Nightworld Academy: Term One(Nightworld Academy #1)(64)

"No idea. He said he went for air."

"Maeve! What if—"

"He won't touch anyone."

Amelia swears and my brows shoot up. This girl rarely swears. Our conversation halts as Tessa stumbles over. How she never spilled that drink in her plastic cup is a miracle.

Tessa's life has changed as much as mine—she's with a new crowd who are a mile apart from the people we hung out with together. We're legally allowed to drink, but school rules are no alcohol, even for a night like this.

"Fine, sulky face. Let’s leave." Tessa hooks an arm through mine and we move towards the doorway, Amelia following.

"Why did you come here tonight?" I ask. "We haven't been to the Halloween event for years."

She shrugs and pulls out her phone instead. "Oh, cool. I have twenty likes on my post."

I roll my eyes and turn around. "Amelia, we have to find Jamie."

Pulling her phone out, she types a message. "He better bloody hadn't be here. I'll text him."

"My thoughts exactly," I mutter.

"What's happening?" asks Tessa.

"One of our friends is here. We didn't know he’d planned to come tonight, and I need to find him."

"Oh." Tessa rubs the corner of her eye. "The missing guy from your new group? Is this the hot, clever dude?"

Shut up, Tessa.

Amelia chuckles. "Jamie? Yes, him."

We step through the door to where Ash should be, but there’s nobody apart from someone tidying up the stray cups and decorations knocked to the ground.

"Crap." I look in both directions, but the hallway is empty. "Ash has gone, Amelia."

Her amusement drops. "Gone where?"

"I don't know! He said the guy was a hunter."

Amelia’s voice rises in pitch. "A hunter? Here?"

I suck in a calming breath. "Has Jamie replied to you?"

She shakes her head.

I swear and slump against the wall. "This is a mess."

"A drink will make you feel better," pipes up Tessa. "Do you want to go to the pub?"

Since when did that become Tessa's answer to everything?

"What do we do?" I ask Amelia.

Amelia straightens. "I’ll text Ash too. He needs to get his backside here and so does Jamie."

"What the hell has got into people?" I mutter.





ASH

The hunter may think he's found his perfect excuse to kill me, but he's also risking his life.

In the last few weeks at home, a group of strangers appeared at the pub every night. Not unusual since Hillendale is a tourist spot, but October isn’t a popular time of year. I asked our barmaid Marie to find out who they were—they're a group staying at the caravan park on the outskirts of town. Ramblers enjoying a holiday in the Yorkshire countryside.

But I never believe or trust anybody strange who walks into our pub. Not since a hunter took and killed my brother. I swore revenge, and tonight I have a chance. This hunter might not be alone, but we can take them. They’re only human. I don't care which hunter dies, as long as one does, and if I don't kill him, he'll try to kill me.

The guy walks along the school hallway with his shoulders straight and at an even pace, nodding hellos to people. His strides are purposeful, and he glances around before taking a side exit from the school building.

My phone alert sounds and I pull it from my pocket. Amelia.

<Where the hell are you? Come back. We need to find Jamie> Jamie?

Holding the phone in my palm, I creep out of the door and watch as the hunter steps into the dark outside. I'm about to reply when a second man appears. It's impossible to view him clearly, but they talk long enough to show they know each other. The pair continue their way along a pathway leading towards a large rectangular building.

<Ash?>

<What do you mean Jamie? >

<Maeve saw him here. Vision. Tonight> I look between the screen and men not wanting to lose them. <Where are you Ash? > I step away from view and rest against a brick wall to reply. <There are two hunters now. I'll wait for you outside> <No. Come back to the school entrance we’ll wait for you there. And be careful> I smile at Amelia's last words. <They're hunters. I’ll deal with them. Permanently.> <Ash. No>

If these men are stalking me and think they can win, they won't; I bet they decided to follow the shifter on Halloween for sport.

Unfortunately for them, they'll meet more than me. Between the four of us, we'll win.





Chapter Thirty-Six





MAEVE



The panic that’s built over the last ten minutes peaks when Amelia relays Ash’s message to me. "Ash would kill a hunter? How does he know there isn't more than two guys?"

"Ash isn’t thinking straight." Amelia stares at her phone as we usher Tessa to the car park. "Still no response from Jamie. Crap, I hope he isn't here."

"Should we look for him?" I ask.

She wrinkles her nose. "No. We can't split up—I’ll message again but Jamie would reply if he were here. I’m more concerned about Ash."