by G. Bailey
Gross metaphor but true nonetheless.
Luke is gorgeous. I’ve always noticed that and anyone who says otherwise is in denial. He has this playboy, rugged quality to him that I love, and yet he’s also super possessive.
And darker than his looks suggest he might be.
“I know of Shadow Wardens and how all wardens are given wives or husbands when they turn a certain age. Have you been told who you will marry?” I ask, saying the words I need to without really saying them at all.
Wardens and Shadowborns don’t belong together.
It’s forbidden for his kind… and even sex is frowned upon.
His jaw tightens as we come around a corridor and he stops us right outside Scott’s door. He leans over me, his hand flattening on the wooden door by my head.
“Shadow Wardens don’t belong here and yet here I am. I’ve broken fuck knows how many rules to keep you safe so far…” He pauses, leaning in closer just for a second. “I will break all the rules this world has if I decide you’re mine. Just be ready to fight the world at my side when I do.”
“Luke, you’re out of your mind,” I say in exaggerated surprise, but dammit, I like this possessive side of his.
“And yet you aren’t runnin’ away. What does that say?” he asks with a dark chuckle, straightening up before the cameras turn our way. Sneaky warden. Luke knocks on the door twice before taking another step back, but I’m still in a daze as Scott opens the door and lets me inside.
“How was your week?” Scott asks me as he shuts the door on Luke, with unnecessary harshness, might I add.
Poor Luke.
I sit down at the desk right at the front. I’ve been eager to speak with Scott since I received his letter, but he told me to wait until today. Now I can finally find out what happened to her.
Scott slams a folder in front of me and grabs a chair, turning it around and sitting on it backwards across from me. I turn the page over, seeing an old photo of me with the words guilty stamped over my face in bold red ink. I flip over, reading the next five pages which is a written account of what happened. The next part is for witnesses, and there is only one name with a brief statement about how he found me next to the bodies.
Scott places a finger over the guy’s name. “I went to see this warden and he has never heard of you. Or this case.” I suck in a deep breath of hope. “Flip the page.”
I turn over to see a black and white photo of me that covers the whole page. I’m lying in the rubble with five dust-covered, bloody shapes mangled around me. The wardens. I stare at my face and then I notice the strap marks on my wrists and ankles. The bed I was lying on is just ash but the outline is there.
“This proves I was telling the truth,” I whisper in shock, my palms turning clammy with excitement.
“Your whole case is bullshit. I’ve officially applied for a re-sentence…with your mum’s assistance,” Scott informs me and for a second I imagine walking out of here as a free woman.
I could have my name cleared and be back at Shadowborn Academy in no time.
Then I think of Gold, Luke, Axel, and my friend Memphis…I’d have to leave them all behind. How could I possibly do that?
“Is my mum really safe?” I ask, my hopeful voice giving away how much I needed to know she was all right.
Scott runs a hand through his hair, his eyes never leaving mine. “I can’t tell you much, but after my brother was locked up for something he didn’t do, I became fixated on making sure no one else became a victim. I’ve attended three hundred and twenty trials, and with about half of them, I found proof they didn’t do what they were accused of.”
“That’s so amazing of you,” I say honestly, and he waves a hand, like what he did for all those people it’s nothing.
“Anyways, back to your mum. I knew of her, seen her a few times behind the stand but we have never formally met. I was surprised to have her contact me and tell me about this file and where to find it. Your mum told me she’s safe and that there is a good reason why she’s hiding.”
The instant relief washes through me in waves. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can breathe again.
“She’s alive, that’s all that matters,” I whisper, blowing out a long breath. “Thank you so much, Scott. Thank you!”
I throw myself into his arms and the chair scrapes against the tiles, threatening to topple us both over. Scott holds me to him, moving me slightly so my thighs fall on either side of his lap. The moment soon changes from laughter and fun to something far more. He softly slides his hands up my thighs, past my hips and to my waist. His thumbs lift my T-shirt up and grazes my skin above my jeans. A shiver slides through my body. Gods, this feels so good.
“When you’re out, we’re going on a date,” he murmurs, and I’m too busy enjoying his touch to reply. “And the date is going to end with me buried so deep inside you that you will feel me for days after.”
“Mm, that sounds wonderful. We could try it now if you want,” I suggest slyly, making sure to rub myself against the hardness I feel under his jeans.
He groans, tightening his grip on my hips and tugging me to him. “Tease me as much as you want,” he warns, his grumbling voice encouraging me to tease him some more. “But remember for every time you tease me, I’m going to make you pay for it.”
“Are you counting?” I ask, biting down on my lip and he grins.
“From the second I saw you again, yes,” he replies and lifts me off him. I all but pout as I sit back down and Scott grabs the exam paper he told me about, dropping it on my desk. “Now get to work, Miss Dawn. Teasing your teacher won’t get you extra points.”
“Dammit. My master plan has been discovered,” I mutter and his laugh makes my cheeks warm and my heart beat all that much faster.
On my way to the mess hall, Luke pulls me aside.
“I want to show you somethin’ real quick,” he says, taking my hand and leading me down the corridor. He stops in front of the last window. “Look over there.”
Raising a curious brow at him, I push onto my tiptoes and peer through the bars. From here I can see a beautiful oak tree bathed in sunlight and a man in brown fatigues planting a new headstone beside it. It’s the headstone I asked Gold for, the one for Abbie and her brother—the one he had no obligation to fulfil and yet did. The little stone I’ve been working on is there, too, catching the afternoon sun.
Tears collect on my lashes, and I blink them away, smiling at Luke. “Thank you. I know you helped arrange that.”
He shakes his head at me, turning back to the hall. “It was the least I could do. Now let’s eat, jaybird.”
The gust of cool air blowing out the candle on my nightstand is enough to wake me. I feel it sweeping over my body and lifting every hair, but it’s more than just a draft. It tingles like dark magic circulating about me. I grab the knife I planted under my pillow and throw my legs over the bed. The scent doesn’t belong to Luke, Gold, or Axel, which means they aren’t welcome here.
“What do you want?” I demand, reaching for the panic button on the side of my nightstand. Luke said I should only use it in emergencies. Well, this is as good an emergency as any.
The only reply I get is a low, sinister chuckle. My room is shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see, but the laugh definitely came from the window. I press the button and slip out of bed, clutching the knife in my hand. A tall figure steps out from the shadows and into the ribbons of moonlight bleeding through the bars.
“C-Coen…”
Another chuckle, this one with darker conviction. “Always so slow, you shadowborns.”
He takes a step and I take one back towards the door. I’m not sure how long it’ll take Luke to get here. Seconds, minutes, I don’t know. I just hope it’ll be soon because Coen clearly has use of his magic again despite his collar, and I’m willing to bet he plans on using it.
“Why are you here? Or have you come for your revenge?” I laugh despite the panic cr
eeping into my body.
Coen laughs, too, but it holds a distinctive air of malice I know he’s always felt for me.
“Maybe you’re not as dumb as you fucking look,” he says. “Things are about to change, Izora Dawn. Let’s see if you’re ready… Let’s see if you survive this time.”
He shadowlocates to my side in the blink of an eye, the shadows still clinging to his shoulders. I throw myself forward and aim for his jugular, but an abrupt pain grips hold of me. It runs down my legs like and I stumble back, glaring at the rush of blood seeping through my sweatpants. Coen disappears into thin air, leaving nothing but his laugh that fades into darkness and the unusual knife he slashed me with.
The pain swiftly turns into a searing agony and my vision blurs. No, no, no. I can’t die like this. I hobble over to my bed and press the button repeatedly. Where the hell is Luke? Why isn’t he here yet? The door opens slightly and relief floods my veins, but nobody comes in. Shrieks and screams fill the hallway outside. My heart races and clenches in my chest, my breathing constructing in my throat as I struggle to breathe.
I slowly inch my way over, wrapping my hand around the handle.
The second I do, a bright light blasts my eyes and then everything goes dark…
Tears and ash coat my lashes when I next open them. I gaze up at the cracks in the ceiling above me in the flickering corridor. The ringing in my ears is deafening, and I close my eyes again, unable to keep them open.
When I come to, my hearing has returned and the ringing has vanished, but nothing but pain courses through my body. Inmates run past me lying on the floor. I’m surrounded by debris and ash that coats my lashes and creeps into my mouth. Everything is woozy and filled with pain. Something big is on fire nearby, and I’m dying, that much I know is for certain.
Another deafening bang shakes the walls around me, increasing the pain already tearing me asunder. Screams and cheers bellow in place of the eruption. I reach out and try to crawl to the wall, my throat clogged with fear and a rising sickness that threatens to purge from my mouth. Using what little strength I have, I use the wall to help myself stand, but my legs are out of commission, unable to support me. I slide down against the wall and close my eyes.
“Darling, no!”
My mother’s screams carry to my ears, jolting me awake again. I barely manage to turn my head around now, but I do see my mother running down the corridor, her silvery blonde hair whipping in the air behind her. Gold appears out of nowhere. He picks me up off the floor and holds me to his chest, his forehead creased in alarm.
“How could you let anything happen to her?” my mother screams at him.
He stays silent as he looks down at me. At least I think he does… everything is blurry. So blurry and sore. I just want to close my eyes now.
“What the fuck happened?” Luke roars, shadowlocating to my side.
I lift my hand and feebly tap my leg where the cut is. Luke peels a magical dagger out from the shadows and cuts my jeans, revealing something that makes them all look nothing but fearful.
“Th-that b-b-ad, huh?” I manage to mutter but they are all staring at me in silence.
My mother bursts into tears but no one says anything.
I’ve never seen Mum cry before. Must be bad. Oh, god… gonna pass out again…
“Don’t close your eyes. Look at me, jaybird,” Luke whispers, tapping the side of my face.
My head rolls to the side but I manage to keep my eyes open, focusing on his face.
“The left wing has been blown up. That’s where we get out.”
“What should we do?” Luke asks in an unusually nervous voice.
Mother is still crying.
Why is she crying? Oh, yeah… I’m dying… I don’t want to die.
“The fae must know of a cure. We go and beg them,” Gold commands.
Finally, the siren, the fire, and everything makes sense now.
This was all the fae’s doing.
“King Ulric will help her,” my mother whispers, cupping my cheek. “He would never turn her away.”
“Why?” Luke voices what I wish I could, but we are already moving down a corridor and up a flight of stairs, and everything hurts so much that I’m struggling to breathe let alone focus.
“We will save you. Don’t you fucking dare leave me, Izora,” Gold whispers, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and I smile, despite everything.
But then Gold roars in pain and his hands abandon my body, letting me tumble down the stairs. I cry out, every jolt like red-hot daggers piercing my body, until I crash to the bottom step. Tears pool in my eyes as I hear more screams and shouts. I try to call out for my mother, for Gold and Luke, even Axel and Scott, but no words come out…and no one comes for me.
A strange acceptance fills my soul. The second it does, I start to relax and the pain almost drifts away. A blinding white light blasts into my eyes. I start to chuckle then, my pain completely gone now as the light gets brighter until I see the shape of someone emerging. The silhouette of a woman slowly comes into view, her blonde hair like spun gold, her pale skin as envious as much her curves are in her beautiful white gown. The flowing material is molded to her body with a long train puddling at her feet. Her eyes are the most captivating. They’re like two kaleidoscopic pools of butterfly wings all captured into a pair of beautiful eyes.
“The time has come for us to meet. Many creatures have foreseen our friendship, Izora Dawn.”
The woman’s voice is light and yet firm, an alluring concoction that makes every syllable sound like she’s whispering nothing but seductive sins.
“Who are you?” I ask and the strange urge to laugh still makes me giggle.
The woman giggles with me, leaning closer with a big smile. “We will fly together, you and I.”
I laugh more with her, but I don’t know why. Everything is just so funny. So strange. Wasn’t I dying just a moment ago?
Her gaze turns serious for a moment. “I’m only human but I am a gift given to my ten lovers who are titans. My only power lies with them. I will need you to save them, dear Izora, but not yet. We will meet again but until then, you have my blessing.”
“Blessing? What for? What’s a titan?”
She slowly fades back into the darkness and tears fill my eyes as I watch her go. “A king of the gods. And when they awaken, soon, no one but us will be able to stop them.”
The air tastes almost sweet as I wake up, jolting from the chain attached to my ankle. The blood in my veins quickly freezes as I realise I’m not in my room… or anywhere that I recognise. White walls, white tiles, a single barred window and thick white bars like that of a cage surrounds me. I place my bare feet on the cold floor, shivering from the contact, and step forward. But then I notice my shadow from the sunlight pouring in through the window.
A shadow with wings.
I turn my head and all the air seems to leave my body when I see white, glittering wings fluttering behind me. I lift my hand to stroke them, and my fingertips vibrate with pure magic.
Light magic.
I rush to the bars, looking down an empty corridor and flickering my gaze into the big open-cell before me. It’s empty but I still shout for help.
“Hello! Is anyone there?”
Nobody answers, and I grip the bars tighter, an intense feeling of desperation filling me. I have a million questions and each of them starts with Gold once I find him.
How did he know my mother?
How and why was she even in the prison?
And the most important one of all: how am I alive?
I remember him holding me as I was dying and then I was falling down a flight of stairs. The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen came to me then. She spoke about titans and gods and gave me her blessing. I thought I died after she faded away. But now…now I’m here, with wings. Now I’m a light fae just like when this whole nightmare began.
“About time you woke up. They kept you sleepin’ for a month,” Luke’s voice dri
fts to me.
I search the open cell for him, but it’s not until he steps into the light do I see him. His skin is pale, his clothes are white like mine and there’s a collar around his neck. His wings send me stumbling back in shock, even as Axel comes to his side and I see that he, too, has wings.
Whoever is in control here has turned everyone into a light faes.
“How?” I scarcely whisper the word, gripping the bars tightly. “Where is Gold?”
“Look out the window, Izora,” Axel commands, nodding to the window of my cell.
I shakily step back and walk over. This can’t really be happening, can it? I push up on my tiptoes just before my wings take over and lift my off the ground. I barely notice I’m flying, it feels so natural and painless to me, and that alone is terrifying. I look out the window at the breathtaking view of the Light Fae King’s palace in the distance. Fae men and women fly around the city nestled below, their wings glittering in the bright sunlight.
By Selena, this is impossible…
And who is going to save me now?
TO BE CONTINUED…
New to the Shadowborn World? Buy the first book in Corvina Charles’ journey at the elusive! Shadowborn Academy!
Excerpt from Shadowborn Academy (Dark Fae Academy Series: Book One)
ABOUT THIS BOOK
My fate is in the dark,
And my shadow there is real…
The darkness likes to play in this world.
It also likes to deceive.
In the Enchanted Forest, secrets thrive and one girl desperately needs to find answers before it’s too late.
That girl is Corvina Charles, a powerful Shadowborn—a human who touched dark magic and became something else.
Something dangerous.
At the age of eighteen, Corvina and her best friend are swept away to the Shadowborn Academy, the one place where magic and darkness coincide.