Page 41 of Slayer

Luna and Harper grinned at the same time.

“Ferro Hardskin. Temporary armor. He was protecting you. But yeah, no romance theories,” Harper said.

Temporary armor?

Why would he do that?

Harper looked at Luna. “I have vamp guts on me. I’m going to shower really quickly in my mom’s shower. You can shower in mine.”

Luna nodded. “Mind if I go first, Stella?” she asked me.

I inclined my head, and they both departed, leaving me with my thoughts about Asher protecting me, the room suddenly very quiet.

I sat on the bed, dagger and stakes in hand until they got back as sleep pulled at my limbs, my eyelids growing heavy.

When Luna got out, I showered quickly, washing bits of blood and ash off me as the water ran dark at my feet. I scrubbed my hair until it hurt, replaying some of the scenes from the night.

There were so many of them.

So many times I thought I might die.

Or Professor Walters would.

But some did.

I counted three or maybe four dead bodies of students.

I hadn’t allowed myself to process that until now.

Kids were dead.

I could have died.

I was supposed to be safe here. It was the only reason I’d come here from the normal world.

Why else would I stay?

I shut off the water and stepped out in my towel to find clean folded pajamas on the floor in front of the door. After changing into them, I stepped back into Harper’s room.

Luna was dressed in all black pajamas, rubbing Harper’s back as she cried softly, shoulders shaking.

“What happened?” I rushed to Harper’s side. “Is your mom okay?”

She peered up at me and nodded. “I’m just, like…finally processing everything. We could have died. People died. I know that’s part of this life, but I never thought it would happen at school. We are supposed to be safe here.”

I was glad she was thinking the same thing as I was.

I sat on the floor in front of her. “I know. I was just thinking the same thing.”

“No hunter is promised tomorrow, and nothing in a hunter’s life is going to be easy,” Luna said. “Look at Asher and even you, Stella. Losing your parents so young? It happens. Hunters die young. We have to value the cause more than our lives, and I for one do,” Luna finished.

Asher lost his parents young?

I didn’t know that.

“Me too. Screw those bloodsuckers!” Harper suddenly snarled. “I’ll take down as many of them as I can in my lifetime.”

Luna and I shared a smile.