The Haunted High Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  “Don’t give me that look,” I chided her gently. “I’m not abandoning you again. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll get you back, I promise.”

  The smile Dara shot me was warm. “I’ll make sure she’s safe. Don’t worry.” She lifted her hand to her shoulder. Sparrow made herself comfortable in the furry hood of Dara’s coat.

  “At least she’ll be warm,” I said. I was stalling. I felt it. The thought of what was to come wasn’t pleasant.

  “She’ll be warmer than you when you get those clothes off,” Dara said. “You’d better hurry.”

  I pulled my shirt off, kicked off my shoes, and reached for the button of my pants when I realized that she was still there. I glanced over.

  “You, uh, don’t have to watch,” I said.

  She grinned at my embarrassed tone. “What’s wrong, Finn? You can pit yourself up against a horde of evil demons, but the thought of undressing in front of a girl makes you blush?”

  I laughed and felt the tension ease from my shoulders. “Something like that,” I admitted.

  She turned around and spoke while I hurriedly pulled off the last of my clothes. “What would you have done if someone enjoying the park at night happened to come across you while you were phasing? That would be the really embarrassing thing.”

  I laughed even while a shiver ran down my spine. A midnight breeze complete with flecks of snow had chosen my moment of nakedness to blow through the tunnel. “They’d see me as a wolf and run off screaming.”

  She shook her head. Her ashen hair brushed across her back like a silvery waterfall caught in the lamplight. “You’re a magnificent wolf, Finn.”

  I had been in the act of willing the phase to come when her words caught me by surprise. I stared at her. For some reason, the way she said what she did had sounded like so much more than the words. I was a monster. I had spent the last few weeks trying to accept the fact. Realizing that the world was full of scarier monsters had helped me find my place in it, yet the understanding that I was still a creature from nightmares was hard to accept. Nobody could actually want a beast like me in their lives, right?

  “I’m still a werewolf,” I replied.

  Dara turned. I barely had time to grab my shirt from the crumpled pile on the ground and half-cover myself before she crossed the tunnel to me.

  “Dara, you can’t—”

  My protest was cut short by her lips. One of her hands slipped gently through my hair. My own hands were occupied with keeping some semblance of modesty using the shirt while I kissed her back. It was the strangest, funniest, oddest, most off-kilter kiss I could imagine.

  She spun around again and took a few steps towards the mouth of the tunnel before she stopped.

  “That’s just to remind you that you better run fast; life’s worth living,” she said.

  I could hear the way her heart raced and how she tried to control her breathing. The fact that I had the same effect on her as she had on me made me feel a bit better about my vulnerable state.

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Better hurry, wolf boy. The others will be ready.”

  I cleared my throat with embarrassment. “Uh, yeah, you’re right.”

  I dropped my shirt and willed the phase to come. With goosebumps covering my skin from both the cold and the kiss, I welcomed the thought of being coated in fur. Fortunately, that thought was enough to start the phase. Quickly and with an ease that came from not fighting it, I stood in wolf form once more.

  At my quiet woof, Dara turned back around. She didn’t seem at all frightened of me as a wolf. Even my own family had been a little nervous the first time I phased around them, but Dara simply picked up my clothes and held out the vial.

  “Even I can smell this stuff. What’s it going to do to your sensitive nose?” she asked.

  Both of us knew there was no more choice in the matter. She undid the cap and, with her nose pinched shut by her free hand, she poured the contents of the bottle over my neck and shoulders.

  The immediate urge to gag made my mouth water. I opened and shut my jaw quickly to keep from acting on the sensation. Apparently, a wolf’s defense against a very powerful, disgusting stench was the same as a human’s. Dara echoed this thought by hurrying to the edge of the tunnel and throwing up with a not-so-graceful heave.

  She wiped her mouth with the corner of her sleeve and threw me an embarrassed look. “Sorry. That’s a strong smell.”

  I wanted to say, ‘tell me about it’, but my wolf form made sarcasm difficult. I opened and shut my jaw a few times to keep from losing what was left in my stomach. The concoction we had made in Professor Tripe’s lab smelled so similar to the sour stench of fear and the sickeningly sweet smell of pain that a brick formed in my stomach and my chest was so tight I could barely breathe. That should have been a blessing except for the way my head swam. I took deep breaths to clear it and nearly killed myself with the scent.

  “Come on,” Dara said. She made another gagging sound and turned away from me toward the wall of the tunnel. “If that doesn’t catch their attention, nothing will.”

  We walked over the drop of blood Alden had proudly let fall on the stone before he left. When Dara pushed the hidden door open, it swung silently inward. She took a step forward, but I stopped her with a grunt. She looked back at me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

  I shook my head.

  She glanced down the long white hallway. “What if you can’t get out?”

  I shook my head again. There was no way I was going to let her follow me inside the Labs until the demons were gone for sure.

  She gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine. I’ll go keep the path clear like the rest of them. Though what an empath’s supposed to do to keep humans away from the demon route, I have no idea. Wish me luck.”

  I snorted at her reproachful attitude. She pretended not to notice and left me standing at the door. The smell of myself as much as the want to get the job over with propelled me inside. The moment my paws hit the tile floor, I took off running.

  I could feel the change of atmosphere the moment I passed the point where Vicken and I had stopped. It felt as though even the air itself became alerted by the beacon of terror and pain that my scent emanated. The mass of demons at the far end of the hallway writhed at my approach. I didn’t slow my mad rush and instead dove through the doorway before they could react.

  The demons were quick to follow me inside. I could feel them on my heels, their hot, fiery breath and their demon claws reaching for me as I ducked and twisted my way deeper into the Labs. Demons lined every possible path. As I followed Lark’s directions further into the Labs, I began to fear that we had overextended ourselves. There were far more demons here than there had been beneath the cemetery. If they caught me, I was dead to rights.

  I turned the next corner and the door with the glass panel Lark had described came into view. The demons that had been waiting there turned at my approach. I skidded to a stop and glanced behind me. Hundreds of demons scrambled along the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. Their greedy, green-flame eyes reflected my wolf form as they made their way closer. A look over my shoulder showed the demons by the door following. If Lark was right, this was the final demon barrier. Once they followed, the pathway would be clear.

  I only had to find my way back to the surface. I spun and galloped toward the demons who had followed me and broke through them without slowing.

  Go north, go north, go north. The words drummed over and over in time to my headlong gallop. Gratitude for a wolf’s unerring sense of direction warred with the fear that filled me. At every loop of hallway, doors would appear. I took the one heading north and continued, pushing myself so fast I was afraid my paws would slide out at any corner and I would be lost to the demons swarming behind.

  At least the terror that filled me would help to fuel the demons who followed. My tongue hung out and I fought to catch my breath, but I couldn’t slow to get my bearings. The demons were too
close. I would only get one chance to reach the tunnel. If I missed the exit hallway, everything would be in vain.

  The thought of Professor Briggs trapped in a cage without his box and a hand made me push even harder. I had vowed to get him out and I would live up to that promise.

  Fresh air touched my nose an instant before I burst out into the park. My paws skittered across the ice that had formed at the base of the walkway. I scrambled to maintain my footing as the sound of hundreds of demons crashing through the doorway followed.

  The sickening sound of claws on cement, bricks, and the icy sidewalk spurred me forward. My claws found a toehold and I took off at a breakneck speed with the hungry creatures looming close behind.

  My run through the alleys and streets between Central Park and Lark’s basement hideout felt like the longest of my life. Though it was only a few short minutes, several instances nearly made them the last of my life.

  My friends were successful at stopping the few pedestrians who were out in the middle of the cold night, but cars were a different matter. On the first street I reached, two taxis sped past me heading in the opposite direction. The sound of screeching tires and the shout of one of the drivers made me glance back in time to see the demons swarm over the two cars. I couldn’t stop and fight the creatures. I had never faced demon fire in wolf form and Vicken had already mentioned how dangerous being bitten could be. I ran on with the hope that the stench on my fur was more attractive than two cab drivers.

  On the next street, a huge truck filled the alley as its driver unloaded boxes into the back door of a restaurant. Without slowing, I launched myself onto the hood of the truck, leaped to the top of the cargo box, and heard the man shout when I jumped off the end of the box to the alley below. I would have stuck the landing perfectly except for a leaky pipe to the side of the building that had resulted in a large, now frozen, puddle.

  My paws slipped out from under me and I hit the ice hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs. I slid against the wall and fought to draw in air. I gasped, wheezing, as demons swarmed over and around the truck. The man shrieked when the creatures flooded past, intent on the easy prey that smelled like a thousand tortured Lab victims thanks to Professor Tripe’s ingredients and now lay helpless against the far wall.

  I forced air into my lungs and rose just as the closest of the demons reached me. The creature stood about half my height when I was in human form. Its skin writhed as if there were maggots underneath, and the snarl revealed rows of teeth in a mouth wider than should have been possible. It reached a spidery arm longer than its body toward me. Green froth from the demon’s mouth bursts into green flame.

  A snarl tore from my throat and I leaped at the demon. Surprised that I attacked instead of cringing away, the demon jerked back. Taking a page from Lark’s book, I darted to the left and dodged its reaching claws. With my heart thundering in my throat, I took off down the next alley.

  The dilapidated building loomed in front of me. The doors stood wide open. I looked back once at the horde of demons following and my throat tightened. There were more of them than I even imagined, and by the looks on their snarling faces, the fear stench we had worked up was doing its job.

  I leaped up the stairs, ran across the main floor, and stopped in front of the tube. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to burst through my chest. The demons flooded into the room; their howls and the sound of their claws on the wooden floor was terrifying. I waited until the first was nearly to me, then I slid headfirst down the tube.

  I’m pretty sure I told myself the last time I attempted Lark’s tunnel in wolf form that I would never do it again. The entire tube shook from side to side as the demons piled in after me. I hit the floor and rolled, fully expecting to be buried by the dark creatures. Instead, a pair of hands grabbed me by the fur and yanked me to the side. Vicken fumbled with the vial from Mercer’s box. It was the first time I had ever seen the vampire struggle to open anything. The moment he got the cork off, he dumped the contents over my back and shoulders. Relief filled me when the scent of fear and pain vanished.

  Vicken and I watched with bated breaths from beneath the tube as more and more demons slid down. Those that saw us crept closer. I bared my teeth, but snarling would attract more of them.

  “Chant louder,” Vicken said, his voice tight.

  Words rose from the room above. A faint, shimmering circle took form around us. We stood as close to each other as we could. Unfortunately, the amount of demons that continued to pour down left nowhere else for the creatures to go. Those that drew closest howled when the shield touched them, but with each defense, the circle’s power lessened until we saw clearly through it to the demons that loomed on the other side. I could only imagine the pain of a thousand teeth on my skin. I had already felt the burning of their green flames and wasn’t sure I could stand it again, especially from that many creatures. The sound of Vicken’s short breaths told me he was just as afraid.

  “That’s the last one!” Dara shouted from above.

  “Cut it!” Vicken yelled.

  A massive tearing sound reached my ears and then the tube dropped along with the last few demons that hadn’t quite made it down. Dara, Lyris, and Alden peered through the newly vacated hole.

  “Look out!” Vicken told them.

  He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and the fur of my back. The circle faltered and then gave out just as the vampire unceremoniously chucked me toward the hole. Fortunately for me, he had a very good aim. I landed just inside the opening on my chest and scrabbled to pull myself in. Alden and Dara grabbed me and ensured that I made it inside.

  “Vicken!” Lyris shrieked.

  I looked back in time to see demons swarming the vampire. He kicked one, slammed his fist into the side of a second, and then ran for the wall. With a leap that appeared fueled by desperation, Vicken grabbed onto the edge of the hole.

  “I’ve got you,” Brack said. The huge warlock pulled the vampire up as easily as if he had been a mouse.

  The moment Vicken’s legs were clear, the vampire said, “Seal it, Brack!”

  Lyris, Alden, and Dara shoved the pieces of wood and cardboard we had scavenged over the hole. Brack then put a hand to it and gave it a look of such concentration that perspiration beaded on his forehead. The demons howled and snarled below. The sounds of their anger at being trapped were so great I worried the building would fall down from the sheer force of it. But the canvasing held.

  “There,” Brack said after a moment. His face was drawn and pale when he took his hand away. “That’s the best I’ve got.”

  “It’ll have to do,” Dara said. “You did good.”

  Lyris gave our team a shaky thumb’s-up. “Everyone did a great job.”

  “You were faster than I thought,” Vicken told me with a sickly smile from where he leaned against the wall. “I figured they’d have you for sure. Guess I shouldn’t underestimate a werewolf.”

  “That was amazing,” Dara agreed. “I didn’t think it would actually work.”

  “Seriously,” Alden piped in. “We’re demon catchers now, thanks to you.”

  I wanted to say something sarcastic to break up the mushiness of the moment, but it was hard to do so in wolf form. I gave a grunt of reply and made my way toward the stairs so I could find where they had put my clothes.

  “Second door,” Alden called after me.

  I waved my tail in reply and trotted up the steps.

  By the time I made it back to human form, I was shaking so hard I could barely pull on my clothes. I tried to tie my shoelaces twice, then gave up and sat against the wall with my arms around my chest and my head low.

  I had almost died. That much was an absolute certainty. The demons had been far faster than I imagined. At the Academy, we hadn’t been running from them. All of our encounters were in close proximity. Out on the street, the demons ran as if propelled by supernatural strength, which I guessed they were. If I knew how close they would come
to catching me, I wouldn’t have gone through with the plan. I shook my head. Maybe not knowing was good because in the end we did what we had to, but I had nearly seen my name written on Alden’s arm, and it was not a good sight.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I glanced over at the sound of Vicken’s voice. The vampire gave me a small smile with one hand on the doorknob and the other on the frame.

  “Can I come in?”

  It wasn’t like the vampire to ask permission to do anything. I waved him over and noticed how slowly he walked to join me.

  “They almost got you?” Vicken guessed.

  I nodded. “Just about,” I said in as light a tone as I could force.

  He slid to a sitting position next to me, hesitated, and then pulled up his pant leg. “They did get me.”

  I stared at the jagged bite wound in his calf. The skin was already curling away from the bite and the edges were black like the burns across my palm. The image of Professor Briggs’ mangled, ruined leg surfaced in my mind.

  “Vicken, you need to get that taken care of!” I said.

  He shook his head and pulled the pant leg back down. “Let’s get Briggs out first.”

  “No,” I replied firmly. “I won’t let you lose a leg out of sheer stupidity. We’re taking care of it.”

  The look he gave me was steady. “Finn, do you know how a demon bite affects a vampire?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, then realized I had no clue. I shook my head. “I don’t.”

  “It turns a vampire’s blood against him. It’s ironic like that. One bite, and the poison snakes through the system, telling the blood to kill its host.” His voice quieted. “It’s a death sentence.”

  Urgency burned through me. Vicken sat as calmly as I had ever seen him, his yellow gaze calculating as he watched me. There was the barest hint of a smile at the corners of his lips as though he knew what my response would be.

  “We’re going to get you help,” I said.

  He shook his head. “There’s no way to make it to the Academy in time. What’s done is done. Let me do what I can to help before it’s too late.”