I nodded mutely.

“Make sure Hunter has some hot tea,” she added to Jenna. “And … why is Chloe drooling on herself?”

“She had stitches. Theo gave her something.”

“Right. You’ll have to get her back to her room then. She can’t stay here right now.”

Chloe didn’t even wake up. Her head just lolled from side to side as we hoisted her up and dragged her out. The last security guard eyed us suspiciously. We didn’t speak on the way to the dorm, not until we laid Chloe out on her bed.

Jason knocked on the door and poked his head in. “I had to check on my floor,” he said, coming in to sit on my desk chair. “Chloe looks all right …,” he trailed off. “But you two don’t. What happened?”

“Will turned,” I explained. “And Spencer was bitten. Maybe.”

He paled. “What?”

“He’s in quarantine.”

“But he’ll be okay.” Jason swallowed. “Tell me he’ll be okay.”

“Damn right he will,” Jenna said, low and determined.

“And Will?” Jason asked, looking as stricken as we felt. “What will happen to him?”

“Nothing.” I replied. I sat on the edge of my bed, feeling kind of numb but not numb enough. “I staked him.”

After a stunned moment, Jason came to sit next to me. “It’s not your fault,” he said firmly.

“You did what you had to do,” Jenna agreed. “Even though it sucks monkeys.”

“He was sixteen. And he was nice.”

“I know. But he was a student at a Helios-Ra school. He knew what he signed on for.”

“He didn’t even want to be here.”

“And that’s not your fault either,” Jason pointed out, trying to comfort me. I wasn’t entirely convinced I should be comforted. I’d just killed a friend of mine, after all. I should be painfully uncomfortable.

I must have said it out loud because Jenna shook her head. “That Hel-Blar woman killed Will. You saved him.”

“Hello? I staked him.”

“Yeah, and do you think he would have wanted us to let him become a monster? The same guy who refused to let the maintenance crew kill the squirrels in the attic?”

“I guess not. Still.”

“Yeah,” Jenna sighed. “Still. You did good, Hunter, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

“It feels like ass.” I rubbed my eyes hard so the tears wouldn’t drop. “School assembly on Monday is going to be a funeral too,” I remarked.

“Won’t be the first time.” Jenna was the color of milk in the faint light of the lamp. “I know what we need.”

She went straight to Chloe’s secret schnapps in the closet. Jason and I slid down to sit on the floor with Jenna as she opened the bottle and passed it around. I took a sip and the overly sweet peach liqueur ran down my throat.

“Disgusting,” Jason spluttered.

“Totally is,” Jenna agreed. “Quit hogging it.”

“No more for me, you guys.” I waved away the bottle and lay on my back, staring up at the ugly beige ceiling. The continuous loop in my head of Will as he crumpled was exactly what I deserved. I shouldn’t try to forget it or dull it with alcohol. Or the fact that Spencer might possibly be fighting for his life right now. And it was a battle we couldn’t help him with. We didn’t have his back. It felt awful. And I should feel awful.

“Hey, eighteen is the legal age in Quebec.” Jenna waved the half-empty bottle at me and the liqueur sloshed over the edge. I wiped it off my cheek. She giggled. “Oops. Sorry.”

“We’re not in Quebec.” And it was an automatic suspension if you were caught drinking on campus.

“Still. You’re gonna make a really good hunter,” she added. “Like, really. You know?”

“You will too.”

“No, it’s different,” she insisted. She nudged Jason with her foot. “Isn’t it different? It’s different.”

“Yup.” He nodded enthusiastically. “Hunter’s a hunter!”

“Ha!” Jenna laughed so loud she startled herself and fell over. Jason and I looked at each other, looked at her, and then laughed so hard we were panting for breath. Chloe groaned.

“What’s going—hey,” she mumbled groggily. “That’s my schnapps.”

“Spencer got bitten by Will and then Hunter staked Will,” Jenna told her, trying to look serious but just going cross-eyed instead.

Chloe blinked. “Shit.” She held her hand out for the bottle. “Gimmee.” She fished a pill out of her pocket and swallowed it down with the alcohol.

“Dude, what is that?” Jason gaped at her. “A horse pill?”

“It’s a vitamin,” she informed him loftily.

“Not you too,” he groaned. “All the Niners are suddenly obsessed with vitamins and protein powder. There’s some rumor going around that it’ll make them strong.”

I rolled over to frown at Chloe. “I thought you took one already today. And you shouldn’t drink when you’re on pain meds.”

“I’m doubling up now.” She propped herself on her elbow and took another mouthful. “I’m injured. I need my strength.”

“Does it make you pee fluorescent yellow?” Jenna asked. “Vitamins always give me Day-Glo pee.”