Shadowborn Academy_ Year One (Dark Fae Academy #1) - G. Bailey Page 0,61
been this way before. I follow Jonah through the door and the stairs go down instead of up like the rest. It’s lit up by sconces that float near the walls and soft blue lights from below.
“Where are we going?” I ask him.
“At the bottom of the academy, there are secret tunnels. The top of the tunnels somehow capture moonlight and the crystals reflect it. Years ago, all necromancy students used to be taught down there,” he explains to me, and it seems like his good mood is still around. He sounds hopeful…and I hope I don’t fuck up whatever he wants me to do.
“Why was necromancy banned?” I question, carefully climbing down the stairs with him.
I’ve asked Sage this before but even she didn’t know, and no books or lessons have spoken a word about it. The odd keeper I dared ask as a child told me jack shit and Pitch only helps me control the power, not give me any answers on how it came to be.
“Because only the light fae can teach it,” Jonah informs me, his attention rooted on the sapphire light emanating from below. “And even though Shadowborn Academy is a neutral place, the light fae king will not allow his teachers here because of the current war. The Sans Enfant War, as the fae call it.”
I’m no expert, but Sans Enfant sounds French and I’m sure Enfant means child. I don’t know what Sans means. Pitch is silent in my mind, like he always is when anyone talks about the fae, and it’s annoying because he can speak French. It’s how I know all the bad French words and so does Sage. I know about this current war from my history lessons with the sexy silver fox, Professor Mune. He explained the war started about eighteen years ago and it’s a big secret in the fae world regarding the actual reason. All anyone knows is that the King Ulric of Helios and Queen Narah of Zorya called for the war on the same night. The title for the war came from the cruelties that have been done in the last eighteen years, including wiping out two villages full of fae children, leaving only the adult fae alive.
The two kingdoms never speak now, and even though the war isn’t overly active anymore, many fae lose their lives on the border when stopping other fae from crossing. Shadowborns aren’t considered an issue, so we may go where we like. The same for magics. But if you’re a Dark Fae trying to sneak into Helios? Good luck.
“I wish I had a teacher, to be honest. I’ve been doing this magic since I turned, but it’s all by accident most of the time. I’ve taught myself along the way,” I explain to Jonah, lying a little since Pitch taught me some things and so did Ambrose in the dreamworld.
“I can do it as well, but not like you. I once bought back a fly and thought I was cool shit for doing it but the fly died the next day.”
I squint at the back of his head. I’ve never met anyone that can do what I can, except for Pitch and Ambrose. But even though I want to believe otherwise, I’m not sure either of them are real.
“Some things are not meant to come back and some wish only to go back to the dead. I sense it, you know?” I say, feeling his full attention on me as we come to a halt.
A small stone room with an archway flooding blue light into our eyes sits at the bottom of the steps, making it impossible to see into the room.
“And Echo wanted to come back, his spirit or soul, or whatever we are truly made of,” I add, smiling a little. “He wants to be here and fight for his life.”
“So does my sister,” I hear Jonah say as I step into the blue light first, blinking a few times to adjust to the light.
The vast cavern is unbelievably huge. There are dozens of tunnels going off in all manner of directions, but that’s not what’s so special about it. The millions of crystals embedded in the rocks, shining like glittering diamonds, make this place breathtaking. It almost feels otherworldly.
“Is your sister dead?” I softly ask.
Jonah looks at me in silence for a moment, before answering quietly, “I suspect so. She disappeared last year and no one has heard from her since. It’s not like she would