Second Chance Hope: a paranormal reverse harem academy adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 3) Read online

  Second Chance Hope

  Book Three of the Second Chance Academy Series

  Ella J. Smyth

  Unapologetic Romances

  Last term, I found a death list. This term, I’m on it.

  * * *

  I thought things were settling down. That the worst things I’d face are final exams.

  * * *

  Wrong. One by one, my boys disappear until I’m the only one left.

  * * *

  Still reeling from discovering I’m surrounded by more human-adjacent people I knew existed, my whole world tilts when I’m thrown into an alternate reality. Or the same one, only different. Who knows. Not me, that’s for sure.

  * * *

  So what am I supposed to do now? Rolling over and waiting for death isn’t my style. I prefer going down kicking my enemies in the balls. Or beg them to let me go. Their choice.

  Contents

  Newsletter

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Also by Ella J. Smyth

  About the Author

  Disclaimer

  Newsletter

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  1

  “Watch it, Hennessy. You’re so short, if you pulled your socks up, you’d be blind.” That was Lance, trying hard not to laugh as he towered over his Irish friend.

  Kiernan pushed him. “Feck off. If you were any longer, you ‘d be late.”

  “What does that even mean, you Irish freak?”

  “It means you’re so ugly, the sea wouldn’t give ya a wave.”

  Lance bent over, cracking up. Kiernan leaned on his back, guffawing.

  God, they were like kids sometimes. The Farkas Academy of Magical Advancement had become my home over the last year. Not because of the classes, but because of my two boyfriends who were currently horse playing on their way to the cafeteria.

  For a brief moment, I was happy to forget the shit storm of the last few months. It didn’t last long. Because Julian should be with us, shaking his head at his friends’ antics. But he wasn’t. The jackass had decided to ditch us rather than work through his issues.

  My mood darkened. I dropped my head and strode away from Kiernan and Lance before I’d bring them down, too.

  Something pushed against my shin. I stumbled, barely catching myself before I fell. I didn’t even have to look down to recognize the culprit.

  “Slug." I sighed. My orange tomcat sat on the path and grinned. Cats couldn’t technically grin, but that was what it looked like.

  I bent down and heaved him into my arms, using my legs so I wouldn’t hurt my back. “Do I even have to ask how you got out this time?”

  Every morning, I locked him into our dorm room, and every night, he managed to slip away. I had no clue how he did it. I’d resigned myself to never finding out all of his escape routes.

  Slug licked my cheek. While I was distracted wiping away his drool, he wiggled, jumping out of my arms. His stout body pressed close to the ground, he probably thought he was being stealthy. In reality, he was about as innocuous as a gorilla in a tutu. The songbirds foraging in the spring grass along the path kept their eyes on him, ready to fly away any second.

  An arm came around the back of my neck and pulled me against a broad shoulder. “Did you listen to a word I said?”

  I hadn’t even noticed Kiernan had caught up with me. He jostled me playfully. Pushing against him, I laughed. “Let go, you big buffoon.”

  “Make me, acushla.”

  I shivered at hearing his Irish accent. Kiernan noticed and grinned. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, but when he ran his hand over my cheek and brushed my lower lip with his fingers, a bolt of arousal shot through me so strongly I nearly moaned.

  Instead, I pushed against his arm, pretending to want to get away, but there was no strength behind my attempt.

  Lance shook his head. “Can you guys wait until after school? I can’t think of anything else but exams right now. Whitehall is going to give us the list for the finals.”

  The finals. I really tried hard not to panic about them, but this term’s exams would be even harder than the last ones.

  That’s when I remembered I’d left my textbook on my desk. I face-palmed. “Guys? I need to go back. Save me a seat.”

  As I retraced my steps toward the block huts that served as overflow classrooms, I lifted my head into the spring sunshine. The Oregon winter had been long and miserable. I wasn’t used to month after month of cold rain interspersed with the occasional snowfall. The air still had some bite, but the sun was trying its hardest to soften the cold. I smiled at the birdsong and the promise of summer in the air.

  Slug had given up on his hunt and was tripping me up again as he weaved through my legs. I swore at him and picked him up to get him out of my way. Bent over, a familiar face a few yards away caught my eye.

  I froze for a split second before clutching the struggling cat and walking faster. From the corner of my eye, I watched him keep pace with me. The man was tall and muscular, at least two decades older than the students, and his facial expression was so carefully neutral, he stuck out as an intruder.

  It had been a few weeks, but I would have recognized him anywhere. He’d held down a fellow student who was then removed from the academy. I’d hidden from him after I discovered my friend Lillian’s room had been ransacked.

  Mrs. Palmer, our elemental magic teacher, had warned me.

  “When you see these guys, run,” she’d said to me only a few weeks ago. That was before she, too, had taken a mysterious leave of absence.

  And here he was again, keeping a steady distance, but obviously shadowing me. The overflow classroom was just ahead of me. There was only one door, and if I went into the room, there was no other way out. He’d follow me, and I’d be on my own with him.

  Instead of entering, I turned right and walked around the building, hoping to double back and lose him. It seemed to work. I rushed as quickly as I could around one corner, then the next.

  Just as I was about to clear the last corner to return to the front of the building, Slug wriggled and dug his claws into my skin. I hissed and dropped him.

  He didn’t run off as I’d expected him to, but pushed against my shins to stop me in my tracks. I glared at him, rubbing the scratches through the fabric. A noise caught my attention, and I remembered.

  Slug had done the same thing when those guys had nearly caught me outside Lillian’s room. Something was up. I stuck my head out carefully—and pulled it back just as fast
.

  There was a second man waiting for me at the front of the hut. My heart was pounding so strongly, I was sure he’d hear me. The stranger blocked the entrance while his buddy couldn’t be far behind me. If it hadn’t been for Slug, I would have walked right into him.

  My stomach lurched. What was I going to do? I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting my pursuer to show up at any moment.

  Next to the overflow classroom, maybe ten feet away, was the next log cabin. Seven of them accommodated the ever-increasing number of students at the academy.

  Another quick check confirmed the first guy hadn’t yet caught up with me. I took my chance and hurried toward the shelter provided by the neighboring cabin, moving as quickly as I could without making a noise. Slug ran ahead and disappeared behind the building.

  A deep voice shouted, “Hey!”

  Oh, crap. They saw me. Adrenaline rushed through me, and I bolted. Dashing across the campus green, my only hope was to reach the open area. There were lots of kids, and maybe those men wouldn’t dare hurt me in front of witnesses. Rapid footsteps and loud breathing behind me made me run even faster.

  They might have been close enough to touch me, but I didn’t turn around. Instead, I put on such a burst of speed, I felt lightheaded. A group of students gawked as I bolted towards them. My breath was whistling through my throat, and my eyes were wide with panic.

  I recognized one of the boys. Robert was in my Tech-Mag class. Completely winded, I stopped in front of him. He stared at me, concern written all over his face. “Hey, Amber. What’s happening? Why are you running?”

  “These guys… They’re following me…” I turned, pointing. There was no one behind me. I checked left and right, but there was no sign of them. Great. Now I’m looking like a complete fool. Running for no reason.

  I turned back toward Robert to explain myself, but he’d stepped aside. A familiar man walked toward me, grinning like a shark. “Amber Whitman. Just the girl I wanted to see.”

  The blood drained from my face. I’d learned over the last few weeks that Lawson, head of security, was heavily involved in a scheme to abduct students from the academy. The two men who’d pursued me worked for him. He stretched out his hand and grabbed my arm. I stared at him like a rabbit at a snake. I wasn’t getting away now, and he knew it.

  “Let go of me.” My voice shook as I spoke.

  The corner of Lawson’s mouth lifted in a victorious grin. “You don’t need to be afraid of me, Amber. May I call you Amber?”

  I tried to pull my arm from him, but his grip was too tight. “What do you want from me?”

  “I don’t want anything from you. Ms. Farkas asked for you to be brought to her immediately. That’s all I’m doing.”

  I didn’t fight him as he led me away like a small child. There was no point. Not only was he stronger, but if the head witch wanted to see me, I had no choice but to obey.

  2

  By the time I stood in front of the imposing woman, I was hyperventilating. Frankly, she terrified me. When I’d first arrived here, I’d gotten to know her as the strict, but fair founder of the Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement.

  I wasn’t sure about that anymore. Students had been disappearing from the school under her nose.

  If she’s involved, I’m not safe anywhere. That thought had been haunting me ever since I’d watched a gruesome video in which a girl my age had been tortured to death. But I’d hoped, deep inside, I’d fly under the radar if she never caught me alone.

  Farkas was a good bit taller than me, her black hair pulled into a strict chignon. She’d never scolded or hurt me in any way, but there was a coiled strength in her posture, reminding me of a predator. Her black eyes bore into mine as if she were able to read all my fears, all my suspicions.

  Lawson had finally let go of my arm and stepped back. I rubbed my biceps where his grip had bruised me. Farkas’s gaze dropped to where my hand moved up and down.

  “Lawson. Please leave.”

  “Yes ma’am,” he replied. The door snapped into its lock, but I didn’t turn around to see him go. I was pinned by the head witch’s gaze, unwilling to drop eye contact. When the silence stretched uncomfortably, I finally gathered my courage. “Why am I here? I’m sorry, but did I do something wrong?”

  Farkas smiled, although the expression never reached her eyes. My terror ratcheted up another notch. If she knew about the USB drive I’d found, my ass was toast. I didn’t want to die like Lillian, like Matt, like any of the kids whose names I’d seen on the death list on the drive.

  I didn’t know I’d started trembling until Farkas said, “Please calm down, Amber.”

  The head witch walked behind her desk and sat down. She pointed at a gray chair with metal legs nearest to me. I lowered myself onto the cheap plastic seat, glad to have some support for my shaky knees.

  Eventually, Farkas nodded. I didn’t know what that gesture meant. Had I passed some invisible test, or was she satisfied with the amount of terror she’d invoked? Her lips pulled into a barely visible smile. If she was trying to put me at ease, it wasn’t working.

  “I can see Lawson scared you. I apologize for that. He’s a rough man, well suited to providing security for the Academy, but he is not great at dealing with the students.”

  I sat up straighter, not sure what might come next.

  “I asked him to bring you here because I want to make you an offer. You’ve conducted yourself bravely in your encounter with Strickland.”

  Just hearing the name of my former teacher gave me a jolt. He’d abducted me from the academy to drain me of my magic.

  “It has also come to my attention that you have only focused on developing your secondary powers. Is that correct?”

  Uh, oh. Where the hell did she hear that from? Mrs. Palmer, the Elemental Magic teacher, had warned me to hide the extent of my lightning power. She’d told me as long as no one knew how powerful my primary power actually was, I was safe.

  I parsed my answer carefully. “My lightning power caused so much trouble, and my secondary powers are so weak, I thought it might be a good idea to balance them a little.”

  Ms. Farkas smiled again. I shivered under her gaze.

  “That’s very laudable. And I think you may have a point, Amber.”

  Wait, what? She agrees with me?

  Ms. Farkas continued. “Your lightning magic is formidable. We’ve had so many problems with the school dampeners, I can fully understand why you’re holding back. And that’s why I asked you to come see me. I’d like to offer you private lessons. Consider it a mentoring scheme.”

  What? That was the last thing I’d expected. She raised a hand as if to ward off any objections.

  “Hear me out. I know this is unusual and would add an extra time strain on your schedule. But I feel I can really help you control your magic. You’ve impressed me with your diligence and aptitude. You’ve shown yourself to be responsible and courageous. I’m sure, should there be any more accidents, I would be able to control the environment for you to safely train under my supervision.”

  Her Eastern European accent was strong, but she’d most definitely offered me an internship. I didn’t know what to say. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Her help would be invaluable to develop my innate abilities, but I didn’t trust her. Only a few minutes ago, I’d been convinced Lawson was dragging me to my doom.

  While I was still trying to figure out how to respond, Farkas said, “Of course, it would look advantageous in your appraisal at the end of your stay here. It is not up to me to send you back to your old life, but as you well know, as Head Witch of this academy, my word will weigh heavily in your favor when it comes to making the decision.”

  I didn’t know if I should feel flattered or terrified. In one breath, she’d complimented me but also made it clear they wouldn’t release me if I didn’t comply. My parents had disowned me, and I had nowhere else to go, but that didn’t mean I wanted to spend the rest of my days in this place. />
  “I know this is a big decision for you. Don’t give me an answer immediately. I’d like you to think this over.”

  Farkas pinned me with a piercing stare until I fidgeted. “While I’ve got you here, Amber—is it true you’ve entered a relationship with three fellow students?”

  Oh, damn. I should have expected that. We’d had some issues, the boys and I, which had landed my boyfriend Julian in the hospital wing.

  Well, I suppose he’s my ex-boyfriend now. The gloom that descended on me every time I thought about Julian returned. I blinked rapidly to hold back the tears.

  This time, when the head witch smiled, she seemed more genuine. “You know we don’t have a problem with our students becoming… intimate. Most of you are of age, and as long as you’re careful, there are no rules against it.”

  I nodded. Being careful didn’t mean not getting knocked up like it might at any other college, but to avoid what had happened to Julian. It was possible for mages to drain each during sex if the elements were incompatible. Unfortunately, what should have been one of the most exciting nights of my life, had turned into a total nightmare when my boyfriend had nearly died.

  Ms. Farkas was still speaking, but I’d lost track of what she’d said. Without thinking, I interrupted her. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”