The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Six

Cautiously, flavourless felt along the path with his foot until he found pastureland, then inched his way onto it, holding his give appear in front of him until he was touching the rough bark of a tree. in that respect probably werent too many people hanging around right(prenominal) the main campus gate, scarcely hed besides as soon prevail no genius see him, blindfolded, dressed in his weddings-and-funerals suit and tie, and looking, he was sure, same(p) an moron.On the other hand, he did want whoever was coming to get him to be able to spot him. It would be better to look like an idiot out in the contribute now and move part of the Vitale familiarity than to hide and spend the rest of the night blindfolded in the bushes. plane inched his way derriere toward where he thought the gate must be and stumbled. Waving his hands, he managed to catch his balance again.He suddenly wished he had told someone where he was going. What if somebody other than the Vitale associa tion had left him the crease? What if this was a plan to get him on his own, some kind of jam? vapid ran his finger beneath his sweaty too-tight col ar. After al the eldritch things that had happened to him in the last year, he couldnt help being paranoid.If he vanished now, his friends would neer know what had happened to him. He thought of Elenas laughing blue eyeball, her clear, searching gaze. She would run away him if he disappe bed, he knew, even if she had never loved him the way he wanted her to. Bonnies laugh would lose its carefree note if phlegm were gone, and Meredith would become more tense and fierce, push herself harder. He mattered to them.The Vitale Societys invitation was clear, though tel no one. If he wanted to get in the game, he had to play by their rules. vapid understood rules.Without warning, someone two someones grabbed his arms, one on each side. Instinctively, phlegm struggled, and he heard a grunt of exasperation from the person on his right. Fortis aeturnus, hissed the person on his left like a password, his breath stiff on compresseds ear.Matt halt fighting. That was the slogan on the letter from the Vitale Society, wasnt it? It was Latin, he was pretty sure. He wished hed run throughn the time to find out what it meant. He let the people holding his arms guide him across the grass and onto the road.Step up, the one on his left whispered, and Matt moved prior careful y, climbing into what seemed to be the foul of a van. Firm hands pushed his head sight to salvage him from banging it on the vans roof, and Matt was reminded of that sinful time this past summer when hed been arrested, accused of attacking Caroline. The cops had pushed his head down just like that when they put him handcuffed into the ass of the squad car. His stomach sank with remembered dread, simply he shook it off. The Guardians had erased everyones memories of Carolines false accusitions, just as theyd changed everything else.The hands cha nnelise him to a seat and strapped a seat belt around him. in that respect seemed to be people sitting on each side of him, and Matt opened his spill the beans to speak to say what, he didnt know.Be stil , the clandestine voice whispered, and Matt near(a)d his mouth obediently. He strained his eyes to see something past the blindfold, even a hint of light and shadow, but everything was dark. Footsteps clattered across the grade of the van then the doors slammed, and the engine started up.Matt sat back. He tried to keep track of the turns the van took but confounded count of the rights and lefts after a few minutes and instead just sat quietly, waiting to see what would happen nigh.After about fifteen minutes, the van came to a halt. The people on either side of Matt sat up straighter, and he tensed, too. He heard the front doors open and close and then footsteps come around the van before the back doors opened.Remain silent, the voice that spoke to him earlier ordered. You w il be guided toward the next stage of your journey.The person next to Matt brushed against him as he rose, and Matt heard him stumble on what sounded like gravel underfoot as he was led away. He listened alertly, but, once that person had left, Matt heard just the nervous shifting of the other people seat in the van. He jumped when hands took his arms once more. Somehow theyd snuck up on him again he hadnt heard a thing.The hands helped him out of the van, then guided him across what felt like a paving material or courtyard, where his shoes thudded against first gravel, then pavement. His guides continued to lead him up a series of stairs, through some kind of hal way, then back down again. Matt counted three flights down before he was stopped again.Wait here, the voice said, and then his guides stepped away.Matt tried to cast out where he was. He could hear people, probably his companions from the van, shifting quietly, but no one spoke. Judging by the echoes their illuminatet le motions produced, they were in a monumental space a gym? a basement? Probably a basement, after al those stairs down.From behind him came the quiet click of a door closing.You may now remove your blindfolds, a new voice, latterly and confident, said.Matt untied his blindfold and looked around, blinking as his eyes modify to the light. It was a faint, indirect light, which supported his basement theory, but if this was a basement, it was the fanciest one hed ever seen.The room was huge, stretching into dimness at its other end, and the floor and wal s were paneled in a dark, heavy wood. Arches and pil ars supported the capital at intervals, and at that place were some kinds of carvings on them the clever, twisted shell of what efficacy be a sprite leered at him from a pil ar the figure of a running deer spanned one archway.Red-velvet-seated chairs and heavy wooden tables run along the wal s. Matt and the others were facing a great central archway, topped by a large ornate letter V made of diverse kinds of glittering, highly polished metals elaborately welded together. Below the V ran the same guideword that had appeared on the letter fortis aeturnus.Glancing at the people near him, Matt precept that he wasnt the except one feeling confused and apprehensive.There were peradventure fifteen other people standing there, and they seemed like they came from contrastive classes there was no way that tal , stooping computed axial tomography with the ful beard was a freshman.A smal , moon-faced girl with short ringlets of brown hair caught Matts eye. She raised her eyebrows at him, widening her mouth in an exaggerated expression of bewilderment. Matt grinned back at her, his spirits lightening. He shifted closer to her and had just opened his mouth to whisper an introduction when he was interrupted.Welcome, said the deep, authoritative voice that had instructed them to take off their blindfolds, and a young man stepped up to the central archway, at on ce below the huge V. Behind him came a circle of others, seemingly a mix of guys and girls, al clothed in black and wearing masks. The exertion ought to beget been over the top, Matt thought, but instead the masked figures seemed dismal and aloof, and he suppressed a shiver.The guy beneath the arch was the only one not wearing a mask. He was a position shorter than the silent figures around him, with curly dark hair, and he smiled warmly as he stretched out his hands toward Matt and the others.Welcome, he said again, to a secret. You may have heard rumors of the Vitale Society, the oldest and most il ustrious brass instrument of Dalcrest. This is a society often spoken of in whispers, but about which no one knows the truth. No one except its members. I am Ethan Crane, the true president of the Vitale Society, and Im delighted that you have accepted our invitation. He paused and looked around. You have been invited to contract because you are the best of the best. Each of you has different strengths. He gestured to the tal , bearded guy Matt had noticed. Stuart Covington here is the most bril iant scientific mind of the senior class, perhaps one of the most promising ones in the country. His articles on biogenetics have already been published in numerous journals.Ethan walked into the crowd and stopped next to Matt.This close up, Matt could see that Ethans eyes were an almost golden hazel, ful of warmth. Matt Honeycutt enters Dalcrest as a starting player on the footbal team after atomic number 82 his high school to the state championship last year.He could have had his choice of col ege footbal programs, and he chose to come to Dalcrest. Matt ducked his head modestly, and Ethan squeezed his bring up before walking on to stop next to the cute round-faced girl.Junior Chloe Pascal is, as those of you who attended last years campus art state know, the most talented artist on campus. Her dynamic, exciting sculptures have won her the Gershner Award for t wo years running. He patted Chloe on the arm as she blushed.Ethan went on, passing from one member of their little grouping to another, listing accomplishments. Matt was only half listening as he looked around at the rapt expressions on the faces of the other candidates, but he got the impression of a wide range of talents, and that this was indeed a gathering of the best of the best, an fabrication of campus achievers. He seemed to be the only freshman.He felt like Ethan had lit a glowing candle inside him he, Matt, who had been the least special of his group of friends, was being singled out.As you can see, Ethan said, circling back to the front of the group, each of you has different skil s. Brains, creativity, athleticism, the ability to lead others. These qualities, when brought together, can make you the most elite and sizable group, not only on campus, but throughout life. The Vitale Society is an organization with a long history, and once you are a member of the society, you are one for life. Forever. He held up one finger in caution, his face serious. However, this meeting is but the first step on the road to comely a Vitale. And it is a difficult road. He smiled at them again. I weigh we believe that al of you have what it takes to become a Vitale. You would not have been invited to confidence if we did not think you were worthy.Matt straightened his shoulders and held his head high.Least extraordinary member of his group of friends or not, hed saved the world or at least his hometown more than once. Even if hed just been one of a team then, he was pretty sure he could handle whatever the Vitale Society could throw at him.Ethan smiled directly at him. If you are prepared to pledge the Vitale Society, to keep our secrets and earn our trust, step preliminary now.Without hesitating, Matt stepped forward. Chloe and the bearded guy Stuart stepped with him and, looking around, Matt saw that every one of the pledges had moved forward together. Ethan came toward Matt and took hold of the lapel of his suit. There, he said, quickly pinning something on it and allow Matt go. Wear this at al times, but discreetly.You must keep your involvement with the society secret.You wil be contacted. Congratulations. He gave Matt a brief, genuine smile, and moved on to Chloe, saying the same thing to her.Matt glum his lapel up and looked at the tiny dark blue V that Ethan had pinned to it. Hed never thought much before about fraternities, or secret societies, or any kind of organization that wasnt a sports team. But this, being the only freshman the legendary Vitale Society wanted, was different. They saw something in him, something special.