Fae Ignited Read online

  Fae Ignited

  Woodsong Academy Series

  Michelle Areaux

  Copyright © 2022] by Michelle Areaux

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Cover Design- RJ Creatives

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  17. Chapter 17

  18. Chapter 18

  19. Chapter 19

  20. Chapter 20

  21. Chapter 21

  22. Chapter 22

  23. Chapter 23

  24. Chapter 24

  25. Chapter 25

  Also By

  About Author

  Prologue

  My fate had been sealed even before I was born.

  Living in a world filled with monsters that most people believe only live in fairytales, makes everyday life a little more…complicated. Especially, when you can’t tell your friends the truth about what you really are. Living in the human world, I had to hide that I wasn’t like them.

  That I was a Supernatural– a Fae to be precise.

  Well, a soon to be Fae, anyway.

  However, the world I was about to find myself trapped in, was still a mystery to me. I had no idea how much my life would change with only a week's notice. There wasn’t a handbook or some fairy godmother to navigate me through the whirlwind of changes I was about to get myself caught up in.

  Everything that I thought I once knew was all one big lie.

  Even with the massive changes thrown at me, nothing could have prepared me for what I was dealing with now.

  Death was staring me in the face.

  The lives of so many relied on me in this moment; and I had no earthly idea what to do.

  Two boys called to me, pleading with me to save them.

  Only, one had betrayed me and still, I found myself drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

  The other, my heart didn’t belong to.

  Seconds ticked by and my heart beat so loudly, it drowned out all of the other screams and noises surrounding me. Tragedy and chaos ensued and here I stood, paralyzed with fear and with the notion that regardless of what choice I made, someone would die.

  Chapter 1

  The morning sun bled through the blinds, illuminating my small room. Stumbling through the space, I reached for my lip gloss and brushed against the small picture frame that sat atop my dresser. I watched as the frame fell over, causing a loud clunk against the second-hand dresser I used. Cursing my clumsiness, I quickly picked up the frame and inspected the contents to make sure it was still ok. Sighing, I let my eyes roam over the image of my parents longer than I should have. It was the last picture I had of them before they died a few years ago. Standing the frame upright again, I tucked a strand of my red hair behind my ear. Like it or not, I was about to tap into my Supernatural abilities. My life would never be the same again.

  “Brie, are you up?” my Aunt Marie yelled from downstairs.

  Her shrill voice made my blood run cold. Closing my eyes, I reminded myself that I would be out of here in a matter of a few days.

  “Yes, I’ll be right down,” I called back. I made a frustrated gesture as I threw on my black, Converse sneakers. I wasn’t sure why she was rushing me. I still had another twenty-minutes before I had to leave for school.

  Then, it would only be a week before I left and never came back.

  For good.

  The acceptance letter I received last month was taped to my dresser mirror. A reminder that hope was possible in this bleak existence I was surviving through. The large, gold and black calligraphy spelled out my name at the top of the prestigious letter. When I was born, my mother had applied for me to attend Woodsong Academy, an accredited school that only accepted a small number of students each year. Over the last few years, I had lost hope that I would ever get to attend the same school my mother did when she was my age. However, when I received the letter in the mail, a spark of hope was ignited inside of me. Thinking back to that moment still put a smile on my face, but only briefly.

  Shoving my loneliness aside, I put on a brave face. If I allowed it, the tragic feeling could consume me completely. My fake smile kept people from constantly asking me how I was doing. I hated the pity in their eyes each time they looked at me. Even my best friend, Lilly, sometimes looked at me like she felt sorry for me being an orphan. I would miss her, but everything else about this town and my life here, I would be glad to leave behind.

  Grabbing my backpack, I rushed down the stairs and out the door before Marie could yell at me again. I managed to make it to the curb right as the bus pulled up. The loud chatter of the students drowned out the sound of my own beating heart. I had a ticking time clock over my head and I just needed to make it a few more days.

  When I arrived at school, Lilly was already at her locker. Waving me over, she smiled and I felt my heart sink just a little. Her dark brown hair was curled in beachy waves and she looked beautiful in a stylish pair of skinny jeans and a white top.

  “Hey, I thought you were going to get here earlier today,” she said, handing me a steaming cup of coffee that she must have gotten from the coffee truck parked outside of school.

  “You are a saint,” I sighed, taking the cup of liquid gold and sipping the drink. “I was, but Marie wouldn’t get up early, so I had to take the bus,” I told her, rolling my eyes.

  Unfortunately, Lilly knew how difficult it was for me to live with my Aunt Marie. She never hid her disdain for children and when she was forced to take me in after my parents died, she never let me forget how much of a burden I was for her. It’s not like she had some luxurious career she had to give up. However, she did have to stop partying, though she still found time to go out several nights a week with her friends. Marie and my mom were half sisters. They shared the same father, but had different mothers. They were never close like sisters should be, so moving in with her was almost like moving in with a stranger.

  You see, I am part of the Supernatural world. A world where monsters from fairy tales and legends aren’t just things of fiction-- but a reality. Only, no one else knows any of this exists. At least, no one else who is alive in my life. I had known since my birth that I didn’t belong in the human world. My mother was a Fae and my father… Well, I never really knew what he was. I hardly remember him, to be honest. I would take on the abilities of my mother, which means I will become a Fae. When a Supernatural being turns sixteen, they have to attend the Woodsong Academy to learn their true powers and to find a way to live with them amongst humans in the human world. It was now my time, and my aunt couldn’t be happier to get rid of me.

  Unlike my mother, my aunt wasn’t born with Supernatural abilities. My mom was beautiful and loved by everyone, while my aunt seemed to live in her shadow. She had been angry and hostile over this for years. Hating my mother with an unfair, jealous rage. So, you can only imagine how frustrated she was when she learned that she was responsible for taking me in, five years ago. Still, there was a part of me who believed that the stories my mom had told me were just that–fictional stories. Her elaborate, whimsical tales consisted of Faes, Vampires, Shifters, and others who received their powers once they stepped into the mag
ical world of Woodsong Academy. I never sprouted wings or managed to cast any spells. I always doubted that magic existed inside of me, even though my mom assured me it did. Nothing about me ever felt–different, but I had to believe that what she had told me was true. That hope was all I had to rely on or, I feared I would fall into a dark depression of loneliness. I could feel the heavy tentacles of my own anger threatening to strangle me daily. Hopefully, once I arrived at my new school and home, whatever I was would finally come to life.

  “That stinks. I hate that she is making you go to that boarding school,” Lilly said, and I hated the sadness dripping from her voice.

  This was where I had to force the sadness that typically came natural to me. As far as everyone knew, my mother’s life insurance had left me enough money to pay my tuition and my aunt was using that to send me to a boarding school just a few hours away in southern Kentucky. The reality was, I was more than thrilled to go to Woodsong Academy. This wasn’t just any school. Woodsong Academy was a place where Supernatural children were sent when they turned sixteen-years-old. A least, that was how my mother explained it. I couldn’t wait to not only discover my Fae abilities, but to feel closer to my mom again, too.

  “It won’t be that bad,” I said, shifting my backpack to my locker. “I can still come home on some weekends and we can talk all of the time,” I told her.

  “I know,” she stated, looking down as she fiddled with her cup of coffee. “You didn’t even get a proper sixteenth birthday,” she pouted.

  Now, that was a sore subject for me. If my mom were still here, she would have gone all out for my birthday. All of my childhood birthday parties were over-the-top extravagant. My mom loved to throw me parties and I missed that more than ever.

  “I can’t stay locked in the bad memories,” I explained. “I have to just remember our good times and look forward to the future.”

  Nodding, Lilly tried to keep a brave face, but I knew this was bothering her. We finished gathering our things for class and then began walking through the crowded halls toward our first class of the day. I made sure to take in these moments with Lilly and enjoy my time with her. While I knew I would see her again, my life was about to change in more ways than I could imagine.

  Chapter 2

  By the end of the week, I had managed to pack up sixteen-years of my life into a few bags.

  I didn’t have much to begin with, so the process didn’t take much time at all. My Aunt Marie wasn’t much into buying gifts; so other than clothes for school, I didn’t really have a lot of personal items to pack. Staring blankly at the bland walls of my bedroom, I was a mixture of strange emotions.

  This had been my new home after my parents died, but it never truly felt like a home. This room was nothing more than four walls devoid of any emotion. The plain white walls never held pictures or fun posters. The baby blue bedspread and curtains had white daisies lining them and never looked like a teenagers room. Somehow, I had lost a piece of myself over the years and I hoped, if nothing more, Woodsong Academy would help me find the part of me that I had lost.

  Plopping down on my bed, Macy let out a sigh. “Wow, I thought that would take longer,” she said, glancing around the empty room.

  Her long hair was swept up in a messy bun and she was still wearing her dance team practice uniform. Macy had come over after school each day this week. With each day that passed, my growing excitement for leaving my aunt’s house and going to the academy grew, but so did my sadness over leaving Macy.

  “Well, I didn’t really have much to pack,” I acknowledged, sitting down next to her.

  “Yeah, I guess not,” Macy noted.

  We both sat there, staring out my bedroom window that faced her house. Since I moved here, Macy and I have become best friends. We would wave to one another as we passed by our bedroom windows since she lived across the street. A knock on my door startled us both.

  “I ordered a pizza. I’m going out,” Aunt Marie said, standing in the doorway. Her curly brown hair bounced on her shoulders.

  She was dressed in a short red dress and had her car keys dangling in her hand.

  “Ok, thanks,” I replied, trying to hide my frustration with her.

  I left in a few days and she couldn’t care less. Marie offered a forced smile and then turned and left. Macy and I sat there silently until we heard the front door open and close and then her car engine purring down the street.

  “Man, I don’t know how you dealt with her,” Macy chuckled, shaking her head.

  “Me either,” I giggled.

  It was after ten that night when Macy went home and I was finally alone. Pulling out my laptop, I opened up my social media pages and absentmindedly scrolled through the pages. I wasn’t much on posting, but sometimes, I liked to see what everyone else was up to. A message came through and I clicked over to my email. A spark of excitement shot through me as I saw an email from Woodsong Academy addressed to me. Opening the email, I read through the information carefully.

  Miss Brie Bounty,

  Woodsong Academy is pleased to have you join us for our upcoming semester. We hope that you are prepared to learn more about your Supernatural abilities and grow along with your classmates. While our professors will do their best to accommodate you, please be advised that those attending Woodsong Academy will be learning their new powers, too. Dangers will be present, so it is vital that you take your classes seriously and listen carefully to your elders and guides. An unmarked car will arrive at exactly three o’clock on Saturday. Do not share this information with anyone, especially a human.

  Your guide will be waiting for you when you arrive.

  I read over the email at least ten more times before finally shutting down the computer. While still excited, a wave of nervous energy took over as I thought about the journey I was about to take.

  By Saturday, I was a bundle of nerves.

  ***

  “You better hurry,” Marie yelled, her hateful voice radiating through the walls of my bedroom. “If you think I am going to drive you to that fancy Academy, you are crazy.” Marie’s shrill voice made me cringe. Part of me thought that she was jealous that the money my parents left me went to pay for a prestigious school. I wish I could tell her what the academy really was, but that was against all rules. My parents had been the only Supernaturals I had ever known, and, thankfully, that was all about to change.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” I mumbled to myself, in a flat, annoyed voice.

  I glanced at myself in the mirror still hanging on the back of the door as I began to pull my shoulder-length, red hair behind my ears. My five-foot frame was short and slender, and my green eyes seemed to glow. Before walking out of my small bedroom, I glimpsed around the empty room one last time. I wished more than anything that they were still here with me. To guide me through this process. To tell me that everything would be ok. But they weren’t. I was alone. It had been nearly five years since they were murdered and the police were no closer to finding their killers. I knew I would have to join the Woodson Academy alone, an orphan, and that alone made my anxiety increase even more.

  Beep, Beep.

  Outside, I heard the sounds of a car honking again. Glancing out my window, I spotted a black van with dark tinted windows idling on the street. My stomach filled with nervous butterflies as I knew the van was here for me. I wish I could have had the orientation tour of the Academy like the other kids who would be attending, but I hadn’t. Only Supernaturals were allowed on the grounds, and I had no one to take me.

  “Brie Bounty, get down here before they leave you here,” my aunt called again.

  Sighing, I rolled my eyes, grabbed the duffle bag that contained the few personal items and clothes I had packed, and rushed toward my bedroom door.

  A sense of excitement and nervousness filled me. This was my new journey and as much as I wished I knew what to expect, I had no clue what was in store for me. All I knew was that I would be learning how to become Supernatural and ma
ybe, hopefully...possibly find a way to track down the people responsible for my parent’s death.

  Outside, the air was warm, but there was a crisp coolness that reminded me that Fall was quickly approaching.

  As I stepped in front of the van, the driver’s side door opened and a tall, thin man walked over to me. His stoic face stared blankly back at me.

  “Brie Bounty?” he asked, his voice void of any emotion.

  “Yes,” I said, nervously.

  He nodded and handed me n black and gold envelope. On the front, my name was written in cursive. “This has your room key and student ID,” he explained, before turning on his heel and walking back to the driver’s side.

  I stood there for a moment, gawking at the envelope. The van started and I realized that was my cue to get in. Taking in a deep breath, I glanced up at Lilly’s window and saw her standing there, watching me. I offered her a smile as I slid into the vehicle. Aunt Marie was already in the house, not even bothering to tell me goodbye.

  Well, good riddance to her anyway.

  As the door to the van closed, I sat back in the black leather seat as the man began to pull away from the curb.

  Putting in my earbuds, I settled in the van for the long journey ahead of me. Resting my head against the window, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to be taken away by the sounds of music.

  Chapter 3

  The van slowly rolled to a stop and I was jostled awake.

  My mind was foggy as I struggled to take in my surroundings. Flicking my gaze outside of the vehicle, I realized we had just arrived at the school. Hours had passed and I had almost slept the entire trip. I felt someone nudge my arm. I guess I fell asleep while listening to music.

  The driver was standing outside of the vehicle, holding my bags. His face was still stoic as he stared back at me.

  “Thanks,” I said, as I smiled.