Nightblood Academy: A Paranormal Bully Romance

by Allison West

  "Sure," Lil said and smiled. She didn't know how she'd afford it unless she got a part-time job.

  Bray leaned in, tentatively brushing his lips against hers. The kiss, soft and quick, had been enough to stir something inside of her. Except, it hadn't been Bray she'd fallen in love with; it had been someone else.

  "The gift I bestowed upon you," Morgan said and gasped, "it's gone."

  Who had Lil fallen in love with? She felt the chemistry between Hudson and herself, but it was unlikely anything would ever develop. He was from Orenda, and she was not. Had Morgan meant someone else?

  No one dared interrupt Morgan, afraid that her last words spoken would be lost and might be the most important. "Bray is the key. Or the map will be gone forever." Morgan's eyes shut, wheezing, the strength leaving her. Those were the last words spoken to Orla. Lil stood beside the fresh burial and rested a hand on Orla's shoulders. Morgan's eyes were void of life.

  "We have to take her with us." Orla didn't try to hide the tears. Gripping the necklace in one hand, she struggled with the debris trying to free her mother. "Please, help me!"

  Rawlie sighed and stepped beside Orla. "We will help you, but you need to focus. You're the only one who can get us back to Lil's world. We need to find Bray. You heard your mother. He's the key right now, and we've got to find him before he makes a mistake he doesn't even know about."

  "Not yet!" Orla snapped. Rawlie grunted and bent down, carefully lifting another stone with Hudson and Orla away from Morgan's left side. Beneath the giant rock lay a heavily burned book she'd tried protecting, even in death. The Book of Incantations.

  "What do we do with it?" Hudson asked.

  The book had been delicate before. Now, its pages were battered and dark, crumbling with the touch of a finger. Whoever touched the book would surely destroy it.

  "There won't be anything to do with it," Orla said, wasting no time. Her fingers reached out, grazing the heated pages as they crumbled and slowly blew with the wind. "It's gone now. Eilith will never have the book."

  "Neither will we," Lil said.

  Hudson leaned closer as they headed away from the gravesite, brushing against Lil, attempting to steal her attention without being too obvious. He couldn't get Morgan's words out of his head that she had kissed Bray.

  Why did he care?

  Jealousy surged inside of him, making him full of hurt and anger, but he didn't show it. At least, he tried not to reveal the feelings he held. None of it made sense to him.

  "You never told me you kissed Bray."

  Lil glanced beside him as they walked, grabbing his arm, holding him back from the group for a moment so they could have a moment alone. "I don't know why it matters. We're not—we weren't ever together."

  "Then why does it hurt when you say that," Hudson said. "Something is missing. Please tell me you feel it too?"

  She chewed her bottom lip, tugging on it as she avoided answering the question.

  "Then maybe it's just me," Hudson said with a shrug. He kicked a stone and continued to walk, leaving Lil standing behind.

  "Wait," she called, hurrying after him. "Fine. I admit I've been having these weird dreams about you, but I'm sure it's nothing."

  That got his attention. "What kind of dreams?" Would she confess that she had been having the same type of dreams that he'd had lately? Hudson hadn't known quite when it started, but after Lil had returned home, he'd dreamt of her nearly every night, each dream more intense than the last. They weren't sweet dreams, either; they were passionate and fierce, making him ache with want for her. No one had ever done that to him before.

  Lil glanced down at the ground, avoiding the question. "Just dreams. Does it matter?"

  He took the first tentative step, taking her hand. It was clear that she was uncomfortable speaking about it, but he needed to hear it from her lips. Hudson needed to know what had happened, because it was clear something had. He was privy to the fact the fae could erase memories. Had they done that for them? The way he was drawn to her felt natural and yet, he barely knew her. Something was amiss.

  "It matters to me, because I feel something for you that I can't explain." His fingers caressed hers as he squeezed her hand.

  "What do you mean?" Lil stammered.

  "Jealousy, when I look at Marco or even hear Bray's name. It's like, I know you two weren't together, but I can't help but think maybe you became something after all that happened." Hudson definitely sounded and felt jealous. It wasn't like Bray had anything on him, either.

  "I'm as single as I've always been, Hudson." She squeezed his hand before letting go. "We should catch up with the group."

  "Yeah, me too," he said under his breath, following after her. His heart ached, but he couldn't describe or comprehend why.

  Chapter 15

  The Past

  "Come with me," Orla said, taking Lil's hands. The others quickly moved into a circle, standing atop rubble and debris. Orla held the fae wand in her grasp, connecting with Bray and Lil's world.

  Ripples of waves moved through both dimensions, forcing a slight tremble at their feet. Orla's eyes widened, but she tried to hide her shock, clenching tighter to Lil's hand while keeping a firm grasp on the wand. This had to work. They were out of options.

  The world around them faded with a flash as they stood under the sun, sinking into the sand. Orla dropped Lil's hand and glanced around. "Where's the boy?" Her manners were gone as was any hint of niceness she'd shown. Her mother had died at Eilith's hand. She would get her revenge, whatever the cost.

  Lil turned around in a full circle, squinting in the afternoon sun. She held a hand over her eyes, shading herself to find her best friend. "I don't see him."

  Jamie pointed to a small boat out in the sea. "Maybe he's on there? Or scuba diving in the water?"

  Orla knew it was a valid point. Bray had to be nearby, but it could be hours before they found him. She sucked up her annoyance and frustration, shoved the wand in with the sword, and walked away from the group.

  "Where are you going?" Willow asked.

  "I need a break!" Orla trudged through the sand, sinking further with every heavy footstep she took. It wasn't fair that her mother, her people, and her home were destroyed. A stupid boy had some secret, and she couldn't even find him! She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't come.

  The fae kept walking, farther and faster from the group. The last thing she wanted was for them to see the tears trailing down her face. It was her pain, for her alone. Sure, they'd lost people and made sacrifices, but this was genocide. Eilith had slaughtered an entire race, all over a stupid book.

  The tears kept coming, and even if she'd wanted to stop crying, it seemed nearly impossible. Stumbling on the beach, she tripped on a shell, falling onto the wet sand. The waves lapped at her feet and hands. Orla's head bent down, her hair burying the sadness from any prying eyes.

  "Are you okay?" a gentle male voice asked.

  Orla sniffled and glanced up at the stranger. "Fine. Just a bad day." Could it get any worse?

  "It must be terrible for you to be so upset out here," he said. The boy didn't look much older than she was. He reached for her arm, helping her stand. "I'm Dylan," he said, introducing himself.

  "Nice to meet you." She didn't give him her name. He wasn't the boy who would save her world, if it wasn't already too late.

  "Dylan!" Another boy with dark brown hair jogged out onto the beach. "You ready?"

  "Sure, just a sec, Bray."

  Bray? Could it be the Bray, who had kissed Lil and who held the secret to saving their world? Why would her mother give it to a girl she'd unlikely ever see again? Certainly, Eilith wouldn't discover the secret, but what could it be? Her pulse quickened just thinking about it.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" Dylan asked as Bray walked up alongside of him.

  Orla turned and glanced at Bray. He stood with the sun to his back, making it difficult to see him. She squinted in the bright light, not that she knew what Lil's
Bray looked like anyhow. "Any chance you know a girl named Lil?"

  "Not around here," Bray said and laughed. "But I have a friend back home, Lil Porter." His brow furrowed, and his bottom lip jutted slightly out. "Why do you ask?"

  "This is going to be awkward," Orla said and glanced behind her as they were slowly catching up. Seems they had decided not to abandon her completely in her time of need. Orla knew it would be best to just find the information and then let him see Lil. Doing it the other way around would involve a million questions and possibly even some reluctance. "Don't mind my manners, but I have a question for you."

  Bray looked perplexed, and it matched Orla's knot in her stomach. She'd never done anything like this before. Her fingers grazed his cheek while the other hand inched her fingers over the sheath where the wand had been restrained. The magic poured out and through her fingers, invisible to the human eye. The warmth slipped through her body and into Bray's, searching like an index, sorting his thoughts, both known and unknown, until she found what had been planted without his knowledge.

  Orla pulled back, a spark sizzling against her fingers and likely his cheek, from where she'd last touched him.

  "Whoa, that was intense," Dylan said, glancing between Bray and Orla. Even an outsider could see the act appeared intimate. "Should I get you two a room?"

  Bray ignored Dylan. "We haven't formally met," he said.

  "I'm Orla," she said and turned toward Lil. "Get over here!" She hoped the reunion would be quick. Orla had a taste of information, enough to know where they needed to be and why.

  Lil came running, her feet light on the sand as she threw her arms around Bray's neck. "I'm so glad you're okay."

  Bray laughed nervously and glanced from Lil to Orla. "Maybe I should be saying the same for you, Lil. Are you okay?" he asked. "I wasn't expecting to find any of you here."

  She gave an evasive answer, shrugging and quickly changing the subject. "We need your help. It's why we're here." Lil turned and looked at the strange boy as he stood perplexed and staring at Bray. "Do you mind giving us some privacy?"

  Dylan looked stunned by the request. "Uh, yeah, sure." He sauntered off down the beach, glancing back over his shoulder as he walked alone.

  Lil shifted on her feet, sinking slightly into the sand. "It never was hard for you to make new friends," Lil said. She didn't want to feel jealous; she just hated that they'd grown apart in more ways than she had ever thought possible. "I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation. Eilith has destroyed Elfinland, killed Morgan le Fae, and isn't going to stop. You know that."

  "I do," Bray said, nodding solemnly. "After visiting our world, it's only a matter of time before she makes herself at home." He glanced at Orla, who hadn't budged an inch. "So, what's she doing here?"

  "Orla," she said, introducing herself yet again. "My mother was the fae queen. Murdered by Eilith, I'm avenging her death and the slaughter of my race."

  Bray glanced her over, probably trying to determine what race that was. "Fae," Orla said. "I've gotten what I needed from you."

  "How?" Bray asked. "I didn't tell you anything."

  "You didn't have to," Orla said, a smirk on her face.

  "We should be on our way then," Rawlie said, standing behind Orla. He kept his arm around Willow's waist. "If you have what we need, we shouldn't waste any more time." The waves crashed at their feet, soaking their shoes.

  "I agree," Hudson said. "I don't know how you can stand on this stuff without it getting buried in your shoes." He shuffled his feet on the sand, kicking out the granules.

  "Wait!" Bray grabbed Lil's wrist. "Please tell me you're not going back to Orenda."

  "I don't have a choice. They need my help. They're my friends. I won't let them down."

  Orla wrapped an arm around Lil's shoulder. She usually wasn't one for pleasantries, but if this boy needed convincing, then she'd do whatever it takes. "Lil may not have been able to save my mother, but her gift is strong and valuable." The fae paused for a moment and glanced down at Bray's hand on Lil's wrist. He hadn't budged. "Perhaps you should come with us. We mustn't waste any more time."

  "Where are you going?" Bray rubbed the back of his neck, "and who's he?"

  "The Unseelie Court," Orla said, ignoring his second question about Marco.

  Orla gripped the fae wand in her right hand. Lil wrapped her fingers around Orla's wrist, making a circle as everyone waited for the fae wand to transport them to the Unseelie Court.

  A burning sensation spread through Orla's veins from the wand outward, forcing her to drop Rawlie's hand on her left and attempt to flick her wrist to neutralize the pain. Lil, Arianna, and Hudson clung on as the magic coursed through each of them, dropping them onto their knees in agony.

  Lil bent forward, attempting to clutch her head but unable to use her hands. She shut her eyes.

  Fire spread through Orla, making her want to drop the wand but unable to. Her fist opened, but it clung to her as the world around them transformed in flashes and shimmers. Wind rushed, blowing sand in with them and away from the shoreline. The water rippled in waves, the air salty and humid.

  Arianna opened her mouth, but the words never came.

  Orla had never been to the Unseelie Court, but this felt off. A trip between worlds had been simple enough; something was going on.

  Pulled from one world into another, like a rubber band slinging them as the wind and glimmer shattered away, Orla fell first, her face slamming into the pavement with the others following, their hands never letting go.

  Lil opened her eyes and gasped, staring up at the giant skyscrapers and city lights. "This isn't possible." She dropped Hudson and Orla's hands, covering her mouth with her hand, shocked.

  "No kidding," Orla tapped the wand and shook her head in disbelief. "We should be back in our world."

  "Well, you must have missed a wrong turn," Lil said, mocking Orla. "This isn't Orenda or the Unseelie Court. We're in New York City. At least, it looks like New York from the television shows I've watched. I've honestly never been."

  Hudson shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "I'm with Lil on this one. I've never been, either, but this is not fae territory. Fae don't live in skyscrapers."

  Arianna grabbed Lil's arm, keeping her close. "Your world scares me."

  "You have no idea," Lil whispered, staring up at the building looming over them. "This can't be my world; the Twin Towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack more than a decade ago."

  Hudson cleared his throat. "I hate to add more questions into the mix, but, guys, where are the rest of our friends?"

  Lil seemed to half-listen to their conversation as she walked twenty feet toward a street vendor and bent down, examining a newspaper closely.

  Orla watched her as she said, "My guess is they are back with Bray on the beach. Did you find anything good?" she asked Lil.

  Lil's face had grown pale, and she balled her hands into fists, walking back toward her friends. She grabbed Hudson's arm, pulling him and gesturing for the others to follow her into an alley. "Guys, it's 1983. How is that possible?"

  Hudson raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you're joking."

  "Wish I was." Lil frowned. "I haven't been born yet, and I'm guessing none of you have been, either." She reached for Orla's wand, only to get her hand smacked away.

  Orla's cheeks burned, and her eyes narrowed. "Did you learn nothing? We just got spit out into another dimension in time and you want to what, play with my wand?"

  Lil turned her back to Orla, ignoring her. "Any suggestions?" she asked Hudson and Arianna.

  Arianna twirled her brown hair anxiously. "How do we know which world we're in? Your world wasn't that different from Orenda in 1983. We have magic, but history isn't so different thirty years ago."

  Orla groaned. "The sorceress' daughter is right. We need to find a library. Once we can establish which world we're in, perhaps we can find a way to get home."

  "Hear me out," Hudson whispered to Orla as they walked, carefu
l not to let Lil or Arianna overhear their conversation. "If this is Orenda in 1983, we could stop Eilith from destroying our world and change the course of history."

  Orla paused, thinking it over. Her world would change, and who knew what would happen to them, but at least her family would be alive, her mother, her friends, the fae world would be restored. "We'll assassinate Eilith." Her eyes locked onto Arianna's back. "Do you think she'll cease to exist?" Orla hadn't been born yet. In fact, Eilith couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old.

  Hudson's jaw clenched. "It's a chance we'll have to take."

  Orla agreed. They'd been thrown into the past for a reason; perhaps this had been it.

  Lil and Arianna led them up the front stairs of the library. "So, how will we know for sure?" Lil asked. "What are we looking for?" She pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.

  "There will be a section on magic and Nightbloods," Orla said. She didn't have to elaborate. She walked into the library and right up to the circulation desk.

  Arianna held her breath. Lil gripped her friend's arm, likely cutting off the blood flow. She leaned into Hudson as he walked up and stood beside her. Keeping her voice low, she asked, "What were you and Orla talking about?"

  "How to rewrite our future," he said, turning and meeting her stare.

  Orla did her best to ignore Lil and Hudson behind her. She stood, waiting patiently for the woman to help. She didn't look much older than her mother, but Orla knew ages could be very deceiving. Her mother had lived far more years that her body had shown.

  "Hi," Orla said and smiled, trying to be polite. "I'm looking for the non-fiction section on the magical arts."

  "Fairy, sorcery, or mystical?" the librarian asked.

  Orla's eyes lit up, and she spun around with a huge grin on her face. "Oh yeah, we're back in Orenda."

  The librarian glanced the four of them over with scrutiny. "Of course, you are. If this is some game of yours to try to perform a spell to avoid an exam at school, then I suggest you go before I call your parents."