CHAPTER TWELVE

Heather

"Oh, no. That's not good." Brynn stares at the bodies in Professor Khalek's kitchen, looking like she's about to throw up.

Bile rises in my throat, but I push it down. "You think?"

I push open another door and find another body. It's another Silver Hunter.

"Poor Professor Khalek." Gregory bends at her side. "She was such a great teacher."

I look out a window and frown. Okay, so this is a setback, but we can deal with it.

"There has to be a landline," I say. "All old people have landlines."

Brynn frowns. "She was, like, thirty-something."

"Exactly." I search the walls and tables. As soon as I get my hands on a phone, I can call my parents.

"She doesn't have a cell phone on her," Gregory says, after feeling her pockets. "Maybe the Silver Hunters took it?"

"Nope." Spotting a cell phone on the kitchen counter, I snatch it up.

"I should tell the others," Gregory says, referring to our classmates that are waiting outside. Luckily, we were able to meet up with them at the professor’s house.

"It'll only freak them out." Professor Khalek's phone doesn't have a passcode, which is good for me. Unlocking it, I punch in my dad's cell phone number.

It rings and rings, then goes to voicemail.

"Dad!" I shout into the phone. "I'm alive! Silver Hunters took over the school and me and some other students are at Professor Khalek's house." My voice starts to shake. "They're trying to kill us. Call this number back!"

I hang up, call my mom, and leave a similar message. It's weird that they didn't answer their phones. They both usually keep them close.

My heart races. Did something happen to them? Did the Silver Hunters get to them?

I shake my head, trying to push away the thought. I can't let myself spiral down that rabbit hole. I need to focus on getting myself and my classmates out of here.

"We should leave," Brynn says, her voice shaking. "We don't know if the Silver Hunters will come back."

"Right." I pocket the phone.

"We could try the front door," Gregory suggests, already heading in that direction.

I follow him, my heart in my throat. We have no idea what's waiting for us outside. It could be a trap. But we don't have any other options.

As we approach the door, I hear a sound from upstairs. It's faint, but it sounds like someone's moving around.

"Did you guys hear that?" I whisper, gripping the handle of the door tightly.

Brynn nods, her eyes wide. "Someone's up there."

Ice floods me. Crap.

"Go." Gregory pushes me and Brynn ahead of him, and we spill out the front door.

It's too late, though. A blast of magic hits me in the back, and I fall right in the middle of the doorway.

Pain shoots through my body as I hit the ground. I try to get up, but my limbs won't obey me.

Brynn and Gregory are yelling, but their voices sound distant. Footsteps thud down the stairs, and I know I'm done for. I can't move, can't even turn my head to see who's coming.

Then a shadow falls over me. I look up and see a figure standing over me. It's a Silver Hunter, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Get up," he hisses, grabbing me by the hair and pulling me to my feet.

I cry out in pain, but he just tightens his grip. "Shut up. You're coming with me."

He drags me through the house, and I'm too weak to fight back. My mind is foggy, and I can't focus on anything. All I can feel is the pain wracking my body, and the fear that's consuming me.

The talisman ...

It drains anyone its used on of their strength. It's in my pocket, but the Silver Hunter has my arms twisted around my back, and I can't reach it.

In the living room, the Silver Hunter throws me on the floor. "How many of you are there?"

I stare up at him, wishing I could punch him right in his stupid face. There are shouts outside, and I know that more Silver Hunters have attacked Gregory, Brynn, and the other students.

We're done for unless I can best this asshole in front of me and get out there to help the others.

"We're just teenagers," I tell him.

His upper lip curls. "You're filthy sups. That's what you are."

My fingers curl into fists. I want to pound him to a pulp.

Unfortunately, my powers—whatever they are—haven't manifested yet. If they had, this guy standing in front of me would already be dead.

"Well?" He takes a menacing step towards me, and I flinch.

His laugh booms through the room. "You're afraid of me, huh? Well, I'm only getting started."

I turn away from him, acting like I'm afraid and cowering. He doesn’t see me reach into my pocket and pull out the talisman.

I hold my breath as he bends down next to me. I can hear his heavy breathing over the sound of the fighting outside. He reaches for my arm, probably to yank me to my feet again.

That's when I strike.

I press the talisman to his cheek, and he yells as his skin burns.

"Gah!" He doubles over, and I push him to the ground, punching him in the stomach as hard as I can.

I'm up and out of the house, running as fast as I can, but everything is still spinning. The world is tilted, and I can barely make out the figures fighting all around.

"Heather!" Gregory runs up to me.

I take his hand, and he pulls me along. Brynn is already sprinting down the street with a few other students, and I see a body in the snow and realize its Michael.

"You can't run from us," a voice calls out from behind us.

I risk a glance back and see two Silver Hunters, their eyes glowing with magic. They're too close. We won't make it.

"Split up," I shout, veering left into the trees. "Meet at the edge of town!"

I hear Gregory and Brynn follow my lead, their footsteps pounding as they cross the road. I keep running, my heart pounding in my chest. I have to get away from here. I can't die now. Not when I finally have a chance to escape.

I've barely made it into the tree line when there's a huge boom that rattles the trees. I glance over my shoulder and see a woman holding a wand, the two Silver Hunters motionless at her feet.

A werewolf emerges from the house, saliva and blood dripping from his fangs. A shiver runs through me, but I know that we can stop running.

These two just killed the Silver Hunters. Whoever they are, that makes them friends of mine.

"Stop!" I yell down the street. "Come back!"

The other students are hesitant at first, but when they see my face, they all return. We gather on the street, Brynn and Gregory included.

"Who are you?" I ask the woman.

"My name is Nora." She sticks her wand in her belt. "I used to be a teacher at your school."

My knees shake. Thank God we've finally found someone who can help!

"You might know my niece," Nora says. "Winter Grace."

My spirits fall a little. "Oh."

"Winter?" Gregory perks up. "Do you know where she is? Is she all right?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Nora sighs.

Brynn presses her fingers to her lips. "She and Alec came back to save us, and we got separated at the school. I haven't seen them since then."

The werewolf shifts into a man, and I recognize him as Professor Stills. "That means they're probably still there. How many other students are at Hawthorn?"

"We don't know," Gregory answers. "Some of them were in the basement ..." He waves his hand at the group around us. "But there could be more somewhere."

Professor Stills and Nora exchange a look, and it's not a positive one.

"We need to go back," Gregory says. "If anyone is still there, they need our help."

I touch Gregory's arm. God, he's so caring. We can't go back there, though. It would be a suicide mission.

I start to tell him as much, but Nora interrupts. "We will," she says. "We're gathering Guild members. Once we have enough, we'll make a move."

I frown. The Guild?

I've heard my parents talk about that a few times but only in hushed tones. When I asked them about it once they told me not to worry about it.

Marlow, one of the boys in our group, gasps and points. "Look!"

It's a Silver Hunter, running behind the house, trying to get away.

"On it." Professor Stills shifts in the blink of an eye and bounds across the road. The Silver Hunter is fast, though. He's already disappeared into the woods.

Nora turns back to us. "We'll take you all somewhere safe where you can warm up and have a meal."

"What about our parents?" Harper asks. "I need to call them."

Nora looks pained. "We've been trying to get in touch with many of your parents. It appears they are MIA. We're not sure what's going on."

My stomach drops. "What?"

I can't believe this is happening. Our school has been attacked by Silver Hunters, and now our parents are missing. What the hell is going on?

Professor Stills returns and shifts back to his human form. His face is red, and he's breathing heavy. "They had a car on the other side of the trees, and he got away."

Nora nods, her expression grim. "We need to move quickly. It's not safe here. Come with us, and we'll explain everything on the way."

We follow Nora and Professor Stills to a van parked at the end of the street. It's unmarked, without any insignia or logo. The windows are tinted, and I can't see inside.

Nora opens the door and gestures for us to climb in. "Hurry, before anyone sees us."

We pile inside, and Nora takes the driver's seat. Professor Stills gets in the back with us. I feel a moment of relief that we're finally safe.

But then I remember my parents.

My mind is still whirling with the realization that they might be in danger, that they might be gone forever.

Tears fill my eyes, and I turn away so that no one sees. I can’t lose my parents.

But what if I never find them? What if I never see them again?