Shadowborn Academy: The Full Collection

by G. Bailey

  Words seem lost to me for a long time, but they all stand still, waiting for my next move.

  “I don’t know what we do next. I’ve never known what I’m doing,” I whisper, tears falling from my cheeks to my lips. “I’m an epic fuck up for a princess. How do I even play their game? I’m no royal. I’m nothing compared to the fae and fucking gods!”

  Pitch tightens his grip on my shoulders. “Corvina Charles, shut the hell up!” His tone shocks me. Pitch never speaks to me like that. He steps closer, cupping my cheeks as the crown presses into his stomach between us. “The fae, the gods, the Titans, and the whole world have no clue what’s coming their way. You are Corvina Charles, a fae created of both worlds and surrounded by shadows, as well as light. You will win this war with us at your side.”

  “You think so?” I ask him and he nods. I look around at my guys, who all nod once with their eyes full of strength and belief.

  With all my men around me, somehow I find the strength to lift my head and take a much needed deep breath.

  “We should go to the academy,” I say, my voice much stronger than I feel. “I know Eva expects me to be there but she will be busy for a while.”

  Zander sweeps us up into the shadows and shadowlocates us to the middle of the academy entrance, where we are not alone.

  The first woman I set my gaze on, sees me before her eyes slowly drop to the crown. Ivywood’s knees buckle underneath her, and an ear-splitting cry that echoes around the academy pulls out of her throat with anguish. No one dares move as we watch her weep for her king, my father.

  I look up to see Ambrose at the stairs, leaning on the banister, and there is a big space around him where the students all stare, most looking scared of his existence. The entrance hall slowly fills with students until we are surrounded by hundreds of shadowborns, each of them looking to me, and the weeping fae, for answers.

  Gulping down the pain in my throat, I walk to Ivywood and kneel down. She looks up from the floor, locking her eyes with mine. Her face is covered in tears, her eyes distraught with grief, and for the first time, I realise how much she loved my father. I want to feel grief at his loss, but the shock isn’t letting me feel anything right now.

  I don’t know what I will feel come tomorrow. Or next week. Or ever.

  “What do you need from me, Queen Corvina of the Light Fae Court?” Ivywood’s question bouncing around the room. I offer her a hand and she takes it, letting me pick her up off the floor as I rest the crown by my side, knowing full-well everyone is watching me.

  “The academy is going to be attacked by Titans and light fae. Possibly even dark fae,” I say, and before I can say anything else, everyone bursts into panicked chatter. Most of them sound terrified and I don’t really blame them. Ivywood lets my hand go and steps forward, clapping once and everyone immediately falls silent.

  “Every single student here has gone through what no fae could ever imagine. You are not weak, you are not useless, and you will not go down without one hell of a fight,” Ivywood shouts, filling even me with strength. “A war is coming, yes, but the academy was made by Selena herself and her love for all things shadowborn. The academy will defend us and keep its students alive. Now, I want everyone to go to your rooms and send letters of warning to your families before it is too late.”

  The students move like a wave, disappearing into corridors as Ivywood turns back to me. She still looks broken but more determined than ever.

  “What is your plan, Your Majesty?”

  “I don’t have one…” I pause, worrying my bottom lip. “Yet.”

  Ivywood nods and walks to the door. I find myself following her outside, knowing my guys are right behind me. We stop behind Ivywood on the steps of the academy and Ivywood holds her hands into the air.

  “Selena, I call on your protection.

  The academy needs a shield.

  The shadowborn will rise.

  The Academy will protect.

  In the name of Selena, I unlock the academy and call to the forest to protect us.”

  The moment the last word leaves her lips, the ground shakes. I hold onto the banister of the stairs as the floor trembles and vines shoot out of the ground. Hundreds, if not thousands of vines smother the academy, crawling around every inch of stone until they form an enormous egg shape. A wave of dark magic projects from the vines and wraps around the academy, forming a protective barrier from the outside world.

  Shadowborn Academy is in the dark, and if Eva wins the war, it always will be.

  Pushing the door to my room open, I expect to see Sage, for some insane reason, curled up on her bed, our stuff littered around the room. The sweet smell of her vanilla perfume barely lingers in the air after all this time.

  It’s just an empty room full of memories now.

  My guys flood inside and Echo jumps into my arms as Ambrose slowly enters. I sit on the edge of my bed, stroking Echo’s fur in a bit of a haze as I place the crown on the bedside table.

  “I lost both my parents young. Gods tend to kill other gods as much as royals love to murder their own,” Ambrose confides as he sits next to me.

  “Royals love it enough to give the act a word. Regicide,” I sourly reply, looking up at Ambrose. I recall what I read about him in Zander’s book. “I’m sorry about your parents and your wife and son. I’ve lost three now, but who’s counting?”

  “Vina,” Zander gently says my name as I make things super awkward.

  Echo jumps off my lap and curls up into the pillows of the bed. Standing again, needing to move, I walk to the window and start to pace up and down. What the hell do I do next? Eva has to pay for what she has done, I’m sure of that. How I’m going to get to her alone is another issue. And after what she did to Sage? Eva has a lot we need to discuss. Well, less discussion, more me kicking her skinny little black-hearted ass into Tartarus where it belongs.

  “Where is Sage?” I ask, turning around to see all of them looking at me, and I try not to register how worried they look. “Is she alright?”

  “Sage is with her teacher, and I’ve healed her,” Ambrose answers me. “She will be fine. I would give her at least twelve hours to wake up. Is there anything else you need, Vina?”

  “That’s our nickname for her, not yours,” Pitch all but growls, stepping right in front of Ambrose.

  “Funny. I’ve been in her head almost as long as you,” Ambrose replies dryly, his arms crossed and pressing against Pitch’s chest with how close they are. “I’m pretty sure I’ve earned nickname rights.”

  “You fucking haven’t,” Pitch grits out, and Jonah steps in the middle of them, shoving them both apart.

  “Look, I know you’re a god, mate, but we need to be alone with Vina. Why don’t you find a room and get some sleep,” Jonah suggests as Pitch stalks over to me. “That’s our plan, anyway.”

  The room seems tenser by the second as Ambrose stares Jonah down.

  With a big grin, Ambrose holds his hands in the air and steps back. “Your mortal message has been received.” Ambrose heads to the door and tugs it open, looking back at me with a wink. “See you in your dreams, Vina.”

  “Fucking asshole god,” Pitch growls as Ambrose slams the door, but I can hear his laughter from the corridor.

  I place my hand on Pitch’s shoulder, my lips twitching into a smile for what feels like the first time in forever. Pitch sighs as he looks down at me and wraps his arms around my waist. I rest my head on his shoulder, trying to relax for a moment. His burning leaves aroma always calms me. I let it wrap around my senses like a warm caress.

  “Gage, want to go and get some food?” Zander suggests, pushing off the wall.

  Gage nods, walking over to him and touching his shoulder. They both shadowlocate, leaving me alone with Jonah and Pitch. Through everything that has happened between us all, I like to think we have gotten closer, and I’m curious to test how far that goes.

  “I’m going to shower. Will you both stay close?” I ask, lifting my head
off Pitch. “I just don’t want to be alone.”

  Jonah nods once, and I have a feeling Pitch would do anything I ask at this stage.

  Walking to the bathroom, I leave the door open as I turn on the shower, sensing them both following me in. They close the door softly behind them, and a grin pulls at my lips. I don’t look back as I strip off my clothes and let them fall to my feet. I can feel their eyes locked onto my back, and it sends an excited shiver down my spine. I think the three of us could do with a distraction right now, and I know just the show to put on for them.

  Stepping into the hot water, I sigh with relief, fully embracing how good it feels. I massage shampoo into my hair before getting the soap and running it over my body. Feeling brave, I slowly turn around as I run the soap between my breasts, locking eyes on Jonah first. His dazed eyes follow my every movement, each soft brush of the soap against my naked skin. The water rushes over me, and droplets flick off my lashes as I blink up at Pitch. His hands ball into fists by his side, his entire body tenses up, but his eyes are full of pure and utter want.

  “We’re back,” Zander shouts, his voice snapping us all out of the trance.

  I put the soap back and turn off the shower, getting out and grabbing a towel off the bar. I dry off and wrap myself in one before stepping back into my room.

  Poor Jonah and Pitch are trying to subtly hide their erections as they follow me out.

  Zander and Gage both exchange a knowing look as I strut over to my closet. I grab a random hoodie of Sage’s and some joggers of mine and head back to the bathroom, my stomach grumbling from the smell of burgers and fries the guys have brought.

  After drying my hair, I pull my clothes on and head into the bedroom. My guys are happily sitting in a line by the window, each opening paper bags of food and eating.

  Jonah holds a bag up for me as I walk over and sit next to him.

  “So, Izora is your half-sister?” Zander says around a fry. “I mean, no wonder you two became friends so quickly.”

  “It’s fucked up,” I admit, digging into my food, “but out of everything that has happened, knowing Izora is my sister is the only good thing. And getting Sage back.”

  “She’s a light fae now,” Jonah mutters. “I wonder how they did that to her? And that nasty scar on her face looked painful as fuck.”

  My appetite suddenly vanishes, and I set my food aside, telling my guys, “Eva will pay for that, and everything else. I’m not going to let her win.”

  Pitch smirks at me. “No, you’re not. We’re going to win, Vina, and the Titans will be sent back to rot in their prison for the rest of eternity.”

  I only hope he is right.

  “Hey stranger,” I softly say, walking into David’s room to see my best friend sitting on a couch, almost like nothing has happened between us. For a second, I look past her glittering wings and the glow of her skin. Barely noticing the scar running down her cheek. I can even see past the unnatural brightness to her eyes and how there is so much more darkness lurking within them than before. “Did you miss me?”

  Sage doesn’t answer as I come to a halt, her eyes fixed on me. She looks so small and scared as she curls into the corner of the white couch, which only makes her wings that much brighter. I need to get her a bracelet like mine if I can. It sure makes clothes a lot easier to put on.

  “I’m going to leave you two alone,” David comments as he walks past me. He kisses Sage on her forehead, and she closes her eyes in contentment for a second before opening them and watching me as David leaves us alone. Their love gives me hope that they can get through this, and for the first time in months, David doesn’t look drunk or fucked up.

  He looks happy and relieved.

  “I missed you from the moment she took me, Vina,” Sage whispers. I nod, stepping closer until my legs brush the side of the couch. Still unsure how to approach this new Sage, I walk around the sofa and slowly sit next to her, careful not to touch her unless she wants me to. Her hand gently rests on top of mine, and I struggle not to pull her into a hug.

  “Ronan took me to Eva. I wasn’t strong enough to fight either of them. I remember being knocked out, and when I woke up, I was in a prison of some kind. The days and nights mixed into one until I lost track of time altogether, but I remember every needle, every test. I remember Eva cutting my cheek while Izora screamed and screamed for her to stop. It was awful. I thought I’d never see you or David again.”

  White-hot fury surges into me. I try to mask it with a pained smile while vowing to make Eva pay. “Izora was with you?” I ask, closing my eyes for a moment as I swallow down my anger.

  “Yeah, but I only saw her once. She’s a light fae now, too. They did the same to her as they did to me.”

  I nod, knowing that already. Her fae wings were unmistakable. “Izora is my half-sister,” I tell Sage quietly. “Ulric is her father, too, and she saw him die. I couldn’t save her, but I will.” Sage’s eyes widen, and I link our hands like I did when we were kids. “I have one of my sisters back, and I’m ever so thankful for that.”

  “Eva won’t stop. I can’t sleep until she’s dead. Until Ronan’s dead,” Sage says, her hand shaking like the rest of her. Tears fall from her lashes, and I finally cave, pulling her into my arms and holding her as tightly as I can while she sobs. “I’ve—I’ve never known darkness like this, Buzzie. It makes me not want to wake up.”

  A lump swells in my throat. “Listen to me, Sage,” I say, grabbing her cheeks and making her look at me. Sage might be different, and her magic feels stronger than ever before, but she is still my sister. Our connection is something we founded in the darkest of shadows, and nothing will ever erase that. I will fucking dive right back into them if only to save her.

  “I know that darkness, and I won’t let you live in it. I will kill Eva and Ronan. You’re going to help me, and together, we are going to make them regret even looking at us. We deserve the light, Sage. We don’t belong in the shadows anymore.”

  Sage bursts into tears, and I hold her for a long time, knowing she needs to let all of this out. Being held prisoner once again changed her into something she didn’t want to be. It’s going to take time for Sage to feel completely healed again. I’ll do all I can to make her feel safe in the meantime.

  “You’re wrong, you know,” Sage eventually whispers, resting her head on my shoulder while I play with her pink hair.

  “I’m never wrong,” I joke, nudging her head playfully with my shoulder.

  Sage chuckles, and it warms my heart to hear her laugh again. “We do belong in the shadows, Vina, and the Light Fae bitch Eva has no idea what she has coming her way.”

  I grin, resting my head on hers. “There’s my best friend.”

  “How is she?” Willow demands, making me almost jump as she steps out of the shadows of the corridor. I’ve just left Sage’s room after a long day together, where she mostly cried and I mostly promised to burn any fae that touched her. Bumping into Willow Greene is the last thing I need right now.

  “Sage is coping,” I reply, wondering why she even gives a fuck.

  Willow clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “I meant my sister! I want to know how Izora is.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I step closer. “You actually give a shit about her now?”

  Willow surprises me when she looks down, shuffling her feet. “I fucked up at being a sister, and well, most things when it comes to family. The world is fucking ending around us, and it made me realise I should fight for my family. So tell me how Izora is and what the plan is to get her back?”

  “Izora is my sister now, too, funnily enough,” I tell her, and she laughs until she sees I’m dead serious. “You can ask your mum for the deets on that. As for Izora…she looked messed up when I saw her. Eva is using her, and if you really want to help free her, you should rest and train.”

  “I will train this whole academy if you need it, Your Majesty,” Willow says and holds her hand out. “Truce?”

  I eye her ha
nd with caution for a moment before taking it. “If you fuck me over, Willow, I will cut all your hair off and then kill you, so you die an ugly, bald bitch. That’s your one and only warning.”

  I smile sweetly as I let her hand go and walk past her. I’m finally feeling more like myself now that I’ve seen Sage. It’s like she’s given me that extra push I needed to face the world again. However, I can’t help but notice how quiet the academy is as I make my way down the maze of corridors and empty stairwells. I guess it makes sense since everyone is preparing to fight off ancient Titans. Shaking my head, I walk up to Gage’s open office door. I enter, quietly shutting the door behind me.

  “Is the therapist open for a session?” I ask, my back leaning against the closed door.

  Gage grins, resting a hip against his desk. “Always for my favourite student,” he teases. I laugh and walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his torso. Gage rests his head on mine. “In all seriousness, do you need to talk?”

  “No,” I admit, leaning back to look at him. I press my lips to his mouth, and he kisses me back with just as much as passion. He lifts me, carrying me over to his couch. Placing me on my back, he covers my body with his. Never once breaking our kiss.

  The world can burn around us, but every kiss makes me forget it.

  The fae, the gods, the world, can all wait.

  Gage trails his amazing lips down my jaw as his hand cups my breast. I rub myself against his knee, causing a throaty moan to escape my lips. Tugging my shirt up and over my head, Gage leans back, staring at me with so much desire it makes me blush.

  “Can I make you come, Vina?” he softly asks me. Damn, hell, yes. I can only nod, and he scoots back on the sofa. Tugging down my jeans until I can kick them off, taking my panties with them.