The Puppet Master: The Paranormal University Files: Skylar, Year 4

by Savage, Vivienne

  The Puppet Master

  The Paranormal University Files: Skylar, Year 4

  Vivienne Savage

  Edited by

  Theresa Schultz

  Illustrated by

  Anwar Hanano

  By Vivienne Savage writing as

  Dominique Kristine

  All material contained herein is Copyrighted © Payne & Taylor Publishing 2020. All rights reserved.

  * * *

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your preferred e-book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. A Cordial Invitation

  2. Prophecy

  3. My Hero Complex

  4. Building a Sexy Cupcake

  5. Drowning in Pressure

  6. There is No I in Team…but There is in Dick

  7. Doubt

  8. Fool Me Once

  9. Two Hot Men and a Baby

  10. Redemption

  11. Oppression

  12. Even the Fae Suck Sometimes

  13. Living the Fairytale

  14. Too Good to be True

  15. I Knew It!

  16. Codename: Asshole

  17. Sealed

  18. The Party Doesn’t Stop

  19. Aced

  20. A Light in the Dark

  21. Shadowed Wings

  Epilogue: The Sweetest Reward

  Excerpt: The Winter Court (The Paranormal University Files: Teresa)

  Afterword

  Other Books by Vivienne

  About the Author

  1

  A Cordial Invitation

  Somehow, three years had flown by and now I was a senior.

  A senior!

  Looking back on my time at PNRU, I honestly had to wonder how I’d survived it at all, let alone passed all my classes to move up each year.

  “Sky! Gabriel!”

  And there was my answer, shouting my name from across the quad. My friends had been with me through thick and thin, always at my side whether for late-night study sessions or battling flesh-starved zombies.

  Pilar led the charge for once, enfolding me in an immediate hug. Her dark hair blocked my view of the others as they followed behind her.

  “Take a look at Ben,” she whispered, giving me another squeeze.

  “Huh?”

  It took me a minute to figure out what she meant once she let me go. I straightened my blouse and turned to look over our gang, gaze skimming from Anji to Holden and Holly then—wait a minute. That was not Holden.

  No wonder Pilar had mentioned Ben. My gangly, somewhat Harry Potter nerdish friend had gotten ripped over the summer. He had shoulders and…and biceps! Well, he’d always had those, but they were significantly larger than I remembered in May when the semester let out.

  If it wasn’t for the glasses, I may not have recognized him at all.

  “Come on!” Ben complained, in the same voice, confirming it was our mage friend and not a muscular lookalike. “It’s not that much of a difference.”

  “Oh, it is,” Gabriel said, staring. “I mean, I’m impressed. What the hell kind of potion did you take over the summer?”

  “None, unless Core Power protein shakes count as alchemy now,” Ben grunted. “Holden invited me to Muscle Camp for the summer.”

  “You should have seen the progress videos Holden recorded. They were great.” Anji bumped shoulders with Ben and laughed at his scowl.

  It all suddenly made sense. Our enormous bear shifter friend hustled over the summer by running his own physical fitness camp for anyone who wanted to get ripped like him. I’d overheard that Holden charged a couple grand per student to put his kinesiology degree and dietary training to work.

  I stared at the results again.

  “Dude, you did great.”

  “Yeah, I feel like a million bucks. I thought about going for contacts too, or getting Lasik, but figured that was overkill.”

  “Keep the glasses,” I said quickly. “I mean, unless you really hate them, but I’ve always thought they looked good on you.”

  “I’ve been telling him the same thing,” Anji said in exasperation.

  “Thanks, you two.” Ben blushed and cleared his throat. “So Gabe, where’s the little sister? We were all looking forward to meeting her.”

  “Teresa’s getting set up with the guidance counselors,” Gabe replied. “We were going to drop things off at my apartment then come back and help her get situated.”

  “Oh, cool. Well, if you need a magical hand, you know where to find me. I’d hang around, but I need to go make a pickup from the book store before the line becomes outrageous.”

  “Get my order too?” Pilar asked sweetly. She did this to him every year.

  “Sure.” Ben waved before wandering off, practicing his short-range teleport as he went, same as I’d watched him do a thousand times during our spring semester. Our other friends had teased him relentlessly about showing off, but I thought it was about honing it down to a science.

  “I have to head out too. I promised Cole I’d help him move in. Catch you guys later?”

  “Absolutely, girl.”

  “Do you mind if I hang around with you to meet Teresa?” Pilar asked after Anji left.

  “Not at all.” I linked my arm through hers, smiling. “Tell me about your summer traveling Europe. I loved all the postcards you sent.”

  We passed the time catching up and swapping summer stories. Mine weren’t as adventurous, for once. No vampires. No darklings. Just a summer with my little brother and my mate. Gabe had been amazing with Dante, which had given me a glimpse of our future, when we had our own kids one day.

  “Sky!”

  Teresa’s shout made me turn, just in time to catch the excited young woman in a hug.

  “I got all the classes I wanted. My counselor was super cool. Nothing like the bitch you had.”

  “Lucky you. Maybe she retired after last year…” I had the worst guidance counselor up until Simon and Sebastian pulled rank and yanked me on to their list. My mouth formed into a small “O” of understanding, and I amended, “Actually, you’re a shifter. Mrs. Hansford only handled mages and fae. That’s probably your saving grace.”

  “Small favors.”

  With her dormitory assignment in hand, Gabriel took the car while Pilar, Teresa, and I crossed the campus on foot to show her the quad’s layout and introduce her to the sights along the way to the freshie dorms.

  Everyone stayed in those during their first year, a mandatory assignment regardless of financial background, otherwise mages from wealthy families would have their babies tucked into upscale apartments before they even learned the university’s laws.

  I had a feeling it was an accountability issue. If they shoved three or four of us together all at once and a grievous breach of campus policy occurred, someone was going to snitch for brownie points. Or at the very least, attempt to convince their friends not to do whatever foolishness. Freshies were scared of everything, including each other.

  “Will I be rooming with
fae, you think?”

  “No. The night students have their own floors, so you’ll be with other shifters and vampires. But you can hang out with whoever you want in the common areas and stuff,” I said.

  “Holly was across the hall from us. That’s how we all first met,” Pilar added. “You’ll make all sorts of friends.”

  Teresa opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut, but I had a guess at what she was going to ask—how did we end up on the same floor as a vampire? Except Holly had been a mage when we met her; a cheerful, positively gossipy young woman who looked forward to improving her magic. Then she’d been bitten and everything changed for her.

  Revisiting the freshmen dorms brought back memories. It seemed like yesterday when I’d glanced out the windows late one sleepless night, saw the line of ravens inhabiting the courtyard, and wandered out for a chance meeting with Gabriel.

  Gabriel had already started the heavy lifting before we got to his car, the trunk open and one of Teresa’s overpacked cases missing. I’d helped her cram most of a bedroom and half of her wardrobe into two pieces of luggage.

  Teresa wasn’t the first one there, but she still snagged a great bedroom, along with a huge boost in status thanks to having a well-known big brother and sister-in-law.

  It was odd, the way the freshies looked at Gabe and me with admiration.

  “Thank you all so much for helping me get moved in. And for the really cool glamours, Pilar. We’re going to have the best dorm.”

  “I was happy to help. After all this time, Skylar still does not have a knack for it.”

  “I don’t,” I agreed, able to laugh about it with my friends.

  “Which is fine,” Pilar added, shooting me a shy smile. “Everyone has a field where they excel above others. Skylar’s happens to be kicking ass.”

  I chortled harder than I meant to, both stunned and pleased by Pilar’s assessment of my abilities. It wasn’t often that she complimented anyone and most of our friendship had consisted of her finding sly ways to neg others.

  I liked this new Pilar, a kinder, compassionate fae who’d emerged from her pessimistic chrysalis last year.

  “We’ll leave you to get settled and meet people. Be good, sis. Don’t make me come break up any wild parties.” Gabe kissed his sister’s head and hugged her tightly.

  Then she moved to me and I squeezed her just as hard. “We’ll meet up for lunch soon, I promise.”

  We made our way from the freshie dorms back into the cool autumn air outside, and started across campus to the rest of the housing. Pilar, Holly, and Anji hadn’t moved from the Phoenix Townhouses. Gabe and I lived in an apartment in the Wyvern Quarters. While technically he could have claimed a staff home, there was the matter of my living with him.

  “Have you heard from Liadan yet?” Pilar asked.

  “No, nothing. She should be here in the next day or two, though.” I hoped.

  “We visited her in Avalon over the summer for about a week. The palace is gorgeous. The illustrations in the books really don’t do it justice,” Pilar continued.

  We? I wondered if this mysterious “we” included who I thought it did, and if my faerie mentor had swept Pilar away on a vacation to Tir na Nog. Pilar didn’t notice her slip, so I didn’t mention it. I kept my suspicions to myself, confident she’d tell me in her own time.

  Gabriel caught my eye. He’d picked up the same thing. “How was she?” he asked instead.

  “Yeah. Was she happy?”

  “Incredibly. Oberon dotes on her. Anyway, she mentioned inviting you at some point. Perhaps she lost track of the time.”

  “Hopefully she doesn’t lose track of time for school. Maybe I can send word to Dain,” I said slyly, hoping for a reaction—any reaction—from my friend.

  “I think that’s a wise idea,” Pilar said, giving nothing away.

  “As do I,” Dain said, approaching from my left. I jumped and stumbled over my feet, raising one hand to my chest. The triumphant harmony of his heart song swelled like orchestral entrance music, seconds too late.

  I scowled. The souls of all living creatures had their own music, but for fae, they were the most beautiful. Sometimes Dain concealed his when he arrived. Sometimes we heard his music long before he materialized in our realm.

  “That was an asshole thing to do.”

  He bowed. “I am only keeping you on your toes, Sky.”

  “Well, mission accomplished.”

  Gabriel chuckled quietly and put a hand against my lower back. “Nice to see you again, Lord Dain.”

  “And it is my profound honor to see all of you. I come bearing an invitation.” He bowed and held out his empty hand. Mist swirled around his palm, coalescing into a vibrant red and gold feather. “King Oberon and Queen Titania cordially invite you to join them in Avalon.”

  * * *

  No sight would ever surpass the fantastical beauty of Avalon Palace. Dain had granted us an hour to get our affairs in order, which included unpacking our belongings from Gabriel’s vehicle, warning Teresa we’d be gone a few days, and fetching Ama. The invitation had specifically included her name.

  Pilar had promised to watch out for Teresa no differently than she would her own little sister, if she’d had one.

  In the meantime, we approached the mystical palace of the fae monarchs in a gilded carriage drawn by a pair of unicorns, their ivory coats gleaming under the perpetually pink-and-gold-streaked cerulean sky.

  Magic buzzed all around us and little sprites darted through the air, sometimes circling around Gabriel, or landing on my hair, their giggles as musical as wind chimes.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how stunning you look here,” Gabriel said, his gaze on me rather than the awe-inspiring castle ahead.

  Despite giving up my light to save Sebastian—a sacrifice I’d make a hundred times over—my wings had a soft sparkle around them. Any half-fae in Tir na Nog took on more of their magical qualities: elfin ears, wildly colored hair, and additional attributes related to the type of fae they were if they had Ascended. As a sylph, my hair always seemed to be in a slight breeze.

  But even Gabe seemed different. A little more…feral. The blue sheen of his hair stood out more brightly, showing hints of deep purple at the tips.

  Ama looked even more fae-like. Her time in Tir na Nog the year before had changed her. She perched on the carriage window, eyes closed and wings slightly mantled, almost reminding me of how dogs stuck their heads out car windows. She seemed to be enjoying herself and left us alone.

  “I’m still me,” I finally said.

  “I know. I guess I just wonder if I’ll wake up one day and discover this is all a dream.”

  “Nope.” I leaned in and kissed him. “You’re stuck with me whenever you wake up.”

  Dain had flown ahead of us to announce our arrival and acceptance of the invitation. I couldn’t wait to see the interior of the castle and the thousand-year mysteries awaiting us. The unicorns took us beyond the pearlescent gates across grass speckled with pink, lilac, and scarlet pops of color, a field of dawn lilies bordering one side of the opal road.

  Then, at the end of the road, I saw my best friend standing beside Dain, her tall frame in a scarlet gown accented with blue peacock feathers. Her eyes lit with happiness as I scrambled down from the carriage and ran to meet her.

  “Lia!”

  It didn’t matter that she was a queen. She was my dearest friend, and I embraced her as such, holding her as tight as she held me.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” she said when we finally parted, but kept her hold on my hands. “I’m sorry it took so long to have you visit, but I knew you were with your family.”

  “It’s fine, Lia. I’m just glad to see you looking so well. And this way we can all go back together.”

  “Yes,” Dain said, as he and Lia exchanged a private look that I did not like. Her mouth had gone flat, a brief blip in her sunny mood.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, positive
something was amiss.

  Lia only smiled again. “I should show the three of you around the palace. Oh, and then tea in the gardens, perhaps. Or are you hungry?”

  “Slow down, slow down. We have time.” I squeezed her hands again and smiled. Whatever secret she was holding on to, I’d ask about later.

  Ama chirped and flew in a circle over our heads, happier than I’d ever seen her. Her flight wound down and she settled on Gabe’s shoulder. “Garden!”

  Lia laughed. “Then to the gardens we shall go. Dain, will you ask someone to send for tea?”

  “At once, my queen.”

  I didn’t have words to describe the beauty of Lia’s home. Other fae would have envied her—in fact, Lia had lost a handful of friends during the spring semester after her emergence as Titania. Jealous fae girls who had hoped Oberon would see his queen in them, angry Lia had stolen the tiny sliver of a chance they had with him.

  In the garden, Lia led us to a circular table where a tea service for four already awaited. No. Five. I spied the tiny cup almost hidden out of view.

  “That is adorable. Is Oberon joining us?” A thousand questions surged to the tip of my tongue, some of them too invasive to be more than a passing thought.

  Everywhere I looked there was a riot of color. The gardens were somehow both chaotic and orderly, with a logic to them and clear pathways, but the flowers grew together wherever they would. The perfumed air was divine, sweet and fresh without being cloying. Even the tea smelled amazing, fragrant and bold. Lia filled our cups herself, adding sugar and cream according to everyone’s tastes without asking how much we wanted. She always knew.