Starlight & Shadows: A Limited Edition Academy Collection by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape, Juliana Haygert, Kat Parrish, Ashley McLeo, L.C. Mawson, Leigh Kelsey, Bre Lockhart, Zelda Knight

by Laura Greenwood

  She exhaled hard in relief. The last thing Iain needed to see on a day like today was a reenactment of his aunt’s followers killing innocents.

  “Oh, dear,” Veesa said, smothering a laugh behind her hand as the dragon flew over another bookcase, those books coming to life as passionate, scantily clad duchesses and rakes, clasping to each other as they kissed. “I didn’t think anyone would find out.”

  Kati laughed, giving the librarian a warm smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about your secret stash.”

  Veesa gave her a rueful look. “I’d appreciate that. I’m not, strictly speaking, supposed to use the library for my own collection.” She lifted her wand and sparks shot from the end, halting the couples mid-embrace.

  “The dragon’s gone rogue,” Kati said as Iain joined them. She was glad he was always inkstained and rumpled; it hid any evidence of Kati debauching him. “It’s bringing books to life.”

  Iain’s eyes went as round as saucers as he observed the shelves bristling with living stories. “Well. This is unexpected.”

  Kati laughed, unable to hide her grin. “Any spell suggestions for bringing the dragon down?”

  Iain’s gaze went faraway; he tapped his bottom lip with the tip of his dark wand. “I know something that could work. But we’ll have to get it lower to the ground.”

  Kati bit her bottom lip. “What you’re saying is, we need something to bait it with.”

  “You have something in mind,” he guessed.

  She did. Those romance books had put an idea in her head. “How quickly can you teach me an illusion spell?” she asked.

  4

  This Could Have Been Worse

  Blood rolled down Kati’s hand, more than she was used to feeding her wand, but she bit her lip against the deep ache, against the slight dizziness moving through her at the sight of the bright red blood trail. She kept Iain’s instructions clear in her mind, and shut out the sounds of him and Veesa restoring the books to their original forms, following the cry and chaos of the dragon from the fiction section through potions and history to a shelf full of books about the gentry, the enforcers of the necromancer and reaper world.

  Miniature versions of Madam Hawkness popped up on every shelf, either commanding her team of gentry or taking on hordes of Black Brooms herself. Alongside the paper headmistress were other famous gentry that Kati couldn’t quite remember the names of, all galant and competent in a way that seemed unreal. Especially for people made of leather and pages.

  Kati flicked her wand at all the Lady LaVoires who sprung to life to fight the gentry, making sure Iain wouldn’t happen across them, and all the while she kept her eyes on the trailing streaks of magic and purple smoke coming from the dragon’s tail. She needed to get closer, needed to be sure the dragon would see the illusion she planned to cast, so Kati ran past books springing to life, throwing herself past rows of heavy bookcases, around corners and alcoves.

  When the dragon was finally overhead, a shriek splitting the air and smoke clouding the stacks, she curved her wand through the air and shouted the string of words Iain had taught her.

  A sleek, violet shape erupted from her wand, and Kati gritted her teeth as she kept the image of the dragon firm in her mind; if she thought of anything else even for a second, the vision would waver. This female dragon was longer than the first she’d made, and her spikes were pearlescent, her eyes a dark blue-violet.

  The male dragon spotted her instantly, and it was an effort not to look up as he dove, not to let her mind snap onto the dragon brimming with wild power, with chaotic magic that brought books to life. What would that wild magic do if it hit her? She’d never realised how difficult it was to think of one specific thing before, to not let her mind wander, but Kati gritted her teeth and kept her eyes on the illusion, solidifying the female dragon’s shape until even she would have believed it was real.

  Her own magic brushed her shoulders as the male dragon’s tail skimmed her, dipping lower in an attempt to brush up against the female, a low, inquisitive sound in his throat. The illusion started to splinter, and Kati’s breath went short, but amber light shot across the shelves opposite her, ensnaring the dragon, and she heaved a breath of relief.

  “I’ve got him pinned,” Iain called over the dragon’s shrieks of outrage. “Now pull the magic back into your wand.”

  “I feel bad,” she admitted. “He’s like a person now. It feels like I’m killing him.”

  “It’s just magic given form,” Veesa reassured her, the librarian coming up behind Kati and squeezing her shoulder. “He’ll be every bit as alive when he’s back inside your wand, inside you.”

  It still made her feel guilty, but Kati nodded, focussing on the tether between her and the dragon. He was her magic, and the second she found the power linking them, she lifted her wand and tugged.

  It was anticlimactic, how easily the dragon spiralled back down her wand and into the pool of magic at her core. She felt her magic writhe once, twice, and then it went still. “Well, that was a bit of a let down,” she huffed, but grinned at Veesa and Iain all the same. “I thought there was going to be a battle.”

  “There still might if these gentry have any say in the matter,” Veesa replied with a tittering laugh. “I’ll take care of them. How do you feel, Kati? Dizzy? Faint?”

  “Um.” She assessed herself. She’d bled a lot for the spells she’d cast, her thumb dripping even now. “A little.”

  Veesa nodded. “A nice lie down should sort you out,” she replied, still smiling that infectious smile. “And some chocolate couldn’t hurt; you need the sugar.”

  “Sugar and a nap,” Kati agreed. “I can do that.”

  “I’ll walk you to your dorm,” Iain offered, pocketing his wand. “Just in case you faint,” he added quickly.

  “Good idea,” Veesa agreed, already heading down the aisle of shelves.

  “Could you be any more obvious?” Kati whispered, smirking as Veesa was out of earshot.

  “Oh, hush,” Iain replied, a flush on his cheeks. He squeezed Kati’s shoulder, his eyes tight with worry behind his glasses. “Are you alright? Really?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him, scanning around them to make sure they were alone before she rolled onto her tiptoes and brushed a quick kiss to his lips. “You heard Veesa, a chocolate bar and a lie down and I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m coming with you,” he insisted quietly, moving a safe distance away. Kati hated the secrecy, but they had to be careful, she knew. If anyone found out about them, they’d both be kicked out for breaking the unspoken no-fraternising rule.

  “You might have to get in bed with me,” she whispered cheekily as they headed for the exit. “Just in case the dizziness catches up to me, of course.”

  Iain’s mouth curved up. “Of course.” He assessed the corridor, mostly empty by now, and jerked his chin for Kati to follow. “We’ll go to my room.”

  “If anyone finds us, it’ll be a scandal,” she gasped, barely holding back a laugh.

  Iain walked close enough that his shoulder brushed hers. “Something tells me you wouldn’t mind a scandal.”

  Kati grinned. “It’d be so worth it.”

  * * *

  The End

  Thank you for reading How To Conjure A Dragon! Kati’s story continues in How To Banish Evil, out May 1st 2021, but you can read the first two books free in Kindle Unlimited right now! Start Kati’s slow-burn reverse harem academy series with How To Raise The Dead. Or for a faster burn series with the same sweet men and magical hijinks, try Prison of Embers.

  About Leigh Kelsey

  Leigh Kelsey is the author of sweet and steamy books for anyone with a soft spot for steely women and the tortured men who love them. No matter what stories she’s writing – vampires or shifters or rebels – they all share a common thread of romance, heart, and action. She is the author of the Lili Kazana series, the Vampire Game series, the Moonlight Inn series, and the Second Breath Academy series.


  * * *

  Find more books by Leigh Kelsey at her website: http://www.leighkelsey.co.uk/

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  To get news about forthcoming books before anyone else, join her reader group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/178009826319184/

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  If you’d like alerts when new books release, you can join her newsletter here (and you’ll get four free books just for joining!): https://madmimi.com/signups/03d55060b9ad4e619393482b30bc1138/join

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  Or follow Leigh on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/leigh-kelsey

  Find these other books by Leigh Kelsey!

  All free in Kindle Unlimited

  The Complete Lili Kazana Series (Angel/Demon RH Romance)

  The Complete Moonlight Inn Series (Wolf Shifter RH Romance)

  The Blacktower Prison for Supernaturals Series (Shifter RH Romance)

  Trying To Break Curses In All The Wrong Places

  An Ember Academy Adventure

  L.C. Mawson

  Blurb

  Olivia knew that breaking up with her boyfriend wouldn’t end well. She didn’t think it would end in a curse.

  Thrust into the magical world, Olivia now has to find someone to love in order to free herself from her ex’s vengeful magic.

  * * *

  Thankfully, she’s sent to Ember Academy for Magical Beings and not only discovers that this is where her best friend, Riley, disappeared to, but also catches the eye of a cute Demon Slayer.

  * * *

  The only thing is, Riley seems to be acting strange around Olivia, and Olivia would much rather spend time trying to figure out what’s gone wrong between them than trying to start a relationship with someone else.

  But the clock is ticking, and Olivia’s curse won’t lift for a friend.

  -

  TRYING TO BREAK CURSES IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES is an F/F YA urban fantasy short set in L.C. Mawson’s Snowverse between her two Ember Academy series.

  Chapter One

  I knew that it was going to be the worst night of my life as soon as I entered the party at Anna’s house.

  My boyfriend, Sam, had his arm around my shoulder, holding me close, and it took everything I had not to pull away.

  I’d known for months that I wasn’t happy with our relationship. Hell, I’d known since the beginning when he’d asked me to hang out with his friends – something I’d excitedly agreed to; no one ever invited me to hang out – only for me to arrive and see that no one else was there.

  He’d brushed aside my concerns, saying that everyone else had cancelled at the last minute. Then he’d joked about it being a date, and I hadn’t known what to say, so I’d just gone along with the joke.

  And the next thing I knew, we were dating.

  Which meant sitting with his friends at lunch, rather than on my own, which was at least a minor improvement, so I did my best to try to find something about Sam to like.

  I mean, you could have described him as handsome. And we did have some things in common. And he didn’t laugh that much when I made a social slip-up.

  So, it would have made sense for me to like him. It would have been perfectly logical for us to be together, and while his friends clearly weren’t that enamoured with me, they at least put up with me for him.

  Which meant that I’d done my best to convince myself that I wanted this. Even if I desperately wanted to pull away from his touch. Even if every text from him sent my blood pressure through the roof.

  When he’d invited me to this party, I’d barely been able to stand, the world spinning around me until I’d thrown up and my mum had put her hand on my shoulder before asking me why the thought of going on a date with my boyfriend had given me a panic attack.

  So, I knew that I had to break up with him.

  And I didn’t want to do it over text.

  Which left the party.

  I’d been tempted to just blurt it out as soon as I’d seen him, but that hadn’t seemed fair either.

  So, I let him lead me into the house and quickly grabbed a lager and downed it in one.

  “Hey,” he said softly as I grabbed another drink. “You okay?”

  I just shrugged, not sure what else to say.

  “Can we talk?” I eventually managed. “Alone, I mean.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really? Um, yeah. I don’t think Anna will mind if we borrow her room.”

  I just nodded as I nursed my second drink and he led me upstairs, away from the others crowding the downstairs rooms.

  Sam opened the door to a room that was easily twice the size of mine, with a matching antique bookcase and set of drawers next to what looked like a wardrobe built into the wall. Fairy lights were strung around the room, tying together the matching purple rug, curtains and blanket on the bed.

  Sam closed the door and I was almost relieved at the privacy before his hands were on my shoulders as he gently pushed me back until I fell onto the bed.

  “No, Sam, stop!” I pushed him away, perhaps a little too hard, as he lowered his lips to mine and it hit me all at once what he thought was going on.

  “I didn’t bring you here to have sex. I did it to break up with you.”

  I flinched at how cold my words had been. I’d meant to do this softly! To gently get around to the issue and let him know that this wasn’t his fault.

  But the words were out there now, and I couldn’t take them back.

  Sam frowned, his piercing blue glare too much and I lowered my gaze.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I just… I just don’t feel that way about you. I tried, I really did, but I just don’t.”

  I glanced back to see him still glaring at me. “You know, I tried to give you a chance, Liv. I tried to convince the others that they were wrong to say the things that they did about you, but I guess they were right all along.”

  “Right? Right about what?”

  “That you’re a fucking robot who can’t feel like the rest of us. I thought that they were wrong. That they just couldn’t see the real you. But I guess they were right.”

  I just stared at him. I hadn’t told anyone at school that I was autistic, and I thought that, even though I struggled to make friends, I at least seemed normal.

  I thought that I’d managed to trick everyone into thinking that I was just like them.

  Shy, maybe, but otherwise fine.

  But no, they all thought I was an unfeeling robot.

  Tears welled in my eyes, and I almost laughed at that.

  If bursting into tears like this didn’t prove them wrong, I didn’t know what would.

  “I thought that it was just that you were like me,” Sam continued, as if he hadn’t pulled the world out from under me. “And that once you broke through, you would see that, and we could have each other. But I guess if you haven’t broken through yet, you’re just Sensitive, and they were right that you were a stone-cold bitch. Good luck going back to having no friends.”

  I glared at him. I hadn’t understood half of what he said, my auditory processing must have cut out, but I at least understood the switch to gendered insults.

  “I would rather be alone than with someone I don’t love, and I don’t know how I could have ever thought that I could love someone like you.”

  I was about to stand up and storm out of the room, but then Sam’s eyes began to glow, along with something under his shirt.

  What the hell? Had someone slipped something into my drink?

  “You think that you can handle being alone? Well, fine, let’s make this interesting. Either you find someone you can truly love in the next year, or this curse will tear you apart from the inside.”

  “What the hell are you–”

  A shot of blue light knocked me back and I strained as it pinned me to the bed, the light seeping into my skin and making it glow.

  I watched in horror, unable to move, as the light concentrated across my chest, forming what seemed like almost a swirling pattern before settli
ng into a black design.

  When I could finally move again, I quickly ripped off the shoulder of my dress, showing a black tattoo in the shape of a rose across my heart.

  My heart thundered in my chest.

  “What the hell did you do to me?” I asked, though I could barely hear my words over the blood rushing in my ears as I lost feeling in my hands and feet.

  I tried to focus on taking deep breaths, but that’s when I saw the sparks across my hands, like someone had dropped a sparkler on them.

  I shook my hands, trying to get whatever these sparks were off me.

  But they just got brighter.

  “Liv, stop, you’re–”

  The sparks kept expanding, filling my vision with white, before black overtook me.

  Chapter Two

  Adrenaline surged through me as I awoke.

  Where was I?

  My entire body ached, but I eventually felt the worn mattress beneath me and I began to calm. This most definitely wasn't the overly soft feel of Anna's bed, that had probably been the result of some kind of memory foam.

  No, this mattress was worn and I could feel each spring beneath me, in the same place they always were.