by LJ Swallow
"Stand still," snarls the guard.
"If you keep your filthy hands off me." The inmate's voice is cultured English, reminding me of my mother's friends who live in the Home Counties. There's an edge to the honeyed tone, as if he can charm you then devour you in the blink of a mesmeric eye.
He lifts a hand to push stray brown hair from his face and takes another sly look at me.
"Don't touch him, Jurgen," says a voice behind.
I'd forgotten there were others with us. Luca moves to stand by my side, and the guard who accompanied me from the boat move to my other as if I have a protective detail.
The guy in the torn shirt gestures at himself. "Zeke ripped my fucking shirt. Do you know how much this cost me?"
"You punched him in the face."
The guy shrugs. "He should've kept his mouth shut."
"You've been warned. Hurt anybody else, and you're in solitary," warns Luca.
The guy lifts his head and looks down his nose at Luca. "I'm sure Zeke will retract his complaint against me. You know he always does."
He moves closer to me and bites his lip again as he looks down. My empath skills are more potent than many witches, and I immediately pick up the danger and darkness that cloud this guy's aura. Now he's closer, my attraction to him fades. I can almost smell the evil.
I shift away from him, and he cocks his head, lips pursing. "Does my reputation precede me?"
"What?"
"You're nervous." He leans in and whispers, "Have you heard the stories?"
I splutter. "I'm not nervous. I don't know or care who you are."
Luca tugs me to one side, and the arrogant guy's face lights up. He points at me. "You'll be fun. I like fun."
The half-human man grabs his arm. "Get back to your room."
"If you ask nicely," says the guy snidely. "Besides, I haven't introduced myself to Ravenhold’s newest and most charming guest."
"Just get back up the fucking stairs, Dorian," snaps Luca, "before I lose my patience and you lose your privileges."
The hallway I stand in lurches to one side and my stomach turns over as I stare at the guy I've dreamed about meeting.
The one I want to hurt until he suffers the way my family did.
"Are you Dorian Blackwood?" I ask hoarsely.
He smiles, eyes glittering. "The Dorian Blackwood. Welcome to Ravenhold. I do hope you enjoy your stay."
CHAPTER THREE
Does Dorian know who I am? Because I damn well know who he is.
Dorian Blackwood killed my uncle. I never thought I'd meet the murderous arsehole, but I'll make him pay. I laugh at my furious side—I'm a strong witch, but can I take on the famous hybrid?
Okay, I may not be able to kill Dorian, but I can hurt him. He's incarcerated, which means the so-called unstoppable guy must have a weakness.
Dazed by my impromptu welcome by Dorian Blackwood, I robotically follow instructions from the pig-faced guy at the table. I don't think he's a mid, just unfortunate-looking. I hand over my phone and allow him to go through my belongings and look for contraband.
Occasional shouts and laughter echo along a hallway upstairs. Adult voices mingled with teens; anger mixed with amusement. Trepidation builds in my churning stomach. How long will they keep me here? My crime surely can't be as severe as those around me. I used illegal magic, yes, but I never hurt anybody.
The bespectacled guy shoves my rucksack back across the table towards me and makes a note on a form. I stare at the pile of random items as he places them in a plastic bag. How is a wooden emery board contraband? Surely sharp nails would be worse than neat ones?
"Will I get my things back when I leave?" I ask him.
He gives a small shake of his head and continues to write on the form, a pitying smile on his face.
I look away with a sigh, and the guy who accompanied me from the boat reappears from wherever he took Dorian. A girl accompanies him, partially hidden behind as she follows him downstairs.
“Oriana, this is Eloise. Eloise, your roommate.”
She moves past him and stands at the bottom of the stairs, arms folded around herself. Her bright blue hair and piercings instantly scare me, and she wears a scruffy black tank top and short, tight skirt with heavy boots. I've not dealt with many people outside of witch society, and this girl looks like somebody I'd rather avoid.
Oriana’s hair partially covers her face and is shaved up one side. A dragon tattoo spreads from her neck along a slender shoulder before delving beneath her loose black tank top.
"I hope you're less trouble than my last roomie," she says in a voice with an Eastern European lilt, and her emphasis on 'roomie' is mocking.
"Eloise will be one of our more cooperative residents," says Luca with a smile. "Won't you?"
I return the smile at his veiled threat and nod in agreement. Oriana steps forward and studies me. "Are you a witch?"
"She is, yes."
I side glance Luca, annoyed at him speaking on my behalf again.
"Cool. That'll help you gain favour with Dorian and Zeke."
"What?" I ask, disgusted by her undertones.
She smirks then gestures at my bag. "Are you coming with me? I can show you the awesomeness of your new home."
I haul the rucksack from the floor. "Is that it?" I ask Luca. "The end of my 'processing'."
"For now. In the morning you'll meet Francesca and Angus, who are the two heads of the academy." He pauses. "You'll want to be well-rested before your meeting."
Omigod. What will they do to me?
Oriana huffs. "Come on. I'm busy."
Luca wanders over to pick up the form from the guy with glasses, takes a cursory glance, and hands it back to him.
"Welcome to Ravenhold. I'll see you in the morning."
He strides away, and the white door at the end of the hallway bangs closed as he walks through.
Oriana scratches a pierced eyebrow and turns. "Don't look frightened."
"I'm not."
"Liar."
At least her smile is friendly even if her appearance isn't. "You're lucky you're rooming with me. I'm nice."
I follow Oriana upstairs, and she pauses to gesture either side of her where the narrow hallway decorated with flaking cream-coloured paint stretches to separate staircases.
"Down that way to the classrooms; straight on to dorm rooms." She jabs a finger upwards. "The younger kids live up there."
"There are young kids here?" I ask. "How old? I thought this place was for teens."
"Youngest is twelve. Almost a teen. The staff keep a closer eye on them until they're sixteen. They're kept safe."
Safe.
Two guys rest against a wall outside a room with an open door, and one pulls on his bottom lip as he watches me pass. His bronze eyes unnerve me, and the black outlining them reminds me of a tiger's.
He's lithe, like Dorian, and as tall, with messy blond hair. Black lines ink his bare arms, and for a moment, I imagine them as stripes. His feline appearance and markings leave no doubt in my mind—he's a shifter.
The second guy matches him in build, and I shiver at the thought all the guys in this place have unhidden power in their bodies. He's pale with striking blue eyes, rimmed the same way, but I can't see if his arms are tattooed.
The blond guy runs his tongue across his teeth and stops his tongue on one of his longer than average canines.
"Evening, sweetheart." His voice purrs seductively but triggers hairs on the back of my neck as he studies every inch of me.
The second guy jerks his chin at my roommate. "Are you joining us later, Oriana?"
"I don't think so," she scoffs. "I'm busy."
"You should stick with your own," replies the blond. "You're safer that way. We can protect you."
She gives a tight smile. "I don't need your protection."
He rests his head against the wall and looks down his nose. "But some students need reminding to keep their hands off shifter goods."
"Piss off
," she retorts. "I'm nobody's goods."
I back against the opposite wall, hoping if I do, this removes me from whatever conversation they're having.
"I heard Dorian kicking off before," she says. "What happened, Zeke?"
He shrugs. "Dorian badmouthed me in art class. The dickhead needs to keep out of my business."
"Art class?" I blurt.
Zeke turns his head. "Haven't you had your orientation meeting yet, new girl?"
"She arrived too late," replies Oriana.
Why is everybody speaking for me since I arrived?
"Not too late for Dorian's orientation," says the dark-haired guy with a chuckle. "She's a witch, right?"
The prickle on my neck intensifies at the undertone to his words. What does Dorian do to witches?
"If Dorian caused trouble, he's locked in his room tonight," retorts Oriana. "If you were involved, I'd hide before someone locks you up for the night too."
Zeke barks out a laugh. "I don't hide from anybody."
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" interrupts Zeke's friend.
My chest tightens. I'd hoped they'd overlooked me.
"Eloise. This is Zeke.” She points at the striped guy. “And Kai." Oriana nudges me in the side as I stare at the two shifters.
"Eloise." Zeke speaks my name slowly as if caressing the word. "I look forward to discovering everything about you."
Oriana mutters something then looks at me. "Let's go."
I gratefully move away from the pair, and as I pass an open doorway, I spot a group of kids lounging on sofas with torn cushions or sitting on top of tables chatting.
Thankfully, nobody notices me.
Against my better judgement, Zeke snatched my attention. I'm not a fan of shifters, and my parents were racist against them, but there's no denying many are stunning.
"So, that's Zeke," says Oriana. "Shifter top dog. I mean, not literally since he's a tiger shifter, but he's allowed to keep the shifters under control."
"Allowed?"
"By Dorian," she replies as if I'm stupid. "There're two worlds here. One run by guards, one run by him."
We turn a corner and head along another hallway in need of painting, although someone already adorned the flaking walls with a mural featuring a starry night scene. If this picture was designed to brighten the place, the attempt failed —graffitied names are scrawled throughout the painting.
Oriana pulls a set of keys from her pocket.
"I don't have a key yet. How will I get in and out?"
Oriana unlocks the door. "Francesca will give you one tomorrow. You're lucky— a year ago we had no way to lock ourselves in. Since she arrived a few months back, things have softened a little. Angus is old school and doesn’t like sharing his position of academy head with Francesca. Don't upset him. He’s ex-military and the Confederacy's right-hand man; Francesca has a holistic approach to rehabilitation that he hates."
"Art class?"
"Amongst other things. Just treat her classes as a chance to snooze." She kicks open the door. "They try to hide their dislike for each other, but neither are good actors."
The room we walk into is as unappealing as the rest of the academy —bare walls and a window covered by a thin black curtain. The metal-framed beds are pushed up against a wall either side with a small space in between.
I can say goodbye to privacy.
One bed is stripped of linen but has a pillow and blankets folded at one end. The springs creak as I sit on the mattress and take in the depressing surrounding.
"Bathrooms are along the hallways. Shared." I widen my eyes, and she laughs. "Don't worry; they're not unisex. No guys in the girls' showers. Well, usually."
My stomach turns over for the umpteenth time. Communal showers. Tiny rooms with bars on the windows and beds close enough we're almost sleeping together.
"Is everybody's room like this?" I ask.
"Yeah. Pretty much. Some of the bigger shifters get the attic rooms and Dorian's on his own."
"Lucky," I mutter.
"Lucky for the people who are saved from rooming with him, yes." She chuckles. "Sharing with Dorian is a threatened punishment as great as solitary confinement. Greater."
"I can imagine. He has a reputation."
"Oh, yeah." She snorts. "King of the halls. A lot of kids here are dangerous, but he's immoral with it. Doesn't give a shit about anybody or anything."
I could add that I know more about Dorian, but can I trust Oriana? The disgust on her face shows she doesn't like him, but I don't want my words passed on to anybody. I need to keep my head down and mouth shut.
"Don't worry about Kai's comment—Dorian has a seductive effect on witches. He can be persuasive, but he's not a rapist."
"Witches can't let vampires close in that way, anyway. They could die."
"That way?" She frowns. "Oh! Fuck them, you mean? Outside rules don't apply here.”
I fight embarrassment at her crude word and my naivety. “Eloise, pay attention to the Ravenhold rules, or you could add years to your stay here."
I ask the question I'm scared to know the answer to. "How long have you been at Ravenhold?"
Oriana holds out a hand and counts on her fingers. "Almost three years. Since I was sixteen."
I could ask why she's here, but again, ‘head down and mouth shut’. I'll find out soon enough.
Oriana remains standing as I unzip my bag and stare inside. I want to sleep, but I don't feel safe without casting a ward on the door. "Can I try a spell?"
She stares at me and my dumb question. "Uh. The island's wards will suck the spell power from you. If you're powerful, that'll take a few days, but I'd advise against using magic. You don't want to be locked in solitary for a few days until they're sure you're neutralised."
"Right." I eye the floor in front of the closed door.
"You want to ward the room, don't you? Go ahead tonight, but once you have your key, I wouldn't take the risk."
Oriana reaches for the door handle, and I tense. "Are you leaving?"
"I have things to do. I won't disturb you when I come back. Or are you a light sleeper?"
"Not normally".
Oriana leaves, and I kneel on the floor to use my index finger to trace a pattern on the cracked tiles close to the door. The runic symbols glow, and a blue light spreads between them until they interlock.
Sinking back on my heels, I take calming breaths.
I'll need more than wards to keep myself safe here.
Ravenhold: Witch Born is available now
Download Ravenhold: Witch Born here
OTHER BOOKS BY LJ SWALLOW
The Four Horsemen Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
(COMPLETE series available now)
Legacy
Bound
Hunted
Guardians
Chaos
Descent
Reckoning
or as two box sets
Books 1-3
Books 4-7
Nightworld Academy
Reverse Harem Paranormal series
Term One
Term Two
Term Three
Term Four
Term Five
Term Six
Winterfall Magic
Blackwood Magic
Ravenhold Supernatural Reform Academy
Reverse Harem Dark Academy
Witch Born
Magic Forged
Blood Legacy (coming soon)
Daughter of Shadow series
Reverse Harem Fantasy romance
Dragon Soul
Silvercrest Guardians
Ebon Queen (coming soon)
The Demon's Covenant Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
Held by Magic
Elements of Magic
Coming Soon
Shades of Magic
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LJ Swallow is the pen name for USA Today bestselling author Lisa Swallow… if yo
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Books by Lisa Swallow
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Acknowledgements
Congratulations to Kimberly Latham who won the character name competition.The character Kimberly in the book is named after her.
About the Author
LJ Swallow is a USA Today bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who is the alter-ego of bestselling contemporary romance author Lisa Swallow.
Giving in to her dark side, LJ spends time creating worlds filled with supernatural creatures who don't fit the norm, and heroines who are more likely to kick ass than sit on theirs.
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