by M Guida
Legacy Academy Year Three
M Guida
Buffalo Mountain Press
Copyright © 2020 by M Guida
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Dear Reader
About the Author
Also by M Guida
Chapter 1
Tomorrow was my first day at Legacy Academy, and my nerves were on edge. Same as last year, I had stayed at Julie Sumner’s parents’ home for summer break, since I still didn’t have anything more than a shell of a burned-out house. I lay in my twin bed in Julie’s room and curled up in a ball, staring outside. The full moon was dropping closer to the tops of the mountain peaks, and stars shimmered. Sleep had eluded me for over an hour.
Bo and Lucien haunted my thoughts. I cared about both of them, but although I felt a stronger pull to Lucien, I still held deep feelings for Bo. What scared the crap of me, no matter how much I didn’t want to admit it, was the idea I was following in Mom’s footsteps. She was caught between Ryker and my dad, and after she chose my dad, Ryker fell into darkness. I couldn’t live with myself if something like that happened to Lucien or Bo. It would break my heart.
The other thing I couldn’t stop thinking about was what we had found. Julie and I did research all summer about the Archangel Azrael, otherwise known as the Angel of Death. I still couldn’t believe I was caught up in a prophecy and a storm of change.
We’d found out that Azrael’s name means “Whom God Helps.” Whatever that means.
According to Anton, I had Golden Demon blood flowing in my veins. The Golden Demon power was the only reason I passed two of my toughest trials: cloaking myself and starting three different types of fires.
But how? I kept wracking my brains on how this could be true. The mixing of different supernaturals was forbidden, but somewhere in the past someone in my family had a tryst with a Golden Demon. Like always, I broke the rules.
It was another reason Anton said Ryker was after me. He only believed in pure bloodlines, and he considered me to be an abomination. A half-breed.
I wished Mom was here. She was the only one who had the answers, but after two years at Legacy, I was no closer to finding her.
Once again, I didn’t have any contact with The Defenders. At least this time Anton had admitted he’d drawn a protection spell around me, so no supernatural being could find me or Julie’s family.
I kicked my pink covers off and sat up. Across the room, Julie was completely oblivious to my tossing and turning. Her blond hair fanned out over her pillow, her long eyelashes graced her cheeks, and her pink lips were slightly parted. She reminded me of a sleeping Snow White, waiting for her prince to come.
I sighed heavily, jealous of Julie’s soft snores. I quietly snuck past her bed, opened her bedroom window, and climbed out onto the roof. I sat on the edge, dangling my legs.
We used to do this all the time when we were kids, and more than once we had gotten into trouble for it. Her bedroom window was right over the garage and we would sit on the ledge talking, sneaking out to meet guys, or go to a party.
Yesterday the temperature had nearly reached a hundred degrees, but tonight it had cooled off. I needed time to sort out my jumbled mind. Between the Archangels Chamuel and Azrael, Ryker hunting me, and the prophecy that was supposedly about me, I couldn’t sleep a wink.
I wrapped my arms around my legs and laid my head on top of my knees. A cool breeze brushed over me. Something flapped behind me that I assumed was an owl or a hawk. Julie lived near open space, and birds of prey often nested in the big cottonwood trees.
“Raven?”
My heart quickened. No, it couldn’t be. I whirled around to see Lucien standing on top of Julie’s roof with his golden wings spread out wide. His dark hair fell across his naked shoulders and his muscles had become even more defined. God, he was gorgeous.
I scooted around. “Lucien, what are you doing here?”
I knew I looked a mess, wearing a faded T-shirt and pajama bottoms and my hair tumbling in different directions.
He shrugged. “I wanted to see you.” He winked. “So, you actually wear pajamas?”
I tried to pat down my hair. “Shut up.”
“Hey, you look beautiful.”
I stopped fussing with my hair. “Thank you. I don’t understand how you found me. How did you get around Anton’s protective spell?”
He grinned and sat next to me. “It’s after midnight. That’s when Anton’s spell breaks down.”
Cold chills slid down my spine, and I scanned the skies. I lowered my voice. “So, Ryker could find me?”
He shook his head. “No. My dad says that spell has to be dissolved completely for Ryker to be able to do that.”
I frowned and folded my arms. “Okay, but how did you find me?”
“I put a trace on you while you were sleeping in Anton’s quarters.”
I cocked my eyebrow. “Without asking me?”
Even in the darkness, his cheeks bloomed red. “I didn’t think you would mind.”
I smiled. “No, I don’t mind. I’ve missed you, too.”
And Bo.
“I’ve missed you.” He pushed my hair behind my ear. “You’re all I’ve thought about.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He tilted his dark head and his lips brushed over mine, sending my blood thundering through me.
“Is this a private party?” A teasing female voice made me pull away.
“Lucien, this is my very best friend, Julie Sumner.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Julie leaned out the window. Her blond hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and strands curled around her cheeks. Even just waking up, she looked great.
Lucien gave me a curious look. “Hope it’s not all bad.”
Julie laughed. “Not at all. Can I join you two? Or do you want to be alone?”
“No.” I motioned with my hand. “Please, join us.”
Julie had on a pink pajama T-shirt and shorts. She sat next to Lucien. “Did she tell you?”
I could feel the blood drain from my face. I silently mouthed ‘no.’
Lucien frowned. “Tell me what.”
I looked down.
He clasped my hand. “Tell me,” he urged.
“Raven, you need to tell him,” Julie said.
He folded his arms. “Raven, what are you hiding from me?”
I wanted to throttle Julie, but the secret was out of the bag now. “I know we’re not supposed to be using our powers outside of school––”
“Especially you,” he said softly.
I avoided his gaz
e and stared at my pink toenails. “Well, with the protection spell, I thought I was safe in practicing.”
“What powers were you practicing?”
“My Golden Demon ones.”
“You mean cloaking yourself and starting things on fire?”
This time my face heated up, and I squirmed under his gaze. “I didn’t want to lose those abilities since I had such a hard time mastering them.”
He squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry. You won’t.”
Julie cleared her throat. “We found something else, too.”
“Julie,” I drawled out her name.
Lucien looked between us. “What?”
This is not what I wanted to do. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. “We went to an occult shop.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because I needed to find out more about the evil I consumed.”
Concerned flared in his eyes. “Are you having nightmares? Or is something else happening?”
“No. I just can’t stop thinking about it. My power was barely enough to contain something like that, and it almost killed me, Lucien. I wanted to find out how we could defeat it.”
“You found something.” He slipped his palm around my neck.
Tingles drifted from his fingertips down to my gut, and I shivered. His lips mesmerized me. “Yes.”
He moved his hand around until he cupped my chin. “Tell me what.”
“Combining our powers.”
“We already do that.”
“No, we fight side-by-side. I mean fusing the magical powers of a dragon, wolf, vampire, Golden Demon, and Fae into one spell and pushing it against Ryker. According to the spell book I found, it would work. It might be a way to defeat Ryker and find my mom.”
“What is this spell book you found?” The uneasiness in his voice didn’t sit well with me.
“The book is called Mystificus, but the spell is Puriforgio Virtueus.”
His face paled. “Raven, can I see it?”
“Sure.” I quickly got up and snuck back through the window and retrieved the gray, leather bound volume. The cover was faded, but it had a silver dragon on etched on it which had gotten my attention.
I pulled the book out from where I kept it hidden underneath the mattress, just in case Anton’s spell faded and dark demons found me.
Lucien leaped through the book. “Raven, do you know what this is?”
“A spell book. I told you.”
“No, this is silver dragon lore, dragon spells. Silver dragons are the only ones who have spell books, and most of them went missing a long time ago. It was in an occult shop, seriously?”
“Yeah, it was weird,” Julie said. “When we were in there, this guy was on the other side of the bookcase, and I swear he pushed the book out. It fell right at Raven’s feet. It was like he did it on purpose.”
“That is strange.” Lucien closed the book. “Who was the guy? What did he look like?”
“I didn’t get a good look at him,” I said. “I tried using the magical orb, but it wouldn’t work. I almost felt like someone or something was blocking the magic. All I know is that he was tall, super tall and had broad shoulders.”
“He had long curly hair. That was all I saw,” Julie fixed her ponytail, “because I saw him leave. I got the feeling he didn’t want us to see him.”
“But he wanted you to have that book.”
“Yeah, I think so. Do you think it’s bad?”
“I think it’s good we’re going back to Legacy. Anton needs to see this. You need to guard this book, Raven. Guard it carefully. Ryker would love to get his hands on it. Be super careful tomorrow. If he suspects…”
Julie bit her lip. “He’ll attack again, won’t he?”
“Don’t worry.” Lucien squeezed Julie’s shoulder. “The Defenders and I will protect her. I promise. I need to tell my dad about what you found.” His commanding voice didn’t take away the tears glistening in Julie’s blue eyes.
He stood and opened up his wings. He lunged into the night sky, his golden wings making him look like an angel.
My stomach did a triple flip, and I closed my eyes. I hugged the book to my chest. This was super strange. I hadn’t given a thought to the stranger, and I should have. Lucien was definitely concerned.
Another mistake.
Julie hugged me. “You’re right, Raven. He’s super-hot.”
I laid my head on her shoulder. “Yeah, he is.”
She petted my head. “And you know something else? He cares about you.”
I laughed and lifted my head. “How do you know? You just met him.”
“Raven, I love you. But sometimes you’re so dense.”
“What?”
“He’s into you, girl. Really into you.” She rubbed my leg. “And you’re into him. He’s bigger than life, that’s for sure. A total Mr. Alpha, but I’d bet he’d do anything to protect you.” She stood.
I followed her back into the bedroom. “He already has. Numerous times. But so has Bo. I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place.”
“Two guys––one a demon and the other a dragon––both of them willing to risk their lives to protect you? I wish I had your problem.” She grinned. “You could have them both.”
I thought about it for a brief moment and shook my head emphatically. “No. Not my style.”
She laughed. “I know. You’re a romantic, even if you won’t admit it. You’re going to have make a choice between Aquaman and Captain America, girl.”
I rubbed my forehead. I had no idea what to do.
Her smile faded. “Seriously, back to this book, I think we should get up early tomorrow and get you to that train station. If Anton’s protective spell is fading, we can’t wait. I don’t want us to face those dark demons alone.” I could hear the fear in her voice. If she could have heard my frantic heartbeat, she’d have been twice as scared.
I put on my best smile. “We’ll be fine.” Luckily, my voice didn’t shake.
Julie slipped into bed. I got my magical crossbow and arrows out from underneath my bed and put them next to me as I climbed onto the mattress. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t sleeping tonight, and as I held the book close, all I could think about was Bo and Lucien.
Chapter 2
Someone was gently shaking my shoulder. “Raven, Raven, wake up.”
I jerked open my eyes, climbed up against the twin bed headboard, and clutched the book. My foggy mind tried to make sense of what was happening. “What? Stay away from me. You can’t have it. It’s mine.” My voice rose an octave, and my body trembled uncontrollably.
“Raven, what’s wrong? Girl, it’s me.”
I blinked and stared into Julie’s concerned blue eyes.
My heart was racing, and I gulped down snippets of air. I dragged my fingers through the hair that was dangling in my face.
It took me a minute before I could talk. I was in Julie’s bedroom. Her stuffed Disney animals on the shelf seemed to look at me curiously. Sunlight filtered in the room and highlighted Julie’s hair, creating a halo around her.
I clasped my forehead. “Oh, Julie. I’m sorry.”
Julie took my hand. “Nightmares?”
I squeezed hers back. “To tell you the truth, I don’t remember my dreams.”
She frowned. “You don’t?” She winked. “Not even when you’re dreaming about Bo and Lucien?”
“I wish I’d only dream about those two.” I leaned back on the headboard. Uneasiness pressed against my chest. “But these days something else is creeping into my mind when I sleep.”
“You mean nightmares?”
“I don’t think I’m having good or bad dreams.”
“What is it, then?”
“I can’t explain it, but I feel like images are being planted in my head.” I ran my palm over the book. “Something about this book. He wants it–desperately.”
“Who? Ryker? The King of the Dark Demons?”
“Yeah.” I bit my lip. “J
ulie, I don’t think you should take me to the train station.”
“Why?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “Embarrassed to be with a mere human.”
That hit me out of the blue. My eyes widened. “What?”
“You care more about your new friends than you do me. We used to be close and now they’re all you ever care about.”
I slid the book over to the side and clasped both her hands. “Never think that. Julie, you mean so much to me. I just don’t want you to get dragged into this. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or your family.”
“Why do you think something is going to happen to us? You stayed with us last summer and this one, and nothing has happened.” I could hear the agitation rising in her voice.
“You don’t understand. Ryker will do anything to win. The only reason you’re safe is because of Anton’s protective spell.”
Julie wiggled her hands free and sat on her bed. “If that’s true, then how come Lucien could find you?”
Her accusatory tone couldn’t hide the hurt I knew was brewing inside her. Hurting her was the last thing I wanted to happen.
I smirked. “Because he’s Lucien. If you’ve noticed, no one else found us. Lucien has a way of bending the rules and coming out smelling like a stud.”
“If I don’t take you, how are you going to get there? The station isn’t exactly within walking distance. Don’t you think you’ll get picked off between here and there?”
I shrugged. “I just thought I’d take an Uber.”
Julie narrowed her eyes. “You’re willing to risk someone’s else’s life?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “No.” I drawled out the word.
