Shadowborn Academy_ Year One (Dark Fae Academy #1) - G. Bailey Page 0,52

pins me to his chest. “I just wanna talk.”

“About what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Skipping tryouts. Performing necromancy. What will Greyhorn say to those, shadow raven? I wonder if there’s something you could do for me that would, let’s say, keep my mouth shut for you?”

My blood runs cold in my veins. “Are you blackmailing me?”

“More like forming a truce.”

I clench my jaw, narrowing my eyes at him. “Fine. I’m listening.”

“I’ll keep your secrets if you help me in return.”

I roll my eyes, ducking under his arm. “Sounds like blackmail. What do you want me to do?”

Jonah twirls me around and holds me closer. “I want you to help me cast a spell.”

Another twirl, and I scrunch my face at him. “Just a spell?”

“Just a spell to help my sister. She was a shadowborn,” he confirms, a small grin tugging at his lips. “Help me or you’ll regret it.”

The song ends and Jonah lets me go. White-hot fury surges through me as I glare at the back of his skull, watching him walk away until he’s swallowed up by the crowd. It’s not that he wants my help that pisses me off so much. It’s the threatening that really just pushes my fucking buttons.

“You look like you’re about to kill someone,” Zander comments, and I snap my head around, glaring as he approaches me. For once, he’s not wearing his leather warden uniform, apart from the coat, which he’s pulled over a bottle-green shirt. His navy jeans are rolled up at the bottom, showing off his ankles, and his shoes are the same rich brown as his slightly mussed hair. “That was a poor choice of words.”

I smile at him. “How is Echo doing?”

“He’s been sleeping most of today. Turns out he’s more nocturnal.”

“Like his mum,” I wink at him. “I’m glad. You look…”

“Sexy?” Zander proposes, wiggling his eyebrows. “I know.”

I roll my eyes, more at the fact that he’s not wrong. “Are you going to stand there looking pretty or get me a drink?”

His face lights up like a puppy who’s just been told they’re the best boy in the world. Little cutie. He offers me his arm, and I take it, following him away from the crowd towards all the booze. Professor…Jakob and Sage, I notice, are slipping away from the party and into the trees.

“Rumour has it they’re dating,” Zander says, gesturing to them as he opens two bottles of beer with inhuman speed. “Is it true?”

I nearly admit the truth, but even in the magical world, I’m not sure if teachers are allowed to date students without any repercussions.

“I’m not really sure,” I answer instead, taking a beer from Zander.

I wrap my lips around the rim of the bottle, very aware of Zander watching me take a drink. His unique eyes follow the droplet of liquid that slips out from my mouth and trickles down my throat. A strange sense of desire fills me as I lock eyes with him, but I quickly wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

Finally, his eyes trail up to meet my own, and he swallows, his Adam’s apple jerking nervously in his throat. “Corvina…”

“I’d love to dance!” I squeeze in before he says anything that’ll make me blush.

I like Zander, probably a lot more than I should, but I don’t want him to know that.

Right now, all I can afford to do is dance with the sexy Shadow Warden.

Dance…and drink…and hopefully not do anything stupid.

I feel like I’m flying as Zander carries my drunk ass back through the forest back to the academy. I’m not sure why he isn’t using his shadow-teleportation-whatever-the-hell-you-wanna-call-it-thingy, but it feels nice to be held by a sexy Shadow Warden that smells of marshmallows and peppermint. Mmmm. Candy canes. Gods, I could do with something to nibble on. Why are there no takeaways in the Enchanted Forest? Haven’t they ever heard of a fish and chip shop?

Zander looks down at me, catching me staring up at him. “What?”

“I’m hungry.” I chomp down on his pectoral, just grazing his nipple with my teeth before letting go. “Bleh!”

“The fuck, Vina! Did you just bite me?”

“I did. You don’t taste very nice. But you smell good. Also, you have weird eyes, but like, sexy weird. That kind of weird. Is your dad or mum a snake?”

He chuckles, the sound vibrating against my ears. “Neither.”

“Cool, cool, cool. Have I told you that you smell good?”

“Just a second ago,” he sighs.

“Oh.” I wriggle slightly in his arms, clasping my hands