InkSpelled (InkHaven Academy Book 1) Read online

  InkSpelled

  InkHaven Academy #1

  Kenna Bardot

  Tove Madigan

  Contents

  Title Page

  Disclaimer

  Copyright

  About the Authors

  Dedication

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Disclaimer

  InkSpelled is a fast-burn Reverse Harem Paranormal Academy Romance featuring all adult characters. It contains graphic scenes with both m/f and m/m content, as well as frequent group dynamics. The sexual situations are entirely consentual and feature very explicit detail.

  InkSpelled also features adult language and at times violent or dangerous situations.

  InkSpelled is Book One of a two-book duet. It is a 90k+ word full-length novel, as is Book Two, InkBorn.

  InkSpelled Copyright © 2019 by Kenna Bardot & Tove Madigan. All Rights Reserved.

  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 permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Kenna Bardot & Tove Madigan

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Kenna Bardot

  Tove Madigan

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Sep 2019

  Bardot & Madigan

  About the Authors

  Kenna lives in her tiny house with her husband and two rambunctious hellions (under five) who she adores. When she’s not chasing all three of them and her shepherd/husky mix around the house, she spends all her free time writing and adding to the hoard of plots stored on her bookshelf and hard-drive.

  Kenna always wanted to write, and did from the time she was 10 when she wrote her first full-length fantasy novel. The subject matter has changed over the years, but that passion for writing never went away. She has a degree in Psychology, and prior to having her kids she worked as a therapist using horses in her treatment strategy and working with adults and kids with disabilities.

  A full-time mom with her eldest about to start preschool, four days before the release of Kenna's debut novel InkSpelled, Kenna is making a go of making a living from the real passion that has haunted her all her life.

  Tove has always had a passion for writing but it started with non-fiction. She was editor of her school paper and wrote heavily for the yearbook committee as well. This funneled into a love for short stories that were entered into contests and, eventually, to the wonderful world of fanfiction.

  Tove never thought she'd write as a career but Kenna, who is the yin to her yang, has been the best foil to her insecurities and weaknesses and now she has embraced the darkness, the insanity and, yes, the depravity with nothing but pleasure.

  Ten years ago, Kenna & Tove met on an online graphic-design community when they were 19-year-olds. Though they’ve never met in person and live on opposite sides of the world, they’ve talked mostly daily since then. Now 30, they’re using those graphic-design skills they honed in a new way and making their own book covers. Full circle, right?

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  Kenna's Dedication

  To my husband. Thank you for being my best friend and for always believing in me - even when you have no clue what I'm talking about.

  I love you for so many reasons. Never making me or my accomplishments feel like less is only one of them.

  Tove's Dedication

  To my gran who, when everyone else said to stick to the practical, told me: "You do you, babe."

  And I did.

  One

  Kaia

  “Is it too much to ask that you be kinder to me today? Today of all days.” I looked into the mirror and sighed, a bitter huff from deep within me. It was never a good view, that face that stared back at me with wide-eyes, and today really was no different. The only thing different was that I knew I would never have to look at my face again once the day was over.

  Plus side there.

  “Deep thoughts?” The feminine voice came from the doorway and when I looked back, I found my mother standing there and leaning on the door jamb with her eyes on me.

  I raised an eyebrow at her, that tiny woman I unfortunately did not resemble in any way. Where she was delicate and petite, I felt like an awkward mouse.

  “Yes, mom. It’s no ordinary day, is it?” I shrugged and turned from the mirror as I tied my hair into a low ponytail like always. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her face and saw tears gleaming. I walked over to her quickly and laid my hands on her shoulders.

  “Mom.” I stopped and took a long, unsteady breath, unable to say anything more.

  “Kaia. My baby.” She laid her forehead on mine before kissing it. She ran her hand down the side of my face as I watched her try to smile. “My baby,” she repeated with a sniffle.

  “It’s fine, mom. I’m good; I’m calm, and I’m ready. We all knew that this day would come, and you spent my entire life teaching me how to meet and accept it.” I walked back towards my dresser and as I did, saw in the mirror the golden numerals tattooed behind my right ear.

  LV-XIX-MCII

  Everyone had their own date so it was a normal sight to see, but where before the date tattooed on my skin had just been a reminder, the day had arrived when it had turned into a promise kept and a threat. That day, today, I was going to be reborn.

  “Oh, Kaia. It came much too soon.” Her voice trembled, and I took a deep sigh as I tried to stop myself from crying.

  I remembered a long time ago when I lost a very good friend on his own date - it did always come too soon - no matter how one prepared for it. “Yes, mom, you’re right. It does come too soon. And while we try to ready ourselves, we’re never ready enough. But I couldn’t be more proud to be of service to Zeevar. To bring honor to you and daddy.”

  “Well…” she hesitated even as she ran a thumb over her pendant that symbolized her devotion to Zeevar. I had to smile at her as her reaction was such a surprise to me. She’d been a Matron in the Temple of Zeevar for as long as I could remember but I could see how, when it was me and my sacrifice that had arrived, she was a mother first and a Matron second.

  “Well, what?” I walked over and tidied up my bed, trying so hard to be as casual as possible. Even though it was the least casual thing to do when we both knew I would never sleep on that bed again.

  “Nothing much. I’ll miss you.”

  “Thanks, mom.” I gave my comforter a final pat before I slung my arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze.

  She squeezed me hard and whispered in my ear, “Your father wanted to drive you to work today. His little bird.”

  I pushed back to stare at her amused smiled as I protested at that, “Oh mom! Zeevar, no. I want today to be as normal as possible, which is why I’m going to work. I promise I’ll do my best, be careful, so y
ou can still see me after my shift at the nursery. Remember, party?” I mentioned the party that my colleagues were throwing for me, and bit back a groan at the thought of it. I found myself immediately wishing I did not need to survive to attend it since I hated parties. Rebirth was certainly a better option than that. I stopped my thoughts when I saw the hopeful look on my mom’s face.

  She fanned her hand over her face and beamed at me brightly. “Okay, okay. I suppose seeing you tonight will have to be enough. Don’t worry I can hold your father off. But.” She looked me over, and I could tell what she was thinking as I watched her from the mirror. “Well, the least you can do is actually try to look your best today, my dear. After all, party.”

  I looked down at the comfortably ripped pants I wore along with a man’s shirt that did bag on me unflatteringly. “Mom, it’s my last day on earth, party or not. Why do I need to look pretty?”

  “For exactly that reason, darling, it’s your last day. Do you really want to go looking like that?” She pursed her lips at me and it was a face I’d seen so many times but today it just made me nostalgic.

  “Yes.” I laughed at the incredulous look on her face at my answer. It never helped to explain to my perfectly-groomed mother that I had no vanity when it came to the way I dressed myself. I did sometimes, although very rarely, wish I could look prettier but it never seemed worth the effort. “Not today, mother. I imagine Zeevar would take me, ugly or not.”

  “You’re not ugly, darling. Just a bit sloppy. Don’t be maudlin or disrespectful, it doesn’t suit you.” She glanced at the watch on her left wrist - the gold one with diamonds which my father had gifted her on her 40th birthday. “If you’re not having your dad drive you, best get a move on or you’ll be late. You know how you crawl on the highway.”

  “While being late doesn’t really matter anyway I might just not crawl today, Mom. It’s a day for risks.” I wanted to cry but laughed instead. “If not today, then when?”

  “Not too risky,” she protested with a pout.

  I agreed, “Not too risky.”

  “I love you, Kaia.”

  “Love you too, Mom,” I told her as we walked out of my room.

  I did check the time and noted she was right about being late though, so I ran down, desperate for coffee, and saw my dad in the kitchen. He stood there, looking out the window and drinking from his usual mug. The sun shone through and the whites of his hair glinted in the light. When I entered, he turned and with his back against the light, it was a hazy view but I saw he was keeping it together even worse than mom was doing when his hands shook.

  “Jeez, dad. Did’ya drink all the coffee?” I walked briskly towards the pot and peered down at it. I murmured a quick thanks to Zeevar that there was enough left for a cup.

  “Little Bird,” he said it so softly and whatever effort at being casual I had been trying for went out the window, coffee sloshing over the rim of my mug as I heard the emotion in those two words.

  “Daddy.” I put my coffee down without even taking a sip, and I turned to wrap my arms around him and took a deep breath as I did so - I knew I would miss that scent and that sensation most of all. That feeling of being wrapped in your father’s arms was one we all took for granted, until they were no longer there. But I didn’t really know - would I miss anything where I was going? I didn’t really know the answer to that question.

  I turned from him with a deep, shuddering breath and picked my mug back up. “Oh, daddy, you don’t need to drive me to work.” I took a deep gulp as I looked back up at him.

  His hands came up to grip my shoulders. He peered down at me, mouth wide open in surprise and hurt so obvious in his eyes. “But…”

  “Daddy, please. I’ll be careful so you’ll still see me after work. I already promised mom.” I smiled up at him and it did give me pause when his face darkened before he sighed and his hands dropped from my shoulders. I saw he could not deny me anything, especially not then. I didn’t need my mother’s interference after all.

  “Okay, Little Bird. See that it’s a promise you keep.”

  “Thanks, daddy.” I drank the rest of my coffee in big gulps, perhaps a bit too quickly when it scalded my tongue. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, I rushed over to take a muffin from the basket my mom kept stocked on top of the kitchen island.

  “See you later, daddy. Behave, ok? Mom!” I turned to where she was holding out my coat out for me to take.

  She smiled as I took my coat from her. “I’ll see to it, Kaia Wren. We’ll see you later.”

  My mom ran a hand down my hair just as she’d always done since I was a young girl. It was all I could do not to reach out and squeeze too tightly when she did. I broke away before I just curled into a ball and asked her to hold onto me until the day ended.

  As I closed the front door behind me, I stopped myself from looking back. I really didn’t want to tempt myself to run back inside and hide myself from my fate.

  ✽✽✽

  I made it to the nursery with quite some time to spare and I laughed softly to myself as I stowed my bag under the metal table where I did my grafts and cuttings. Like I’d declared to my mother, I sped down the highway, singing loudly to myself and thoroughly enjoying the thrill of it all. After swinging into the parking lot, I cursed myself for not trying it sooner. I could only be grateful that I had been brave enough to try it once before I lost the opportunity to actually do so.

  I slapped the music on and allowed the loud notes to wash over the plants I babied like children. They preferred rock, as loud as I could have it without troubling anyone else, and I danced around awkwardly as I worked. It was strange behavior from someone about to die, I was sure.

  I ran a hand down the leaves of some of my beautiful plants even as I wondered who would take care of them the next day. It was likely one of the other caretakers I worked with in this nursery but I truly hoped that whoever it was would play them the music they preferred. But it was a joke - I was dead certain they wouldn’t. After all, I was known as the crazy plant lady - the one who talked to her plants like they were people. Sometimes, even more than I would people. As I checked some of my other plants where I had done grafts, I admitted they were right - I was just a little insane. They might not have me tomorrow, but I wanted my plants to know that somebody had loved them.

  As I took a cut from a painted daisy, my first of my last day, I let the work soothe me and just blocked out the rest of the day and what it would bring me.

  ✽✽✽

  My head pounded from the noise and even as the music was no louder than the music I played my plants on any given workday, it was punctuated by the grating sound of people talking and most of them about me. I felt myself grinding my teeth together as I rubbed the small of my back. Zeevar, it felt like the day would never end. I’d heard stories - for some, their time came early but for others, like mine was shaping up to be, the day dragged on.

  The day was nearly about to end so I felt the tension build in my neck and down my back. I wondered when it would happen and wished it would come soon. I was getting tired of waiting for the inevitable. The anticipation was likely worse than the dying itself.

  Something cold ran down my arm, and I jerked at the sensation, almost stalking away before a voice whispered in my ear. Karan.

  “Hey, baby, it’s your rebirth day. I still want you, you know?”

  I rolled my eyes before I turned around to face him - the man I’d been seeing casually off and on for the last couple years. I knew why he never committed - a woman Inked for a day as early as I was not worth the commitment. He wasn’t handsome, not in the traditional sense, but I could admit that he looked well enough. The look on his face was so hopeful, and I couldn’t help but chuckle as I glanced down briefly. “Oh, Karan. That’s the most romantic thing ever.”

  His face lit up. “Want to go somewhere private?”

  I didn’t even waste energy rolling my eyes again. Sarcasm always went over his head. “Sure, babe. Am I gonna
get off this time?”

  “Don’t you worry about a thing, babe. I’ll make your last night on earth the best.” Karan took my hand and led me towards the stairs. As we walked up, I looked back and saw my mother smiling sadly at me, her hand in my father’s. Everywhere else, people were having quite a good time and so no one noticed that I was escaping my own farewell party.

  ✽✽✽

  There was less than an hour left in the day, and I felt empty inside as I zoomed down the road. Karan had tried his best, the darling, but had been as disappointing as ever. I laughed to myself at that, my last good deed on earth was to give my boyfriend an orgasm while I wished for one of my own.

  It was quiet, driving down the roads on that last hour of the day. I had gotten a yearning to leave the party alone and had given in. As unusual as it was for me to drive at night and certainly never alone, maybe Zeevar was calling me. I had no choice but to listen.

  I turned left on the fork where I would always go right towards home. My headlights provided little light on the unfamiliar road but still I did not slow. As I drove over the bridge, I saw a light flash over the water and for a split second, I looked over and wondered what it was. When my eyes turned back to the road, I saw a shadow dash in front of the car, and I lost control, swerving uncontrollably. I jerked on the wheel, feeling the air in my lungs whoosh out and my world turn upside down.

  Two

  Alec Gaius

  “Ah, shadow night is it, Porter?” The man who spoke had close-cropped brown hair and wore all white with gold trimming but he did not look up from the big book he was staring down at. Beside him, I eyed the girl with short, reddish brown hair but unlike the man, she looked up at me and smiled even as the older man gestured to her.