by Kasi Blake
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When Bay-Lee received a summons to her first Mock Battle a week after Tessa’s death, she was relieved. The invitation was delivered by Gavin at Van’s request, and she was grateful for it. Still in her street clothes, she’d been dreading the thought of going to bed. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she tossed and turned every night, visions of a dead roommate haunting her.
Gavin walked her to the mock battleground. His hand slid beneath her hair and caressed her neck in a possessive manner that made her uncomfortable. Her spine stiffened. Feeling awkward, she steered him away from the subject of them. “What do I need to do tonight? No one mentioned Mock Battles before. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never even seen one. How am I supposed to pass this test?”
“Relax.” A goofy smile stretched his mouth. “They don’t expect you to pass. This is just to check your skill level, kind of like at Orientation when the students attacked you.”
His arm moved down to encircle her waist. He pulled her close to his side, and she worked hard not to pull away and hurt his feelings. She hoped no one would see them and get the wrong idea.
“What’s that?” She pointed at a gaping hole in the ground.
“A pit for monsters to fall into if they cross over. We think it might be bottomless so steer clear of it.”
“This place gets weirder every day.” She smiled at Gavin. “Describe a Mock Battle, please.”
“They’re always different.” He laughed an almost girlish giggle. “You’ll do fine. It’s no big deal.” After she glared at him, he gave in and told her, “The battles can be inside or outside. There is always a mission to be completed. You might have to save someone or retrieve an important item or take some territory back from a monster. Since this is your first one, they’ll go easy on you. They won’t make you fight real monsters. One or two students will dress up and attack you. While you fight them, your mentor will call out instructions. Van and a few teachers will study your technique. They’ll evaluate you. Then you’ll get a written and verbal report by the end of the week.”
It sounded simple enough. Tension left her body like air leaking from a balloon. She melted against Gavin’s side, and he placed cool lips against her temple. Whatever the mission, she would complete it. She’d make Van proud.
The first step was to picture her happy place and calm down.
As they walked through the forest she imagined herself on a boat in the middle of a tranquil blue sea. Calm waters and warm rays put her at ease. In her mind she sat on the deck and enjoyed the slight rocking of the boat. It was a perfect day for sailing, not a cloud in the sky. A peaceful smile touched her lips. She couldn’t be any more relaxed if she was in a coma.
The trees parted and a large crowd of people came into view, Van and Nick among them. Her gaze purposely swept over Nick without stopping and landed on Van. After a quick squeeze, Gavin released her. He stepped off to the side to watch with the others while she went to Van. The older man greeted her as a father might with a loving embrace that nearly brought tears to her eyes because it wasn’t meant for her. The affectionate demonstration was for the onlookers, so they would believe the lie. As far as they knew she was Van Helsing’s daughter in the flesh.
He stepped back and beckoned someone over her shoulder. She turned and saw Alec coming at them with a blue folder in his hands. While everyone went silent, he opened the folder and read the mission aloud. “In order to win this battle, Bay-Lee Van Helsing must retrieve an important package and save a hostage.”
Several gasps parted the air like gunshots. Bay-Lee looked at Gavin in confusion and saw he was just as mystified. Weren’t they supposed to go easy on her? Her gaze transferred to Van, and she saw the truth in his eyes. Her mission was twice as difficult because they thought she was his daughter. They expected her to be twice as good as everyone else.
Alec continued. “In this scenario there are seven monsters camping in the woods. They took a student hostage, but they also have a box with a device inside that could save the world. The problem is you can’t have both. If you go for the box, they will kill the hostage. If you try to save the hostage, they will smash the box. What will you do?”
Bay-Lee turned to her mentor. Nick opened his mouth to advise her but didn’t get the chance because Alec cut him off with a quick slice of his hand. The gravity of the situation hit her like a sledgehammer. They weren’t going to allow Nick to help her. She was truly on her own.
Van called out, “Take your places! Let’s get started.”
Six students dressed in grimy clothing with frayed edges and skeleton masks covering their faces took center stage, and Keisha went with them. Her hands were tied behind her back. One of them helped her sit at the base of a tree. She was obviously playing the hostage. Another student set a blue box on a short stump at least twenty feet away from her.
Trying to lighten the mood, Gavin asked, “What are they supposed to be? Cartoon monsters?”
Alec shushed him with a stern glare. “No one in the audience is allowed to talk until this is over.”
Van placed a hand on her shoulder. “Begin when you are ready.”
“Do I get a weapon?”
“There’s a knife on the ground.” He pointed to a shiny object sticking out of the grass. “You can use it to cut Keisha’s ties, but we don’t want you using it in a fight. We don’t want anyone seriously hurt.”
“Are there rules?”
“No one is allowed to help you. Beyond that it’s up to you.” Van forced a smile. “Forget this is a Mock Battle and make-believe it’s real. What would you do if this happened? Would you choose to save a hostage or a box that could possibly save the world? Think about it.”
She lowered her voice so the others couldn’t hear. “How important is it for me to ace this? I mean, will it ruin your reputation if I screw up?”
“Don’t worry about me, little one.” He removed his glasses. Sincerity filled his warm brown eyes. “You’ve wanted to be a hunter half your life, and this is your big chance. There are those who believe you cannot handle yourself. Prove them wrong. You have good instincts. Learn to listen to them.”
Van walked away, leaving her to contemplate the upcoming task. She closed her eyes. In an instant she was back on the boat, sunlight on her face and water spraying over the side. Sea gulls sang a familiar song for her. This was where she truly belonged. It was home.
She opened her eyes and returned to reality. Everyone was waiting for her to get started. Faux-monsters paced around, on guard as if they could sense her but couldn’t see her. Keisha sat at the base of the tree. Using her acting skills, Keisha stared at the monster nearest her with wide, frightened eyes. The others, everyone not involved sat on rows of benches as if they were getting ready to watch an outside theatre performance.
Her mind raced. First, she tried to figure out what Van would expect her to do. What would a good hunter do under the circumstances? If she saved Keisha, the box would be destroyed and the teachers might say it was the wrong choice, choosing one person over the world. On the other hand, if she saved the box and let Keisha die, what did that say about her as a person? Hunters needed to rely on each other. Letting one of them die was breaking a sacred trust.
Going on gut instinct, Bay-Lee ran to the knife and plucked it off the ground. She heard the crowd murmur. They thought she was going to save Keisha and allow the box to be destroyed. Her gaze automatically went to Nick. Jaw tight, he looked worried. She winked at him before flying into action.
She yelled, “Heads up!”
Keisha jumped, startled. When the girl lifted her face, Bay-Lee threw the knife. The blade struck the soft ground near Keisha’s tied hands. Smiling, Keisha quickly slid the ropes against the sharp blade. She was free before Bay-Lee reached the box. At least Keisha had a fighting chance now. She could battle the faux-monster guarding her.
Keisha had taken down two monsters on her own. There was only one left. Bay-Lee recognized him from her breakfast with the other girl. He was a friend of the pretty shopaholic. His gaze bounced between the two girls, unnerved. He didn’t seem to know what to do. Keisha nodded at Bay-Lee, wide smile on her face. She gestured for Bay-Lee to run at the boy while Keisha charged him from another direction. He was trapped between them. Both girls yelled a tribal battle call.
The boy threw his arms up in the air. “I give up! I give up!” Then he muttered, “I don’t get paid enough for this.”
The girls stopped within inches of him and high-fived each other as the crowd cheered. Keisha kissed the boy on the cheek and told him he’d made the right decision. Bay-Lee took a moment to catch her breath. Her eyes slid over the crowd to find Nick. He gave her a thumbs-up. Next, she looked at Van. There was a touch of pride in his eyes, enough to warm Bay-Lee’s heart.
A growl interrupted the moment, and cold fear sliced through her calm. She slowly turned, seeking the thing responsible for the noise. The bushes rustled. Was someone trying to scare her? She took a step closer, straining her ears and eyes to catch the slightest clue. The bushes stopped moving and all was quiet.
Bay-Lee held her breath.
“Something wrong?” Keisha asked.
Bay-Lee opened her mouth to respond.
A giant wolf sprang from the bushes and landed in front of her, only it wasn’t an ordinary wolf. Silver and black, it was the size of a small car. It was a werewolf. The thing snarled, and saliva dripped from the deadly mouth. Its eyes fixed on her. Plunged into a waking nightmare, Bay-Lee’s entire body shook like a leaf in a hurricane, and her mind shut down. She couldn’t think, couldn’t focus. After all these years she was going to be killed by a werewolf... just like her mother.
Panicking, she stumbled backwards. She tripped and fell, landing near a tree. A scream ripped from her throat. The werewolf took a step forward, preparing to pounce on her and tear her to shreds. The memory of her mother’s death drove rational thought from her head. She cowered, once again a helpless child. Her hands clasped the tree’s trunk. Rough bark scraped tender skin, but she barely felt the pain.
Nick came out of nowhere with a wild cry and a sharp sword in his hand. As if waiting for their cue, other hunters flew into action. Keisha and Mike led the rest of them to attack the wolf. Several other hunters, both students and teachers chased the werewolf deeper into the woods.
Nick dropped the sword on the ground next to her and reached for Bay-Lee. She flipped out, striking at him with her hands, fighting for her life. In her mind Nick was the werewolf. She floated outside of her body, too numb to care how she looked to the other hunters.
“You’re okay,” Nick said. “I’m right here.”
The concern in his voice broke the dam holding back a multitude of tears. It had been a tough week. The loss of her roommate was never far from her mind. Add to that the stress of training, dealing with a mentor who wanted nothing to do with her, and now a werewolf in her face, seconds away from killing her. She couldn’t take anymore.
Tears streamed down her cheeks in a steady race for her chin. Once she started to cry she couldn’t stop. Years of pent up frustration and sorrow were released, and her life flashed before her eyes, heading for the proverbial toilet. She was having a meltdown in front of the whole school, and they were going to ask her to leave. Not even Van would be able to save her.
Nick blocked her so the others couldn’t see her crying. Just when she started thinking he was the biggest jerk in the world, he did something nice. She sobbed harder, and he snapped at her. “Get it under control!”
She sniffed. “Why are you yelling at me?”
“I’m not yelling,” he said in a harsh whisper. “Everyone has a bad day. It’s to be expected. But if you completely fall apart in front of them, it is over. Pull it together now while we can still spin this.”
“We?” He was going to help her? She wiped her damp face with a sleeve and forced her body to stop trembling. Somehow she was going to convince everyone this was a fluke. Maybe they would believe she was ill and that was why she’d lost control over her emotions.
Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Once they were both standing, he advised her. “Don’t mention this unless someone else does. Van will probably talk to you about it later. The board might call you to come forward and explain why you ran from a fight.”
“What do I do? What do I say?”
“Tessa just died, and the werewolf caught you off guard. Besides, you’re Bait. They don’t expect you to be a great hunter yet, but they do expect you to face danger without crying, so get it together.” He rubbed the nape of her neck. “It’s okay. They won’t kick you out for this.”
Van shouted at the teachers, demanding to know who had added a real monster to the mix. No one was admitting anything. Bay-Lee didn’t want to hear it. Van was putting on a show again, playing the concerned father. She listened to passing students instead.
“This place is going downhill fast,” a girl named Lucy said. “Every time we turn around someone else is being attacked or killed like poor Tessa.”
“So sad,” a petite brunette said. “They still don’t know who killed her.”
“Maybe it was her roommate.”
Bay-Lee froze. The girls either didn’t notice her standing there or didn’t care if she overheard them talking about her.
“Why would she kill Tessa?” the redhead asked.
“Tessa talked non-stop,” Lucy said. “Maybe Van’s daughter couldn’t take it. She wanted to be able to sleep. I don’t blame her.”
“That’s silly. Anyway, it was especially sad because it happened on Tessa’s birthday.”
Bay-Lee’s heart nearly stopped. No longer willing to pretend she wasn’t listening, she walked straight up to the girls. “Tessa did not die on her birthday.”
The brunette stuttered, “I... uh, sorry.”
“Tell me why you think it was Tessa’s birthday.”
“I know it was. She used to be one of my closest friends.” The girl shrugged. “Tessa hated to celebrate the day because her mom was dead, so she didn’t tell anyone.”
Bay-Lee believed the girl. She turned and stalked across the field, going to Nick who was still wrapped up in a heated discussion with Van on the pros and cons of Mock Battles. Interrupting them, she put herself between the two men and announced, “Tessa died on her birthday.”
Nick didn’t get the significance, but Van did.
“Are you quite certain?” Van asked.
“Her former best friend just told me.” Bay-Lee swallowed before admitting, “I overheard you talking to Connor before we left the house. I know what’s been happening with hunters. What does it mean?”
Nick’s confused gaze bounced between them.
“It means whoever or whatever is killing hunters has come to our school,” Van said.
“Not possible,” Nick said. “There are spells and security teams and hunters everywhere. How would a monster get inside?”
“Nothing is impossible,” Van said. “I learned that lesson long ago.”
After asking her if she was okay, Van headed for the school. Nick started to follow, but Bay-Lee grasped his arm just above the wrist. Her fingers wrapped around the invisible Van Helsing tattoo. “I have a confession.” She wished she’d told Van before now. “The night you broke into my house, you weren’t my only visitor. A reaper dropped in to give me a warning.”
“What did it say?”
“It kills you on your birthday. That�
��s what it said. It wouldn’t tell me anything else.”
“And you didn’t tell Van?” He stared at her, dumbfounded. “Am I the only one you’ve told?”
She nodded.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For trusting me.” A slight smile touched his mouth, but there was a cloud of pain in his eyes. “People usually don’t.”
Chapter Thirteen
WHAT WILL BE, WILL BE