Cold Blood

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “Are you okay now?” asked Cambria quietly.

  She was still standing further away than Logan was. It made me feel bad.

  “Yeah, I think so. I don’t know what happened. I just got so angry. I’m sorry. I would never have hurt you guys.”

  “Yeah, we know that.” That was Logan. Cambria looked unsure.

  “I’m sorry. For that and for earlier.” I hoped she could see my face well enough that my sincerity came across.

  “Yeah, okay. We’re cool,” she said finally.

  “Does that mean we can go back to–” Logan fell abruptly silent and stared into the woods.

  I didn’t ask what was wrong. I didn’t need to. I looked at Cambria and could make out the wide whites of her eyes. She, too, stared off into the trees, and I knew then that we all felt the same thing.

  Goose bumps.

  They ran up my spine first, past my neck and over my scalp.

  Snap. Dead leaves and brush crunched somewhere nearby.

  I whirled. It was coming from the opposite direction of the bonfire, but I couldn’t let it get closer. We must have all had that same thought because we all took off running at the same time. I squinted into the darkness, willing my night vision into focus. Even with it, though, I knew whatever was making all that noise could see far better than I could.

  The branches and heavy bushes weren’t helping. We’d been standing in the middle of what could only be described as a thicket. Trying to get out was like fighting with a rosebush; the rosebush always won. By the time I broke free, I knew I’d torn my shirt and my skin in several places.

  I kept going.

  Behind me, I could hear Cambria and Logan crunching over the same leaves I was. We were making enough noise that I couldn’t hear anything else, but I still felt the goose bumps, and I knew something was close. I put my hand on each of their arms and signaled them to stop.

  Up ahead, I heard the faint crunching of leaves. I took off. The way was clearer now. The trees were further apart and easier to get around. Logan inched next to me and then past me, running full speed. Cambria and I were shoulder to shoulder, parting only to sidestep a tree or fallen log. I knew the moment we passed through the wards. A sort of jolt ran through me and I felt my stomach rise into my throat for a split second, like when you go over an unexpected hill in the car. Cambria and I glanced at each other, but we kept going. Logan hadn’t even slowed, and we sprinted ahead to catch up.

  We ran for what felt like longer than it should’ve taken. After a while, Logan stopped and froze in place, listening. Cambria and I did the same. I strained my ears against the silence of our muted breathing.

  Nothing.

  We stood, unmoving, for a few more minutes, but I never heard anything else. The goose bumps began to recede. When they were gone, Logan turned and walked back to Cambria and me.

  “What the hell?” Cambria hissed.

  I understood her reason for whispering. Our bodies told us we were alone, but I still felt exposed.

  “How did that happen?” I whispered.

  Logan didn’t answer. He took his hat off and wiped his forehead with his hand and then shoved his hat back on, brim facing backwards. “We need to get back inside the wards,” he said. “Now.”

  “Right, like that’ll help. A Werewolf got inside the wards. We need to tell everyone to get the hell back to the school,” Cambria said.

  “We can’t,” said Logan. “If we tell people what happened, they’ll panic. Some will go running back to school but think of who you’re dealing with, Cambria. The first thing most of them will do is run straight into the woods to find the Werewolf and be the one to kill it. We can’t put them in danger like that.”

  “We’ll explain to them that we chased it off. It’s gone,” I said. “We can’t just leave them out in the open like that.”

  Cambria sighed, eyes still darting around in the dark, looking for any sign of danger. “Logan is right, Tara. These kids are Hunters. A.k.a. glory seekers. They aren’t afraid, and they don’t run from a fight. If anything, they’ll run straight into it.”

  Logan nodded. “And we don’t know how many Werewolves were here. It could’ve been a whole pack.”

  “So what are we supposed to do? Let them party out here all night until the pack comes back for them?”

  “I don’t think they’re coming back,” said Logan. “I mean, there are only three of us so why did they run in the first place? Unless there was only one and it couldn’t take us. But either way, what was it doing here?”

  No one had an answer.

  “Until we know, we have to assume it’s not safe,” Logan went on. “We’ll go back and stay at the party until the last person leaves and make sure they all get back okay.”

  Cambria and I nodded. It was the best plan we had. We made our way back to the bonfire and slipped into the clearing. In the added light from the fire I got a good look at Cambria and Logan, and my eyes widened. Then I glanced down at myself.

  “You guys. We’re a mess,” I hissed at them.

  They each looked down at their ripped shirts, caked in dirt. All three of us had drying, bloody scratches up and down our arms. I inched back towards the edge of the thicket we’d come out of. Cambria and Logan followed. I was about to disappear, figuring it might be better to watch from a distance, when a familiar face appeared from the trail that led to school.

  I froze long enough for Alex to meet my eyes and then, like a five year old, I dove into the bushes anyway. Cambria and Logan stayed where they were, and I cursed under my breath. I closed my eyes and waited. I don’t know why; I guess I was hoping it was a ‘if I can’t see you then you can’t see me’ situation. It wasn’t.

  “Tara.” Alex’s tone let me know he wasn’t amused.

  I stepped out of my hiding place with as much nonchalance as I could muster. Thorns pulled at me, and I had to pick them free before turning to face him. “What’s up?”

  He took in my appearance which he’d, no doubt, already noticed about Logan and Cambria, and his eyes narrowed. He looked pissed. “Headmaster Whitfield wants to see you. Now.”

  I sighed in relief. “That’s good. I guess that means the wards did their job after all.” I looked over at Cambria and Logan, but they didn’t look nearly as relieved as I felt. I looked back at Alex. He still looked pissed, which confused me. “He wants to see me about the breach, right?”

  Alex’s lips tightened into a thin line. “Good guess. But not only you. All three of you went off grounds. You all need to come.”

  Cambria looked startled. “All three of us? Can we go one at a time?”

  “No.”

  I stepped forward, seeing the problem this presented. “But one of us needs to be here. Is anyone else with you?”

  Alex looked at me blankly. “I’m pretty sure I can handle bringing the three of you in by myself.”

  “Not for us. For the Werewolf,” said Cambria.

  “What are you talking about?” Alex’s gaze swiveled to Cambria, full of frustration and impatience.

  Cambria crossed her arms. “The whole reason we crossed the wards,” she said, just as impatiently. “We were chasing the Werewolf that breached our side first.”

  “Nobody said anything about a Werewolf to me,” said Alex.

  “Oh, so then it must be a lie.” You could almost hear Cambria rolling her eyes. “Look, you’re cute, but you’re not cute enough to keep me from going off on you for being an idiot. Why would we cross the wards unless we had a reason?”

  Alex stepped up so he stood toe to toe with her. “I have no clue why you crossed the wards. Not my business. My job is to take you to Headmaster Whitfield. Now move before I have to carry you.”

  He and Cambria locked eyes. Neither one moved.

  “Uh-oh,” Logan whispered under his breath.

  I wasn’t quite sure whose temper would snap first, but I really didn’t want to find out. I put a hand on each of their arms. After what felt like forever, Cambria back
ed up and headed for the trail. Logan and I exchanged a look and followed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  No one said another word on the way back to school. A part of me wanted to negotiate, beg, whatever, with Alex to let one of us stay and keep an eye on the kids at the bonfire, but I knew it was useless. He’d made up his mind. Any possibility of convincing him had gone out the window when Cambria had called him an idiot. Not to mention the fact that he was probably still mad at me for earlier. So I stayed silent and hoped Headmaster Whitfield would be easier to convince.

  Griffin Hall was deserted and quiet. Our footsteps were annoyingly loud on the marble floors, and we didn’t pass anyone else on the way. All of the admin offices were dark, the doors closed. Alex stopped outside Headmaster Whitfield’s office and knocked twice. There was a mumbled response, and we waited while Alex disappeared inside. A second later, he reappeared and motioned for us to enter.

  We stepped inside, shoulder to shoulder, and found ourselves facing Headmaster Whitfield, Professor Kane, and Vera. They watched the three of us with matching expressions of disappointment that couldn’t have been more identical if they’d planned it.

  Vera glanced behind me and said, “Thank you Alex. You can get back to your patrols.”

  The door clicked shut without a word.

  “Come sit down,” said Vera, looking at me and gesturing to the chairs. She remained where she was, standing next to Headmaster Whitfield behind the desk. Professor Kane stood off near the corner, watching us intently.

  We shuffled forward and sat.

  “So,” said Headmaster Whitfield, folding his hands on his desk and looking back and forth between us. “Who wants to tell me what happened tonight.”

  I spoke up, looking at Vera instead of Headmaster. “You should already know. If you sensed us crossing the wards, you sensed the Werewolf.”

  “Yes, Alex said you mentioned something about a Werewolf, but I’m afraid you’re mistaken. No Werewolves passed through the wards.” When I opened my mouth to interrupt, she raised her hand to stop me. “I would’ve felt it if they had. Just like I felt the three of you when you crossed outside of school grounds and when you re-entered. Maybe you heard a small animal or a deer and mistook it for a Werewolf.”

  “But I felt it. We all did,” said Cambria.

  “I’m sure you thought so,” said Headmaster Whitfield. “And if you thought you felt one then I commend you for going after it and trying to keep our school safe. Although, the right thing would’ve been to send for help and let us take care of it.” He nodded towards Vera and Professor Kane and then went on. “Your intentions were good. So, I’m simply going to issue each of you a warning. Keep in mind that if it happens again there will be serious consequences.”

  We all mumbled a simultaneous, “Yes, sir.”

  But Headmaster Whitfield wasn’t finished. “Safety is our number one priority, and I can assure you that the wards are checked daily. If a breach was made from the outside, we would know. You needn’t worry.”

  We all nodded, and I guess that was enough for him because he finally let us go with instructions that we all go directly back to our rooms. Apparently, they were still okay with turning a blind eye to the bonfire activities, as long as the three of us didn’t attend.

  We all filed out and made sure to click the door closed. We slowed our pace once we were away from the office.

  “Something’s wrong,” said Logan quietly.

  “Definitely,” agreed Cambria. “They should’ve sensed the breach.”

  “We need to do something,” I said.

  We reached the door, and I followed them out into the darkness. Up ahead, twinkling white lights lit the way across the courtyard to Lexington Hall. I’d gone exactly three steps when a figure stepped away from the side of the building and blocked our path.

  “Can I talk to Tara alone?” Alex asked.

  His hands were stuffed into his pockets, and his expression was neutral. Still, I was pretty sure he didn’t want to tell jokes and hang out. He hadn’t seemed happy about the way we’d kept insisting that we’d felt a Werewolf tonight, and I was not in the mood to hear anyone else tell me I’d imagined it. Before I could formulate a reason why I shouldn’t stay and talk, Cambria and Logan had nodded and given me a look. They were gone before I could muster a hateful glare at their backs. Some friends.

  “We need to talk,” Alex said, walking over so that he blocked my path of escape.

  I was trapped between him and the building. I sighed.

  “If you’re going to lecture me about imagining things save it. I heard enough of that inside. I’ll be keeping this sort of thing to myself from now on.”

  His eyes flashed and his neutral expression vanished. “You need to realize that I’m responsible for you. Everything you do comes back on me. Remember that.”

  “Oh, so you’re here to make sure I keep my nose clean? Make sure you don’t get any marks on your permanent record because of me? Message received. Can I go now?”

  “What is your problem?”

  “My problem? Maybe that you’re more concerned with being teacher’s pet than you are about the fact that a Werewolf breached the wards. A Werewolf. The only security system the school has against being invaded just became compromised. Which wouldn’t be a problem except that apparently someone out there wants to invade. And all you can think about is yourself and how you look on paper.”

  I shoved my hand into his shoulder to move him aside. I had every intention of having the last word and marching off to my room to invent new curse words to use on him, but my shove must’ve been pretty weak because he didn’t budge, and I almost ran into him.

  “I’m not done,” he said.

  “Believe me, I am,” I snapped. But I backed up because it was either that or stand nose to nose.

  “Are you sure there was a Werewolf out there tonight?”

  I blinked, too surprised by the question to answer right away. “Um, yeah,” I finally said.

  “You don’t sound sure.”

  “I didn’t expect… .” I glared at him. “Why? Do you believe me?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Whatever, Alex. Why would I lie?”

  “That’s what I’ve been asking myself the whole time you were in there.”

  “And?”

  “I guess you wouldn’t,” he said slowly. “You’re the most Werewolf-friendly Hunter I’ve ever met. I can’t see you crying ‘wolf’ for nothing.”

  I didn’t answer.

  “What do you think it wanted?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, but since no one’s going to take it seriously, I’m sure we’ll find out soon.” I thought of Miles but pushed it aside. There was no proof he was behind the intrusion, and until I knew more, I wasn’t going to freak anyone else out.

  “And that’s why one of you wanted to stay behind, at the bonfire.”

  I nodded. “Logan and Cambria said we shouldn’t tell anyone else. That they’d race off into the woods to try and take it out on their own. We were going to watch and make sure it didn’t come back, until the party died off.”

  Alex rubbed his jaw. “They’ve got a point. Too many glory seekers.”

  “That’s what Cambria said.”

  “She called me an idiot.”

  “You were being one,” I said. “She also thinks you’re hot.”

  “Really? Huh. A hot idiot. Not sure how I feel about that.”

  I rolled my eyes for effect, but I had to fight a smile.

  “You realize we’re conversing calmly–almost pleasantly–again.” He sounded on the verge of a smile. “If a stranger heard this and didn’t know any better, he’d think we were friends.”

  “Huh. Imagine that.”

  Alex’s eyes stayed on mine for a long moment, and just like that, I knew we’d become friends. I wasn’t sure how–or why–it had happened; I was pretty certain he still despised the Werewolf side of me, but right now, it didn’t matter. We
were no longer enemies. It felt nice.

  Behind me, the door to Griffin Hall creaked open, and I jumped. A senior emerged and headed off down the trail, whispering into an earpiece hooked onto one side of his face.

  “I need to get back,” Alex said, staring after the other boy for a moment.

  I nodded. “I guess I do, too. I was ordered back to my room for the night.” I sighed. “I hate that I can’t go back and keep an eye on things.”

  “I’ll do it. You go.”

  “You will?”

  “My patrols take me right by there, and I’m on duty most of the night.”

  “I don’t understand, why are you guys patrolling if the wards are in place?”

  Something passed over Alex’s face and was gone. “Protocol. Training. And there’s more of us tonight because of the bonfire.”

  “So they do care about the party?”

  He nodded. “They let it happen because they know it’s good for morale. And Headmaster tries to be cool. Anyway, I’ll get some extra guys to help, and I’ll keep an eye out.”

  “Thanks, Alex. I appreciate it.”

  “You can owe me. I’ll collect at training on Monday. We’ll add a mile to our run or something.”

  I groaned. “Maybe saving lives isn’t worth it.”

  He laughed and jogged away. “Later,” he called. Then he disappeared into the moonlit trees.

  *

  I was halfway across the courtyard when a shadow moved, blocking the twinkling lights, and I realized I wasn’t alone. I assumed it was Alex, wanting to add one more torture to the list for Monday’s training. I slowed and changed direction, heading towards it. I rounded the corner of a low-lying wall that surrounded the center fountain and a hand clamped down on my wrist. I stifled a scream.

  “Sshh!” Cambria hissed. She pulled me down beside her in a jerky movement, and my butt hit the concrete.

  “What the heck?” I demanded.

  “We’re going to Logan’s room. I need you to be quiet, and do what I say.”

  She grabbed my hand and jumped up, keeping her back bent and her head low, and headed for the far side of Lexington Hall. I followed, trying to keep low with her. She stopped at a side door that I’d seen before but always avoided. It said, ‘Staff Only’. Cambria pulled it open, and we slipped inside.