DUSK UNTIL DAWN, j.grace **DISCONTINUED**

iv. AURORA

AURORA STARED AT JASON AS HE WALKED AWAY WITH LEO, QUESTIONS POURING INTO HER MIND. She turned away from them and walked over to Coach Hedge who was leaning on the railing.

"Do you know why he's here, Acharya?" Coach Hedge asked Aurora.

She shook her head. "I don't think he's a monster though, and he seems like he doesn't have any of his memories."

"I don't trust him," Hedge grumbled.

Aurora looked over to where Jason and Leo were standing. Leo had launched a makeshift helicopter, and he and Jason were talking, though she couldn't tell what they were talking about. She knew that she shouldn't trust Jason, but she had a feeling that she had no choice. She knew that he was part of something way bigger then she could have imagined.

"I don't think we—" Aurora started but stopped short when Jason walked up to Coach Hedge and her. She leaned against the rail and waited for him to speak.

"Did you do this?" the Hedge asked him.

Jason took a step back. "Do what?"

Hedge glared at him, his eyes glinting under the brim of his cap. "Don't play games with me, kid. What are you doing here, and why are you messing up my job?"

"You mean... you don't know me? I'm not one of your students?" Jason turned to Aurora. "And we're not actually best friends?"

She shook her head. She'd definitely remember if she was best friends with someone like him.

Hedge snorted. "Never seen you before today."

Jason looked relieved. "Look, sir, I don't know how I got here. I just woke up on the school bus. All I know is I'm not supposed to be here."

Aurora snorted. He wasn't wrong. He glanced at her and then turned his attention back to Coach Hedge.

"Got that right." Hedge's gruff voice dropped to a murmur like he was sharing a secret. "You got a powerful way with the Mist, kid, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can't fool me. I've been smelling monster for days now. We knew we had an infiltrator, but you don't smell like a monster. You smell like a half-blood. So—who are you, and where'd you come from?"

"A half-blood? But Hedge, I—" Aurora didn't get to finish her sentence because Jason interrupted her. She sighed-- she was always getting interrupted.

"I don't know who I am. I don't have any memories. You've got to help me," Jason said.

Coach Hedge studied his face like he was trying to read Jason's thoughts. "Great," Hedge muttered. "You're being truthful."

"I told you he was," Aurora mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?" Jason said.

"Look, kid," Hedge said, "I don't know who you are. I just know what you are, and it means trouble. Now I got to protect four of you rather than three."

Aurora interrupted. "I don't need protection, Coach! We're partners!"

He ignored her. "Are you the special package? Is that it?"

Aurora looked over at Hedge. "What special package?"

"What are you talking about?" Jason said at the same time as her.

Hedge looked at the storm. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, hovering right over the skywalk. "This morning," Hedge said, "I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They're coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn't give me details. I thought to myself, Fine. The two I'm watching are pretty powerful, older than most. Aurora here and I know they're being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that's why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up, along with Aurora. But then you pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?"