Heir of Shadows

There’s only one rule in the world I come from.

Keep our existence a secret. Period.

The day my sister broke that rule one too many times, I knew there would be consequences. I expected us to be sent to one of those schools for “troubled” kids—and maybe Daizlei Academy was, in a way. But really, it was far more complicated than that.

You see, I thought that world had forgotten me. Forgotten us. For years we were left alone, and one day . . . we weren’t.

It was only when I got there that I remembered the second rule:
Trust no one.

Because in our world? They would kill me if they knew the truth of what I am.
Daizlei Academy is a school for Supernaturals.

And me? I’m so much more.

__

Fans of Tricia Levenseller, Holly Black, Tracy Wolff, and Bianca Scardoni will ensnared by the slow-burn romance and strong heroine that can save herself.

The sound of churning gravel cut off our shouting. Our eyes locked as we heard a car door shut, far too faintly for humans to hear. I turned away to hide my grimace as my forty-something, bible-thumping, temporary legal guardian came through the front door like a soldier at war. Alexandra was momentarily silenced by the harsh glare our aunt gave her. A short, plump woman with a ridiculously colorful wardrobe, Carrie had excellent hearing, so we didn’t dare continue our conversation; despite being our “parent” at the time, she was also one hundred percent human.

“The principal called, right after the police, to tell me you were expelled and couldn’t come within a thousand feet of your school.” Her dark eyes flashed as she walked toward us.

“I wasn’t going to learn anything useful anyway,” Alexandra said. 

Carrie looked appalled, and her voice rose in direct relation to the disinterest in Alexandra’s tone. “You attacked another girl and just got kicked out of school! Don’t you realize how serious this is? Don’t you care?” 

Nope. I doubted she cared in the slightest.

“There’s only two weeks left . . .” she muttered. 

“Of course, my ungrateful brat of a niece wouldn’t care . . . and here I thought I was making an impression.” 

I nearly choked on suppressed laughter.

No one made an impression on Alexandra. One of the blessings of being a Supernatural with no parents was that you set your own rules, but she took it too far. I might’ve had a deep-rooted prejudice against humans and a twisted sense of right and wrong, but if there was anything I’d mastered in almost seventeen years, it was self-control. Think before you act, consider the consequences, and never, ever reveal our secret.

In my silent ramble, I hadn’t heard Alexandra’s response. Before I had time to react, my aunt’s hand whipped out like a cobra and slapped her across the face. Time stopped as I held my breath. I watched the spark in my sister catch fire. She snapped.

I lunged forward to stop her, but Carrie was too close and Alexandra too fast. Fire erupted from her hand as she grabbed the collar of Carrie’s shirt and threw her to the floor, knocking her unconscious. She glowered down at my aunt and the hesitation was all I needed to step between them.

“What the hell are you thinking?” I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back. The more distance between them, the better.

“Get out of my way, Selena!” she growled, trying to get around me. Her halo of red hair was covered in flames, making her look like fire incarnate.

“Not until you back off,” I said, maintaining my stance. 

She lunged for me, and I grabbed her swinging fist. Twisting her arm so hard she hunched over, I stepped behind her and pinned her other arm behind her back. Within moments, I had her secured by her wrists and on the ground.

“She’s human. Get it through your damn head that no matter what she does, you can’t behave like this!” I was nearly shouting. I had to stop myself from pulling her back so I could smash her into the ground again; she was my sister, after all.

“What are you?” a voice hissed.

My eyes snapped up to see Carrie staring, wide-eyed. She was by the front door and holding herself protectively. Her shirt collar was charred, and red burn welts nearly wrapped around her neck. 

Great. Collateral damage.

The front door started to open behind Carrie, and she jumped back, terrified. 

Sunny blond hair peeked through before the door swung open. My sister Lily was home. It took her no time at all to assess the situation, and her smile dropped into a grimace. She did a once-over of Carrie’s expression and looked away; her mind now closed to any excuses Alexandra would undoubtedly give.

“I’ll go pack,” she said dryly.

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