Where Monsters Lie (The Monster Within 2)

“I understand your frustration,” he says as I pause in the doorway, turning to look at him. “But the hunters I’m gathering are the strongest of their generation. You are too promising of a hunter to die today.”

I’m not sure what to say, so I leave his office. His door snaps shut behind me.

Piers, Owen, and Bennett are standing there, looking at me. I blink back tears. I can’t even look at Piers right now, so I walk right past them.

“Not now,” I say as I pass, and they actually seem to respect that. Gratefully, I let my feet lead me.

My feet take me to the residence wing. It takes me until I’m there to realize what I’m doing.

Sawyer. I’m looking for Sawyer.

I should be going to Erin, telling her what happened, but it’s Sawyer I need. I walk down the long hallway like a zombie, staring blankly at the doors. I haven’t been to Sawyer’s dorm this year. I have a vague idea of which one is his, but I haven’t been paying too much attention.

I stop at a door I think may be the right one and knock loudly. It opens. It’s not Sawyer. Without a word, I leave and knock on a different one. I try three more doors, and each person opens it and snaps at me for waking them, but I drift on. I don’t have time for these people.

Finally, I knock on the right door. It opens and there’s Sawyer, hair rumpled from sleep, blinking blearily in his pajama pants.

“Avery?” he says incredulously, his voice still thick with sleep.

The torrent of emotion I’ve been holding back lets loose. I feel tears slip from my eyes and down my cheeks. I throw myself into his arms just as the sobbing starts.

As much as I care for the other boys, Sawyer is home. And he’s the one I need now.

He holds me close. He strokes my hair. He’s murmuring confusedly in my ear, but I don’t hear the words. Slowly, he draws me into his room and shuts the door with his foot.

He sits me down on something soft and holds me while I cry. After what seems like forever, I manage to choke out, “I’m so sorry, I just–”

He doesn’t say anything. I look up for the first time and realize we’re on his bed. “You’re only person left to tell me what my parents would have done,” I gasp at him.

Sawyer frowns down at me. “Avery, what’s going on?”

It’s such a relief for him to be looking at me, talking to me. Things start pouring out of my mouth. I tell him about Helsing. I tell him about the alp Piers planted on me. I tell him everything else, even the parts I shouldn’t—my plans to ruin Piers, the sick satisfaction I got when I broke him.

He listens with rapt attention, his eyes never leaving my face, even though I’m not even sure he can understand me through my sobs. He gently, hesitantly, touches my cheek.

“That must’ve been hard,” he says softly.

“My parents would’ve wanted to help,” I sob.

He nods. “Your parents were legendary monster hunters, though. You’re great, but you’re not quite there yet.”

Just as he’s wiping my eyes, the PA system dings overhead, and Headmaster Novac’s voice sounds through the entire school.

“All students to the dining hall. Now.”

“They’re probably gonna tell us about Helsing,” Sawyer says. “Give me a second to get dressed. We’ll walk there together.”

“Okay.” I sniffle. I feel cold when he lets go of me. I politely avert my eyes while he changes into different pants, though part of me wants to look. After all, there isn’t anything there that I haven’t already seen. When he approaches me again, he’s wearing clean clothes, and his hair is brushed. He takes my hand and helps me to my feet.

“We need to find Erin, don’t you think?” he asks. “Helsing is her dad. She deserves to know.”

I nod. Together, we head to my dorm. Everyone is leaving their own rooms and moving like a sleepy herd of cattle toward the dining hall.

Erin has Cleaver with her when she exits our dorm, and she spots us immediately. “What’s going on?” she asks frantically.

I take a deep breath. “It’s your dad.”

Her face pales. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”