It still looked as ridiculously foreboding as before, tall and black with imperious twists rising along the arched top, but no unexpected barriers had sprung up. I studied it a moment longer anyway. My hand closed at my side, and a sudden prickle of pain jerked my gaze downward.
The thin red lines of open scratches covered my right palm. Scratches that formed letters and then words when I stared at them.
They wanted me safe.
I blinked and read the sentence again. With an itch that dug deep into my skin, the scratches started to fade away. In a matter of seconds, my palm looked as unmarked as I’d have expected, although a thin pang of discomfort remained.
The growl of the cab’s engine was fading beyond the thick stone wall. Up ahead of me loomed a sprawling Victorian mansion. The smell of roses saturated the air. And memories tickled up through my head.
Somewhere ahead of me were three young men who’d all looked at me as if I were some kind of answer: Ryo with his punk-green hair and gentle affection, Jenson with his off-kilter nose and barbed charm, Elias with his deep brown eyes and rigid confidence. There would be classes that dredged up the worst out of us, whether through words or vomit. And in the woods lurked a beast that hid a young man inside it.
More and more of the impressions flooded my mind, piecing together into a patchwork quilt that stretched back weeks upon weeks, moments layered on moments, until I could hardly breathe. But even as my lungs constricted, I stared up at the school building with growing resolve ringing through me.
I knew who I was. I knew what I was doing here. Whatever I’d done last time, it might have saved not just Cade but every other student here—and me—after all. Because this time I remembered, and I’d be damned if I let the fiends that ran Roseborne College stop me again.
* * *
What other secrets will Trix uncover—and will she and the guys be able to take down Roseborne’s dark spirits for good? Find out in Academy of the Forsaken, the second book in the Cursed Studies trilogy. Get Academy of the Forsaken now!
If you’re a fan of gothic-y reverse harem paranormal romance, why not check out the prequel to another of Eva’s series, The Witch’s Consorts? You can grab the prequel story FREE here!
Next in the Cursed Studies trilogy
Academy of the Forsaken (Cursed Studies #2)
When I arrived at Roseborne College searching for my foster brother, I had no idea what I was in for. In the past few weeks, I've endured torments both physical and emotional. I've looked death in the face. And I've made an unnerving discovery that's left me scrambling to pick up the pieces of the quest I started out on.
But the supernatural beings who run this school haven't conquered me yet. I'll turn the tables on them with my newfound knowledge—and maybe with the help of three temptingly screwed-up guys I never expected to count on.
At least, that's the plan. Everyone in this place is keeping secrets: me, the guys I might be falling for, and my brother. Secrets big enough to bring us together... or to tear us completely apart. How will I find the strength to continue the fight if it turns out I can't trust anyone—not even myself?
Get it now!
Cruel Magic excerpt
Dive into Eva’s other paranormal academy series today!
An academy full of villains. A defiant young woman who's only just discovered her magic. Four hot, arrogant men determined to break her. Who will surrender first? Find out in the Royals of Villain Academy series! 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 need Mom or Dad to sign on as a guarantor. Which meant, somehow or other, I had to convince them it was a good idea.
Dad leaned his elbows onto the table. “You know the drill,” he said with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Pros and cons. Go.”
We’d been playing that game whenever I’d proposed something my parents weren’t sold on since I was seven years old. I’d like to think I was pretty good at it by now.
“Pros,” I said, ticking off fingers as I went. “It’d be an important transitional step to becoming a completely independent adult. I’d be forced to learn how to look after myself. I could get a place that’s closer to the college so it’d be easier for me to participate in the extracurricular stuff there and save maybe an hour in transit. I’d be building my credit score and a rental history. I’d have more space and more freedom to… to figure out who I am without you looking over my shoulder.”
I hadn’t let myself say that part before because I’d known it’d make Dad wince the way it had just now. Mom set down her coffee, knitting her brow. “You should feel like the apartment is completely yours, hon. We don’t want to stifle you.”
“I know.” My hands fell to my lap, and I twisted one of the glass beads on the charm bracelet they’d given me for my tenth birthday and that I’d added to every year since. Each charm was a symbol of a love or a dream I’d shared with them. Why couldn’t they understand this longing? “All you have to do is look out the window to see who’s coming and going. Sound travels up. Even if you’re not trying to monitor what I’m doing, I can’t forget that you’re right here.”