Declaration Year 3: An Academy Reversed Harem Paranormal Bully Romance (Fallen Fae Academy Book 3)

by Rachel Angel

  Once again, she grew dizzy from lack of air. The guys tried in vain to get the shadow off her, but it was useless. No matter what they did, it did nothing to stop the creature.

  Harley thought of all her training, the combat practice with Oak, her training with Kingsley and all those fights with Zed. She’d fought so hard, and yet she still found herself at a disadvantage.

  As the cloud of unconsciousness threatened to take over, the dean came to and stood. She walked up behind the shadow, grabbing him in a choke hold.

  The beast immediately released Harley and turned its attention to the dean.

  “Dark Fae Wizard,” the dean called out. “With all my powers, I…”

  The Dark Fae slapped its claw over the dean’s mouth, silencing her. Harley lunged forward to help the dean, but the shadow grabbed the older woman by the waist, spun around and disappeared.

  After the rush of fighting, the panic and urgency, the room was suddenly still and ominously silent.

  “Shit!” Zed shouted. “What just happened?”

  “Where the hell did they go?” Red said.

  “The Dark Realms,” Kingsley said.

  “We need to get her back,” Red cried out. He ran to the spot where his mother was and looked around in disbelief. “How do we get her back?”

  Shaking his head, his brother looked at him. “We don’t know how to do that yet, Red,” Zed said. “Nothing had prepared us for this. Mother never prepared us for something like this.”

  “He’ll be back to get Harley,” Kingsley said. “The Dean was about to banish him from coming back, trying to reseal the seal against the Dark Fae, especially him, specifically…the Dark Fae Wizard, but he stopped her before she could.”

  Red turned to Zed. “Our father. Mom said to go to him.”

  Zed nodded. “Right. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 11

  The twins turned to Kingsley and Harley, the fear for their mother so clear on their faces. Harley longed to reassure them, but there wasn’t much she could do.

  “We have to go,” Zed said, his voice trembling with urgency.

  Harley turned to Kingsley. “I’m going to go with them.”

  Kingsley’s eyes went blank for a long moment.

  “Is everything okay?” Harley said.

  He remained silent a moment longer then turned to her. “I have to get back to The Kingdom of Sea.”

  “Why? What’s going on?” she said.

  “I don’t know exactly, but something is going on and I’m needed immediately.”

  “Go ahead,” Red said. “We’ll take care of Harley.”

  “We’ll protect her,” Zed added.

  Kingsley nodded and slipped back to his kingdom.

  Zed turned to look at Harley. “Don’t worry. We may no longer have a king, but our father, The General, is the prime ruler of The Kingdom of Fall. No one would dare mess with his sons.”

  He took a hold of her hand and they all slipped back to The Kingdom of Fall.

  Harley turned to them as they approached the castle. “I didn’t know The Kingdom of Fall had no king.”

  “It’s a military run kingdom,” Red said. “Our father is in charge.”

  They entered the castle and were met with armed guards.

  “Where’s our father?” Zed quickly shot out.

  “The war room,” the young guard said.

  Zed hurried off to the left with Red and Harley right behind him. Without knocking, he burst into the room.

  “The armies here are too small,” The General was saying as they entered the room.

  Two more guards immediately stopped them and everyone in the room turned to look at them. They were standing before a huge map on the wall. Several colored pins were set in various strategic sites on the map, and the men before the map had more pins in their hands.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the guard said.

  “Let them in,” The General said. “They’re my sons.” He set the pins he had in his hand on the large desk and came to them. “What are you boys doing here?” He glanced at Harley but made no mention.

  “Dad,” Red said. “It’s Mom. They’ve taken her.”

  “Who?” The General said. “Where?”

  The boys looked around at the men in the room.

  Following their gaze, The General looked around. “Everybody out! I think I’ve made myself clear on the strategy we need.”

  The men nodded and mumbled to one another as they streamed out of the large room.

  “Now,” The General said once they were alone. “What happened?”

  “The Dark Fae Wizard, Dad,” Zed said. “He came to Mom’s office and cornered her. When we showed up with Harley, the wizard went after her, and Mom tried to stop him. He grabbed her and disappeared.”

  “Just disappeared,” Red said. “And there was nothing we could do to help her. It was like trying to fight a puff of smoke; useless.”

  The General stepped up to Harley and smiled. He was a massive and imposing man of about fifty years old and stood well over six feet tall. His wide shoulders seemed capable of carrying the weight of the world. His hair was pulled off his face and he had sharp, uncompromising eyes. “This is who the wizard wanted?” he said. He turned to his boys. “Why have you never brought her to the castle before?”

  A little embarrassed, Red stepped forward. “We took part in an awful prank on her, and we’ve only recently succeeded in earning her forgiveness.”

  The General eyed his sons with dismay then brought his gaze back to Harley. “Good girl. Men sometimes need to be put in their place.”

  “I believe I did just that, sir,” Harley said.

  “Don’t let her delicate frame and pretty features fool you,” Red said. “She’s one hell of a warrior. She’s clever and quick-witted, and while she still has little experience in battle, she has a strong fighting instinct.”

  “She also has a taste for revenge,” Zed added with a grin. “She got us back for that prank. She got us good.”

  The General nodded. “Was your mother lying when she said you boys tended to spend your time with loose women? Groupies?”

  The twins looked at one another.

  “No, Father,” Zed said. “Mother did not lie.”

  “That’s what I thought. Well I’m happy to see that you’ve matured enough to realize now what a real woman is like.” He set his hand on Harley’s shoulder. “I’m happy that my boys brought you here. It pleases me to see they’ve smartened up.” He turned to them. “Of course, I’m still angry that they lost the Soccer Cup.”

  Red licked his lips nervously. “This is all good and well, Dad, but what are we going to do about Mom?”

  The General walked back to his desk and sat down, inviting them to sit with a wide gesture of his hand. He seemed surprisingly calm considering the urgency of the moment. “What we won’t do is panic.”

  The boys reluctantly sat down, as did Harley.

  “We need to figure out why he took her,” The General said. “Only then will we know how to get her back.”

  They were all silent for a moment.

  “If I may,” Harley finally said. “The Dean said you might be able to explain all this.”

  The General grinned. “She did, did she? Well, let’s see.” He sat back and looked to the ceiling. “Where do I begin?” He brought his gaze back to Harley. “I assume you already know who your mother is.”

  Harley nodded. “Yes, sir. The Queen of Spring.”

  “And do you know who your father is?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Your father was the only half-human fae male in the Faery Realm, but not long after you were born, he disappeared. He simply vanished without a trace, leaving your mother distraught and heartbroken. Your mother, with direct and undisputed royal lineage to The Kingdom of Spring, used all the powers her title afforded her to find him. She sent out numerous search parties, but to no avail. No one ever saw him again.”

  The General looke
d at Harley, his hard eyes suddenly softened with compassion. “Then you disappeared.”

  Harley could feel her mother’s pain, and she ached for her.

  “For over a year she was lost to grief. She didn’t tend to her duties. She didn’t attend any royal functions. She just grieved. Finally, after much insistence from those around her, she remarried, and she and The General of Spring had a son; Prince Harrison.”

  “Yes,” Harley said with a nod. “I believe I’ve met my half-brother.”

  “Unfortunately, pain and loss continued to plague your mother. Only a few years later, The General of Spring was killed in battle.”

  “So, where does all this leave us?” Zed said.

  The General sat up and leaned his elbows on his desk. “It is said that your biological father was a very powerful half-fae. However, some have speculated that he may be from the Dark Realm. Others still, say that he was not a fae at all.”

  “And what about the prophecy?” Harley said.

  “That came before you were even born. The Prophecy told of a fae to be born, but not from the Faery Realm. It was to have the most powerful magic of all. So powerful that it would one day come to rule all of the Faery Realms.”

  “So, how do we get the Dean back?” Harley said. “What does my past have to do with getting her back?”

  The General stood and looked at his boys. “I will get your mother back.” He walked around the desk and came to Harley’s side. He offered his hand to her.

  Confused, Harley placed her hand in his massive one and stood. An odd chill ran down her spine, tickling the fine hairs at the nape of her neck.

  In the Castle of Fall, with the twins right there to protect her, and The General, being so all powerful, she should have felt safe.

  But she didn’t and couldn’t understand why.

  “Come with me, dear,” The General said.

  Her heart fluttered, and she wanted to protest. She looked at the twins who also frowned with confusion.

  “Where are you taking her, Dad?” Red said.

  The General led Harley to the back of the room and opened a door. Harley glanced inside and realized it was a cell.

  “Dad?” Zed said, standing and coming to them.

  “It’s just for safekeeping,” The General said with a dark laugh.

  Suddenly realizing what was really happening, Harley struggled to break free of The General’s hold.

  “Don’t fight, sweet girl. I would hate to have to break a limb.” He pushed her into the small windowless room and closed the door behind her.

  “Dad!” Red called out. “What are you going?”

  “Getting your mother back.”

  “What?” Zed said. “How? How is locking Harley up going to get our mother back?”

  “Leverage, son. It’s all a matter of leverage.”

  Harley looked out the small hole carved into the heavy wooden door and saw the twins come to the door.

  “Dad,” Red said. “You can’t do this. She’s our friend. We brought her here to protect her.”

  “You young boys are still so innocent and naïve. Do you realize who she is? Do you not realize what it means to have her in our custody? You really have no idea what The Kingdom of Spring will do to get her back, do you?”

  The boys simply stared at their father in disbelief.

  “Hell,” The General griped. “I’ve always told your mother that she doted on you too much. She’s allowed you boys to become soft. You’re not warriors. You’re wimps.”

  “Please, Dad,” Red pleaded. “Don’t do this.”

  “Please, Dad,” The General mimicked with a grimace. “Forget about her. She’s just a valuable pawn in an ugly war. Nothing else.”

  The boys charged him, trying to fight their way to the door.

  “Let her out!” Zed shouted.

  “Don’t press me, son,” The General warned as he gripped each twin by the arm and pulled them away from the door.

  “We’re not going to let you keep her as a hostage,” Red said, charging the door again.

  This time The General grabbed both boys by the back of the neck, marched them to another nearby door and tossed them inside, closing the door behind them and locking it.

  “You boys give me no choice,” The General bellowed. “But, believe me. One day you’ll thank me for this. You’ll realize that this was the right thing to do.”

  The boys banged on the door.

  “Let us out,” Red called out. “You can’t do this.”

  The General calmly walked back to his desk and sat down, leaning the chair back. He lit a cigar and calmly blew rings of smoke into the air. “No,” he said to no one in particular. “Now that I’ve found her, now that I have her, I will use her. With her in my pocket, I will win the war against Spring. Hell, now we can beat them all. Kingdom of Spring, Kingdom of Sea and even Kingdom of Woods.” He let out an ugly, maniacal cackle. “We’ll beat them all, boys. We’ll win it all!”

  Chapter 12

  Kingsley

  Kingsley arrived at his kingdom to find his army mobilized and ready to go on the offensive. It wasn’t what he’d planned.

  “Who told you to go on the offensive?” Kingsley asked of the lieutenant.

  The lieutenant shrugged.

  “What’s your target?”

  “Kingdom of Spring, sir.”

  “That’s impossible,” Kingsley argued. “We have a treaty with The Queen of Spring. They’re our allies.”

  “I’m aware of that, sir.”

  “Who gave you these ridiculous orders?”

  “I’ll go see,” the lieutenant said. He headed into his tent and returned a moment later with a letter in his hand. “Here. Read it for yourself.”

  Kingsley took the letter and read the orders to invade The Kingdom of Spring. At the bottom of the letter was the royal seal.

  His heart sank. It was impossible. His father would never break a treaty. He shoved the letter back to the lieutenant and hurried off to the palace.

  He found the palace empty. No servants, no butler. No one.

  “Mother!” he called out. “Father.”

  Standing in the cavernous silence of the foyer, he heard a muffled cry. The dungeons below the palace, he thought.

  He hurried down the narrow and dark stairs that led to the belly of the palace. “Where are you?” he called out.

  “Over here, son,” his father cried.

  “Damn it,” Kingsley spat when he saw his parents, stripped down to their underclothes in the dark, dank cell.

  “Get us out of here,” his mother cried, hugging herself against the cold.

  Kingsley looked around for the key. It wasn’t on the nail that was driven into the stone wall. Walking around, he finally kicked something and heard the ringing sound of metal against stone.

  Bending down, he put his hand on the key and hurried to free his parents. While his father was weak, he was able to walk out of the cell, but Kingsley picked up his mother and brought her upstairs.

  Once in the kitchen, with cups of warm tea in their hands and heavy woolen blankets over their shoulders, they finally found their strength again.

  “What happened?” Kingsley said. “Who did this to you?”

  “We don’t know, son,” his father said.

  “Whoever it is,” his mother said. “They have the royal seal.”

  Kingsley looked down at the floor. “That would explain it,” he muttered to himself.

  “Explain what?” his father said.

  “The army,” Kingsley said, looking up to his father. “They received orders to invade The Kingdom of Spring.”

  “That’s impossible,” his father said with indignation. “We have a treaty with them.”

  “I know. But someone has your seal, someone so treacherous and deceitful, someone who would like to see the treaty broken.” He looked to his father. “Someone wants to make The King of the Sea look dishonest.”

  His mother and father looked at one another b
ut had no answers.

  “If you guys are okay, I’ll head back out to intercept that regiment before it reaches the border of Spring.”

  “We’re fine now, son,” his father said. “Go. Go and stop them before they really cause damage.”

  Kingsley patted his dad on the shoulder and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, then left them. He ran to the barracks far past the palace and found a soldier’s uniform. Throwing his clothes on the floor, he quickly changed and headed out in the direction of The Kingdom of Spring.

  He spotted them about two miles away from the border and he easily slid in with the troops.

  “All right, troops,” The General up front called out. “We’ll set up camp here and be ready to attack at sundown.”

  As the soldiers set up camp, Kingsley meandered around, slowly making his way closer to the man with The General’s uniform. It was only when he was a few feet away that he finally realized who it was.

  Oldman. And he had the seal.

  Kingsley wanted to throttle him right then and there but knew it would be of no use. As long as he was wearing The General’s uniform, he was untouchable. Every soldier would be on Kingsley’s back before he could even strike the traitor if he tried.

  Taking in a long, calming breath, Kingsley knew he had to find another approach.

  “I told you,” Oldman was telling an older soldier he seemed very familiar with. “The damn King should have never broken his alliance with The Kingdom of Fall.”

  “I’m with you there,” the soldier said.

  “And all of this for a silly wench,” Oldman added as he spit on the ground. “That bitch from Spring got her claws into the crowned prince Kingsley, and because of that, the entire kingdom is now supposed to be allied with Spring. Shit, they’ve been our enemy since I can remember, and now, because of this silly girl, we’re supposed to put all that behind us and play nice, nice. Hell, no. Not on my watch. An enemy is an enemy. It’s not because two kids get the hots for one another that we put our weapons down.”