by G. K. DeRosa
Darkblood Academy: Supernatural Slayer Squad
G.K. De Rosa
Mystic Rose Press
Copyright © 2019 Mystic Rose Press
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, Mystic Rose Press.
Print ISBN: 9781079363142
Cover Designer: Sanja Gombar www.fantasybookcoverdesign.com
Published in 2019 by Mystic Rose Press
Palm Beach, Florida
www.gkderosa.com
Created with Vellum
To my daughter Stella Alicia, my constant companion in my belly as I wrote.
~ GK
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
Sneak Peek of Darkblood Academy: Demons
Also by G.K. De Rosa
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1
“Come on, Luna!” Drake shouted.
“I’m coming!” I panted back, my breaths coming in short, ragged spurts. My boots sank into the ankle-deep snow with each frantic step as the towering evergreens’ branches whipped by as I ran. Stupid Fae forest. Stupid Winter Court. I still didn’t trust those trees not to poison me after last semester’s fiasco. If my uber-hot instructor, Ryder, hadn’t saved my life that night maybe I wouldn’t have fallen for him so hard. And maybe I wouldn’t be chasing this godforsaken demon through the freezing cold forest in the middle of the night.
Doubtful.
A spine-tingling shriek sent my head spinning to the left where I could just make out Drake’s footprints disappearing into the thick copse of monster trees.
“Drake?” I cried out. Pumping my arms like a madwoman, I darted through the darkness following the path and the general direction of the scream. Crapcicles! Where were the others?
A monstrous growl whizzed over my head as a dark shadow blotted out the faint moonlight streaming through the dense canopy above. Tilting my head up, the light emerald-green scales of dragon-Ash’s underbelly soared over the tree line.
It was about time he showed up.
The harsh clash of metal steered my legs around the bend to a clearing. Halting behind a tree to catch my breath, I peered around the massive trunk shielding me. After a month of demon fighting, I knew better than to run straight into a possible trap.
“Drake?” I whisper-yelled. Where was the ice prince? The clang of swords colliding rang out around me, but I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. Apparently, neither could dragon-Ash who still circled the dark skies above.
“Argh!” Drake burst free from an opaque inky orb, his sword piercing the bubble and covered in black sludge. As was the Fae prince. His murky black form stood in stark contrast to the snow-white clearing he’d appeared in.
Behind him, a dark blob coalesced into the form of a creature.
“Watch out!” I screamed as the thing became a human-shaped, sword-wielding attacker.
Drake spun around and raised his blade in time to block his demonic adversary. The sharp clash of metal resonated through the quiet forest and spurred me to action. Releasing the dagger from its sheath around my calf, I whipped it at the demon, whispering a targeting incantation as it sailed through the air.
The jagged blade hit its mark, sinking into the monster’s thick shoulder blade. Too bad I didn’t know where its heart was. You could never tell with demons. A waterfall of black goo spurted out, tingeing the pristine snow.
Dragon-Ash circled overhead, flapping his leathery wings as he descended. As he neared, dark plumes of smoke puffed from his nostrils. I took a step back, taking shelter behind the tree line once again. I knew what was coming next.
With an ear-splitting shriek, the dragon dipped further down, only a few yards from Drake and the monster. Our unofficial team leader knew what was coming too. With one powerful arc of his sword, he slashed the demon across the chest. Inky liquid shot out as it doubled over clutching its torso. It was all the distraction Drake needed to dart out of the way as dragon-Ash spewed a blazing wave of dragon fire.
The demon’s unearthly shrieks echoed across the forest, and a ripple of icy chills raced down my spine. Still, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the flames licking up the creature’s torso and engulfing every inch of leathery onyx flesh. That was another thing I’d learned over the past few weeks: confirm the demon was dead before walking away.
I neared the demonic bonfire, the pungent scent of charred flesh and bones wafting up my nose. Bleh. I held my breath to stave off the nausea crawling up my throat and moved closer. When the putrid smoke finally cleared, nothing but a pile of sooty ash remained of the monster.
Drake appeared beside me, his typically pristine uniform caked in black sludge.
I arched a brow at him, taking in the head-to-toe tar blanketing his body. “You look pretty gross.”
“Thanks a lot, human,” he snarled. “You know, if it weren’t for you, these damned Underworlders wouldn’t keep sneaking onto academy grounds.”
Absentmindedly, I ran my fingers over the devil’s mark on my chest. Ever since I’d been stamped with the six-six-six symbol, the demon attacks had become a weekly occurrence.
“Sooorry,” I huffed. I did feel bad about putting my team and all the other students at Darkhen at risk. I’d even considered leaving the academy all together, but Ryder and Cillian had insisted that wasn’t an option. Plus Ryder said it was good practice for us to hone our demon-slaying skills.
Ash appeared a second later, his tall, naked form emerging from the depths of the woods. The shifter’s nudity used to make me super uncomfortable, but after months of training together, I’d grown accustomed to it. I just kept my eyes on his—and nowhere else. Otherwise, my cheeks turned fifty shades of red, which he found hysterical.
“Put some clothes on already,” hissed Drake. The ice prince was in a fouler mood than usual. I wondered if we’d interrupted something when he’d gotten the middle of the night call.
Raine had been mysteriously absent from our suite the past few nights, and I had a niggling sensation she’d been spending her evenings with Drake. Not that I cared… At all.
Ash smirked and flicked his wrist, muttering a few words. “You can look now, Luna. I’m dressed.”
I peeked from the corner of my eye to confirm. He’d tricked me on more than one occasion just to see me flustered. Apparently, nakedness was much more of an acceptable thing around Azarians, especially shifters.
Luckily, Drake shared my penchant for clothing. I wouldn’t have imagined anything less from the prim and proper Fae prince. An unwanted image of a naked Drake popped into my mind. I whipped my head from side to side to dislodge the overly vivid picture.
Whoa… what was that about?
“Why are you bl
ushing now, Luna girl? I’m not even naked anymore.”
I glared at Ash. “I wasn’t. It must be these freakin’ frigid temperatures.” Schooling my expression until the tingle across my cheeks faded, I turned to Drake. “Do you want me to get that stuff off you?”
“I already tried. It seems immune to my powers.”
No wonder he was scowling. Drake was the strongest magic user of the eight of us. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do after three years at the academy. Plus, he had that royal Fae blood running through his veins.
“Let’s get back to the dorms so I can get these clothes off and shower.” Drake pivoted toward the well-worn path to the dormitories, and Ash and I followed behind.
A big yawn escaped as we trudged through the deep snow. Now that the adrenaline was fading, my limbs weighed a ton. My magic had come a long way since arriving at Darkhen five months ago, but using it in excess still sucked the life out of me. And it wasn’t always a hundred percent reliable.
When the dorm building came into view, I sprinted ahead of the boys and reached for the door handle. The freezing weather was the one thing I hated most about living at Darkblood Academy. Why couldn’t they have built the school in the Fae Summer or Spring Courts?
Before my fingers closed around the antique knob, the door whipped open and a hard body smacked into me. A familiar hard body that sent my pulse skyrocketing.
“Whoa there, mini minx, no fondling the faculty.” Ryder’s dark eyes peered down at me, the stars sparkling across the night sky no match for the twinkle in those onyx irises. The wry smirk on his lips flipped into a frown when his gaze moved down to my cheek. “You’re bleeding.”
I thought I’d felt a slight sting earlier when I was barreling through the forest. The soft pad of his thumb brushed my cheek, and I winced.
“It’s nothing. Got smacked in the face by an evil branch. No biggie.”
The crunch of footsteps trudging through snow made me take a big step back from Ryder. His hand dropped away, but his intense eyes remained on the cut across my cheek.
Drake and Ash appeared behind me, deep in some heated conversation.
“Why didn’t you guys call me?” Ryder barked.
“It was nothing we couldn’t handle.” Drake pressed his arms against his chest, the dark goo dripping down his jacket.
“That’s not what it looks like to me.” His dark gaze bounced from Drake’s blackened form to the cut on my cheek.
The Fae prince let out a shrill chuckle. “You’re kidding, right? You’re pissed because your precious human got a little scratch?”
Our instructor bristled, blazing citrine flashing across his irises as he clenched his jaw. “I’m pissed because the three of you took an unnecessary risk.”
“Then maybe you should resume your twenty-four hour watch over Luna if you don’t trust her safety to us.” Drake barreled by Ryder, shoving his shoulder into him as he passed.
“Drake!” he called out, but the prince didn’t even glance back as he marched up the stairs.
“Yeah, he’s kind of in a mood tonight,” I muttered.
“Now you tell me.”
Ash stepped forward, the shifter in the best shape of the three of us. Perks of being a dragon. “You know Drake likes to think he’s in charge when you’re not around. He doesn’t like being second-guessed by you, and you tend to do that a lot when it concerns Luna.”
Ryder’s jaw softened, the murderous glare in his eyes receding. “She’s the newest member of the team, a human, and she’s got that supernatural target on her chest. I’m only trying to look out for her.”
Ash’s hand closed over Ryder’s shoulder, and he gave him a knowing smile. “We get that, man, and that’s exactly what we’re all trying to do.” With a parting wave over his shoulder, he squeezed between Ryder and the door and disappeared up the stairs.
Once the door slammed behind him, Ryder’s gaze lifted to mine. “Am I really being that unreasonable?”
“Yup.” I popped the P for extra emphasis as I squirmed by him. It was freezing out, and I didn’t understand why we were still standing outside.
Ryder’s heavy footsteps trailed behind mine as I marched to the seventh floor. I’d officially moved in with Scarlett, the goth vampire member of The Seven, at the beginning of the semester. I missed my dragon roomie, Cinder, like crazy, but Cillian insisted. I didn’t want to put my best friend in the line of demon fire so I eventually gave in. I still held out hope that once this mark was removed, I could return to my old dorm.
When we reached the seventh floor common area, I twirled around to face my dark shadow. “You can go back to your building now; you don’t have to escort me all the way to my room.”
“I want to make sure it’s clear before I leave. Scarlett’s out hunting tonight, isn’t she?”
I nodded, having completely forgotten. Two or three nights out of the week my new roommate went out with her vamp clan to stalk the furry creatures of the Fae forest. She’d admitted it was nowhere near as good as human blood, but it satiated their innate desire to hunt. I was all for it. Anything that lessened the possibilities of me turning into a tasty vampire snack.
I unlocked the door, and Ryder stalked in ahead of me to check all the hidden nooks and crannies for demon baddies. I’d be scared of him. His broad shoulders, bulging biceps and fathomless onyx eyes marked him a predator. It was easy for me to forget that, but in moments like these, I was glad he was on my side.
Once he’d completed his detailed inspection, he circled back to the center of the room where I stood stifling a yawn.
“Damn, mini minx, I didn’t think my presence was that boring.” A wry grin curled his lip, revealing that cute dimple until his eyes landed on that darn cut again. His brows pulled together, and he huffed. “Let me clean that up for you before I go.”
“That’s really not necessary.” I shook my head as he neared. Being this close to Ryder never turned out well for us. We always ended up kissing or fighting or a bad combination of the two.
His musky sandalwood scent consumed me, robbing me of all rational thought. “I know it’s not, but I want to.” Was it wishful thinking or did his voice sound breathy? “I should’ve been out there with you guys tonight.”
“You can’t be with me twenty-four-seven, Ryder. It’s not good for either one of us.” Mostly my fragile heart. “The team is strong, and Drake’s right, we can take care of ourselves.”
He arched a dark brow. “I know, I know.” Lifting his hand to my shoulder, he gave it a squeeze. “And I’m really proud of how far you—all of you have come.” He turned toward the bathroom and was back a second later with the first aid kit. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you.” Wrapping his fingers around my hand, he dragged me to the bed. “Now, sit.”
I sank down into the soft mattress with a huff. There was no point fighting him on this. The demon bad boy was as stubborn as they came, especially when it regarded my safety. He folded his big frame beside me, the bed dipping under his massive weight, and angled his body toward mine. Dipping a cotton swab in alcohol, he gently swept it over the cut.
I winced from the sting, chomping down on my lower lip.
He leaned in closer, blowing cool air across my cheek to lessen the burn. When he retreated, his eyes fixed on the lip snagged between my teeth. He slowed, his gaze lingering on my mouth, and a sexy growl vibrated in his chest.
Heat ignited in my core, spreading like wildfire toward my lower half. I couldn’t help but meet his eyes, the dark lashes fanning over those impossibly profound orbs. Holy demon babies, why is he so hot?
“I already told you not to do that,” he said, tugging my lip free. He dabbed a little more alcohol on the wound and sat back, keeping his gaze lowered.
This was pretty much how the past month had gone—lingering looks fraught with sexual tension, and that was it. He hadn’t kissed me since the night of the school dance when my father mysteriously showed up and then disappeared. Again.
Chapter 2
One month ago
“My father?” I spluttered, staring up at the handsome, middle-aged man in a flashy deep purple suit. Besides the blonde hair, he didn’t resemble President Lazaris one bit. The weathered, even homely-looking, leader of the United States was whom I’d expected to meet when, or if, the day finally came.
When I’d found out he was my father almost half a year ago that was the image that had been firmly emblazoned in my mind. But this man… this man was a complete stranger. A powerful warlock that oozed dark magic. It clogged the room with its intensity, long tendrils of dark energy coiled around his form. Even my limited abilities could sense it.
He moved closer, and I instinctively stepped back. Right into Ryder’s chest. His hands clutched my elbows, steadying me.
“I’m here to help you, Luna.” Garrix held his hand out.
I numbly stared at his open palm for a few minutes before finally lifting my gaze to his. I searched those cobalt eyes for something familiar, anything that would link me to this stranger.
“What took you so long?” I eventually muttered.
The entire room went quiet, even the crackle of the flames in the hearth seemed to have gone silent.
“Cillian only just reached out to me about that pesky devil’s mark.” His cold eyes scrutinized me before settling on the symbol engraved into my chest.
