WinterThe wind slices through my clothes as I navigate the little motorboat over the water, but I almost don't care. The cold means nothing compared to every other hard thing I've been through.Damon sleeps on the other end of the boat, curled up under the blanket. He offered to guide the boat back to the mainland, but I insisted, already knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.Lifting my face to the sky, I watch the stars. I'm still shaking from the run-in with the Silver Hunters.I've felt anger before, but nothing like that. It was as if I were a volcano ready to explode.I didn't like it. It scared me.Sighing, I look back over the water. What would Alec say if he were still here?Probably that I'm stronger than I know. That I can control myself.Funny. He was always worried about not being able to control his vampire side, worried that he would lose his hold and drink blood from someone he didn't want to--like me.And in the end, that thing he was worried about
WinterClimbing off the boat, I tether the rope to the dock. Damon climbs out behind me, and we take in the town. It's early morning, gray and with a light mist."Come on." I hurry down the pier. We need to find a place to hide. Who knows how many Silver Hunters are still in this area.Damon hustles to keep up. "I still can't believe this. I mean, it's amazing. Alec is alive.""Something like alive." I touch his necklace hanging around my throat. "Remember, my dad said he's not alive, and he's not dead."Damon is quiet, his brow knitting in that way that suggests he's deep in thought."What?" I ask.He stops at the street and turns to face me. "Your dad said that you can use the coin to save Alec.""Yeah." I sigh in frustration. "Problem is, I have no clue how to do that.""Can I see it for a second?"I hesitate, but then realize how silly that is. I can trust Damon. He put himself on the line for me and Alec in that pocket dimension, and even though he also went in there
NoraThe room is dark and cold, a cliché of a place to keep prisoners. I sit in the cage the Silver Hunters put me in, my arms folded as I try to think my way out of this mess.They took my wand, of course. As well as the potions I had on myself. Without those, I'm not much of a witch. All I have left are incantations, and a hex has been put on this cage to block any spells.As much as the Silver Hunters claim to hate magic, they clearly have no problem using it against others. The truth is probably that they're bitter that they don't have the natural abilities supernaturals do."Think, Nora," I mutter to myself. "Think."If only I could remember that spell that’s said to break any magicked lock. My mind is foggy, though, and I suspect that’s the result of yet another one of the Silver Hunters’ spells."There's no way out of here," a man in the cage next to me says--he told me he's a cook at the school. "The Silver Hunters have already won.""Well that's not very positive,"
WinterI crash into the ground, my butt hitting it first. The spinning is gone, and I blink at my new surroundings.It's dark here, with dead-looking trees all over the place. There's space between them, almost like some kind of fruit orchard.These trees definitely don't grow fruit, though. They look incapable of growing anything.Getting to my feet, I take a shaky breath. Damon was right. His ritual worked.That or it just killed me, and I'm walking around the afterlife, unable to return to Earth.Slowly, I creep through the trees, following the path of least resistance. A light fog covers the ground, and it's beautiful in a strange, ominous kind of way."Hello?" I call. "Alec?"Something moves out of the corner of my eye, and I whirl around. There's nothing there, though.My heart races. I swear I saw something.Maybe I shouldn't be walking around this place, calling out his name, drawing attention to myself.I start walking again, this time only using my eyes to hunt
WinterI awake to the sound of rustling outside my door. My heart races as I sit up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Was it Alec? Had he found me?But as I strain to listen, I realize it's just Lavinia moving about in the main room of the cabin. I groan, feeling disappointed and a little foolish for getting my hopes up.I get out of bed and stretch, feeling much better after a good night's sleep. I glance at the washbasin, thinking a splash of water on my face might do me good.As I head out of the bedroom, I hear Lavinia muttering to herself. "Strange, strange...I've never seen this before..."Curiosity piqued, I move towards the sound of her voice. As I enter the main room, I see her hunched over a dusty old book, muttering to herself. She looks up when she hears me enter, surprise registering on her face."Winter!" she exclaims, snapping the book shut. "Good morning, dear," she says softly. "I hope you slept well."I rub the sleep from my eyes and glance out the window. It's
WinterSpinning around, I survey the mist just as someone emerges from the thick gray. It's a young woman, only a few years older than me. She looks freaked out, her red hair hanging loose around her face and her green eyes wide."Hello?" she asks cautiously, stopping a few yards away. "Are you... are you a human?"Not quite. I don't know what I am, really. Just that I'm some kind of supernatural with really unpredictable powers."Human" is a close enough description in this context, though, with wisps floating around.I nod, my heart racing. I'm not used to seeing other people out here. "Yes," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Who are you?"The woman hesitates before speaking. "I'm Lucy. I was out here on a camping trip with my friends, but I got separated from them. I don't know where they are."I feel a pang of sympathy for her. She doesn't know she's dead, does she? She must have been killed while on her camping trip--maybe from falling down a cliff--and now she thin
TyrThe wind is ferocious on the little island with the lighthouse. Standing on the rocks, I survey the area. The place looks deserted, the lighthouse an automated one that probably hasn't been run by a human in decades.This is it. The last place Gray Finnegan and her Silver Hunter team were seen.My lips turn down into a frown. She was supposed to retrieve the Golden Coin, but I know for a fact that she never did, thanks to my skills in remote viewing.Instead, that stupid Winter Grace has the Golden Coin.I feel like an idiot. I knew she was clever, just like her parents. Really, though, I should have kept a better watch on her--and I shouldn't have sent some senseless Silver Hunters to nab the coin. I should have just done it myself.Heat rising in my chest, I stride to the lighthouse's door. The door is unlocked, and it leads to a winding staircase. My jaw tight, I take it two steps at a time.When I reach the top, I stop in shock.The chair next to the light is empty.
WinterI jog along the path, which twists and turns its way through the trees. Just when I think I'm done crying, another tear slides down my face. I hastily brush each one away.What happened to Lucy is so unfair. She seemed like such a nice person.Did she do something to deserve what happened to her? How could anyone deserve having their soul consumed by one of those wisps?The questions about Lucy lead to bigger questions. Is this the place that everyone comes to when we die? Are we trapped here forever?God, I hope not. That seems too cruel. This place is nothing but a wasteland with evil floating around it.The path levels out again, and I'm back in an even area. The trees are still the same, though. Scraggly, nearly black, and with sharp branches that remind me of claws.My legs are getting tired, and for the first time I realize how thirsty I am. Picking a tree, I sit on a thick root and open the bag Lavinia gave me. The water is cool and refreshing, and I drink nearly