Shadowborn Academy: Year Three (Dark Fae Academy Series Book 3)

by G. Bailey

  A vision flashes into my mind so quickly it makes me stumble. I smile as the image leaves my mind.

  “What did you see?” he asks with a frown, always suspecting the worst.

  My visions are a new power that I suspect was given to me as a blessing from Selena when I ascended the throne. I’ve been having visions in my sleep of anything from danger to joy, and everything in the middle. Usually, the visions come in my dreams, but lately touching people or objects bring them on. The healers believe it’s just a natural progression of my powers. Remnants of the sword’s magic still lingers in my blood, making me stronger than ever.

  “Only that your story is just beginning, and a wild card is coming your way, Ambrose,” I say, winking at him.

  “You fae and your secrets,” he grumbles and stretches his arms above his head. “I’m starving. Do you think the kitchens will have anyone awake at this time?”

  “Nope but I can make a mean ham and cheese sandwich,” I tell him, hooking my arm with his as we head to the doors to the castle. “If you’re lucky, I might throw in some crisps.”

  “Fingers crossed,” he drawls and I laugh in response, resting my head on his shoulder as two of my guards open the doors for us with a bow. Their purple and black armour shines from the moonlight, highlighting the raven sigil on their breastplates. My guards were all chosen and trained by Pitch and Zander, who now train and look after our army. Many were lost in the war, but like this castle, time moves on and new things can be found in the darkness.

  “How is the human world treating you?” I ask Ambrose as we head down the corridor and a flight of stairs to the kitchens. It’s silent in here, nothing but the sounds of the crackling embers in the fireplace in the centre of the floor. Ambrose takes off his brown leather jacket. He hangs it on the back of a seat before sitting on the edge of the counter, watching as I head straight to the fridge.

  “I’ve just accepted a job at a reform school in the back end, middle of nowhere Scotland,” he tells me, and that was more random than I expected. “Sheep for miles, I’m telling you.”

  “Why the heck would you do that?” I laugh as I grab the ham and cheese, thinking of all the human students who wouldn’t have a clue that the God of Life is their teacher.

  As I make the sandwiches, Ambrose talks. “The reform school is for teenagers and young adults who fucked up, but it is built on an old source of power, something of my mother’s. The school itself is laced with magic, and a lot of the students are not what they seem. It’s a mystery I want to investigate.”

  “Sounds like fun,” I say, handing him a plate with his sandwich on it. I grab two packets of crisps and give him one before pulling a stool out and eating my food. “How long are you staying? I know the guys would want to see you before you vanish.”

  “I don’t start at the school for a week,” he answers. “So if you’ll have me, Queen Corvina, I would like to stay here until then.”

  “You’re always welcome here for as long as you want, Ambrose. You’re family to me—the brother I never had,”

  “Technically, you’re sleeping with your stepbrother. Do I get the same perks?” he cheekily asks and Pitch appears behind him in the shadow, whacking him across the back of the head.

  “No, you fucking well do not,” he playfully grumbles, kissing me on the cheek and standing behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes me gently. “The queen is needed back in bed. See you in the morning, mate.”

  Before I can say goodbye to a laughing Ambrose, shadows smother me. When I reappear, Pitch is on top of me in the middle of our bed and kisses me deeply. I arch my body into him as his lips devour my own, his hands running down my body until he finds my nightgown tie and undoes it. It falls to the side, leaving me completely exposed underneath him. The bed is empty other than Jonah and us, and I push my magic into Jonah a little to wake him up.

  As Pitch kisses down my jaw, I turn my head to the side where Jonah is lying, slowly coming awake. All that covers him is a black sheet, and as Pitch’s tongue finds my one of nipples, I moan and close my eyes.

  Jonah’s lips cover my own in seconds, and Pitch kisses down my body, his lips heading straight for my clit as Jonah’s hands cover my breasts, rolling his thumbs across my nipples. My back arches as Pitch sucks and nibbles on my clit, pushing two fingers into me at the same time.

  I reach for Jonah’s hard cock which is pressing into my side. Stroking Jonah, he groans into my mouth as he continues to rub my nipples, and Pitch pushes me closer to the edge of ecstasy.

  Pitch whispers in my mind.

  His command has me spiraling into an intense orgasm that shakes through my body. Jonah lets me go.

  Feeling what Pitch wants, I crawl onto my knees in front of him. Looking up at my shadow through my lashes, wrapping my hands around his muscular thighs, I flick my tongue over Pitch’s tip.

  Jonah grabs my hips and kneels behind me, rubbing his thick cock over my slit. He pushes into me slowly, as if savoring every bit of friction we create.

  With undying hunger, I take all of Pitch into my mouth. Pitch sinks his hands into my hair as Jonah pounds into me, his cock hitting the sweet spot every single time in this position.

  As my pleasure builds up again, I moan around Pitch’s cock which sends him into a frenzy. He holds my head as I suck him harder, his breathless moan turning me on as much as Jonah’s groans. I crash into an orgasm, sucking hard on Pitch as he comes with me. Two thrusts later Jonah roars as he spills inside me, making my orgasm so much more intense.

  Breathlessly, we all fall back onto our bed, and I snuggle up in the middle of them as Jonah uses his magic to clean us and drape a blanket over us.

  “Where are Zander and Gage?” I ask around a yawn.

  “Right here,” Zander replies, coming into the room with Gage behind him. “Seems we missed all the fun.”

  “Damn,” Gage grumbles as they both get into bed, only playfully though.

  Every morning they spend fucking me, so it’s only a matter of hours before they can make up for the fun they missed. I smile as I close my eyes in complete and utter contentment.

  “Happy Birthday,” everyone cheers as I step into the breakfast hall.

  The masses of decorations surrounding the room, and all my loved ones inside of it, brings a smile to my lips. Blue balloons cover the glass ceiling, a massive black cake with fake tiny ravens flying around it rests on a table in the middle. Piles of presents sit on the floor around it.

  I don’t know who to look at first as they sing the happy birthday song to me while Echo flies around the room, making adorable little squeaks from excitement. Sage is right in the middle, her hands resting on the huge bump under her yellow dress, her pink hair has been pulled back into two messy buns.

  David smiles at me from her side, looking a million times better than the teacher I once knew. Sage’s love saved him, dug him out of the darkness, and now with the baby on the way, there will be a family for him to have.

  My mates stand around Sage, and Ambrose at the side of them next to my sister. Izora sings loudly in her white jeans and crop top, her waves of silver hair falling around her as she claps her hands. Beside her are Willow and Jane, clapping as she smiles at me.

  Jane and I had a long way to go after the war, but we soon found out we are more alike than we knew. And even if Jane annoys the heck out of me most of the time, she is damn smart and good at negotiating with dark creatures and fae alike. I needed a royal advisor to help me and she was perfect for the job. The rest is history. I would even go as far as to call her a good friend now.

  The rest of the room is filled with my old teachers that survived the war, the light and dark fae I got to know over the years, and even Zander’s dad…which is a whole other story that has a lot to do with Izora’s mates who aren’t here. When the song ends, they wait for me to say something and I’m speechless for a moment.

  “Thank you so much, everyone,” I start off, clasping
my hands together and looking out at the statue of my mother for some encouragement. Echo snoozing on top of the statue, now bored with the celebrations, makes me smile. “I never once believed I would be lucky enough to find love and have a family again, but here you all are,” I say. “You’re better than anything I could have dreamed about. There are so many I wish were here with us right now, but I know they are watching us from the stars. I love each and every one of you, so thank you for being in my life. For loving me. For being the light in my darkness…”

  I stop and wipe my eyes, shocked that I’m actually crying in front of them. My mates surround me in seconds, holding me tightly until I calm down.

  “Out of the way, pregnant lady coming through,” Sage commands, and my mates, the kings of the dark fae, move their asses like a wasp just stung them.

  They haven’t said it, but I think pregnancy scares the living daylights out of them all, and me too a little bit. It doesn’t mean I don’t think of having children, because I do.

  One of the biggest changes I made in my time as queen is the rule that shadowborn children have to be taken from their parents to a foster home. The new rules state that parents can move into the dark fae kingdom with their child if they wish, and if not, the child will be brought up in the new and massively improved foster homes in my city—not the ones hidden in the human world. I regularly visit the ones here and bring the children gifts and food, as well as paying the dark fae who looks after them like their own. No more shadowborn children are going to grow up feeling unwanted.

  Sage hugs me and I savour the embrace as everyone in the room starts settling into the glorious feast laid out.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask her, instantly touching her belly like I always do.

  Sage’s hands cover mine over the bump and she shrugs. “Weird today. I can’t put my finger on why, though. I believe it’s time I move into the castle for the birth if you still want me.”

  “Yes!” I practically shout at her, grinning wildly. “Besides, you can’t give birth at the academy, Headmistress Milhouse.”

  The new headmistress of the academy only grumbles at me, not liking that her deputy head, Willow, will be taking over for eight months while Sage gives birth and spends alone time with the baby. I know I will be sad when Sage, David, and the baby move back into the academy, but I will be visiting all of the time.

  When we reopened the academy, it was a no brainer who should be taking control and looking after the students. Sage is a very powerful Light Fae now and with David at her side as headmaster, and a good mixture of shadowborn and fae teachers, the academy has never been as strong as it is now.

  Sage links her arm with mine and we go to help ourselves to food. After eating as much as I can possibly manage, I sit back in my seat and watch how my family, my friends, and everyone I love fills the room with laughter and joy. It’s perfect here in every sense of the word. I couldn’t think of a more wonderful way to start my mid-twenties.

  Zander steps behind my chair, resting his hands on my shoulders. “I want to show you my gift. Will you come with me, my queen?”

  “Is that where you and Gage went last night?” I stand up and wrap my arms around him.

  Zander winks at me as he shadowlocates us out into the stables at the back of the castle. I frown at him as I look around the three empty stalls and Zander gently grabs my hand, leading me down the aisle to the stall at the end. Inside is a truly stunning and elegant black Shire that towers over us. Its silver eyes and mane have blue tints to them as the sunlight shines through the doors. I place my hand on his head, and he neighs at me, kicking his legs.

  “We spent four weeks negotiating with fae traders for him,” Zander says, stroking a hand down the horse’s neck. “They wanted so many things that involved going through swamps and such… Anyway, he’s yours. What do you think? It’s the main gift from your mates. Happy Birthday.”

  I jump into Zander’s arms, raining kisses down on him as he picks me up. He chuckles before kissing me hard and passionately. I wrap my legs around him as he pushes me harder against the wall outside the stall, his hard cock pressing into me through the thin fabric of my leggings. Using magic, I make all our clothes disappear, and in seconds Zander easily slides inside of me, filling me up. I moan against his lips as he thrusts in and out, using the wall to hold us up.

  “Fuck, Corvina, to this day you drive me insane!” Zander groans against my lips as I get closer to my release. The mixture of my nipples rubbing against his hard chest, the way his trusts hit the right spot every single time is addictive.

  “Zander….I….love….you,” I moan each word out as I crash into an orgasm, tightening around Zander’s cock.

  He moans as he feels me come and his tongue dives into my mouth, sparring with my own. He thrusts one more time and fills me with his cum. Breathless, we stare at each other and he softly strokes the side of my cheek.

  “I love you so damn much, Corvina Charles. I will always love you.”

  I kiss him again, pushing all my emotions and love into the kiss. I don’t know how long we stay like that, entwined, holding each other, before I sense someone arriving. I pull away from Zander and reach for my dress, only to see Gage walking into the stables. He doesn’t even blink as Zander lets me go and I use my magic to put my clothes back on. When I see his eyes, I know something is wrong.

  “Sage is in labour and it’s too early. The healers are with her now but she needs you,” Gage says and I rush to him, fear and panic pounding in my mind. We always knew Sage’s pregnancy might not be normal because she was forcibly made into a Light Fae and she’s shadowborn. Nobody knows what her baby will be or how the birth will affect Sage.

  Selena, please keep her safe.

  “Take me,” I say as I reach for Gage’s hand.

  Gods, I can’t lose my best friend.

  I pace around the room, my steps echoing in the corridor as I wait for the healers to come out and give an update. They asked to be alone with Sage to do a healing spell after nearly forty-eight hours of labour and no sign of the baby yet. David is sitting on the floor in a state, my mates are pacing at either end of the corridors, and Izora is trying to comfort everyone with no luck.

  The doors finally open and two healers step out, leaving Sage alone in the room. David doesn’t wait, rushing in as the healer with blue hair a similar colour to mine, bows at me, and starts to speak.

  “We have delivered the baby safely. Both mother and babe are doing well but Sage is weak. We will go and gather healing supplies,” she says, just then I hear the small cry of a baby.

  I burst into tears and hug the surprised healer before rushing into the room with Izora behind me.

  Sitting on a huge bed that dwarfs her tiny size, Sage looks down at the baby wrapped in a white blanket in her arms.

  David kneels next to the bed, kissing Sage’s other hand, and I slowly walk over to look down at the tiny bundle in her arms.

  “Vina, meet your niece,” Sage softly says, handing me the bundle. “Nieve Corvina Milhouse.”

  My tears splash on Nieve’s blanket as I look at her little button nose, her black wisps of hair, and bright pink eyes that look up at me.

  “She is beautiful. Her name means heaven, right?” Izora asks, leaning over my shoulder to gaze down at Nieve.

  “Yes,” Sage says, glancing at David who’s crying silent tears of relief and love. “I named her after David’s mother who sadly died. Her middle name is after the bravest woman I have ever known.”

  “I love you,” I tell her as I gently pass Nieve back and slide onto the bed beside her. Nieve’s little hand reaches out of the blanket and I gently place my finger next to her hand. The second she touches me, darkness slams into my mind, and as a vision blasts through me.

  “Nieve, wait up!” A boy about eight with deep black hair shouts as he runs through the trees. He has black trousers and a white top on, with a small sword clipped to a belt on his waist. The boy isn’t alone. At his side
is a younger boy with blonde hair in similar clothes and it’s clear they are brothers. They have almost the same faces and they are so familiar to me as if I’ve seen them before. The way the little boy looks up at the older one is a look only a brother can give.

  The boys step into a beautiful meadow where Nieve dances around in the middle of the air. Her long black hair sways around her, white wings fluttering ever so softly at her back. Flowers and wisps fly around the children like they know each other well as the sun shines down on the clearing. There is magic here. Good, pure magic.

  The older boy, who has black wings like Pitch, flies into the air, and the younger boy who has wings just like mine, follows after him. The children all laugh and chuckle as they dance to no music. I oddly feel emotional as I stare at them.

  Turning my head, I see two people coming out of the trees close to me. It’s myself, but I’m older, and next to me is Sage. We hold hands as we stare at the children.

  “I’m so happy my boys love your daughter so much. They will keep each other safe always,” I say to her, and the future version of myself glances my way with a wink. I turn back to the boys who are my future sons, joy making my heart soar, and I watch them play until the vision drifts away.

  I wake up on my bed, moonlight trickling into the room. Gage is softly stroking my hair. I smile up at him when he sees I’m awake.

  “What happened in the vision?” he asks me in a whisper as I sit up and crawl into his arms. “We have all been worried.”

  Remembering the children playing together, my oldest boy couldn’t have been more than a year younger than Nieve, so I must get pregnant soon. Or possibly I already am. When was my last period? Now I think about it, my visions have never been this strong before or in the daytime at all. I would usually get visions at night.

  Smiling about my maybe secret, I burrow my face into Gage’s neck and kiss him softly in the spot I know he loves. His hands tighten on my waist as I kiss up to his neck to his lips, covering them with mine.