The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy Read online

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  The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy copyright © 2019 by Olivia Ash.

  Covert art commissioned and owned by Wispvine Publishing LLC.

  Book design and layout copyright © 2019 by Wispvine Publishing LLC.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Wispvine Publishing, L. L. C.

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  1st Edition

  Books by Olivia Ash

  Dragon Dojo Brotherhood

  Reign of Dragons

  Fate of Dragons

  Blood of Dragons

  Age of Dragons

  Fall of Dragons

  Death of Dragons

  War of Dragons

  Blackbriar Academy

  The Trials of Blackbriar Academy

  The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy

  The Nighthelm Guardian Series

  City of the Sleeping Gods

  City of Fractured Souls

  City of the Enchanted Queen

  Demon Queen Saga

  Princes of the Underworld

  Wars of the Underworld

  Sentinel Saga

  By Dahlia Leigh and Olivia Ash

  The Shadow Shifter

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  The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy

  Book Two of the Blackbriar Academy Series

  Olivia Ash

  Book Description

  The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy

  I made it through the trials, but now the real test begins.

  Year One classes have begun in the enchanted halls of Blackbriar Academy, and they're more challenging than anything I've ever faced in my life. Surviving the Academy means brutal training, advanced magic, and a bloodthirsty student who is developing a dangerous hunger for my power.

  Worst of all, it's clear someone knows my secret. And they have my father locked away.

  Deep in the rubble of an ancient ruin, we find evidence of a ritual. One we don't fully understand, but one which most definitely involves me in some way. And as time runs out, we have to find out who's behind this before they kill everyone I love.

  The traps are set. The clock is ticking. And I absolutely must save my father before he's slaughtered.

  God help whoever dares hurt him. I'm not the weak, naive little girl I was when I came to Blackbriar.

  My magic has never been stronger, and I've never had more control. I don't care if I risk going dark—I'll do whatever it takes to save the only family I have left.

  Or die trying.

  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

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Author Notes

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Sweat drips down my brow, despite the early morning’s chill.

  The sunlight barely creeps over the ocean’s horizon, filtering through the trees on the island as I stand across from Soren in a fighting stance. Drawing on my magic, I feel the hot flowing energy pool in my hands, forming a bright white ball of power that crackles with blue and purple light. I let out a deep breath through my pursed lips. Soren prepares to launch an attack, and I’m already shifting my magic, forming a shield to block the blast he will certainly send at me.

  Today, I’m going to show him that I’m ready, and I can take care of myself. I have to. If I want to save my father.

  He releases his magic, filling our private training area with bright blue light.

  I lean into my shield as the blast rockets into me. The impact feels like a punch to the gut. I grunt, but I manage to hold my ground. My feet slide along the soft dirt a few inches, but I manage not to lose my balance.

  “Good, now—”

  He doesn’t finish because I’m already sending a ball of white light toward him. He expertly blocks the attack with his own magical shield.

  “That was a good one,” he says.

  I smile. “Thanks.”

  It’s an intense training session before my first official class as a first-year student, and my nerves are all over the place. It’s exciting. I’m anxious to absorb every morsel of knowledge I can. The idea keeps me a little distracted, but so far, I haven’t nearly taken off Soren’s head.

  Yet.

  We’ve been training as often as we could to help me control my powers. Always coming to our little secluded spot in the restricted section of the woods near the coast, giving a great view of the ever-brightening sky and ocean below.

  I’ve learned so much about my magic and myself in such a short amount of time. My progress has been phenomenal. I’m stronger than I ever thought I could be. And as I dip low and dodge another attack from Soren, I can’t deny how powerful I feel. I'm physically stronger too. I’m no longer sore after each training session, and my muscles are gaining definition along my arms, legs, and torso. My stamina has increased as well, since it seems to take even longer for me to get winded or tired. I can use fire and light to attack, sometimes even lightning.

  The incident with Professor Lawrence made Soren up his game during our training sessions. Which, in turn, is pushing me to up my own game. I tap into my magic, reaching into its deepest recesses to access most of my power and strength.

  Arms straining against the latest blow, I grunt against the force and peek around my shield. I hurl a beam of light at him. It soars toward him. Naturally, again, he manages to avoid getting hit. Not that I’m trying to hit him, but it would be nice to best him just once.

  “Not bad.” He shifts and sends a blast of fire toward me.

  Thinking of the incident wit
h Professor Lawrence raises my anxiety. My heart flutters in my chest as goosebumps crop up along my arms, and a chill trickles down my spine as my breaths hitch. His last words to me were my father was as good as dead. Soren’s contact had mentioned a location where my father was last seen. As far as we know, he’s still alive.

  But there is a chance he isn’t. With that possibility, I falter. The blast hits my shield, knocking me back. My feet slip on the dirt, and the world spins into a blur of colors. I end up on my back, crashing to the ground in a painful thud. My head slams against the ground, filling my vision with bursts of color. Dirt clouds puff up around me and the dusty taste of earth fills my mouth.

  “Damn it, Wren!” Soren shouts as he rushes to my side and helps me into a sitting position. “What the hell happened?”

  His voice is commanding and full of anger. Almost like he’s pissed off at me for messing up.

  The asshole.

  “I was distracted,” I snap back, rubbing the back of my head.

  He huffs and checks the back of my head, being gentle with the pressure of his fingertips as he touches the area that hit the ground and then moves his eyes over my arms, lifting them and examining every inch of me for injuries. The worry in his eyes softens the anger in me.

  I sigh. “I’m sorry.”

  He looks at me, and his amber eyes search mine for something I can only guess at. “Don’t be. I was pushing you pretty hard.”

  His tone is soft, genuine, and the anger that was there only a moment ago seems to have dissolved.

  He helps me to my feet, quickly hoisting me from the ground. Once I’m standing firmly, and the dizziness from the motion has passed, I dust off the back of my pants.

  “What’s distracting you today?” he asks.

  I shrug. “Let’s continue.”

  He shakes his head and returns to his spot. We reclaim our stances. “Are you going to tell me?”

  I form my shield and wait for his attack. When none comes, I send out a blast of fire toward him.

  He blocks it. Of course.

  “I was thinking about the progress I made,” I say as he sends a smaller ball of fire at me. Leaning into my stance, ducking behind my shield, I thrust forward with it, knocking away the flaming attack with ease.

  “And?”

  “And if you take it easy on me, I’m going to get angry.”

  He smiles. “Suit yourself.” A harder blast of fire hits my shield, causing me to skid backward.

  Now that’s more like it.

  I attack with a ball of white light. “About Professor Lawrence, and my father, and my classes.”

  His shield absorbs the hit, and he stands straighter. “Wren, after this weekend, you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

  I nod and bite the corner of my lower lip. “I want to go. I need to.”

  He pinches the bridge of his nose. “We’ve been through this.”

  “We have, but it’s not fair.” I stand tall, straightening my back, ready to take on this argument. And win.

  “It’s best if Gideon and I go alone.”

  “And risk your lives for my father?”

  He stares out over the ocean. The sun has fully risen now, and the warmth rushes through with the breeze, pushing away the chill from earlier.

  “Is that any different than you risking your life?”

  “Yes. He’s my father. He’s in this mess because of me.” I walk toward him, keeping a safe distance in case he decides to attack.

  “You don’t know that, Wren. Not for sure.”

  I shrug. “Well that’s the only theory we have.”

  “Gideon and I have been in worse situations before. Believe me. We will get through this one just fine.”

  I shake my head. “We are a team, Soren. I can help, and you know it. I get that I’m not as experienced as you and Gideon. But I’ve proved my worth during the fight with Professor Lawrence. So did Milo and Jesse. We are stronger together. Besides, I want to see my father safe.”

  “That fight wasn’t something you chose to do. It was forced on you. On all of us. If there was another way, I would have made sure you didn’t have to be involved.”

  “And as valiant as that notion would be, I still don’t like the idea of you two getting hurt on a mission on my behalf.”

  Soren shakes his head.

  “Look, you’ve said it yourself. I’ve improved. I’m stronger than I was then. I’ll be safe because I have you, Gideon, Milo, and Jesse to help keep me safe. No harm will come to me while I’m with all of you. And as sweet as it is that you don’t want to see me get hurt, I know I can do this. We will make it through. Together.”

  “You’re not going to give up, are you?”

  I shake my head. “I just want to reach a compromise.”

  “You want a compromise?” He steps closer, never wavering from the hold his gaze has on me.

  I nod. My breaths quicken, and my knees go a little weak as he approaches and stands in front of me. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and runs his fingers down my neck and arm, sliding both behind my back and pulling me close.

  “The first sign of trouble, you have to get back here. No ifs, ands, or buts. No fighting. No arguing. Fair enough?”

  Breathless, I nod. But I don’t plan for anything to happen that would force me back here without them. We’ll cross that bridge if and when we get there. For now, I count this as a win. “Thank you.”

  He smiles softly. In the private way that he shares only with me. I smile back and he kisses me. It’s quick. Over just as soon as it started. He backs away and takes a stance. I quickly lower into mine. As soon as I put my shield up, a beam of light hits me, pushing me back. I strain against the force of it. When my shield fully dissolves the magic, I retaliate.

  “What about your classes has you distracted?” He blocks my attack.

  “I spent the last six years of my life with forest trolls. They don’t exactly have classrooms.”

  He nods and closes the space between us. “Spar.”

  I nod. And prepare. He throws a punch aimed for my torso. I spin out of the way, grab his left wrist and forearm with both of mine, bending his arm back behind him. I kick the back of his knees, sending him to the ground with a grunt. He flips me over his back, the world spinning in my view again, and I land a lot gentler on the ground than earlier. He tries to lock me in an arm bar, but I roll out of the way.

  “You’re going to love the classes. They are hands-on a lot of the time. Not much book work, but you will have to study hard. Each term will have finals, and you will have to demonstrate your knowledge to pass.”

  I tackle him, wrapping my arms around his waist and as soon as his back hits the ground, I twist my body and straddle him. He bucks. I fall forward, just above his head. I roll and lift up on my feet, spinning to face him as a fist launches toward my face.

  Twisting out of the way, I hook my arm over his, pulling it tight to my body and land a knee to his gut. As he leans forward, he grabs my thigh and pulls up.

  For a breathless moment, I’m weightless. Then I start to fall toward the ground.

  But Soren is fast.

  He breaks my descent, pulling my bent leg to his side as he slides his arm free and wraps it around me. Our foreheads rest together, our breaths mixing together as we pant.

  “Not bad,” he says with a hint of a chuckle. “You should have seen your face.”

  I roll my eyes and playfully smack him on his shoulder as he holds me to him. “Yeah well, the ground isn’t exactly forgiving.”

  “True.” He sets me down but doesn’t release me. Instead, we stand there for a few blissful moments.

  This is the softer side of Soren that I absolutely love.

  He brushes my cheek with the backs of his fingers as he stares into my eyes. Being near Soren makes my magic burn. But with his soft touches, and the way his amber eyes take in mine, my magic flows hotter through my veins, burning me from the inside out in a delicious, pleasant sensati
on.

  The sheer level of bonding that has happened between us in such a short amount of time still amazes me.

  He used to be leery of me, because of my power and some painful event in his past. He still hasn’t told me the details of that.

  A pinch forms in the center of my forehead.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks.

  I pull away slightly and wring my fingers together. If we are going to rely on each other, we need to start being open—with both the good and the bad. “I’ve told you about my past with the trolls, how hard it was, and I just want to support you the same way you’ve supported me. I can tell whatever happened still affects you.”

  “And you think now is the time to talk about it?” His expression carries a touch of pain.

  I shrug. “It was just a thought.”

  “I don’t like talking about it.” He turns away from me and looks out over the ocean.

  I rest a hand on his arm. When he turns his sexy amber eyes on me, I say, “I know it’s painful. But I want to help you through it. It will help me to better understand a part of your past, as well as the changes between us.”