by SF Benson
Copyright © 2020 by Avanturine Press, LLC
All rights reserved worldwide
Published May 17, 2020
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of this author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Avanturine Press Author Services
Editing by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Formatting by Avanturine Press, LLC
For more information about this book and the author visit:
www.authorsfbenson.com
Also by SF Benson
Fairy Tale Retelling
All Things Dark & Magickal: The Glass Watch
All Things Dark & Magickal: Bitter Fruit
Paranormal & Urban Fantasy
Cursed Hearts: Hearts Duology Book One
Blessed Hearts: Hearts Duology Book Two
Hallowed Holiday: A Christmas Hearts Novella
Worth the Fight (Another Falls Creek Romance, #1)
Finding Me (Another Falls Creek Romance, #2)
Letting Go (Another Falls Creek Romance, #3)
Something More (Another Falls Creek Romance, #4)
Broken Faith (Another Falls Creek Romance, #5)
Unexpected Love (Another Falls Creek Romance, #6)
Blood Vendetta (The BlackGuard Society, Book 1)
Inception (The Spell Caster Diaries, Book 1)
Cyberpunk Thriller
Regress: The Alliance Chronicles, Book One
Rescue: The Alliance Chronicles, Book Two
Release: The Alliance Chronicles, Book Three
Rebel: The Alliance Chronicles, Book Four
Restore: The Alliance Chronicles, Book Five
Some things in life are worth the wait!
Prologue
Falls Creek, New York
August 1984
“Mom, you can’t be serious! Lorelei’s!” I yelled as my mother continued packing my suitcase. I was in my junior year at Falls Creek High, and I had big plans—newspaper, government, and yearbook. My work with Supes and Humans United was paying off. I was the president, and my future as a politician or a journalist looked bright. Attending an Academy for entitled supernaturals was a waste of my efforts and could harm all the good I’d done.
My second to last year of high school was supposed to be about having a good time. Attending pep rallies and football games were on my to-do list. Not going to boring lectures with people I didn’t know. What about junior-senior prom? My senior pictures? I was vying for Homecoming queen. Surely, I’d win. It didn’t hurt that I was dating the hottest incubus in school, Austin Cartwright.
“Mom, you’re ruining my life!” I wailed.
“Lilith, stop being so dramatic,” she said in a soothing tone. “You don’t hear Cyrena complaining.”
Of course, she wasn’t complaining. Cyrena despised traditional school, claiming that nobody understood her. Had she forgotten that we were supes? Naturally, no one got us. We had to make the effort. Join the right clubs. Cultivate the right friends. If anyone was clueless, it was my sister. That girl thought everything should be handed to her. Going to a supe school was easier for her—no effort needed.
Cyrena was a sophomore looking too far forward. She dreamed of the day that she would graduate and put her youth behind her. The way Cyrena complained about going to school with humans sounded like our mother. Mom was definitely old school. She embraced the ideology of separate and better—keep the supernatural races divided and away from humans.
I was more like my liberal-minded father. Although he was human, Dad didn’t discriminate. According to Mom, he loved all races, all colors, and all ethnicities. I wished I knew him.
“At least don’t make me go with her,” I whined and plopped down on the bed. “They’ll make us roommates.”
Mom cast her dark eyes at me, and I swore they became darker. “This is the last time I’m saying it, Lilith Evelyn Martin. Both of you are attending Lorelei’s School of Deviltry. Together. End of discussion.” Mom slammed my suitcase shut and headed for the stairs.
She saw the boarding school as that necessary step Lilin needed to succeed in the human world. Mom swore that attending would help us refine our skills and be the best possible succubi. I strongly disagreed.
Lorelei’s was an evil academy attended by snobs and prima donnas. Its graduates were some of the world’s most twisted supes capable of creating serious head trips for humans—hence its more common name of LSD.
My welcome packet still sat in its bright purple envelope. I had yet to break the seal. The contorted skull on the school crest was demented looking. Someone had the perverse humor of designing the thing to look like it was winking. On second thought… The longer I stared at the emblem it appeared to move.
Eeeewwww…
My door swung wide, and my little sister burst in. We were such opposites. She gravitated toward bright matchy-matchy separates, miniskirts, knee-high socks, and chunky platform shoes while I appreciated grunge—ripped jeans, T-shirts, leather jacket, and high-tops. In Cyrena’s annoying Valley Girl speech, I was grody to the max, and she was totally bitchin’.
Whatever!
Anyone who didn’t know us honestly had no idea we were related, which could work in my favor at Lorelei’s. The two of us had different fathers—sires—but bore Mom’s last name. It was the Lilin way. Only royals lived with both parents. And only royals took their father’s last name. Cyrena and I were so far from aristocracy. Calling us royalty would have been like shopping at K-mart and calling it Macy’s.
Cyrena waved her welcome invite—a purple card with a message. Students had to read it out loud and then a portal would appear to whisk them away to someone’s academic version of Hell.
“Like, oh my God, you haven’t even opened the envelope,” she stated, twirling her black hair around a finger. Cyrena blinked her smoky-gray eyes. “Seriously?”
“What?” I scooted off the bed and went to the mirror. Fluffing my golden hair, I said, “What’s the big hurry? We have to leave together, and our bags are downstairs.” Adding a little more fuchsia blush to my amber-colored skin, I added, “Besides, we’re not due there until tomorrow.”
Pouting, Cyrena said, “But I want to go early. Check out our dorm room before everyone else arrives.”
If she kept whining, Mom would be upstairs any minute. Then, she’d claim that I did something to upset Cyrena.
Turning away from the mirror, I suggested, “Why don’t we go over the welcome kits together? We can order pizza and paint our nails while choosing our classes?”
Hanging out with her was not on my original agenda that night. I wanted one more evening of fun with my friends. Still, the look of joy on her face was priceless. Cyrena chomped on the ever-present wad of bubble gum and said, “Like, you order the pizza, and I’ll get my Dead or Alive CD.”
I face-palmed. Not a night listening to the English pop band. Maybe if we played that CD long enough and loud enough, we wouldn’t need lessons on scaring humans.
§
Early the next morning, Mom gathered u
s in the living room. I wasn’t a morning person—wake me at noon and then fill me up with caffeine. Cyrena was bouncing around like a totally tubular bunny. Someone should dock her tail.
Mom was blabbering on about how much she was going to miss us. My mind went to how much I was going to miss Austin. Not! As soon as he heard I was leaving for Lorelei’s, he called up big-boobed Judy Shaw, the cheerleading human! Next time I saw Austin, I’d show him exactly why you didn’t piss off a succubus. Hell was peppered with fools who thought they could double-cross Lilin.
“Lilith!” Mom glared at me with her hands on her hips. “It’s time.”
Cyrena, whose Latin was far better than mine, held up the plum-colored card and read, “Aut vix esse terrent. Ostende mihi viam in terram et quaerite.”
The translation? Scare or be scared. Show me the way to the land I seek.
A bright light flashed, and then a swirling dark red portal opened.
“Have fun, girls!” It was the last thing I heard as we crossed the threshold.
Chapter One
Lorelei’s School of Deviltry wasn’t for the faint of heart. The view in front of us was less than inviting. A wrought-iron fence surrounded the property. On the gate was that same smirking skull on a dark purple shield. It was bordered by what looked like spines. Across the top was the school motto—Scare or Be Scared—in Latin.
Was it too late to say a reverse incantation and go home?
“Maybe it’s not so bad inside,” Cyrena said hopefully.
I seriously doubted if the medieval castle could be any better.
Suddenly, the gate creaked open. I flinched as someone unseen picked up our bags and walked up the steep stairs.
“It’s a spectre. We’d better hurry,” Cyrena said.
Running behind our luggage, we entered the massive front door. The ancient building was huge. Smells of decay tickled my nose and made me slightly nauseous. The disembodied spirit left our belongings in the middle of the room.
“Welcome, girls!” the loud voice came from behind us.
We turned around. Behind us was a svelte woman of average height with eerie pale skin. She looked like someone had given life to an old sepia print.
Her dull-black hair was piled high upon her head. A black lace gown hung loosely over her body to the floor. Sparkling earrings dangled from her ears. When she moved, I glimpsed a pair of spike heels.
It was hard to tell whether her face was minimally made up or if it was the effects of death enhancing her appearance. The female sported smoky dark eyes with a feathery pattern at the corners. Her lips were done in a bright-purple shade.
Her black eyes darted from me to Cyrena, and then in an icy, firm voice she announced, “I am Headmistress Lorelei. Welcome to my school.”
A chill snaked down my back. Her words should have been warm, but they were far from it. I really wanted to tell her we’d changed our minds and would be going home, but Mom would kill us.
Mistress Lorelei floated over to us. “First things first, let’s get you properly dressed.”
She waved her hand, and a bright light flashed, practically blinding us. Instantly, our clothes were replaced with Byzantium purple, gray, and white plaid miniskirts, black knee socks, white blouses, and dark-purple blazers. I glanced down at my feet and saw a pair of clunky Mary Janes.
“Seriously?” I complained.
“You must be Lilith. Your mother said you were the more difficult child. The uniform is to be worn to class and for any formal school function unless otherwise informed.” Mistress Lorelei waved her hand again, and our bags disappeared. “Your belongings have been sent to your dorm. More uniforms are in your respective closets.”
I swallowed down my anger. What was next? Separate dorms?
The female handed each of us a purple folder. “There’s a map of the campus inside. You’ll find the Lilin dorm in the northwest quadrant. Upon arrival, your adviser will meet with you and go over house rules. Any questions?”
Actually, I had plenty, starting with who thought of the dorm names. According to the map, Amatory Hall was for Lilin and Blood Bath Hall was for vampires. Could the people responsible for such dumb titles not be more obvious?
Cyrena had to open her mouth. “Mistress Lorelei, like, where do we meet for orientation?”
What a suck-up!
“Eager students are always appreciated. There will be a gathering this evening to allow the student body a brief mingling period. Your dorm adviser will do orientation for you.”
“Oh, that’s totally tubular!” Cyrena said, tugging me toward the rear exit, which led to the main path through campus.
Gag me with a spoon!
§
Despite the dark clouds overhead, the property was very green. Standing on the porch, we could see most of the grounds. To the immediate right was Mistress Lorelei’s house—a Gothic two-story Victorian in need of a coat of paint. On our left was the vampire dorm, a small castle with a tower and spires. Behind her house sat a Tudor Revival. The Lilin dorm was misfortunately located exactly across from Blood Bath Hall. Each dorm was surrounded by trees and bushes.
“This place is like so totally awesome!” Cyrena said.
“Look. You’ve got to give it a rest. I appreciate your excitement, but if you say totally one more time…” My voice trailed off as I narrowed my eyes.
“Whatever.” Cyrena took off down the steep stairs.
We ran past the headmistress’s house and toward the dorm. As we approached, the wooden doors swung open. Inside it was dark but elegant. A carpeted staircase was to the right. We could see up to the second floor from where we stood. A commons room and a dining hall were on the left side of the massive foyer.
“Oh, good. You found us,” said a pleasant female voice. The woman attached to it was beautiful with waist-length red hair and bright-blue eyes. “I’m Samantha Rivers, house adviser. You can call me Samantha. I’m not one for formality.”
A succubus? I couldn’t be sure.
Cyrena, always a suck-up, extended her hand. “I’m, like, Cyrena, and this is my sister, Lilith.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Let’s go into the sitting room and review some things.”
“I thought maybe we could get settled—”
“There’s nothing to settle, Lilith. Your luggage is in your room. The males stay on the second and third floors. The ladies occupy the fourth and fifth floors.” Samantha gently grasped my upper arm and tugged me toward the fireplace. She took a seat in an oversized wing-backed chair and pointed to two smaller chairs. “I have your schedules. We tried hard to assign you girls to the same instructors.”
“That wasn’t necessary,” Cyrena said.
“It is here,” Samantha stated. “We like to give you a semblance of a home environment. It makes it easier when you return to the human world.” She picked up two black folders with the school crest on them from a side table and handed them to us.
I flipped mine open and saw that I had classes from eight in the morning until noon. Independent Studies and Practical Arts were from one to four in the afternoon.
“Everyone takes the same basic classes at Lorelei’s. Those would be Scareology 101, Human Vulnerabilities, and Nightmare Physics. You choose your own electives—two per semester. The afternoon classes are tailored toward your species.” Samantha glanced at a clipboard. “Ladies, you’re also enrolled in a seminar for Lilin History. It will count as one of your electives.”
Cyrena whined, “Why?”
Samantha smiled. “Because it has been our experience that many of our kind lack the proper knowledge of Lilin. I’d strongly suggest the follow-up course next semester, Lilin Mythology.”
The only elective I was interested in was the Politics of the Supernatural.
“Now for some rules.” The adviser stared at me. “We’re aware of your work with Supes and Humans United, but we don’t foster that ideology here. At Lorelei’s, it’s imperative that supes remain separate.”
“It’s not that we’re discriminatory. We have found that the individual races learn better amongst their own. There’s plenty of research to support our standard.”
I kept my mouth shut. That research was full of errors. I’d seen it.
“All meals are to be eaten in the main dining hall of each dorm. We do offer plenty of opportunities for you to meet the other races, but we don’t condone intimacy between species. There’s also a strict curfew. Shifter species are the only ones allowed outside their dorms after ten o’clock.”
Welcome back to the Stone Ages.
“Uniforms are to be worn outside of the dorm. The only exception is for non-educational activities. Be sure to check the bulletin board on your floor for daily reminders. I’ll inform you when a non-uniform event will take place.” Samantha glanced up. “Any questions?”
Just one.
When’s the next portal home?
Chapter Two
Cyrena was champing at the bit to ask something. Rather than endure her possibly endless string of questions—my sister never stopped at just one—I nudged her in the side.
Samantha’s gaze darted to me. Thankfully, she didn’t address my gesture. “Well, you girls are free to explore on your own until the Meet and Greet tonight. The time and location are on a card in your folder.”
Exploring? I would have been satisfied with a little downtime listening to my Walkman.
I wrongfully thought we had escaped further scrutiny. Then Samantha said, “Cyrena, why don’t you run ahead? Your room is up on the fifth floor. Turn right at the top of the stairs, and then it’s the last door at the end of the hall. There’s a placard with your names on it.”
My sister practically skipped toward the staircase. I wanted to grab her by the collar and put a stop to her shameful display. It was going to be a long year if I didn’t figure out how to curb her excitement.
“Lilith, we should talk.”
I plopped back down on the chair. “About?”