I wandered over to the back wall of Sebastian’s office which was made up of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. There was an impressive library here, intermingled with photo frames of my family. I picked up a picture of my mother taken a few months prior to her death. I remembered her long brown curls and the way her cheek dimpled when she smiled. Sebastian had said he loved her very much but that they weren’t having an affair. Did she know he loved her? Is that why she came to the academy so often? Miss Ross had told me she was a frequent visitor.
The door burst open causing me to lose my grip on the frame, which fell to the floor with a crash. Elizabeth stood in the doorway, her brow creased with worry.
I glanced down at the smashed glass of the frame and sighed.
‘Jeez, Lizzie, you frightened me to death.’
‘Sorry. Dr Roberts let me off my last class so I could come and get you. He’s asked me to take you out for something to eat. Even gave me some money.’
I looked across at her, my mouth hanging open.
‘Why the hell would he do that? He spent most of the day screaming at me. I’m supposed to be getting expelled, not taken out for a meal.’
‘He did mumble something about keeping you well away from the student body until lights out.’
‘Ah, so it’s a hide her away and deal with it later ploy. How unoriginal.’
I crouched to clear up the glass, dropping it into the bin by the side of Sebastian’s desk. The frame wasn’t damaged so hopefully he wouldn’t notice. As I set it back on the shelf, my mum’s photograph slipped out of the bindings and drifted to the floor.
‘What’s that?’ Elizabeth pointed at a yellowing piece of paper hidden behind the photograph with a sealed envelope clipped to the page.
‘I don’t know.’
As I unfolded the paper, I spotted my mother’s handwriting, her expressive curly letters covering the page.
‘It’s from my mum.’ Excitement fluttered in my chest as I started to read.
Elizabeth placed her hand over my arm and tugged me towards the door.
‘Maybe you should read it in private. We’ve been given a free pass and by the look of your puffy eyes, I’d say you need it.’
I smiled at my friend and nodded. Some time away from Hood Academy was just what I needed. Grabbing the broken frame, photograph and letter, I stuffed them inside my training jacket and followed Elizabeth out of the office.
ADAM WAS WAITING in a beat-up old Ford when we rushed down the front stairs of the school. With the engine running and him glancing backwards and forwards, it made me think of a getaway after a bank robbery. I sniggered to myself as I climbed into the back seat.
‘You okay?’ Adam glanced at the red welts on my hands.
‘Yeah, my fist connected with someone’s face.’
‘Fair enough.’
Elizabeth jumped into the passenger seat and leant over to give Adam a kiss.
‘Thanks for doing this,’ she said.
‘It’s my pleasure. Miss Ross came and found me before you did. She said I might be needed for a speedy escape.’
Elizabeth laughed and slammed the car door behind her.
‘Well then, you better do as she asked and get us away from this place.’
‘I’m on it.’
The car jolted forward and we made our way down the winding drive. It seemed like an eternity since I had first seen the wrought-iron gates of Hood Academy after my father’s death.
ELIZABETH SUGGESTED GOING to Taylor’s Coffee Shop for homemade burgers and chips, and I briefly wondered if Jane, the proprietor, would remember me.
The café was bustling with conversation and laughter when we crowded through the door and settled ourselves into a booth. I sat facing the window, secretly hoping to see the Mills Family Farm truck.
‘The burgers are amazing, Mia. Do you want one?’
I nodded absentmindedly. I didn’t care what I ate as long as it was hot and there was plenty of it. I was impatient to read the strange letter in my pocket and explore the contents of the envelope. I needed to see what my mum had written.
Adam went to order our food and drinks as I slipped the letter from my jacket. The tattered page had been read multiple times, one of its corners torn and the paper flimsy to the touch.
I glanced up at Elizabeth who watched me with wide, eager eyes. She nodded her head as if I was waiting for her to tell me it was okay to carry on. I peeled open the page and began reading.
My dear Sebastian,
I wish I had good news for you but I don’t. I met with Joel and spoke about our situation. He was so cross when I explained that I’d made a mistake marrying Frank and that I wished to leave him and join you at the academy. His rage got out of hand and he hurt me. I’m scared, Sebastian. Joel wouldn’t let me leave. I tried everything to convince him that this is where my heart belongs, but he refused to listen. He believes that the work you are doing is dangerous and instead of loving you I should forget you exist.
I’m defying his orders by writing this letter and I fear retribution should he discover we’re still in touch. Zak is growing suspicious although he hasn’t asked me outright. I’m so glad Mia is too young to understand. I only hope that I can persuade Zak to come to you instead of Joel when the time comes. He is nearly sixteen so it’s getting close.
I believe in what you’re doing, Sebastian, and if it will save Zak and Mia from this fate and allow them to have a normal future, I hope you carry on without me.
I’ll try and write again soon but in the meantime know that I love you with all my heart and I wish we could all be together.
Yours forever, C x
I stared at the paper for a long time, unable to think, move or comprehend what it meant. Elizabeth’s mouth hung open as she struggled to find an appropriate response too.
Adam snapped us out of our stunned silence when he returned with three Diet Cokes.
‘What have I missed?’
I handed him the letter and waited until he’d finished reading. He let out a long, low whistle and passed it back.
‘So your mum and Sebastian were a couple?’
‘It certainly looks that way, but earlier, when I asked Sebastian if he had been having an affair with my mum, he said no. He admitted to loving her but nothing else.’
‘Who’s Joel?’ Adam cut in.
‘Never heard that name before. He sounds like her boss or something, but that doesn’t explain why Zak would go to him. Whoever this Joel is, he doesn’t sound very nice.’
‘How did he hurt your mother?’ Elizabeth asked.
I skimmed over the letter once more. ‘It doesn’t say, but she was definitely scared. I wonder if he had something to do with her death.’
‘I thought you said a werewolf killed your mum?’
‘Yes, that’s what it said on the file, and Sebastian confirmed it earlier. Maybe this Joel knew where they were and he took her to their lair. Do werewolves have lairs?’
Adam chuckled. ‘I think they have three-bedroomed houses and attend church every Sunday.’
I groaned. I was more confused than ever.
A young waitress arrived with our food and gave us a cheery smile. The burger smelt good and my mouth started salivating before I could unwrap the cutlery from the napkin.
‘What’s in the envelope?’ Elizabeth asked between mouthfuls.
I tugged the prize from my coat and tore it open. There was a single photograph inside, but this wasn’t a pretty shot of my mum smiling or even a family portrait. My appetite disappeared as I studied the bare-chested boy chained to a laboratory table. He wore a shabby pair of trousers and dirty socks. With his arms and legs shackled, he strained against his restraints. A man in a long white lab coat was injecting something into the boy’s upper thigh.
I covered my mouth with my free hand as a wave of nausea washed over me. The photograph was old, its colouring faded, but the anguish, fear and pain that distorted the boy’s features were as raw as the day it was
taken.
I flipped the photograph over and gasped. Printed in capitals on the reverse was Prototype No. 0102.
The next morning passed in a blur of one-on-one fitness training with Miss Ross and private tuition on a hastily erected table under the picture window in Sebastian’s office. I believed it was partly Sebastian’s way of keeping a close eye on me and partly his need to keep the student body safe from his homicidal niece. I alternated between reading and watching the distant woods with longing.
The sound of raised voices pulled my attention from my books and I jumped out of my seat to investigate. Outside Sebastian’s office window, partially obscured by shrubbery, stood a large, bald man in an expensive-looking grey suit. He towered over Sebastian by a good foot and a half and jabbed my uncle in the chest as he enunciated every word.
‘I. Want. Her. Gone.’
‘Mr Parker, please. I assure you I have punished Miss Roberts severely and…’
‘I don’t care if you threw her in the goddam animal cages, she attacked my daughter and half killed her!’
I rolled my eyes at the exaggeration. Yes, Felicity looked like a ton of falling rocks had landed on her but ‘half killed’ was not even close.
‘Mia is devastated over her actions. She was hoping to fit in at this academy after witnessing the brutal murder of her father—at the hands of a werewolf.’
The big man squared his shoulders and studied my uncle like he was a bug he’d just found in his dinner.
‘I understand that your niece is damaged but that does NOT give her the right to…’
‘I know, I know.’ Sebastian raised his hands in submission. ‘I beg you to let her complete her training, even if it’s just to give her the basic skills she’ll need to protect herself in later life.’
Mr Parker looked as if he was considering Sebastian’s proposal, and I pressed myself closer to the window in anticipation of his response.
‘Very well. She can fulfil her training, take the oath, and then I want her gone. If you fail to get rid of her, Dr Roberts, I shall have no other choice but to withdraw my funding.’
‘There’s no need for such a rash action, Mr Parker.’
‘It took me a long time to find that tribe in Africa, Dr Roberts, and it took me even longer to find you. I needed a doctor qualified to use the tribe’s knowledge to develop the serum. Do not make me begin my search again.’
Sebastian squirmed under the bald man’s deadly glare.
‘I assure you, sir, I am doing everything in my power to develop the correct transfusion. You will have your serum and the wolves will never need to turn or hunt again.’
I pressed my hand to my mouth. Was it possible that Sebastian was the person responsible for the screams I’d heard?
Felicity’s father moved closer to Sebastian and spoke through clenched teeth.
‘I don’t care about them turning, or hunting, because when this serum is ready, you, and your little band of hunters, will use it to destroy them all. For good.’
The door to Sebastian’s office opened, making me jump and leap away from the window with a yelp. Miss Ross stuck her head in.
‘You can take your lunch break now, Mia. Elizabeth is still sitting her science exam, but I think I saw Adam in the canteen.’
I didn’t need telling twice and shot for the door, knocking the books and papers flying as I did. Miss Ross chuckled as I hurtled past her and headed towards the sounds of clattering plates.
‘Hey!’ Adam waved a hand in the air to attract my attention, and I headed towards him with my plate piled high.
‘I’m starving,’ I said.
‘I can see that!’ Adam’s eyes twinkled as he laughed at my haste to eat. He had become as much of a friend to me as Elizabeth had. They were like a package deal. He clearly idolised her and therefore he got her friends as well.
‘I’m going to sneak out later and see Cody.’
Adam showed no signs of surprise at hearing about my escape plans; he just shrugged his muscular shoulders.
‘You need any help getting out?’
‘Not if you leave your ladder at the window. I’ll use that and keep to the shadows. I’ll message Cody and tell him to meet me at the overhang at midnight.’
Adam nodded.
‘What do you know about Felicity’s dad?’ I asked, recalling the conversation between him and Sebastian.
‘Mr Parker? Not much. I know he’s wealthy and travels all over the world visiting tribes and trading their knowledge of herbal medicine for western goods. I also know he despises werewolves. Why?’
‘I’ve just overheard him and Sebastian talking and I don’t think I’ve got a lot of time left. Mr Parker wants me out.’
‘Well, if Mr Parker is anything like his daughter, I can’t say I’m surprised. That family despise anyone who isn’t like them.’
I nodded and stuffed a chip in my mouth.
‘I was thinking, you might want to put your meeting with Cody off until tomorrow, Mia.’ Adam wiggled his eyebrows at me.
‘Huh?’
‘I’ve got a present for you and you might need to use it as soon as possible so I can put it back before anyone realises it’s gone.’
My eyes widened as he produced a small silver key from his pocket.
‘You got it!’
‘I got it,’ he said, puffing his chest out with pride. ‘But I need to return it fast. If the so-called store room is the entrance to a secret lab, someone will notice that this key is missing.’
I nodded and turned the object over and over in my hand.
‘Okay, change of plan. We’ll sneak into the lab tonight and I’ll meet Cody tomorrow. I might just have something to tell him by then.’
I slipped the key into my jeans pocket. An odd feeling circled in the pit of my stomach and it wasn’t indigestion. I’d heard a scream when I followed Felicity and her minion that night, and I didn’t relish the thought of what we might find down there.
‘I have a staff meeting tonight so I won’t be able to come with you, but that also means Sebastian will be there too and not wandering around the school.’
‘Perfect. That should give us time to do some snooping without worrying about the staff finding us.’
‘I’ll meet you back in your room when I’m done to make sure you’re both back safely.’
I smiled up into Adam’s handsome face, his mocha eyes twinkling under the fluorescent light. He’d wait to make sure Elizabeth was safe, but I appreciated the gesture of including me in his thoughts.
I pushed my empty plate away and pressed my fingers against the pocket of my jeans, checking that the key was safe. Tonight we might have some answers. Tonight we might discover the truth.
THE SCHOOL WAS in darkness as we crept down the main staircase and into the lobby. There were no lights on in Sebastian’s office, the bolts were secured on the front doors and the canteen was silent for once.
Adam had told us the staff meeting was taking place in the library and to ensure that they weren’t interrupted, a curfew had been set for the entire student body.
As we approached the store room door, I tried not to think about breaking school rules. Calming my nerves was top priority, but my hand shook slightly as I fished the key out of my pocket and pushed it into the lock. My scalp tingled with the anticipation of what we might discover.
The long corridor opened up beyond the stacks of paper and ink, and I gestured for Elizabeth to follow me. She secured the door behind us and rushed to my side.
Her clammy hand clutched at my elbow was strangely comforting. Adam had given us each a torch and we shone them across the grey walls until we found the stairwell leading down into the lab.
Elizabeth’s eyes flashed with fear but she nodded at me to carry on, giving me the strength to place one foot on the top step and move down.
The staircase was made of stone and led to a large open room with a low ceiling. The floor was stained with dark splodges that looked to be years old. I tried n
ot to think about where the stains had come from. At the back of the room, carved into the rock, was a large glass window and a steel door. We hugged the edge of the room as we made our way to the door, neither one of us wanting to walk over the dark marks that littered the concrete floor.
I grabbed the handle and pushed, relieved to find the door was unlocked and opened easily. The room was bright, white and clean, a contrast to the stone cavern we had left behind.
Locating the switch on the wall, I flicked it up, instantly flooding the area in a stark light from the fluorescent strips overhead. In the centre of the room was a silver trolley. I trailed a shaky hand across the shiny surface with a growing feeling of panic. The smell of antiseptic filled my senses, making me gag. Two leather straps connected to heavy chains hung from the metal gurney. Even though the straps had been recently sterilised, I could still see the muted red stains ingrained into the leather.
‘What is this place?’ whispered Elizabeth, her complexion ashen.
‘Well, it’s not the nurse’s office.’ My voice shook slightly as I offered my friend a weak smile.
Above the long metal bench that stretched across the length of the room was another large window. Through the glass, I could make out the dull shape of filing cabinets lining one wall.
‘We need to get in there.’ I stabbed my finger towards the window for Elizabeth’s benefit as I made for the connecting door.
Turning the handle as I put my shoulder against the steel, I prayed that it wouldn’t be locked. It gave with a loud squeak and we both froze to the spot and listened for any sound that someone had heard us. Silence. We walked inside.
In the far corner was yet another connecting door. It appeared that the underground lab consisted of single rooms leading off one another. Just how many rooms and what they all contained was a mystery. One that I might not be willing to discover tonight.
The filing cabinets were in alphabetical order and I went straight for R. Flicking through the tightly packed Manila files I found what I was looking for. Cassandra Roberts—my mother’s file. I tucked it into the back of my jeans and pulled my hoodie down over the top to conceal my stolen goods. Elizabeth hissed and beckoned me over.
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