Page 95 of Slayer

My head throbbed as we stepped out of the portal and Celia hurried Madison toward the campus healing ward.

“Stella!” Harper and Luna screamed my name, and I spun to see them waving a sign that read I’m sorry.

I frowned as I walked toward them.

“Did you get two kills?” they asked breathlessly.

I nodded, and Luna flipped the sign over so it read Congrats!

I laughed and they crushed me into a hug, sandwiching me on both sides.

“Tell us everything!” Harper demanded as students and professors spilled out of the portal behind us. My attention snagged on Daphne standing off to the side, waiting for Asher. She looked pale, eyes red like she’d been crying or was on the verge of it.

“It was crazy,” I said, distracted as Daphne’s lower lip trembled when Asher reached her.

He moved to hug her, but she stopped him with a hand, saying something I couldn’t hear.

“Like how?” Luna pressed.

“I…got a concussion after my second kill.” I forced my gaze away. “But a wafer fixed it.”

“Wafer for the win!” Luna said, then eyed the bloody brass knuckles still on my hands. “Whoa. Those are cool.”

I glanced down at them, suddenly aware of the dried blood. “I have to turn everything in. I’ll meet you back at the room?”

They nodded. “We’ll grab ice cream to celebrate.”

I grinned. “Peanut butter chocolate for me.”

“Black cherry for me.” Luna bowed dramatically.

“You know I love strawberry,” Harper said as they skipped off together.

I headed toward the armory when a sob broke through the night air. I turned just in time to see Daphne bolt toward the dorms. Asher stood frozen, shoulders slumped, his chest rising and falling slowly.

My feet stalled.

Is everything okay? Did someone get hurt?

I took three steps toward him and then stopped myself, turning back toward the armory instead. He had a best friend. He had a girlfriend. If he needed comfort, it shouldn’t come from me.

Inside the armory, I signed my name and dropped the bloodied weapons into a bucket labeled dirty.

Imagine being assigned to scrub vampire guts off weapons. Maybe that was detention here.

When I turned, I inhaled sharply. Asher stood right behind me.

“Sorry,” he muttered, stepping aside.

“It’s okay,” I said quietly as he returned his sword and stake and signed out.

The room was empty now, even the professors gone. Just the armory clerk, Asher, and me.

When I reached the door, Asher moved ahead and opened it for me.

Of course he did.

“Thanks,” I murmured.