by G. Bailey
“Did I ever tell you why I called you Zara-Primrose?”
Her question takes me off guard. My mum rarely ever talks about the day she found me. All I know is that my birth parents left me in a basket outside a stone temple and my mum heard my cries from under the sea. She swooped me into her arms and the rest was history.
“You had this around your neck when I found you.” My mum reaches into her pocket and withdraws a stone primrose hanging on a long silver chain. “I couldn’t touch it without the pendant burning me. You used to wear it every day until you were about four, then you lost it while out swimming with Muriel.”
“I remember that,” my sister says.
“I don’t.”
My mum nods thoughtfully. “You cried for months. I searched everywhere for it but assumed it was lost. Then it showed up at the market in Atlantis the same day you turned that hideous young man into stone.”
My eyes widen in surprise, and I take the pendant from her. “It’s beautiful.”
“And it’s yours. It’s enchanted, too, so you’ll be able to use it to contact me. All you need to do is sit the primrose in water and say my name three times.”
Tears prick my eyes as I drape the chain over my neck, tucking the pendant under my shirt.
“I just want you both to be safe,” Mum whispers, taking both our hands. “By all means, break the rules whenever necessary, but pick those battles. And also don’t forget your old mama. Murie, have you got your pendant, too?”
“Yes.” Murie hugs her. “Try not to worry, Mum. Zee and I will have each other’s backs, right?”
“Right,” I say, joining in on the embrace
The three of us stay like that for a long moment. When the ship sounds its horn, we know it’s time and reluctantly let go before heading over to the ship. I try not to look back. It’ll just make boarding the ship that much harder.
A nearly invisible veil has been wrapped around the ship. Humans wouldn’t be able to see it thanks to the concealment spell. As soon as we step onto the ramp, the spell lifts, and crew members buzz around the deck. Some other students have already been picked up, and one, in particular, catches my eye. Maybe it’s because he’s grinning like he’s just won the cruise of a fucking lifetime.
He’s tall and pale with ebony hair that touches his shoulders. His emerald tunic has gold embroidery, and his black cloak whips around him as he rushes up the stairs to grab hold of the wheel. The force field protecting the wheel sends him spiraling onto his back, much to the delight of the captain and his crew. I wince as he lands on the deck with a loud slap and splutters for breath.
“Let that be a lesson to any fool wanting to take over my ship,” Captain Nemo announces, pulling out a scroll and quill, gesturing to the boy. “Loki of Asgard. What sin has brought you to the Academy for Villains?”
Loki rises to his feet and brushes the dust off his clothes. “What do you think, old man?”
“I see. So you tried, yet again, to take over Asgard but failed?”
The boy’s face purples with anguish. “Yes,” he grits out.
Captain Nemo tuts and shakes his head, scribbling something down on the scroll. “Dear, oh dear. Perhaps next time you will be successful and not get caught.” He turns to my sister. “Muriel Eyre. What is your sin?”
Murie hesitates and looks at me for support. I open my mouth to speak on her behalf but the captain cuts me off.
“She has a tongue and can answer for herself.”
After a strained moment, my sister takes a deep breath. “I let a pirate drown at sea. I could’ve saved him, but I—I swam away.”
“She was also just a kid herself, and the pirate killed our dad then tried to poach her,” I defend, narrowing my eyes on the captain. My hair bristles like a wave of static electricity as the snakes threaten to take over. “She shouldn’t even be here!”
He just scores something off, not bothering to look up from his scroll. “And you, Zara-Primrose. What sin did you commit?”
All eyes turn to me, including Loki.
Right. Now it’s my turn to tell the truth.
Only, I’m not embarrassed to say it. I embrace what I did to that little pervert.
“I turned a man’s junk into stone, then I broke it off and wore it as a necklace. That’s what he gets for pissing off a gorgon.”
To my surprise, a lot of the crew members and students just laugh. Do they think it’s a joke? Honey, I still have that stone dick in my bedroom back home. It’s sitting on my vanity like a prized fucking trophy. These men would be wise not to get on my bad side. I’m not above adding to my collection. My mum always did say I like to hoard things.
Captain Nemo interrogates the remaining students while the crew propels the ship into motion. I stand beside Murie, watching the waves crash against the surface. The dragon wings attached to the side stretch out, then start to move, lifting us up into the clouds. Okay. So the boat can fly. Thank goodness I’m not super afraid of heights or anything, or that would be a real inconvenience right about now.
Murie links her arm with mine. “This is it, Zee. No turning back.”
We couldn’t even if we wanted to, I almost say, but I don’t want to worry her even more. I rest my head on her shoulder and watch the sea growing smaller beneath us. We might not have a choice when it comes to going to the Academy for Villains, but I hope, for the sake of the students and teachers there, they are ready to meet the Eyre sisters.
We’re villains now.
And I’m not going to hold back anymore.
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G. Bailey is a USA Today and International Bestselling Author of fantasy and paranormal romance.
She lives in England with her cheeky children, her gorgeous (and slightly mad) golden retrievers and her teenage sweetheart turned husband.
She loves cups of tea.
Chocolate and Harry Potter marathons are her jam and she owns way too many notebooks and random pens.
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Scarlett Snow comes from a big family in a small Scottish town and has always strived to prove that if you are passionate about something, no one can stop you from chasing your dreams. She lives with her wolf dog and kitties and is unashamedly addicted to coffee.
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Scarlett also writes under Kyra Snow (M/F Scifi Romance) and Katze Snow (Dark M/M Books):
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(as mentioned in the book)
Zorya Kingdom
THRONE OF LUNA
Capital City: LUNA
Ruler: Queen Narah
DEADLANDS
Inhabits: Cimmerians, Draugers, Deserters, Bandits
THE BLACK HARBOUR
THE WISHING WELL
SKULL CAVE
aka Howling Hollow Cave, Statue of Aeon
THE GORGON LAKE
FAERIE POOLS
DEVIL’S DROP
SHADOWBORN ACADEMY
SHADOWBORN PRISON
DRACONIA
Capital City: Emeria
Ruler: King Cyrus, Narah’s brother
Queen Valessia
Prince Drusus (triplet)
Prince Draco (triplet)
Prince Drakon (triplet)
Princess Kaida
ZORYA INN
Helios Kingdom
THRONE OF HELIOS
Capital City: VASILI
Ruler: King Ulric
Princess Evangelina
LAKE LUMEN
HELIOS ACADEMY
AURORA BAY
PEGASUS TAVERN
FAERIE POOLS
KYLLAROS
Ruler: Chiron
Prince Elias
STUDENTS
Corvina Charles
Sage Millhouse
Zander Sabhain, Shadow Warden
Jonah Vincent
Jane Vincent
Ronan Fairweather, former
Izora Dawn
Willow Greene, Head Girl
Trolen
Kitty
WARDENS
Zander, Shadow Warden
Theodore Sabhain, High Warden
Mrs Sabhain, High Warden
TEACHERS
Lady Ivywood, Current Headmistress, Magical Defence, History of Magics, Light Fae
Maximus Greyhorn, Former Headmaster, Magical Defence, Dark Fae
Professor Aengus Lochlan, Basic Magic Control, Kelpie
Professor Stonehart, Illusions of Magic, Gargoyle (molten)
Professor Mune, Former History of Magics
Professor David Gale, Tryouts Mentor, Fox Shifter
Gage Michaels, Therapist
OTHERS
Mirrian, Corvina’s mortal mother, deceased
Joseph, Corvina’s mortal father, deceased
Ambrose
Rook, Crowe, Wren—ravens
Sir Leonidas, Headmaster of Helios Academy
Zaxier, Zander’s biological father, former High General of Draconia
Master Gia, royal dressmaker
ROYALS
King Ulcric, Light Fae King of Helios
Princess Evangelina (Eva), Light Fae Princess of Helios
Queen Narah, Dark Fae Queen of Zorya
Alastair Pitch, Dark Fae Prince of Zorya
King Cyrus, Draconian
Queen Valessia, Draconian
Prince Drusus, Draconian
Princess Kaida (Kai), Draconian
GODS & GODDESSES
Selena, Goddess of the Moon, Persephone
Danica, Goddess of the Sun, Aphrodite
Hades, God of Darkness
Ares, God of War
Aeon, God of Life
Eris, Goddess of Chaos and Discord
Grand Wardens—royal advisors, supreme judges, head of the High Table, the most powerful of all the wardens
High Wardens—members of the High Table that govern certain fractions of the forest and human world (like mayors)
Shadow Wardens—law enforcers, highly trained and skilled, powerful
Junior Wardens—still powerful, will advance up to a Shadow Warden
Keepers—protectors of Shadowborns and magic users, never really advance
(how the Enchanted Forest came to be)
In the beginning…
Aphrodite and Persephone decided to create a magical forest for all manners of creatures. They appeared in their natural form, unearthly beautiful and fae-like, and brought with them their favourite stars—the Morning Star and the Evening Star. They each placed them in the sky, and one became the sun and the other the moon.
Aphrodite became known as Danica, Goddess of the Sun, and she created the Throne of Helios where she would reign over her part of the forest.
Persephone became Selena, Goddess of the Moon, and she created the Throne of Luna, again where she would rule her half of the forest. To their kingdoms, they became known as the Zorya Sisters.
As the Almighty Goddess of the Moon, Selena, walked through the forest at twilight, admiring her many creations, she came across a shard of glass gleaming on the forest floor. She used this to create the Fountain of Mene which allowed her to see whatever her heart most desired, and to guide her down whichever path she sought in darkness. Selena often used it to see her husband Hades and their children.
The Dark God, Hades, used this fountain to send her a cloak of darkness on their anniversary, which Selena wove it into a blanket of stars that became known as the night sky. Now the moon had stars, and Selena told her people to use them as guides and sources of light within the darkness, for neither of them should be feared since they cannot exist without the other; just like how Selena’s kingdom cannot exist without Danica’s.
Many decades later, a strange presence crept into the forest. Eris, Persphone’s half-sister, had grown envious of this Selena and Danica and she planned to spoil their New World.
First, she unleashed monsters into the forest.
Darkness.
The creatures of dark spread like wildfire, breeding chaos everywhere and anywhere they could. Danica tried to chase them back whence they came, but Selena pitied and grew to love them. Some even became her loyal servants. While she became occupied with her new settlers, Eris sent Danica the Golden Apple of Discord, a feigned gift from Ares, which poisoned her.
Hearing of her sister’s illness, Selena rushed to her side. Nothing could be done to save Danica. Eris watched from the shadows as Danica’s light faded and her sun waned. But then Selena ripped out her own heart and pressed it into Danica’s chest. This allowed Danica to live, but Selena faded and died in Danica’s arms before she joined the stars in the sky, and because of her sacrifice, she became one with the Evening Star and the Moon.
When Hades learned of what happened, his anger shook the realms. He used the fountain as a portal and managed to kill Eris, but without his wife to bring out the good in him, Hades’ grief drove him to insanity. He partnered up with Ambrose, the God of Life, and they waged war on the kingdoms. Hades killed Eris, but now that Danica had her powers and her sisters, she was able to severely injure him so much that he had to retreat back to the underworld and was stripped of his ability to return.
Peace settled among the forest for a time, and Danica gave the Throne of Luna to Ares, who was quick to succumb to the allure of darkness and he became the first Dark Fae—Queen Narah’s four-times great-grandfather.