almost immediately. Elijah notices me shiver. He drapes an arm over my shoulder and pulls me close, the heat of his body welcoming. “Do you want to go back and grab a jacket?”

I shake my head, grinning. “No. This works.”

“Are you sure?” When I shake my head again, he presses a soft kiss on my cheek. “No complaints from me, then.”

“And?” Nate prods, waving at a group of girls I didn’t recognize. It’s clear he isn’t going to let Elijah off the hook that easy.

“He thought she was a great idea, considering their status and everything,” Elijah replies with a sigh. “Until he got to know her. In the nicest way I can come up with, I would say that he’s not a fan.”

“Can’t imagine he would be,” Nate snorts.

We make our way through the stalls lining the pathways, offering everything from delicious food to handmade trinkets. Of course, Nate and Ariah immediately make a dash for the corn dog stand while Elijah, Celeste, and I decide that chicken wraps are the way to go.

After grabbing our food, we all head to the clearing near the center of the grounds, where a large bonfire crackles and roars, sending sparks into the star-studded sky. People gather around it, some swaying to the rhythmic beat of drums, others simply basking in the warmth. The firelight casts an enchanting glow on everyone’s faces, and I can see the joy and excitement reflected in their eyes.

“So,” I peer at Celeste. “This is the moon festival?”

“Only the introduction. The real fun starts at midnight.” Celeste takes a bite out of her chicken wrap and then points past me. Through chewing, she explains, “The pack games and moonlight hunting are where the real fun is.”

“Pack games?” My brows shoot up. “And what are we hunting?”

“Pack games are team games and activities we get to do together while competing against other groups,” Elijah explains.

“We can team up. You, me, Ariah, Nate, and Elijah.” She looks at Elijah. “If you want to team up with us, that is?”

The arm draped around me slightly tightens. “I’m not going anywhere. So I might as well.”

Celeste’s face lights up. “We’re so going to win this time.”

I peer questioningly between them. “Oh? You’re that confident?”

“Anyone who teams up with him always wins,” she grins, throwing a thumb in Elijah’s direction. “Well, he wins for his team. He’s really good at everything.”

Elijah lets out a breath. “Now, don’t exaggerate.”

“Oh!” Celeste squeals. “You should see the howling contest. It can get pretty funny.”

“Or intimidating,” Nate adds as he and Ariah join us. “I swear, some of them sound like they’re capable of severing your soul from your body.”

Nearby, shouts and laughter erupt in a chaotic chorus. I glance over my shoulder toward a cluster of amusement rides at the source of the noise. The closest ride, a massive canary-yellow looping starship, swings back and forth like a pendulum, its small golden lights flickering on and off in rhythm with the screams.

“We should do the carousel,” Celeste adds, taking another bite out of her wrap. She chews, swallows, then adds, “It’s perfect for selfies.”

Nate nods. “We can take turns posing for pics.”

Ariah rolls her eyes. “You two need to learn to live in the moment. I want to go to the funhouse.”

“We can do all of them,” Nate suggests.

“No way I’m doing the starship or the roller coasters,” Celeste pulls a face. “I’ll do anything but those.”

Elijah leans in, asking in a low voice intended only for my ears. “Want to do the Ferris wheel with me?”

“Sounds like it can be fun,” I smirk, looking at him. “How romantically cliché, too.”

“Well, that kind of cliché is fun.” He presses a soft kiss to my lips.

“Yeah, we’re on our own on those rides,” Nate’s voice carries over. “Those two are in their own little bubble.”

“Hey, Elijah. You don’t have any cute cousins or, like, distant cousins that might be single by any chance?” Celeste asks. “I’m so sick of being alone.”

“Oi.” Nate buries an elbow in her ribs. “What am I? A disco ball with two swaying sticks?”

Celeste snorts. “I didn’t mean alone, alone. I mean single. I want a cute boyfriend to cuddle with.”

“Sure.” Nate tears a piece of corn dog with his fingers and sticks it into his mouth. Through chews, he says, “I can relate to that.”

“Not that I know of,” Elijah finally gets a chance to reply. “I’m not so close to my family, other than when I’m forced to attend dinner. I normally zone out or keep my distance. Most of the royals are a bit snotty.”

“Dang,” Celeste gripes.

Scarcely thirty minutes later, I’m higher off the ground than I’ve ever been in my entire life.

The Ferris wheel rises slowly, the gentle hum of the machinery mingling with the distant laughter and music from the festival below. I peer down, my heart thundering inside my chest as I instantly realize my mistake. I take a deep breath—a little too audible for my liking—earning a curious look from Elijah.

“You’re afraid of heights?”

I swallow, forcing out a small, clipped response. “Yeah. Just as much a surprise to me as you.”

“You’ve never been this high before?” Elijah’s touch is warm, his thumb tracing slow, reassuring circles on the back of my hand.

I shake my head stiffly, squeezing out a “Nope.”

As we reach the top, the Ferris wheel pauses, revealing a world spread out beneath us like a tapestry of twinkling lights and vibrant colors. I glance at Elijah, and he’s already gazing at me with that familiar softness in his eyes. His look makes me feel cherished like I’m the only person in the world who matters.

“Look,” he says softly, pointing out at the horizon. The city is a sea of glittering lights, and for a moment, I forget my fear. The view is breathtaking, and I find myself mesmerized by the beauty of it all.

Elijah’s hand tightens around mine, and I turn back to him. “Thank you,” I whisper, my voice trembling.

“For what?” he asks, his eyes never leaving mine.

“For being here. For making this less terrifying.”

He smiles, his thumb still tracing those soothing circles. “But this was my idea, though,” he winks before moving in for a long, purposeful kiss. My hands move of their own accord, lifting up to the sides of his head, my fingers burrowing into his thick, wavy hair. I pull him closer, deepening the kiss. For a short moment, the world around us is a blur—and it is just me and him.

When we eventually break apart, he says, “A Ferris wheel kiss. Another cliché.”

I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder, unable to help the grin on my face. “I can see why people like to stick to clichés now.”

He stays silent for a few heartbeats before saying, “I still feel horrible for the way I’ve acted toward you.”

I raise my head to look at him again. “You already apologized.”

“Yeah.” He gives me an intent look. “But I don’t want to make you think this is normal.”

My brows furrow. I think about Mom and Dad and how they are with each other. “I can think of worse.”

Turns out that is not the best response.

He pulls away, sighing. “Look, that person you saw—that temper, understand that isn’t me.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t understand,” he continues. “I never act like that. I promised myself I’ll never be like my father.”

I blink.

“I don’t talk about it, but he can be a monster toward people. Especially my mother.”

“I’m sorry, Elijah,” my eyes narrow. “But I don’t get why—”

“I know I’m not making sense right now. One day, I hope I’ll get the chance to explain everything to you, to make sense of why it bothers me.” He closes his eyes for a moment before reopening them. “What I really want to say is that I’ve been dealing with other things outside of school and everything going on here, and it’s been affecting me.”

I hook my arm with his. In response, he folds his hand with mine as I say, “I’m here if you need to talk about it.”

He presses a slow, deliberate kiss to my lips. “I will. I just need a bit of time.”

I offer him a gentle smile. “I have time.”

“And again, it wasn’t cool for me to act like that. Despite everything. It’s not an excuse.” He pulls a face. “Next time, get your friends to kick my butt or something—I don’t know. But don’t let me be like that. Don’t let me get away with acting like that.”

My smile drops when I see the sadness reflecting in his beautiful eyes. “Something happened. What?”

“In time, I promise.” He lifts our entwined arms and, this time, places a kiss on my hand. Heat spreads across my body, and I shiver. But not because I’m cold.

“Okay,” I manage.

The Ferris wheel starts to move down again, sending a wave of panic through me. I inch tightly against Elijah, who folds me in underneath his arm and smirks. “I like this.”

I shoot him a half-scowl, half-smile. “This isn’t funny. I hate heights.”

He squeezes my shoulder. “I love heights. They make you climb on top of me.”

I peer down, realizing I’m practically sitting on top of him. I flush, attempting to shift back, but he cages me with his arms and holds me in place. “Oh no, you’re not going anywhere now.”

I snort. “Like I can.”

We fall back in a kiss, becoming so oblivious to the world around us that we don’t notice it’s our turn to get off until the ride conductor clears his throat and barks out, “You can get off now. Next group’s turn.”

As we tear apart and push up the protective bar, I notice everyone in the proximity staring. My cheeks grow even hotter, and I avert my gaze to the ground. Elijah, seemingly unbothered, says a polite thanks to the conductor, taking my hand and leading me toward our next destination. Which appears to be the balloon darts stand—but a commotion nearby stops us in our tracks.

“I said I want to get more!” It’s Ariah, her face pink as she screams at Nate. “You don’t get to decide whether it’s enough for me or not!”

Celeste glides in between them, holding up her half-eaten ball of bubblegum-pink cotton candy. It sounds like she says something along the lines of, “Calm down, okay?”

Ariah, to my surprise, shoves Celeste aside, bolting for Nate. One moment, Ariah is standing in front of him; the next, she’s on top of him, and he’s lying on the ground on his back. A dust cloud forms around them on impact, followed by an intake of breaths.

I can’t see what happens next, as one of the teachers—not sure what her name is or what class she teaches—intervenes. Ariah shouts something unintelligible at the teacher, then storms off.

“Come on.” I tug on Elijah’s hand, nodding toward Nate. Elijah follows without a word.

I stop beside Nate just as he gets up, muttering curses under his breath as he dusts himself off.

“I don’t think that’s PMS,” Celeste echoes, her eyes wide. “There’s something really wrong with her.”

“You don’t say?” Nate snaps, noticing me and Elijah. He pins his gaze on me. “Humphrey is supposed to be back tonight.”

I nod in confirmation. “We should go talk to her.”

Celeste looks confused for a moment, then she says, “That sounds like an idea.”

Elijah stares past us in the direction where Ariah disappeared to. “She’s going for the woods.”

Nate tenses, his eyes flicking back to mine. We both utter a curse.

“What?” Celeste asks.

“She can’t go there,” Nate’s head snaps in the direction of the woods. “We need to go get her. Like, an hour ago!”

He doesn’t wait, darting off after her. I peer at Elijah, then Celeste, who affirms what I was considering, “Yeah. Let’s go get her. Nate’s visions—I don’t know.”

We sprint after Ariah, our feet pounding against the grassy expanse. The laughter and music fade into the background, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the sound of our labored breathing.

Nate has already disappeared into the tree line when we catch up. I glance at Elijah, whose jaw is set with determination. Celeste is right behind us, her face ashy and riddled with concern.

As we enter the woods, the canopy overhead swallows the light, and the air turns cool and damp. I can barely see the path ahead, but I hear Nate’s footsteps crashing through the underbrush.

“Ariah!” I call out, my voice echoing through the trees. “Where are you?”

There’s no response, of course.

Elijah grabs my hand, his grip firm. “Stay close,” he murmurs.

We weave through the trees, the branches scratching at our arms and faces. Panic starts to set in, and I begin to think the suffocating stretch of plant matter will never end, but it does.

We burst into a small clearing. Nate is there, bent over and panting, but there’s no sign of Ariah. “She was here,” he says in breaks of short breaths, pointing to a faint trail of broken branches and trampled grass.

Elijah tightens his grip on my hand. “We need to split up. We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“No way,” I protest. “We stick together. It’s too easy to get lost out here.”

Celeste moves out from behind us, her voice steady despite her obvious worry. “I agree. We stay together. Let’s follow the trail.”

Nate nods, and we move alongside each other, following the path Ariah left behind. The woods are eerily silent; the only sound is the crunch of leaves beneath our feet.

Suddenly, we hear a faint sobbing. My heart leaps into my throat. “Ariah?” I call out again, straining to see through the darkness.

We push forward, and we eventually spot her. Ariah is sitting on the ground, her back against a tree, hugging her knees to her chest. She looks up as we approach, her face streaked with tears.

“Ariah,” I say softly, kneeling beside her. I notice there is something off about her eyes. I can’t place what—maybe it’s the reflection of the darkness of the woods making them look all wrong. “What’s going on? Why did you run?”

She shakes her head, unable to speak through her sobs. Nate crouches down on her other side, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. “You can’t just take off like that. You scared the hell out of us.”

Elijah and Celeste stand a little apart, giving us space. I reach out and gently touch Ariah’s arm. “What’s going on?”

Ariah takes a shuddering breath. “I…I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I…I felt like I was going to explode.”

Nate frowns. “Seriously, girl, what’s up with you? You’re really starting to stress us out over here.”

Ariah sucks in a shaking breath, a low rumbling growl sounding from her chest. “Something is—” She lets out a cry, clutching her head like she’s trying to hold something inside. Her breathing is ragged, and her usually bright eyes peer up, and I realize that I didn’t imagine it.

They are completely off.

Way off.

They are dark—as in pitch black, clouded with something I don’t recognize nor could name.

“Hailey… I don’t—” Her voice is strained like she’s trying to hold back a scream. I reach out, but before I can touch her, she shoots up for a brief second, then drops back onto her knees, gasping. Her body starts to convulse, and I freeze, peering at my friends and Elijah for help.

“Ari?” Nate echoes, his eyes as wide as mine. He jerks his head, peering at Elijah. “We need to get help.”

I don’t hear Elijah’s response. I’m too focused on Ariah.

Her skin starts to ripple, her muscles shifting under her pale skin as if something beneath is trying to break free. She lets out a guttural cry, and I watch in horror as her nails lengthen into claws, her teeth sharpening into fangs. But this isn’t just a werewolf transformation—there’s something more, something darker happening.

Black veins spread across her skin, pulsing like they were alive. Her eyes snap open, this time glowing with a deep, blood-red, infused with a mix of hunger and pain. Her scream turns into a snarl, and her body jerks violently as fur begins to sprout from her skin, dark and thick. Her bones crack and realign, her face elongating into a snarling wolf’s muzzle, yet there’s still something unmistakably human—and terrifyingly not.

I stumble back, my breath catching in my throat. The wolf-like form she’s becoming is massive and powerful, but there’s a sinister elegance to it, a predator’s grace mixed with a deadly allure.

Her movements are fluid yet animalistic, her gaze locked on me with an intensity that sends a chill down my spine.

A hand shoots out and shoves me back. I scowl at Elijah as he looks at me with a mortified expression. “Hailey, you all need to run. Now.”

“Why is her eyes red?” Celeste’s voice squeaks.

“Get the hell out of here!” Elijah shouts, his face reddening. “Why are you just standing there?”

“My vision,” Nate chokes out. His eyes flick to Elijah. “You know what’s going on.”

Elijah’s face softens for a fraction of a moment. “She’s turning half vampire.”

“Hybrid?” Nate manages. “That’s impossible. Vampire bites—”

“Look, there’s no time for this crap.” Elijah flinches as Ariah lets out a disturbing, gurgling growl. “Nate, get them back to Humphrey and tell her what’s happening. Hurry!”

“Ari—” I whisper, but I don’t think she can hear me anymore. The creature she’s become is something out of a nightmare, a twisted hybrid of werewolf and vampire, and I can’t tell if there’s any part of my friend left inside.

She lets out a roar that shakes the trees around us, and I know I have to run, but I can’t move. I’m rooted to the spot despite Elijah’s warning. When my eyes manage to shift toward the others, they seem to have the same trouble, too.

Ariah’s red, vicious eyes turn onto me. It seems like time suddenly starts to move slower. The intake of her breath, a low, rumbling growl emanating from her chest. Her massive paws gradually lift one by one as she inches closer.

A loud crack sounds, and she leaps straight for me.

Chapter 26

My breath catches in my throat, and I can’t tear my gaze away from Ariah as her claws extend, and I brace myself for the impact, knowing there is no way I can outrun her.

But before she makes it to me, a blur of motion sweeps in from the side. Elijah, in his wolf form, collides with Ariah mid-leap, sending both of them tumbling to the ground in a tangle of fur and snarling jaws. The force of their clash shakes the earth beneath my feet, and I stumble backward.

“Elijah!” I scream, my voice faintly audible over the growls and snaps of the two wolves locked in combat.

Nate grabs my arm. “I saw this. This was in my vision!”

My eyes shift to him. “We should stay out of the woods. Was this it?”

“Sort of. There’s more. So much more. We need to get the hell out of here.” He swallows, then sucks in a breath, unveiling, “I saw Ariah dying. I saw—”

“Nate.” Celeste draws closer, her eyes still on Elijah and Ariah. “How do we undo this?”

“I need to get out of here.” He glances at the two fighting wolves, then back at me. “Hailey, you need to get Elijah away from Ariah.”

“Why can’t you help if you know how it’s going to happen?” Celeste snaps at him. “You saw it. You’re the psychic one. Do something!”

“In my vision, I did.” Nate makes a slight retreat from us. “I died.”

“Then what the hell are you still doing here?” Celeste sucks in a sob as she closes in on him, shoving him away from the fight. “Get the hell away! Go!”

Nate hesitates, his eyes flicking to mine. “It’s so worth it.” He offers me a slight smile before, out of nowhere, shoving me out of the way right on cue as a massive paw swing through the air right where I stood a moment before.

Right where Nate now stands.

Ariah’s wolf—unbelievably fast—lashes out with a powerful swipe, knocking him off his feet. Nate crashes into a tree with a sickening thud, crumpling to the ground in a heap.

“Nate!” Celeste screams, rushing to his side.

I freeze up, staring in abject horror at my friend’s limp body lying flat on the ground, blanketed with dried leaves. The realization sinks in—he knew this was going to happen. He knew it should have been me knocked against that tree.

He still sacrificed himself to save me.

A low, unrecognizable sound escapes my throat as I manage to force my legs to move toward my friends. I lower myself beside Nate onto the ground, the sound of the fight fading into the back of my mind.

The fear I felt a heartbeat earlier is gone. Because surely, there is nothing worse that can happen to me than losing someone I love.

And in that moment, I realize how much I love my friends. They’re the family and support system I’ve never had.

I can’t lose any of them.

I. Just… Can’t.

I suck in a sob, struggling to catch my breath.

No.

My hand lifts, hesitating halfway, unsure of what I’m about to do next.

“He’s still breathing.” Celeste holds onto him. Her eyes meet mine, desperate. “Hailey, we need to get him help. We need to get Ariah help.”

I fail to open my mouth and say what I want, which is to point out that Elijah needs help, too. Instead, I nod faster than normal. I look at Nate ever so briefly and note there are no physical injuries. None that I can see, at least.

But he is unconscious—so that’s obviously not a good sign.

“He’s breathing,” I repeat out loud to myself. I push up to my feet, turning to glance at Elijah, having the upper hand against Ariah, pinning her to the ground. “I need to get—I’m getting help.”

“Hurry!” Celeste cries.

I advance in the direction of the clearing, only to freeze again in my tracks the second my eyes collide with Elijah’s. My heart drops into my stomach. His eyes—which are known for their breathtakingly stunning yet comforting hue of butterscotch—are now an unearthly shade of crimson.

Just like Ariah’s.

However, despite their startling appearance, there is an apology behind them. And sure enough, before I can do or say anything, my thoughts are backed with Elijah’s voice infiltrating my mind with an, “I’m sorry, Hails.”

I suck in a startled breath. I’m not sure if this is a common thing werewolves can do or if it’s merely an Elijah-only ability. Goodness knows, I still have so much to learn about this world.

“Go. Get Humphrey!” he continues to shout in my thoughts.

It’s the oddest sensation. With his voice comes a strange, tingling sensation. It is both soothing and also alarming at the same time.

“Hailey, come on! What are you waiting for?” Celeste cries out.

My legs immediately break into a run, my heart loud in my ears, as I bolt through the forest as fast as I can. Though I scarcely make it a few feet through the thick, clumpy underbrush when a figure appears in front of me. A pale hand shoots out, grabbing hold of my shoulders and stopping me dead in my tracks.

A low hiss escapes me. “Luca now is not a good time. I need to get Mrs. Humphrey. I need to—”

“They’re vampires!” he cuts me off. “They’re turning into vampires.”

“You don’t say,” I bite out, unable to hold back the sarcasm.

“Dean—” he pauses. “Wait, how do you know?”

“That’s why I need to get to Mrs. Humphrey. Can you—let go of me?” I shove his hands off my shoulders. I try to sidestep him, but he stops me again by grabbing my arm.

“They’re turning into—” he frowns. “I don’t get it. Vampire bites are deadly to our kind.”

“Now is not the time, Luca!” I scream at him. I try to pull my arm from his grasp, but he doesn’t let go. “My friends are in danger, damn it!”

A horrible, unearthly howl sounds from where I left Elijah and my friends.

Luca lets go of me, his face pale. “What—” He doesn’t finish what he is about to say, his eyes widening at the cluster of plant matter as if he can see something I can’t. Instead, he spits out a slew of colorful curses.

“I’m going. Whatever you do, don’t—” Before I can finish, Luca’s gaze flicks behind me, and his expression turns from panic to horror. “Run!” he yells, but it’s too late.

Elijah, still in his massive wolf form, barrels out of the trees and tackles Luca to the ground with a force that knocks the breath out of me. The two of them crash to the ground, and in a flash, Elijah’s form shifts, fur giving way to skin as he slowly transforms back into a human, pinning Luca down with deadly intensity.

“Stay. Away. From. My. Girlfriend,” Elijah snarls, his voice low and dangerous, his eyes still glowing with that unsettling crimson hue.

Luca glares up at him, struggling against Elijah’s grip. “I was helping her, you psycho!” he snaps back, his voice trembling with both anger and fear.

Elijah leans in closer, his face inches from Luca’s. “I can protect her myself,” he growls, his voice filled with a possessive fury that sends a chill down my spine.

“Seriously?” I snap. “You need to do this now?”

Elijah’s gaze flicks to me, and for a moment, I see a flicker of something—regret, maybe—before his expression hardens again. But he loosens his grip on Luca, who immediately scrambles away, his eyes still fixed warily on Elijah.

Luca stumbles to his feet, breathing heavily, and he throws a glare at Elijah before turning to me. “Hailey, he’s not who you think he is. He’s lying to you.”

“No, really, Sherlock? You don’t say,” I snarl while shooting Elijah an angry look. “I figured that out at the same time my best friend tried to kill us.”

“Hails—”

I lift my hand, pointing a finger at Elijah. “I don’t have time for this right now. Where’s Ariah?”

“She’s ah—taking a nap. She’s fine.”

“Define by fine,” I glare at him. I notice I am shaking. Whether it is from fear or anger, I’m not too sure. I lift my hands, covering as much of my bare, cold arms as I can. I promise myself in that moment, that it will be the last time I’m borrowing clothes from Celeste.

Sure, it may be pretty, but comfort has always been the winner. I can go a long way with a T-shirt and some sweats. Okay, might as well throw in a hoodie, too.

Elijah sucks in a deep breath. “I tied her up with chains. She won’t be going anywhere or attacking anyone anytime soon.”

“Chains?” I sputter out in disbelief. “That you got from where? And you left her like that?”

He lifts a hand, wriggling his fingers. “Werewolf magic.”

Great. Besides the fact that he’s been hiding a big secret from me, I have no idea he can do that. I know he can do magic—like Ariah. Basic stuff. I start to wonder if it’s a ‘me’ problem or if I just haven’t been asking the right questions. Then, I shake my head. No. He should have told me these things. “Do I even know you?”

Luca lets out a snort. “Exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

Elijah ignores him. “I promised I would tell you everything at the right time. I simply didn’t think—I didn’t expect this to happen. For you to find out like this.”

“Whatever. I don’t have time for this.” I turn away. “I have to go get Mrs. Humphrey. Nate…” I shake my head, shouting over my shoulder. “I can’t believe you tied Ariah up like that and left her.”

“I had no choice. She’s a danger to everyone and to herself.” Elijah makes a move toward me, and I jerk away from him. “Imagine her waking up tomorrow morning and being informed that she is half vampire and responsible for the deaths of her friends.”

I pause. “You’re half vampire?”

“I promise I’ll tell you everything,” he insists. “Ariah and Nate are still breathing. But both of them will need care, and soon.”

And here I am, wasting my time conversing with him.

What is wrong with me?“I have to go.”

I gesture with my head, shooting Luca a warning look. I’m not sure why I feel the need to, but I have a feeling the moment I’m out of sight, he might pick a fight with Elijah.

I make a turn and hurry through the expanse from the way we came before when we chased after Nate and Ariah to track them. I start to have my doubts at first, not sure if I am going in the right direction. I stop for a second, my breathing heavy and labored, straining my ears to listen for the noise coming from the festival.

Yes. This is the right way. I don’t hesitate any longer and fall into a sprint as fast as my legs will carry me.

A large branch slaps me in the face, slicing into my cheek. I flinch, raising my hand to cover my cheek. I don’t stop running. As I reach the edge of the woods, the lights of the festival peek through the shrubbery of plants, and relief washes over me. I spot Mrs. Humphrey from where I stand, opening my mouth to shout for her.

But before I can exhale, something slams over my mouth, cutting off my breath and yanking me backward into the woods.

I thrash, kicking wildly as I’m dragged deeper into the shadows, the trees blurring by at an unnerving speed. Panic surges through me, but I force my hands up, clawing at the iron grip over my face.

It’s like trying to peel away stone—unmovable, relentless.

My strength starts to fade, my body slumping in defeat.

They haul me through a tangled mess of branches and plants, every scrape burning my skin. Then, suddenly, they stop.

For a second, everything is still.

Then, instinct kicks in, reigniting the fight. I lift my trembling hands, desperate to pry off the fingers suffocating me.

This time, they release me.

I stagger forward, barely catching myself, before crashing into the mud and leaves. I whirl around, heart pounding, as a cold, hollow laugh slice through the silence.

I know that voice—chilling, familiar. My gaze locks on the figure.

The vampire who attacked Ariah.

Cloaked in shadows, he stands before me, his face half-hidden beneath his hood. What little I can see—the thin, blood-red lips twisted into a grin, fangs gleaming in the dim light—sends a shiver down my spine.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment—to get you alone.”

“What do you want from me?” I ask, my breath ragged.

“Well,” he clasps his long, bony fingers together and takes a slow, deliberate stride toward me. “You’re the one I’ve wanted from the beginning. But my master has… other plans for you.”

“M-Master?” I stammer, hating how weak I sound.

“Yes,” he smirks. “I’ve been telling the master that we should skip the army and go straight for the real weapons.”

“I don’t follow.” I cross my arms, shivering from the cold.

“All great plans should remain a secret until they’re fulfilled,” he says, voice laced with amusement. “You should feel honored. You’re the centerpiece of the master plan.”

I shake my head, irritation rising. “Could you maybe get to the point, or are you just going to keep talking in circles without actually answering my questions?”

The vampire throws back his head and laughs, his hood shifting only enough for me to catch a glimpse of his crimson eyes—exactly like Ariah’s and Elijah’s. My gut twists.

“Why attack my friends if I’m so important?” I snap.

“Friends?” His laughter cuts off abruptly. “I only had permission to turn the girl.”

“Her name is Ariah,” I bite out.

“Yes. She was quite… delicious.” He licks his lips. “It was hard not to feast on her completely, but I had to honor the master.”

“Who’s the master?” I ask.

“That, I can’t tell you.”

“Like you’ve told me anything useful so far,” I shoot back. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Well, that depends on how you respond to the master’s plan.”

Frustration bubbles inside me. How is it possible to be this annoyed in the presence of danger? “Elaborate. Are you going to kill me?”

“Oh no, dear girl. You’re far too important to us for that. We need you. And after tonight, you’ll need us.”

A branch snaps to my left, and I whip my head around, hope flaring in my chest. Perchance Elijah or Luca noticed something was wrong. But my hope dies as quickly as it rises when I spot a deer bolting from behind the bushes.

“You see,” the vampire continues. “I’m going to make you a hybrid. Like that friend of yours. And like my associate did with your ever-so-loyal boyfriend.”

I stare at him, managing to ask, “Why?”

“Despite what your school teaches, vampires are the superior race on this pathetic, human-infested planet,” he says, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Well, you need to go back to school because your explanations are awful,” I retort, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

His expression darkens. “You don’t understand. This world needs a higher race to rule. A race that can shape it into something greater.”

“So what does that have to do with me?”

“Everything.” He floats closer, and I instinctively step back. “Your goddess Diana chose a select few to be her greatest warriors and leaders. You bear the mark. That makes you powerful already. Imagine what you could become as a hybrid. The possibilities are… endless.”

“And what exactly do you expect me to do once I’m a hybrid?” My eyes dart around, searching for an escape route. Not that I’ll get far, considering how fast he dragged me here to begin with.

“That,” he says with a chilling grin, “is another secret. But I promise you will be powerful. And you will be rewarded greatly.”

“Great,” I mutter, adding with sarcasm, “sounds so promising.”

“Doesn’t it?” He presses a finger to his lips, then lets it fall to his side. “Tell me, when was the last time your family reached out to you?”

My jaw tightens. “That’s none of your business.”

“Humans tend to write off their offspring once the moon calls them, don’t they?”

I swallow, my mind racing. A fist-sized rock lies near my feet. Will it even hurt him? Can I buy enough time to run?

I need to keep him talking long enough for a chance—or someone—to come. Because I’m not bargaining on luck tonight.

Chapter 27

“What if I told you I don’t want to be part of your stupid plan?”

The vampire tenses, his smug expression slipping. “Well, you don’t have much of a choice, child. Whether you want to or not, you’re going to be turned and become one of the master’s most powerful soldiers.”

“No.” It’s a short, simple answer.

“No?” he snorts, then emits a prolonged sigh. “Not that what you want matters. The master has chosen you.”

I fix him with a hostile gaze, inching closer to the rock. The chances of getting away diminish with each step. He’s moving with me, poised to grab hold of me if I attempt to to run.

I’m pretty convinced my plan will fail, but I sure as heck won’t go down without a fight.

“Dear, hopeless girl,” he croons in a low, raspy tone. “Are you thinking that you can outrun me?”

“No,” I retort. “There’s something stuck in my shoe.”

A resonant cackle springs from him. “Ah, the simple nuisances of life. Never mind that—small things won’t bother you once you turn.”

“Awesome,” I mutter, thinking of Ariah and Elijah’s moods. I can’t help but disagree with that statement.

“That is if you survive the bite,” he exhales. “Unfortunately, as you know, vampire bites are lethal to your kind. We’ve found a workaround, but it doesn’t always work.”

“I could die,” I reflect.

“Yes. That’s a possibility, I’m afraid.”

“And you’re willing to take that risk?” I demand. “Maybe if you tell me your grand scheme, I might help you. You know, without you needing to turn me.”

He considers this, his eyes flicking toward the canopy of leaves overhead. This gives me the ideal opening to bend down and snatch up the rock. But as I vault upright, he’s suddenly right beside me.

“You think a tiny rock will kill me?” he barks with a laugh, making no effort to take it from me.

With my heart sinking, I reply, “No. I know it won’t.”

“Then what are you—”

Turns out vampires aren’t as fast as I thought—or perhaps this one is too arrogant and stupid. Either way, I’m able to lift the rock and smash it into his face. A sickening crunch resounds, and I let go of the rock, watching it thud onto the dried leaves beside my feet.

This is when I take off—running for my life.

Instead of trekking toward the festival, I veer in the direction of where we left Ariah instead. It’s not ideal, but I hope by now the others have gotten help. Plus, it’s much closer.

I don’t make it far.

Only a few feet before I get grabbed by my hair then yanked back and slammed face-first into the ground.

This time, I don’t block my fall fast enough and get rewarded with a mouthful of dry, earth-tasting leaves.

“Now that was truly and awfully rude,” the vampire hisses over me. Spitting out leaves, I try to push myself up, but he presses me down with a boot on the hollow of my back.

“I’m not going to do anything for you!” I manage through gritted teeth. “You’re wasting your time!”

“Oh, I’m certain you’ll work with me and the master—with a little… persuasion.” He moves my hair aside, exposing my neck. As I angle my face to the side, I gag, immediately twisting away from the rancid stench of his breath.

Despite everything, the worst is the cold feel of his breath on my bare neck. “Yeah? Well, good luck. There isn’t much—”

He yanks hard on my hair again, wrenching a moan of pain from me.

“Oh? I bet you would do anything to protect those lovely little friends of yours.”

Tears blur my vision, and I struggle not to focus on the burning pain at the base of my skull. “Leave them out of this!”

“Yes. I knew it.” He lowers his face, mere inches from biting me. Though it will take scarce seconds for him to do that. It’s obvious the jerk is just toying with me. “And there are plenty of them to go around.”

I scream—a last, desperate resort.

“It’s already too late for anyone to help you, even if they try,” he sneers. “I’ll be—”

Suddenly, the vampire is torn off from me, followed by a wet, ripping sound. I try to move, but an unseen force keeps me anchored in place. Dread intensifies, twisting in my gut, and I have no idea what’s happening behind me.

There’s a gurgling sound—then silence.

All at once, the weight anchoring me fades away. I bolt to my feet, nearly losing my balance, as I turn to witness a stomach-churning sight ahead of me.

The vampire is definitely dead.

His decapitated head is a pretty clear indicator.

And unless he can magically reattach it, he’s not coming back.

Oddly enough, that’s not the worst part. What really makes my stomach churn is when I look up and meet Elijah’s wolfish red eyes. His lush golden fur is matted with blood and chunks of vampire matter. His snout is drawn back in a vicious snarl, exposing fangs much longer than any regular werewolf’s.

Elijah inches forward, sniffing the vampire’s head. His nose twitches, and he sneezes before looking at me again.

In my mind, his voice says, “Are you okay?”

I let out a disbelieving huff. “Do I look okay?”

He flinches, recoiling a bit. “Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” I say, my shoulders slumping. “You meant well. I’m okay, physically, I guess.”

“Did he… bite you?”

I shake my head. “No. He wanted to.”

“Good.” Elijah’s wolf starts to contort into an odd form; the sound of bones cracking and squishing follows before human Elijah appears before me. “This is weird.”

I frown. “Which part? Because I can come up with a few things that are out of the ordinary here.”

“I heard you.”

“I screamed.” At least, I think I did.

“No, you didn’t.” He moves to my side. “I thought you were getting Humphrey.”

“Well, I was on my way to get her when the vampire grabbed me out of nowhere.”

“I heard… I heard a faint voice telling me to ‘go help her.’” His brows knit together. “And somehow, I just knew where to run to.”

“Oh. That is weird.”

Elijah regards me for a moment, his eyes back in their usual shade of caramel. He lifts a hand, reaching for my hair sticking to the side of my face, but I recoil. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re covered in blood,” I say pointedly. That, and the fact that I’ve come to the realization that I don’t want him to touch me. Largely because I’m both angry and disappointed that he’s been lying to me. Even if he just saved my life.

“Oh. Sorry.” He drops his hand by his side. Shouts carry through the woods, and I can hear voices nearby talking. One I recognize as Celeste’s, and another is Mrs. Humphrey. Elijah lets out a breathy sigh. “Looks like we’ve finally gotten help.”

“We should go see if they need help.” I don’t wait for Elijah’s response, immediately making my way toward where the noise is coming from. My heart is in my ears, and I am struggling to process everything that just happened.

Elijah falls into step beside me. The look he gives me is rife with concern. “I’m really worried about you.”

“Are you?” I can’t help the bitterness in my tone. “You lied about so much.”

He lets out a breath. “When this is sorted, I promise I will tell you everything.”

I shoot him a doubtful look.

“Tonight. I promise.” He remains quiet for a few feet forward, then says, “You don’t look okay.”

I suck in what may be a mix of a sob and a hiss of frustration. It comes out in an odd-sounding growl. I want to cry and scream at the same time. Without giving it further thought, I reach out for his hand and weave my fingers with his. I inch closer to his side, not caring if I get blood on me.

His touch alone makes everything I feel a good deal less alarming. “I’ll be okay.”

But don’t get me wrong; I am still angry at him.

He nods, not pushing it further. We make it to the clearing, finding Celeste, Mrs. Humphrey, Mr. Len, and five guards surrounding a snarling Ariah. She’s bound with chains, her fury directed at Mrs. Humphrey.

Celeste turns, then crouches down beside Nate, wiping his forehead with her hand. A calm look is on her face when she looks up at us and cracks a smile. “He fainted. He’s okay.”

I can’t help but let out a chuckle. “Are you serious?” I peer at Ariah, my smile dropping. “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’ll be quite fine. Once she’s gotten in some proper rest,” quips Mrs. Humphrey. She twists around, her face morphing into a frown when she sees the state of Elijah and me. “What on earth happened to you two?”

“There’s a dead, headless vampire over there.” Elijah nods in the direction from which we came. “It tried to hurt Hailey.”

“More like kill me,” I say. “Or turn me into—”

“Well, what do you know,” Mrs. Humphrey says in a sudden, too-high-pitched tone. She waves a hand at the guards. “Take care of the girl. I have a few things to tend to.”

Elijah looks at me, shaking his head. He leans toward me, then whispers, “Don’t talk about it now.”

It’s my turn to frown. “Why?”

“It’s one of the things we need to talk about. But not now.”

“I don’t—”

“Hails, this not only puts me at risk, but Ariah too. Just don’t, please.”

This gets me to shut up. I nod. “Okay. But you’d better explain.”

“Come on, you two.” The headmistress is suddenly right next to us, conjuring a portal. “I’d like to have a word with you in my office.”

Elijah signals to the portal, looking at me. “Ladies first.”

I sigh, step into the portal, and then walk straight into Mrs. Humphrey’s quiet office. When I turn around, only Mrs. Humphrey appears through the portal before it vanishes.

She points at a chair by her desk. “Sit down. You look like you’re about to faint.”

I sit. “Where’s Elijah?”

“I asked him to take Mr. Quinnell to the nurse,” she explains.

“Will Nate be okay? Celeste said he fainted.”

“Yes. Mr. Quinnell is a known fainter. He’ll be fine.”

“What about Ariah? Is she part vampire now? What happens now? Will she—”

“Deep breaths, Miss Woods. Your friends are all doing just fine.” She picks up a small, steaming kettle situated at the edge of her desk. “Would you like some tea? It’s chamomile-infused. Great for calming down nerves and soothing the senses.”

“No. Thanks.”

Mrs. Humphrey shrugs, then pours some into a small porcelain cup decorated with pictures of different kinds of insects. “Your friend, Miss Winter, is becoming part vampire. A hybrid, to be specific.”

“You know?” I raise my brows.

“I’ve known for a while, yes.”

“What?” I sit forward. “And you mention this only now?”

“Miss Woods. You’re new to this world. And, they haven’t covered vampires in history class yet, but it is common knowledge that a vampire’s bite—”

“Is lethal to a werewolf. Yeah, I already know that.”

“Oh?” she arches her brow. “Then are you aware that it is not only unheard of. Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“Mostly. Because in our world, it is, as humans say—illegal.”

“Wait, but… why?”

“As our history claims,” Mrs. Humphrey takes a sip of her tea before she places the cup down on her desk. “The rare few who were turned were monsters.”

“But Elijah—”

“Yes. He’s indeed a hybrid.” She falls into her seat. “Did he tell you?”

“No,” I bit out bitterly. “I just found out when he chased after Ariah and killed that vampire. His eyes were the same as Ariah’s.”

“Good,” she nods approvingly. “I told him not to tell anyone about it. Including you.”

“Is that why he lied to me?” I can’t help but still feel a sense of betrayal. Did he trust Mrs. Humphrey over me?

“He puts every person in danger who is aware of that fact. He was protecting you.”

I blink. “Oh.”

“You see, simply based on Mr. Ledger’s behavior, I’m sure you can tell that being a hybrid doesn’t make you a monster. Not if it’s under control.”

I manage a nod. “I don’t get why it’s illegal, then?”

“In accordance with werewolf laws, being part vampire is considered corrupted. Besides the assumption that it turns you into a vicious beast. But we both know now it’s not the case.”

“Ariah certainly seemed…” I suck in a breath, pushing out, “Vicious.”

“Yes. When they first turn, they do get a little bit unstable with the changes in their bodies. But, after that, it’s easier to manage.”

“How?”

“Potions have always been my go-to for solving a lot of my problems.”

“Of course,” I sit back. “The silver stuff that Elijah has been drinking.”

Mrs. Humphrey’s lips turn down. “Mr. Ledger seems to be terrible at keeping a secret on which his life depends on.”

“Oh, no.” I shake my head. “He didn’t tell me. I kind of found out. He doesn’t even know I know.”

“I see.” The headmistress takes another sip of tea. “You’d best keep all your knowledge to yourself.”

“Why?”

“Because if the wrong people find out, it can cost Mr. Ledger and Miss Winter their lives. Yours too, merely for association.”

Chapter 28

“Miss Woods.” Mrs. Humphrey sits forward in her seat, wrapping both hands around her teacup and staring intently at me. “What I tell you in this office tonight is crucial. If this information slips into the wrong ears, it can cost a lot of lives. I’m certain you don’t want anything to happen to Mr. Ledger or your friends, do you?”

I give a brisk nod, then frown. “Aren’t you supposed to stick to the rules, though? Why are you protecting them?”

“Nothing means more to me than my students in this academy. They will always come first. Always.” She provides me with a telling expression. “Yes. What I’m doing is against our law. But I’m working on something that will prove to the world that hybrids can coexist peacefully in our world.”

“Does this include vampires?”

Her lips thins into a tight line. “There has always been a war between our kind and theirs. That’s probably going to be the hardest part to deal with in this whole situation.”

“But aren’t they evil?” I ask. “From what I understand so far, they can’t control themselves. They are bloodthirsty and basically just kill everyone. Unless I misunderstand them like I did with our kind.”

Mrs. Humphrey cracks a smile, signaling approval. “I’m relieved to see you’ve finally accepted that you are one of us now.”

I offer a soft smile. “Having good people as friends here definitely helped change my mind.”

“It certainly does.” She takes a long, exaggerated sip of her tea. When she lowers her cup, she continues, “The thing is, while I’m working on gaining acceptance for hybrids in our community, preventing unnecessary deaths, and hopefully changing the laws, this all needs to be kept quiet. If someone finds out while the laws remain as they are, the aftermath could be devastating.”

I nod in understanding. “Anyone involved will be killed.”

“Exactly.” She lifts a hand and gestures at me. “You are free to read up on these laws in the library yourself and see what the punishments are. You’re not going to like it.”

“So, now what happens with Ariah? She’s not exactly in control?” I point out. “And what about everyone who saw what happened?”

“I will be having a word with your friends, too. I’m sure, like you, they would want to protect one another.”

“Are the guards in on it?” I inquire.

“No. But they think she’s on drugs. They are none the wiser about the situation. We had best keep it that way.”

My brows furrow. “I think Luca—” I shake my head. “I mean, Lucian knows, too.”

“I will have a word with him.”

“I don’t think he has got anything to lose by ratting us out.”

“Rest assured, it will be taken care of,” Mrs. Humphrey reassures. “He won’t be a problem.”

I’m not sure if I can believe that, but there isn’t much else I can do about it. “Okay.”

“Miss Winter will be staying at a special place until she has gotten herself under control. She will come back once she is ready.”

“How long will it take?”

“It depends on the person.” She pushes to her feet as the office door swings open, and a guard appears.

“All has been taken care of, headmistress,” he grunts out.

“Good.” She signals toward me. “Would you be so kind as to escort Miss Woods to her room?”

I rise from my chair. “I kind of want to talk to Elijah.”

To my surprise, she inclines her head. “Once he comes to see me, I’ll inform him of that. I’m sure you have a lot to discuss.”

I turn for the door.

Mrs. Humphrey clears her throat. “You’ll have thirty minutes to talk. I’ll have a guard stationed at your door to check on you. Conversing with boys alone in your rooms is against the rules, Miss Woods.”

I can’t help but let out a snort. “Right.”

The guard escorts me to my room. Along the way, I notice that little by little, students are turning in for the night, everyone exhausted from the excitement of the festival. Most students carry an array of goodies they’ve collected or won, and I can’t help but feel a jab of envy.

I guess there’s always next year.

The guard leaves as soon as I slip into my room, closing the door and pulling the locks into place. An eerie silence stretches across the space, and the room suddenly feels too large for me.

I swallow, thinking about Ariah and how terrifying she looked—how close she came to killing us.

I have no idea how Mrs. Humphrey is going to help her, but I have no other choice but to leave my hopes of the old Ariah coming back into her hands. After all, she helped Elijah. Now, it also makes sense why Elijah had those weird mood swings.

I sigh, flopping down onto my bed. My mind briefly wanders to the ghosts of this academy, the key that is yet to be tracked and goes as far as wondering how my parents are doing. I am stuck deep in my thoughts when a knock sounds at my door. I jump up so fast that a sudden wave of dizziness slams into me.

I stand still for a second, muttering a slew of inappropriate words until it disappears. The knock comes again. “I’m coming!” I call out, making it to the door and unlocking it. When I pull open the door, Elijah stands there, looking depleted, with a guard stationed behind him.

“Hey. Humphrey said you’re looking for me?”

I shoot a questioning look at the guard, who seems to be focused on staring down the hall rather than at us. I wave Elijah in. “Yeah. Come in.”

I close the door behind us, redirecting my attention to him. He is standing by the window beside my bed, peering outside. “It’s sad that you had to miss out on all the fun stuff.”

I shrug, repeating what I told myself earlier, “There’s always next year.”

He lifts his gaze, offering me a slight grin. “Yeah, I suppose.”

I cross my arms to my chest. “You said you would explain everything. Tonight. I’m listening.”

“Humphrey says she informed you of some of it,” he sighs.

“Just her plans and that you’re a hybrid.”

“Did she tell you the part that no one is supposed to know about it?”

I nod. “Yeah. And the dangers of what happens if anyone finds out.”

“Good.” He walks over to my bed and sits down. He pats the spot beside him. “Would you please come and sit?”

I peer over at the door before making it to my bed and dropping down beside him. In spite of my frustration with him, it feels welcoming when he wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer.

“It started when I was sent to Nightfall prison. When I was falsely accused of attacking Katie and Lila,” he starts. “It was on the second night I was locked up that a cloaked stranger showed up in my cell—hell knows how he got in. But he grabbed me and bit me. He did something to me—I couldn’t move. It was like I was tied up, but there were no ropes or chains binding me.”

“I know what you’re talking about,” I say. “It happened to me when that vampire got me in the woods. There was a moment I couldn’t move at all.”

“Yes,” he looks at me. “Some type of magic. Anyway, as I was incapacitated, the cloaked person cut their hand and stuck the wound to my lips. They let the blood flow into my mouth.”

“You couldn’t stop it.” It isn’t a question. I know from what happened to me and how helpless I felt. That there isn’t a single thing he could have done about it.

“No, I couldn’t. As much as I wanted to.” He shakes his head. “I’m not sure what happened next. But I woke up on the floor of my cell. I checked my neck where I was bitten, and there wasn’t anything there. I started to think I had dreamed it. That it never happened. So, I just carried on like nothing happened.”

I lean closer, listening intently.

“But I started acting weird. Always hungry but never full. I was having nightmares—I wasn’t… okay.” He releases a trembling sigh. “I tried biting one of the guards when I eventually returned to school. I was sent to Humphrey, and she informed me of what was happening to me. She offered me a box of potions, instructing me to drink one every twenty-four hours to manage the change. It was definitely working, but not entirely.”

“Your moods,” I point out.

“Yeah. They were intense. I’m sorry, Hails.”

“It’s okay. I understand better now.” I peer at him. “I just don’t get why you couldn’t trust me with it.”

“I do trust you.” He takes my hand in his, lifts it, and places a soft kiss on the back of it. A warm tingle spreads throughout my body. “Completely. It’s just—”

“It’s dangerous for me?” I supply.

“Yes. I didn’t want anything to happen to you. Not after I found out what happens to anyone associated with a hybrid.”

“A little too late for that now.”

“And I hate that. I hate that so much. I didn’t want you to end up in the middle of it.”

“It’s not your fault.” I glance into his eyes. “You did what you could.”

“I don’t think I did enough.” He squeezes my hand, then sighs. “I promise I’ll do anything and everything in my power to keep you safe.”

“I know.” I rest my head on his shoulder. A second later, I sit up again. “The vampire that attacked me—he kept going on and on about ‘the master.’ And the master’s plans for me.”

Elijah’s brows knit together. “What?”

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve seen the last of it. If there’s a bigger person behind the attacks—”

“Did the vampire say who this master person is?”

I shake my head. “No. I tried to get information out of him, but he only kept talking in circles like a crazy person.”

“Vampires are known to be unhinged.”

“I don’t know,” I say. “But I have a feeling this isn’t done.”

“Well.” He pulls me into his lap, caging me with his arms. Warmth washes over me, and I feel protected. “Let whoever it is come. They can try their best. I’m not letting them have you.”

“The vampire talked about an army.” I press my head to his chest. “Do you think we should talk to Mrs. Humphrey about this?”

“I don’t know,” he replies. He pushes a finger under my chin and lifts my face to meet his gaze. “If you want to. But whichever happens, I’m here for you. And I’m sorry I didn’t come to you sooner. I just didn’t want you to be dragged into the middle of my problems. The last thing I want is for anything to happen to someone I love.”

The words wash over me in a wave of affection. I know he means it. And hearing it did all sorts of things to me on the inside.

Good things.

I crack a smile. “Did you just say you love me?”

He grins. “I love you, Hailey.”

“I love you too, Elijah.”

He leans in, pressing his lips to mine. The kiss is gentle but filled with intent. Sadly, it doesn’t last as long as I wanted it to because right then, the guard chooses to open my bedroom door and peek in.

“The headmistress made it abundantly clear that no physical nuances would be taking place during this meeting,” the guard barks.

Elijah and I both fell into a fit of laughter, tearing away from each other.

“I was just saying goodnight,” Elijah states pointedly, getting up from my bed.

The guard scowls at him, nodding sharply toward the hall. He doesn’t reply to Elijah’s comment as they file out of the room. Elijah, before closing the door behind them, peeks in and says, “Sweet dreams.”

A flush makes it to my cheeks. It isn’t until the door closes that I manage, “I’ll definitely be having sweet dreams.” And likely, nightmares, too. But I’m hoping the good stuff will overrule the scary.

---

Monday, school resumes as if nothing happened. Well—sort of.

Nate spent the weekend with his family after the incident, and I knew the moment he saw us, he was going to have a few things to say.

Sure enough, Nate makes a few attempts in between classes to make his inquiries with either me or Celeste, but all the teachers seem to be dead set on is focusing on our current work. Exams are drawing close, which is another thing I don’t want to think about.

I scarce make it to lunch, sitting at our usual table with my tray, when Nate skips the server booth and heads straight for me. I bite down a smile despite everything. You know it’s a big deal when Nate skips a meal—especially lasagna.

Celeste, who comes in after him, seems to notice it, too, grabbing two trays in the front and heading for the server bar.

Nate barely makes it to my table, blowing out air, “What’s the news on Ari?” He drags out a chair beside me and flops down, scanning the cafeteria. “And where’s our knight in shining armor? Is he not joining us today?”

“Ariah is okay. Humphrey checked in with me yesterday to—” I fall quiet, peeking around me to make sure no one close by is listening in. I lower my voice. “She checked in with me yesterday to update me on how Ari is doing. Apparently, she’s settled in well and has great control over herself. And as for Elijah, he has a guardian meeting he needs to attend.”

“Great,” Nate sighs. “And dang. I want to ask him a few things, too. You know? Like, what is it like? Does he have the temptation to drain someone of their blood? Or eat someone? You know?”

“Well, Elijah reassured me he has no desire to maul, kill, or eat anyone. And I believe him.”

“You didn’t mention the draining of blood,” he says pointedly. “So he does have the desire to—”

I shake my head. “No. He says the potions he’s taking are helping.”

“But does he need to drink blood, though?” Nate inquires. “I mean, being half-vampire?”

I cringe. I saw Elijah yesterday morning at breakfast, and we had this exact conversation. What he told me does not sit well with me. “Yeah. He does have to drink blood at least once a week, or he gets really sick. Humphrey arranged blood bags for him and Ariah from donors.”

“Do these donors know what they are donating to?”

“I didn’t ask.” I’m not sure I want to know.

Nate shudders. “I can’t even—yuck.”

A tray slides in front of Nate, and he immediately picks up the fork, stabbing the lasagna with it. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“Not enough.” Celeste places her own tray down and sits across from us. “So, what did I miss?”

“Just talking about blood drinking,” Nate replies with a mouthful of lasagna.

“Yeah, I’ll pass,” Celeste pulls a face. “So, Nate, I hear your fainting skills are so remarkable that they make everyone think you’re dead.”

“It doesn’t help that your visions aren’t accurate,” I point out. “You scared the crap out of us.”

Nate blows out an exasperated breath, rolling his eyes. “How many times do I have to say I’m sorry? That I just relied on what I saw in my vision? I thought I was dead, okay? That Ari and Hails were dead. It’s a vision. It doesn’t come with subtitles or anything like that.”

“So you don’t hear anything when you have them?” I ask, curious.

“I do.” His face scrunches up. “It’s like white noise, and I heard screaming. But the sounds I hear differ from vision to vision.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun,” I remark.

“Tell me about it,” he gripes. He takes a few bites of his lasagna, chewing in silence. When he swallows, he adds, “And yes. Turns out I’m a total weakling, and I faint easily. Hitting that tree in my vision could have fooled me. I thought I died, okay? So sue me.”

Celeste is fighting hard not to laugh. And because of her, I can’t hold it back, either. We both burst out in laughter.

Nate scowls at us, but his lips are working hard to fight a grin itself.

Celeste drapes an arm around his shoulders and squeezes. “We’re just glad you’re alive and your silly self. You really scared us, bud.”

“Yeah, you did,” I agree.

Nate takes hold of Celeste’s hand on his shoulder and gushes, “It’s great to feel loved.”

“Ugh, puh-leeze, don’t make me gag,” comes a sharp, too-familiar sneering tone. Valerie appears beside our table, her entourage of three girls behind her. “Are you so desperate for a date that you make out with your friends now?”

I’m not sure if it is intended for Nate or Celeste, but either way, I’m in no mood for Valerie Stone today. “Go away, Valerie. No one cares.”

Her icy blue eyes narrow onto me. “Where’s your other friend?”

“None of your business,” I bite out.

“Oh?” Valerie huffs, using a hand to toss her blonde hair over her shoulder. “With that stunt she pulled at the festival, it sure looked like she wanted to make it everyone’s business.”

Nate waves a hand in front of his face, his nose pinched. “What is that awful smell? Jeez, Valerie. Lay off the cheap perfume.”

Valerie ignores him, her eyes pinned on me. “I heard she’s in an institution for the mentally unstable. Should have seen it coming, considering she’s friends with you.”

My lips draw thin. “You really should check your sources, then. Because they are wrong. She’s with her family.”

It’s a lie, but I’m not about to sit back and let her make up rumors about Ariah.

Valerie’s gaze suddenly jerks toward the entrance, and for a second, a bitter look flashes across her features. She clears her throat, straightening; then the mean girl façade returns. “Are you sure? Because from where I stand, she looks pretty unhinged to me.”

I glance over where she is looking a moment before, spotting Elijah heading over to our table. He’s carrying a brown paper bag with what I guess has to be food in it. When he reaches our table, he slides into the seat beside me, ignoring Valerie.

“I thought you had a meeting with the guardians?” I ask, scooting closer to him. I can’t help the pang of satisfaction as Valerie’s posture stiffens.

“It went quicker than I expected,” he replies, leaning in to plant a kiss on my cheek. He pushes the paper bag toward me. “I got us all some chocolate croissants.”

“All of us?” It was Nate.

Elijah nods with a grin. “All of us.”

Nate lets out a squeak, grabbing the bag before I can open it and helping himself to a croissant.

Valerie snaps her fingers. “So, what, you’ve all got this thing now where you overeat? Like, it’s a serious problem.”

I roll my eyes. “Try harder, Valerie. Don’t strain yourself.”

Elijah snorts a laugh, wrapping an arm around my waist. A burst of flutters makes its way through my stomach.

Valerie plants her palms on the table, leaning past Elijah to get face-to-face with me. Though her face is in my view, her boobs are in Elijah’s. She just has no end. “You should tell that to Ariah. Not only is she insane, she’s getting fat. That’s what happens when—”

Enough is enough.

You don’t insult the people I care about so openly and get to get away with it. I shove back my chair so hard it slams against the wall with an alarming force, and I round the back of Elijah’s chair to get to Valerie.

Valerie starts backing away, but it is too late. She’s gotten what she wanted—me angry.

I launch myself at her, knocking her down onto the floor with me on top of her. I am about to strike the first blow when my raised hand gets caught by another. I scowl up at the person, finding Elijah holding my hand. He wraps his arms around me and physically pulls me off her just as students start to gather to get a closer look.

“She’s not worth it,” he whispers into my ear as he cages me to his chest. I turn, burying my face into his shoulder, letting out a shuddering breath. I’m about to open my mouth and respond to him when a crunching noise sounds, followed by a sharp intake of breaths. I peer around, finding Celeste standing over Valerie, massaging her fist as Valerie wails, covering her hand over a bloody nose.

“Oh,” I can’t help but sputter a laugh. “Oh, wow.”

Elijah lets out a defeated sigh, though there’s a slight upward quirk on his lips. “Well, I tried.”

Valerie’s friends help her to her feet, as one of them threatens us, and another runs off to get Mrs. Humphrey.

“I will destroy you. All of you.” Valerie jabs a finger at us before her friends escort her out of the cafeteria.

“You know, that was freaking amazing,” Nate says, calmly biting into his half-eaten croissant. He flashes a smile at Celeste. “You’re going to be in trouble for it, though.”

“It. Felt. Amazing.” Celeste grins at us. “So damned amazing!”

“Great artwork. A thousand out of ten,” Nate adds giddily.

“Why, thank you,” Celeste beams, planting herself back in her seat. “I should eat while I can. Humphrey will be coming for me, and so will a long, depressing call from my dad.”

“But it’s worth it,” Nate quips.

“Absolutely.” Celeste grabs a croissant and begins wolfing it down. Finally, students start to back down and return to their seats, but the staring ensues. Not that I bother to notice, as Elijah drags me onto his lap and holds me there.

“So, I was thinking of getting permission from Humphrey to go out,” he speaks in a low voice so that only I can hear.

“Oh? Where?”

“On a date. There are a few places I want to take you. Other than this dump.”

“That sounds great. I’d like that,” I whisper back. “But I like this place, though. We can do stuff here, too.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” I affirm. “All the great people are here.”

He cracks a smile. “Does it include me?”

“Absolutely.”

Elijah leans in, pressing a kiss on my lips. A warm flush spreads across my body, and I vaguely hear Mrs. Humphrey’s voice chastising us, but I don’t care. I’m where I want to be, and despite everything else going on, I have everything I have ever wanted.

A place where I belong.

THE END.