FOUR: NEMUS

This whole drama is making my head spin. I just moved to a new town for a fresh start, only to discover that it's crawling with creatures that should only exist in myths.

I stood at my locker, my mind replaying Jennifer's transformation in the woods last night. The way her body twisted, her eyes glowed, the raw power she radiated, it was burned into my memory. And yet, this morning, she strolled into school as if nothing had happened. It was surreal.

Shaking off the thoughts, I opened my locker to drop off my bag. The moment I did, a small pink slip of paper fluttered to the ground. I picked it up and unfolded it.

Meet me at the basketball court by 3.

—Jesse

My heart skipped a beat. Jesse wanted to see me? Why?

Excitement and anxiety wrestled inside me. Jesse had never been anything but rude, yet the fact that he had gone out of his way to leave a note... it meant something. But what?

I shoved the note back into my locker and forced myself to focus on class. Overthinking it wouldn't do me any good.

The clock hit 3 PM, and I found myself hesitating. I could just ignore him. Jesse had done nothing but mock and belittle me since I got here. But curiosity gnawed at me.

What if it was important?

Sighing, I caved and made my way to the basketball court.

On the way, I ran into Jennifer.

She was gorgeous, undeniably so. And after what I saw last night, I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she was a werewolf.

"Hello, sweetheart." She licked her lips, her voice dripping with amusement. "Where are you off to?"

"The court," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine. There was something about her, something dangerous.

Her brows furrowed. "The court? Don't tell me you're a fucking cheerleader."

I shook my head. "No."

She smirked, stepping closer. Her gaze was intense, like a predator sizing up its prey.

"Hope you taste as good as you look."

I froze.

Before I could process what she meant, I spotted Jesse approaching with a lunch pack in hand.

For a split second, I felt relieved, like he was my knight in shining armor, swooping in to save me. But then he scoffed, and that feeling evaporated instantly.

"Hello, Jennifer," Jesse greeted, and to my shock, he actually smiled.

Jesse? Smiling!

Did he have a crush on her?

It didn't make sense. In the short time I had known him, I was convinced Jesse had the emotional capacity of a brick wall. But here he was, looking at her like… like she mattered.

Jennifer's lips curled into a teasing grin. "Tormenting the poor kid?"

"Nah, she's too delicious to be tormented," she said, her eyes flicking back to me.

My stomach twisted.

What the hell did that mean?

Then, as if satisfied with whatever reaction she got out of me, she winked. "See ya later."

I let out a shaky breath as she walked away.

Jesse's smirk faded when he turned back to me.

"You wanted to see me," I said, trying to sound unaffected.

"I heard you were out last night."

I stiffened. "And?"

"You almost got caught by a wolf."

"Don't tell me you're concerned." My voice barely came out as a whisper.

He laughed, loud and sharp. "Concerned? I wish the wolf had snapped your neck so I wouldn't have to see your ugly face around."

I clenched my fists. "Seriously, what's your problem with me?"

His smirk deepened, but he didn't answer. Instead, he turned to leave.

"Is that why you called me here? Just to insult me?"

Jesse paused. "I wanted to check if you were dead or alive."

"And why does that matter?"

A flicker of something passed through his eyes something unreadable. "Well, you're alive," he said, then flashed a mocking smile. "Stop snooping. I won't always be around to save your butt."

And with that, he walked away.

I hate that guy.

Just as I was about to leave, music drifted from the court. Curious, I stepped inside.

The cheerleading squad was in the middle of practice, rehearsing a routine. Pink waved when she saw me and ran over to give me a hug.

"Roomie, welcome!" she beamed.

"Nice moves," I said, watching the routine.

"Yeah, I came up with the choreography," Clary announced proudly.

Pink grinned. "Hey, how would you like to join us?"

I froze.

Memories from Oxville came rushing back. The bright spotlight.

The deafening cheers.

The pressure.

The moment of triumph only for it to end in disaster when my teammate failed to catch me.

The embarrassment. The disappointment.

I shook my head. "Thanks, but it's not my thing."

Pink gave me a soft, understanding smile before bouncing back to her squad.

"Popular already, huh?" a voice beside me said.

I turned to find Eska watching me with mild amusement.

"This isn't how I pictured my stay here," I muttered, frustrated.

She raised a brow. "You don't want to be popular?"

"Not really." I sighed. "People act like it's something to fight over, but if they want it so badly, I'll gladly step aside."

Eska smirked. "You're an interesting one, Terra Tunes."

...

Despite my plans to have a quiet weekend, Pink had other ideas.

"Alright, girls, today is booked!" she announced. "We're going shopping, and later, we're watching the boys practice!"

I groaned. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

Pink just giggled and handed out shopping bags.

After an exhausting day at the mall and a movie night at Clary's house, we headed to school.

The court was packed with students, buzzing with energy. The players ran drills while the cheerleaders perfected their moves.

Eska and I found seats in the second row.

"You into any sports?" she asked.

"Not really. You?"

"Tennis," she answered with a small smile.

We laughed and continued chatting until the lights flickered.

A low buzzing sound filled the air.

The crowd murmured in confusion.

"What the hell?" one of the players muttered.

A chill ran down my spine. I turned to Eska.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

She sighed, her expression unreadable. "It's Nemus. He sure does like making an entrance."

My heart stopped.

Nemus!

The lights cut out.

Screams echoed across the gym.

Then, just as suddenly, they came back on.

And there he was.

Nemus sat at the umpire's seat, legs crossed, a wild grin stretching across his face. Beside him stood a woman in a red hood, and at the four corners of the court, two massive men stood like statues.

Eska leaned in answering the question already in my lips.

"That's Regina Blake. Summer's sister. Half vampire, half siren"

Nemus's entrance sent a wave of panic through the gym. The tension in the air was suffocating.

"Hello, Caveroop High," he said with a wild grin, his deep, guttural voice echoing through the court. "Guess who's back?"

A sinister chuckle escaped his lips as he took slow, deliberate steps toward the center of the basketball court. The entire room fell silent, the murmurs of confusion and fear dying down as every eye locked onto him.

"I told you all I'd be back," he sneered, his laughter ringing out again, but this time, something changed.

As his laughter deepened, his teeth elongated into sharp, unnatural fangs. His eyes darkened into bottomless pits of black, and inky veins crawled across his face like living shadows.

A collective gasp swept through the gym. My heart pounded violently against my ribs.

Eska, who was now beside me, leaned in and whispered, "I can hear your heart racing. Stay calm."

Stay calm? How could I? This wasn't just some school bully trying to make a scene. This was something else, something terrifying.

Nemus prowled the court, his monstrous presence dominating the space. Then, as if drawn by an unseen force, he stopped and turned his head in my direction. His cold, eerie grin widened.

I froze.

The pounding of my heartbeat was deafening in my ears. He was looking straight at me.

Before I could even react, a voice rang out from the entrance of the court.

"Hey, asshole!"

All heads snapped toward the figure standing at the doorway. A woman cloaked in black, her hood concealing most of her face, yet her voice carried an unmistakable authority.

Nemus's dark eyes gleamed with amusement. "Rejoice," he murmured, his voice dripping with delight. "Oh, how I've waited for a real fight."

She smirked, stepping forward. "I beat you once before, Nemus, and I'll do it again."

As she closed the distance between them, her eyes, too, turned pitch black. The same eerie veins spread across her face, marking her as something… unnatural.

Nemus chuckled darkly. "Alright, bitch, let's see how it ends this time."

With blinding speed, Rejoice lunged.

A loud boom echoed through the gym as she slammed into Nemus, sending him crashing to the floor. The impact cracked the court beneath him. Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him like he weighed nothing, and struck him hard in the abdomen.

The force of the blow sent him flying across the court, right into the cheerleaders. They screamed and scattered as his body crashed into the bleachers.

Nemus stood, spitting out blood with a sick grin.

"You really haven't changed a bit," he mused, wiping his mouth.

At that moment, he lifted his gaze and gave a subtle nod to Regina. She smirked, pulling her hood lower over her face before turning and walking away, disappearing into the shadows.

Rejoice tilted her head. "Neither have you. Still a coward."

Nemus laughed, then in a blur of motion, he sprinted at her.

Rejoice swung, aiming for his throat, but he ducked and struck her from behind. She stumbled, barely catching herself before he delivered a brutal kick to her ribs, then another.

She coughed, pain evident on her face, but before she could react, Nemus grabbed her and hurled her into the air.

Regina was waiting.

With inhuman grace, she caught Rejoice mid-air and slammed her against the wall, pinning her in place with a silver dagger.

A collective scream erupted from the students.

I couldn't breathe. My mind was racing.

What would Nemus do next?

His laughter filled the room once again as he turned to face the stunned crowd.

And then, in an instant, he was gone.

No. Not gone, moving.

Before I could even blink, he was in front of me.

I barely had time to gasp before his cold, clawed fingers wrapped around my throat, lifting me from my seat as if I weighed nothing.

His voice, now deeper and more distorted, sent chills down my spine.

"Hello, Terra Tunes."