Stella's POV

I paced around the room as I heard a Darkling roar on the other side of the door. The walls rattled as if someone threw themselves against it. Whatever war was out there, I just prayed it wouldn't come here.

Fear consumed me as I backed up against the wall, far from the door. I did not know what threats were coming, nor did I know how long I would stay. Those and many other questions swirled around my mind, consuming my thoughts.

Another roar echoed the room, this time it sounded closer. As my heart raced as I stared at the door, expecting the beast to charge in it. But slowly the roars became distant again, telling me it passed.

I walked to the door and rattled the handle, hoping that it was unlocked. However, when the door refused to open, I knew I would be here for a while.

Graywick told me he would return, but when would that be? I needed to go back to Jackson. My school was on the line and my family would worry. I couldn't stay here forever. I wasn't from Churchwell. This wasn't my home.

I gave a frustrated sigh, then walked to the large window in the room. My eyes scanned out the window, hoping to find any hint of what was happening. Instantly, I saw a large black bird flying around the deserted grounds. It crowed, then landed right outside my window. As the bird looked into the window, I backed up. It was much larger than I originally thought it was.

Its wingspan must have been as long as I was tall. It crowed again as its black wings glittered in the sun, turning a purple color. As it looked into my room, it met my eyes, then looked at the ground.

I felt like it wanted to talk to me somehow. "What do you want?" I asked it, waiting for a response.

It cried again, then flapped its wings, taking off into the air. It soared high for a moment before landing on the ground, changing shape entirely. Its black feathers were replaced with a black cloak, its wings were replaced with arms. The bird had turned into a human in a blink of an eye.

It did not look up into my window as it walked into the castle. But that caused me to lean out the window and call out to it.

"Hey! Come back!" I shouted; however, it did not stop the cloaked figure from walking into the castle, vanishing from view.

There was something about that bird that seemed familiar. It felt like it wanted to talk to me, but it was gone too quickly for me to make out what it wanted to say.

Breaking me from my thoughts was when I heard someone call out my name. It was muffled, but it sounded worried.

I turned my attention to the door, hoping I would hear my name again. I was sure I didn't imagine it. Beyond that door, someone was calling me. My feet flew across the floor until I was in front of the door.

"Stella?!" I heard Gray's voice rang out.

Excitement filled me. He was here looking for me. Else must have told him somehow. All my insecurities faded from my mind as my knees got weak thinking he came for me.

"Gray! I'm here!" I screamed through the door, hoping he would hear me.

Out of everyone here, I trusted him the most. He was the one that could help me. I needed him. It felt so foolish to have trusted Graywick when I knew of all the things he had done. Graywick couldn't be trusted with the Umbra Mortine, but I could trust Gray.

"Stella?" Gray shouted again, snapping me from my thoughts.

This time, I pounded on the door with my fists. "I'm here!" I called out to him.

"Stella!" Gray's voice rang out from the other side of the door. "Are you in there?"

"I'm here! But the door is locked."

"Stand back. I'll break it down," he responded.

Obediently, I stepped back as I heard thumps against the door. Finally, the door busted opened to reveal Gray dressed in all black. He looked dirty and blood covered his hands and shoulder. I wondered if it was from him or someone else.

"Gray?" I asked, just to make sure he was really there.

Gray nodded as he walked into the room and wrapped his arms around me tightly. "You're ok."

"I know I am," I told him. That much, I was sure of. Graywick was helping me for reasons I didn't understand. Gray might have thought I was in trouble, but I was the trouble. I didn't need to be reassured that he found me.

"We need to get you out of here," he said as he looked out the hall.

As much as I wanted to agree with him, the dead man in the woods popped into my mind again. I was the danger and maybe I shouldn't be anywhere near Gray. With the Umbra Mortine still in me, I was the monster that he should run from.

"Grayson, it's great to see you again," Graywick said as he walked into the room.

Gray protectively stepped in front of me. "Let us go."

"You can leave if you want. But are you sure that is what Stella wants?" he asked as he looked at me.

Gray turned his attention to me as he rose an eyebrow.

There was so much I needed to tell him, but here was not the time. Gray wouldn't understand that I came here on my free accord.

"I just want to get back to Jackson," I muttered.

Graywick suddenly turned serious as he stepped closer to us. I think he realized that Gray could give me what I wanted. For whatever reason, Graywick did not want that. He wanted to keep me here, and I had a feeling it wasn't because he wanted to cure me.

"And you think you are going to take her?" Graywick demanded.

"Stella doesn't belong here," Gray voiced.

"Oh yes, she does."

In the blink of an eye, Gray threw a knife, striking Graywick in the hand. He then pushed him out of the room and locked us in the room. He moved his hands in front of the door as I heard Graywick yell for us.

"That will not stop him," I whispered as fear took hold over me.

"I know. We aren't stopping him. We are getting you to the school," he said as he opened the door to who an empty hallway.

Before I had time to react, he pushed me into the hall. "I'll be back soon. Just stay here," he begged me.

Just as I was about to protest, he shut the door behind me. Frustration bubbled within me as I opened the door to see a supply closet on the other side. Gray thought I couldn't handle myself, but he was wrong. I proved I could take on Graywick when I brought him to his knees. Gray should have at least told me his plan before throwing through the gate without him.

"Grayson!" I shouted as I slammed the door shut, hoping he could hear me.

"Wow, such a gentleman. And you think you can trust him?" my voice rang out from behind me.

I turned to see the Umbra Mortine mirror my image. Its black eyes shone in the light as it smirked at me.

"I can trust Gray. I always could."

"But things have changed. Gray has changed. You can see that." 

"You are lying."

The Umbra Mortine walked closer to me. "No, you are lying to yourself." 

With a frown, I leaned against the wall and looked at the stone floor. It was right, Gray had changed. Maybe that was enough for him not to like me anymore. He barely talked to me once he rescued me. Maybe I should read more into that. 

"I wonder what he would do if he knew about us."

My eyes met the Umbra Mortine silently. That was one question that had floated around my mind, but I wasn't sure of the answer. 

"Even if he did know about us, he wouldn't stop us from becoming the strongest in Churchwell."

"I don't care about being the strongest," I voiced.

My reflection rose an eyebrow at me. "Somehow, I don't believe that's the truth. You like this power. You like that you brought Graywick to his knees. Deep down, you want to keep that power."

I shook my head. "That's not true."

The Umbra Mortine laughed. "Now that is a joke and we both know it."

"Stop!" I shouted as the lights faded into a shade of gray. 

The Umbra Mortine smirked at me then looked around the hall. "Being in Churchwell has made you stronger. Now you just need to learn how to control that."

I watched as the color faded from the walls, just like it did with Graywick in the library. The color of the hall vanished. I felt like I was soaking in the color and the more the color faded, the stronger I became. I took a deep breath in, sucking in more of the color, enjoying the feeling.

"Do you feel the light soaking into your soul?"

I nodded as my chest felt warm. It was like I just completed a massive work out, but instead of feeling tired, I felt invigorated. It was as if nothing could stop me. The warmth in my chest spread through my body until it felt like I buzzed with power.

"And this is just the start of it. Wait until you can achieve your full potential."

"What will happen to you?"

The Umbra Mortine smiled as it leaned against the wall. "Then I'll be able to achieve my full potential. What I always was supposed to do."

"And what is that?"

"It's exactly what you want. To be in control. To not be helpless. To be the holder of information. To be with him," it thumbed to the door, referring to Gray.

The lights flickered on and as the color returned to the walls, the Umbra Mortine faded from sight.

"Stop! I don't want you to leave! You need to answer my questions. I demanded into the hall. However, the Umbra Mortine did not return. "But that's not what I want..." my voice trailed off since deep down I wasn't sure of that statement.

In the silence of the hall, unsure what to do, I waited, hoping Gray would return soon. Time passed too slowly and painfully, but eventually the supply closet opened.

Quickly, I stood up from my seat on the floor and watched as a handful of people that looked my age stumble through the gate. I craned my neck to peer over their heads, hoping to find Gray. My worry lifted as Gray walked through the door, shutting it behind him.

We made eye contact and, without saying anything, he walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

I breathed him in, not wanting to let go. We have been through so much, but being in his arms made all of it worth it.

"I missed you," he mumbled into my hair.

I nodded as I held onto him. "I missed you too."