Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

Winter

"Here. You'll need flashlights... and extra blankets... and do you have enough money?" Nora presses her fingers to her lips with concern.

Meanwhile, Alec and I are nearly bent over, thanks to the weight of our backpacks. We can't possibly carry anything else.

"Nora, it's fine. We've traveled with next to nothing before. And this time, we actually have a car."

She sighs. "And I don't want you to have to travel like that again."

I smile at her, feeling grateful for her concern. "Thank you, Nora. We'll be fine. You've given us everything we need."

Nora nods, though still looking worried. "I know, but I can't help it. I don't want this to be like one of those times."

"They'll be just fine." Damon comes down the staircase, smiling at us as he approaches the door. "These two can handle anything that comes their way."

I grin at him, though I'm also a little sad. Alec and I don't know when we'll be back, and I'll miss him and all our other friends here.

I'm also excited to go. Thrilled, really.

"It's very important that you only stay at supernatural-friendly inns and safe houses," Nora says. "The Silver Hunters could be anywhere."

I frown. So that means we can't stop at any regular hotel or campground? "How do we know a place is super friendly?"

"You'll know by a symbol that's either on the door or wall. It looks like this." Taking the pencil that's tucked behind her ear, Nora sketches out a symbol on a piece of paper and hands it to me. "If you see this, you're safe."

I study the symbol closely before tucking it into my pocket. "Got it."

"What about the lead?" Alec tightens his backpack straps. "Where do we start?"

Nora pulls out a map from a drawer, laying it out on the table. "We don't have much to go on, but we do know that four teenagers were last seen in the vicinity of this small town. Ravenwood." She points to a spot on the map, which is in Vermont, maybe three hundred miles from us. "The number four lines up with the unaccounted amount of students. We've also received reports of strange activity in the area. It's the best lead we have right now."

I eye her. "What kind of strange activity?"

Nora hesitates before answering. "Reports of disappearances and animal attacks."

"Unusual animal attacks," Damon adds. "Bears and wolves coming right onto people's porches. Sometimes watching for days before they make a move."

A chill runs through me. "Shifters?"

His jaw tenses. "I don't know. Not any that I'm familiar with."

I nod. As a werewolf, the news of these attacks must have hit him hard.

Alec puts a comforting hand on Damon's shoulder. "We'll be careful, and we'll try to find out what's causing those attacks. Maybe it's related to the missing students."

Damon nods, a grateful look in his eyes. "I hope so."

Nora hands us the map and a set of keys. "The car is parked outside. It's a black SUV. I've also added some extra protection spells to it, but be careful."

"We will," I promise, tucking the map and keys into my backpack.

"Take care of each other," Nora says, hugging us both tightly. "And don't hesitate to come back if things get too dangerous."

"We will," Alec says, giving her a reassuring smile.

Does she know that I'm planning on using this mission to--hopefully--gain info on my parents? After all my talk about finding them, she probably does. In all our preparations for the trip, though, she hasn't mentioned them.

Maybe she knows by now that I'll do what I need to, and there's no stopping me.

"Be careful, guys." Damon gives us both hugs. "Stay in touch."

With that, we step out of the door and into the early afternoon. We both take a deep breath, feeling the cool air filling our lungs. There's a sleek black SUV parked in front of the school, ready to go.

"What kind of spells do you think she put on this?" I put my bag into the backseat and then opened the passenger's door. I haven't had the chance to get anything past my learner's permit, so Alec will be the one driving.

Alec slides into the driver's seat and starts the engine. "I don't know, but I'm sure they'll come in handy if we run into any trouble."

I nod, feeling the weight of the mission settling on my shoulders, and reach out to turn on the heat. The second I hit the button, white sparkles explode from the vents.

"Ah!" Shrieking, I drop my hand. "What's that?"

Alec chuckles. "Nora's first spell?"

"What kind of protection charm is this?" I sniff the air, which now smells like a mix of vanilla and blueberries.

"I have no idea," Alec laughs, driving onto the bridge that crosses the river. "But it smells pretty good."

"Yeah, but what about the heat?" I press the same button again, and this time I'm rewarded with what I actually wanted. Warmth pours into the car.

We set off down the road, the sound of the tires on the pavement filling the silence between us.

It's so weird to be on what feels like a normal road trip. From the looks of it, we could be two normal teenagers taking a weekend drive.

The car's GPS beeps, telling us to turn right into town. We pass by the quaint little shops, a fresh snow covering everything. There are hardly any people out yet, and the light glows on all the white.

We leave the town, headed for the highway that will take us to Ravenwood. Suddenly, Alec slams on the brakes.

“What?” I grab at the dashboard.

He points at a car in the ditch, its driver’s side door missing.

We share a glance, and a second later, we're both out of the car. I sprint across the road, running for the vehicle, but Alec is more cautious.

“Be careful!” he yells after me.

At the car, I peer inside. There’s nothing. No people at all.

Except the keys are in the ignition, and the car is still running.

A shiver passes through me.

Alec is already on his phone, giving the car’s location to the 911 operator. I lick my lips, getting an odd tickling on the back of my neck.

Whirling around, I face the woods. The trees are bare, snow all around them. It’s easy to see the area clearly, and yet I still feel like I’m being watched.

“What the hell?” Alec inspects the door, which is lying in the grass.

“What could have done that?” I ask.

He gives me a serious look. “A pretty powerful super. We need to go."

“What?” I stare at him. “If whoever was in this car needs help–”

“They’re not here anymore.” He tucks his hands into his jacket. “I can hear for a good mile in these woods. No one is out there.”

My heart falls. That’s not what I wanted to hear at all.

“The police are on their way,” he continues. “And since we don’t know who is a Silver Hunter and who’s not, it’s best if we aren’t here when they get here.”

I sigh, knowing he’s right. “Okay, let’s go.”

We walk back to the car, and Alec speeds off down the road. My eyes dart to the trees, half-expecting something to jump out and attack us.

"What do you think it was?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," Alec says. "But I have a feeling we're going to find out soon enough."

As we drive, the atmosphere inside the car is tense. Alec is gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turn white. I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched, that something is lurking just beyond the trees.

My eyes scan the woods, searching for any sign of movement. Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of something in the shadows.

"Stop the car!" I yell, my heart racing. "I saw something!"

Alec slams on the brakes, and the car skids to a halt. I jumped out of the passenger's seat, my eyes fixed on the spot where I saw movement.

"Did you see that?" I ask Alec, my voice shaking.

He nods, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Yeah. Let's go check it out."

He hesitates, and I almost snap at him. I know he likes to play things safe but now is not the time.

He nods, though he's frowning, and opens his door.

We move quickly, trying to keep quiet as we approach the spot where I saw the movement. As we get closer, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Alec and I step carefully through the brush, our eyes scanning the ground for any signs of movement. My hands are shaking, and I'm hyper-aware of every sound in the woods.

Suddenly, a twig snaps behind us. We both spin around, but there's nothing there.

"Hello?" I call.

Still nothing.

Whatever was in these woods, it's gone now. That or it's hiding.

I bite my lip, feeling frustrated. "I can’t stop thinking about that car and whoever was in it.”

"Yeah." Alec studies the branches around us. "Me, too. Let's get back to the car. There's nothing here for us to find."

We make our way back through the woods, and I feel incredibly on edge. It still feels like we're being watched, but every time I look around, no one is there.

Back at the car, I try to shake off the feeling, but it's like a weight on my chest. Alec seems to feel it, too; he's driving faster than before, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds.

"We need to be careful," Alec says, his voice low. "Whatever's out here is dangerous."

"I know," I say, trying to keep calm. "But we're not going to find out what it is by just driving away."

"I know," Alec agrees. "But we have to be smart about it. We can't just rush in blindly."

I nod, understanding. We continue driving, both of us on edge.

"I should tell Nora." My hands shaking, I pull out my new phone--the one that replaces the one I lost when the Silver Hunters attacked Hawthorn the first time--and text her what we saw.

Her response is almost immediate. "Stay safe. Don't engage unless absolutely necessary."

I sigh, knowing she's right. But I can't shake the feeling that we need to do something.

“Did you pick up any scents back at the wreck?” I ask.

He shakes his head. "No."

My stomach hardens. We've only just started the trip, and already we're faced with a dilemma we can't fix. I wish we could have helped whoever was in that car, but we arrived way too late to be of any use.

One hour into this mission, and we're failing horribly.