Academy of Monsters (Descendants of Nightmares Book One) Read online

  Academy of Monsters

  Descendants of Nightmares Book One

  Madeline Fay

  Jenée Robinon

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Drusilla

  2. Vex

  3. Drusilla

  4. Watt

  5. Drusilla

  6. Thorn

  7. Matthias

  8. Drusilla

  9. Jr

  10. Drusilla

  11. Watt

  12. Drusilla

  13. Jr

  14. Drusilla

  15. Matthias

  16. Vex

  17. Drusilla

  18. Thorn

  Monster vocabulary

  Monsters

  Acknowledgments

  Stalking links for Madeline Fay

  About Madeline Fay

  Stalking links for Jenée Robinson

  About Jenée Robinson

  Copyright @ 2019 Madeline Fay and Jenee Robinson

  Academy of Monsters

  Descendants of Nightmares Book one

  First publication: November 2019

  Editing by Tashima Gordon of Kitsune Tales Editing Services

  Cover design by Victoria Schaefer of EVE’s Garden of Eden

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Madeline Fay and Jenee Robinson

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

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

  This is a Paranormal Reverse Harem romance

  Created with Vellum

  Dedicated to America’s Ass

  A baby’s piercing wail breaks the silence of the small-town village of Transylvania, located deep within the mountains. The townspeople close their windows and doors before dusk has even set, the setting sun illuminating the old town. There would not be a soul in sight strolling through the brick roads once the sun has disappeared behind the mountains. Gloomy skies of grey cast overhead with a chill in the air, the fog creeping in slowly from the south of the mountains causing shadows to dance in the streets. The little creature's crying causes dread to settle in the stomachs of all the townspeople mixed with a feeling of doom upon the horizon. Another monster has been born on the sixth month, on the sixth night, at the exact time of six o'clock on All Hallows Eve.

  The sound of the barkeep putting away clinking beer glasses draws my gaze away from the window and my thoughts, the sharp sounds startle me as he resumes cleaning up the bar. The warmth of the fireplace in my darkened corner keeps my bones warm as I await news. A low shuffling noise comes from right outside my window, as I look into the fog, a shadow appears. His shoulders are hunched and his cane taps on the brick road as his one leg drags behind him causing the small shuffling sound. As my informant opens the tavern door, he doesn’t even stop his slow stride until he’s at my booth in the corner. Easy for him to spot me since I’m the only one here, a secret meeting place away from prying eyes and ears. He takes a seat across from me, nervously shuffling around in his chair and tugging the long strands of greasy hair away from his aged face. I see the creature treats his slave well by the smell wafting off of him and how he seems to hunch over farther with each passing second. I shake my head at my own sarcastic thoughts. I nod to the barkeep and he brings two beer mugs over before I signal him to leave. I wait until he walks into the back kitchen before turning to the creature’s assistant.

  “What news do you bring me of your master?”

  The creature’s slave fidgets in his seat and can’t stop shifting his gaze around until he focuses on a fly that lands on the table. His hand darts out and catches the insect by the wings before shoving it in his mouth with a smile on his face. Having had enough of his disturbing behavior, I reach across the table to grab his collar with my fist. Dragging him to my face as I lean out from the shadows, I watch him flinch as the light from the flickering fire cast shadows over the numerous scars that decorate my face. Killing the creatures of the night comes with battle wounds that I wear with pride.

  “Talk slave.” I growl in his sweating face.

  Shoving him away, I watch him with a hunter’s eye as he straightens out his wrinkled collar and squirms in his chair.

  “Master’s wife has given birth. The prettiest baby. I shall serve her well.”

  Sickened to my stomach at the way this slave adores his master. I hypnotized this fool the old fashion way my ancestors taught me, he won’t even remember meeting me here. All part of the plan.

  “Which wife? And what is the gender of this child?”

  I snap my fingers to get his attention once again, he keeps looking out the window into the distance, his eyes unfocused. No doubt the creature is calling him, luring him back to the castle. I must hurry before it’s too late.

  “The beautiful first wife, Marishka, has given birth to a girl. She shall be more powerful than my master one day when the time is right. His other two wives have accepted her as their own.” His eerie voice drifts off in awe and worship.

  This is worse than I thought, I must warn the others and we shall plan even if it takes centuries for us to strike.

  “What of the child’s name?”

  He stands up unexpectedly, moving for the exit in a limping fast pace with his cane. I swiftly move, the sound of my chair scraping against the wood floor as I catch him by the wrist before he can step outside.

  “Tell me slave before you go. I shall release you and you may go back to your master.” I tell him while taking out my gold pocket watch.

  He keeps tugging and screeches out her name in a high-pitched voice.

  “Drusilla! The future Queen needs me, I must go!”

  That’s all I needed. I started swinging my pocket watch back and forth in front of his face while hypnotizing him in a calm voice.

  “You did well slave. You shall not remember meeting or seeing me. Go back to your master.”

  I release him from my hold and watch him frantically limp into the darkened night, disappearing the way he came into the fog. I feel a presence behind me and don’t bother turning around as I head back to my table. The barkeep flips a chair around to straddle it before asking,

  “What is the plan Helsing?”

  Sipping my beer, I gaze into the roaring fire with thoughts of my people and what our futures hold for us. The lives we will lose to stop the nightmares that haunt and hunt us all will be necessary but disheartening.

  “Dracula’s wife has given birth to a baby girl. She will grow and once she has matured, she will be unstoppable. Our children will hunt the same monsters as we do, but she will be our destruction if we can’t stop her. We must start planning now, no matter how long it takes… Dracula’s daughter must be killed.”

  I turn to him after delivering that news, his face grim as he gives me a nod of agreement.

  “
And so it begins.” Determination seeps through my words.

  Fluttering my wings in rapid succession, I soar through the starry night sky. Every sound of the forest is alive from the trees breathing oxygen, the black widow spider spinning her web, to the doe that is running in the opposite direction from me. I love a good hunt like any other vampire does but my favorite part is when they run because it causes excitement to course down my spine. My mouth starts to water, I decide to give chase. With a loud echoing screech, I alert my father of my prey. He shall join me soon because I can hear him flying through the trees, the branches moving out of his way. The forest is a living thing, the ground will shift and the trees will move. Most get lost in these woods and are never seen again as the woods swallow you whole, but they have always moved out of the way for my family.

  Magic can be a beautiful thing I think to myself as I take flight after the doe.

  Papa just went to the village to hunt for his prey for the night with my mothers. Dracula prefers fresh human blood but for some reason, the taste just doesn’t sit right on my tongue. It’s never been fulfilling for me and I used to always end up spitting it up. I know my lack of appetite disappoints my family, but the animals' blood is what keeps me going every day. It may make me weaker than most but it’s how I survive. I can sense the fully-grown doe from here. Moving silently through the forest in a glide, my wings fluttering in rapid bursts as I give chase to the doe. My prey is the only thing that grabs my attention, I block out the rest of the world. I am a predator after all, sometimes I hate what I am… immortality comes with a price. Drink the blood flowing fresh and warm from the vein or grow weak until you crumble into a pile of ashes.

  I stop thinking altogether as I spot the doe crashing through the woods, no doubt she can sense the monster has arrived. My bat eyesight narrows down on her throbbing throat, I dart after her with a screech and flapping wings until I’m upon her. I shift back into my body just as I touch her fur. Sinking my sharp teeth in deep, the musty earth tones and taste of her rich flavor of blood fills my senses. I drink until my thirst is quenched and I gently lay her limp body down. I glide a hand over her fur and whisper in the stillness of the forest,

  “Thank you for your sacrifice, I’m most grateful. Rest easy now.”

  I smooth my dark blue dress down my body, looking for any spots of blood within the fabric or on my pale skin. I’m finally leaving the nest and everything has to be perfect for the ceremony tonight at Academy of Monsters. It’s a place for Monsters learning to survive in the human world as a creature of the night. My Father went and his father before him and now it’s my time. My stomach is full of fluttering moths from nerves. This will be the first-time leaving Transylvania and my batty family.

  “Oh, dear daughter of mine, look what you’ve done. You’ve has a bit of blooddd on your mouthhh.” My father says in his thick Transylvanian accent as he floats down slowly from above with his cape billowing around his black suit.

  I suppress my eye roll because it’s not the eighteen hundreds anymore and yet he insists on wearing that well known Dracula outfit. Legends are written about him, some true like the cape and some not so true. Garlic does not affect us, I repeat, it does nothing. I don’t sleep in a coffin but sometimes I will sleepwalk and end up hanging upside down on the ceiling like a freaking bat. I can go out into the sunlight but it does sting my eyes, praise Satan for sunglasses. I’m hard to kill but yeah, a stake through the heart or my head being lopped off would kill me like any other person. Fire doesn’t do anything for me except cause a small part of warmth to flow through my stone-cold body. We just used to laugh back in the day when villagers would come to the castle with pitchforks and lit torches. The way they scrambled as I walked right up to them and blew out their flames like birthday cake candles, it really made my day.

  I’m passed a handkerchief from papa and I wipe at the corners of my mouth until he gives an approving nod. One legend that is true that drives me batty is that we can’t see our own reflections. Don’t get me wrong, I do know what I look like from the family portraits my one mother had done but it’s a bite in the ass when you’re trying to style your own hair. Luckily, my hair is always a glossy black and straight so I don’t have to do too much with it since it grazes my butt cheeks. I toss my hair over my shoulders and crouch down with my palm to the warmth of the earth’s dirt.

  “Goodbye for now, I shall return one day. Breathe easy my friend.” I hold back bloody tears as I whisper in sadness.

  The forest ground brings a light breeze that lifts strands of my hair and it feels like a light caress of farewell. Saying goodbye to my homeland is like the final nail to the coffin. Standing and turning back to the creature of the night who taught me everything I need to know to scare the crap out of humans, I take a flying leap into his arms. Hugging my father in a grip of strength, I place my head against his chest and listen to the silence that takes up residence in his body. Our hearts may not beat but we can still love unconditionally. Take Dracula for example, he loves so much… he literally had to have three wives. Verona, Leera, and Marishka have all raised me as if each is my mother when in reality Marishka gave birth to me while still a human before papa changed her. Since I was a child, they have taught me it’s okay to love more than one person because I’m immortal… it’s eternal life for me. The Monster council does not judge any form of love but being with a human is against all the rules. They would rather, we mate with other creatures than humans. I don’t really blame them but my dear old father had to break the rules and marry a human. Dracula is one of the most powerful creatures to exist so he can pretty much get away with anything. You really don’t want to cross his path and anger him but in the end, he had to change Marishka into an immortal to please the council. I can’t believe I’m next in line to rule over the monster empire, a queen. The academy is supposed to teach me everything I need to know to prepare myself for the throne. I’m beyond terrified but ready, my mothers have taught me all they can.

  “Drusilla, have you said goodbye to your mothers? They are going to take this the hardest. I shall miss you my little bat but it’s time you found your own nest.” His face is stoic and not giving any emotion away in his tone but I know he’s going to miss me too.

  “Yes papa. I am as ready as I’ll ever be. I’m quite excited about exploring the Dark of Night village. Lead the way Count.” I try to tease to lighten the mood.

  With a swish of his cape, he covers half his face and transforms into a large black bat which always makes me laugh. It’s a sight to see, that’s for sure, black leathery wings and claws that are sharp enough to tear through flesh. A body that is tall, dark and covered in short fuzzy fur. I’m about half his size but still scary enough to cause children nightmares and my glowing red eyes really don’t help with the overall effect.

  I shift and give chase as he shoots straight up into the sky. With the full moon covering our backs and my home in the distance, I avoid looking at the castle. We both pretend that we don’t hear all three of my mothers moaning in grief doesn’t echo the stillness of the night the farther we fly away. Excitement and dread shiver down my cricked bat spine. My life is about to change dramatically and I finally get to see them again after so long. I wonder if they will remember me, it’s been centuries. The most terrifying monsters, legends told in tales passed down to each generation are going to be at the same academy as me. At least I won’t be alone, I’ll have the guys there. Things are about to get spooky.

  Excitement courses through my veins, tonight I will be stepping into the Academy of Monsters. The first in my family that has been accepted and granted access to walk the grounds.

  My father dropped me in front of a hotel in an unpopulated town in California lining the forest and as close to the school as he could without being seen. Wishing me well and reminding me why this was so important. I will not fail my family, a heavyweight rests on my shoulders. With brooding thoughts consuming my mind, I wait in the drizzling rain for the carriag
e to come and pick me up from the little human town straight to the haunting academy. Standing in the shadows of the lamp post, my white-blond hair and violet eyes stand out, even in the nonhuman world.

  When a grinding noise and clapping hooves reach my sensitive ears, I peer into the dark. A little nervous now, I look left and right to scan for any humans around, the coast is clear and I can breathe a little bit easier. Clouds passing overhead create a moonless night, giving the evening an eerie feeling that makes my heart pound and my palms sweat. As the carriage approaches, I can make out the glowing lanterns and horses… Only the horses are just bones without skin tissue and black pits for eyes. As they draw closer I notice puffs of smoke coming from their noses as if they just escaped the pits of hell. The skeleton horses stop in front of me, the carriage door swings open by itself without a helping hand from anyone. I don't see a driver on top but the ropes attached to the horses are floating in midair as if someone or something is holding them. A little wary, I grab the hanging strap and step into the dark carriage. Just as I throw my bag into the floor the lanterns light up with a swoosh, startling the shit out of me and causing my glasses to go sailing off my face. Picking them up off the carpeted floor, I get lost in thought as I clean my glasses off with the edge of my shirt.

  I remind myself that I have been groomed for this mission since I was able to walk, whilst internally debating what made me think it was a good idea to participate in such a suicidal task. Oh, wait… I didn’t have a choice. Starting this journey to the place I am to call home until I can end and defeat all of the monsters. They will fall to their ends with gruesome deaths and then finally, they will never hurt another innocent soul ever again. I will make sure of it. It is my sacred duty.