This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living, dead, or undead, events, places or names is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced or transferred in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the authors. Uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without a permission of the authors is illegal and punishable by law.
Text copyright © 2019 Scarlett Snow & Tiegan Clyne
All Rights Reserved
Editing by Fresh Eyes Editing
Cover design by Christian Bentulan
Formatting by Champagne Book Design
Interior Artwork by MonoChromacat
World Map by Rainbow Danger Designs
Everafter Map by Gillian M. Pearce
With special thanks to beta readers
Title Page
Copyright
Preface
Maps
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About Tiegan
About Scarlett
Appendixes
This book features scenes where some of the characters use American Sign Language (ASL), which is a distinct language that has its own syntax and isn’t just another way to speak English. Words and their modifiers can be expressed with hands but also body language, intensity of movement, and facial expressions. However, for the ease of reading and clarity reasons, ASL sentences will be translated into English and shown in ::…::
All telepathic communication between characters and their familiars will also be shown in—…—
I’m cold.
It’s more than just snow.
It’s like I have ice in my veins, freezing me from the inside out.
Darkness greets me when I open my eyes, and the black is so deep I’m not certain I’ve opened them at all.
Pain is all I know, waves and waves of it, crashing over me. I try to scream, to cry out for help, but that’s when I realize I’m not even breathing.
I can’t breathe.
Can’t move.
Can’t feel anything.
Images flash through my mind. Witch hunters in our cottage. Granny with a knife at her throat. A noose around my neck… it’s tight, so very tight…
Sound returns, and I hear a velvety male voice speak to me.
“Rise, Redera Hemlock… Rise and live.”
I take a breath, and it rushes out on the back of a piercing scream that rips its way out of my throat. I bolt upright, hoping against hope that this is all just a nightmare, but then my vision clears, and I see him.
Lucifer.
He curves the edge of his lips into a devilish smile. “Now it’s time to fulfill the prophecy, my dear.”
The truth spell can achieve a lot of things: resurrecting my sister from the dead isn’t one of them. I stare at Redera in disbelief, her snow-white hair, her blood-red eyes, and wonder if this is all real or just a dream.
A horrible, painful dream that is swiftly turning into a nightmare.
My twin sister died.
I watched her corpse get cut down from the tree where she was hanged. Broin even lit the fire for the ferryman to cross the river with her and Grandma’s souls. They were gone. Cold, dead, and rotting in the soil. No magic in the Six Realms could bring them back.
“Is that… is that really you…?” I reach out to touch her beautiful face, her freckled cheeks, and the scar on her upper lip, the one she gained when one of our potions went wrong. “You’re real.”
She smiles, leaning into my hand. “It’s me, Little Red.”
“But how? Why?”
Tentatively, she pulls my hand away and holds it, her skin as cold as ice. It’s like she’s still without a pulse. How can this be? Magic can work wonders but it comes with a price, and it cannot resurrect people from the dead. When our parents died, Redera and I read every book possible on necromancy, but nothing could bring them back. Familiars and other animals, yes, if you were powerful, but not people.
—Broin, I need you.—
—I’m on my way,—he replies quickly.—What’s happened?—
—My sister. She’s alive.—
“The Dark Lord gave me a second chance,” Redera tells me, glancing down at the apple abandoned on the ground. She’s still under the spell, so for the rest of the night, she’ll have to answer every question thrown her way truthfully. “When the witch hunters…” She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. My heart squeezes in my chest. “After Grandma and I died, I woke up on the Devil’s Altar.” Opening her eyes again, she gives me a weak smile. “He saved us, Rave. He brought us back!”
“I don’t understand. Why would he do that without telling me?”
Red pauses for a moment, searching my eyes for something I’m not sure I possess. My stomach twists into a snake that feels a lot like betrayal.
If my sister and Grandma were alive all this time, why didn’t he tell me? Why did he let me go through all the pain and misery? It’s been torture living with the guilt over what I did.
I suppose the guilt has kept me going. If I didn’t have loved ones to avenge, and therefore to focus my attention on, I would have ended my life the second I found their bodies hanging from the tree. But I’ve been holding on to the guilt and slowly transforming it into an all-encompassing rage that has forced me to stay alive.
“He had his reasons, but he didn’t tell me what they were.”
I let go of her hand, trying to make sense of everything. “Why didn’t you come to me sooner? What’s the deal with Aaliyah, this hidden princess?”
“It’s…complicated.”
I harden my voice and ball my hands into fists. “I deserve to know.”
Looking down at the apple, she nods absently. “I just needed a believable guise. I’m not a white witch anymore. You have white magic in you now, but I don’t. I’m Darkblooded, which means Everafter will send me to Nevermore where I belong… if I ever get exposed, I mean.”
“There’s ways to persuade the headmaster to let you stay here…” I trail off, shaking my head at her. “What happened to your white magic?”
“Death happened, Ravyn. It changes you.”
The snake in my stomach twists into shame, and I look away, tears welling in my eyes. Guilt creeps over my shoulders and around my neck, snatching the air from my lungs.
I take a sharp breath and whisper, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I did and caused. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
Redera places her hands on my shoulders and shakes me, forcing me to look at her. Her eyes and hair are different, and she’s cold to the touch, but there’s a fading warmth in her eyes that reminds me of my sister. It’s hardened a little, after everything she’s been through, but I know she’s still somewhere inside. Death changed her, though. It took away her gentleness.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,�
� she tells me, her eyes darkening into ruby shards. “Nothing, okay? I would have done the same thing if it meant we could be together. It’s not like either of us knew what would happen.”
One of the tears I’m holding back escapes and rolls down my cheek. “I didn’t know about the pact.”
“The one Esmeralda made.” Redera nods thoughtfully, letting go of my shoulders. “I didn’t either until Grandma showed it to me. When anyone from She’ol renounces the Dark Lord, he has no choice but to lift his protections from that coven. Not the whole clan, just that coven.”
The blood freezes in my veins. In my utter stupidity, I believed Damien when he said the coven had been spared and only my family were affected. Why would he lie about that?
“I guess that’s why Cassim hates me so much,” I say, pulling my sleeves over my hands. “I endangered our whole coven. Makes sense now why he wants to punish me.”
“But you didn’t know! Besides, Cassim is well aware that Lucifer forgave you. So why does he feel the need to punish you?”
I shrug, wiping my eyes bitterly. “That doesn’t matter to him. You know what Cassim is like. I’ve got to attend the Church of Shadows tomorrow, and now I know it isn’t just because of…of what happened to you and Grandma, or because I humiliated His Excellency by renouncing our Dark Lord. It’s because I risked the safety of our entire coven. I’m so stupid!”
Again, Redera takes my hands, and again she pulls them away.
“You’re not stupid. You’re my twin and I love you.”
It takes a moment for me to say it. It’s like I’m afraid this is just a dream and she’s not really here. “I love you, too, Red.”
We embrace each other, and I take in her scent. I don’t know how she does it, but she always smells like the flowers Grandma planted outside our home. Despite the coldness in her eyes and beneath her skin, she’s still Redera. She’s here. She’s alive. And most of all, she forgives me. I don’t deserve forgiveness, but I am so grateful.
“Why are you so cold?” I ask, squeezing her as if I’m frightened she’s going to be taken away from me at any moment.
“I’m a Darkblood now,” she answers, patting me on the back, a hint to let her go. “This is how you always felt to me. It’s only full-blooded Darkbloods that feel cold to others. Now that you have white magic, you feel warm.”
I release my hold on her, but I still touch her arm, terrified I’m about to wake up.
“Now I get why you were always wrapped up in blankets,” I say dryly.
She giggles, and so do I, my heart swelling at the sound of her laughing. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed her, this, and I can’t find it in myself to stay angry at her for lying.
My sister is alive!
That’s all that matters to me right now. Later, I will speak with my Dark Lord and demand an explanation. Until then, I want to savor this moment with my twin.
“What about your hair and eyes? They look badass on you, but, you know, you look different. We look different now.”
She grabs a thick lock of her hair and tugs it. “This happened before I died. When the hunters—”
—Redera!—
I feel Broin’s arrival through our bond. It’s daylight, so he’s trapped in his raven form, but I can feel his mix of emotions creating havoc inside him. He’s just as confused, hurt, angry, and terrified as I am.
Since we’re twins, Redera is able to tap into our bond and hear Broin. I was able to do the same thing with her cat familiar. I’m not sure the cat survived the fire or was given a new lease on life from the Dark Lord. Either way, her judgemental voice is absent from my mind and I’m a little relieved.
“Broin! I can’t believe it’s you,” Redera exclaims, reaching out a hand. Broin lands on it and brushes his little head against her cheek. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you both so much.”
—What happened?—Broin asks, as bewildered as I am.—How can this be?—
“It’s hard to explain,” she says patiently. She was expecting him to have the same questions that I did. “But Lucifer brought me back to life.”
—Why?—
That was the crux of it.
“What’s in it for Lucifer?” I ask. “We all know he doesn’t do things unless there’s something in it for him.”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure. All I know is that he has a plan for the two of us, and we both need to be alive for that to happen—to fulfill the prophecy.”
I frown at her. “What prophecy?”
“I honestly don’t know. Grandma said it’s important, though, and we need to be alive for it to come to fruition, whatever the heaven that means.”
Broin looks around.—Is Elnora…—
Redera shakes her head. “Still in Hell. Still dead, but alive, if you get what I mean.”
He hops over to sit on my shoulder, leaning against the side of my head in support, and maybe in search of some for himself. I close my eyes briefly, struggling once again with the mental image of Grandma at the end of that devil-forsaken noose. Broin trills at me softly and I reach out to pet him.
Redera looks at us seriously, her red eyes large and bright. It’s almost like she’s a familiar now, too. “If my cover gets exposed and Everafter finds out who I am,” she says quietly, “they’ll send me to Nevermore. I know it sounds a little silly, but I wanted to be at the same school as you, so Lucifer gave me a new identity. I guess neither of us thought you’d suss me out so quickly and use the truth spell.”
—Our Little Red is more clever than anyone thinks,—Broin states proudly.
“That she is.” My sister sighs. “I have to resume my disguise and be Aaliyah for a time, at least until we figure out what our next move is.”
—Next move?—Broin asks.
Redera grins. “I’m a Darkblood now, Broin, and if you think I’m letting those wolves off the hook, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Broin laughs, flapping his wings with excitement.—I like this new Red.—
I keep quiet, watching their exchange. My sister would never have encouraged revenge. She was always so sweet and innocent and rarely got punished. But I guess this, amongst other things, is just more proof that death really has changed her. I’m happy that she’s back and wanting to join me in getting revenge. Believe me, I am. I just hope she’s still my twin sister beneath all that hurt and anger.
As for next moves, my own is to attend the Church of Shadows, where Cassim is waiting to judge and punish me. Broin can feel the flutter of fear that rises in my chest, and he makes a soothing sound in the back of his throat. He tries so hard to protect me. This time, there will be nothing he can do.
Even if Cassim finds out my sister and grandma are alive, he’ll still find a way to punish me. I’m not just being punished for destroying my own family. I risked the safety of our entire coven when I abandoned the Church of Shadows. Did my recklessness cause more damage than I thought? What if more lives were taken and they weren’t so fortunate to be given back?
“So what do we tell your friends?” she prompts. “They knew you were going to do this, right?”
“I’ll say that the spell failed,” I tell her decidedly. “That way you won’t be exposed. Nobody apart from me and Broin will know the truth.”
The edge of my sister’s lips turns up into a weak smile. “Thanks, Little Red.”
For the first time since the big reveal, I smile back at her. I thought I’d never get to hear her call me that ever again. It feels like a part of me has been restored, a missing fraction of my heart pressed into its missing place, and I reach out to hug her, barely containing my tears of joy.
She rubs her hand softly up and down my back, quietly shushing me like she did when we were kids and I had a bad dream.
When I step back, her now extremely pale cheeks are marked with tear stains.
Broin stares hard at us.—Why does Lockwood let you live alone? Why no roommates, why so few classes?—
Redera smiles, wiping her eyes with
the sleeve of her light blue blouse. “I’ve been resting after my long trip. The place I’m supposedly from is very far away, and the culture there has certain requirements for its royals, so…” She shrugs. “He’s complying with diplomatic orders from Fantasia.”
“Fantasia?” I echo. “Does Queen Laurette know that…”
“Queen Laurette knows nothing,” she says firmly.
—That much is certainly true,—Broin sniffs.
“The royal court at Reyna was contacted by my chaperone, who laid out the requirements. The Distant Kingdom is a rich trading partner, and when she heard where I was supposedly from, all she could see was gold.” She purses her lips. “The so-called Good Queen is no paragon of light, it seems. Just a paragon of greed.”
That doesn’t surprise me. I’ve hated royalty for as long as I’ve been alive. All they do is take from the people who actually work for a living, and kings and queens and princesses and princes are all just lazy parasites. They enjoy lives of luxury while the people who really deserve the fruits of their labors live in the dirt.
Witches have always felt more sympathy with the common folk. That’s why our covens are waiting for the signal to bring down all the royal houses in The Great Forest. It’s time to put an end to their greed once and for all.
Right now, though, Queen Laurette has to be credited with accidentally doing us all a favor, so I suppose we’ll kill her last.
Broin asks,—Who is your chaperone?—
Redera smiles almost beatifically. “Our Dark Lord, of course.”
I cross my arms, wrestling the urge to say his name in vain. I’m going to be having strong words with him later. He has a lot of questions to answer… if I can ask them the right way. It’s always about wording with him. He’s the ultimate lawyer.
For now, though, we have to restore my sister’s disguise and get her back to Everafter. In fact, we all need to get back. I wonder where Christopher and Alice got to, and what they’re doing.
—I’ll find out,—Broin tells me, taking flight.—Take your time.—
Once Upon A Devil: A Dark Academy Reverse Harem Bully Romance (Everafter Academy Book 3) Page 1