Darkblood Academy: Book Three: Demons Read online

  He chuckled. “You’re right, human. That’s exactly what it is.” His arm came around me for a few steps until we reached the training center.

  Whatever was going on between us, we were both on the same page in its regard. We wanted to keep it on the down low.

  Drake swung the door open, and a wave of warm air heated my icy nose and cheeks. Until my gaze met a devastatingly familiar pair of onyx eyes. Ice zipped through my veins, and a chill crept up my spine.

  Ryder stood beside Cillian and the rest of the team at the back of the training center. His eyes wandered over me, then moved to the Fae prince beside me. As we approached, his nose twitched and a flash of yellow zipped across his dark irises.

  Cillian’s loud clap had me nearly jumping out of my skin. “Good, now that we’re all here, I can tell you why you’ve been summoned.”

  Drake and I moved to the end of the row where the rest of the squad stood in varied states of disarray. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one to overindulge the night before.

  “Sorry to drag you out of bed so early,” continued Cillian, “but I knew many of you were leaving first thing this morning, and I wanted to be sure to share some good news before the two week break.”

  Ryder’s expression was blank as he stood beside the headmaster, his hands clasped in front of him. I couldn’t help my eyes roaming over him as my heart sputtered out an erratic beat. It was the first time I’d really been able to ogle him in months. He’d lost some weight, his burly muscles not quite as bulging as they used to be. They must not allow combat training at the rehab center. Day old scruff lined his jaw, but it was nowhere near as long as when I’d seen him at rehab. His hair too, seemed to have been clipped since then. Sharp lines cut into his face, a darkness lingering below the surface that hadn’t been there before. But he was still gorgeous… of course.

  Cillian’s voice snapped me from my staring, his words repeating over and over in my mind as I struggled to process them. Ryder was coming back.

  “How?” The word burst from my lips before I could stop it.

  “Ryder will no longer be an employee of the academy. He will be a private consultant hired by me personally to instruct only the eight of you.”

  Drake leaned over and pushed my chin up with his finger so I stopped gawking.

  “That’s great,” said Triston. A chorus of congratulations swam all around me, but the sounds were muffled and distant.

  My heart slammed against my ribs over and over again. One more manic beat would surely crack them.

  The squad surrounded Ryder offering manly pats on the back and hugs from the girls, but my feet were glued to the spot. Drake’s face eventually cut through the haze. “Are you okay?”

  “Umhmm.”

  “You look a little pale.”

  “After effects of the faery wine,” I mumbled.

  “Right…” He stepped away and joined the others in congratulating Ryder as I focused on staying upright.

  Closing my eyes, I inhaled a deep breath and concentrated on my magic. That always calmed me. After a few repetitions, I slowly pried my lids open.

  A crooked smile with an unmistakable dimple filled my vision. “What’s the matter, mini minx? You’re not happy to see me?”

  I whooshed out a breath, my hands gripping the wall behind me. “I am, Ryder. I’m really happy that you’re out of rehab, and things are finally going back to normal.”

  He nodded, snagging his lower lip between his perfect teeth. Lowering his voice, he leaned in closer. “If this is too hard for you, please tell me. I’ll tell Cillian I changed my mind.”

  My head whipped back and forth. “No. It’s fine. We’re good, right?”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  Cillian’s blistering curse sent my heart leaping up my throat. In my nearly two years at the academy, I’d never heard him utter such blasphemy. Ryder spun around, his eyes as wide as I imagined mine were.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Ryder as all eyes snapped to our headmaster.

  He stared at his phone, a scowl twisting his sculpted jaw. His wings had unfurled, the fury rolling around him so great it thickened the air in the room.

  “Cillian?” Ryder repeated.

  “Luxora escaped the SIA detention center last night. They have no idea where she is. She’s completely vanished.”

  My heart plummeted to the soles of my boots, siphoning all the air in my lungs with it.

  “Well, it’s a good thing I’m back, kids.” A wry smile tugged at Ryder’s lips. “Looks like you’ll be needing my help if we have any hopes of catching my twisted sister again.”

  The final book in the series, Darkblood Academy: Prophecies will be out on December 1st! And you can preorder it here. Read on for a special sneak peek!

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  G.K.

  Sneak Peek of Darkblood Academy: Prophecies

  Chapter 1

  I dipped my head back to stare up at the clear blue sky as a sultry breeze ran over my skin. Closing my eyes, the sun’s warm rays brushed my bare shoulders, and a huge smile spread my lips. The rushing water tickled my toes as pure bliss swirled through my insides.

  “If your smile gets any bigger, I’m afraid you’re going to split your lips.”

  My eyes opened to meet a pair of smiling lilac ones hovering over me. “Don’t ruin my fun, ice prince. You’ve been promising me a trip back to this magical meadow for months. It was about time you made good on it.”

  Drake stretched out beside me, his head leaning on his hand as he regarded me with a wry grin curving his lips. “Maybe I would’ve brought you sooner if I’d known what a good mood it would put you in.”

  I sat up and seared him with a narrowed glare. “Are you saying I haven’t been my wonderful, effable self lately?”

  He picked at a blade of grass, and the crease between his light brows deepened. “You have been a little tense since classes began.”

  More like since training began. I appreciated him not calling me out on it though. The two-week spring break had been glorious. Safely hidden in the clouds shrouding Skye Lair, I hadn’t thought about the dark lord escapee or my newly returned demon instructor. Drake had come to visit nearly daily, and we were in a good place in our new relationship.

  Then we returned to Darkhen last week, and things had gotten a little intense.

  Drake’s fingertips brushed my heated skin, the cool sensation sending goose bumps over my flesh. He watched me expectantly.

  “It’s been hard, Drake. I’m not going to lie. With everything going on with Luxora, I’ve been a little on edge. It was easy to forget about her and pretend she was still buried in the deepest corners of the Supernatural Investigation Agency’s detention center when we were on break, but now…”

  “Now that it’s all Cillian talks about, it’s hard to avoid.”

  “Right.”

  He sat up and inched closer, piercing me with those enigmatic eyes. “And what about having Ryder back?”

  My breath hitched, but I quickly schooled my expression to normal. If there was one thing I’d learned from the ice prince, it was how to slip on a blank mask when necessary. And right now, it was crucial. My feelings for Ryder had my insides twisted up like an angry tornado hell bent on destroying everything in its path.

  “Luna?”

  “Hmm?” I gave him my most innocent look, batting my lashes. The truth was I couldn’t answer his question. Having Ryder back was a confusing mess of emotions that I hadn’t quite been able to disentangle yet. Coupled with my blossoming feelings for Drake, my poor heart couldn’t take the pressure.

  “Is it weird having Ryder back?” He raised a brow and shot me a no
-nonsense stare.

  “Of course it is,” I huffed. “You know my relationship with Ryder was pretty intense, and I thought it was completely behind me. But now, he’s here and it’s not.” I pivoted my body toward his and grabbed his hands. “I don’t want to lie to you, Drake. You’ve always been honest with me, and I owe you the same. My feelings for Ryder are uber complicated, but the fact that he’s back doesn’t mean I’m ready to throw in the towel on us.”

  A small smile graced his lips as he ran his thumb across my palm. “Good, because I’m not either. I can handle a little friendly competition.” He stared down at our intertwined hands for a moment before lifting his gaze to mine once more. “I didn’t think it would ever be possible, human, but you’ve gotten under my skin. I can barely block you out anymore, and the more startling thing is that I find myself not wanting to.”

  The lilac cord around my heart pulsated, the light throb quickening my pulse. He released my hand and cupped my cheek, the chilly pad of his thumb sweeping over my skin. I inched closer and brushed my lips against his, his frosty breath mingling between us. His hand moved to the back of my neck as he tilted my head to deepen the kiss.

  We made out for a while, the verdant grass warm underneath my heated skin. I lost track of time as I escaped into the icy feel of Drake’s kisses and his muscled body pressed against mine.

  “We should probably head back soon,” he murmured against my swollen lips.

  “No!” I tugged on his shirt, pulling him back down. Leaving our magical faery bubble meant the cold reality of the present. No pun intended. I had zero desire to traipse across the frozen tundra for half an hour until we reached the academy. “Let’s just stay a little longer.”

  “Fine, maybe a little.” He shifted above me, his lips contorting into a slightly pained expression. “But I’m going to need to jump into that lake to cool off before we go.”

  A nervous laugh bubbled out as heat swarmed my cheeks. “Sorry about that.”

  He shook his head, and a devious smile replaced the grimace. “Don’t be. I’m fine with taking things slow. I know you’ve been through a lot lately and believe me, if sex was all that I was interested in, I could easily have my fill.”

  I punched him in the shoulder and pushed him off me laughing. “You are such a royal brat!”

  “And that’s exactly what you like about me.” He captured my lips once again and gently lowered me back down to the grass. The deep oranges and pinks of the setting sun blazed over his shoulder as I got lost in his spine-tingling kisses.

  “Luna, wake up!”

  Drake’s panicked voice forced my weary eyelids open, and I jolted up. “What?” I squinted as darkness surrounded us. It took me a second to recognize the beautiful meadow beneath the blanket of night.

  “It’s really late.” He grabbed my hand and jerked me to my feet as fear etched into his porcelain skin.

  My brows slammed together as I tried to shake off the sleepy haze. “Did we miss curfew or something?”

  He shook his head, his lips forming a grim line. “Luna, do you ever pay attention to the signs plastered all around the academy?”

  Oh, no. Dread unfurled in my gut as I glanced up at the pitch sky. A brilliant full moon hung high, hundreds of twinkling stars dancing around its ethereal glow.

  Crapcicles! How did we end up in the middle of the Fae forest on a full moon again?

  The epic conclusion will be out on December 1st, and you can preorder your copy here!

  Also by G.K. DeRosa

  The Hitched Series

  Hitched: The Bachelorette

  Hitched: The Top Ten

  Hitched: The Final Five

  Hitched: The One

  The Vampire and Angel Wars

  Wings & Destruction

  Blood & Rebellion

  Souls & Salvation

  The Vampire Prophecy

  Dark Fates

  Dark Divide

  Dark Oblivion

  The Hybrid Trilogy

  Magic Bound

  Immortal Magic

  Beyond Magic

  Magic Bound: The Hybrid Trilogy The Complete Collection

  The Guardian Series

  Wilder: The Guardian Series

  Wilder Destiny

  Wilder Revelation

  Wilder Legacy

  Wilder: The Guardian Series The Complete Collection

  Acknowledgments

  A huge and wholehearted thank you to my dedicated readers! I could not do this without you. I love hearing from you and your enthusiasm for the characters and story. You are the best!

  A special thank you to my loving and supportive husband who always understood my need for escaping into a good book (or TV show!). He inspires me to try harder and push further every day. And of course my mother who is the guiding force behind everything I do and made me everything I am today. Without her, I literally could not write—because she’s also my part-time babysitter! To my father who will always live on in my dreams. And finally, my babies, Alexander and Stella, who bring an unimaginable amount of joy and adventure to my life everyday.

  A big thank you to my new talented graphic designer, Sanja Gombar, for creating a beautiful book cover. A special thank you to my dedicated beta readers/fellow authors Jena, Kristin, Tiea, Michelle and Patrick who have been my sounding board on everything from cover ideas, blurbs, and story details. And all of my beta readers who gave me great ideas, caught spelling errors, and were all around amazing.

  Thank you to all my family and friends (especially you, Robin Wiley!) and new indie author and blogger friends (you’re the best Mary Ellen!) who let me bounce ideas off of them and listened to my struggles as an author and self-publisher. I appreciate it more than you all will ever know.

  G.K.

  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling Author, G.K. De Rosa has always had a passion for all things fantasy and romance. Growing up, she loved to read, devouring books in a single sitting. She attended Catholic school where reading and writing were an intense part of the curriculum, and she credits her amazing teachers for instilling in her a love of storytelling. As an adult, her favorite books were always young adult novels, and she remains a self-proclaimed fifteen year-old at heart. When she’s not reading, writing or watching way too many TV shows, she’s traveling and eating around the world with her family. G.K. DeRosa currently lives in South Florida with her real life Prince Charming, their son, daughter and fur baby, Nico, the German shepherd.

  www.gkderosa.com

  [email protected]