Broken Knights: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 4)

by Michelle Hercules

  Broken Knights

  Gifted Academy Book Four

  Michelle Hercules

  Infinite Sky Publishing

  Broken Knights © 2020 by Michelle Hercules

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Michelle Hercules

  Editor: Theresa Schultz

  Proofreader: Hot Tree Editing

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Daisy

  2. Morpheus

  3. Daisy

  4. Daisy

  5. Morpheus

  6. Rufio

  7. Bryce

  8. Morpheus

  9. Phoenix

  10. Bryce

  11. Morpheus

  12. Daisy

  13. Bryce

  14. Daisy

  15. Bryce

  16. Phoenix

  17. Daisy

  18. Daisy

  19. Daisy

  20. Daisy

  21. Daisy

  22. Bryce

  23. Daisy

  24. Daisy

  25. Rufio

  26. Bryce

  27. Morpheus

  28. Daisy

  29. Phoenix

  30. Daisy

  31. Morpheus

  32. Daisy

  33. Daisy

  34. Morpheus

  35. Daisy

  36. Rufio

  37. Phoenix

  38. Daisy

  39. Morpheus

  40. Daisy

  41. Daisy

  42. Morpheus

  43. Daisy

  44. Daisy

  Epilogue

  Also by Michelle Hercules

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Xavier

  Saturn’s Bay – Six and a Half Years Ago

  The club’s grand opening was only a week away, but Xavier couldn’t find an ounce of excitement or motivation. It was a miracle he had been able to keep the project rolling while his thoughts were consumed with worry over the disappearance of Paul’s daughters, his nieces. If he could, he’d abandon everything and go in search of them.

  He actually did go to Hawk City as soon as he heard the awful news that his brother and sister-in-law had been brutally murdered by Neo Gods agents. But at the time, Daisy and Rosie had been staying with a distant relative. He should have known the arrangement was temporary. He should have intervened. But fear his enemies would find out about his connection to Paul kept him from getting involved. And now the guilt ate at him.

  A gorgeous Fringe was performing on the brand-new main stage, but Xavier saw nothing as he stared ahead with a closed fist covering his mouth. In his other hand, he nursed a glass of whiskey, neat.

  His phone’s screen lit up a second before the device vibrated on the table, bringing Xavier back to the present. The call was from an unknown number, which prompted him to answer right away.

  “Xavier speaking.”

  “I’ve found them,” said a female voice he hadn’t heard in years.

  Jodie Fallon was someone from Xavier’s past he wished he could forget. She had only brought misery to his family, and he was convinced Paul’s death was somehow linked to the woman. He hadn’t asked her for help, so the fact that she knew who he was looking for made his entire frame tense.

  “I didn’t realize you were looking,” he replied.

  “Of course I was searching for them. They’re Will’s nieces too.”

  “Don’t you dare speak his name,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

  “You’re never going to forgive me, are you?”

  “No.”

  Xavier heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line, but that didn’t change how he felt. Jodie got his older brother Will killed, then married the Idol responsible for his death.

  “Hate me all you want, but don’t let your feelings get in the way of saving your nieces.”

  He stood suddenly and made a beeline to his office at the back of the club. This was not a conversation he should have out in the open.

  “I’m not. Give me a second.” Once the door was safely locked, he continued. “Go on. Where are they?”

  “Chatterton. A few days ago, they slept in a homeless shelter. But they haven’t returned. My contacts believe they’re living in an abandoned train station downtown.”

  Xavier’s hand curled into a fist, and then his entire body seemed to freeze. The rage he had carried deep in his gut his entire life threatened to burst through.

  “They’re living on the streets?” His voice was low, and it cracked at the end.

  “I’m afraid so, Xavier,” Jodie replied.

  He had mastered controlling his emotions a long time ago, but today he was having a hard time keeping them concealed. Daisy and Rosie were the only family he had left. He was born south of the border and forced to grow up fast when his parents ditched him at an orphanage at the age of five. He ran away from the nightmarish place as soon as he could, coming to the country by hiding in the trunk of John Rodale’s car.

  When the Norm found him, instead of calling the police, he gave Xavier a place to stay, and then, much to Xavier’s surprise, the man adopted him later. And now Xavier was repaying that act of selfless love by letting his own nieces fend for themselves in a dangerous city.

  “I know you don’t trust me, but I can get them to a safe location,” she continued.

  “No! Absolutely not. You’re already too involved. I don’t want to sic your despicable husband on the girls.”

  “I’ve been careful. Jonathan knows nothing,” she gritted out.

  “Like he knew nothing about Paul?”

  “Paul got killed because he had a big mouth. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

  “Just stay away from them, Jodie. I mean it.”

  “As you wish.”

  She then told him the address, which Xavier jotted down in illegible scribbles on the first piece of paper he could find—the back of an envelope.

  He was just about to fold the note and stick it into his breast pocket when a knock came at the door.

  “Come in.”

  “Sorry to interrupt, Mr. X, but you have a visitor,” one of Xavier’s bodyguards announced.

  “I don’t have time for visits, Leonardo. I’m heading out.”

  The burly bodyguard was shoved to the side and a tall blond man entered his office, commanding Xavier’s attention immediately. Apprehension took hold of Xavier, and at once, he projected his powers to the max. He was only a level six Fringe, but thanks to his ability as a Morph, he could pretend to be a level ten Idol. And Xavier needed to appear stronger than he was, for standing before him was not only a level fifteen Idol, but also one of the leaders of the Knights, a clandestine organization committed to protecting Fringes and Norms from the oppressive hand of the Idol race.

  Leonardo made to remove Gunther Silverstone by force, but Xavier lifted his hand to halt him. “It’s fine, Leo. You can go now.”

  Silently, he nodded before shutting the door. Silverstone remain
ed where he stood, watching Xavier with dispassionate curiosity.

  Xavier sat down, getting comfortable in his chair. It was all a show. Every nerve in his body was crackling with electricity, and all his muscles were stiff. “How can I help you?”

  “Xavier Rodale. You’re a hard man to find.”

  Xavier narrowed his gaze and clenched his jaw. Very few people knew his last name. “What do you want?”

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “I’ve seen your picture in the social pages of the newspapers.”

  The man smiled tightly. “Let me rephrase. Do you know who I work for?”

  Xavier leaned forward, keeping the glower in place while his brain scrambled to find a situation where he might have slipped up, where the likes of Silverstone would suspect the nature of his gift. When he couldn’t think of any, he replied, “You’re part of the Knights.”

  The man finally walked forward and then pulled up a chair. When sat down, he seemed relaxed, which only made Xavier tenser.

  “That’s right.”

  “Why were you looking for me?”

  “I have an offer for you.”

  “I’m not interested. I have no desire to get embroiled in your illicit activities.” Xavier began to stand up, ready to escort the arrogant Idol out of his office.

  “Really? I thought you would be more sympathetic to our cause after we prevented the Neo Gods from murdering your nieces in cold blood.”

  At once, Xavier froze. He thought he had been careful, but apparently not, since Silverstone knew about Daisy and Rosie. He sat back down, feeling leery and on edge. He had to be careful about his next words.

  “What do you know about them?”

  “We know their current location. As a matter of fact, we have been keeping tabs on their movements for a while.”

  Son of a bitch, Xavier thought.

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say I have a vested interest in keeping them safe.”

  Fury erupted from the pit of Xavier’s belly. He had left his nieces alone in order to protect them, but it seemed his sacrifice had been in vain. Leaning forward, he slammed his open palms on his desk. “You stay the hell away from them.”

  Silverstone narrowed his cunning eyes. “You should be thanking me. If it weren’t for my agents, they’d be dead by now. You do know what happens to pretty girls who wander far from home.”

  Xavier’s stomach twisted savagely. He was young when he left the south, but he remembered the atrocities and violence against young girls and women who didn’t have anyone to protect them. His head felt heavy all of a sudden, so he dipped his chin, closing his eyes for a moment.

  “I’m not trying to rub salt in your wound. I’m offering my help. I can take the girls from the streets and place them in a safe house until you’re ready to claim them.”

  Xavier lifted his head to stare Silverstone in the eye. He was usually a good judge of character, but he was having a hard time figuring out the Idol in front of him.

  “What do you want in return?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  “I want you to come work with me.”

  Xavier’s eyebrows shot up while his blood ran cold. “Why?”

  “Because I could use someone with your special skills.”

  Fear gripped Xavier’s insides, twisting them in a merciless vise. His heart pounded against his rib cage as he stared at the Idol. “My special skills?” he asked finally.

  “I know what you are, Xavier.”

  Xavier’s stomach bottomed out, and the instinct to flee took over. He would do it if his nieces’ lives weren’t on the line.

  “And you still want me to work with you?”

  “Yes. I’m not like the majority of Idols. I don’t destroy people out of fear. And I know your kind has been hunted to near extinction.”

  “Then you know why I can’t work for you and risk discovery.”

  “You won’t be discovered. No one will know about your association with the Knights besides me, not even the other members.”

  “Do you want me to work for you as a spy?”

  “Precisely. In exchange, I’ll personally see that your nieces are kept safe.”

  Xavier passed a hand over his face, feeling like there wasn’t much he could do. Silverstone had him cornered.

  “Jodie Fallon knows about them too. She offered me the same thing you did, to keep Daisy and Rosie safe.”

  “I know.”

  Xavier wasn’t surprised. He knew Jodie better though, and that didn’t give him comfort. People would say to trust the devil you know, but in his experience, that was a load of crap.

  “I don’t trust either of you, but Jodie less so.”

  “I take it you refused her offer.”

  “I did. I was on my way to rescue the girls myself when you showed up.”

  “Do you think now is the right time to bring children into your life?” Silverstone glanced at a promotional poster for Unearthly Desires.

  Xavier clenched his jaw while gripping the edge of the desk so tight, his knuckles turned white. He knew he wasn’t in the least prepared. If he brought Daisy and Rosie into his life right now, he might be putting them in even more danger.

  He let out a resigned sigh. “No. I need more time.”

  “Then let me help you.” Silverstone leaned forward eagerly.

  “What do you want with them?”

  “I have a theory. It might be nothing, but I believe one of your nieces is destined to save the world.”

  “They’re Norms. How could they possibly do that?”

  Silverstone pierced Xavier with a hard stare. “You should not underestimate the power of Norms.”

  A great sense of shame took over Xavier. He knew better than anyone else what a simple Norm could do. His own adoptive father, with one act of kindness, had made a deep impact in his Xavier’s life. He had saved him.

  “I accept your offer, but I’ll give you this warning. If you or any of the Knights harm my nieces in any way, I will come for you.”

  The corners of Silverstone’s lips twitched upward. “I expect nothing less from you.”

  1

  Daisy

  Present Day

  My body is numb, my mind is whirling, and yet I can sense Rosie’s stare burning a hole through my face as I pack my suitcase.

  “What?” I ask without glancing in her direction.

  “You haven’t said much since we got back.”

  “Perceptive,” I mumble.

  She walks over and sits on the edge of my bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” I shove a piece of clothing in the suitcase without bothering to fold it.

  “You can’t blame yourself for what happened to Rufio.”

  I whip my face toward her. “Really? I can’t blame myself? I’m the one who took away his powers, Rosie. Who else am I going to blame?”

  “His father. The one who forced you to do it.”

  Shaking my head, I look away. “He used me, but that doesn’t absolve me. I should have fought harder.”

  She lets out a loaded sigh. “Seeing Rufio reduced to a powerless Norm didn’t make me happy like I thought it would. I’ve always wished that fate on every single ruthless Idol I met. But I don’t feel an ounce of satisfaction. Instead, I feel sorry for him.”

  Even knowing Rosie’s statement is a breakthrough for her, it makes me mad as hell.

  “Don’t ever let him know you pity him,” I warn through clenched teeth.

  A pregnant silence descends over us. I shouldn’t have lashed out at her, but I can’t help the anger that’s swirling in my chest. The immense guilt smothering me is wrapped in barbed wire. It cuts deep as it suffocates me. I have to find a way to restore Rufio’s powers, but I don’t know where to begin.

  Then a light bulb flashes above my head. The antique book I got from Gifted Academy’s librarian. I never returned it to her. It’s still in my dorm room. I’m not sure if it has the answ
er I’m looking for, but it’s a start.

  My phone rings loudly, making my heart lurch inside of my chest. It must be one of my boyfriends, and right now, I can’t talk to them.

  “Are you going to get that?” Rosie asks.

  “Nope.” I turn around and head to the bathroom. I’ve already packed everything from there, but I need to hide from Rosie’s prying eyes.

  When I’m halfway there, she says, “It’s Andromeda.”

  I stop in my tracks, furrowing my eyebrows. Why would she call me now? Did something happen? I retrace my steps and grab my phone from Rosie’s hand.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Daisy. It’s Andy. Are you still in Hawk City?”

  “Yeah, but not for long. We’re heading to the airport as soon as everyone finishes packing. What’s up?”

  “I hate to do this to you, but I need your help.”

  I notice the tension in her voice, which raises all kinds of alerts in my head. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “I can’t explain over the phone. Can you meet me in person?”

  “Yeah. Are you in the dorm building?”

  “No, I’m a block away from Paragon Academy. I’ll text you the address. And please, don’t tell your boyfriends. My problem is of the… sensitive variety. Definitely not something I want to share with a bunch of guys.”