hint as to the current passengers, but it wasn’t hard to guess who was likely to be inside. As he opened the back door for me, I bobbed my head to him in thanks and ducked to climb in.
The second I dipped lower, a wallop of magic shoved me from behind. I toppled onto the back seat, my hand smacking into the leg of a form already slumped there.
Noah. Noah was sprawled at the other side of the seat, his head lolling slack by the bottom of the window. My heart lurched, my mouth opened with a shout—and that was the last thing I was aware of before another surge of magic lashed across my head and sent my mind plunging into darkness.
* * *
Where will Cressida and Noah end up, and will they manage to escape the reapers alive? Find out in False Augury, the second book in the Traitor of Villains trilogy. Get False Augury now!
What drove the new barons to go to war with their parents—and how exactly did Cressida end up on their side? To discover the full history between Cressida, Rory, and the rest, read the Royals of Villain Academy series. Now complete and available in two box sets, free with KU!
Next in the Traitor of Villains series
False Augury (Traitor of Villains #2)
I thought I was fighting to prove myself, but it turns out I’ve been duped. The traitor betrayed… I guess there’s a certain poetic irony to that.
Unfortunately, neither poetry nor irony is going to get me or the guy I inadvertently dragged into this mess to safety. I’ve got nothing left to bargain with. So when the worst of our betrayers offers us a way out, what choice do I have but to take it?
There’s a long journey ahead of us, one I couldn’t have been prepared for. One that’ll require I somehow trust the last person I want to. One that’ll push all three of us to our limits—with no guarantee that we’ll make it to the end alive.
Get it now!
Cruel Magic excerpt
The story of the fearmancer world began in Royals of Villain Academy! Here’s a sneak peek inside the first book, Cruel Magic.
CRUEL MAGIC
1
If I’d known my parents would be dead in an hour, I’d have done a few things differently that Sunday morning. Made sure to fit in a hug or two. Offered at least one “I love you.” And not dredged up the same old argument we’d been having for the last half a year, which didn’t end up mattering anyway.
But I didn’t know, so I took what appeared to be my moment. The three of us were sitting around the square white table in the breakfast nook just off the kitchen, warm California sunlight streaming through the broad windows. Dad was finishing up his French toast and eggs equally drenched in syrup, a contented smile curling his lips. Mom poured herself another cup of coffee and inhaled the steam with a pleased sigh.
I dabbed my last corner of toast in the runny yolk left on my plate and washed it down with a gulp of my own bitter coffee. “I was looking at the listings online,” I said. “There are a few apartments not too far from here that I can afford.”
Mom let out a very different sort of sigh and gave me a look full of fond exasperation. “We’ve talked about this, Lorelei. You should be saving that money for your future.”
She only pulled out my full name when she intended to end the conversation. I barreled onward. “I’ve really appreciated having the basement. You know that. But I just turned nineteen. Isn’t my future supposed to be starting now?”
The first time I’d brought up the idea of moving out, they’d offered me the small basement apartment they’d been using for storage as a compromise. But the whole point had been to get a little independence, and it was hard to feel like an adult with my parents literally over my head. After being homeschooled most of my life, now that I was attending a few classes at the local college—and seeing how my classmates lived—it was becoming more and more obvious that I had to make a real break if I was going to figure out my future for myself.
Unfortunately, while I was making more than enough to cover rent and the rest, an artist with no credit history didn’t look like the safest bet to potential landlords. To get a lease, I was going to