by Theresa Kay
I walk out to Seth. He smiles then opens the door farther and gestures for me to exit.
Nikolas is standing in front of Seth’s desk, looking just as intimidating as he did yesterday. My grandfather’s gaze passes over me from the top of my head to my feet, but his face remains blank.
“Hi,” I say as I twist my fingers together at my waist.
“Hello,” says Nikolas. He dips his chin. “The car is waiting.”
“I need to go get my stuff,” I say.
“I already had my driver pack your things.” He gestures toward the doorway. “Come along now.”
Come along now? Does he think I’m a dog?
My eyes narrow, and I stay in place.
“I understand this situation is . . . odd.” He sighs, and some of the tightness leaves his features to be replaced with a small smile. “Thea is anxious to have you home, and I am anxious to keep my wife happy.”
I tilt my head to the side, studying him. He seems honest enough, I guess. “Okay.”
He smiles again and motions for me to precede him out the door. The two of us make our way down the stairs and out to the quad where a black sedan awaits. Well, isn’t this fancy. When I first arrived at Ravencrest, Basil left his car at the gates and we walked up the long, winding driveway.
“I thought the wards prevented people from driving onto campus?”
Nikolas chuckles. “Most of the time they do, but exceptions are made during times when students are arriving and departing.”
I nod and follow Nikolas to the car. A tall man dressed in a black suit opens the back passenger side door and I climb inside, scooting across so Nikolas can slide in beside me. The driver shuts the door then jogs around the front of the car to get into the driver’s seat.
The car glides silently down the driveway and past the gate. I watch out the window as Ravencrest disappears behind us, a feeling of loss settling into my stomach. I wish I’d had time to say goodbye to my friends, but I imagine there’s a phone in my grandparents’ house, and I’m sure someone can rustle up phone numbers. But still . . .
I bite at my lower lip as my gaze darts around the car. The driver catches my eye in the rear-view mirror and inclines his head in a nod. This is so weird, but I guess it would be even weirder if Nikolas had picked me up in a limo.
I look at my grandfather from the corner of my eye. He sits with his shoulders back and his hands clasped in his lap, staring straight ahead while every now and then casting a glance toward the window. His expression is blank again—or maybe bored.
Starting up conversations has never been something I’m particularly good at, especially in a situation like this where I have nothing in common with someone. Well, nothing but blood anyway. I probably have more in common with the driver than Nikolas, and I have no idea how to bridge that gap.
So, I sit here in silence as worries fill my mind. With every mile, I draw closer and closer to a life I’m not sure I want in a world I still have no idea how to navigate. Compared to that party, fitting in at Ravencrest was almost easy, and more likely than not I’ll be expected to attend at least one party during the break.
And this time I won’t have Tristan to help me through it.
Another pang of loss hits me at the thought of the blond-haired boy, and the magic in my chest tightens into a painful mass of energy before slowly releasing. I chuckle softly to myself. Even my magic misses him.
But there’s nothing I can do about it, so for now I’ll flounder my way through any social situations I’m forced into and hope for the best.
I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? I’m not invited back?
The important thing is my position at Ravencrest is safe for another grading period. Although, if Callahan’s attitude is any indication, I’ll need to watch out for him next semester. He didn’t have time to make a fuss about anything today, but I imagine he’ll be looking for a way to trip me up in the future.
Until then, I have three full weeks away from school, time I can use to my advantage. My previous search of the Andras estate had mixed results, but now I’ll have full access to the house. There’s bound to be other things Helen left behind and maybe enough to answer my two most important questions right now:
Who was the father who provided the fae portion of my genetics?
And is he still alive?
If I can find my birth father, I’ll have someone to teach me fae magic and won’t need Nikiforov’s help. That is, assuming my birth father isn’t the one who started the hunt and doesn’t want to see me dead.
One thing I know for sure is that, until I know more about why exactly the fae are after me and how the hell I can fight them, I’m keeping the truth about what I am to myself. I’m not letting anyone else get hurt because of me.
Selene's story continues in Ward Locked, available for preorder now!
Looking for a completed series to binge? Check out my Broken Skies series. Filled with action, adventure, aliens, and romance, it’s perfect for fans of the Lux series, Under Different Stars, and The Fifth Wave.
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ALSO BY THERESA KAY
Broken Skies
Fractured Suns
Shattered Stars
Jax will do anything to save her twin . . . even team up with a teenage alien left behind by the same ship that took her brother.
She agrees to help the alien get back home, and in return, he agrees to sneak her into the alien city to find her sibling.
Too bad it's not that simple.
Jax soon finds that she's drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales on his back and he's equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn't know the alien's true motives, and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.
Worse, the connection forming between them has unknown consequences.
The humans and the aliens are both hiding deadly secrets and the forbidden bond linking the two teens threatens to reveal everything. What started as an uneasy alliance and a seemingly straightforward rescue mission could spark an inter-species war.
★★★★★ "A fast-paced and action-packed start to a series that will leave you reeling as you scramble for the sequel." - Kelly St Clare, USA Today Bestselling Author.
★★★★ "Broken Skies is a captivating read, and its appeal crosses genres. Whether you like sci-fi, dystopian, paranormal, or just anything with a hint of romance, check it out; it's got something for everyone."- FicCentral
★★★★★ "I don't want to give too much away but take an alien/human love story, set it in a post apocalyptic type society, feature a strong but damaged heroine, sprinkle in a compassionate but secretive male lead, add in suspense, drama, shake and you have the wildly entertaining Broken Skies."-Shannon from Book Crushin
ANTHOLOGIES
“Stability” a short story included in The Telepath Chronicles
Cora has spent most of her life in a clandestine medical facility, isolated from the world and content to submit to tests and experiments at the request of her keepers. Content, that is, until the day she discovers their end goal: breeding her to create a more stable telepath. So when an attack on the facility gives Cora her chance at escape, she seizes it. But as she gets closer to freedom and learns more about the world outside, Cora finds she doesn’t know whether she’d rather be outside or in—or whom she can trust.
“Six Days” a short story included in The Z Chronicles
The longest anyone has survived a zombie bite before succumbing to the madness is six days. That means, if she’s lucky, Sarah has four more days before she goes full-on flesh eater and she needs every single one o
f them. The life of her infant son depends on her finding an uninfected person willing to take him before she loses her mind. Her husband is dead, her son is depending on her, and the countdown is on.
“Protocol A235” a short story included in Dark Beyond the Stars
Beth is a maintenance tech on the Genesis, the spaceship that will carry her, along with fifty thousand other passengers, to a new home in deep space. But when she comes out of cryosleep to serve her thirty-day solo shift, she finds the ship in disarray, its systems malfunctioning. Worse yet, a previously undisclosed protocol has been put into effect. Protocol A235. And now Beth finds herself facing much more responsibility than she signed up for.
“Services Rendered” a short story included in Beyond the Star: A Planet Too Far
Li’hanna, a member of the prized and elusive Kotkaa race, is prepared to do anything to keep the secrets of her clan out of the hands of the evil imperial fleet.
Captured by one of the imperial hybrids and his human associate, she’s smuggled aboard a transport ship that belongs to the vengeful Jeren Skalos. When she manages to break free, she finds herself assisting the human crew to outwit the enemy—instead of running for her life.
What starts as a desperate escape attempt engenders something else—a partnership that could be the beginning of a rebellion against the empire.
“Solar Flare,” a short story included in Beyond the Stars: New Worlds, New Suns
After crash landing on a desert planet, Gretchen Anderson survives a trek across the sand under the planet’s triple suns only to find herself forced to navigate the power struggle of an insect-like alien race.
Theresa Kay writes stories that feature flawed young adult and new adult characters in science fiction, urban fantasy, or paranormal worlds, all with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. She's constantly lost in one fictional universe or another and is a self-proclaimed "fangirl" who loves being sucked into new books, movies, or TV shows. Living in the mountains of central Virginia with her husband and two kids, she works as a paralegal by day and spends her free time reading tons of books, binging Avengers movies, anime, and Doctor Who, or playing Tomb Raider and Assassin's Creed.
www.TheresaKay.com
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So…2020, huh? This year has certainly been a crazy mess. As someone who doesn’t write well (or, often, doesn’t write at all) when under stress, getting this book finished was definitely a struggle. As always, there were many people I couldn’t have done it without.
Regan, who’s been my cheerleader through this whole series and always willing to get on the phone and help me chase down my escaping plot bunnies.
Frankie Blooding, who drew the map for this book even though this one went so far off the rails we had to redo the outlines for the next two books.
Kelly P., who’s always willing to read ten different first chapters so I can make sure I get the right one.
The other Rebel Writers, who have been there since day one. I miss your faces so much. Zoom and wine soon?
My other writer and blogger friends, Rysa, Meg, and Kelly.
Christian Bentulan, who created the beautiful cover.
Nadège Richards, who makes the interiors of my books look gorgeous.
Krystal Dehaba, who whipped this book into shape so there wasn’t too much giving and shooting.
There are always people I forget, but I appreciate each and every person who has given me a hand up or helped me in some way throughout my writing career.
And my readers, who give me the motivation to keep writing with their enthusiasm and support.
