Page 3 of A Curse So Cruel (Fated Mates of Shadowbone Academy #1)

A shadow moves from shadow daddy four’s hand.

Lightning fast, it shoots out like an attacking snake, going for Alexander’s neck and coiling tightly around it.

Instinctively, Alexander’s hands fly up, grabbing for the shadow, but while the shadow compresses against his neck, squeezing until his face goes red, Alexander’s fingers pass straight through the shadow like it’s nothing more than a long, thick tendril of smoke.

Alexander’s eyes bulge as the shadow snake tightens. “Please,” he wheezes, but the shadow doesn’t relent.

Shadow daddy four steps closer to him, and his eyes grow so dark there’s no white around them at all.

“You made your choice,” Shadow daddy four says simply.

There’s a dagger in his hand now, and he uses the tip of the blade to lift the bottom of Alexander’s shirt.

“Or have you already forgotten what this mark means?” Inked onto Alexander’s abdomen is an intricate tattoo.

There’s a skull sitting alongside a rose with black petals that trail off like they’re turning into smoke… or shadows .

Suddenly, I can’t breathe, because I’ve seen that tattoo before.

In the goddamn mirror. Though, unlike Alexander, mine’s placed on my back.

Mine also has a strange scar that slashes through it, but aside from that, it’s exactly the same.

Blake and I had spent days researching what it could be from, but when we’d found nothing, we’d come to the conclusion it was simply a tattoo I probably had inked on me as a human.

Now… well, now I’m not so sure. Have you forgotten what this mark means?

The question repeats in my mind and sweat breaks out over my skin.

Shadow daddy four trails his blade over the tattoo, and my heart pounds as if I’m the one being questioned.

Dozens of possibilities race through my mind, and I start to wonder, what if I’m like this guy?

Whatever this academy is, maybe I’m another student who broke the rules.

I have to admit, it does kind of sound like something I would do.

And just maybe, I had been punished for it.

“The moment you accept the mark, your fate is sealed,” shadow daddy four goes on. “You know what happens now.” He pulls back abruptly, turning to the other three. “Let’s get this over with so we can get the fuck out of here.”

Alexander struggles, but the shadow is still around his neck, and more shadows wind around his arms and legs. “No!” he begs, no longer looking as brave as he did earlier. “Please.”

Shadow daddy four lets out an insufferable sigh, but he doesn’t bother responding.

“Shit, I hate this part,” shadow daddy one says, running a hand through his dark hair.

Shadow daddy three’s lips tighten, and his expression is serious as he steps toward Alexander.

“Professor Thane,” Alexander begs, his eyes wide as he pleads.

Professor Thane? I mentally file the name away in my mind.

The professor’s voice is sympathetic when he speaks. “The life of a shadow warrior isn’t for all of us,” he says. “You will remember nothing of the academy, and when your time comes, you shall enter the shadow realm as simply another wandering soul.”

Alexander is still struggling, though he has given up begging and now he’s letting out a string of curses instead.

I don’t pick up everything he says because I’m too busy staring at the stone shadow daddy three, uh Thane, has pulled from his leather outfit.

It’s completely black and carved into a rose.

You will remember nothing? I watch in horror as Thane holds up the stone in front of Alexander, and the professor mutters words in a tongue I can’t understand.

Shadows swirl around the stone, picking up speed with every second, and then they fly out, rushing at Alexander’s face.

He thrashes, shaking his head from side to side as if trying to dislodge them, but the shadows sink into his head like worms burrowing into an apple, wiggling until I can’t see them anymore.

Bile climbs up my throat, but I swallow hard, forcing it back down.

Holy freakin’ crap. It’s fine. Totally fine.

I mean sure, I’m witnessing some weird act of torture, but it’s totally fine.

Yeah, it is definitely not fine.

I try not to think about how this is probably what happened to me. Was I part of the academy, and they wiped my memory when I didn’t follow the rules? I clench and unclench my fists, thinking about the ring on my finger. This is so messed up.

Alexander thrashes for a while longer, and then as the tattoo fades from his skin, his body slumps.

His eyes go blank before they close, and the man is only held up by the shadow restraints.

The shadow worms slip out of his head, and they dive back into the stone, threads of silver weaved amidst the black.

Thane quickly pockets the stone, and I realize my theory doesn’t make sense.

If that had happened to me, my tattoo would be erased just like Alexander’s, wouldn’t it?

“Well, he was slipperier than the last one. Looks like the students are getting more brazen,” shadow daddy two drawls.

“They’re reckless and stupid,” shadow daddy four corrects. “Thane and I will take care of Alexander. We’ve been gone a while. You two had better head back.”

Aaand that’s my cue. Heart pounding, I take a step back, but I misjudge the width of the stairs.

My foot only half lands on the edge of the step behind me, and I lose my balance.

Before I can fall backward, I try to steady myself, but I end up pitching forward instead.

I yelp, flailing my arms about, wishing they were wings instead, but it’s too late.

I land hard on the steps a little further down, my limbs spreading out awkwardly.

When I look up, all four shadow daddies are staring at me, and not in the way I’d first fantasized about. Oops.

I give them a sheepish smile. “Sorry,” I blurt, pulling myself upright as they continue to gape at me, like they can’t quite believe what they’re seeing.

“This isn’t the romance section. Nope,” I say, because it’s the first thing that comes to mind.

I make a show of dusting myself off as I take a step back.

“No monster peens here,” I ramble, then I frown.

“Wait, are you monsters? Cause if you are, then I guess there are monster peens here, but I’m talking about fictional peens. Not real ones.”

Shadow daddy one frowns. “Monster…peens?”

Shadow daddy two’s lips quirk up into a smile. “I dare say she’s talking about our cocks.”

“She wants to know about our…cocks?” Shadow daddy one says, still confused.

Oh, holy smut gods. My cheeks burn as heat rushes through my whole body. “Well, anyway, I’ll just be on my way. Obviously, you’re very busy, and I have some…uh, reading to do.” Oh crap. Crap!

“Yes, about monster peens, apparently,” shadow daddy two drawls still looking way too interested.

Shadow daddy four whirls on Thane. “How the fuck can she see us?”

Oh great. Am I not supposed to be able to see them? I curse then, because if I’d known that, I would have simply pretended they weren’t there. Way to go, shadow daddy four. You could have let that info slip out earlier.

Shadow daddy four lets out a low frustrated noise under his breath. “Galen and Raith, take care of her. We’ll get rid of Alexander. Make sure it’s done by the time we get back.”

“It’ll be our pleasure,” shadow daddy two practically purrs, his smooth voice sounding way too eager and sending a ripple of fear down my spine. That’s right, fear. It definitely doesn’t make me feel anything else. Like you know, excitement, that I have absolutely no business feeling right now.

I only stick around long enough to see Thane pass shadow daddy two the rose stone, and then I’m hightailing it up the stairs, stumbling and tripping the whole damn way with my annoying human feet.

I come to my senses, and ignoring the heat that’s rising inside me, I decide to focus on the fear instead.

Because there’s no mistaking their intentions.

These men are either going to take my memory like they did to that Alexander guy, or they’re going to kill me.

And both options don’t really work for me.

Great job, Shade. Just eavesdrop on the delicious-looking shadow daddies. What could go wrong?

Oh, flippin’ heck .