Chapter 21
Archer
As the athletic complex came into view, I saw a crowd gathering around the entrance.
For a moment I thought there must be some sort of game or sports thing going on.
But it was the middle of the week. Big games were almost exclusively on the weekends.
And then, when I saw a handful of security officers blocking the students from getting into the building, I knew something must be wrong.
Not to mention, each of them were armed with battle wands.
That wasn’t something often seen at Widdershins Academy.
For a moment I thought of trying to push my way through, to find out what had happened. My fencing team was in there and most likely Valen too. I felt my heart skip a beat. Was he alright? Had he been hurt? Was he in danger? I had to know.
A hand on my shoulder was the only thing that stopped me in my tracks.
“Archer!” I knew it was Amelia before she even came into view. “Oh my god! I thought you were inside!” She pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re okay!”
“What happened?” I asked, my voice tight with worry as I pulled back from her embrace. “Why is security blocking the building? Where’s—” I caught myself before I said Valen’s name, but Amelia’s sharp eyes caught the slip anyway.
“There was an attack,” she said, her face pale. “Someone hurt a guy named Wigard? They found him unconscious in the locker room about an hour ago. He’s alive, but barely.”
My stomach dropped. Wigard was the werewolf on the fencing team with me. We’d worked together in practice a few times. “An attack? What kind of attack?”
“No one’s saying exactly, but...” She glanced around, then leaned closer to whisper. “I heard from someone that whoever did it spray-painted ‘Monsters Out’ across the fencing salle. And they signed it ‘Purity Front.’”
The words hit me like a brink. The fencing salle. Valen’s domain, the place where we’d first really talked. It made my stomach turn to hear it associated with such hate, because now it would always be tarnished. I’d never be able to go back there without thinking of it.
“The Purity Front?” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.
I’d heard about them of course. They were a group of extremist witches who believed magical society should be purified, meaning no vampires, werewolves, or other monstrous races allowed at the academy or really anywhere else for that matter.
Most people thought they’d been pretty much wiped out a couple years ago, but apparently they were still here, more so than anyone had realized.
“Security’s treating it as a hate crime,” Amelia continued, her hand still gripping my arm like she was afraid I might bolt. “They’re questioning everyone who had access to the athletic complex. All the coaches, team members, and anyone who’s visited recently.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. Valen would definitely be questioned.
As the fencing coach, he’d be someone they’d want to interview extensively, probably about my teammates.
The thought of him having to endure this attack, especially given how much scrutiny vampires already faced, made my stomach burn with rage.
“Have you seen Professor Crowe?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual despite the panic clawing at my throat. “Is he… was anyone else hurt?”
“He’s fine,” she said with a knowing nod. “I saw him talking to the security chief about twenty minutes ago. He looked...” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “Angry. Really angry. Like someone had personally insulted him.”
Relief flooded through me so suddenly I felt lightheaded. He was safe. Whatever had happened to Wigard, whatever message those bastards had left in the fencing salle, Valen was unharmed. As much as I wasn’t going to admit it out loud, he was the person I was most worried about.
“This is fucked up,” I said, my hands clenching into fists. “Attacking a student? Vandalizing the school? Why? What good will that do?”
“I don’t know,” Amelia replied, but there was something in her voice that made me look at her more closely. She was actually scared. Usually she was so composed and fearless, but this… this had her shaken.
“Amelia? What aren’t you telling me?”
She glanced around again, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “There were other messages. Not just in the fencing salle. They hit the library too, and the dining hall. All variations on the same theme. ‘Monsters don’t belong here.’ ‘Pure magic only.’ That kind of shit.”
The scope of it made my blood run cold. This wasn’t just some random act of violence. It was coordinated and planned. Someone had mapped out the school, identified key locations, and executed multiple attacks simultaneously. Whoever it was might even be a student.
“How many people are we talking about?” I asked.
“Security thinks at least four or five, based on the timing. They hit multiple locations within the same twenty-minute window.” Amelia’s voice dropped even lower. “Archer, I’m worried. If the Purity Front is really operating here, if they’re targeting students...”
She didn’t need to finish the thought. I understood perfectly.
Wigard might have been the first victim, but he wouldn’t be the last. Any student or faculty member who didn’t fit their narrow definition of what a good member of magical society looked like would be at risk.
Werewolves, vampires, part-fae students, anyone with mixed heritage.
Anyone dating a vampire like me. And witches like Amelia with an independent streak that didn’t want to follow the rules.
The thought sent ice through my veins. Suddenly the academy didn’t feel safe anymore. Instead, it felt like a prison. Like an extension of home. And for one brief moment, I wondered if my parents were or even could be involved.
“We need to be careful,” I said, more to myself than to Amelia. “We might not be the first on the list to get attacked, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be.”
“Do you really think they’ll come back?” she whispered, hugging herself despite the thick sweater she was wearing. “I thought the Purity Front was gone.”
“So did everyone else,” I nodded. “That’s what worries me.
Their leader was killed. So this new Purity Front might be different, more reckless and unpredictable than the last.” I glanced up at her.
“They attacked a werewolf student today. But if they find out there’s witches on this campus who don’t agree with their ideals, they might be the ones to get attacked next. ”
Amelia’s face went even paler at my words. “You think they’d target witches too? Even ones from families like ours?”
“I think they’d target anyone who doesn’t fall in line with their vision of magical purity,” I said grimly. “And you’ve never exactly been one to keep your opinions to yourself, especially when it comes to arranged marriages and following Father’s rules.”
She was quiet for a moment, processing that. Then her jaw set in that stubborn way I knew all too well. “Well, fuck them. I’m not going to let some terrorist group dictate how I live my life.”
Despite everything, I felt a surge of pride for my sister. Even scared, she wasn’t backing down. “Just... be careful, okay? Don’t go anywhere alone after dark. Stay in groups. And if anything feels off, anything at all, get to security immediately.”
“You too,” she said, giving me a meaningful look. “Especially you. If they’re targeting people who associate with… well… you know...”
My heart skipped a beat. “I’ll be careful,” I replied.
“Archer?”
“Yeah.”
“You can trust him, right?”
I didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. Of course it was Valen. She’d been the one to encourage me to go after him in the first place. And she was far too observant to miss my recent improvement in mood and focus.
I nodded. “Yes. He won’t hurt me.”
“Archer!” A familiar voice called out from across the crowd, and I turned to see Lila pushing through the gathered students toward us. She looked shaken, her usually perfect composure cracked around the edges.
“Lila,” I said as she reached us, noting the way her hands were trembling slightly. “Are you alright?”
“I was in the library when it happened,” she said, her voice tight. “I saw them, Archer. The ones who did it.”
My stomach dropped. “You saw them? Did you recognize anyone?”
“Three of them, all wearing masks.” She glanced around nervously. “I couldn’t make out much more than that. They teleported out before I could catch up with them.”
If Lila had seen them, if they’d been brazen enough to attack in broad daylight with witnesses around, then this was even worse than I’d thought. These weren’t just cowards striking in the dark. They were confident, organized, and apparently didn’t care who saw them.
“Did you tell security?” Amelia asked, her voice higher than usual.
“Of course,” Lila nodded. “But with the masks... there wasn’t much to go on. They were all average height, average build. Could have been anyone.” She paused, then looked directly at me. “As soon as I realized what was going on, I went after Valen to make sure he was okay.”
My heart almost stopped completely as she spoke. “You went after him?” I managed to ask, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. “Is he—did something happen to him?”
“He’s fine,” Lila said quickly, but there was something in her expression that made my stomach clench.
“But Archer, when I found him... he was in full vampire mode. I’ve never seen him like that before.
His fangs were out, his eyes were glowing, and he looked like he was ready to tear someone apart with his bare hands. ”
I felt the blood drain from my face. Valen in that state meant he was either terrified or absolutely furious. Given that someone had attacked his student and desecrated his fencing salle, I was betting on furious.
“Where is he now?” I asked, already scanning the crowd for any sign of his familiar figure.
“Still talking to security, last I saw,” Lila replied. “But Archer, you should stay away from the athletic building for now. Security isn’t letting anyone in who doesn’t absolutely need to be there.”
The thought of not being able to check on him myself, of having to rely on secondhand information about his safety, made my chest tight with anxiety.
The bond we’d established might have faded slightly over the past couple of days, but I could still feel the echo of it, and right now it was telling me he needed me.
“Lila, would you escort my sister back to her dorm?” I asked. “I need to go check on Valen.” She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but I cut her off. “Please.”
Lila studied my face for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Fine. But you be careful, Archer. If the Purity Front is really back, they might be watching for people who get too close to their targets.”
“I will,” I promised, though we both knew I was probably lying. If Valen was in trouble, if he needed me, I wasn’t going to let some terrorist group keep me away from him.
“Come on, Amelia,” Lila said, taking my sister’s arm. “Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
Amelia looked like she wanted to argue, but one glance at my expression seemed to convince her that I wasn’t going to be swayed. “Just... don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
“When have I ever done anything stupid?” I asked with a weak smile.
“Do you want me to make a list?” she shot back, but there was affection in her voice despite her worry.
I watched them walk away, Lila’s protective instincts clearly kicking in as she guided Amelia through the crowd and away from the athletic complex. Only when they were out of sight did I turn my attention back to the security perimeter.
The officers were still blocking the main entrance, their battle wands at the ready.
But I knew this building better than most students.
There were service entrances, emergency exits, windows that didn’t quite latch properly.
Growing up with Amelia as a sister had taught me a few things about creative problem-solving.
I circled around to the back of the building, staying in the shadows and keeping my movements casual.
The last thing I needed was to draw attention to myself when I was about to break several school rules.
But the need to see Valen, to make sure he was really okay, overrode any concern about potential consequences.
The service entrance near the equipment storage was unguarded, probably because security assumed no student would be stupid enough to try sneaking in during an active investigation. They clearly didn’t know how stubborn I could be when someone I cared about was involved.
I slipped inside, the familiar smell of the athletic complex hitting me immediately. But underneath the usual scents of sweat and cleaning supplies, there was something else. Something acrid and wrong that made my nose wrinkle in disgust.
The hallway was eerily quiet as I made my way toward the fencing salle, my footsteps echoing despite my efforts to move silently. Every shadow seemed threatening now, every corner a potential hiding spot for attackers who might still be lurking around.
When I finally reached the entrance to the salle, I had to stop and lean against the wall to steady myself.
The beautiful space where I’d started to find some real happiness in my life had been destroyed.
The mirrors along one wall were shattered, reflecting fractured images of the chaos.
Equipment was scattered everywhere, and across the far wall, in dripping red paint, someone had scrawled ‘MONSTERS OUT’ in letters three feet tall.
“Archer?”
I spun on my heel to see Valen standing at the far end of the salle. He looked haggard, irritated, and worried most of all.
“Valen!” I sprinted across the room, throwing my arms around him before I thought twice. “You’re alright!”
He hugged me back quickly before stepping back. “I’m fine. But you shouldn’t be here.” He reached out, taking my hand. “You should go back to your dorm and stay there.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head and standing my ground. “I’m not leaving you. Not today. Not after… all this.”
Valen closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a deep sigh. But when he opened them again, I knew he wasn’t going to argue with me. Not with the evidence of the Purity Front lying shattered on the floor all around us.
“Fine,” he said softly. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”