That night, Zoey tossed and turned in her sleep, caught in a never-ending loop of nightmares. Emmaly was there again and again hovering above her with a cold, lifeless stare, a knife glinting in her hand. Each time, Zoey fought back, but the dream always ended the same: pain, betrayal, and darkness.
She jolted upright with a scream.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Her chest heaved as tears streamed down her cheeks. Jace immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," he whispered gently, rubbing her back. "You're safe. I've got you."
The door burst open. Alina, Mya, and Jada stormed in, eyes wide and filled with concern.
"What happened?" Alina asked, looking between Zoey and Jace.
"She's here," Zoey gasped. "She's trying to kill me. Over and over again. I can't stop seeing her."
"Zoey," Alina said softly, "you're safe now. Emmaly's gone. It was just a dream."
Jace nodded. "I've got her. You girls can go back to bed. I'll stay with her."
The girls exchanged looks, reluctant, but nodded.
"Goodnight, Zoey. We love you," Mya said gently.
"I love you too," Zoey replied, her voice trembling.
Once the door closed, Jace tucked a strand of hair behind Zoey's ear. "You okay?"
Zoey let out a shaky breath. "I think so. Let's just… go back to sleep."
Jace pulled her close again, and together they lay back down, wrapped in each other's warmth. Slowly, the tremors faded from Zoey's body as sleep claimed her once more.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window. Zoey rose, quietly slipping out of bed while Jace headed to get ready for school. But she had something else on her mind something she couldn't shake.
She made her way to her parents' room and knocked softly.
"Come in, honey," Sarah called.
Zoey stepped in, her face serious. "I need to talk to you. Both of you."
Sebastian looked up from his book. "What's wrong?"
"I had a vision," Zoey said. "There's a traitor. I saw him. He's here."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"He had long gray hair… blue eyes."
Sebastian stood up immediately. "That's him."
He stormed out, followed closely by Zoey and Sarah. Downstairs, they found the man talking with other guards. Without hesitation, Sebastian slammed him to the ground. The man's eyes widened in shock just as Sebastian drove a silver dagger through his heart.
"He was the traitor," Sebastian said, wiping the blade clean. "We can't afford to be careless."
Sarah addressed the gathering supernatural community. "From now on, we watch our surroundings. Wolves stay sharp. Vampires sense for lies. Witchesuse your magic to uncover truth. No more surprises."
Later that day, Zoey returned to school, the events of the morning still fresh in her mind. Her first period passed quietly until a scream pierced the air.
Zoey shot up from her desk. Alina, Mya, Jada, and Jace were already racing toward the hallway. Together, they followed the sound outside.
Two girls stood by the school gate, bloodied and trembling. The older one looked to be Zoey's age; the younger, barely thirteen.
"Please," the older girl cried. "Help us."
Their faces were bruised and covered in cuts, fear written all over them.
Zoey stepped forward, eyes burning with resolve. "You're safe now. We've got you."