Bedlam Academy: A Why Choose Fae Academy Romance (Fae Academia Book 1), page 1
BEDLAM ACADEMY
FAE ACADEMIA
BOOK ONE
KATHY HAAN
Edited by
JESSICA RYN
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2022 by Kathy Haan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For more information, email kathy@idyllicpursuit.com.
ISBN 979-8-9855077-8-2 (eBook)
ISBN 979-8-9855077-6-8 (paperback)
First edition December 2022
Book cover design, artwork, and map by Leo Burk and Kathy Haan
Published by Thousand Lives Press, LLC
To those Shell Rock guys who helped mend my broken heart one fine summer. I’m sure my readers thank you immensely.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Kathy Haan
INTRODUCTION
Bedlam Academy is the first book in the Fae Academia series. It is a spin-off of the Bedlam Moon Trilogy. You don’t have to read the first trilogy to understand this book, but you might appreciate some of the backstory. The first trilogy follows Lana and her paramours, whereas Fae Academia follows their children at a magical university. More members of Rose’s group of lovers join in future books in this series.
You can find a list of triggers at kathyhaan.com/triggers.
PROLOGUE
ROSE
In the depths of the forest, high atop a sun-drenched mountain, time spins out of control as two hearts collide. Or at least, that’s what it feels like as Mekhi and I sit in the warm August sun, desperate to slow it down.
My family took Mekhi in a year ago, and we’ve since grown closer by the day. But now these little moments together are slipping away, like sands through an hourglass. When our carefree childhood gives way to adulthood, can this—whatever it is between us—survive the transition?
We talk about everything and nothing, always coming back to that single question: what will happen to us once college starts? We don’t have an answer, but I feel like something’s shifted in our relationship—something neither of us is quite ready to let go of.
The grass tickles my bare feet and I lean back, allowing his arm to slip around my shoulders. Tucked in his embrace, I try to memorize everything: the smell of his scent, the way our hearts seem to sync when near, and the feel of his callouses against my smooth, fae hands. He'd wanted to heal them, along with the scar across his chest, and as a witch, he could. But I like the reminder of our differences; how opposites can come together so perfectly. Like the dimple that only appears on his right cheek, so at odds with the other side, but as a whole, he wouldn't be the same without it.
Having spent the summer exercising with Bennett—my twin brother—and me, Mekhi has grown far from the scrawny street kid we’d met at the market a year ago. He’s now a confident, well-built guy. His hazel eyes have a new kind of strength, as though they’d seen more than his years should’ve allowed. He hasn’t forgotten his past, though; he still wears the same puka shell necklace he had when we first met him.
My fingers trail over the strand of coarse shells, and his throat bobs as he swallows. My acute fae hearing picks up an uptick in his heart rate, and I raise my eyes to meet his gaze. Time seems to stand still; all of existence beyond the two of us fades away as he takes my chin in his hand and draws me in until our lips meet.
My eyes close, and I lean into it. The kiss is gentle, sweet, and everything I expected my first to be, though my heart threatens to leap out of my chest. Just a kiss, but it tastes like everything. It's a promise of something more—something that can exist beyond college. We linger, neither one of us wanting to end it, but when the sound of a bird cawing overhead breaks our trance, Mekhi pulls away, a half-smile on his lips as he takes in the blue glow of my skin. My cheeks heat, having been caught. Luna fae only glow when in pain, healing someone, under the moon, or when aroused.
"I can't believe I wasted the entire summer being too chicken to do that." His lopsided grin undoes me. His lips are full and perfect, and I long to trace them with my finger.
"Neither can I, though my dads might’ve had something to do with it." While they love Mekhi like a son, there’s a reason they put him in a room on the opposite end of the house from mine. They’re protective of me.
My thumb grazes the stubble on his jaw.
"No regrets, though, yeah?" he asks softly, his voice a rumble in his chest, and his rich tone coaxing me closer, encouraging me to meet his kiss.
I can't help but smile. "No regrets."
He leans in close, his hair falling forward. Soft brown locks frame his handsome face, and his eyes are a deep, warm hazel. Flecks of emerald, gold, and umber glitter in his irises, as though the stars wanted to put on a show, plucked them from the sky, and sealed them in his gaze. "I don't want to let you go," he whispers against my lips.
"So don't."
Mekhi shakes his head, leaning back. "You don't understand. You and I, we can make this work. I don't want to leave without you being mine."
"What are you saying?"
"Be my girlfriend, Rose."
I pull away, my heart pounding and dizzy from the moment. "Mekhi, I—"
"Think about it." He cuts me off, and his expression changes from hope to understanding. He takes my hands in his, squeezing them gently. "I know you need time to explore your options and decide what you want. But you need to know you're the only one I want to be with."
My vocal cords fail to respond, so I nod, my eyes on his. His fingers are tender as they touch my neck and gently sweep the loose strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. His touch sends a shiver down my spine, and my heart soars at his words, but a part of me still pictures the miles that will come between us. I reach up to cup his face in my hands, feeling his warmth against my palms as his gaze intensifies. I take a deep breath, then let it out slowly before speaking.
"It's not just the distance I'm worried about. What if they come for you, too, just because you're my boyfriend?" The thought paralyzes me with fear and the only thing grounding me is the sweet scent of his cologne mixed with the earthy smell of the grass beneath me.
"They'd come for me just by my proximity to your family. I'm no more at risk as your boyfriend than I've been sleeping under your family's roof the last year." He cups my face. "You think a little thing like a severed head on castle steps thousands of miles away will scare me? They don't even know where we live, Rose."
True. All the letters and boxes come to our family via courier with no return address, all delivered to the main castle on Convectus, where we only stay when entertaining various leaders between the realms. The rest of the time, we're on Rexuna, high in the mountains at our family home, and only our personal guards know about it. With this latest string of threats that vow to kidnap and murder the high prince and princess of the fae—that’s Bennett and me—they haven’t let us leave the mountain.
It took all summer for Bennett and me to convince our parents to let us go to college to further our craft and make alliances with other families. He and I aren’t one to let fear stop us. We both want a real college experience where we don’t have to live under the thumb of the crown, and where we can be our own person. They’d only agreed after we made several concessions.
One: no one can know we’re really prince and princess. This means we only use the Drake name on official paperwork. Otherwise, our friends will know us as Rose and Bennett Ankida.
Two: we can’t attend the same university, so should the threats escalate, they can’t get us both at once. One of us will rule Bedlam someday, and spreading the risk is a smart move either way.
Three: we’ll let our parents know of anything that might be perceived as a threat as soon as we can.
Four: we won’t be reckless with our magic. This one is going to be a little more difficult to navigate because we’ve both used magic far more powerful than most students will use in their lifetimes. That’s what happens when you help your parents fight a war.
Five: we won’t lose sight of who matters most. Yes, our realm is important, as are our people in it, but family is everything. We’d raze villages—and have done—to keep each other safe.
"I want to be your girlfriend, but I meant what I said."
"About you wanting to be just like your mom?" His eyes soften.
"Yeah." A smile twitches at the corner of my mouth. "Please don't take this the wrong way."
"You know me better than that."
"I have too much love to give." I wince, trying to phrase this with as much tact as diplomacy as I can. "To only give it to one person."
Back when we thought we'd all be attending the same university, being with him just made sense. We spent just about every waking moment together. He's part of the family, and he knows me—even the ugliest parts I keep hidden from those closest to me. But now that I'll attend Bedlam Academy without him and Bennett? I'm more conflicted than ever.
Surrounded by so much family, I've never been alone. The thought of a long-distance relationship, where I must steal time to talk or text, let alone visit, makes me feel like a caged bird—something I vowed never to do. Does this make me selfish and co-dependent? Yeah, it probably does.
"I can't promise you forever, Mekhi, but I can promise you right now." A tingle of magic stirs between us. A fae promise can't be broken.
Unless I want to die, anyway.
"Would you feel any better about us if I agreed to share you?" His lips twitch, as if he's trying to keep a straight face.
My eyes widen. "You’d share me?" The first time I mentioned wanting multiple mates, he’d shut that down quick, and that was before we even talked about dating.
He shrugs his shoulders. "You'll have to get used to the distance between us, but you don't have to be alone. If you make a few friends—"
"Boyfriends."
He sighs. "Boyfriends, then. I can live with that if it makes you happy. We'll make our own rules, just not the usual ones."
"I won't share you. You understand that, right? I'd sooner claw a girl's eyes out." We did already establish I'm selfish.
He smirks. "While I'd love to see that, be honest with yourself. You're more likely to lob off her head than claw her eyes out."
"Glad we're in agreement, then." I grin.
His hand slips around my neck and up into my hair. I draw in a breath and tilt my head back, wanting to make sure we understand each other.
"So ... we're official then?"
"Yeah, we're official."
With a final kiss and an embrace, Mekhi sends me off with a silent promise: no matter what the future brings, this summer was our own special kind of magic.
CHAPTER ONE
ROSE
Perhaps coming here was a mistake. Technically, I’ve only been alive a couple of years, and my life’s already been in danger several times—and that’s when I’ve been under the direct protection of my royal and powerful family. What happens if the shit hits the fan, and I can’t keep myself safe?
But then I often find myself in precarious situations. Usually it’s self-induced—and more than preventable. The risk of sudden death or the danger of being late has never stopped me from choosing adventure first. Or second.
Until it did.
I give myself a shake and a wry grin. This isn’t the time to dwell on the past. I’ve got a brand-new chapter of mistakes to make.
In black wedge sandals, my feet slap against the rain-dappled pavement as I race across the deserted campus of Bedlam Academy, doing my best to avoid standing water. It's not even a quarter past yet and the place is dead. I know I'm not the only one who had to do last-minute registration, but you'd think there would be at least a few stragglers. Tears gather in my eyes, and I gulp in air, willing myself not to cry. It's not like me to be so emotional, but everything has changed.
Rounding the corner, as the wind rushes in and blows my chocolate-brown hair into my face, a fae yanks the door open to Drake Auditorium. I curse, stumbling to a stop when he flashes me a toothy grin. Dark lashes frame his sea foam-green eyes, their every shift cataloguing the view in front of him like a serpent. He gives me a slow, languid survey of my sandaled feet, then up my bare, tanned legs, pausing on the khaki shorts sitting just above my knees. Then they dart to the deep V of my loose blouse, trail up my neck, settling on the rapid pulse below my ear, before landing on my own set of deep pools of blue.
His pupils dilate as he parks himself in the doorway, blocking it. A black band t-shirt strains across the lean muscles of his chest, his broad shoulders wedged against the teak wood like a barricade. An arrogant smirk plays on his lips as I shift my feet.
He's enjoying this.
"Excuse me." I bristle, trying to push past him.
He doesn't move. A thick mop of raven hair falls into his face, and he pushes it back with one hand, his steely gaze fixing on me. "Not so fast." His voice is like honey and fae wine, lazily rolling off his tongue like sweetened words meant to trap and manipulate. "What's the hurry?"
I cross my arms and pin him with a glare. "I'm late for orientation."
"So am I," he shrugs, not moving an inch. "But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun first." Once again, his eyes trail down my body, making me feel exposed.
"What's the matter with you?" I narrow my eyes and cock my head. "All that metal poisoning your brain?"
His tongue toys with the snake bite piercing in his lip, and grins. "Nah, I'm just a fan of playing with my food."
I level him with a stare while I shift foot to foot. When it’s clear I’m not entertaining his advances, he moves out of the way, and I slink into the auditorium, my heart thundering in my chest.
Who was that guy? I glance back, but he's already gone, melting into the darkness of a stairwell leading to the balcony.
A few heads turn my way as I duck into a maroon leather seat near the back. The auditorium is large, though only a hundred or so students mill around. The room smells of dozens of different perfumes and cologne, old books, and strong coffee. Everyone settles into their seats when the lights dim. At the podium, a woman with long, gray hair speaks, her sing-song voice carrying through the space.
The wrinkles marring her strawberry skin display her non-fae status: she's a witch. This professor could live forever if she wanted and might already; perhaps she performed the immortality ritual later in life. Professor Blush if I recall the faculty roster correctly. She teaches herb magic.
Pride shines on her face as she lectures. "I never thought I'd see this." Her gaze flits over the audience of students and faculty. "So many witches and fae, together in one room. It's a historic moment. As you know, witches from other realms can’t enter Bedlam without their grimoire and Ebbswick key, and they must wait for a Bedlam Moon to use the portal. We’ll therefore be welcoming several new students later in the term."
Professor Blush smiles and her eyes glisten as the melody in her voice switches up a gear. "There's one reason why so many fae births have been happening lately…" A sudden sense of foreboding washes over me and I sit up straighter in my seat, eyeing the exit as she drones on. "And that's because our two worlds are merging. All thanks to High King Finian and High Queen Lana Drake being united with one another as a soul-bonded pair and restoring Luna magic. The very magic that runs through your veins." Her hands raise, and her fingertips turn from strawberry-colored to a glowing, deep green. "This power imbues you with your fae abilities. Our entire realm. It's the same magic that makes it possible for a witch to do this—” A ball of light forms in her hand and she tosses it into the air. The orb explodes in a shower of sparks, and the audience gasps as each particle erupts into another cascade of color and light. Her eyes go searching through the crowd, and panic seizes my chest. "And somewhere, one of their very own children sits among us."
