The Haunted High Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

“How about us?” Brack asked.

  I met his gaze. “I need you and Lyris to brush up on your demon chants. They need to be strong enough to fortify a room to contain at least a few hundred demons.”

  Lyris stared at me while Brack gave a short whistle. “A few hundred, Finn?”

  “At least,” I admitted. “If we’re successful in drawing them to the room Ren’s letting us use, we need to be able to keep them there until Chutka the Shambler’s defeated.”

  “That’s it?” Dara asked in a sarcastic tone.

  “Can’t we just sneak in, get Professor Briggs, and sneak back out?” Lyris asked.

  “Possibly,” I admitted. “But I refuse to leave any mythic in the hands of those barbarians. This is a rescue mission, but not just for Briggs. We’re getting everyone out of there.” My words hung in the air for a few minutes. Headmistress Wrengold’s statement surfaced in my mind. When I spoke again, my voice was quiet. “I appreciate the risk everyone has taken on this team.” I met each of their eyes in turn. “Fighting demons isn’t what you signed up for when you came to Haunted High. While I’m grateful for all you’ve done, I want you to know that you have the choice to back out if you don’t want to be in this team anymore.” I held Alden’s gaze for a moment. “There’s no shame in resigning. Everyone has taken a risk.”

  “Count me out,” Ren said.

  Vicken rolled his eyes. “You aren’t on the team.”

  “I’m at the round square table, aren’t I?” Ren shot back.

  Vicken’s eyes narrowed and I could tell by the look on his face that he was about to say a few prime words.

  I rose and cut him off when he opened his mouth. “Think about it,” I told them. “If you feel like you don’t want to participate on this mission, or any of them, let me know. You deserve a choice.”

  “Like anyone has a choice in this world,” Ren mutter as she rose beside me.

  “Let’s get to work,” I said. “When we finish, we’ll sleep at the Academy for the chance at a good night’s rest and then leave after breakfast.” I met Vicken’s gaze. “We could all use some sleep.”

  The vampire nodded in agreement.

  I gave Dara and Lyris a pleading look. “Ren could use a safe place for the night. Is there any chance she could bunk with you guys?”

  “Of course,” Lyris said. “She’s more than welcome.”

  Ren gave a sharp nod. “See, Finn? More than welcome,” she repeated.

  I met Dara’s gaze. “Can we talk for a minute?”

  She nodded. “Definitely.”

  I watched my team make their way back up the stairs.

  Uncertainty filled me at the sound of Ren’s voice as she followed Lyris from the room.

  “You’d like my place,” she said. “There’s a divider, and boxes. You can’t underestimate the value of good boxes. And these ones are good. Trust me. You’ll have to because if the demons destroy them, I’ll have to get more boxes.”

  “We’ll make sure you get new boxes,” Lyris reassured her.

  “Good, because good boxes are hard to come by,” Ren said.

  I shut the door to block out her voice.

  “You like her.”

  Dara’s words caught me by surprise. I spun around. “What did you say?”

  Her tone was level when she replied. “You like her. I can feel it.”

  At that moment, Sparrow lifted her head from the empath’s wrist. The little dragon blinked her green eyes sleepily. When they focused on me, I swore I saw a little smile cross the dragon’s mouth. She sprang from Dara’s wrist and flew around me in a flurry of her black and purple wings. She then landed on my shoulder and rubbed her head against my chin over and over like a kitten. I couldn’t help a laugh as I petted the dragon with my finger.

  “I missed you, too,” I told the dragon honestly. My left wrist throbbed. I turned it over. When Sparrow had chosen to stay with me instead of going to the beyond, her bond to me had made itself permanent with the tattoo of her name in gray scrolling letters across the inside of my left wrist. Leaving her with Dara during my trip to the city had been more difficult than I thought it would be. Having the dragon back felt like being able to breathe deeply again. She settled on my shoulder and the familiar prickle of her claws on my shirt made me feel whole once more.

  It took me a moment to remember what Dara had said. When her words repeated in my mind, I sighed. “I honestly don’t know what to feel about Ren. She’s part werewolf, so it messes with my instincts, and she’s more confusing than you can even imagine.”

  “I sat by her at dinner. When her arm touched my hand, I almost jumped off my seat,” Dara said. “Lyris is on edge and Alden keeps looking at her as though expecting her to fly off the handle. Why did you bring her here?”

  “It’s the only place I could think of for a mythic to be safe.” The Headmistress’ words echoed that sentiment. If mythics didn’t defend each other outside of the Academy, perhaps Haunted High truly was the safest place in the city.

  When Dara spoke again, her voice was sullen. “What’s her story?”

  “I chased her through the city,” I admitted. “She is the first werewolf I’ve ever caught scent of, and she was hurt. I couldn’t just let that go. So she ran, I chased her, and ended up jumping off a bridge to save her life.”

  Dara stared at me. “You’re kidding, right?”

  I shook my head. “It wasn’t the smartest decision of my life, which Vicken keeps informing me, but I couldn’t let her drown.” One person had drowned in my life. That was one person too many. I wasn’t about to let another death happen if I could prevent it.

  Dara knew my story. The understanding in her eyes said she guessed how deeply my emotions drove me. She put a hand on my arm. “You need to protect yourself, Finn.”

  I felt the gentle pull of her affinity as she eased the thundering of my heart. I allowed it for a moment before I pulled my hand away. “I’m alright. I just couldn’t let her die that way. But then we found out what she’s been through.”

  As I described the treatment she had received at the Labs, Dara’s face paled and her left hand clenched into a fist. The fingers of her right hand traced Sparrow’s name on my wrist. I wasn’t sure if she was aware of what she was doing. I had to fight to keep my mind focused despite her touch.

  “Briggs is in there,” Dara said. Her tone was flat, her voice sure. “We’ve got to get him out.”

  “And everyone else,” I replied. I was grateful someone understood my drive. “I can’t let others suffer at the hands of those scientists.”

  “You wouldn’t be you if you walked away without trying to help,” Dara said.

  My heart slowed at the look in the empath’s violet eyes. The urge to kiss her filled me with heat. Before I could second-guess my actions, I leaned forward and brushed her lips with my own.

  Dara’s eyes closed. Her long ashen hair trickled across my hand like silken water when I pulled her closer. Her lips pressed against mine for several heartbeats before she pulled back.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said.

  I saw myself in her eyes. My dark hair was mussed and I looked as tired as I felt, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “I missed you, too,” I replied.

  Footsteps and then a shout made me turn my head. “Dara, ready to experiment?” Alden called down.

  Dara rose from the table. “You mean ready to create the smell of pain and fear? I can’t wait,” she called back. She nudged me with her foot. “Come on, nose. We can’t do it without you.”

  “I’ll follow wherever you lead,” I replied.

  It was a stupid line, but it brought the smile to her face that I was hoping to see.

  “You’re ridiculous,” she said.

  “I know,” I replied. “But you like it.”

  She laughed and led the way up the stairs.

  Chapter Seven

  As badly as I wanted to sleep, I couldn’t stop pacing.

  Alden finally rolled ove
r in his bed and looked at me. The Grim’s pale hair hang hung messily in front of his eyes.

  “Are you okay, Finn?”

  I shook my head. “All I want to do is sleep, but I can’t.” I glanced out the window. “I need to run.”

  Alden sat up. “It’s a full moon.”

  “So?”

  He gave me an exasperated look. “Do you even listen in Mythical Creature Anatomy?”

  “I’ve missed a few classes,” I said wryly. “Enlighten me.”

  “A lot of mythics have greater power in the moonlight. Remember, the moonlight reveals our truth?”

  The Grim stuck his hand in the light that made a square on the floor of the room we shared. The flesh disappeared and his skeletal fingers glowed. I swore that with the light of the full moon, the glow was even more intense.

  “I remember.”

  He withdrew his hand. “Werewolves heal in the moonlight, and you know that your need to phase is stronger at night. Well, the full moon has greater power over you than the rest of us because you’re a werewolf. If you don’t phase, I doubt you’re going to get any sleep tonight.”

  At that moment, a howl reverberated down the hallway.

  My mouth fell open. My eyes met the Grim’s.

  “Ren,” Alden said.

  A voice yelled, “Finn!”

  The commotion of students filling the hallway reached me when I pulled the door open. The howl sounded again, closer this time. As students looked at me and realized I wasn’t the one making the sound, terror showed on their faces and in the shouts that filled the hall.

  “It’s not Finn!” someone said.

  “Where’s the wolf?” another asked.

  Panicked shouts came from the stairs. “Get out of the way! It’s coming!”

  A wolf skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs. Her tawny fur caught in the half-light and when her eyes met mine, they glowed like a wild animal’s.

  “You’ve got to get her outside, Finn,” Alden said.

  But I was having my own problem. With the moonlight streaming at my back and the sight of Ren already in wolf form, I couldn’t ignore the need to phase. The pain of just standing there had me biting my tongue so hard tears burned in my eyes.

  “Finn?” Alden repeated.

  The Grim shoved me back into the room with more strength than I would have thought he possessed.

  “Phase,” he told me. “I’ll leave the door open.”

  I heard him hurry up the hall. “Ren, come on. Follow me, Ren. I know where the forest is. Let’s go outside so you don’t scare all of these nice students. Come on, Ren. Let’s go outside.”

  To my relief, the sound of the wolf’s paws on the carpeted floor followed Alden’s voice. The shocked chatter that filled the hallway reached me as the pain drove me to my knees.

  “If Finn’s in there, who’s the other werewolf?”

  “Is that really a werewolf, or is there a real wolf in the school?”

  “What if it attacked us?”

  “Are we in danger?”

  “What if there’s a whole pack of them?”

  I pulled off my shirt and had the presence of mind to set Sparrow on the bed before the phase took over. My shoulders rolled, my bones shifted, and the rush of fur up my arms and down my back sent chills through my body. I took a breath and stopped fighting. The phase went more smoothly then. My mouth elongated, my fingers pulled into massive paws, and the colors faded to become the myriad of grays that made up my wolf vision. My burned paw gave a minor throb at the change of form and I felt a momentary pang of regret for Dr. Six’s bandages that now lay tattered on the ground.

  A sound tore my attention away. I turned my gaze to the little dragon that sat on my pillow and watched me with an interested expression. Sparrow’s weight barely made a dent in the pillow’s surface. She shook herself and crossed to me with curiosity in her green eyes.

  I put my muzzle on the bed. To my amusement, the little dragon climbed up my nose to my forehead, then down my neck to my shoulders. Her little claws found purchase in my fur as the sylph dragon settled into her usual spot.

  I padded to the door. The sound of commotion had faded during my phase. When I poked my head out, I was relieved to see that most of the students had gone back to their rooms. I made my way silently down the stairs to the main floor. When I reached the hallway with all of the doors, it wasn’t hard to smell which way Alden and Ren had gone. But that when I reached the door to the forest, I was surprised to find it shut.

  It had never been shut before. Though the doors were supposed to be locked, this one had always been open whenever I needed it. I had never stopped to think about why. Without thumbs to turn the knob myself, I was forced to swallow my pride and scratch on the wood like some sort of pet needing to relieve itself. When Alden didn’t open it, I leaned closer to hear what was going on.

  “Now, Ren, I’m a friend,” I heard Alden say in a tight voice. “I brought you out here so you could run in the wild like a wolf should.”

  I heard his footsteps crunch and realized the sharp scent that drifted beneath the door told of snow.

  “Ren, don’t look at me like that,” the Grim said.

  My hackles rose at the sound of fear in his voice.

  “I’m a friend, remember?” the Grim continued. “I helped you. I brought you here where you’re safe. I’m helping to take care of you.”

  A growl rumbled through the door. A thump sounded as though Alden had backed up against the wood.

  “Ren, please!”

  The growl deepened. A whimper sounded from Alden. My muscles tightened.

  “Ren, no!”

  I barreled into the door with all the force of my werewolf heritage. The wood splintered and burst outward as though it had been hit by a battering ram. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alden fall to the side in the snow, and then the wolf was on me.

  Ren bit at my throat. Her fangs sank into my skin and her growl shook the air. I jerked back and felt her teeth slide free instead of closing around my jugular. I pressed the advantage of my size and bowled her over. The sight of Alden cowering against the wall made rage burn in my chest. A snarl of my own tore from my lips as my fangs closed over her throat. Her struggles stilled beneath me as she waited for me to give the killing blow.

  My breath came out in angry snorts. My jaw ached to close. I could hear the blood pulsing just beneath the surface. It would be so easy to bite down, to protect Alden, to make sure the werewolf didn’t hurt anyone else.

  “Finn, don’t do it.”

  Vicken’s voice cut through the red haze that filled my mind. With the wolf’s throat beneath my fangs, I glanced over to see the vampire kneeling over Alden. To my relief, the Grim sat up shakily and leaned against Vicken.

  He kept his eyes on me. “Finn, let her go.”

  His words made no sense. She was a threat. She had nearly killed my friend. If I hadn’t made it through the door, she would have torn him up as effectively as the Labs had done to her.

  “Back down, Finn. It’s alright. I’ll make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone.”

  The vampire’s voice was forcibly calm. His yellow gaze held mine, beckoning for me to listen to him.

  “Finn, trust me. She won’t hurt anyone. You need to let her go.”

  My instincts screamed for me to end the threat to my friends. I had seen the look in the werewolf’s eyes. She would have killed Alden for sure. I could feel the trickle of blood down my fur where her fangs had snagged my neck. I was grateful my thick hide had protected me. Alden wouldn’t have had that protection.

  Ren gave a small whine. The sound pierced through my rage.

  “Let her go, Finn,” Vicken repeated.

  I let out a breath through my nose and tried to rationalize. The strong pull of the moonlight overhead made thinking thoughts through like a human difficult, but I forced my mind to focus. I was a werewolf, part-human, not just an animal killing to protect those I cared about. I had a conscience, and
I wasn’t a killer. Sebastian’s face surfaced in my mind, arguing otherwise. I closed my eyes and let go.

  Ren held perfectly still as I backed carefully away. Her gaze held mine. They were still hazel rimmed with blue. I could read the fear in them, the distrust. I told myself that she was a girl, not a wild animal, but it was hard to believe it at that moment.

  It took a lot of effort to break the hold of her gaze. I kept her in my periphery when I turned to check on Alden. To my relief, the Grim was on his feet wiping a few pieces of the destroyed door from his shirt.

  Vicken was talking quietly to him. “My mother warned me about trusting animals. It’s dangerous. We should know better.” The vampire’s gaze shifted to me and his eyes widened. “Finn, I don’t mean you. I meant—”

  I turned away from them and trotted toward the trees. To my surprise, Ren rose from her position on the ground and followed a few paces away. I kept myself from snarling my frustration at her. At least if she was following me, Vicken and Alden were safe. The voice in the back of my mind whispered that they might never be safe with me around.

  Instinct had driven me through the door to protect Alden, but the fact that I had been so close to killing Ren frightened me. If it wasn’t for Vicken’s calming tones, I might have ended the girl’s life completely. The animal had taken over too much. Perhaps it was the strength of the full moon, or the Alpha in me that demanded I protect those I cared about, but it was a battle I had almost lost. It was a terrifying thought.

  Sparrow’s claws shifted in my fur. I glanced back in surprise. I had forgotten about the little dragon. The fact that she had stayed asleep during our fight amazed me and filled me with gratitude. I would hate for Sparrow to be afraid of me. If she had seen me snarling and holding onto a werewolf’s throat, would she be so quick to trust me?

  The taste of blood lingered in my mouth. I glanced back at Ren, but couldn’t see any blood on her fur.

  The werewolf’s head hung low as she followed me through the trees. She didn’t look at a rabbit that startled at our appearance and took off through the bushes, or sniff the trail of a deer that had crossed our path hours before. Instead, the werewolf’s eyes watched only the snow beneath her paws. Her gaze was forlorn and lost. It ate at my heart.