High Fae Academy
Year One
Copyright belongs to Kaylin R. Peyerk
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank several people for helping me with the inception of this book. First, my supportive significant other, Devon, for constantly pushing me to meet deadlines even when I didn’t want to. Second, all of the beta readers and ARC readers dedicating their time and love to my very first paranormal romance book. It means so much to have constructive feedback and readers who care. And last but certainly not least, thank you to Sam Moden for taking the time to do some proofreading and deep dive suggestions to improve my story. It did wonders and I couldn’t have done it without you.
Chapter 1
If there's one thing I can't stand it's a table full of wealthy frat boys that leave a shitty tip. I snatch up the paper check they left behind and the measly ten percent made up of loose change and gum wrappers, all the while shooting a glare at their retreating figures. Back at the bar I throw out the check before leaning against the counter with my chin in my hands. Annie glances up from her task of making up new silverware bundles.
"You look pissed. What's your deal?" She asks while raising one perfect red eyebrow.
Annie is a bombshell of a girl. To me she resembles a beautiful Mary Jane with even more freckles and deeper green eyes. I've always envied her long straight red hair that is never frizzy despite the wet and heavy Florida heat. And her porcelain skin has little to no imperfections, unless you count the freckles like she does. Despite knowing that she's a siren she's never believed in her beauty. She says it's because if she accepts that she's destined to lure men to their death with her vexing looks then she's as much of a monster as her mother. And trust me, her mother is a monster of a woman that prowls along the coast of Florida looking for men to sacrifice to the god of the sea.
"That last table gave me a shitty tip and I'm having an overall shitty day so far."
Annie snorts, looking far too beautiful while doing so. I can't blame Annie for hating her looks but I still couldn't stop wishing I looked more like her. My hair, a massive mess of tangles, is light blonde and so long that I usually pull it into a messy bun to avoid the sticky heat. My deep tan skin is full of little scars and blemishes from teen acne, various stupid accidents, and whatever else I get myself into.
"Yeah, well, if you would just listen to me about the academy maybe you wouldn't be the co-owner of a shitty dive bar in southern Florida."
I groan, throwing my head back dramatically which makes her laugh. We've been over this way far too many times. As an elemental, a magical creature with the power of the elements, I'm not immortal like my fae brethren. Which means that I don't regenerate or have otherworldly beauty, much to my dismay. However, I do have something that the most fae don't, a connection to all five of the elements of the Earth.
Annie frequently stresses that something like this hasn't happened in thousands of years which clearly means that I qualify for the gifted academy, a school for blessed supernatural individuals. The academy was started in order to, and I quote, create a better world for both humans and supernaturals alike by utilizing them in the great war that has been raging across all realms of life for eons. Yeah, no thanks. I have no obligation to sacrifice myself toward a cause that's a huge waste of time.
"God Annie, not this again. Will you give it a rest? I have no desire to become a pawn in the supernatural agenda."
A long moment of silent communication passes between us. Her glaring, trying to make me see how wrong I am, and then me looking back at her with my hands planted firmly on my hips.
She finally gives up, "You know, since you look so miserable and have a disturbing aura of self-pity I'll let you have a table that just sat down in my section. He looks like a single guy so maybe you can go get your freak on."
She snickers at her own joke and waves her fingers toward the table in the far left corner of our beach side dive bar.
I glower at her before filling up a glass of water for the man and stalk toward him. Halfway over I finally glance up at him and stop dead in my tracks. Dear lord help me he's gorgeous. He looks tall, even sitting down, and thick muscled arms that appear to be kissed by the sun by the looks of his hands. To complete the panty dropping beach boy look he has swoop like dirty blonde hair mused in just the right way. And blue eyes full of. . . seriousness? My image of him shatters, making me realize the tight-fitting suit he's wearing and the briefcase by his feet.
"What can I get you to drink besides water?" I ask while setting the glass down on the table.
He looks over the menu for a moment, leaving me to fidget in my skin. His presence is disarming and compelling at the same time. My body kept gravitating toward him, forcing me to shuffle back a few steps a couple of times. He looks up deliberately, and connects his eyes with mine. His full attention makes a carnal magic filled part of me respond to him, making my dormant magical well swirl and fill my chest.
He has to be fae. That's the only other being that creates this type of reaction within me. I bite my lip and squeeze my thighs together, trying to make my body listen to reason. The attraction I harbor for him is potent and leaves a pool of desire in core that I can't explain.
"Hello, yes, I'll have a jack and coke with the club sandwich. No tomato please."
I nod, taking in the full force of his melodic voice as it washes over me as I stumble away. After putting in his lunch order, I start to prepare his drink order with shaking hands. A man has never made me feel this way and the entire situation is infuriating. Get yourself together Tiana! Annie watches me with a smirk on her face as if she had heard my inner monologue. Damn her! She knew this guy would affect me like this.
I narrow my eyes at her while dropping ice into a short glass. She shrugs her shoulders and continues the task in front of her, effectively ignoring me. My anger only increases when I turn back toward the table to find the man now sitting at the bar, grinning. I finish the drink and set the glass down in front of him before stepping back again. The sensation between my legs is back again which makes me grateful that the bar is between us.
"I thought I'd save you the trouble of walking over by taking a seat at the bar," he grips his glass in his hand, showing off the glinting gold ring on his index finger.
The gold is carved beautifully and looks like a flame overtaking a forest with small shattered green and red gems sparkling among the scene. My fingers twitch at my sides as I force myself not to reach out and touch it. The man glances at my fingers as if he knows what I'm trying to avoid doing. Who is he? The cook clangs the ready bell forcing me to break eye contact in order to grab his food. After I set it down in front of him he nods at me, digging in.
I blurt out, "What are you?"
When he smiles, I notice his longer than normal canine teeth, "Ah, I was wondering when you'd finally ask me that," He takes a large bite of the sandwich, forcing me to wait as I impatiently tap my toe, "I'm a fire fae from the academy. My name is Orin." My eyes shoot over to Annie, but she's gone from her perch at the end of the bar. Traitor! Did she set me up?
"Oh? What brings you to the human realm, and a small town Florida bar at that?"
I grind my teeth, trying to fight the rage filling my chest. Men like the one right in front of me are responsible for showing up out of nowhere, taking people, and disappearing again without a trace. The academy isn't some sunny place that gifted supernaturals want go to. The walls are a gilded prison for people that they deem are needed for the great war. Almost like a required draft of soldiers. They call it a blessing, but I call it a disgrace.
"We both kn
ow what I'm here for. And to be honest, I'm damn surprised that we haven't found you sooner. The power I sense inside you is so unending that it's troubling. How do you release it? How do you contain it?" He leans toward me as if he's eager to hear the answer. I cross my arms over my chest and jut out my hip.
"I don't. It just is."
He raises one eyebrow, looking less than enthused by my answer. And by god if that look doesn't make my lady bits tingle. His expression tried to extract my secrets, and asked what my deepest darkest desires are. Despite his outwardly cool appearance, I can see the fire raging in his every action, contained and burning steadily.
The call to him is inevitable, tantalizing, and I waver forward before snapping myself back again. He smirks at me knowing full well the kind of effect he's having on me. Desire and rage snap at each other inside my chest making me clench both my fists and my legs.
He leans back and crosses his arms as well, "I don't believe you. So let me finish my lunch, pay, and then we will get going."
"No way, I'm not going anywhere with you. I realize what you people do," I point an accusing finger at him, "You come in here, talk up the academy and make people perceive that they belong somewhere finally after never having belonged anywhere due to their powers. Then you whisk them away and when they finally find out the real reason for being trained at the academy, it's too late. They're stuck in that prison getting ready to fight and die for a cause they don't care about. I won't be one of them! I like my life. I find it fun owning a bar alongside my best friend. I'm not misplaced, and I'll be damned if you force me to leave."
He finishes off his sandwich and then picks at the chips while slurping on his drink. His blatant disregard for my refusal makes me so angry that I see red. Without thinking about it my arm comes up and a tip of ice wrapped in vines and circled with fire shoots forward, impaling him in the shoulder. He grunts, falling back off the stool and onto the floor. Annie rushes out from the kitchen and around the counter to Orin who's now lying flat on his back.
I stand on my tip toes to see him rip the shard of ice out of his shoulder before using flames to seal the wound. Despite knowing that what I did was wrong and punishable by death it gives me a smug satisfaction that I can't shake. It shows through the grin on my lips when his eyes lock with mine again.
I spit at him, "You're an asshole."
He tips his head back and laughs deeply. Annie had looked ghostly white before my insult, but after I call him an asshole she covers her eyes and shakes her head back and forth. I'm beyond help in her opinion. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm acting as if I have no self-preservation or respect for authority.
I've always been a good citizen of the United States. I've paid all my parking tickets, showed up for jury duty, and have paid every tax bill on time. But the moment a supernatural authority figure shows up? I go bat shit crazy when they're around. And I don't feel one ounce of remorse for it.
He staggers up while gripping the back of the bar stool for support. My eyes follow the movement as he takes out his wallet to throw twenty bucks down on the counter. Annie almost faints at the sight of him paying for a meal at which he had been impaled. The situation makes me laugh, which in turn makes Orin laugh again, which in turn makes Annie so weak she has to sit down. I sort of understand why she's so upset.
The two of us have always agreed upon two main rules. You don't mess with the business of other supernaturals, and you don't attract attention or trouble from the academy. In the span of forty-five minutes I've broken both. She must think that both of our lives must be forfeit. But I have a theory that I can push back and not get in too much trouble. Or any trouble at that.
"You are not what I thought you'd be. Not according to what the prophecy states anyway."
He steps toward me as if he's going to reach out and take my hand, but I hold both of them out in front of me, "What? What prophecy? And how are you so sure I'm the right girl?"
He walks around the bar, reaching out for me with a tender look on his face, "Well, for starters I just witnessed you using three of the five elements of the Earth with the amount of control reserved to only highly trained individuals. And I suspect you just chose not to use the other two. Come with me, please. Let me explain. And I promise that after I explain you will have the full free will to leave the academy and never come back."
I look at him, trying to detect any hint that what he says might be a lie. My eyes slide to Annie and she nods, encouraging me to go and figure it out as she always has. For some reason it feels like she's always known. Her constant pestering and hints about the academy now seem like much more than just an annoyance.
Maybe she's aware that I'm supposed to be special. Well, even if it's true I might just walk away anyhow. I don't say goodbye to her because I'm almost positive that I'll be back soon. Orin said I could, right? I look back to him to see his face is still open, still full of vulnerable emotion that I can't quite place.
"Fine, I'll come with you. But you have to keep your word. I get to split if I want to."
Chapter 2
As soon as we step through the portal my eyes go wide. When people have talked about how mystical the other realms are, at least the supernatural ones, I never really believed them. But they weren't kidding. And Orin's presence, his very essence, feels even more pronounced here. I almost can't ignore the pull he has on me.
It makes my irritation spike and I take a few long steps away from him. Gods, why does he have to feel like that? Is that what all fae males feel like? If so, I'm in for a world of trouble. He steps closer, almost out of habit rather than necessity. I step away, again. This time he notices and I watch his perfect brow furrow, but if it bothers him he doesn't mention it.
"Let's go, we have to get you into the academy before the dean goes into her afternoon meetings."
I trail after him without responding, allowing myself to marvel at every little plant or decoration trailing along the gilded gates of the academy. Once we get close enough they swing open as if on their own accord. I can sense the magic working in the air. It almost has a metallic scent to it mixed with a signature that I don't recognize.
The puzzle of it slips from my mind when I see the various buildings standing proudly across the campus. They all have specific characteristics that I guess is for the different types of supernaturals that stay there. There's a building for shifters that seems to have ever growing ivy clinging to its rippling walls, a dark looking building emanating a dark ominous glow may be for vampires or dark elementals, and a more starkly decorated, almost mundane, looking building with students streaming in and out.
But the biggest set of buildings, the ones taking up more than half of the campus, must house the fae due to their race being the largest class of supernatural creatures in existence. Each element appears to have a dedicated building. The fire building, the first one I see, is a deep burgundy color and surrounded by spires of fire so hot that I can almost feel the heat of it from here.
The building adjacent to it is a blue so deep it almost appears black with water running down the sides and seeming to disappear before hitting the ground. That one in particular is fascinating to me. I start to walk toward it which allows me to peak around the side, getting a glimpse of a golden building so bright it hurts my eyes and two more buildings beyond that. One in forest green and the other, the smallest building of them all, is a purple so fathomless that I have to look away. Orin steps up next to me, also looking toward the building that I've identified as spirit. No one has come in or out of it since we've been standing here and yet there are streams of students moving in and around the others.
"There have only ever been a select few students who have a strong affinity for the spirit element to stay in that building. It only accepts entry from fae or elementals that it deems worthy. It was coded by the very first spirit founder of the academy, Darius Bloodworth. He knew how fragile and important the keepers of our life force are."
A shiver runs down my spin
e and I involuntarily step back into his chest. His arms spring around me like they've done it a thousand times before. It both comforts me and leaves me confused. This entire situation, him, and the way my power has been stirring ever since stepping foot in this realm is giving me a headache. I'm afraid I've made a mistake by even agreeing to come here.
Standing here for less than thirty minutes has put me at ease in a way I haven't been in a very long time. It may become addictive in a way I'm not prepared for. Especially if I let myself fall into this man’s arms over and over again. I let my head fall back and look up at him. He's staring down at me, smiling. It makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
"What are you doing to me?" I whisper.
"I'm not sure to be honest. But can I try something?"
Without waiting for my reply he spins me around so my hands are splayed across his chest. I gasp, almost sagging against him as my knees go weak from the sudden force of my desire. Orin holds me against his strong chest with one arm and cups my check with the other before leaning down to kiss me. My brain might as well have exploded and gone blank all at once. The force of his kiss, of the lust within it, is so strong that a pathetic moan bleeds into his mouth from mine.
High Fae Academy - Year One: Fae Paranormal Romance Page 1
