Deadly Declaration (Shadow Veil Academy Book 2) Read online

  Deadly Declaration

  Shadow Veil Academy, Book Two

  Heather Renee

  Deadly Declaration © Copyright 2019 by Heather Renee

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, alive or dead, is purely coincidental.

  For more information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book, email [email protected].

  ISBN: 978-1688058309

  Editing: Jamie from Holmes Edits

  Cover: Covers by Juan

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Thank You

  Stay In Touch

  Also by Heather Renee

  About the Author

  Dedication

  To my Release Team.

  Thank you for loving the crazy worlds I create as much as I do!

  Chapter 1

  As my subconscious forcibly led me back to the school late the following summer, I had never been more irritated. For weeks, I had argued with my subconscious, which was not fun, by the way, trying to convince my heart that going back to Shadow Veil Academy was not the right choice.

  Staying as far away from the drama that place had brought into my life sounded like a much better idea.

  But like a stubborn mule, my heart won. With one day to spare before classes started, I was a mere hour’s flight from the place where my true self had been discovered and then torn apart by one psychotic sorceress. Just the thought of her brought out my dragon scales, which were getting harder to control as the days passed.

  As I stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Atlantic, I ignored my phone vibrating in my back pocket for the fourth time. It could only be one of two people, and I’d see them both soon enough.

  Jules and Gemma had called every day, twice a day, while I had been gone. Even on the days I hadn’t been able to find a charger, once I’d get my phone powered back on, I’d skim through their messages for anything important. I’d given them no indication of my intentions and had yet to return any of their calls, so as the new school year neared, their calls doubled.

  During my time away, I’d grown more on my own than I thought I had during my nine months at the academy. Scavengers came for me whenever I stayed in one place for too long and every time, I sent them back to whatever hell they came from, just like Enzo had the first night we met.

  My dragon side had become my more prominent race with each opponent I fought, and I didn’t mind one bit. What I did mind were the opponents I couldn’t see.

  At least once a week for the last two months, I had sensed someone following me, my dragon picking up the same scent each time, but they never made themselves known and I couldn’t tell what they were. That alone was scarier than a horde of scavengers.

  The only thing I was happy about was that I knew the stalker wasn’t Enzo. At least, not the versions of him I had known in the academy. My heart still yearned for the backstabbing bastard, but as the days passed, I managed to push him further and further from my mind.

  Spreading my wings, I shook the growing thoughts of him out of my head and took off. Burgundy scales covered my arms and legs, while my nails shifted to talons and my eyes turned to slits. I wasn’t the prettiest sight being unable to turn full dragon, but I was still stronger in the semi-shift than in my human form with only my witch and elven powers to fight with.

  As much as I didn’t like the idea of going back, it was time to face whatever was left for me at Shadow Veil Academy and figure out what came next with Malina. She, too, hadn’t been far from my thoughts, and I wondered what had kept her away from me the entire summer.

  Whatever or whoever it was, I needed them to be my new best friend and help me stop her. I refused to live in fear for the rest of my life knowing that the psycho wanted to use me for nefarious purposes. I would die before I ever let myself be a pawn in her games.

  As I soared through the sky, I double-checked my shield was strong when I passed over Salem. My protective shield also served as a reflective device when I was covered in scales that kept me concealed from the humans. It was a handy perk I was pleasantly surprised to learn about when I flew over a body of water earlier in the summer.

  The other awesome part about my partial shift was that my body didn’t bulk out, so as long as my feet were bare and my wings could extend, my regular clothes didn’t get ruined when I shifted. Tank tops and shorts, along with a fanny pack to keep flip-flops in, had been my best friend while I’d been gone.

  I had tried a backpack first, but my wings got caught on the straps if they weren’t positioned just right, and it wasn’t fun trying to bend my wing back in or shake the bag off after it had been ripped from my back.

  Within another ten minutes, the decrepit building that humans saw if they passed by—where the academy truly was—came into view. My heart pounded in my chest as all my muscles hardened. I knew the moment I walked through the shield and saw the school, the memories of my last day there would slap me across the face.

  I wasn’t sure I was ready to face everything just yet, but if I was being honest with myself, I wouldn’t ever be ready. The hurt ran deep, and moving forward was the only way I knew to get through it. It was how I barely survived losing my parents, and I’d use that strength to tackle what came next.

  I had a small hope I’d be able to sneak into the academy and shower before seeking out Gemma, but that didn’t happen. After I landed just outside the shield, I barely had time to get my sandals on before I was tackled to the ground.

  “Holy shit, Gemma,” I groaned while staring up at the blue sky. “Give a girl some notice before you throw yourself at her.”

  “Shut up and let me have my moment.” She squeezed tighter, and I wrapped my arms around her as well.

  I had missed my friend and didn’t truly realize how much until then, as tears threatened to prick at my eyes.

  “Uh, wanna loosen up?” Gemma barely breathed out.

  “Oops, sorry. Dragon strength has a mind of its own.” I shrugged as I let go and pulled in my emotions.

  She stood up first with her hand reached out to me, and I gladly took it before giving her a proper hug.

  “I missed you,” I said when we pulled apart again.

  “That doesn’t get you off the hook for ignoring the majority of my calls. And the ones from Jules. Not cool at all.”

  “I texted to let you know I was alive when the messages started getting frantic. I needed time. Really, I still do, but I also know that nothing other than facing things head-on is going to make any of this better.”

  She looped her arm through mine and pull
ed me toward the shield. “It’s your first day back. I don’t want to talk about what happened when you left. I want to know about what happened while you were gone and why in the hell you’re breaking every fashion code I believe in by wearing a fanny pack.” The last two words were said with so much disgust, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Remember I have wings? They don’t leave me with many options of being able to carry stuff with me.”

  “Yeah, I saw you land. I just happened to be heading to town for last minute school stuff, and I was cursing you in my head. Then suddenly, there you were. All dragon scales and wings. Kinda scared the piss out of me, actually.”

  Leaning my head on her shoulder, I sighed. “As much as I didn’t want to be here, seeing you now made it all worth it.”

  “Duh. I’m amazing.” She laughed.

  We walked through the shield, and the academy appeared as if Malina hadn’t caused any damage just three months earlier. The gargoyles were all back to their previous spots from having crashed to the ground, and the fallen bricks were placed where they belonged.

  My eyes scanned the gargoyles, wondering if I would still feel their watchful eyes since Malina was gone. Nothing stood out to me, and I breathed a sigh of relief until we were in front of the main doors. The gargoyle who appeared to have moved back when I had been fighting Malina was still there, perched on the railing with its wings spread.

  “Do you ever find those things creepy?” I asked Gemma as I nodded toward the roof.

  “The gargoyles? No, but I grew up knowing them as protectors. How come?”

  I didn’t answer her until we were on the platform headed toward our dorms. “Did you notice how afraid Malina seemed when she left?”

  Gemma scowled. “Unfortunately, I was a little busy trying not to die to notice much of anything else. How come?”

  “Could just be crazy talk, but something tells me those gargoyles scared her. When she saw the big dude by the front door, that’s when she left, but it didn’t make any sense to me. Why would she be afraid of a statue?”

  She smacked me upside the head as we stepped off the platform on our floor. “Raegan Keyes. No more. I just got you back. I don’t want to talk about any of that. You and the headmaster can hash out whatever you need to, but today is for reuniting. Not stressing.”

  As we approached Jules’s door, it flung open and her stormy grey eyes moved from my head to my toes. When she noticed there was nothing wrong with me, she raised a finger in the air. “You have so much explaining to do, young lady.”

  Shrugging, I nodded at Gemma. “She said I’m not allowed to.”

  Ignoring my smartass remark, Jules threw her arms around me as Gemma backed up. I hugged my aunt back with a fierce sense of love and a need to protect. She was hurting, and I could somehow sense it, probably from my dragon side. It reinforced my need to protect them all.

  “I love you, Aunt Jules,” I whispered as I squeezed tighter, “and I’m sorry for leaving you. If I can help it, I won’t ever do it again.”

  “Damn right, you won’t,” she said as she pulled back, tears in her eyes.

  “Okay, enough with the mushy stuff.” Gemma grabbed both of our hands and tugged us toward my room. “We’re going to eat junk food and drink wine and hear about all of the places you saw over the summer. Tomorrow, we can deal with the past and future.”

  “Didn’t you have to go to town and grab some more school supplies?” I teased.

  “Shush. I was more just going to distract myself. Peyton and Finley haven’t been around much, either. Probably because I’ve been bitching about you being a pain in my ass so much.”

  We entered my room, and everything was different. The bed was moved, the walls were painted a pale blue, and pictures of me with my friends from the year before hung on the walls.

  Tears gathered in my eyes, much to my surprise. I hadn’t allowed myself to feel much besides anger while I had been gone. Rage was typically at the forefront of my mind, but seeing what they had done for me touched my heart and I couldn’t help it.

  As my eyes roamed over the pictures, I tried not to let thoughts of Enzo ruin the moment. He should have been in half of the pictures—some of them he even took—but there was no sign of him in my room and I think that’s what they were trying to do. They removed his presence, so I could move forward, which I appreciated, but as thoughts of him continued to force their way through, I wasn’t sure it would happen anytime soon.

  “Thank you,” I said as I turned around. “When did you guys do this?”

  “Started about a month ago. Gemma thought something new and fresh would be good for you to return to. Was she right?” Jules asked with trepidation.

  My eyes met the bright hazel ones of Gemma boring into me, eagerly awaiting my approval.

  “This was more than I could have ever asked for. Thank you both.” I hugged each of them briefly before heading to my butler box. I had missed this magical perk the most. No offense to the two behind me, but they didn’t feed me and clean up when I was done. The box was priceless, in my opinion.

  Maybe I was overreacting, but it had been weeks since I’d had a proper meal. While I had been gone, I didn’t have any identification or money. I scavenged for what I needed and stayed in the wild when I slept.

  The last time I’d had a satisfying dinner was when I found a twenty-dollar bill lying on the ground in Denver and grabbed it up before anyone could claim it. I ended up treating myself to a steak, and it was the best one I’d ever had. Though, I probably only thought that because it had been so long.

  Standing in front of the box, I glanced back at Gemma and Jules. “Don’t judge me for this, and remember, I’m part dragon,” I said before I began my order.

  When I was done, I added, “I’m going to take a quick shower before I scare you two away with my stank.”

  Gemma plugged her nose. “I was trying to be nice by not saying anything, but thank you. The outdoor smell doesn’t suit you.”

  I flipped her off and headed into the bathroom. As much as I wanted to enjoy a real shower, I was starving. So, I hurried up and was back in the room within five minutes.

  Food had already begun arriving, and as I started devouring everything in sight without offering to share, Gemma decided to chime in about my appetite.

  “Whoa, Bessie. You better watch all those calories, or you won’t be able to fit through the door much longer.” Her laugh was obnoxious, but even still, I joined in.

  “There were only so many chickens I could steal or food trucks I could raid without feeling ridiculously guilty for trying to survive. I’m practically starving right now.”

  “So, where did you go?” Jules asked as she began eating her own food without as much enthusiasm as I had.

  “It feels like everywhere. I just kept flying until I was tired, and then I would land wherever I was. The Carolinas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, and a few others. I didn’t stay long in one place because of the scavengers, but they were more annoying than an actual problem.”

  “You fought scavengers?” Gemma’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah, they’re not nearly as scary when you know how to disintegrate them. Enz—” The name almost rolled completely from my tongue, and my heart stuttered before I recovered. “I learned it last year in my elven classes.”

  I tried to remain casual, but they had seen my slip and how it hurt me.

  “I know we’re not supposed to talk about it yet, but you should know Headmaster Stone allowed him to stay at the academy and remain part of everything. I tried to fight it, but Alistair said we didn’t have all the facts. When I pressed for them, he also said it wasn’t his story to tell,” Jules stated with a splash of irritation in her voice.

  One, two, three, four… I counted in my head until I calmed my racing heart. It was one thing to come back to the place where I had fallen for him, but it was a whole different situation to be faced with his presence every day.

  Suddenly, I wasn’t so s
ure I could stay. As much as I loved Gemma and Jules, my heart wasn’t ready to face Enzo, and I was already mentally formulating a plan to flee the school before I ran into him.

  While I had been gone, my mind had thought of a million scenarios and all of the things I would do if I ever saw him again, but none of it could prepare me for the reality of the situation.

  As my mind and heart continued to battle things out, I leaned back against my bed and ate my chocolate cake. I was going to take Gemma’s advice for the rest of the day and deal with the past and future tomorrow.

  Or maybe never.

  Chapter 2

  Later in the evening, Headmaster Stone knocked on my door. Gemma and Jules were still with me, so I wasn’t sure how he knew I was back, but he did, and he sure didn’t give me much time to settle in before coming to find me.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I thought we should speak before tomorrow’s classes,” he said when I tried to tell him we were busy.

  My mouth opened to argue with him, but Jules placed her hand on my shoulder, stopping the words from leaving. “I know you’re still hurting, and we’ve avoided the topic for most of the day, but tomorrow won’t be easy. You should be better informed, or it could be worse. I could tell you more myself, but it really should come from Alistair.”

  My chest swirled with emotions: fear, anger, sadness, and annoyance. I could have just left and avoided it all. A small part of me had been thinking of that option ever since I almost said Enzo’s name out loud. The larger part of me refused to be a coward, and the more twisted part of me wanted a chance to see him again.