Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

Winter

A knock on the door makes me sit straight up. Morning light is filtering through the curtains, and Heather has her blankets pulled over her head.

"Winter!" It's my friend Brynn's voice coming through the door.

Throwing off my covers, I hustle over to open up. "What is it?"

"Nora asked me to come get you. She said there's an immediate meeting."

"What for? Did she say?"

Brynn shakes her head, her blonde braids swinging slightly. "Nope. Just that I should tell you to go to the second-floor meeting room."

"Okay. Thanks, Brynn." Closing the door, I grab some jeans and a sweater from the drawer.

"What's going on?" Heather scrubs her face.

"I don't know," I say, pulling on my clothes. "Nora wants me to go to a meeting."

"For what?"

"Don't know." I rush into the bathroom and quickly brush my teeth. My long brown hair is a tangled mess, but I don't care right now. Nora calling a meeting means something new has happened. That or she's come to some kind of decision.

"I'm coming with." Heather crowds her way into the bathroom and grabs her mouthwash.

Whether or not she was invited isn't clear, but there's no point in arguing. Once Heather decides she's going to do something, there's no changing her mind.

Dressed within a minute, we hustle out of our room and down the hallway. At the end of it, Alec waves us down.

"You heard about the meeting?" He touches my hand.

"Yeah. Do you know what it's about?"

He hesitates. He knows something.

"What?" Heather presses. "Out with it... Please."

"I overheard some Guild members talking. They said that there's been a sighting of Hawthorn students."

I blink, taking that in. "Where?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. There are still a few of them unaccounted for, though."

I swallow, my mind racing. It was assumed that those students died or were captured when the Silver Hunters attacked Hawthorn the first time, but we can't know for sure.

"If they're alive and free, why haven't they returned to Hawthorn?" Heather asks. "Or to their houses?"

"Because they're afraid," I say.

Alec nods in agreement. "And rightfully so. The Silver Hunters are still out there, and if they find out any of the Hawthorn students are still alive, they won't hesitate to come after them."

We reach the second-floor meeting room, and Nora is already there with a collection of professors and other Guild members. There are a few people I haven't met yet, but that's nothing new. People have been coming in to help rebuild Hawthorn using whatever expertise they have. Sometimes they don't even stay longer than a day, so it's hard to keep up with all the coming and going.

Nora motions for us to take a seat.

"Good morning, everyone," Nora says, her voice serious. "I've called this meeting because we have some news that may affect all of us."

"What kind of news?" Professor Stills asks, leaning forward in his seat.

"We've received word that there are Hawthorn students still out there, alive and free."

There's a murmur of surprise and excitement among the group. Nora holds up a hand to quiet them.

"We don't know where they are or how many there are. But we do know that they may be looking for refuge or assistance."

"I need a team to go out and search for them," Nora says. "We don't know where they are or how many of them there are, so we need to be prepared for anything."

"I'll go," I say without hesitation.

"Me too." It's Alec, his shoulder brushing mine.

This is it. The opportunity I've been waiting for. I can't just sit around this school worrying about my parents. I need to do something. I need to help people.

Those students need to be found. And, maybe, while I'm out there, I'll get a lead on my parents as well.

But Nora is looking at me with a slight frown. "Can I speak to you in private for a moment?"

The question alone makes my cheeks burn with embarrassment. It feels like being in class and getting called out into the hallway by the teacher. In fact, Nora does exactly that, opening the door to the hall and gesturing for me to follow her into it.

"What?" I ask the second the door closes behind us. "You don't want me to go?"

"It's not that, Winter," Nora says, her voice serious. “I just want you to promise me you’ll be careful.” "I will." I nod eagerly. "Of course."

"I mean it," she says, a hint of worry still present in her voice. "Promise me that you'll prioritize your safety over everything else."

"I promise," I say, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "But there's something else, Nora."

"What is it?"

"I want to find my parents," I say, my voice softening. "If there's even the slightest possibility that they're out there, I can't just ignore it. Please, Nora. Let me try."

Nora studies me for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But be careful. And don't take on more than you can handle."

"Thank you," I say, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. I turn to leave, but Nora's voice stops me.

"Winter, you should know that there are still people out there who want to harm you and Alec," she says, her gaze intense. "Tyr is under our control, but the Silver Hunters are still out there, as well as others who would love to get their hands on two half angels. Sooner or later, word will spread about you and Alec, and people will come hunting for you. I don't know who they are, but I want you to be aware of the risks. Don't let your guard down."

My shoulders drop, and I finally understand why she's been so protective of me. And it makes sense. Her concern for my safety is legit.

What she doesn't understand, though, is how powerful I feel. Especially with Alec by my side, our power amplifies each other's strength. Even without the wings.

Maybe she doesn't get it because she's not an angel. She's a witch, the sister of a little adopted angel who was brought to her family for protection when he was an infant.

It's different. Different in ways I can't even describe.

I'm not cocky, but I do know how powerful Alec and I are, and I'm not going to downplay it. I plan on using my power for good.

"I'll be careful," I tell her. "You have my word.

With that, I leave the hallway and return to the meeting room, where all of the chatter instantly stops.

"Winter and Alec will go," she announces to the room.

A small woman raises her hand. "But who will protect the school with them gone?" She pushes wire-rimmed glasses up her nose. I don't recognize her. She must be one of the recent newcomers come to help rebuild.

Nora glances at her before answering. "We'll have added security measures in place. And we have other Guild members and faculty who can assist with protection."

From the tone of her voice, it's clear she's irritated at the suggestion that Hawthorn will be unsafe without me and Alec here. And I get it. The two of us were never assigned the role of official school protectors, plus the Guild is powerful on its own.

Nora looks at me and Alec. "Alright, then. Let's get everything together, and you should be ready to go this afternoon. We'll provide you with supplies, weapons, and any information we have that might help you locate the missing students."

I nod, and Alec squeezes my hand in reassurance. This is it. Our chance to make a difference beyond these walls. There'll be risk, but that's nothing new for us. The greatest risk to take would be staying at school and doing nothing at all.

The rest of the meeting is a blur as I try to process everything. I'll finally have a chance to leave the school and do something meaningful. It's a chance to help others and maybe even find my parents.

As we exit the room, I can feel the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. But, at the same time, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement. The possibility of finding the missing Hawthorn students and, perhaps, even my parents is too great to ignore.

Once we're alone and walking down the hallway, I turn to Alec. "I can't believe this is happening. We're actually going out there."

"I know," Alec says, a grin spreading across his face. "This is our chance to make a difference. To help those who need it."

I nod, feeling a sense of purpose wash over me. "But we need to be careful. Nora warned us about the Silver Hunters and other dangerous people out there."

"I know," Alec says, his expression turning serious. "But we can handle ourselves. We have each other and our powers."

I smile, feeling grateful for Alec's confidence in our abilities. Together, we make a powerful team.

"Plus," Alec adds, a mischievous glint in his eye, "we have a secret weapon."

"What's that?" I ask, intrigued.

Alec grins. "Our love. It's what makes us unstoppable."

I feel my heart flutter at his words. It's true. Our love for each other amplifies our powers and makes us stronger than we could ever be alone. It's what gives us the courage to face any danger that may come our way.

"You're right," I say, smiling at Alec. "Our love is our secret weapon."

I don’t feel completely reassured, though. With Alec and me away, we won’t be able to protect Hawthorn if anything happens to it.

So going on this mission is a risk, and that’s not lost on me.

But it’s worth it. It has to be. We’re gonna find those students–and eventually my parents too.

And, hopefully, we’ll all come home in one piece.