Page 39 of Slayer

What was an arcanist? It sounded cool.

“Is everyone okay?” Celia asked, her voice shaking a little. “If you are injured, please come forward so we can get you to the hospital ward.”

Four kids stepped forward, bleeding, limping, holding a damaged arm or side.

Celia’s face swept over me, Luna, and Harper with relief.

I noticed her pants were covered in dirt.

It looked like she’d been digging up my grandfather’s grave when she’d been called to help us.

“Girls.” Professor Walters’s voice pulled Luna and I from the scene.

Harper stood beside him.

“I’m going to take you to my house now. Luna, your mother is going to work the night watch and will pick you up in the morning.”

Luna nodded robotically, and I followed her gaze to a woman in her mid-forties with blond hair and the same shape nose as Luna.

Luna crossed the space, and her mom pulled her in for a quick hug, whispering something in her ear.

Luna nodded and then pulled away, keeping a tight grip on her sword.

Maybe her mother told her not to let it go.

I allowed Professor Walters to shepherd me out the door, only taking one second to look over my shoulder and find a pair of green eyes watching me go, steady and unreadable.

Asher.

Most confusing man on the planet.

Why did he look full of regret?

Who cares?

I shook my head.

We jumped in Professor Walters’s SUV, and he drove us silently to his house, the engine humming beneath the heavy quiet. None of us said a word. I just sat there replaying every crazy thing I’d seen over the past hour, my hands folded tightly in my lap.

Did they have trauma counselors here?

Because I definitely needed one.

Students died. I counted at least three. It was gut-wrenching.

When we pulled into the driveway, the professor turned off the ignition and spun in his seat to look at all of us, his face drawn tight with worry.

“Are you sure none of you are hurt?” He scanned our bodies as if looking for injuries, eyes lingering on each of us.

“No, Dad,” Harper said, her voice a little shaken.

“No, Mr. Walters,” Luna confirmed.

“No, sir,” I said.

He exhaled the air he’d been holding and scanned the street as if looking for vampires to jump out at any second, shoulders tense.

“We’re supposed to be safe here,” he mumbled.