“Maggie healed my ear!” says Orion, pointing at the gem hanging from his earlobe again. “One of the vampires tore it out.”
Gwen shudders, anxiously fiddling with their own gem on their wrist. “I’ll feel better once we’re back in the water.”
“I can unfreeze part of the surface of the lake,” says Amrita. “So that you and your siblings can get to safety. I should be able to get you there.”
“I’ll help,” I say. “I can keep the wolves away.”
But even as I say the words, my chest aches with concern. I might be a good fighter, but Uncle Leander and the other wolves are much older and more experienced than me. I don’t know if I can hold them off for long.
Maggie senses my anxiety and squeezes my hand.
“I might not be much help against the vampires,” Hallie says. “They’re much older than me. But I can do my best, and I’ve picked up a little magic that might come in handy!”
“You young ones don’t need to stay,” Amrita says, her expression serious. “I won’t lie to you, the odds aren’t good. Professor Hall and I are powerful witches, but we’re outnumbered, and weak from being recently imprisoned. We’ll do everything we can, but Tudor Thornblade and Leander Arundel are formidable enemies. We can’t guarantee your safety.”
Hallie, Maggie and I all exchange determined looks. We’ve made up our minds.
“We’re going to stay,” says Maggie, firmly.
“In that case,” sighs Principal Vyas. “Let’s go protect the school.”
The group of us head down the dungeon hallway and up the stairs, as quickly and quietly as we can manage. Lydia Hall is in the entryway, defending against Finley Hound in his wolf form. Amrita creates a shining, purple forcefield around Hallie and the mermaids as they all run out the main entryway, toward the lake. Rory and the other witches hurry down the opposite hallway, toward the north exit so they can escape through the woods and tell the Hecate coven what’s happened. I know wedon’t have much time. Once the outside patrol sees Amrita and Hallie, they’ll be alerted to our escape.
I inhale slowly, steeling my nerves. We just have to hold them off for long enough for Rory and the others to get to safety.
June joins Lydia, their yellow energy magic combining. They manage to shift Finley out of his wolf form. He crouches on the ground of the entryway. When he sees me, his eyebrows raise.
“Rae!” he shouts. “The Hecate witches have escaped!”
“I know,” I say, stepping toward him. “Finley, you have to listen.”
His chest moves up and down quickly. I can sense his heart pounding as he stares at me in confusion.
I continue, praying that I can somehow get through to him. “What we’re doing isn’t right, Finley. We shouldn’t have attacked the academy like this, or imprisoned the professors and students…”
“What?” he asks sharply, rising to his feet. “What are you talking about…they imprisoned me in theCave, Rae.”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t have to be like this. We don’t have to keep fighting each other-”
“Yes, yes we do!” he says angrily.
“Rae, what’s the meaning of this?” booms another voice. My uncle, entering from the south entrance. Two of the Houndsville wolves enter with him, in their wolf forms. His glare is like a dagger, ferocious. He must have heard us. “These witches aren’t our kind. We can’t trust them.”
“I’m sorry about your land, Leander,” says Lydia. “The Hecate witches shouldn’t have supported the panthers, and they shouldn’t have exiled your pack.”
My uncle scoffs at her. “I don’t need yourpity, witch. Rae, you’re either with us or against us.”
He shifts into his wolf form, massive and snarling. Finley follows suit.
My heart heavy, I shift into my wolf, standing between Maggie and the rest of my pack. We need to push them back, as far away from the castle as we can so that Rory and the others can get away. Lydia and June seem to have the same idea, creating a forcefield of yellow light to push the four wolves back out onto the grounds. Its quickness surprises them and we all end up just outside the castle, by the gravel road. Maggie shuts the large doors with her magic and keeps them sealed, their wooden edges glowing crimson in the dark night. I pace in the snow between the three witches and the wolves, watching for any movement from the shifters.
Finley strikes first, rushing at June. But my reflexes are good, and I intercept him, knocking him back. Lydia and June use their yellow energy magic to keep the wolves away, while Maggie holds the academy doors. In the distance, I can see flashes of purple light as Amrita and Hallie fight the vampires who have been alerted to our presence. I try not to think about Hallie and how young she is compared to the other vampires. She might be able to heal against wolves, but older vampires can easily stake younger ones. I pray that Amrita will be able to protect her.
Shouts and howls fill the night air as the battle rages on. I stay close to Maggie and the doors, knowing that our goal is to keep them from being breached. But it’s difficult to keep the wolves back. Although witches often underestimate shifters, my uncle is very old and seasoned in battle. Flanked by the Houndsville wolves, he’s able to keep us close against the door. He howls powerfully to call the rest of the wolves to them.
“It’s no use!” June shouts, her voice wavering as she struggles to keep her glowing forcefield strong. “We’re still outmatched!”
I turn to see a figure descend from the air beside Maggie. It’s Amrita, her long purple robe flowing around her and her owl familiar hovering nearby. She’s holding Hallie in her arms.Hallie’s eyes are fluttering open and shut, and she trembles weakly as Amrita sets her gingerly on the snowy ground. Dark red blood stains her travel cloak.
