Fight With Me

Chapter 7

Alaric's POV

I watched in disbelief as Hope shattered a tree in half with her bare hand. The realization hit me hard: the new monster had likely taken my girls. Kneeling next to her, I said, "Hope, we need to move inside. We need to figure out what took them so we can get them back."

She didn't respond, her eyes distant. I struggled to remain calm, but the tension in my chest was mounting. "Hope, let's go!"

Finally, she stood, nursing her broken hand. "It'll heal soon," I assured her as we began to walk back toward the school.

Once inside, we were met by Dorian at the entrance. "We need to start researching immediately," he said, glancing between us. "Do we have anything to go off? We don't know what this monster is."

I racked my brain, trying to recall the brief glimpse I had of it as it vanished into the woods. "It looked like a deer or a stag, but it had wings and talons," I replied, my voice steady despite the absurdity of the statement.

"You're telling me a flying deer grabbed the twins?" Dorian raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear in his expression. Hope's struggle to stay calm was evident.

"Hope, why don't you go get your hand looked at, then join Dorian and me in the library?" I suggested gently.

She nodded and walked away, leaving me with Dorian, who eyed me curiously. "What happened to her hand?"

"Punched a tree in half. No biggie," I said nonchalantly.

Dorian's eyes widened in surprise. "Damn, okay, well, let's head to the library."

We made our way to the library, quickly starting our search for books that mentioned a deer or stag with wings.

Hope's POV

After leaving Dr.Saltzman and Mr. Dorian, I walked to the infirmary. The nurse examined my hand and informed me it would heal on its own, though it would take at least twenty-four hours. She gave me some ibuprofen to manage the pain.

Before heading to the library, I stopped by my room to change but found myself drawn to Josie's room. I tried the door and found it unlocked, stepping inside. The emptiness of the space hit me hard; it felt wrong knowing she wouldn't walk in any second.

I walked over to her desk and spotted one of her hoodies draped over a chair. It still smelled like her, so I grabbed it and slipped it on before heading toward the library.

"Have we found anything?" I asked as I entered, glancing around the room. It had been about an hour since I left for the infirmary.

"Actually, yes," Dr.Saltzman said, holding up a book that was lying open on the table. "It's called a Peryton—a hybrid stag-bird combo."

I leaned closer. "Do we know how to kill it?" I struggled to keep my hope alive, knowing my girl was missing.

"Found it!" Mr. Dorian exclaimed, waving a different book from across the library. "To kill a Peryton, we have to kill its shadow with a blessed weapon. The more people it kills, the stronger the shadow becomes. It can even morph into a man with enough kills."

Dr.Saltzman nodded thoughtfully. "If it just came through Malivore or was resurrected, its shadow shouldn't be too difficult to kill."

"But how do we find it and the twins?" I interjected. "I can try a locator spell, but they're probably cloaked."

Dr.Saltzman exchanged a look with Mr.Dorian, and then his expression brightened. "Wait! I could do a pink crystal visual teleport. I can visualize the twins and show up where they are. I'll see them as best I can, but I can't touch them and I can't be harmed while I'm there."

"Do you know where one of those crystals is?" Mr. Dorian asked.

Josie had mentioned the crystal before—she used it to communicate with Lizzie while she was in Europe with their mother. "I think Josie has one. I'll go check their room and call my Aunt Freya for the spell."

I hurried to Josie's room, guilt gnawing at me for rifling through their things, but I knew they'd understand, especially if it meant saving them. Finally, I located the crystal in Josie's nightstand. I pulled out my phone and called Aunt Freya.

Freya's POV

"Freya, dinner is ready!" Keelin called from downstairs. I grabbed my phone and stepped outside, preparing to fix my plate when it buzzed. I looked down to see it was Hope.

"Keelin, it's Hope. I'll be right back," I said, stepping outside to take the call. "Hey, sweetie, how is everything?"

I could hear the tension in Hope's voice, her breathing shaky. "Dr. Saltzmans daughters Josie and Lizzie were taken by a Peryton, and I want to do a pink crystal visual teleport, but I don't know the spell."

"Okay, well, do you have a pen and paper?" I asked, wondering why she seemed so concerned for two girls she just met

Hope's POV

"Thanks, Aunt Freya. I'll be careful. Love you," I said before hanging up. I looked down at the spell and the careful instructions. I needed to visualize Josie clearly in my mind. The hoodie would help me form the connection I needed.

I headed back to the library to find Dr.Saltzman and Mr.Dorian. "Ready?" I asked, looking to Dr.Saltzman, who nodded.

I took a seat in one of the library chairs, placing the crystal in my left hand and the spell sheet on my right leg. Pulling the hoodie up to cover my mouth and nose, I inhaled deeply, letting Josie's scent fill my senses.

Closing my eyes, I recited the spell, focusing all my energy on reaching Josie.