by G. K. DeRosa
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Sneak Peek of Darkblood Academy: Demons
Chapter 1
My toes dangled over the edge of the precipice as a chilly breeze whipped strands of blonde hair across my face. Happy nineteenth birthday to me. I inhaled deeply, the crisp air frosting my lungs. With my arms out to my sides and my eyes closed just right, it felt like I was flying. The soaring peaks of Draeko surrounded the fortress, wispy white clouds enveloping the towering crags that I’d called home for the past two months. But I was ready to go to my real home—back to Darkhen Academy and whatever awaited me.
I stepped back from the balcony ledge as a scream filled my bedroom. Spinning toward the sound, Cinder darted toward me, her face twisted in fear. “No!” My best friend’s arms encircled me, pulling me into her chest. “Oh my gods, Luna. What are you doing?”
I stared up at her with brows knitted until my brain put together what her panicked eyes had seen. The balcony, me teetering atop the narrow wall. Shaking my head, I squeezed her a little tighter. “I wasn’t trying to jump, Cin. I was just saying goodbye to Draeko and the beautiful views.”
Her golden irises raked over me before bouncing to the scenery over my shoulder. She’d grown up in the clouds of Skye Lair, but for me, the past few months had seemed like a fairytale. One with a surly, broken-hearted princess, but still one nonetheless.
“Luna, I thought…” She choked out.
“I’m upset, not suicidal, Cin.” I hadn’t even told my best friend it was my birthday. The epically disastrous birthday curse would apparently continue.
The crease between her perfect brows deepened as if she didn’t quite believe me. “Still. Let’s get you back inside.” She tugged me into my chamber as I glanced at the mountains one last time.
Cinder finally released me when the metal bar clanked into place across the thick wooden door to the balcony. She eyed my duffel bags on the bed and seemed satisfied that all was well.
I slumped down on the plush mattress and glanced up at her. “I’m sorry if I scared you.” I didn’t think I’d been that bad the past months, but for her to think I’d even consider jumping…
“I know the idea of going back to Darkhen without Ryder being there must be bringing up some major feelings.”
I folded my arms across my chest, trying to hold the broken pieces in. I hadn’t heard a word from him all winter break. Cillian, Logan and his gargoyle teams had scoured Azar in search of the rogue demon. He’d left a trail of soulless supernatural bodies in his wake. I wasn’t sure what I was more scared of: them not finding him or them actually finding him and having to face the consequences of his killing spree.
My throat tightened, a thick lump of emotion clogging my esophagus. Cinder sat down beside me and squeezed my hand. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but somehow everything will be okay.”
“How?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Luna. Maybe there’s an explanation for all of this.”
I arched a skeptical brow. “He’s gone. That’s the only explanation there is. Something inside him snapped and the Ryder that I knew, that I fell in love with, is gone. This demon wreaking havoc through Azar, it’s not him.”
“We’ll find a way to get him back. I promise.”
I hugged my hopeful bestie because that was what I loved most about her, her eternal optimism. Not that I’d given up on Ryder because as long as he was alive, I wouldn’t stop searching for him, but after two months, I didn’t know what would be left of him to find.
“Knock, knock. You girls ready?” Fenix poked his head through the doorway, and Kimmie-Jayne scooted in behind him. Her belly was starting to protrude so she couldn’t quite fit between the crack in the doorway.
We both stood, and I grabbed my duffel bags off the bed, scanning my room one last time. The architecture of Skye Lair reminded me a lot of the academy: the same rough-hewn gray stone walls, winding corridors and medieval feel, only every chamber in the lair was large enough to fit a few fully shifted dragons.
Kimmie-Jayne neared, a sad smile across her face and she squeezed my shoulder. “I’m going to miss you, kid.”
My heart plummeted at Ryder’s old nickname for me. My face must’ve given me away because she immediately bit her lip.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know how that slipped out. Stupid pregnancy brain.”
Fenix cleared his throat and reached for my bags before I could refuse. “Why don’t we let you two have a minute to say your goodbyes. We’ll meet you out on the roof.”
Cinder threw me a reassuring smile over her shoulder before she followed her brother out. The moment the door closed behind them, K.J. wrapped me in a hug. “I’m really going to miss having you here.”
My heart swelled, the jagged crack stretching across the surface since Ryder disappeared momentarily less painful. For the first time in my life, I’d understood what it meant to have a family. As anxious as I was to get back to Darkblood, I was going to miss it here too.
The Skyraiders had taken me in like I was one of their own. Kimmie-Jayne had always spoken so highly of Blaze and Ember, but it wasn’t until I spent two months here that I understood what she’d meant. Fenix’s parents were supportive and fair, loving and just overall wonderful. Not to mention how much fun we’d had with Flare and Ashlin, Cinder’s older brother and younger sister. I may have drooled a little the first time I met Flare. After ogling him for months on Hitched, it was hard not to. But as the weeks passed, he, like Fenix, became more like fun big brothers than anything else.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Kimmie-Jayne’s voice snapped me back to the present.
“I was thinking about how much I’m going to miss all of you too.” Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them spill over. I didn’t want K.J. to worry about me. Cinder already thought I was suicidal, and I didn’t need that from my half-sister too.
“It’ll be good for you to be back at school—focusing on something. It’ll make things easier.”
I gnawed on my lower lip. Ryder’s name had become a bad word in the Skyraider household. No one besides Cinder dared speak it in front of me. They were too scared it would set me off again.
I’d spent my first week in Draeko holed up in my room. In bed. In the dark. I didn’t eat, I didn’t speak and I’d pretty much scared everyone to death. It wasn’t until Garrix came and dragged me out of my bed that things got better. Apparently, my biological father knew me better than I knew myself. Who knew that some skinwalking would chase the dark clouds of depression away?
“Everything’s going to be different now at Darkhen without Ryder there.” I fidgeted with my fingers.
She nodded. “It will be at first, but I’m sure things will go back to normal once you are back into the swing of things. With your classes, your training and missions.”
Those were all things I did with Ryder. Who would train us? We weren’t the supe slayer squad without him. “Have you spoken to Cillian? Did he find someone to replace Ryder as our instructor?”
“I have spoken to him, but no, not about that. Don’t worry, Luna, I’m sure he’ll find someone great.”
I still felt awkward talking to Kimmie-Jayne about the romantic stuff involving Ryder. She knew there was something there, but she didn’t ask and I didn’t tell. I wasn’t sure if it was because they’d dated or because she disapproved of the whole idea of her little sister being with a demon in the first place. So we kind of tiptoed around the subject. Only Cinder knew what really happened the night his demon was set loose. A part of me thought Cillian knew too, but he never brought it up. Thank the supes!
There had be
en one other topic I’d been too chicken to bring up with my sister for the past months, but if I didn’t get it out now, I’d miss my chance. Who knew when I’d see her again with baby coming soon?
Luxora and her oracle had been on my mind almost as much as Ryder. Cillian had promised he’d talk to Kimmie-Jayne about it, but either he’d chickened out too or it was so bad he didn’t want to tell me.
I steeled my nerves and spat it out. “K.J., I need to know what you saw in your visions about me.” I paused as her big blue eyes widened. “After what Luxora said about her oracle’s prophecy and her going to so much trouble to find me, it can’t be good. And I think I deserve to know what the future has in store for me.”
“Luna…” Her lip trembled, and she pulled me toward the bed to sit. “You know I would if I thought it would help. As I’ve told you before, visions are quirky. The future is constantly changing and me telling you some minute detail could alter the course of your future.”
My brows furrowed, my lips twisting into a frown. It wasn’t right for her to keep this from me. “Cillian already told me that you had a vision before you came to Astor Home to find me. Did it have anything to do with what Luxora’s oracle saw?”
She snagged her lower lip between her teeth, a nervous trait we apparently shared. Exhaling a long breath, her eyes met mine. “My first vision of you was hazy. It wasn’t of you exactly. It was of some faceless daughter of Garrix. I couldn’t tell who it was, but it worried me enough to contact our father and convince him you needed to be found. Once I met you, I knew you were the one. I won’t go into more detail because I can’t, but Luxora is right. You are important and if things take a turn for the worst, you may be the only one to stop it.”
Well, that was ominous and vague.
“I’m sorry, Luna, I wish I could say more. What I will tell you is that I’ve seen things that scared me. My first visions came while I was on Hitched. I had no idea what they were at the time; I thought they were really vivid nightmares. But if you could prevent those things from happening, I knew I had to find you.”
“And Luxora wants me out of the way so that those things you saw can happen.”
She nodded. “I think so.”
I pressed my fingers into the sides of my forehead as the beginnings of a headache throbbed my temples. “Is there any way you could all be wrong?”
She lifted a slim shoulder. “Anything is possible. Not everything I’ve seen has come to pass. But there’s one thing I know, Luna. You are important. With everything going on with Ryder, you can’t afford to get distracted.”
“I just wish I knew he was okay.” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard.
“Ryder is a big boy, Luna. He grew up in the Underworld, he had Lucifer as a father, and he knows how to take care of himself.” She drew me into her side. “You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“But Luxora and her demons haven’t even tried to come after me for months now. Maybe the oracle’s vision changed, and she discovered it was all a big mistake.”
K.J.’s gaze dropped, and she picked at an invisible hangnail.
“Kimmie-Jayne, is there something you didn’t tell me?”
She lifted her eyes to mine, and her lips puckered. “We didn’t want you to worry… but there have been a few attempts to infiltrate Skye Lair. Flare and the guards were able to stop the demons before they ever set foot on the property, but they got close a few times.”
My eyes bugged out. “What? When? How could you guys keep this from me?”
“You had enough to worry about, and the guards were able to handle it. I told Cillian, and he agreed it was best for you not to know. You were so fragile after…”
I ground my teeth together, biting back a snarl. All winter break I’d been totally clueless, thinking Luxora had forgotten all about me. I’d been so obsessed with finding Ryder with spells, potions and dark enchantments I hadn’t even noticed what was going on right under my nose.
I jumped to my feet and paced the large chamber. I’d been hiding away in this fortress in the mountains for long enough. It was time to get back to the real world. I needed to find Ryder and stop Luxora once and for all.
Chapter 2
The swirling spires of Darkhen Academy appeared in the golden-hued horizon, and my breath hitched. My fingers clenched around the leather reins as the emerald dragon began his slow descent. Dragon-Flare’s rubbery wings shot blasts of frosty air over my nose and cheeks, and a chill raced up my spine. In the past week or two, the wintry frost had finally abated in Draeko, giving way to the minutely warmer spring air, but now we were headed right back to the frigid Winter Court and I’d be forced to endure another year of never-ending winter.
Hold on tight. Dragon-Flare’s voice echoed in my mind. After weeks of hanging out with my bestie’s family, I still couldn’t get used to the sound of their voices in my head whenever they were in dragon form.
K.J. had told me about the two-way mental communication she enjoyed with Fenix as his mate. I was sure it was convenient at times, but it also seemed way too intrusive.
Across the way, Dragon-Cinder flew beside us, her pale citrine scales alight beneath the oranges of the setting sun. I waved at my friend as we continued our descent toward the academy. After the winter break, traveling by dragon had become the norm for me. Flare and Cinder had taken me to see all the touristy sights of Azar. I’d gotten to explore Celestia, the angel realm, Maginaria, which I’d already been to a few times with my warlock dad, Drake took us on a tour of the Summer and Spring Courts of the Fae realm, and I even went to visit my vamp roomie, Scarlett, in Nocturnis—which was permanently cloaked in darkness by the way. Crazy cool.
The supe squad had been called out to the human world twice to deal with some demon baddies. Well, it had been more times than that, but I’d refused to partake the first few times. With Ryder gone, it didn’t feel right. Plus, Raine was on house arrest for her part in my attempted kidnapping so the team wasn’t exactly whole anyway.
Raine claimed she had no idea Desmond was working with Luxora when she drew me away from the dance. When he approached her, he said he was only trying to get some alone time with me. She swore she had no idea Luxora was involved and had never collaborated with her before. I’m not sure I believe her.
Des, on the other hand, was in supe jail. He’d been arrested by the Supernatural Intelligence Agency and brought to trial before the Etrian Assembly. He’d be spending the next twenty years behind bars for conspiring with the dark lord of the Underworld. A part of me felt bad for him—a very tiny part. One day he was human, the next he was a vampire and some demon seductress roped him into her web.
My stomach dropped, lurching me from my thoughts, as dragon-Flare’s talons hit the snow-covered ground with a jolt. The spiraling towers of Darkhen Academy loomed before us as I slid off the massive dragon with my duffel bags over each shoulder. Flashes of arriving at the academy a year ago zipped across my mind. So much had happened in the past year, I couldn’t even wrap my head around it.
A golden haze swirled around me, and I spun back to find Flare and Cinder back in human form. Fully naked form. Luckily, I’d grown pretty accustomed to their nakedness in the past few months and barely felt the heat across my cheeks. I tossed them one of the bags, and a few seconds later they reappeared fully clothed.
Flare whistled as he rocked back on his heels to fully take in the main academy building. “Man, Cin, and I felt bad for you when I first heard mom and dad were shipping you off to magical boarding school. This place is nicer than Skye Lair.”
Cinder slapped her arm across her brother’s washboard abs. “Yeah, well maybe you’d known that if you came to visit just once last year.”
“Sorry about that.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “With Fenix taking over as Alpha, I had to step up my game on the council.”
“Yeah, right. You forget Fenix actually keeps in touch with me. He told me you spent all year messing around with that Firestone girl. I
kept waiting for you to bring her home over break so we could meet her.”
“Firestone?” The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
“That’s Zephyr’s family. I think Flare’s new girl is his cousin or something.”
I slapped my hands on my hips and stared up at Flare. “You have a girlfriend, and you never told us all winter?”
He shrugged. “She’s more of a female friend than a girlfriend. Besides, I’m still in talks with the producers of Hitched. They want me to be the next bachelor. I can’t get attached right now.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that burst from my mouth. “You’d make an awesome bachelor, Flare.”
He bent into an elaborate bow. “Thank you, my lady.”
“Are you going to come in for a bit?” Cinder cocked her head at her brother.
“An entire academy full of hot supernatural co-eds? Just try and stop me.” He winked as he grabbed our bags and headed up the snow-covered walkway.
My best friend rolled her eyes and weaved her arm through mine. “You ready?”
“About as ready as I was the first time I got here.”
Darkblood Academy: Demons comes out on October 1 and you can preorder it here now!
While you’re waiting, you can read the complete Hitched series and read the story that started it all. Meet Kimmie-Jayne Starr and her bachelors and discover how the human and supernatural worlds came together.
Hitched: The Bachelorette
One innocent human girl. Twenty-five supernatural bachelors. Six weeks to choose The One.
When struggling actress Kimmie-Jayne Starr discovers she’s snagged the starring role on the next huge reality TV show, Hitched, she thinks all her dreams have finally come true. But as soon as she lands on the beautiful island of Mystic Cove, something feels wrong.
Sure, the twenty-five bachelors are heart-stoppingly gorgeous, but she’s certain they’re all hiding something—something supernatural. As she gets to know the guys, protecting her heart proves impossible when she finds herself irresistibly drawn to more than just one.
