HELLSPAWN HUNTER

Chapter 6

# HELLSPAWN HUNTER

## Chapter 6: Back to School

Millbrook High looked exactly the same as it had three days ago, which was somehow more unsettling than if it had been completely destroyed. Same brick facade, same cracked parking lot, same motivational banner hanging over the entrance that read "EAGLES SOAR TO SUCCESS!" The only difference was the line of black SUVs parked along the street and the men in suits trying very hard to look like they belonged.

"Hunters," Kael muttered, adjusting his backpack. Inside, instead of textbooks, he'd packed everything Vespera had given him—detection charms, emergency escape routes, and a knife that supposedly could cut through supernatural bindings.

*This is still a terrible idea,* Vex'thul reminded him.

"You've mentioned that. Several times."

*I'll keep mentioning it until you develop some sense.*

"I have plenty of sense. I'm just choosing to ignore it."

*That's not how sense works.*

Kael joined the crowd of students filing through the metal detectors. The security guards looked normal enough, but he could smell something off about them—ozone and copper, the same scent he'd noticed around the demon in the school basement.

"Kael!"

He turned to see Emma Martinez waving at him from across the courtyard. She looked exactly like she had on Friday—same perfectly coordinated outfit, same bright smile, same way of making everyone around her feel like they were the most important person in the world.

Except her shadow was moving independently of her body.

*Shadow possession,* Vex'thul identified. *Common side effect of prolonged exposure to dimensional energy.*

"How long does she have?" Kael asked under his breath.

*Depends on her will. Could be days, could be hours.*

Emma bounced over to him, her shadow trailing a few seconds behind. "Oh my God, I'm so glad you're okay! When they said the gas station got destroyed, I thought..." She threw her arms around him in a hug that felt normal, except for the fact that her shadow was trying to strangle his.

"I'm fine," Kael said, gently extricating himself. "Just some property damage."

"I know, right? It's like something out of a movie. Mom won't even let me leave the house without pepper spray now." She laughed, but there was a brittle edge to it. "As if pepper spray would help against... whatever those things were."

*She knows something's wrong with her.*

"Emma," Kael said carefully, "how have you been sleeping?"

"Sleeping?" She blinked, and for just a moment, her pupils looked like they were moving. "Fine. Why?"

"No weird dreams? Nothing... unusual?"

"Just the normal stuff. You know, nightmares about giant spiders and things with too many teeth." She shrugged. "Dr. Peterson says it's trauma response. Totally normal after what happened."

*Dr. Peterson?*

"Who's Dr. Peterson?" Kael asked.

"The counselor they brought in. Super nice guy. He's been talking to everyone about coping strategies." Emma's smile faltered slightly. "He asked me a lot of questions about my dreams."

Every alarm bell in Kael's head started ringing at once. "What kind of questions?"

"Oh, you know. Whether I remembered them clearly, whether they felt real, whether I ever felt like I wasn't alone in my own head." She laughed again, but this time it sounded forced. "Weird stuff. But I guess that's what therapists do, right?"

*That's not what therapists do. That's what researchers do.*

"Emma, I need you to listen to me very carefully," Kael said. "Don't talk to Dr. Peterson anymore. Don't answer his questions. And whatever you do, don't let him give you any kind of test."

"What? Kael, what are you talking about?"

*Behind you.*

Kael turned to see a man in a lab coat approaching them. He was tall, thin, with the kind of aggressively friendly demeanor that immediately made Kael's skin crawl. His smile was too wide, his eyes too bright, and he moved with the kind of predatory grace that suggested he was definitely not human.

"Mr. Draven," the man said, extending a hand. "I'm Dr. Peterson. I've been hoping to speak with you."

*Don't shake his hand.*

Kael ignored the offered handshake. "About what?"

"About your experiences during the incident. Trauma can manifest in... unexpected ways. I'd like to help you process what you've been through."

*He's scanning you. I can feel it.*

"I'm fine," Kael said. "No trauma here."

"Of course, of course. But sometimes the mind protects itself by hiding memories that are too difficult to face. Sometimes we think we're fine when we're actually—"

"I said I'm fine."

Dr. Peterson's smile never wavered, but something shifted in his eyes. "I understand your reluctance. But I'm afraid participation in the counseling program isn't optional. School board policy."

*Run.*

"Actually," Kael said, "I think I hear my mom calling me."

"Your mother is at work, Mr. Draven. I checked."

The courtyard was emptying as students filed into the building. Emma had drifted away, probably following whatever compulsion was riding her shadow. And Dr. Peterson was still smiling that too-wide smile.

"You know what?" Kael said. "You're right. I probably should talk to someone."

*What are you doing?*

"Playing along. For now."

Dr. Peterson's office was in the basement, which should have been Kael's first clue. The second clue was that the walls were covered in symbols that hurt to look at directly. The third clue was the machine in the corner that looked like a cross between an MRI scanner and a medieval torture device.

"Please, have a seat," Dr. Peterson said, gesturing to a chair that was very definitely bolted to the floor. "This won't take long."

*This is the part where we run.*

"You know," Kael said, not sitting down, "I'm feeling much better already. Maybe I don't need counseling after all."

"I'm afraid I must insist." Dr. Peterson's voice carried a harmonic undertone that made Kael's vision blur. "Sit. Down."

*He's using compulsion magic. Fight it.*

Kael felt his legs moving toward the chair without his permission. The compulsion was strong, but it wasn't designed for someone with a demon riding shotgun in their nervous system.

"Actually," Kael said, letting his eyes shift to silver, "I think I'll stand."

Dr. Peterson's smile finally slipped. "Interesting. You're not entirely human, are you?"

"Define 'entirely.'"

"The machine will help with that." Dr. Peterson moved to a control panel. "It's designed to separate supernatural essence from human consciousness. Quite fascinating, really. The subject remains alive and aware throughout the entire process."

*I really hate being right all the time.*

"Let me guess," Kael said. "You're collecting supernatural energy for some kind of experiment."

"Not collecting. Cataloging. There are so many new varieties since the Gates opened. We want to understand them all."

"And the kids you're experimenting on?"

"Acceptable losses in the name of science."

*Kill him.*

"With pleasure."

Kael moved faster than Dr. Peterson expected, crossing the room in two strides. His hand closed around the man's throat, and he could feel the creature's true nature beneath the human disguise—something cold and writhing and wrong.

"You're going to tell me who you're working for," Kael said, his voice carrying those reality-bending harmonics. "And then you're going to tell me how to free the kids you've already taken."

"I don't think so," Dr. Peterson wheezed. Then he smiled, and Kael realized the compulsion magic hadn't been meant for him at all.

All around the school, alarms started ringing. Emergency lockdown procedures activated. Steel barriers slammed down over the windows and doors.

And somewhere in the building, students started screaming.

"Welcome to the real experiment, Mr. Draven," Dr. Peterson said. "Let's see how a half-demon handles a building full of hostages."

*I really hate being right all the time.*

"You mentioned that."

*It bears repeating.*