Monster High: Season of the Witch

28. Hard to Explain

"Bea? Bea!"

Beatrix felt the gentle touch of soft hands, unmistakably Autumn's. The scarecrow patted her cheek to prevent her from slipping back into unconsciousness.

Beatrix opened her eyes and gasped for breath, fighting to restore the blood flow to her head.

"Thank goodness," Autumn cried. Autumn and Guillermo's faces came into focus above her.

The buzzing in Beatrix's bones had disappeared entirely, replaced by a heavy, weighted sensation that made her body feel like a sack of bricks. Slumped against the tree where she'd been thrown, she saw Vilhelm collapsed on the ground next to her. He appeared as if he had dozed off during their fight—if it could even be called a fight.

Beatrix knew that she would have met her demise if Vilhelm hadn't fallen into that strange trance-like state.

At first, she'd thought that during their struggle, she'd managed to strike him and knock him out.

However, Beatrix's attention was quickly drawn to Draculaura, who stood nearby. Draculaura's eyes were unnaturally wide, fixated intensely on Vilhelm's sleeping form.

"There," Guillermo whispered, crouched down in front of Beatrix. He pointed towards Draculaura. "That's how she did it. Beatrix, I swear I didn't want to tell her about your weird sleeping elixir. She compelled me to reveal it."

Mind compulsion. A higher form of what Operetta and mermaids can do? Or something more? Beatrix didn't have the energy to wonder about it now.

She noticed that there were no vampires left except for Vilhelm. Beatrix assumed that Bram and the other vampires fled the area to evade falling under Draculaura's trance.

Beatrix attempted to lift herself up, but her body sank back against the tree. She fixed her gaze on the stars and the tips of the surrounding pines.

Suddenly, Frankie's strong green arms effortlessly scooped her up, carrying Beatrix to Draculaura's porch. As Beatrix looked up at the tall girl holding her, she couldn't help but find the scene comical, akin to a mother cradling her baby.

Frankie placed Beatrix upright on the porch, and all of the Fearleading ghouls gathered around her. They bombarded her with questions all at once.

"Did you throw Bram?"

"How did you do that?"

"No way, that's impossible. You're a normie."

"That window is going to cost a fortune to replace! Dracula better not find out about this!"

"Of course he's going to find out! He's always checking on his favorite little bat."

"Is that wolfsbane?" Venus plucked a purple leaf from Beatrix's cheek.

Abbey pressed an icy hand to Beatrix's collarbone, a temporary ice pack to cool her down. The frigid touch was refreshing, helping to slow Beatrix's racing heart.

Ghoulia shuffled over with a pink washcloth from Draculaura's kitchen. With gentle pressure, she applied it to Beatrix's wound to stop the bleeding and wiped away the dirt on her neck.

"That was amazing, Trixie!" Frankie beamed, oblivious to the other fearleaders' concern.

"You were so strong, like... like..."

"Like a wolf," Clawdeen finished. "I know a werewolf when I see one. I could smell one too." Clawdeen's nose wrinkled, bewildered. "What wolf bit you? Why didn't you fully transform? I could smell the werewolf on you, but now it's gone."

"Thank goodness. One dog's smell is enough," Toralei smirked.

Clawdeen responded with a low growl.

"Look, the witch has bite marks," Abbey observed, taking her cold hand off Beatrix.

The nail marks on Beatrix's neck, courtesy of Vilhelm, might have resembled a wolf bite. However, Beatrix was unsure how to explain that she hadn't actually been bitten—that she'd instead ingested some of Clawdeen's saliva from a punch cup. Beatrix hadn't anticipated having to explain her plan, let alone the unorthodox form of witchcraft she'd used.

Thankfully, everyone's questions came to an abrupt halt as Cleo parted the fearleaders like the Red Sea. Ghoulia shuffled aside to make room as Cleo carefully unwrapped a piece of golden fabric from her pinky finger and palm.

Without uttering a word, Cleo began wrapping the gold fabric around Beatrix's neck.

"Cleo—"

"Shut it," Cleo commanded. "Keep it on overnight and return it to me tomorrow morning. My skin gets as dry as a scorching desert without it."

Beatrix didn't feel any immediate difference with the wrapping, but she was touched by Cleo's unexpected act of kindness.

Thunder roared across the mountainside, and some ghouls looked up, expecting rain to come pouring down. However, the thunderous sound wasn't coming from the sky.

A loud engine rumbled, cutting through the woods as it approached Draculaura's house. Soon, a black motorcycle sped along the tree-lined road, coming to a halt in the driveway.

The motorcyclist wore a leather jacket, his large stature apparent beneath. He quickly removed his helmet, revealing pitch-black eyes and gray skin.

The fearleaders' faces were marked with curiosity. They likely wondered why the Grim Reaper's son, known for his rather scary reputation, had shown up.

Grey dismounted from his motorcycle and swiftly approached. The ghouls made way for him.

"I left as soon as I saw your text," Grey said, catching his breath.

Towering above the others, Grey scanned the backyard of the house. His gaze settled on Draculaura, still exerting her supernatural control over Vilhelm.

"I should've been here sooner," Grey admitted, guilt racking his gruff voice. "You're hurt."

He knelt in front of Beatrix and his towering presence filled her field of view. He used his hands to assess her wounds, black eyes locked on her neck. His calloused hands sent a surge of warmth to Beatrix's face.

In an attempt to compose herself, Beatrix shrugged him off. "I'm fine. I was wondering what took you so long," she tried to tease. "What happened to keeping an eye on me, Death Lord?"

However, Grey cut the pleasantries short, the staff he always kept at his belt buckle at the ready.

"I was in the forest on the other side of campus," he said.

Before Beatrix could ask why, Grey anticipated her question.

"Another student was found in the woods."