CHAPTER FOUR

Wendy

Flames lick the sky, and smoke chokes the air. I push through the haze, my eyes burning from the heat. All around me, the walls are on fire.

“Wendy!”

My heart lunches. That voice! It’s Brynn!

“Brynn!” I whirl around, looking for the first friend I made at Hawthorn. I haven’t seen her since we split up when the Silver Hunters attacked the school, and since then, I’ve constantly been wondering if she’s okay. Or if she’s even alive.

"Where are you?" I yell.

"I’m here! Help!"

I spin around again, and suddenly, I'm in the wishing well. The cool water dances, and at the very bottom of the well, the Golden Coin sparkles.

"Up here!" Brynn calls.

I lean back and catch sight of her at the very top of the stairs. She clutches the railing and looks down at me, her eyes wide and panicked.

"Hold on!" I run up the stairs.

"Hurry! They're coming!"

A looming figure appears behind her shoulder, and my breath catches in my throat. I want to scream, to warn her, but it's like my voice doesn't work anymore. Nothing but a choked sound emerges.

The Silver Hunter lifts his sword and brings it down on Brynn. She stumbles forward and falls through a hole in the banister.

"No!" I reach for her as she tumbles past, but she's out of my reach. She hits the water, sinking like a stone.

Someone chuckles behind me, making my blood run cold. Turning around, I see more Silver Hunters. The wishing well is gone, and instead, we're in the middle of campus, Silver Hunters standing on every square inch of dirt.

"Looking for something, are you?" the leader of the pack says.

My heart pounds in my chest, but I try to stay calm. "No. I was just looking for a friend."

"Oh, were you now?" He steps closer, and I can smell the smoke on his breath. "It's funny how we found you here, then. Especially since this is where the Golden Coin is hidden."

He holds out his hand, and I can see the glint of the coin in his palm.

I take a step back. "You can't have it!"

He laughs, and the other Silver Hunters join in. "Oh, but we can. You see, we know you've been searching for it. We know you think it will give you power. But it won't. It won't give you anything."

The leader steps closer, so close I can feel his breath on my face.

"You can't have it," I say again, but my voice is weak. I'm not sure I can convince him.

"Oh, but we can." He grins, then turns and holds the coin up for all the Silver Hunters to see. "This is ours now. Face it. You've lost. All your friends are dead. It's over."

"Wendy!" At the far end of the island, by the river, a group of Silver Hunters holds Gregory aloft.

“No,” I gasp.

My heart sinks as I see Gregory's arms and legs bound tightly, his eyes pleading with me for help. I figured he hated me after Heather sabotaged our first date, that he’d never want to speak to me again.

And now here he is, needing my help.

I can feel the anger and frustration boiling inside of me, but I know that I need to keep my cool if there's any chance of saving him.

"Let him go," I say, my voice steady despite the chaos around us.

One of the Silver Hunters laughs. "You don't get to make demands here, little girl. We're the ones in charge now."

I try to run to him, but the mass of hunters pushes me back. Their hands pull my hair and push me down.

"Let me go!" I scream. "Let me go!"

The Silver Hunters cheer as they toss Gregory into the raging water. He reaches up for help, his head bobbing in and out of the waves.

I'm frantic, pushing and hitting everyone I can touch. The adrenaline should be building. I should be tossing all these people to the side by now.

It's not happening, though. My powers are gone. They've abandoned me.

I scream, a sound that reverberates through the air like a banshee's wail. The hunters laugh and jeer, emboldened by their triumph.

"Stop!" I yell, my voice catching in my throat as tears well up in my eyes. "Please, just stop!"

But they don't stop. They continue to cheer and jeer as Gregory disappears under the water.

I fall to my knees, defeated. The Silver Hunters close in around me, their laughter ringing in my ears.

"Wendy." Someone grabs my shoulder, and I whirl around, ready to strike.

"Relax. It's me." Alec blinks at me in the dim cave.

I drop my fist, my breath labored and sticky. "Alec."

"You were dreaming." His lips pinch together, and he ducks his head to study me closer. "You okay?"

Pressing my clammy palms to my face, I close my eyes and shake my head. No, I'm not okay, and I don't think I ever will be again.

We left a nightmare behind at Hawthorn, and for all we know, it's still going on. "I dreamed about school. About the Silver Hunters."

My throat closes up. It feels impossible to go into further detail.

Alec wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. I take a deep breath and let my tears fall, knowing he will never judge me for them.

"It's okay," he whispers.

I wipe my tears. It's still cold, and my jeans are damp, and my butt is asleep. "We can't hide forever."

Alec sighs. "I know, but we need to put some distance between us and the enemy. Once we do that, we can look for help and come up with a plan."

I nod and get to my feet. Together we cautiously emerge from the cave.

The light is dim, and for a moment, I'm shaken. It's like when you're sick and fall asleep for hours then wake up with no clue what time it is. It could be dawn or dusk.

"Did we sleep all day?" I carefully pick my way over the rocks.

"You did. You looked so exhausted; I figured that I would let you."

I try not to be annoyed at him. I know he was thinking about my best interest, but my mind is on the school. Are there even any survivors? Or did the Silver Hunters slaughter everyone there?

My stomach roils, and my legs shake as we clamber up the riverbank. I almost want to go back to the nightmare I was having, because at least nightmares end. This new reality never will.

"Wait." Alec grabs my shoulder, and I freeze, my pulse picking up.

Oh, no. Is it them again?

I'm exhausted and weak. I don't know how much longer I can run for. A part of me wants the Silver Hunters to catch us just so this can all be over.

"What?" I whisper.

He lifts a finger and then points it to our right, deeper into the woods. And there it is: a low moan.

My heart slams itself against my rib cage. "That sounds like ..."

"A person."

My mouth goes dry. Who would be out here in the woods, moaning like that?

I take a step forward, but Alec's hold on my shoulder tightens.

"What?" I ask.

He shakes his head, his hazel eyes narrowing. "It could be a trap."

I know what he means. The Silver Hunters could be trying to lure us out. But what if he's wrong? I can't just walk away from someone who could need our help.

Breaking free from Alec's hold, I inch forward.

"Wendy," he hisses.

Moving at a crouch, I sneak up to a tree. "I'll be careful."

He sighs in frustration, but instead of trying to stop me again, he stays right at my elbow. We creep through the woods, the moans getting louder.

Bright yellow appears through the trees, and I freeze. Someone's lying in the leaves and moss, their yellow jacket soaked with blood.

And it's not just anyone. It's Professor Trowles.

I rush forward and kneel by her side, and Alec follows, his eyes wide. "Professor!" I turn to Alec. "Go find something to stop the bleeding!"

He removes his jacket, balls it up, and presses it to her side. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing.

She's barely conscious, her eyes hardly open. "Wendy," she whispers, "you made it out alive."

I'm so shocked, I can't respond.

She grasps my hand. "The ... the ..."

"It's okay. Don't talk. Rest. We'll get you out of here." I blink back tears, trying to put on a brave face for her.

"I came back to the school," she rasps. "And it ... they were ... everywhere."

"I know." I squeeze her hand. "We saw them. We tried to stop them, but there were too many. I'm sorry."

She gives me a weak smile. "You must be so brave. I wish I could've been as brave as you."

I shake my head. "No. I'm not brave. I was scared the entire time."

"But you made it out," she whispers. "And that's what matters. You have a chance to make a difference. Don't give up."

"We need to get her to a hospital," Alec says.

"Right." I scan the woods for a way out. Which way is a hospital? A road? I don't know south from north out here.

"No." She claws at my shirt. "It's too ... late."

"It's not too late," I protest. "Please. Let us help you."

"Wendy," her eyes flash with intensity, "listen."

"Can you lift her?" I ask Alec.

I can see the doubt in his face, but he nods anyway. In good health, he could probably carry someone triple her weight. Weak and hurt, though, he's having trouble just walking through the woods.

"I can do it," he says, his lips pulling into a thin line.

"No!" Professor Trowles's fingers tighten in my shirt. "It's too late for me."

"No, it's not. Please." I can't help it. The tears are flying down my cheeks.

"You have to get the Golden Coin," she manages.

On her other side, where he's pressing the jacket to her torso, Alec meets my eyes. Shame burns its way through me.

I had one chance to grab the coin, and I failed.

"I'm sorry." I sniffle. "I tried to, but I dropped it in the well. There were Silver Hunters everywhere. I was trying to get away with it, but I ... I failed."

She grimaces from the pain. "It's not .... the well."

"What?" I blink.

Alec raises his head, alarm in his eyes. "It's not in the well?"

"No," she murmurs, then coughs.

"Where is it?" My breathing comes fast, and suddenly, my hands are shaking.

"Dyad ... Marketplace ..." She coughs again, blood splattering onto her lips. "Ask ... about it there."

I shake my head. "Dyad Marketplace. I have no clue where that is."

"Where in Dyad Marketplace?" Alec asks. "Who do we ask for?"

She swallows, her eyes becoming unfocused. "Igor ... Rhodes."

"Igor Rhodes?" I repeat.

"Hurry," Professor Trowles pleads. "You must find it."

I nod, my throat too tight to speak.

Her eyes close, and I know she won't be waking up again.

I sit back on my heels and let the tears fall. Alec places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.

"Come on," he says, his voice gentle. "We need to go."

I stand and wipe my wet eyes. He's right. We can't stay here for much longer, but I can't help but feel a heavy sadness as I turn away from Professor Trowles. The Silver Hunters are still out there, and the only way to stop them is to get the coin.

We have to get to Dyad Marketplace before it's too late.

But where is this marketplace? I've never heard of it.

"Dyad?" I look to Alec.

"I know where it is. It's in Portland, but it's hidden by magic." He stands, too, his eyes wide and his expression grim.

I look around, my mind spinning. Dyad Marketplace is our best lead, but it could be a dead end.

I take a deep breath. We don't have any other options.

"We go to Dyad Marketplace," I say firmly. "We find Igor Rhodes, and we get the Golden Coin. First, though, we need to bury her."

"Wendy ..."

I hold up a hand. "I know. We don't have time. The Silver Hunters could still be looking for us." I sniffle. "Are you really okay with leaving her out here, though?"

He looks at her body, a deep sadness coming across his face. "No. I'm not. We need to hurry, though."

"Of course." I'm already looking around us, searching for a soft space to dig.

"Hey." Alec touches my shoulder. "You okay?"

The question threatens to make me break down. I can't bring myself to answer it directly. "Is anyone okay right now?"

He searches my face and then he nods. "Let's take care of her. Then we can go find the coin."

I take a deep breath. We can't do anything for Professor Trowles now other than give her a burial. But at least we can honor her memory by finding the coin and putting a stop to the Silver Hunters.