The Haunted High Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  At the Grim’s command, the students’ chants increased, echoing from the ceiling and the walls. The shield between us and Chutka solidified into a golden, iridescent wall.

  “I see you found my heart,” Chutka said with a toothy grin. He picked up the black lump from the table in front of Conrad. It appeared small in his massive pale hand, but I could feel the dark power that wafted from it. “I should thank you,” he continued in his defiling voice. “But I knew you were spineless. You had to finish what you started. That’s why I chose you.”

  “For the power,” Uncle Conrad said.

  I had to give him credit for keeping his voice steady.

  “Yes,” Chutka replied with a pleased, terrifying grin. “Your greed is my gain.” He looked at those behind Conrad; the students and professors backed up when his gaze met theirs. “And you’ve brought followers.” He nodded. “All in due time. First, this.”

  He drove one of his claws into his chest. Black blood leaked from the wound as he drew the claw down. Opening the cavity wide, he revealed a dark, throbbing mass. Toward the top, a chunk was missing. The black blood that flowed around the misshapen heart leaked down the sides and spilled into the cavity, coloring the pale skin in a dark, angry bruise.

  Chutka shoved the piece he held into the cavity.

  “Yes,” He breathed with a rumbling groan that made the ceiling shake. “Complete at last.”

  When he took his hand away, the gaping wound in his chest closed. The skin sealed together as though it had never been torn. The black blood that marred his pale skin lifted into the swirling darkness that surrounded him. Chutka gave a sigh of pleasure as he looked down at Conrad once more.

  “My turn.” His massive claws reached for my uncle.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Now!” I yelled.

  Mrs. Hassleton snapped her fingers and the shielding over the windows vanished. Moonlight streamed onto Chutka’s shoulders. His head jerked back and he stared up at the windows in surprise. The place where he had put the missing piece of his heart started to glow. One massive hand grabbed his chest. A grimace of pain rippled across his face.

  “No,” he snarled. He glared at Conrad. “What have you done?”

  Green froth bubbled from the Demon Prince’s mouth and down his chest. Before my uncle could react, the froth ignited into green fire.

  “You’ll pay for this,” Chutka growled.

  The flames ran down his body to the floor where it spilled hungrily toward my uncle. Conrad’s eyes were wide and fear showed in every line of his body, but he made no move to get away.

  “Run!” I shouted and pushed toward the werewolf.

  Green fire sprang up in front of me, blocking me from reaching him. The flames were repelled by the shield wall Lyris and the other students held fast with their chanting. The glow of the wall intensified with their strength.

  Chutka’s eyes narrowed as he looked from my uncle to me.

  “I know you,” he said. Realization dawned on his face. “You’re behind this. You’re behind all of this!”

  “You’re finished, Chutka,” I shouted past the roar of the flames. “You have no more power here!”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” the Demon Prince replied.

  He lifted his hand and the flames surrounded my uncle. Conrad let out a shout of pain.

  “No!” I cried.

  I shoved my hand through the wall. The green flames licked at my skin. I knew the fire could only hurt me if I gave into my fear. The healed burn across my palm throbbed. Pain shot up my arm. I leaned into the flame, reaching for my uncle. I held back a scream as the fire rushed up my shoulder. I couldn’t let it break down my walls. It wouldn’t have any power if I kept strong. But the fire was so much hotter than it had been with the regular demons. The Demon Prince would win. I would be covered in scars like Professor Briggs, or worse, burned to a pile of smoldering ash.

  Just as my walls began to falter and the pain became real, a hand grabbed my shoulder. The pain diminished enough that I could breathe. I latched onto Uncle Conrad’s arm and pulled backwards in an attempt to drag him through the shield.

  “He’s mine,” Chutka growled.

  At his motion, the flames rose higher, engulfing both my uncle and me. Conrad let out a bloodcurdling scream. I pulled back in an attempt to draw his pain, but mine was so great I could barely think.

  The pain cleared. It was startling enough that I glanced backwards to see what was happening. Rhett had taken Dara’s other hand. His eyes were closed and beads of sweat showed on his forehead. Star had his other hand, followed by Gimmick and the others. The entire wolf pack that had come back with me from the Den held hands and shared my pain. Tears broke from my eyes and immediately went up in steam. I pulled backwards, drawing Uncle Conrad with me.

  “No!” Chutka yelled.

  “You’re finished,” my uncle said through gritted teeth. His clothes were a mess of soot and ash and his face was twisted in pain. Despite his burns, he began the chant again.

  The crack behind Chutka widened. The wound in his chest burst open and light appeared. A grating, harsh howl sounded from the Demon Prince.

  “You will pay for this, werewolf scum!” Chutka said, his words thick with pain.

  Before I could react, the Demon Prince shoved his claws through Conrad’s chest.

  “No!” I shouted.

  Chutka yanked his claws free and my uncle fell to the floor. Chutka raised his hand to finish the job. I crouched over Conrad in the flames, fully expecting to feel the Demon Prince’s claws. Time seemed to slow. My breath rattled in my ears. I heard demons scream in the basement as they battled the sylph dragons. I hoped Sparrow was safe. Students cried out in fear and the sound of someone screaming came above the roar of the green flames that surrounded me. My heart pounded.

  I heard Chutka’s claws slice through the air. I tensed, expecting to be torn in half. Instead, a form shoved between me and the Demon Prince. I looked up to see Professor Briggs above me. He held his walking stick in both hands. His face twisted at the strain of holding Chutka’s huge claws at bay. The wood of the stick began to crack.

  “You couldn’t protect the girl you loved,” Chutka said in a voice that was filled with both pain and mocking laughter. “What makes you think you can protect the boy?”

  “I failed once,” Briggs replied in a growl. “I won’t fail again!”

  “You can’t stop me!” Chutka said. He lifted his arms, growing larger. “I am too strong for you!”

  A black and white form flew past my head. The Headmistress in her night owl form flapped her wings once and surged through the windows above us, shattering them. Moonlight spilled unhindered onto Chutka the Shambler. The hole in the Demon Prince’s chest opened wider. He let out a bloodcurdling scream. The crack behind him tore into a massive hole. Chutka grabbed Professor Briggs and shoved him toward the crack. Off-balance, Briggs fell against the hole. He tried to push free, but he was sucked into the darkness.

  “Professor!” I shouted.

  Chutka the Shambler turned to face me.

  “I told you I would destroy everything you care about,” he said in a voice that grated through my mind with the pain of a thousand claws.

  On the other side of the flames, I saw students cringe at the sound. The flames rose higher. Only the steadying hand on my arm kept me centered.

  “I keep my promises,” Chutka said.

  His massive, clawed hand reached for me. I waited for the feeling of his claws tearing through my body, but it never came. Instead, his hand shot past me and latched onto someone else.

  Dara screamed as she was pulled through the flames. Chutka fell backwards into the crack and pulled the empath after him.

  “Dara!” I shouted.

  Tears filled Dara’s eyes when she met my gaze. It was the last thing I saw before the Demon Prince pulled her through to the other side. The flames vanished.

  I lunged toward the crack, but a hand caught my shirt
in a vice-like grip I knew could only come from one person.

  I spun to see Vicken, his face pale and chest heaving as he held onto my shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded.

  “I’ve got to save Dara and Briggs!” I told him. “I can’t leave them there to die!”

  He shook his head. “You can’t go through the crack; you’ll never come back!”

  “I can’t leave them there!” I said. “I won’t!”

  My eyes shifted from the vampire to Alden. The Grim knelt beside my uncle. When he put his hands on Conrad’s chest in an attempt to stop the flow of blood, I saw the name Conrad Justin Roe glowing in blue writing on his forearm.

  “He won’t stop,” I said, my voice shaking with rage. “He won’t stop until he destroys everything we care about. If we don’t finish him, this school, my family, your family, the werewolves, and this entire world will be destroyed by Chutka and his demons. I have to go.”

  “Hurry!” Lyris called. “We can’t hold it open much longer!”

  A glance behind me showed the truth of her statement. Every professor, witch, and warlock at Haunted High chanted. Sweat and strain showed on the pale faces.

  “We won’t be able to open it again from this side!” Brack said. His wide gaze showed his emotions when he continued with, “It’s a one-way ticket, Finn. You might not come back.”

  “Then I’ll make sure Chutka can’t, either,” I vowed.

  I looked at Vicken.

  “Running toward trouble?” the vampire asked.

  “Always,” I replied.

  He nodded. “Let’s go.”

  He helped me to my feet and we reached the crack together. The moment we stepped through, the world changed. Sound came from inside of me instead of outside. The internal workings of my body, the push of blood through my veins, the rush of breath in and out of my lungs, and even the sound of my muscles, tendons, and joints created a symphony that was familiar and strange at the same time. I blinked and the noise of my eyelids closing and opening sounded like the flap of a pair of wings.

  Every sound signified one very important thing. I was alive in a realm of others who were not.

  As soon as the thought solidified, sound returned. I wished it hadn’t.

  Thousands of shrieking, screeching, squealing, and yowling voices pushed against my ears. A noise like a giant piece of tape being torn off cardboard sounded. I looked back to see the last glimmer of moonlight vanish. The crack was sealed. Only a faint ripple in the gray light that surrounded us remained to show where it had been.

  “Where to?”

  Vicken’s voice sounded flat and bizarre. I looked at him. In the dull light, his skin appeared unhealthy and washed out. His yellow eyes were too bright and his teeth glowed faintly. A chill ran down my spine. He truly looked like a monster.

  “Your eyes are glowing,” he said warily. “You look feral. Are you alright?”

  I nodded, shoving my concerns about him aside. He had followed me into the demon realm to save the girl I loved. Now wasn’t the time to distrust him. “I think it’s this place. It makes my skin prickle. I feel like lightning’s about to strike or something.”

  He nodded and ran his hands over his arms in an unsettled gesture I had never seen from him. “It’s creepy. Let’s kill Chutka and get out of here as fast as we can.”

  “Deal,” I replied. I gestured in the direction of the demon voices. “I’m guessing we go that way.”

  Vicken sighed. “It has to be toward the sound of a million painful deaths, doesn’t it?”

  “Of course,” I replied.

  Our footsteps thudded dully in my ears. The strange world solidified around us as we walked. Nothing took solid form, but hints of images and forms peeked from the edges of my vision. Outlines of buildings meant that we were on some sort of street. Forms that could have been trees were tipped in spikes instead of leaves. Shorter plants, perhaps flowers once, twisted and writhed as though in pain.

  Everywhere I looked, demons ghosted at the edges of my vision. I could feel the presence of hundreds beyond those I could see. As they followed us, their skittering claws and strange spider-like way of walking sent tremors across my skin. There were far more than we had ever faced. Brack’s warning of a one-way ticket echoed in my mind.

  “I shouldn’t have let you follow me here,” I said to Vicken.

  He glanced at me. “You couldn’t have stopped me.”

  I gave him a frank look. The skin around his eyes tightened and he grimaced slightly with each step. I had no doubt his head wound hadn’t healed completely, and the frailty of his form was something I had never seen before.

  “I could have.” I shook my head. “I told you on the phone that things were fine. You were supposed to stay home and heal.”

  Vicken rolled his eyes. “You saying things are fine is like someone else waving a red flag and shouting that they’re about to dive headfirst into danger. I had to come.”

  “So you could be the one to dive headfirst into danger?” I pointed out.

  Vicken opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again. When he finally spoke, it was to change the subject. “So what’s your plan?”

  I had to admit that it was a pretty good subject change. Given the enormity of what we were about to face, a plan would definitely be a good idea. I went with what I had so far. “Find Briggs, get Dara way from Chutka, then kill him and find a way back home.”

  Vicken thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “I suppose that’s a start. How do we find—Finn, look!”

  I followed his finger and saw bright flashes of color amongst the gray.

  “Sparrow!” I shouted.

  The whirlwind of sylph dragons turned as one and shot toward us. Just when I was afraid they were going to attack, the purple and black dragon at the lead surged forward and spun around me in a tight circle. Her tiny tongue licked my cheek and she darted around my neck and arms so fast I couldn’t help laughing.

  “I missed you, too!” I told her.

  The tiny dragon landed on my hand. I ran a finger down her neck. When I lifted her up, she rubbed against my chin like a cat.

  “I was so worried about you!” I said.

  She blinked her bright green eyes as her tail lashed from side to side. Her name written across the base of my left wrist tingled.

  “Uh, Finn?”

  I looked over to see at least a dozen of the dragons perched on Vicken’s shoulders and arms. He appeared terrified to move. An orange and yellow dragon stood on the vampire’s hand and was watching him steadily with bright red eyes.

  “Making friends?” I asked.

  “Hoping not to be eaten,” Vicken replied.

  That made me smile. “You’re a hundred times their size.”

  “But there’s more of them,” the vampire pointed out. “They have strength in numbers.”

  “So do we, now,” I said.

  Vicken shot me an incredulous look. “You think these puny little dragons are going to give us an advantage against Chutka?”

  The dragon on Vicken’s hand flicked out its tongue. The vampire winced.

  I lifted a shoulder. “I’ll take any help we can get.” I looked down at Sparrow. “Think you can ask your friends to give Vicken a break? He’s scared.”

  Vicken gave an almost-believable laugh. “I’m not scared. I’m just practical. Vampires and flying rats don’t get along.”

  Sparrow leaped off my hand. The other dragons immediately followed. She blew a small, misty flame at Vicken that vanished before it reached him. He took several wary steps back just the same.

  “Flying rats?” I asked as they circled over our heads and proceeded to follow us. “You’ve just offended an entire species.”

  Vicken kept his gaze on the dragons as if certain they were about to attack him. “I apologize to rats.”

  I fought back a laugh. “You and I get along.”

  “That’s circumstantial,” Vicken replied.

&nbs
p; “And what do you call this?” I asked. “I’ll take any allies we can get.”

  Vicken looked around us. “You have a point.”

  I was about to revel in the fact that I had actually won an argument against the vampire when a form lunged from the shadows.

  “Vicken, look out!” I shouted.

  I rushed in front of the vampire and was about to phase when the form straightened. I stopped short at the sight of Professor Briggs.

  Blood coated his dark cloak and robes in several places. By the thick smell of it, I knew the professor was badly injured. Despite that, he brandished his cane like a sword and prepared to strike at us.

  “Professor Briggs, it’s us,” I said.

  He blinked, looked from me to Vicken, and lowered his cane. “Boys?”

  I nodded.

  A furrow formed between his eyebrows. “What are you doing here?”

  “Saving you,” Vicken said. He glanced at me. “And Dara. Do you know where Chutka took her?”

  “I followed them as fast as I could, but I couldn’t keep up.” He put a hand to his chest. I could hear his breath wheezing through his lungs.

  “You should wait here,” I told him. “We’ll come get you when we stop Chutka.”

  Briggs shook his head. “I won’t let you go alone. You can’t stop him by yourselves.”

  “We’re not alone,” I replied. I gestured.

  The professor followed my gaze. A smile touched his lips at the sight of the dragons flying above us. “You brought an army.”

  I nodded. “Stay here, Professor. We’ve got this.”

  He straightened. “I have my own vendetta to settle. Come if you wish, but don’t get in my way.” He limped forward.

  Vicken and I exchanged a glance and hurried after him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A building of dark, swirling mist solidified in the distance. As we drew closer, the presence of the demons increased. They became bold enough to trail our footsteps and spit fire at our legs. The sylph dragons answered with red, blue, green, and orange fires of their own, swooping and hissing to send the demons back from the trail. One nearly bit my fingers before Sparrow attacked and sent it yelping into the distance. She settled on my shoulder after that. The familiarity of her tiny claws in my shirt calmed my nerves. Even Vicken didn’t appear to mind when the rest of the dragons flew closer to us.