The Haunted High Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  Mercer was quiet a moment before he said, “You should ask her to stay here. With everything you say she’s been through, I’m sure she could use Dr. Six’s expertise to help her heal.”

  “She heals quickly,” I told him. “That’s why they experimented on her.”

  “Sometimes external wounds heal while the internal ones fester,” the sweeper replied.

  That sounded exactly like what Ren was dealing with.

  “Did I just hear you admit that I have expertise?” Dr. Six asked, coming back to join us.

  “I don’t recall saying that,” Mercer replied, his face expressionless.

  Dr. Six rolled her eyes. “Let me see your hand,” she instructed.

  I held it out obediently. The doctor sighed and looked at me. “Finn.”

  “I know,” I replied. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’ll be sorry if this never heals properly,” she said.

  “I understand.”

  She gave me a sympathetic look and began cleaning the wound. I looked at Mercer to keep my mind off the pain of the burn. The sweep’s eyes were closed and one hand held his stomach. His cheek twitched and I looked away before he could see me watching him. I knew the last thing the gruff mage wanted was to be seen at his weakest. My wolf instincts demanded the same thing.

  The thought of my wolf form made the need to phase tingle beneath my skin. For the first time, I actually missed being a wolf. It was easier, simpler, to run through the woods and not care about the politics of mythic life or the demons that fought to end it. If it wasn’t for Ren and Professor Briggs, I would have been tempted to take the door to the forest and spend a week out there.

  My mouth twisted wryly at the thought. Before now, being a werewolf was something I still denied. Somewhere between demon battles, school, and hunting down the professor, I had accepted the truth of what I was. Being a monster was no longer something I loathed. I embraced my wolf side for the assets it gave me. The thought that my mom would be proud made my heart fill with warmth.

  “There. That should hold for a while,” Dr. Six announced.

  I lowered my bandaged hand. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  She nodded and then pushed her top hat back so it didn’t tumble off her head. “I know, Mr. Briscoe. That’s why I keep patching you up.” She shot Mercer a glare. “It’s the ungrateful ones I’m not so thrilled about.”

  “Maybe you’ll let me off this bed,” Mercer grumbled.

  “If I thought it wouldn’t kill you, I would,” Dr. Six replied. She lowered her voice and told me, “At least he’s arguing now. I worried more when he was quiet.”

  “I heard that,” Mercer said.

  Dr. Six grinned at me. “Take care of yourself, Mr. Briscoe.”

  “You, too, Dr. Six. Thanks again,” I replied.

  I made my way toward the door, then paused. “So I have your permission?” I asked.

  Mercer opened his eyes again. “For what?”

  “For a school mandated fieldtrip to take my team into the city,” I replied.

  Mercer grunted and closed his eyes again. “Try to bring everyone back in one piece.”

  Chapter Six

  “I’m supposed to approve a field trip for all of these students?” Mrs. Hassleton asked. She looked from the paper on her desk and back to me. Skepticism warred with the distaste on her face at having to talk to a werewolf. No matter what I did at the school, it was clear I hadn’t changed her opinion of me.

  “Mercer approved it,” I replied.

  “On the grounds of defensive training for the team,” Mrs. Hassleton continued. “Why can’t you train here?”

  I sat forward in my chair. “Do you really want us working on demon defensive chants and weapons training at the Academy? It would put the students at risk.”

  Mrs. Hassleton finally sighed and pressed a button on her phone. “Headmistress Wrengold? I have Mr. Briscoe here requesting the approval for five students and himself to go into the city for a training exercise.”

  She listened for a moment, then her eyes flicked to me. “She’s waiting for you in her office.”

  Mrs. Hassleton pushed the paper back toward me and turned away without waiting for me to pick it up. Her air of dismissal made me grit my teeth against a choice reply. I grabbed the paper and rose from the chair.

  “Thank you,” I forced myself to say.

  My step-mother would be proud. Julianne always said that politeness was more powerful than hostility. The fact that she was nearly nine months pregnant and still remained kind to everyone she met was a good example of the way she lived her advice despite her obvious discomfort. I tried to do the same, but couldn’t maintain her smiling demeanor in the face of the prejudice Mrs. Hassleton carried.

  I walked down the hallway to Headmistress Wrengold’s office and tapped on the door. A few seconds later, her call to enter made me push it open. I stepped into the room lit by golden sconces and warm lamplight. My shoes sunk into the thick carpets that covered the floor. The office felt more like a comfortable living room than a workspace, though the mahogany desk at the far end showed papers organized into straight stacks.

  “It’s good to see you, Mr. Briscoe.”

  The Headmistress’ voice took my attention to the couch and two overstuffed chairs at the other end. Headmistress Wrengold lowered the paper she had been perusing and took off her gold-rimmed spectacles so that they dangled from the chain attached to her breast pocket. When she rose, she patted her gray curls to ensure that they were still contained by the red and gold wrap she wore.

  “I take it your trip into the city was an eventful one?” she asked.

  I nodded. “Professor Briggs is in more trouble than we thought. We have to get him out of the Labs.”

  The Headmistress motioned for me to take a seat on the couch. When I sat, she took her seat again on one of the chairs.

  “Mercer mentioned the Mythic Labs. It’s a dangerous place,” she said.

  “I’m going to shut it down.” The bravado in my voice made me cringe inwardly. “I mean, we’re going to shut it down. I can’t do it alone. That’s why I need my team.”

  The Headmistress’ gaze sharpened, reminding me of the owl she phased into at will. “You can’t take on the entire Labs, Mr. Briscoe.”

  “Somebody has to,” I replied. “Why hasn’t it been shut down before now?”

  She set her gloved hands in her lap and watched me closely. “Because Mythics keep to themselves outside of the Academy.”

  “But the Maes are organized,” I pointed out.

  “Unfortunately, all of the Mythic races have decided they are safer keeping to themselves. They protect their own.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. “So even though the Maes are determined to wipe monsters from this world, the monsters aren’t fighting back?”

  The Headmistress’ expression was patient. “They do fight back in their own way, and they aren’t monsters.”

  “We’re all monsters,” I replied. It was a ridiculous thing to argue about, but I was tired of everyone hiding from the truth. “And the sooner we learn to stick together, the better.” I realized as soon as the words left my mouth that I was almost yelling. I calmed down immediately. “I’m sorry, Headmistress. I don’t know what gets into me sometimes.”

  She gave me an understanding smile and appeared not to be ruffled at all by my words. “It’s alright, Mr. Briscoe. I’ve noticed something very interesting about your character since you became a student at our Academy.”

  I was nervous about what she had seen. “What’s that?” I made myself ask.

  She smoothed the hem of the brown housecoat she wore and said, “You are a werewolf without a pack, and an Alpha at that, if I’m not mistaken.” Her gaze was kind when she said, “I was worried what it would mean for you to be the only werewolf at the Remus Academy, and in the world, as far as we know. I wasn’t sure how a werewolf without a pack would react. But you’ve surprised me.”

 
“I hope that’s a good thing,” I said quietly.

  She nodded. “Most definitely. Instead of becoming a lone wolf, you’ve made a pack of the students here. I’ve never seen a warlock, a witch, an empath, and vampires work together like they have under your leadership. It’s commendable.”

  I opened my mouth to deny that it was my leadership that had done it, but she continued with, “You also seem to view this school and the rest of the students as your pack as well, defending them as you would fellow werewolves. If other Mythics could act as you do, the Maes would have no power over us.”

  The Headmistress’ analysis of my actions sounded strangely simple compared to how it felt. She was right in stating that I felt responsible for the Academy and my team. I would defend them against demons and whatever else rose up against the mythics. The thought of mythics held helpless and in pain in the Labs beneath Central Park made the wolf surge beneath my skin.

  “But you need to remember that you are also still a teenager and a student. You can’t take on everything,” the Headmistress warned.

  “I can’t leave people down there to suffer,” I replied.

  She nodded. “I understand and it’s commendable, but you don’t have the resources to rescue mythics from the Labs. Even going after Professor Briggs is admirable, but I’m afraid he’s given you a task you can’t win.”

  Her words made my chest tighten. “All I’m asking for is a chance.”

  Silence filled the room. The warmth of the office was countered by the chill that touched my fingertips and toes at the thought of leaving Briggs in the demon-infested Labs. Whether she approved it or not, I would go after him. The difference was that, with my team, I might actually have a chance.

  When the Headmistress spoke, her voice was stern but kind. “Take your team, but promise me that if you can’t guarantee their safety, you give them the option to leave.”

  I stared at her. “They always have the option to leave.”

  The corners of her eyes creased. “They won’t leave you, Finn. They get their loyalty from you. I saw it when you fought the demon in the corridor and heard about it after you defeated the Demon Knight. You have a loyal team, but they have to know that loyalty doesn’t mean stupidity.”

  The straightforwardness of her words caught me off-guard. “Are my actions stupid?”

  The Headmistress gave a little shake of her head with a smile. “No, Finn. Your actions are brave and selfless. Your fault may be that you care too much about protecting others and not about taking care of yourself.”

  I followed her gaze to my hand. “You’ve spoken to Dr. Six,” I guessed.

  “I have,” she admitted. “Let’s just say that we’re both grateful werewolves heal faster than the rest of us.”

  “We’re all grateful about that,” I replied.

  The Headmistress laughed as she stood.

  I rose as well.

  “Take care of yourself, Mr. Briscoe. I wish you and your team a safe trip and a speedy return, hopefully with Professor Briggs in tow.”

  I shook the hand she held out. “Thank you, Headmistress. We will try our best to bring him back.”

  “But no stupidity,” she said as I made my way to the door.

  I turned with a wry smile. “No stupidity,” I promised.

  When I gave Mrs. Hassleton the list with the Headmistress’ signature on it, she glared at me a moment before turning in her chair to reach the phone.

  “Lyris Welkin, Dara Jade, Vicken Ruvine, Alden Grim, and Brack Smalls, please come to the office.”

  She set the phone back on the receiver and thumbed through several files on her desk. The scent of clove lay heavy in the air as if she had sprayed everything down before I returned from the Headmistress’ office. I couldn’t help sneezing at the strong scent. Mrs. Hassleton gave me a look of disgust. “They’re on their way. You can leave my office now.”

  “Thank you,” I replied stiffly.

  I leaned against the wall of the entrance hall to wait for my team. The thought of Lorne and Jean still recovering in the infirmary made me sad. Vicken’s sister Amryn had gone home with her father after we rescued her from the Otherworld. The team would feel a lot smaller without the vampires.

  Footsteps reached my ears and I straightened.

  “Hey, Finn-wolf,” Lyris said. She and Dara made their way from the cafeteria with Alden and Ren close behind. “We met your new friend.”

  The look on Lyris’ face said she wasn’t sure what she was dealing with. I knew exactly what she was talking about. Dara’s small smile was welcoming; the sight of the small sylph dragon sleeping around her wrist filled me with relief.

  “They let me get anything I wanted at the cafeteria!” Ren said with wide eyes before I could speak to the empath.

  “And she got everything,” Alden told me.

  “Everything,” Dara seconded in a level tone. “Even a bag of blood.”

  Ren grinned and I could see the red around her teeth. “I’ve never washed down a meal with such a refreshing beverage.”

  Lyris grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. Dara followed us. I glanced back to see Ren making her way toward the unicorn picture.

  “You know they say keeping a picture of a unicorn is bad luck. It’s no wonder you guys have problems with demons,” I heard her tell Alden.

  “I can’t get a read on her,” Lyris said.

  I turned back at the witch’s concerned whisper. “She’s been through a lot.”

  She shook her head, her short black hair waving past her chin. “I don’t understand. My affinity should tell me what race she is, but I get werewolf, vampire, witch, and even warlock. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  I glanced at Dara. “What did you feel from her?”

  Dara’s violet gaze was guarded when she looked at where Ren and Alden discussed the photograph. “I get ten different emotions at once. I don’t know how someone like that can stay sane.”

  I didn’t want to tell them that I had questioned the girl’s sanity on several occasions in the past day. I wanted to ask Ren to stay at the Academy, but with us leaving, I doubted she would agree if it meant she would be left in a school of strangers. And if we needed to rely on her, I wanted my team to have at least some confidence in her abilities. The voice in the back of my mind whispered that they deserved to know what they were working with.

  “I’ll tell you more about her when the others get here. We have work to do. Let’s head down to the basement,” I told them.

  When no one was looking, we snuck behind the unicorn photograph and made our way down the stairs to the room below. I paused at the sight of a form near the fireplace. Flashbacks of fighting the Demon Knight in the same room made my blood run cold. When the form turned and Vicken’s pale face was revealed, I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Nice lair,” Ren noted. “If you had chains, this could be a dungeon!”

  “Professor Tripe said we could use his lab for what I told him was a Mercer-approved experiment. We just have to clean up afterwards,” the vampire said, ignoring her.

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs. I smiled when Brack ducked his head to enter the dimly lit room.

  “Hey guys,” the huge warlock said; his deep voice echoed around the room. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  “Who’s the giant?” Ren asked. She stared up at him with her mouth open and eyes wide.

  “Brack,” Brack replied. He stuck out his hand with a grin. “And I’m only a quarter giant.”

  Ren’s hand was dwarfed in the warlock’s when she shook it. “You can call me Ren. It’s short for Render. It’s ironic,” she told him.

  “Ironic?” Dara repeated from behind me.

  “I’ll tell you about it later,” I told her quietly.

  Vicken’s tone was pointed when he said, “What’s the plan, Finn?”

  I motioned for everyone to sit at the big, rough-hewn table that occupied half of the basement. “We have some preparations to make.”

  “Oh
,” Ren said as she took a seat next to me. “Like the knights of the round table, only this one is square, well, sort-of rectangular. I don’t know if you can be knights without a round table.”

  “We’re not knights,” Vicken said in a low growl.

  Dara looked at me with lifted eyebrows. I sighed inwardly and nodded in acknowledgement of the vampire’s short temper.

  “Alright,” I said, lifting a hand. “We’ll talk about knights later. We’re short of time, so without getting into too much detail right now, I’ll tell you what we know. We know that Professor Briggs is being held in the Mythic Labs beneath Central Park and that, if Ren is correct, he’s missing a hand.”

  Ren nodded as gasps left Dara and Lyris.

  “That’s horrible,” Brack said.

  “Are you sure?” Lyris asked breathlessly.

  Ren spoke up. “Of course I’m sure. Why would I say such a thing if it wasn’t true? It seems random to make up something like that just for the shock factor. I could have just as easily said he was missing a foot or an eye, but it’s a hand. He’s missing a hand and he’s not happy about it.”

  Lyris looked sick at the girl’s words.

  “Okay,” I said to interrupt before Ren could go into more detail. “So we need to get him out. The problem is that the Mythic Labs are filled with demons. According to Ren, we can get in, but we won’t get out. In order to keep from putting anyone at risk, we need to clear out the demons before anyone sets foot in the labs.”

  “Clear out the demons,” Dara repeated. “How do you plan to do that?”

  “By smell,” I answered. “The demons feed on pain and fear; from what I smelled at the Labs, there’s plenty of it. In order to remove the demons, we need to create the same smell but stronger.” I indicated Dara and Alden. “I’ll help you guys create the initial smell, then Vicken will help you concentrate it. If we make it strong enough, the demons won’t be able to resist.”

  To my relief, both Dara and Alden nodded.

  “Got it,” Alden said with a grin.