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 beinvolved.
“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.”
