Darkblood Academy: Book One: Half-Blood (A Supernatural Academy Series) Read online

  I did my best impression of a smile and squeaked out a “Sorry.” Bending down to pick up the stools, embarrassment rolled over me. I could practically feel the heavy glares on me once again. When I straightened, a pair of mossy green eyes were only inches from mine.

  “I can get that,” the barista said with a smile.

  “Oh, no, I should. I’m sorry I was so clumsy.”

  After all the stools were returned to their proper places, Jay and I sat at the bar, dropping our backpacks on the floor. The burn searing my skin from heated glares lessened, and I sucked in a breath as I stared up at the chalk menu board.

  “What can I get you guys?”

  I tried not to gawk at the cute guy’s pointy ears, but no matter what I did, somehow my eyes ended up there. “Um, I’ll take a mocha latte.”

  “Same for me,” yelped Jay.

  The guy spun away, a grin pulling at his lips. As soon as he turned, I twirled to my friend lowering my voice. “Well, this is going well.”

  “I told you it was a stupid idea to come here,” he grumbled.

  Whatever. Now that the stares had subsided, I took the opportunity to check out the other patrons. Were they all supes?

  A couple sat cuddled on a couch, whispering to each other. They looked pretty normal—no pointy ears or weird eyes. A big group of men sat in a corner booth, dark tattoos swirling from beneath their sleeves. Their arms were the size of my thighs, but besides that, there was nothing about them that screamed paranormal. They could’ve just been a regular human biker gang.

  A wisp of air brushed my hair across my face, and a man appeared beside me, leaning against the bar. Whoa, where the heck had he come from? He cracked his cherry-colored lips, and two pointy fangs protruded from his upper lip. Deep crimson streaked across his pitch-black irises, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. A part of me knew I should be afraid, but I felt nothing, a giddy sense of calm swimming over me.

  The guy finally released my gaze, and I slumped back onto the barstool like a puppet whose strings had been cut off. He wiggled his fingers at the barista. “I’ll take another shot, please.” His voice flowed like honey, smooth and saccharine.

  “I’ll bring it to your table.” The cute barista leveled him with an icy glare and shooed him away.

  As quickly as he’d appeared, the man was gone. My skin tingled as my brain fought to process the unbelievable. Was that a freakin’ vampire?

  A moment later, the barista returned with our lattes, a smile still curling his lips. I kept my eyes down to keep from staring at his ears.

  “So I take it you guys have never met any supes before?” His light-green eyes sparkled.

  “Nope,” I answered. “Is it that obvious?”

  He chuckled. “Just a bit.”

  I glanced at the golden nametag on his burgundy apron, finally more at ease. Riordan—such a cool name! “I’m Luna, and this is Jay by the way. Sorry for all the weirdness earlier. What’s up with the tight security, Riordan?”

  “Not everyone is happy about us being here—in the human world, I mean. People have gotten used to us in the city by now, but whenever we move into the small towns, we meet some resistance. When the café first opened, we had a few incidents so we hired Trevor to handpick the clientele.” He jerked his head toward the towering giant manning the door.

  How had I missed the towering giant when we first came in? The man melted into the shadows a second later, answering my own question. Wow.

  “What is he?” I whispered.

  “Strixa demon.”

  I gulped. According to President Lazaris, most demons and other Underworlders weren’t allowed entry. Maybe Jay’s dad had been right, and some were sneaking in.

  “It sounds worse than it is,” said Riordan, our friendly barista. “They’re mostly harmless, just big and burly with a penchant for dark spaces and grape jelly beans.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out. “See, Jay, supes aren’t scary.”

  My friend raised his hand at me, showcasing his three middle fingers. “Read between the lines, Hallows.”

  “We’re really not,” added Riordan, interrupting our stare down. “So spread the word, huh?”

  “Sure thing.” I leaned in closer, whispering, “So what are you Riordan? Or is that a totally uncool and newb thing to ask?”

  He laughed, the thin lines around his eyes crinkling. “Nah, it’s no problem. I’m a sprite.”

  When my expression remained blank, he continued, “We’re from the Fae realm—you know, faeries, pixies, trolls, etcetera.”

  “Like Tinkerbell.” Jay snorted on a laugh.

  Riordan shook his head with a rueful smile. “No, not like Tinkerbell. The land of the Fae is nothing like Neverland.” He turned to me. “You should go one day, you’d be amazed, but stay away from the kingly courts. Those royals are not friendly.”

  After some more chitchat with our outgoing barista, I finished off my latte and pulled out my wallet. “Thanks for the advice, Riordan. Before I venture anywhere near Azar, I’ll be sure to come by for a visit to get the supe 411.”

  His fingers closed around my hand, and sparks of electricity shot across my skin. My mouth went dry as he shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. The coffees are on me.”

  I guessed I was wrong about not getting any birthday presents after all. “Th-thanks,” I croaked. What the heck was that tingling? I shook off the errant thought as Jay jumped off the barstool—must be a sprite thing.

  “See you soon, Luna.”

  Chapter 2

  I trudged up the street, the dilapidated old brownstone finally coming into view. Crap! Mrs. Sanderson’s beat up Corolla already sat in the driveway. Glancing at my watch, I readjusted my backpack and climbed up the steps. Just play it cool, Luna. Maybe no one had noticed my epic escape from study hall, and no one would ever be the wiser. Astor Home’s custodian, Mrs. Sanderson was not a fan of the paranormal. She’d skin my hide if she knew I’d cut school to venture into the supernatural world.

  I slowly turned the doorknob but the old hinges betrayed me, creaking sharply as the door swung open. I crept toward the stairs as my housemates’ muffled voices spilled down from the second floor.

  “Oh, good, Luna dear, you’re back from school.” The familiar hoarse voice sent ice rippling through my veins.

  I froze, immobile in the middle of the entryway. Great, I’m in so much trouble.

  Mrs. Sanderson jumped up from the couch, faster than I’d ever seen the plump old woman move. And Luna dear? What was that about?

  As she walked toward me, her full bosom exploding out of her pink muumuu, the figure of a young woman coalesced behind her. “There’s someone here to see you.” Mrs. Sanderson tipped her reading glasses up so they perched atop her head and rested against her silver bun. She placed her hand on the small of my back and led me into the sitting room.

  The pretty blonde stood and gave me a warm smile. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, a thick sweater and heavy corduroy pants completing her winterish wardrobe, which was odd for late spring in New York. Something about her seemed so familiar…

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Mrs. Sanderson cut her off to pester me. “Go on, Luna, introduce yourself to the beautiful lady. She came just to see you.” Her dull gray eyes sparkled with an excitement I didn’t think the cranky woman possessed.

  I dropped my backpack on the chair and extended a hand as I moved closer. “Hi, Luna Hallows. And you are?”

  Mrs. Sanderson’s pudgy elbow jabbed me in the ribs. I winced for a second before schooling my expression back into a smile. The girl’s gaze never deviated from mine, and now close up I was certain I knew her. Closing my eyes I imagined her in a fancy ball gown and pounds of makeup with a gorgeous guy on each arm. The long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, killer bod—

  “O.M.G., it’s you—you’re Kimmie-Jayne Starr from Hitched!”

  A big smile lit up her face and she took my hand, pulling me into a hug.
My body froze, completely not expecting the intimate contact. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had hugged me. Jay wasn’t exactly a hugger, and I didn’t have many girl friends. My mind wandered back to Mrs. Hallows, the woman who’d raised me until I was thirteen. Her floral perfume swirled in my mind, a warm fuzzy feeling coming over me. She was like my grandma, and probably the last person that really cared about me. When she passed away, I bounced around foster care for a year before I ended up here.

  “So nice to meet you, Luna.” Kimmie-Jayne’s voice drew me from painful memories. I relaxed into her for a moment before she released me and held me out to arm’s length. Her blue eyes rolled over me as if searching for something. She finally tore her gaze from mine and turned to Mrs. Sanderson. “Is there somewhere Luna and I can speak privately?”

  My friendly custodian clasped her hands together. “Oh, well, yes.” She glanced upward as more shouts echoed across the house. “I suppose I should go check on the other little hellions, and I can leave you two to speak alone here. I’ll make sure the others don’t bother you.”

  My mind whirled with questions as I tapped my foot waiting for Mrs. Sanderson to leave us alone already. What would a TV star want with me? Hitched was the hottest reality show on television, not to mention it had been the show that revealed the supernatural world to the human one. Kimmie-Jayne had been a normal human girl sent on a dating show with twenty-five eligible bachelors. The big twist was that they were all supernatural. In the end, she’d chosen one to marry after finding out the truth about everything alongside the rest of America. It was freakin’ nuts.

  Mrs. Sanderson extended her hand, squeezing Kimmie-Jayne’s. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Starr. I’m truly a fan of your work, and I can’t wait to see your next movie.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate that.” She smiled, and it actually reached her eyes. She didn’t seem like one of those typical fake Hollywood actresses—either that or she was a really good actor.

  Mrs. Sanderson reluctantly trudged up the stairs, her head spinning back to look at us until she finally disappeared around the corner.

  “She seems nice.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, she’s a real barrel of laughs.”

  Kimmie-Jayne moved toward the couch and folded down, motioning to the spot beside her.

  My eyes widened, but I just couldn’t get my feet unstuck from the floor. Seeing her in my living room was too insane to get my head wrapped around. I was totally fangirling. Wait until Jay heard this. He’d never believe it.

  When I remained frozen to the spot, Kimmie-Jayne loosed a breath and pinned me with her clear-blue gaze. “You must be wondering what I’m doing here.”

  I nodded quickly, tucking my arms over my chest.

  “I think you should sit down for this.”

  Nothing good ever came after those words. I crept over to the opposite side of the tattered couch and sank down.

  Kimmie-Jayne fiddled with her fingers in her lap before finally looking up at me. “There’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to spit it out. I’m your half-sister.”

  My jaw dropped as all the air siphoned from my lungs. I urged my brain to put together a sentence, but the words jumbled in my mind. “How? What?” I spewed out the only words I could muster. I didn’t even know who my biological parents were so how did this Hollywood celebrity?

  “It’s crazy, I know. Believe it or not I was in your shoes just over a year ago. I only found out who my biological father was while I was filming Hitched.”

  My brain synapses suddenly started firing again. “Wait a second. Your father is President Lazaris.” A week after the season finale, the president made the shocking confession.

  She nodded, snagging her full lip between her teeth.

  “Please tell me we share the same mom.”

  Kimmie-Jayne shook her head. “Nope. President Lazaris is your father too—which is how I found you.”

  “Seriously?” I sucked in a breath, my mind swirling with this unbelievable information. “So he sent you here to come get me? I’m going to meet him?” Hope fluttered in my chest, excitement spilling through every inch of me. After all these years of imagining what my biological parents were like, I couldn’t believe I was finally going to meet my dad—the flippin’ President of the United States!

  Her expression darkened, the smile pulling at her lips fading. “Not exactly.” She drew in a breath, clasping her hands together. “There’s more… You see, our dad, he’s not exactly who he seems to be.”

  “Huh?”

  “Oh man, I’m so bad at this. I’m sorry. Now I know how my mom felt when she told me.” Kimmie-Jayne reached out and squeezed my hand. “Our dad’s real name is Garrix and he’s a warlock—a really powerful one who can change his appearance to look like anyone he wishes. He assumed the persona of Vice-President and then when President Turner died last year, he took over for him. It was all part of dad’s plan for the great supernatural revelation.”

  What the freak? This was absolutely insane. The president of the U.S. is a supe? I shook my head furiously. “It can’t be. This is a joke, right?” I jumped up and searched the corners of the shabby living room. “This is some sort of new reality TV show, right? Where are the cameras?”

  Kimmie-Jayne took my hand and pulled me back to the couch. “I’m sorry, Luna. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you, but I swear it’s the truth.”

  I slumped back against the sofa, leaning my head on the worn cushion. “So my dad is a warlock and my half-sister is half-warlock?”

  She nodded. “Technically, I’m considered a witch; only men can be warlocks. And don’t forget I’m married to a dragon shifter too.”

  “Oh, right.” Her words suddenly registered as my hazy brain began to process the information. “Holy bagels, I’m a supe.”

  “You are. That’s why I’m here. You see, our father is kind of what you’d call a ladies’ man. He’s had quite a few affairs with humans over the years. With his most recent proclamation about half-bloods—”

  I cut her off, my brain finally fully functioning. “No sugar! You’re here to send me off to some supe school? That’s why you came to find me.” A hint of disappointment swirled in my chest.

  “That’s one of the reasons. The other is that I really wanted to get to know my half-sister.” She gave me a warm smile and though I wasn’t sure I believed her, I wanted to. My whole life I’d wished for family. Be careful what you wish for, right? And I’d thought this birthday would be just as boring and sad as all the ones before.

  I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and inhaled a slow breath. “So what happens now?”

  “Tomorrow I take you to Darkhen Academy.”

  Chapter 3

  It took me less than half an hour to pack all of my earthly possessions into two duffel bags and a backpack. Sad, I know. Kimmie-Jayne had returned first thing the next morning to escort me to this mysterious supernatural academy. She sat at the end of my bunk bed watching quietly. Every so often she’d make a comment about a cute shirt or nice boots. She was definitely trying—I’d give her that much, because there was nothing cute or nice about anything I owned. Not compared to the fancy things I’d seen her wear on Hitched.

  About a million questions zipped around my mind but with all of them fighting to get out, I hadn’t been able to ask my half-sister a single question. I’d spent half the night up trying to process everything she’d told me yesterday. My father was a warlock; more than that, he was the freakin’ president. And I was part supernatural—a half-blood like a tiny percentage of the human population. Apparently, they hadn’t done such a fantastic job of keeping our worlds separate before the big supernatural revelation.

  “How come I don’t have any powers?” The question surged to the surface, winning out against all the others battling for attention.

  Kimmie-Jayne shrugged. “From what I understand, sometimes magic skips a generation in half-bloods like us.” She shot m
e a wry smile. “Or other times, it just takes awhile to make itself known.”

  “Do you have any special abilities?” Her half-blood status had never been revealed on the show. According to the rest of America, Kimmie-Jayne Starr was an innocent human girl thrown into a supernatural world who just happened to fall in love with a gorgeous supe.

  “I didn’t until about a year ago. Right around my twenty-first birthday I started getting visions. It was also right after I arrived in Azar. Sometimes I wonder if that’s what triggered it.”

  “So I could get visions too?” Images of me seeing the winning lottery numbers and scoring the million-dollar jackpot danced across my mind. How cool would that be?

  “Maybe. Our father has a wide variety of powers, and you never know which one you’ll inherit.”

  “Or none at all.” I gnawed on my lower lip, suddenly realizing I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get any.

  I zipped up the final bag and glanced up. “I guess that’s it.”

  “Oh, you might want to keep a winter coat out.”

  I glanced out the window at the bright sun. It was nearly seventy degrees out, and I’d just swapped out my sweaters for sundresses. “It’s going to be cold in Azar?”

  She nodded. “It will be where Darkhen Academy is located.”

  “And where is that exactly?”

  Her lips twisted, and I could almost see the gears grinding in her head as she considered answering my question. I’d always been good at reading people and so far, my half-sister hadn’t given me a reason not to trust her. “It’s in the Fae realm—the Winter Court to be exact.”

  Yuck, winter again? I yanked my only thick coat from my duffel and tossed it on top of the bag. Darkhen better be pretty freakin’ cool. I couldn’t believe I never had to go back to Crestwood High again. Kimmie-Jayne said my graduation would be taken care of, and I didn’t have to take my finals—score! Jay was going to be so jealous.