Academia of the Beast: A Dark Retelling of Beauty and the Beast
Page 12
“Before we know it, they’ll be bringing boys to the castle,” Conall said and Robert shook his head.
“That’s your problem,” Robert said with a laugh and went back to reading one of the ancient books he’d found in the castle library.
Baran Castle was a different place five years since Allyn broke the curse. The castle was bright and full of love and cheer now that Allyn and Conall had children and moved her father in.
There were days that Allyn would worry that all of the joy that filled her life would suddenly vanish and that it would be revealed that it was all a dream.
So far, that hadn’t happened, and she was resolute to enjoy this new life for as long as she could.
Ridding Maisie from existence reversed all of the damage she’d done to the Baran clan. It was revealed that she’d given each male descendant of the original king that scorned her their own unique form of hell. Shifting into a Wolf turned out to not be a curse at all, but their only defense against dark magic.
Allyn faced Conall and fixed his tie. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I doubt any young man will want to come to the cursed castle to meet the king.”
Conall sighed. “That still sounds so odd to me,” he said as he held her by the waist. “For some reason, I expected my father to live forever, and to never have the responsibility of ruling all of Elastria.”
Allyn touched the diamond encrusted silver circlet on her head and giggled. “I never thought I’d be queen. After the life I had before I met you, I’d say my luck has changed.”
He kissed her on the lips. “So did mine.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, and he chuckled.
“How happy are you right now, my love?”
Allyn looked him in the eyes, her heart full of joy and love she never knew she could feel.
“The happiest I’ve ever been,” she said, and the band began to play on the veranda behind them.
They turned to the band and took champagne off a server’s tray as she passed by.
Allyn’s smile faded as she watched the band play. She and Conall ruled Elastria together. They made new laws, erased old ones that oppressed the citizens, and lifted the Witch’s Bounty and the ban against magic.
While she was secure in her spot as queen, a constant nagging in her belly worried her about the future for her daughters.
Allyn looked off into the woods, wondering when she’d get the courage to reveal her latest nightmares.
There was a reason the Wolves weren’t supposed to mate with sorceresses.
Now, with two hybrid princesses, Allyn worried that one day...they’d be faced with opposition from the other nine kingdoms.
She glanced over her shoulder at her daughters, and how their long black hair swayed with the summer breeze as they chased each other around the swings in their matching yellow dresses.
Keely shifted into a black wolf and barked at her sister who flew into the air with a laugh.
When that day came, they’d all be ready.
THE END
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AN EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT FROM
FEAR THREATENED TO CRIPPLE YARA as she passed the servants harvesting the grapes of Torrington Orchard.
It was a cool autumn morning, and yet Yara felt sweat bead on her forehead and in the crease between her bosom.
“Good morning, my lady,” one of the workers said, bowing her bonnet-covered head.
She feigned a smile, and yet her heart pounded inside her chest as she hid the blood that stained her bodice by letting her long white hair hang over her narrow shoulders.
Be brave, Yara thought as she wrung her shaking hands.
"Hero,” she spoke to the wind. “Please get me out of here. I’m serious this time.”
Yara broke into a run toward the stables, no longer caring who she vexed by her sudden action. She didn’t have much time. The body would surely be found at any moment.
The sun warmed her cold cheeks as she looked to the sky.
Come on, Hero. Hurry.
She grabbed her long navy skirts into her fists as her feet pounded the stone path that led to the front gate. Soldiers stood guard on either end of the locked gate, their swords secure at the waist.
A squawking sound came from the distance and Yara snatched off her wedding band, tossing it into the bushes that lined the road.
Her heart thumped in her chest as one of the soldiers glanced her way. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Where are you going?”
She ignored him, keeping her attention fixed on that gate. They’d hang her if she ever got caught, but she had to risk it.
A royal decree was announced.
Magic is abolished.
All Spell Slingers are to be executed.
Those with magic must go to the capital of Allarya for evaluation.
Those who resist will be executed.
There was no way she could stand by and let her father be executed. Life as a concubine was over for Yara. It was time to stop running from her destiny.
To be a Spell Slinger.
A grin came to her face, despite the tears that trailed down her cheeks as a tall young man dressed in all black appeared outside of the gate, his pale skin almost translucent as he held a hand out toward her.
Black hair covered his dark eyes. Clean shaven, and baby-faced, Hero was her greatest friend, one that would risk his life to save hers.
She chewed her lip, quickening her pace as she prayed that they would both survive this.
“Ay,” the guard shouted, drawing his sword. “Stop right now, miss. We don’t want to have to hurt you.”
Yara ignored them. She needed every bit of concentration to do what she’d been planning for the past few days. She would have served her time in this horrid place for all eternity if they’d have left her family alone.
The king wanted to abolish magic, and no one could stop him.
Except Yara.
She gritted her teeth and with a burst of energy shot outside of her body, a blue aura encircling her as her soul unfused.
Hero cracked a grin, his eyes narrowing behind strands of black hair. “Good girl,” he whispered, a black mist shooting from his hand and reaching for her like a raging wind.
The soldiers stumbled backward, having never seen such a display of raw power.
As if encased in ice, Yara’s entire body went cold as her soul left it behind. Her body was indeed frozen in place as her consciousness rode her soul out of the magic-bonded gate.
No human, shifter, or sorcerer could exit that gate.
But, a Meta could.
Born half sorceress, and half Meta, Yara could do many things that the world had never even heard of.
As Hero pulled her soul to his open palm, she felt safe and warm, having shed her human form.
Once through the gate, he tucked her soul into his body and shifted into a crow.
Soon, Torrington Estate would be far behind them, and Yara would need to create herself a brand new body.
YARA NEVER EXPECTED TO BE sold off to the county sheriff as his tenth concubine. At twenty-one, she was broken mentally and emotionally, and now without a father.
Too late.
This was her entire reason for exposing herself and running away from Torrington Manor. Having heard that King Loric was targeting Spell Slingers, she’d had no choice but to at least try to save her father.
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her father’s body, hanging from the fir tree in front of her family’s mountain cabin.
At least they didn't burn him.
She glanced at Hero as he waited up in a tree. His crow form was a blessing when outlawed in seven counti
es.
Yara was thankful for such a loyal friend. He’d rescued her and kept her safe while she summoned the energy to recreate her old body.
"If you'd have come back just yesterday, you might have caught him before the execution," a familiar voice called from beside her a few feet away.
Yara wiped her face dry with her sleeve and turned to see Pae standing there, her arms folded across her green dress.
"I told you our time's running up. I suspect magic will be no more within a few years," she said, her white hair lifting with the crisp fall breeze.
Though she was fifteen years older than Yara, they could have been twins.
Silver eyes that matched Yara’s looked her up and down.
Though Yara was fully dressed in leather pants tucked into her boots, and a black shirt with a hood that covered her bright hair, she felt naked under her gaze.
Always had.
“If you hadn’t of sold me, I could have protected you both.”
"I did what I had to—to protect the family from you.” Pae looked cross, her eyes narrowed, her hair lifting with a passing breeze. “Where is your husband?"
"Dead," Yara quipped. “And a concubine is not considered a wife, Pae. So, he wasn’t my husband.”
Pae tilted her head. Her face paled. "Did you kill him?"
"I did what I had to."
"Dear spirits.”
“He deserved it.”
“What is wrong with you, Yara? You can’t kill a man for beating you now and again. Especially if he owns you."
"Of course, you think so,” Yara said. "You beat me plenty whilst I was growing up. And why? Father never raised a hand to you."
"That's different," Pae said. "I'm your mum. And pain is the only way children learn."
Frowning, she turned back to her father. Someone had stolen his shoes.
"Why is he still hanging? I'm grabbing an ax and cutting him down."
"You do that, and they will use that ax to chop off your head." Pae sighed, her body becoming more and more translucent with each minute.
Yara stared at her wondering if she ever loved her father. Growing up, they never showed affection for each other. It was as if they were no more than business partners, come together to raise one shy girl with too much power to be allowed around others.
"You'd best be on your way out of Kempsey. They're determined to abolish magic. That means Spell Slingers everywhere are being strung up.”
“I’ll leave after I bury him.”
Pae sighed. “Stubborn girl. Give me a minute, and I’ll help.”
“Don’t you need to get out of the sun?”
“I’m fine. I can last a while longer,” Pae said, her voice growing distant as if she’d be carried away by the wind.
Being a Meta, Pae was a creature of the night. Sometimes Yara thought she’d just used her father for his power, to remain a solid being in the human world—instead of a woman that resembled a ghost more than an actual person.
They buried Bronson behind the cabin, and Pae even sang a little song from her world for him.
"Bye, Pae," Yara said, slinging her pack over her shoulders and heading for the paved road that led to the main highway.
"Yara, wait! Where do you think you're going?"
"The capital.”
"Allarya? Why?”
Yara glanced back at her, fire in her silver eyes. "To kill King Loric. Either come along or leave me be."
Pae's eyes widened. "Have you gone mad?"
"No," Yara said, turning to look ahead.
Allarya was far from their little rural village, but she owed her father revenge. She owed their entire kingdom a chance at a better life.
"I'm not mad, mother. I've just gained some courage," she whispered.
THE DUSTY ROAD AHEAD WAS a constant reminder of the life Yara was leaving behind. It was also a beacon of hope.
Yara twisted her long white hair into a bun at the top of her head and yawned. She hadn’t slept in what felt like days. Using so much energy to recreate her body had taken more out of her than she would have liked. She just hoped that there would be no trouble on the road. This new body was weak, and would need a few days to be able to defend itself.
Knowing that Hero was close by gave her a small measure of relief. Sharing a body was such an intimate experience, and she would forever be bound to Hero because of it. They could summon one another whenever they pleased.
Dark clouds started to roll by. A storm was brewing, and she knew that it brewed for her.
Watching. Searching. Ready to strike her dead.
If she could stop King Loric along with his laws and reign of terror, she would be free to live her own life for once. As long as she didn’t get herself killed.
Death frightened her more than anything.
Tears streamed down her face as she remembered her father’s last hug. It had been longer than usual, and full of love that she knew he had for her. Neither could have known that it would be the last one that they would share.
Pae had never hugged Yara in that way, and it was because of her that she’d been sent to a form of slavery most young women in Allarya knew all too well.
One day, they’d have a choice of who they married. Another reason King Lori needed to be stopped.
The screeching of a crow stopped Yara in her tracks.
Hero.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sniffled.
“Are you all right, Yara?” He asked her as he landed on the road, and returned to his human form.
“No,” she said. “I’m really not. I miss him, Hero.”
His brows furrowed as he walked beside her. “I know. He was the kindest man I’ve ever met. Except Red.”
Yara tensed at the mention of Red, the gamekeeper of Westerbrook Manor.
“Look, Yara. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I thought you should know. It might even cheer you up...if even for a little bit.”
He raked his slick black hair out of his face, revealing green eyes. His face was narrow and pointed at the chin, but nice to look at.
There was a time when she thought she had feelings for Hero but realized that it was just her loneliness and their strong bond.
Yara squinted at him. “Tell me.”
“Asher’s joining the royal army. He leaves tomorrow. I thought you’d want to say goodbye to one more person. Seeing as we might not ever come back and all...” he said, his voice trailing.
“Dear spirits,” Yara said, looking down the road. She scratched her chin, torn.
Westerbrook Manor wasn’t far. She might be able to stop by and see Asher. Truth was, she wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to say goodbye to him—despite their memories together being the only thing that helped her make it through the day.
“Thank you,” she said and chewed her lip.
She had to see him. One last time.
Spell Slinger is available on Amazon here.
About the Author
K.N. Lee is New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rock star, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award for her success as a writer, business owner, and for community service.
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Titles by K.N. Lee
The Chronicles of Koa Series:
Dark Prophet
Lyrinian Blade
The Eura Chronicles:
Rise of the Flame
Night of the Storm
Dawn of the Forgotten (Coming Soon)
The Darkest Day (Coming Soon)
THE GRAND ELITE CASTER TRILOGY:
Silenced
Summoned (Coming Soon)
Awakened (Coming Soon)
THE FALLEN GODS TRILOGY:
Goddess of War
God of Peace (Coming Soon)
Love & Law (Coming Soon)
STANDALONE NOVELLAS:
The Scarlett Legacy
Liquid Lust
Spell Slinger
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