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  Shadow Light

  Witch Academy of Ashes

  R.L. Wilson

  Copyright © 2021 by R.L. Wilson All rights reserved.

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  No parts of this book reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

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  This is a work of fiction names characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the authors imagination or used in a fictious manner. Any resemblance to actual person living or dead or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Cover Designer: Charmaine Ross

  Editing: Rainlyt Editing

  Proof Reader: Cassie Hess-Dean

  Formatting: R.L. Wilson

  R.L.Wilson Shadow Light, The Witch Academy of Ashes, Book Two March 2021 R. L.Wilson/Exquisite Novelty Publishing LLC

  Created with Vellum

  Thank you for purchasing Shadow Light

  Thank you to all my supporters, friends, Arc group, and beta readers for encouraging me, even on the days when I wanted to throw the towel in.

  Special thanks to my many mentors. Your mentorship is invaluable. You kept me motivated, gave me advice, and never asked for anything in return. The world needs more people like you.

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  Special thanks to my husband and kids who stayed up late listening to my ideas and being alpha readers. I hope to make you guys proud of me.

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  Last but not Least I have to thank God for giving me the strength and the courage to keep striving.

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  R.L.Wilson

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  Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Also by R.L. Wilson

  Stalk Me

  Blurb

  Jail is the last place I thought I’d end up. Yet here I am

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  Now my only goal is to get out of this filthy place full of degenerates and track down the actual killer.

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  With rage fueling my every move and my friends, Kenny, James, and his twin brother Josh by my side. I know I’ll find Prince, the dark fae, and get my life back.

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  This is.. if all go as planned. If not, I might never get to live the life of a teenage girl and I’ll definitely never attend another party.

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  Find Prince and don’t fall in love with him. How hard could that be. How hard could that be?

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  I’m about to find out.

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  Scroll up and take ONE CLICK to start this magical journey.

  1

  I’m nobody's criminal, but they are hauling me to jail. I can always tell when they have a guilty conscious: they stay silent. I’m too tired to fight with the officer driving the squad car. My face stings with pain, my eye is swollen. It’s clear I’m the victim.

  “Officer, can you tell me why I’m being arrested?”

  He refuses to answer my questions, but sadly, I think the headmaster called the police on me. I can’t believe this shit. I grimace as my bruised face throbs with pain.

  Maybe I will get a phone call. I could call Grace. Other than that, I have no one else to call. I don’t think Mother has a phone. There’s no way for me to contact her. Not that she could help me anyway. She’s been in jail a time or two herself, and no one helped her out either.

  A thick tension clouds the small space in this car like a foul odor. The officer looks at me through the rearview mirror. His thick lips part as if he wants to speak, but he snatches his eyes from the mirror and continues driving. He says nothing, leaving me in the dark. I’m sure he knows about this conspiracy going on.

  The ride to the police station is a short one. It’s only two city blocks. The front entrance of campus. I must convince him to tell me something before we arrive at the station. Unless he’s involved in this coverup.

  I’m much too pretty to be in prison. From what I’ve seen on television, the butch women like pretty girls like me. I can hold my own against most girls my size, but I don’t know my magic well enough to fight off muscular, built women.

  “Can you tell me anything?” I growl.

  “No, they instructed me to take you straight to the station,” he grunts. “You’ll find out what the charges are soon.”

  “Charges?” My mouth becomes dry. “I’m telling you I didn’t do shit.”

  “There are three sides to a story. Your side, the other person’s side, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth.” He scratches his head, moving the bronze hair to one side. “That’s where law enforcement comes in: to find the truth,” he barks.

  Those are the most words he has spoken all day. The car comes to a stall and I flick a stare at the police station. I’d promise myself after seeing Mother in prison that I’d never go to prison. The place steals the blood from you. Mother lost her appetite for life there. Her color disappeared along with her weight. She was never the same. I can only imagine the horrors she must have faced there. I must find a way out.

  “Let's go,” he says. Every nerve in my body fires to propel myself toward the door. Forcing myself out the squad car, I take a hard swallow, then hobble toward the entrance. My hands cuffed tightly behind my back make me appear to be a hardened criminal. I came here yesterday as a visitor and today as a prisoner.

  I feel like I’m taking my last walk toward the electric chair. The harsh stares from my peers make me cringe. I want to hide in the corner or disappear altogether. Most students come here for parking passes or to pay tickets, not in handcuffs.

  The officer ushers me to the back of the precinct. I assumed I’d be thrown to the wolves in a tiny cell; I got it all wrong. He put me in an empty room. There’s nothing but a desk and chair with white brick walls, the kind you would see in a mental institution, not a pristine supernatural academy. There’s also a large glass window. I've seen enough Law and Order to know that they are recording me.

  There’s no need for them to record me. I’m not saying shit. But I am innocent. I’ve grown weary of saying who the culprit is. He seems to slither his way out of out every situation like a slippery weasel.

  The officer exits the room as a lady enters. She’s sporting a blonde wig that covers her forehead, only revealing her sinister eyes. Let me guess, I’m supposed to confess to her. Get the fuck out of here.

  She takes a seat, exposing her gun in a holster on her hip. She isn’t wearing a uniform. I guess she’s a detective. She needs to do her damn job and find Prince. He committed murder and an assault.

  “Hello, I’m Maggie. I’ll be asking you a few questions,” she says. Her red lipstick left stains on her teeth. I want to tell her, but I’ll keep quiet.

  “Hi.”

  “Are you Ronielle Simms?” br />
  Suppressing an eye roll, I sigh. “That would be me.” It’s irritating. She knows my name.

  “I need to inform you everything here is being recorded.”

  She didn’t need to tell me. I’m no idiot. I have little to say, anyway.

  “Can you get me out of these cuffs? They hurt.” I frown.

  “Sure.” She rises from the chair. The clack of her heels pierces my ears. She releases me my from my shackles. I rub my wrists as they throb in pain. The red rings around my wrists are hideous. It will be over faster the more cooperative I am, I think.

  She swoops her hair to the side as she sashays back to her chair. She better not move it too much. I'm sure she will be embarrassed if it comes off. I know it’s a wig. Grandma had a room filled with wigs.

  Her eyes flicker. She is supernatural, I can tell. She has a magical aura surrounding her. But I can tell she thinks she’s the cat's meow. She has on a ton of makeup and her wrist is laced with silver bracelets. I don’t see a wedding ring, though. It all makes sense. She’s looking for a husband. Not going to find one in a jail, I hope.

  “Let’s cut to the chase,” she says.

  “Let’s,” I respond, raising a brow.

  “We have a lot of evidence to suggest that you harmed someone.”

  I shoot a disgusted frown at her. “What are you talking about? Don’t you see my face?”

  “Your dorm room is covered in blood. It covers the walls and the floor.”

  “Yeah, I told you he attacked me,” I yell. No one is listening to me.

  “You only have a few minor scratches and bruises. Nothing to justify the large puddle of blood in your room.”

  Heaviness takes over my breathing. I gasp for air as she talks. What the hell is she getting at?

  “Where is the body?” she asks.

  “Body? What body? Prince is the killer,” I plead. “I didn’t kill anyone. He attacked me. That’s my blood in there.”

  “Now is the time to be honest.” Her tone lowers, even calmer than before. “I can help you. Maybe it was a mistake.” She grabs the mug from her desk and takes a sip, never taking her eyes off me.

  Oh, she’s trying to mind-fuck me. “No, I didn’t make any mistakes.”

  “Crime investigators are there now, getting samples of the blood. By tomorrow we will know who the blood belongs to.”

  “Great. Meanwhile, you should go search for Prince.”

  “Who is this Prince? What’s his last name?”

  “I don’t know his last name, but he attacked me.”

  “The problem with that story is no one knows or has seen this Prince. Do yourself a favor: confess, so you don’t get life.”

  The stare I shoot at her should have cut her face. I’m too angry to speak. My blood is boiling.

  “Fine, have it your way. Officer!” she yells. The door unlocks. The officer steps into the room. His eyes brighten at the sight of her. “Take her to a cell.” She gives me a look of disgust.

  Oh, this shit is getting real. How do I escape this nightmare?

  2

  I’m ushered down the dreaded hall and thrown into one of the four cells. “Wait,” I scream before he closes the bar. “This is not a women’s cell.”

  “This is the holding cell,” he grunts. “Everything is co-ed here.” He locks the door. “When you leave, you’re either going home or to prison.”

  Prison. The word I never wanted to hear associated with my name. My mangled screams are trapped somewhere in my throat. I shudder back and flip a quick glance at the twin boys sitting on the steel benches. Identical twins, at that. The high-pitched echoes of the guard walking away, leaving me alone with two males, leaves me in shock.

  I pace the floor. Finally, I take a seat on the bench opposite of the twins. I can’t believe they integrate males and females in the same cell. Lowering my head, I bury it in my hands. I take in a heady breath, trying to prevent the tears filling my eyes from falling. I don’t want to appear weak, but I'm scared as hell.

  “Everything will be okay,” a raspy voice says. I nod in agreement, but I don’t bother looking at them. They have no idea why I’m here. They can’t assure me everything will be okay.

  “Miss, don’t worry.”

  I narrow my guess in on the twins. “What?” I question, sniffling.

  “Don’t worry. You’re much too pretty to be angry.”

  I grin. It’s the first time I’ve smiled today. They are gorgeous guys, I must admit. I’m mad, not blind. “Hi. I'm Ronielle, but everyone calls me Ronnie.”

  “See, I knew you had a friendly spirit. I’ve gained a sixth sense for energy. I’m Josh, and this is my brother, James. We’re twins,” they both respond.

  “I can see that.” I chuckle.

  “What did a pretty girl like you do to get thrown in here with wolves?” James questions.

  I can tell them apart now. James has an orange shirt and Josh has on a blue shirt. But everything else, including their jeans, are identical. James also has pink pupils. The longer I stare, the more dangerous it is. I’m mesmerized by his eyes. Knowing I have a boyfriend puts me in a sticky situation.

  “I got falsely accused of something I didn’t do.”

  “That’s weird,” James says. “So did we. Did office Vincent arrest you?”

  “Who?”

  “Officer Vincent from campus police.” He raises his hand, showing height level. “Tall, stocky, hardly ever says anything.”

  “Yeah. That would be the one.”

  “It’s likely they don’t have any factual evidence. They arrested us because we threatened to go public with a campus secret.”

  The screech of the bars opening makes my body tense all over. I don’t turn around to see the guard until I hear my name. “Ronielle.” My stomach drops. The smooth voice is like music to my ears.

  It’s Kenneth. I shift around, and my gaze lands on his handsome face. I blink several times to be sure I’m not hallucinating. I thought they would never let me see him. He rushes to my side. I touch his chest and it feels like holding a million dollars in my hand. I burry my head in his chest. “They must let me out,” I plead.

  “Calm down. It’s okay. I'll make sure you get out of here. What happened?” he whispers.

  “I tried telling you before. Prince, he’s the killer.” A jolt of rage pumps through my blood when I speak the name Prince.

  “Ronielle, I told you to leave that alone. I can handle myself in here.”

  I shake my head. Tears form and roll down my cheeks. I say nothing. He came looking for me.

  “What?” he says, anger shooting across his face.

  “Prince. He came to my dorm room and attacked me.” I roll up my sweater, showing my many bruises and scratches. I then turn my face so he can see my bruised cheek.

  He drives his left fist into his hand. “Mother fucker!” he yells. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here.” That brings some peace to me, though I don’t know how he’ll achieve that goal.

  The guard stands at the bars, looking down at his watch, then clears his throat. “I have to go. I'll come back when I can,” Kenneth says. He stands and I grip his hand. “It’s okay, Ronnie. No one here will lay a finger on you.” He glares at the twins with an expression of “I dare you”.

  As he leaves, I suddenly feel as if I'm disappearing through the cracks in the concrete. Parts of me are drifting away. A claustrophobic sensation wears me down.

  “Kenneth is your boyfriend?” one of them asks. I suddenly become aware of my surroundings. I almost forgot they were in this cell with me. I was only thinking about Kenny, about how wonderful it would be if we both walked out of this shit hole, together.

  “Yes, why?” I respond.

  “We think you could do much better,” Josh says.

  I glare at him. “What wrong with Kenny?” I growl.

  “Nothing. He just has quite the reputation.” His eyes bulge. “Of being a ladies’ man. He has sprinkled a little of his magic on you.
”

  “No, it's not like that. I don’t care about his past. All I care about is the present and how he treats me.”

  “Fair enough,” James says, holding his hands up.

  “What are you exposing about the school?”

  “Well, we couldn’t help but overhear you talking about Prince with your boyfriend. I guess we all have something in common,” Josh says.

  A confused look forms on my face.

  “Prince is who were exposing. And the cover-up by the school,” James barks.

  Cover up. I knew there was something fishy about this whole situation. The officer says they never heard of a Prince. Bullshit.

  “Prince is a dark fae, as we both are. But he has been feeding off female students for years. No one is doing anything about it.”

  “That‘s what happened to my friend. They found her in her room dead, her body turning to ash. He had sucked the life from her.”

  A look of dread creeps upon both of their faces. “We must get out too.”

  “What’s wrong?” I question.

  “Our sister came up missing. We are certain that Prince kidnapped her. He usually feeds on them for a few days or weeks, sucking the life out of them.”

  Something must have gone wrong with Shelly. I’m sure she tried fighting for her life. That must be the reason there were bite marks on her neck.