Initiated (Daywalker Academy Series Book 4)

by Maya Daniels

  “Alexius got what he deserved.” Silas sniffs, unimpressed. “That doesn’t negate the fact the oath must take a place.”

  “And you thought, ‘hey, let’s hurt those she cares about and blackmail her into it’ because that always works like a charm, huh?” Clenching my fists, I prod at the entity inside me, mentally hoping she’ll come to my aid again.

  The bitch purrs.

  “It’s not difficult to do Ms. Drake. All you have to do is drink from the chalice.” The old shifter waves a silver cup at me, brandishing it like a sword in my face. “The magic of this place will do the rest. It’s part of you, isn’t it? Soren made sure of that. You can’t possibly ask all of us to trust you when you obviously don’t trust yourself.”

  I bite my tongue to stop all the words standing on the tip of it that I want to throw at them. Talk about shitty timing. The old fools couldn’t give me at least an hour to take my brother to medic Aspen and my mother out of here. I wish they knock her out too, so she doesn’t see this clusterfuck. It’ll be one more thing in her arsenal that she’ll use to remind me what kind of a mistake I am, I’m sure.

  “I need to take my mother back where she belongs.” There you go, no one said I can’t negotiate. “I said I will take the oath and I haven’t changed my mind. Let the others go, and they won’t influence my decision. This is between you and me.”

  Silas is already shaking his head and I’m not even done talking. There is a glint in their gazes, telling me they have no doubt in their minds that they’ve won. I, on the other hand, think if I stall enough Zoltan and Fenrir will break through whatever magic they used on them. I will enjoy sitting on the sidelines while the Board is being slapped around. Just like everything else in my life, this is not as easy as that.

  “You take the oath, now,” Daren’s father snaps impatiently.

  “How did you manage to knock them out?” Gingerly, I step over Zoltan moving closer to the dumbasses. “That’s some strong juju you are packing.” I flick my gaze to the mage.

  “The Academy’s magic knows this needs to be done. It helped.” Silas stupidly gloats, unaware he just warned me that I can’t count on the entity inside me for aid. No wonder the bitch purrs.

  “Of course it did.” Mumbling, I inch closer without being too obvious about it.

  A crazy thought flicks through my mind that Soren is in on this, that maybe this is just one more hook he is trying to sink into me, but I push it away. I’ll deal with the ancient Fae when I fix this shitstorm. I’ll drag him out of that bed by his feet if I have to.

  “It’ll take but a moment, Ms. Drake, and then you can continue whatever it is you were doing.” Daren’s father softens his words like that will make me jump at the opportunity they are offering. He really must think I’m dumb.

  But what choice do I have?

  I’ve already decided to go along with this insanity, much to Zoltan’s and Fenrir’s dismay and protests. They both have taken the oath and they seem perfectly fine, even have their own minds still. They still know right from wrong too. If they were brainwashed, I would’ve fought against it like a wounded animal. But now? Remembering Astara telling me about Zoltan’s sacrifice is still not enough to change my mind. I want the assholes off my back, and the fates never gave me the option of having a true mate. I guess that means it can’t be taken from me.

  My eyes go to the top of Zoltan’s head on their own. No matter how hard I fight against my feelings for him, nothing stops them. No, they only burn stronger the more I force myself to push him away. They muddle my mind and cripple me in situations where I need a clear head. Yet, there they are, churning and stretching, occupying every inch of my soul. If this is how he makes me feel now, I don’t want the true-mate connection, even if it is on the table for my taking. From what I’ve heard it’s all-consuming. Like this is not. The voice in my head snorts at me.

  “This can’t wait why exactly?” My feet slide closer to the old mage.

  “There is no time like the present,” the shifter says cheerfully, tugging on the shirt he is wearing and folding it up to his elbow.

  What does he think? We will wrestle?

  “Very well.” My mother screams a high-pitched sound when I bounce from the balls of my feet, body slamming the old mage.

  We topple together, taking the shifter to the ground with us, the silver chalice tinkling happily on the tiled floors. I lose sight of it, elbowing my way up and hitting a nose with a sickening crunch. A neck gives way at my jabs. Silas dances away like a fucking ballerina, and it pisses me off that he isn’t on the ground, too. Growls and snarls come from the two board members while I punch and kick every part of them I can reach. The old vampire moves closer before jumping back and looking for an opening to help them break up our brawl.

  My mother’s terrified scream drains all the fight from me.

  “Step away from them,” Silas snarls, spittle dangling from his lips when I look at him.

  “Take your filthy hands off me.” My mother swings a fist, backhanding Silas and breaking his nose.

  His grip on her hair doesn’t loosen, but it’s beautiful to watch the blood flow down his mouth and soak into his shirt. He wrenches her head to the side, bearing his fangs. I jump to my feet instantly, stepping away from the two still in a pile of twisted limbs on the ground. Lifting both hands palms up, I move further away not taking my eyes off him. The mage and the shifter are cursing up a storm while pushing to their feet.

  “The chalice.” Silas jerks his chin and the old shifter scrambles up, rushing to grab it where it rolled next to Tenebris. The panther snarls viciously but not a muscle twitches on his body.

  I stand frozen just like my mother, whose eyes are burning with anger. We watch the old shifter slashing his wrist. He dribbles his blood in the chalice, pushing acid to flood my mouth. Breathing through my nose, I try my best not to vomit. The Board member walks up to Silas doing the same thing, and green smoke swirls out of the silver cup when their blood combines. The mage is the last, the green puffs flowing freely over the rim of the chalice with his life fluid added to the mix.

  “Just a sip, Ms. Drake.” The shifter brings it to me like an offering. “It’ll be over before you know it and none of this needs to happen again.

  Silas’s and Daren’s father is chanting things in a foreign language, and bile rises to the roof of my mouth while goosebumps erupt all over my skin. I wish I was like Fenrir and can understand all these exotic tongues so I know if they are cursing me to all eternity. All I can do now is look around at everyone I care about unconscious and my mother’s freaked-out face like she’s the one that needs to drink that gunk. The magic inside me is purring softly, vibrating the center of my chest between my breasts. It would’ve reacted differently if I was in danger, right? I have to believe that.

  I step closer to the old shifter taking the silver chalice with a shaking hand.

  “Just a sip.” He nods encouragingly and I want to scratch his eyes out.

  “Don’t do it, Francesca,” my mother snarls writhing next to Silas to get away from him.

  “It’ll be fine, mother.” Sounding a lot more confident than I feel, I lift the cup to my lips and tip it up, swallowing as fast as I can while trying not to breathe. “It’s nothing bad,” I murmur when nothing cataclysmic happens.

  The chalice flips from my numbs hand.

  Dropping on my knees, my head snaps up and the loudest, more tortured scream rattles the walls and windows of the academy. It’s coming from me; I can feel my vocal cords shredding into ribbons and the inside of my throat bleeding, but I can’t stop it. I’m melting from the inside. My body starts convulsing, all my limbs flailing while powers pump through my veins, burning everything in their path to ashes.

  It lasts for many lifetimes, at least that’s how it feels to me. When the pain finally stops, a cool breeze fills my body, mending everything that was ripped apart. My mind is clearing slowly and I almost weep knowing I never have to feel that again. That’
s when I begin screaming in my mind.

  My arms push me up and I climb to my feet. The three Board members are watching me with rapt attention. I have no control of my movements and I’m well aware that the magic of the Academy is in control. Whispers fill my head like a cloud of bees swarming closer and closer. Silas drops my mother and I watch dispassionately as she moves to the metal bed where my brother is laying covered with a sheet. It takes a second to realize she is placing herself between me and him because I’m walking right at my sibling.

  Passing Silas, I snatch a dagger I didn’t know he had from the small of his back. My mother lifts both arms to the side, making herself look bigger than she is in hopes to ward me off. I can feel the three Board members moving closer at my back. My soul is crying, begging the magic to release its hold and stop what I know is coming.

  ‘No! Please no!’ my mind screams and the buzzing stops just as I push my mother out of my way hard enough to send her flying to the end of the large dining hall.

  “It is a mercy act, child.” Many voices speaking at once fill my head. “You will be grateful when you find the truth that it was your hand to offer peace to the blood of your blood. In a war for power, this is not a sacrifice to weep about. I offer you a chance to avenge him.”

  I scream and claw inside my head but my body is calm and not in my control. My arm lifts and slashes down, severing my brother’s head, the blade passing through his neck like through butter. It falls off the bed and rolls out of sight, but the image of it is burned into my retinas. Tears run freely down my face, wetting the dried blood from my fight with Alexius. I numbly wonder if my brother’s head joined his on the floor, but I don’t look.

  I can’t look.

  My mother’s sobs are faint but they grow louder and she starts screaming at me, throwing every vile name under the moon my way. It’s nothing less than I deserve. The dagger with the thick red blood dripping from it tumbles from my hand when my fingers go limp, cluttering on the floor.

  Whatever soundproof barrier is placed around us pops like a bubble and everyone comes to life. The building is trembling from the fury coming from Zoltan when he pounces on Silas, but I can’t find it in me to even let him see me like this. There is only one person I want to see right now. Only one person can help me do what I need to do.

  Spinning on my heel, I run out of the hall faster than I’ve ever done before. Everyone is fighting in the dining hall so I’m lucky they don’t notice I slip away. The halls blur around me and the door to my room crashes open, the hinges breaking, tilting it to one side. Like a whirl, I yank on sheets and drawers until I find what I am looking for and fly out of my room without a second’s delay. In one way, it’s good everyone else is occupied fighting the Board members. I don’t want anyone coming with me right now. Out of the Academy building, I bolt to the left straight at the open field where the portal swirls without a care in the world. If hunters are still gathered on the other side, even better. I will rip them apart limb from limb with my bare hands.

  Not giving myself time to hesitate, I throw myself at the portal head first. It spits me out on the other side with no side effects at all. Or I might be numb from the pain I already went through by giving the oath. I don’t care. Dropping on my feet in the alley with its burning stench of the human realm, I place the coal in front of me and, sitting back on my haunches, I wait. She said she will come. I have to believe her.

  Tenebris sails through the portal lending agile on his paws. He locks his gaze on mine for a moment before settling next to me. We sit in silence for what feels like forever. My heart sinks when a long enough time passes and she doesn’t come. My lower lip is trembling, and I know the shock is wearing off. I need to be away from everyone and everything when that happens. No one is going to see me break. Not even the panther.

  “Hello, cousin.” Myst’s husky voice reaches my ears from the mouth of the alley.

  “We are nothing to each other.” I sound toneless and hollow.

  “Yet we share blood.” Pushing off the wall, she moves closer eyeing the feline warily. “But that’s not why you called me.”

  “I killed my brother,” I blurt out past the lump in my throat.

  “And you need a shoulder to cry on?” A look of disappointment crosses her delicate features.

  “I have a serpentine stone that my father left me.” that gets her attention more than anything else. “It’s yours if you help me.”

  Locking my gaze with hers, I stare at her long enough that she starts shuffling her feet, the thin heels of her boots scraping the concrete.

  “You have changed.” Narrowing her eyes, she squints at me. “Are you looking for me to feel sorry for you? What is it you want from me Francesca?”

  “Revenge.” The magic inside me sends a pulse through my entire body and Myst jerks back. “I’m going to kill them all.”

  “Now we are talking.” She grins.

  To be continued

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  Want to continue with Francesca and Zoltan’s story? Book 5 is on pre-order, grab your copy! Click on the link

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  Infuriated Book 5

  From the Author

  Hello rebel,

  I hope you enjoyed the story up to this point. I had something different in mind but Francesca is really as stubborn as she comes across. We pushed and shoved but she got things her way and I had to submit to her wishes. One thing I can promise is, you will love what comes next.

  Thank you for being on this adventure with me. I appreciate you! There are more new stories coming soon so keep in touch. I love hearing from you.

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  Until next time, rebel.

  Happy Reading!

  Maya xxx

  Also by Maya Daniels

  Daywalker Academy series - PNR/UF

  Investigated Book 1

  Infiltrated Book 2

  Instigated Book 3

  Initiated Book 4

  Infuriated Book 5

  Ignited Book 6 - coming soon

  The Courtless Fae series - PNR/UF

  Secret Origins Book 1 -coming June 2020

  The Broken Halos series- PNR/Urban Fantasy:

  The Devil is in the Details Book 1

  Speak of the Devil Book 2

  Encounter with the Devil Book 3

  The Devil in Disguise Book 4

  To look the Devil in the eye Book 5

  Better the Devil you know Book 6

  New Blood Rising series- Dark PNR

  Risorgimento-Rebirth Book 1

  Rovesciamento-Overthrown Book 2

  Riconoscimento-Recognition Book 3 - coming soon

  Stand alone-Dark Fantasy romance/ Mythology:

  The Cursed Kingdom

  Hidden Portals trilogy- PNR:

  Venus Trap Book 1

  The First Secret Book 2

  The Obsidian Throne- coming soon

  Semiramis series-Urban Fantasy/PNR:

  Who am I - Prequel to the Semiramis series

  Semiramis Awakened Book 1

  Semiramis Reborn Book 2

  Semiramis The Vessel Book 3

  Remembrance Book 4 - coming soon