All Chapters of Matched (Mortal, Book Three): Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

WinterThe world spins around me as I plummet through the air. The wind screams in my ears, and my hair whips around my face. I can see nothing but darkness and stars, and I wonder if I'm going to die.And then, just as suddenly as it began, it's over. I land on solid ground, my legs buckling beneath me. I look up, gasping for air, and see the others standing around me, looking relieved."We made it," Elena says, grinning from ear to ear.She offers me her hand and pulls me to standing. I check a second time, just to make sure I have it right.Damon. Alec. Hank. We're all here.I sigh in relief. Even though Alec and I just met these three, they feel so important to me already. With nothing but ravenous creatures roaming this dimension, we need each other."Look where we are." Damon points above us.I gasp. Just when I thought this pocket dimension couldn't get any weirder ...Above us, the night sky is illuminated by a swirling mass of colors. It's like nothing I've ever see

WinterAlec and I walk through the light, hand in hand. Our five sets of footsteps echo in a vast silence. It's like we're in some sort of tunnel, or at the bottom of a well. It's that quiet.And then the light starts to fade. I squint my eyes, waiting for them to adjust."We're inside," Elena says from right behind me.And we are. We’ve made it inside the tower.I'm so happy all I can do is laugh. Alec squeezes my hand, but I can sense his hesitation. He won't be celebrating until the Golden Coin is actually in our hands.The inside of the tower finally comes into focus. There's nothing in here but a winding staircase with no railing, stretching up so high that I can't even see the top.We stand there for a moment, craning our necks back, trying to see what's up there."What do you think," Hank says, "the chances are that the Golden Coin is up there, and we can just walk up there and get it?"We share a round of looks."Without any monsters attacking us?" Damon asks. "I'd

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

TyrSnow swirls around Hawthorn Academy as I close my car door and step onto the street. The place looks abandoned, some of its stones blackened from fire and the windows dark, but I know better than to believe what I see.The Silver Hunters might hate anyone else who uses magic, but that's only because they're salty that they aren't innately good at it. They have no problem using spells to get what they want.Which makes them annoying but also useful to me.And hopefully not my end. If I slip up and the Silver Hunters find out why I’m really here, they’ll kill me on the spot. Like most people, they don’t like being played.I approach the bridge, my footsteps heavy on its wood. At the front door, I ring the bell and wait.Nothing happens.Sighing, I look at the window next to the door. "I'm here to see Finnegan. I have a proposition that will interest her."Another moment passes, then the door finally opens. A Silver Hunter with a thick beard frowns at me. He’s removed hi

WinterWe all freeze, our eyes scanning the canyon walls for any sign of movement. The scratching grows louder, more intense. Panic sets in as we realize that we're surrounded."Alec, what is it?" I ask, my voice shaking.And then I see it.A horde of creatures emerges from the darkness of the canyon, their bodies covered in shimmering black scales. They look like giant beetles, with wings that buzz and click as they fly towards us. Their legs are long and spindly, and their jaws snap open and closed with a sickening sound.They fill the canyon and the riverbed and suddenly stop. Their wings still open and close, but they're not moving."What's going on?" Hank asks.No one answers, and I think that like me they're afraid to even think about it.I take a step back, but Alec's hand on my arm stops me. "Don't move," he says. I nod, my heart pounding in my chest. I feel like I'm about to be sick.The creatures swarm around us, their wings beating against our skin. I can feel t