Beatrix and Lagoona sprinted through the science building, their feet pounding up the staircase as they booked it to the second floor.


    Around them, the chemistry wing had descended into pure panic — monsters were diving into classrooms, barricading doors with anything within reach. Panicked whispers and the scrape of dragged furniture echoed down the halls, mingling with the crash of toppled lab equipment. Most students had already found shelter, leaving the corridors empty except for the occasional student darting past.


    Every thirty seconds, Headmistress Bloodgood''s voice came crackling over the intercom system: "Attention everyone. This is a code black lockdown." From Beatrix’s job in the creepateria and her boring employee training sessions, she knew exactly what ‘code black’ meant: intruder alert. Everyone out of sight, lights off, doors locked. As if that would protect them from what was coming.


    "This way!" Lagoona shouted, her blonde curls bouncing as she whipped around the corner ahead, her sandals clicking on the floor. "I saw some of the fearleading squad heading over here!"


    I hope so, Beatrix thought. She really needed the fearleaders right now. If anyone could rally the student body in their darkest hour, it would be them.


    As they raced past endless rows of lockers, Beatrix caught sight of the sky getting darker through the huge gothic windows beside her.


    The setting sun painted everything in deep purples and midnight blues, bleeding across the clouds like spilled paint. Any other time, the sunset would''ve been beautiful, but right now it made her stomach sink as the darkness crept closer.


    Looking down at the lawn through one of the windows, she spotted Grey herding a bunch of freshmen into a nearby building. But she and Grey both knew the truth — hiding wouldn''t be enough. These horsemen could see souls as easily as Grey could. Sure, monster souls might be trickier for them to spot compared to human ones, but that wouldn''t stop the Reapers from hunting them down one by one now that they had free reign of the place.


    Lagoona led them down a corridor lined with mad science rooms. Most of the doors were locked tight, but Beatrix could hear the muffled whispers and occasional sob from the kids hiding inside.


    "Here!" Lagoona skidded to a stop in front of Lab 204 and pounded on the door. "Hey, open up! C''mon, mates, we need to get inside!"


    Beatrix put her ear to the door and caught snippets of people arguing:


    “Don’t open it—"


    "But it’s Lagoona—"


    "It''s not safe—"


    "Guys, shut up!"


    Then Cleo''s commanding voice cut right through the debate: "Let her in."


    Beatrix heard something heavy getting dragged across the floor on the other side, then the door cracked open. Slomo stood there, ready to slam it shut at the first hint of trouble.


    Peeking through the gap, Beatrix could see they’d turned the lab into a makeshift shelter. Most of the monsters in there were trying to squeeze under lab tables along the walls, doing their best to blend into the shadows. She spotted a few familiar faces — Abbey keeping watch from behind a cabinet, Ghoulia ducking behind a flipped-over desk, and Cleo standing tall in the middle of the room.


    Slomo stepped aside to let Lagoona and Beatrix squeeze through. As soon as they were in, him and Abbey hauled a heavy metal cabinet back in front of the door. As the cabinet dropped back into place with a loud thunk, Slomo threw his arm out to block Beatrix’s way, only now realizing who''d come in with Lagoona. He planted himself between Beatrix and everyone else.


    "No..." Slomo stretched out the word, his head shaking slowly. "Not... her..."


    "Grey told us ze truth about you!” a French gargoyle named Rochelle burst out, jabbing an accusing stone finger at Beatrix. “You are working with ze Reapers!"


    The other monsters in the room started closing in, their faces twisted with a volatile mix of fear and rage.


    "You''ve got it wrong!" Beatrix’s voice cracked as she backed against a table, feeling like everyone''s angry eyes were burning holes in her. "I would never do that—"


    "Oh yeah?" Toralei jumped in, her orange standing on edge. "Then how come Grey saw you wreck that… what’d he call it? Some weird force field thing?"


    “It was a barrier keeping death out— but it wasn’t actually me—” Beatrix felt like she couldn''t get any air as they all crowded around her, the circle getting tighter and tighter until the lab felt like it was shrinking.


    “Guys, wait!" Lagoona pushed through to get to Beatrix. "At least give her a chance to explain what happened!" the sea monster insisted. "I''ve known her all year. She''s one of us. She wouldn''t go and do something to put us in danger." But even as Lagoona said it, Beatrix could see the doubt on her face. After everything that had happened, even someone as kind-hearted as Lagoona was struggling to trust her.


    "Please, you guys have to believe me," Beatrix begged, forcing herself to look at each of them. “I know how bad this sounds, but a spirit, Spectra — she''s been stuck here for hundreds of years — she hijacked my body, and…”


    No one was buying it.


    "I swear, I didn’t want to take down that barrier. I was used," Beatrix pressed on. “Right now, there’s three Reapers coming after everyone in this school, and they''re not gonna quit until they''ve collected every single one of your souls.”


    She watched fear replace the anger in their eyes. "These horsemen think you''re all cheating death by being undead,” Beatrix said, “and hiding’s not going to save us — they can see our souls shining like flashlights in the dark. We can''t just sit here waiting to get caught, and we can''t just run into those woods. They''ll pick us off one by one."


    The monsters around her traded wary glances before all eyes went to Cleo. The mummy princess kept her face carefully neutral, her bandaged arms crossed, but still somehow had everyone in the room hanging on her every move.


    Cleo''s kohl-lined eyes narrowed as she sized up Beatrix. Finally, she spoke. "So what''s your big plan?"


    “We have to fight,” Beatrix said. She waved at all the monsters around her. "Everyone in this room has something special, a supernatural power we can use. If we work together, hit them with everything we''ve got... The Reapers might be strong, but they''re not unstoppable."


    Cleo stood there for a long moment. Then something shifted in her expression. She straightened to her full height, gold bangles jingling. "Alright, listen up!" Cleo raised her voice to address everyone. “Split up. Find every monster you know — friends, rivals, I don’t care — and get them to the main courtyard. Now.”


    ~ o ~ O ~ o ~


    Beatrix slammed through the creepateria''s double doors and into the kitchen. She immediately grabbed a bottle of olive oil from the prep station, the same one Astar had used to light up her hands with fire magic. Next, she knelt to scoop fresh ashes from the bottom of the oven into a small plastic bag she’d snatched from the counter. She sealed the bag and shoved it into her jacket pocket just as a chilling, unearthly whinny echoed across campus.


    The horsemen sounded close. Were they already reaping souls, tearing through the school grounds? The deafening silence that followed was enough to drive her crazy.


    Beatrix gritted her teeth. She needed more magic supplies, fast.


    "Bath salts," she murmured. "I need bath salts." Greta had used them to break Spectra''s hold on her body, and Beatrix had a gut feeling they’d come in handy.


    She turned to a nearby janitor’s closet where the cleaning supplies were kept. But as Beatrix yanked the closet open, she found herself staring into a pair of blood-red eyes. There, huddled between a mop bucket and a broom was Gory Fangtell. Dark tracks of mascara streaked her pale cheeks, and she trembled, hugging her knees. This wasn’t the smug, cruel vamp who had tormented Beatrix all year. Her vampire clique was nowhere to be seen; they must have gotten separated when everyone scattered.


    "Gory?" Beatrix whispered.


    "Shh!" Gory''s hand shot up, putting a finger against her lips. "They''re getting closer… in the woods… by the west dorms..."


    Beatrix''s pulse quickened. With Gory’s heightened vampire senses, she could hear the horsemen''s movements from a distance. If they were still in the forest, Beatrix had some time left to prepare.


    “Tell me what you hear,” Beatrix urged, reaching past Gory for the bath salts on the top shelf of the closet. As Beatrix grabbed the bath salt container and tucked it into her pocket alongside the ashes and oil, Gory shrank back from Beatrix, pressing herself tightly against the wall as if bracing for an attack.


    Beatrix grabbed her shoulder. "Hey. Focus. What''s happening out there?"


    "Hooves…" Gory answered, her red eyes haunted. "I''ve heard them before, you know. Late at night when I’d sneak off campus with Bram… I thought it was just... deer or something…" A shudder ran through her. "But now they''re hunting down anyone trying to escape down the mountain. I saw some of my friends run out there. I hear screaming..." Her crimson eyes lifted to look at Beatrix. "What''s happening to them?"


    Beatrix crouched down to Gory’s level. Their past feud meant nothing now. “Listen to me, Gory. Hiding in here won''t save you,” Beatrix said. "I know we''re not friends, but right now, we need each other."


    "I don''t need anyone," Gory snapped, but her usual venom was gone. Gory’s bloodthirsty facade had crumbled away. She was just another terrified teenager.


    "They''ll find you in here sooner or later," Beatrix said, holding out her hand. "So fight with me instead. I could use a vampire right now."


    ~ o ~ O ~ o ~


    Without Venus to unlock the garden gate, getting inside the school gardens would’ve been impossible. Good thing Beatrix had Gory.


    "Move it!" Gory shouted over her shoulder, easily pulling ahead despite Beatrix running at her top speed. "The horses are getting closer!"


    The sky above had deepened to an ominous violet, like a fresh bruise spreading across the heavens. A bone-deep chill hung in the air that made Beatrix''s teeth chatter — though maybe that was just raw fear working its way through her system. The thunder of hooves grew louder as Beatrix pushed through the stitch in her side, forcing her legs to move faster.


    By the time she reached the garden gates, Gory had already torn through them, leaving them hanging crookedly on mangled hinges.


    Inside the garden, Beatrix ordered, "Wolfsbane! We need to gather every purple flower we can find!”


    Gory became a pale blur among the herb beds, her supernatural speed allowing her to cover the entire garden in seconds. Beatrix yelled instructions at the vampire as she caught her breath. "Those ones — yeah! And grab the leaves too!”


    Each time Gory zoomed past, she dropped another handful of the purple flowers into Beatrix''s waiting arms. Beatrix stuffed the wolfsbane into every available pocket until they bulged with blossoms and leaves and she couldn''t fit any more.


    "One more thing," Beatrix said to Gory. "There''s a witch hat in my dorm closet, behind my winter coats. I need you to grab it and meet me in the main courtyard. You''re faster than me, and we''re running out of time."


    The hat was still charmed with protective enchantments she''d cast last summer — which felt like a lifetime ago now. Tonight, Beatrix would need every bit of magic she could get.


    Gory gave a sharp nod, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving Beatrix alone in the garden. Beatrix did a final sweep of the herb beds, searching desperately for anything else that might help them survive what was coming.


    The hair on the back of her neck prickled.


    Beatrix spotted three dark shapes reflected in the greenhouse’s fog-streaked windows, moving toward her with slow, deliberate steps.


    "My, my. Someone''s certainly learned their way around a garden.” Aunt Cordelia''s condescending voice hadn''t changed a bit.


    Beatrix''s mouth went dry as she faced her aunts.


    They stood in their black cloaks, wearing their ridiculous pointed hats, looking the exact same as the day she''d left the farm. Well, almost — Aunt Clarice''s eyebrow had partially grown back after the pyrokinesis explosion Beatrix had caused, though it now twitched up at such a bizarre angle that she looked permanently confused.


    "What are you doing here?" Beatrix demanded.


    Aunt Constance''s round face hardened. "Your familiar contacted us. Your little adventure is over. Pack your things." Her lips curled into a sneer. "And don’t waste time saying goodbye to that ragdoll friend of yours. We have no use for her."


    White-hot anger surged through Beatrix at the mention of Autumn. She backed away from her aunts, hands curling into fists so tight her nails bit into her palms. "Over my dead body! You can''t make me leave."


    "Still the same insolent brat," Aunt Clarice said, her mouth twisting as if she’d caught a whiff of something foul. "What''s wrong? Afraid you''ll miss prom?"


    "Prom''s canceled," Beatrix spat, shaking with rage. "Along with everything else if I don''t stop what''s coming. But you knew that already, didn''t you? That''s why you sent Astar to me?"


    "Now that the barrier''s fallen, there''s no reason for you to stay," Aunt Clarice replied coolly, completely ignoring Beatrix''s accusation. She took a step forward, reaching out with bony fingers. "So come along, child. Don''t make this more difficult than it needs to be. We''re doing what''s best for you."


    "I''m not going anywhere." Beatrix planted her feet firmly in the garden soil. "I won''t abandon my friends. I won''t leave them here to die."


    "Beatrix Felicity Ravenwood." Aunt Cordelia said in that patronizing tone that had always set Beatrix''s nerves on edge. "This is the natural order of things. Some things need to fall apart. Some barriers are meant to break. You''re too young, too naive to understand the cosmic balance at work here."


    "No!" The force of Beatrix''s shout startled a cluster of ravens from a nearby tree, their wings beating frantically against the darkening sky. "Why can''t the demons and Reapers just leave everyone alone? The monsters here only want to live their undead lives in peace!"


    "What the Reapers and our devil masters do is none of our concern," Aunt Cordelia hissed, her patience waning. However, the words sounded forced, rehearsed, like a mantra she''d repeated to herself over and over until she almost believed it.


    "How much did you know?" Beatrix stomped forward until she was toe-to-toe with her aunts. "When you sent me here, did you know what would happen? That I''d become their weapon against these monsters? Tell me!"


    The three witches exchanged wary glances, their united front wavering.


    Finally, Aunt Cordelia spoke with that look of superiority that used to intimidate Beatrix. Not anymore.


    “If you must know," Cordelia said, "Cassia came to us after you''d left." She paused, a cruel smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "And it''s a good thing she did. Monster High needed to learn a lesson. Such arrogance, preaching about ''inclusion'' while looking down on witches. They had this coming.”


    "So murder is the answer?" Beatrix glared at them. "Wow, great plan — throw hundreds of souls into hell. That''ll fix everything!"


    For the first time in Beatrix''s life, Aunt Cordelia sounded a little unsure of herself. “Cassia… may not have been entirely forthcoming about what she was planning…” But then Cordelia quickly recovered, straightening up. “Still, this is not up for debate. You will stay out of the way and let the Duchess handle her business—”


    Before she could finish, Beatrix’s hand shot out, grabbing another fistful of wolfsbane. She shouldered past her aunts without a backward glance, heading for the broken gate. “You know what? I’m done with all of you,” Beatrix said. “I’ve got a school to save.”


    “And what exactly are you planning to do with all that?” Aunt Constance called after her, eyeing the ingredients bulging in Beatrix’s pockets.


    "I''m using witchcraft to protect monsters who actually give a damn about me,” Beatrix fired back over her shoulder.


    "Oh no you don’t. You will not disobey—" Aunt Cordelia started, but Beatrix had heard enough.


    In one swift motion, she pulled out the ash and oil she''d gathered from the kitchen. She smeared the mixture across her palms like war paint, her fingers tracing the fire runes Astar had taught her. Once she completed each mark and rubbed her hands together, they ignited, glowing a brilliant yellow against her skin.


    Flames erupted between Beatrix''s fingers, but these weren''t the wild, uncontrolled flames she''d unleashed in the woods earlier. These ones danced in precise, controlled arcs, weaving between her hands with a deadly grace that cast sharp shadows across her aunts.


    In the growing darkness, Beatrix''s hands glowed like twin suns, and for the first time in her life, she saw genuine surprise flash on her aunts'' faces.


    Aunt Cordelia''s hand flew to her robes, yanking out the ebony wand she always carried. Its tip glowed with the telltale shimmer of a nasty counter-spell, primed to deflect Beatrix''s flames back at her — but then Cordelia froze.


    Her eyes were fixed on the perfectly controlled fire flowing through Beatrix''s fingers like liquid gold. Not a single spark went astray, no flames licked at the garden around them. This wasn''t the messy, unpredictable magic they’d expected from their defiant niece.


    "It''s..." Aunt Clarice’s perpetual sneer gave way to something close to wonder. "That level of control... at your age..."


    "I learned more here in eight months than I did in fifteen years under your thumbs. And I''m just getting started," Beatrix said. She let the flames climb higher until they painted her face in shifting gold and amber, her shadow stretching massive against the greenhouse glass. "You know the best thing I learned here? I don’t need you three breathing down my neck, trying to force me into your mold of what a ''proper'' witch should be. So yeah, I''m not going anywhere with you. Ever."


    Her aunts were transfixed — and was that a flicker of pride on Aunt Cordelia’s face? That approval Beatrix had been chasing since she was a kid?This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "We don''t need to hold onto these grudges," Beatrix continued. "Witches, monsters… we don''t have to hate each other." Her gaze drifted to Monster High''s towers stabbing up at the violet sky, their gothic spires like black thorns. "Destroying this place isn''t going to fix anything. There’s another way. We don''t need to be pawns for evil."


    The three witches stood in silence, looking at Beatrix as if seeing her for the first time. Something had shifted in the garden''s heavy air, like a spell being broken.


    "We..." Aunt Cordelia started, then faltered. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. "We thought that aligning ourselves with Cassia would finally earn our bloodline the respect it deserves." Her shoulders sagged, and Beatrix noticed how tired she looked. It was as if centuries of bowing and scraping to devils had finally caught up with her.


    "Open your eyes, already," Beatrix said. "Cassia and Astar only cozied up to you because of me. They wanted a witch inside these walls, and you handed them one. The second this is over, they''ll toss us aside. We’re nothing to them.”


    Her aunts kept quiet as the thunder of hooves grew steadily louder.


    "Now," Beatrix said as she raised her hands higher, the flames deepening to a fierce blue at their cores, "if you''re not going to help me protect my friends, then get lost. Don''t make me show off the other tricks I’ve learned here."


    Her threat wasn''t empty, and her aunts knew it.


    Slowly, Cordelia, Constance, and Clarice began backing away, their black robes melting into the twilight shadows until all Beatrix could see was the glint of Aunt Cordelia''s eyes in the dark, filled with something that might have been regret — or respect — maybe a little of both. Then they disappeared into the night.


    Beatrix sank to her knees, pressing her palms against the cold earth just as Astar had taught her. She let the magical fire drain safely into the ground, watching as the dirt sizzled and steamed beneath her hands until the last flames died away.


    Rising to her feet, she wiped the ash and oil from her hands onto her black jeans and set off toward the main courtyard.


    ~ o ~ O ~ o ~


    When Beatrix reached the main hall of Monster High, her heart lifted at the sight that greeted her. The front steps had become a gathering place for the scattered monsters who''d refused to hide — and it was a surprisingly large group.


    Cleo de Nile stood at the top of the stone staircase, her bandaged hands planted on her hips as she addressed the determined crowd below.


    "I don''t care if these Reapers are ancient and powerful. I am a de Nile, and I will not cower!" Cleo''s voice rang out with royal authority. "This is our school, and I refuse to let those bags of bones take it from us!"


    Cheers broke out. Beatrix scanned the faces before her — they were mostly fearleaders and their friends. Clawdeen stood with her arms crossed, golden eyes fierce, along with Abbey, and Frankie''s neck bolts crackled with nervous energy as she gripped Jackson''s hand. Guillermo had shown up too, though he kept glancing anxiously at Draculaura for reassurance.


    "Witch snitch!”


    She spun at the sound of Gory’s voice. The vampire held out Beatrix''s black witch hat.


    Beatrix took it and placed it on her head, feeling a surge of confidence as the brim settled into place, the familiar weight pressing against her brow. Now she felt ready.


    Lagoona joined them. "Beatrix, we''re ready, mate. Just tell us your attack plan."


    Draculaura appeared at her side, violet eyes serious. "Grey has most of the students barricaded in the main buildings. He said that the teachers are going to try and negotiate with the Reapers..." She trailed off, biting her lip.


    "Negotiate?" Beatrix guffawed. "The horsemen aren''t here to negotiate."


    "Neither am I," Clawdeen snarled, stepping forward. "They murdered Brocko. Those Reapers want a fight? Fine. Let’s give them one."


    Clawd moved to stand beside his sister, and the rest of the wolf pack emerged from the crowd — Howleen, Romulus, even Orion.


    "The pack is with you," Clawd told Beatrix. "Whatever you''re planning, we''re in."


    "Count us in too." Gory glided forward with her vampire crew.


    "Thank you," Beatrix said, meaning it. After everything that had happened with Bram and Vilhelm, she hadn''t expected all the vamps to ally with her.


    As the sound of approaching hoofbeats echoed off the school''s stone walls, growing louder with each passing second, Beatrix turned to Jackson. "Hey, I need your brain right now. You''ve spent all year studying monster abilities — help me figure out where to position everyone.”


    Jackson adjusted his glasses and pulled out a pen. He began sketching on a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "Okay, okay — we put the werewolves here at the front," he muttered, drawing as he thought aloud. "Their speed and strength will be perfect for the first line of defense. Then, we could position the vampires here. We’ll need their night vision..."


    "Get away from them."


    Grey''s voice sliced through the courtyard like a blade, silencing all conversation in an instant.


    The crowd parted as he strode forward, each step radiating a cold fury. When his pitch-black eyes locked with Beatrix''s, the look he gave her could have frozen hell itself.


    Behind him, Monster High’s most powerful students followed — Deuce, his snake mohawk writhing; Heath, his flames trailing him; Manny, his massive frame towering over everyone in the courtyard; and Johannah, her face threatening to split apart at any moment. Several of Monster High’s faculty and staff flanked them, along with Mr. Gore.


    "All students inside. Now." Mr. Hack, one of the teachers, rasped. "Headmistress''s orders."


    "The situation is under control," Grey commanded the group, his voice like steel, refusing to look at Beatrix again. His hand tightened on his staff. "This isn''t a game. Anyone who stays out here is choosing suicide. We will handle it.”


    "I started this," Beatrix said. "And I''m going to help fix it. I won''t hide while those horsemen hunt down my friends.”


    The werewolves and vampires closed ranks around her, forming a solid wall shoulder-to-shoulder. Neither group showed any sign of backing down.


    "Clawd," Grey tried again, looking at his friend. "Don''t listen to her. She brought this down on us. The barrier, everything, it''s all because of her.”


    "My packmate is dead," Clawd growled, standing his ground. "I don''t care whose side I have to join. Those Reapers are going to pay."


    "Can''t you see what''s happening? She''ll turn on you the second she gets a chance! Just like—" Grey cut himself off, but Beatrix heard the unspoken words: Just like she turned on me.


    "We don''t have time for this!” Beatrix exploded. “The Reapers are coming whether you trust me or not. We need to fight together!"


    The heavy doors of the main building groaned open behind them, drawing everyone’s attention. Headmistress Bloodgood emerged, her phone screen casting a sickly glow on her face.


    "The Grim Reaper isn''t answering any of my calls, if they''re even going through," she told Grey and the rest of the staff. "Reception to the Underworld has always been dreadful. We''re on our own."


    Just then, she noticed the assembled monsters before her. "What is the meaning of this?"


    "We''re fighting back," Beatrix said, meeting the headmistress''s gaze without flinching. "With or without your permission."


    Bloodgood’s eyes narrowed as she realized who was leading this impromptu resistance. "Ms. Ravenwood," she began, "After what you''ve done, I will not allow this—”


    "Oh, for crying out loud!" Johannah''s face split open in frustration before sealing back together. She broke ranks with Grey’s group to stand beside Beatrix. "Fighting is the only real chance we''ve got. While everyone else is hiding or making phone calls, she''s the only one trying to do something!"


    Grey''s jaw clenched so tight Beatrix could almost hear his teeth grinding. He still wouldn''t look at her. "Fine," he bit out. "Do what you want. But if you''re really going through with this, stay away from their scythes. Mid to long-range attacks only. Get too close, and your soul''s gone."


    Grey turned sharply on his heel and stalked off, his followers falling in line behind him.


    "Grey, wait—" Beatrix called after him. But he didn''t even pause. She watched him leave, pain twisting in her chest at him turning his back on her.


    "Alright, ghouls, mansters, bring it in!" Cleo hollered.


    "Venus, I saw you grow big, flesh-eating plants in our Mad Science class — how quickly can you sprout them?" Jackson asked, back to business once their ragtag army huddled up in a circle.


    A smile spread across Venus''s green face as her vine hair writhed with excitement. "Fast enough to turn this whole courtyard into a death trap in minutes. I can make them big enough to swallow a horse whole."


    "Good." Beatrix nodded sharply, pushing thoughts of Grey aside. "We can use them to control the battlefield, force the Reapers to move where we want them.”


    Beatrix faced Toralei next, who was flexing her razor-sharp claws. "Toralei, I need you to break into every storage closet you can find. This school''s bound to have weapons, or stuff we can turn into weapons, stashed away somewhere. Get them, and make sure everyone''s armed.”


    "Breaking and entering?” Toralei purred, examining her claws with a sly smirk. "Consider it done."


    Finally, Beatrix faced Abbey. "Abbey, we''ll need your strength for distance attacks. Grey wasn''t wrong about the Reaper’s scythes — we can''t get too close to them.”


    "Is simple," Abbey said with a confident shrug. "I throw heavy things at death men. Like game of snow-dodgeball, yes?"


    “Exactly,” Beatrix said. “Find anything you can throw — rocks, fallen trees, whatever you can get your hands on."


    Suddenly, a light drizzle began to fall, pattering against the cobblestones of the courtyard.


    Abbey''s eyes gleamed as she held out her palm, catching the raindrops. "Or perhaps," Abbey said, "I turn rain into storm of ice daggers."


    "Even better," Beatrix said, allowing herself a small smile despite everything. She might have lost Grey, but she hadn''t lost everyone. Not yet.


    ~ o ~ O ~ o ~


    The rain drummed against the campus grounds as Beatrix pulled her witch hat lower, trying to shield her eyes from the downpour. Around her, vampires and werewolves moved swiftly through the darkness, their forms barely visible as they crept toward the perimeter fence.


    They were headed for the mountain trail that cut through the woods — where Gory had heard those screams earlier. The horsemen would likely emerge from there to reach Monster High.


    The group stuck close to the dormitory walls, using the buildings as cover. Somewhere behind them, Abbey and Beatrix’s crew were positioned on higher ground, ready to provide backup if things went south.


    Draculaura fell into step beside Beatrix.


    "Grey''s lost his mind," Beatrix muttered, raindrops sliding off the brim of her hat. "He really thinks ''negotiating'' with those horsemen will work? And he said our plan is suicide?"


    "I understand why he went," Draculaura said, her voice barely carrying over the rain. "He''s convinced they''ll listen because they worked with his father—"


    "They won''t." Beatrix spun to face the rest of the group. "Guys, if you spot more than one Reaper, fall back. We might be able to handle one if we''re lucky, but even that''s pushing it..." She let that sink in. "Gory, picking up anything?"


    The vampire squinted through the sheets of rain. "They were near the library earlier, but now..." She cursed under her breath. "This rain''s messing with my hearing."


    "Wait!" Clawd snarled, his head snapped toward the west dorm, past the charred remains of last semester''s All Hallow''s Eve bonfire pit. The trees beyond were oddly still, like the whole forest was watching, waiting.


    And then a Reaper emerged from behind the dorm building like a piece of the night itself came to life. It was Viggo — towering nearly seven feet tall, his massive frame draped in pristine black robes. His dark horse stepped forward without making a sound, hooves sinking silently into the rain-soaked ground. They were already inside the school.


    There was nothing but pure darkness under that hood, but Beatrix could feel Viggo''s stare burning into them as it scanned their group — from werewolf to vampire to witch.


    The Reaper tilted his head, watching them with an eerie curiosity. Around his bony wrist, a glass orb swayed hypnotically in the rain, suspended from a delicate chain. It looked just like Grey''s necklace and was filled with swirling silver mist. As Beatrix stared, ghostly faces pressed against the glass from within, their expressions twisted in silent screams before dissolving back into the fog. Collected souls.


    Then everything exploded into motion. Viggo and his mount lunged forward, moving faster than anything that size had a right to. The group split apart instantly — wolves diving left, vamps sprinting right, just like they''d planned. Draculaura''s ice-cold grip caught Beatrix around the waist, yanking her clear of those massive hooves.


    Venus''s trap began right on cue — giant carnivorous plants burst from the ground one after another around them. Their tentacle-vines lashed out through the rain, catching Viggo''s horse mid-stride. The beast screamed, rearing up on its hind legs and toppling over.


    "Stay back," Draculaura ordered, fingers digging into Beatrix''s arm. "Let us handle the close combat for now."


    "Right." Beatrix pulled free, her eyes scanning the darkness beyond the fight. "Just don''t let any of the Reapers corner you."


    The werewolves and vamps moved around Viggo in their practiced formation. Clawdeen''s fierce snarls mixed with the thunder overhead as she darted in close to the horseman before leaping back, forcing him to pivot while Gory''s vampires harassed him on his other side. Despite his massive size, the Reaper moved with unnatural speed, his robes swirling like liquid shadow as he spun to track all the monsters dashing in circles around him. They kept Viggo turning, searching, his staff slicing through the empty air as he kept missing his targets. The mounting frustration radiating from beneath that dark hood was obvious.


    With Viggo distracted, Beatrix waved her hat high — Abbey''s cue to unleash their ice attack.


    "TRIX! WATCH OUT!"


    Beatrix spun to see Orion sprinting to her as a second Reaper charged from the darkness behind him, staff raised to strike. This one was leaner, with tattered robes that whipped wildly in the wind — Mahlon. His crooked form jerked forward, his chipped staff glinting dully in the rain.


    Orion launched himself at Beatrix, tackling her so hard it knocked the wind out of both of them, her hat flying off her head. They crashed into the mud and rolled as Mahlon''s otherworldly staff slashed through the space where they''d just been.


    Above them, icey shards formed straight out of the rain and shot at Mahlon, forcing the skeletal Reaper to yank his horse hard to the side to dodge. Abbey kept them coming, wave after wave, turning the storm into her weapon. Her ice spears drove Mahlon back, away from where Beatrix and Orion lay sprawled in the mud.


    "You good?" Orion asked, glancing at Beatrix, mud soaking his silver fur.


    "Yeah, I’m good," Beatrix groaned, wiping the dirt from her face. “Thank you.”


    As Beatrix pushed herself up, reaching for her hat, she caught sight of Grey''s team next to the screamatorium.


    Grey looked like he was in the middle of trying to "talk things out" with the third Reaper, Cassius. Cassius had gotten off his horse to speak with Grey, and they stood just steps apart, the tension visible even from a distance.


    However, she could see that members of Grey’s team had secretly positioned themselves nearby, out of view from the Reaper standing with him: Deuce hid on a balcony overhead, one hand resting his sunglasses, waiting. Below, Manny''s hulking form filled a doorway, subtly blocking the escape route. And through an open window, Beatrix saw Robecca was setting up a steam cannon, her brass fingers prepping the gauges to be used as a weapon in case the negotiations turned deadly.


    As Grey kept talking to Cassius, the gaunt Reaper''s hood slowly turned to look over at Beatrix, taking in the mayhem their battle was unleashing across campus.


    Through the thick rain, Beatrix saw Cassius''s stance changing — like he was a cat done playing with a mouse. His sleek black staff suddenly whipped at Grey''s head. Grey barely got his own weapon up in time, the clash reverberating like thunder.


    What happened next showed exactly why Grey had his intimidating reputation: Grey matched Cassius blow for blow in those first crucial seconds, his own staff blocking strikes that would''ve dropped anyone else on the spot. When the Reaper swung down hard from above, Grey lurched out of the way and nearly landed a jab that would''ve cracked a normal person’s ribs. Cassius staggered back, but Grey stayed on him, forcing this ancient killing machine to give ground.


    But Cassius fought with the patient cunning of something that had been collecting souls for eons. Every time Grey seemed to be gaining the upper hand, Cassius would shift tactics, his movements becoming more precise, yet unpredictable. The taller Reaper swung his staff hard, erratically, until Grey was forced to dodge and block more than attack as Cassius methodically wore him down. Sweat mingled with rain on Grey’s face as he fought to keep up.


    Then Grey saw what he thought was an opening in Cassius''s attacks. He went for it — and that was exactly what the horseman wanted. With cold efficiency, Cassius knocked aside Grey''s strike like it was brushing off a bug, then smashed the scythe''s handle into Grey’s head. Grey slammed to the wet cobblestones.


    At this, Grey''s team exploded into action. Robecca''s steam cannon screamed to life, blasting a jet of superheated vapor at Cassius. The Reaper twisted away to dodge it — right where Heath and another student named Jinafire were waiting. They unleashed an inferno that could melt stone, the flames roaring toward Cassius.


    Deuce saw his opportunity and took it, ripping off his shades on the balcony above. His mohawk of vipers hissed as he focused his stone-turning gaze on Cassius. For a split second, it worked — stone crept across those black robes like frost on glass.


    Then everything went wrong.


    The stone shell that encased Cassius exploded with a sound like a thousand mirrors shattering at once, shards flying everywhere as the Reaper stepped out completely unharmed.


    The battle was raging across campus now. Abbey''s ice storm filled the air with crystal spears, but the three Reapers remounted their horses and weaved through the monster’s assault. Viggo''s massive form charged through, while Mahlon''s jerky movements made him impossible to hit. Cassius seemed to flow between the ice like water, always one step ahead. Venus hit back hard — more massive plants burst from the ground, their vines cracking like whips through the storm. The vamps and wolves had to scramble back as her plants went on the offensive.


    But those black staffs... even though Beatrix couldn''t see their spiritual blades at the end of them, she saw what they did. Every plant the Reapers swung at immediately withered away, their life draining like someone had hit fast-forward on decay, leaving nothing but gray husks that crumbled into dust. In seconds, they''d sliced through Venus''s deadly garden like it was nothing, leaving a trail of death wherever they moved.


    It hit Beatrix like a punch to the gut: if their strongest powers combined couldn''t even slow down one Reaper…


    The horsemen split up, each heading in a different direction to divide and conquer. Clawd and his pack held sharpened flagpoles and broom handles Toralei had grabbed from the gym, wielding them like spears, forcing Viggo to dodge and weave them, but ultimately Viggo''s thundering charge scattered the students like leaves.


    Mahlon continued to jerk and twist between their strikes, his chipped staff finding gaps in their guard. Cassius drifted through the chaos like a shadow, his hollow form appearing wherever defenses were weakest. Heath and Jinafire threw up a desperate wall of flames while Beatrix scrambled to trace fire runes with ash and oil on her hands. She sprinted to them, and power burned through her palms as she added her flames to theirs — but even as she did it, she knew it wasn''t enough.


    The Reapers rushed through their fire, their robes burning at the edges but they were too focused on swinging their black staffs to care. One student named Invisi Billy''s scream cut off mid-yell — and Beatrix watched in horror as a murky gleam of light ripped straight from his chest and floated up into a glass orb hanging from Viggo''s staff.


    Slowly, but surely, students, teachers, everyone began falling like dominoes. The Reapers moved through them like they were harvesting crops. Silvi Timberwolf''s murky soul glowed as it got sucked into an orb around Mahlon''s neck. The Reapers swung their scythes at Moanica, Fawn, Elle, and one after another, their souls were trapped like fireflies in glass, their makeshift weapons clattering uselessly to the ground as the Reaper’s orbs grew brighter with every soul they captured.


    Through all this nightmare, Beatrix spotted Grey still lying motionless in the rain. She hurled one more fireball to buy some time, then ran for him. Her hands were still burning hot from the magic. She had to slam them into the wet ground, killing the flames with a burst of steam. Her palms were all blisters and raw skin, but she didn''t care.


    "Frankie! Holt!" Beatrix screamed, seeing them nearby hurling lightning bolts and pieces of school furniture at the advancing Reapers. "Help me get him out of here!"


    They rushed to her side, Frankie protected from the rain by Holt''s jacket draped over herself so she wouldn''t short circuit. Between the three of them, they managed to lift Grey. Holt took most of the weight while Beatrix and Frankie supported Grey''s legs. They staggered toward the closest building, desperate for cover as the battle raged behind them.


    Grey was barely conscious — that hit from Cassius had left an ugly bruise blooming and swelling across his temple. His unfocused eyes drifted aimlessly, head rolling against Holt''s shoulder as they carried him.


    They eased him down against a wall as gently as they could.


    "Beatrix," he slurred, his hand fumbling for her.


    “Hey. I’m here.” Beatrix knelt beside him, rain dripping from her hair as their eyes met.


    "... I saw you destroying those bones… but something felt wrong. The way you moved... it wasn''t like you at all. Were you really possessed…?”


    Beatrix''s heart clenched at the pain in his words. "It wasn''t me. I promise," she said. "Spectra used me. All this time, she was just waiting for the right moment."


    "I''m sorry," he murmured, his voice thick with regret. "I should''ve trusted you. After everything we''ve been through..."


    For a moment, the chaos around them seemed to fade away. Beatrix’s fingers intertwined with Grey’s despite her scorched palms, and she found herself drowning in those bottomless black eyes.


    "You had every right not to trust me," she whispered. "I''m just a witch who showed up and turned everything upside down. But I swear, Grey, everything I told you about wanting to protect this place — wanting to help — it was real. It still is."


    "I know," he said, squeezing her hand weakly. "I knew it then too, deep down. I just... got scared. Seeing the barrier fall... watching everything my dad worked for crumble...”


    "It''s okay, it’s gonna be okay," she whispered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze back. "We''ll talk when we''re not all about to die. Everyone’s fighting with everything they''ve got, but..." The words stuck in her throat. They were losing. Badly.


    Grey''s dark eyes locked onto hers with sudden intensity. "You''re nothing like what I thought witches were," he said softly.


    A crash from outside made them both flinch, but neither of them moved to let go.


    "Viggo, Mahlon and Cassius... they can''t be killed,” Grey started. “My dad..." He tried to shake his head but immediately regretted it, sucking in a sharp breath. His hand flew to the throbbing wound at his temple. "My dad never taught me how to destroy other Reapers… I never thought I''d need to know…"


    Through a shattered window, in the distance, Mr. Gore fell to Mahlon''s scythe. His soul — a murky ball of light — spiraled up from his chest to join the growing collection in the Reaper''s pendant, now glowing brightly against his tattered robes.


    Cleo appeared beside Grey, unwinding the golden bandages from her arms. Without a word, she pressed them against the angry purple bruise on Grey''s temple. Then, before Beatrix could protest, Cleo grabbed her burned hands and started wrapping them too — using three times the amount she''d needed for Beatrix''s neck after the fight with Bram and Vilhelm.


    "There," Cleo said firmly. "These bandages are worth more than this entire school combined, so don''t you dare ruin them."


    "I''m fine, save these for someone else," Beatrix said, even as relief spread through her scalded palms. "I still have wolfsbane on me. I need to get back out there, use a werewolf''s strength to attack them—"


    "No," Grey interrupted. "You can’t get that close to a Reaper."


    Beatrix flexed her bandaged hands in frustration. "Fine. Then I need something else — a spell that can hurt them from a distance while my hands heal. Fire magic isn’t an option right now." She studied her blistered palms, falling silent as an idea formed in her mind.


    Beatrix looked up at Cleo, Holt, and Frankie, finding her own fear mirrored in their faces. "I need you to help me set a trap," she told them.


    "For the Reapers?" Frankie asked.


    "No," Beatrix said, “for Astar."