Dead Air: A Collective World Novel (Academy's Rise Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  Dead Air

  Academy’s Rise, Book 3

  Lia Davis & L.A. Boruff

  Dead Air

  © Copyright 2019 Lia Davis & L.A. Boruff

  Published by Davis Raynes Publishing

  PO Box 224

  Middleburg, FL 32050

  DavisRaynesPublishing.com

  Cover by Glowing Moon Designs

  Formatting by Glowing Moon Designs

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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

  DavisRaynesPublishing.com

  Contents

  Introduction

  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

  Epilogue

  The Collective World

  About Lia Davis

  Also by Lia Davis

  About L.A. Boruff

  Also By L.A. Boruff

  The Academy's Rise Trilogy is dedicated to our amazing support team. Tricia, Jenee, Renee, Mary, Tory: You're amazing. We don't know what we would've done without you. This series certainly wouldn't have been as good without you. All our love.

  Dead Air

  Academy’s Rise, book 3

  A Collective World Novel

  Our biggest fight is yet to come.

  I watched my sisters claim their fated mates with my heart full for their happiness.

  Now it’s time to face my own mates. Two of them have been at my side, and I’m waiting for my third. After all, it’s now a family tradition to have three mates. I wonder if reality can be as good as the fictional worlds I love to live in.

  Our world isn’t all rainbows and hellhound puppies. There’s something coming bigger than any of us have ever faced.

  Now that I’ve tapped into my massive powers, I will do what it takes to save my family and my mates. I’ve had just about enough running and hiding behind wards and our sentries. It’s time to end the threat from Hell once and for all.

  Enough is enough.

  Chapter One

  "Stop fidgeting," Meda whispered as I adjusted the folds of my flowing black skirt again. It wasn't wrinkled, but I was uncomfortable in it. The last thing I wanted to do was to say goodbye to one of my sentries, and waiting for his family to come to the pyre was torture.

  My heart shattered when I heard Elijah had died. He'd given his life to save my mom's—his High Alpha. It was his job, his calling, and he hadn't hesitated.

  But being grateful didn't make saying our final goodbye any easier. I picked at my skirt again, the feel of the thick wool itchy against my skin. I should've worn tights. Taking in a shaking breath, I pulled at the waistband.

  Harper pressed her shoulder into mine and linked our fingers, pulling my hand away from my clothes. What would I have done without her and Noah? My heart felt like a gaping wound as it was.

  Once Meda found her mates, it opened my attraction and friendship with Harper to a whole new level. We were fated mates. And we were more than okay with that. Chances were, we would've ended up dating anyway.

  The big surprise was Noah. I'd never pinpointed my sexuality before, but I'd leaned toward being attracted to women. Not that I was repulsed by men, but they weren't generally the subject of my fantasies.

  As my sentry, Noah had always been there and had been a close friend and confidant. After all, if you couldn't trust your sentries, then who could you trust?

  The desires that opened up when the mating urge slammed into us made our already strong friendship even stronger. There was no denying it, so why fight it? We'd kept it quieter than Meda and Tala, choosing to slip our new dynamic into our everyday life. It had been accepted without a lot of hoopla, which I appreciated. I wasn't a fan of fuss and attention.

  When Tala found her three mates after Meda's three, it was apparent that I was destined to find three as well. It seemed we had a pattern going. Each of my sisters mated a vampire, a lycan, and a witch. I had my vampire and my lycan, so I expected a witch to fall into my lap any day. Adding someone new to the dynamic wasn't going to be easy.

  Releasing a sigh, I scanned the cemetery at the edge of the Collective Estate property. We didn't use it often. Lycans generally preferred cremation, and vampires almost exclusively preferred it. Their bodies tended to disintegrate— depending on their age—anyway. I wondered what my body would do when I died.

  A chill breeze caressed my cheek, my element saying hello. I closed my eyes and lifted my head to commune with the air. Winter wasn't far off. I could sense it in my element. To me, the air carried voices and scents, sometimes feelings.

  We stood at Elijah's funeral pyre, waiting for my mom and the niswi, all three of my fathers, to arrive with Elijah's family. Mom would give a speech as would each of my dads.

  My nose tingled as thoughts of Elijah formed, and his ever-smiling face entered my mind. Noah wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. I thankfully rested my head on his chest and fought back the tears. Elijah wouldn't have wanted us to cry for him.

  Ami, you okay?

  I smiled at Meda's telepathic question. Yeah, I'll be fine.

  Glancing over at Tala, I expected her to be looking for a way to escape the funeral without being rude. But she seemed to have her emotions in check. I sensed her shields were up to block out her empathy, which was understandable. Poking at her emotions, I realized she was calm. The presence of her mates made a big difference for her.

  Meda stood at the front of the group with her mates, waiting for Mom and the niswi. In their absence, she was the leader of the Collective. We all were, and we all had to act like it. Even our mates. Surprise for them. Goodbye regular life. Hello leadership.

  Elijah's family moved into sight down the long path from the Collective government house to the pyre, where we stood with the growing crowd of vampires, Lycans, and several witch families. I met Elijah's mom's gaze, our excellent eyesight giving us the ability to see each other down the path, and my vision blurred with tears.

  The pain on her face was palpable. She had other sons, but Elijah had been her oldest. I'd attended many family dinners at his house, especially as a child. If my parents had to go out of town, there were only a few homes they'd allow my sisters and me to stay at. The Bradburn house was always my favorite. Elijah's mom was a reader and book collector. She always had something new for me to read. When I got older I learned she'd written many of the books I'd read and loved over the years.

>   I held her gaze, sharing her suffering and silently supporting her.

  That was when I scented him. Gasping, I snapped my gaze to the witch following Elijah's parents and younger brothers. My third mate. His dark brown hair was cut above his ears, neatly styled, and his chocolate eyes held my stare. There was confusion in his depths at first, then a twitch of his lips told me he knew who I was, besides being one of the hybrid triplets. He knew what I was.

  My pulse kicked up a few beats per second. This was not the time to meet another mate. How could I feel the explosion of passion for someone while grieving for a friend? It was disrespectful to the family. It was disrespectful to my friend who had given his life for my mother.

  I forced myself to tear my gaze from him. But it was hard. And he probably was too...

  Stop it, Ami. I chastised myself for the inappropriate thoughts. Now is not the time. I'd deal with the hot witch later.

  My mom was the last to approach the pyre, per lycan tradition. Elijah had been a vampire, but his parents wanted him honored in a new mixed ceremony, blending the lycan and vampire traditions into a beautiful service. It was the first we'd done this way.

  My dad opened the service. He walked to the front of the pyre and stared at Elijah's body for several moments. I still couldn't bring myself to look up at it. My attention strayed over to Sarah Bradburn. Her gaze was glued to the body of her son, on the wooden table built to hold him.

  Dad cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming. I'm pretty sure everyone knows me, though I see a few witches I'm unfamiliar with. I am Kane, once King Heir to the vampires, now High King of the Collective. I usually love getting up in front of everybody and having a good long talk, as many of you know, but not today." Dad paused and took a deep breath. "Elijah Bradburn was one of the Collective's brightest young sentries. I've known his father, Joe, since I was Elijah's age." I snuck a glance at Joe Bradburn, my Dad's friend as long as I could remember. Joe had invented the sunscreen all vampires wore today to be able to go into the sun any time they wanted.

  "Joe and Sarah took care of my girls many times over the years. Then, when he was old enough, Elijah took on the role. A feat some would call impossible, wrangling my girls. But he managed it, and he did it well."

  Dad stopped and put his fingers to his eyes. He'd been particularly fond of Elijah. "I'm sorry," he whispered before looking at the crowd. "Elijah saved my wife, without hesitation, without a second thought. Your High Alpha and our unborn baby are only here because of the bravery of Elijah Bradburn."

  He held his right fist over his heart, a sign of honor for Lycans. It was no mistake that the vampire leader of the Collective was the one to do the lycan gesture for honor. This was part of the blending of the ceremonies. The Lycans in the crowd repeated the sign, then slowly, most of the vampires and witches did as well.

  It was a good sign that everyone followed suit. The vampire and lycan merger hadn't been easy. All my life we'd dealt with small rebellions and prejudices between the two groups. Over time, it was getting better and would continue to improve.

  My generation was largely without the anger and resentment of our parents. That helped the parents learn to open their minds and hearts. Sometimes.

  After a solid minute, Dad moved his hand away from his heart and backed up, taking his place to my mom's right. My Paw stepped forward. "Hello." My heart ached for him. Elijah had been a favorite of his as well. Elijah had been everyone's favorite, really. "Elijah Bradburn was a vampire, and I'm a lycan, obviously. I'm Voss, by the way, for those that don't know me." He gave an awkward little wave before continuing. He'd always been a terrible public speaker, but he'd wanted to do this. "Before I started teaching at the academy, I was in charge of sentry training."

  Paw had been obsessed with shifter history for as long as I could remember. Eventually, he'd moved on to vampire and witch history as well. It had made perfect sense for him to teach the class when the University opened. To do that, he'd had to give up his training duties.

  "Elijah was a joy to train. He was passionate about the work and dedicated to learning and improving. And he had such a knack for it. When it came time to choose permanent sentries for our girls, he was a natural selection. We all agreed easily that he should be on their detail."

  Paw's head went back. From my angle, I could only see his profile, but it was clear he was swallowing down tears. "I'd like to share a story about Elijah. I don't know if he ever realized I'd seen him do this, but it stuck with me. We were in the woods, in Elijah's pledge year. Every Collective member is eligible to apply and try out to be a sentry. We give each of them a fair chance to prove their ability. We also give plenty of time for them to improve. Not everyone that comes to us is born with the skills needed. Many of our best sentries got where they are through hard work and determination."

  He laughed and shook his head. "Elijah, he was born with it. A natural. He's got..." He cut off and pressed his lips together before continuing. "He had more defensive ability in one arm than his poor dad ever dreamed of having."

  Paw turned his head and gave Joe Bradburn a sad smile after saying it. Joe had started as only my Dad's friend, but the niswi were very close, and Joe had become friends with all of them. Joe didn't smile back, though, just stood stoically as tears streamed down his face. Poor Paw, his joke hadn't gone over well. Poor Joe.

  "We were running an obstacle course through the woods, not far from here. Another sentry, one we weren't sure would make it through the pledge year, was having trouble. I'd snuck around to watch the kids go through the worst part of the course, the ropes." He chuckled ruefully. "We don't just make them swing on ropes, then balance and walk on them. We also grease the ropes."

  The crowd gave a subdued laugh. Paw shrugged. "Gotta make sure they're strong. That day, we had a straggler. Elijah had already made it to the end, but when his friend didn't pop through right behind him, he went back. Now, you have to understand how competitive these kids get on this course. Especially vampires to vampires and Lycans to Lycans. Elijah wasn't immune to this competition, either. But when he finished—and finished first, I might add, he waited on all the pledges. There are a few dangerous spots in the course, and he didn't know it at the time, but we keep people posted near those spots to help if any real trouble breaks out."

  Paw sucked in a deep breath. "I—" His voice broke. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I watched that boy go back and find his friend. He encouraged, and shouted, and coached until his friend finished the course. That straggler is now one of our best sentries."

  The crowd clapped, and many of the Lycans put their fists over their hearts again. Paw did as well. "I agree. Elijah was full of honor. He was one of the best sentries we've ever seen. He was an even better man."

  Paw bowed his head, and then bowed at the waist, facing Elijah's body on the pyre. I couldn't stop myself from peeking at the crowd to see who else was mimicking the movement.

  Everyone did. The bow was a vampire concession of honor and dignity. Typically, it was reserved for royalty or visiting ambassadors of other lands or species, but even then, the visitor had to be pretty powerful to get the honorific. It was the highest honor bestowed by the vampires, to bow to another.

  My heartbeat quickened as I watched the entire crowd bow for Elijah.

  I turned my head down before anyone caught me doing it wrong. Elijah would've been beside me, looking at me and making funny faces while everyone else bowed.

  Paw stayed bowed for a solid minute to mirror Dad's gesture, then he stood and backed into his place to the left of my mom. Papa wasn't speaking, but he would light the pyre while my mother spoke. He'd been close to Elijah as well, but didn't think he could do it.

  Mom stepped forward. "I'm pretty sure you all know me." The crowd tittered, most with tears in their eyes. Everyone knew of the female High Alpha who had a harem of men as mates. She was the stuff of legends.

  "The Collective would like to bestow our highest Medal of Honor onto Elijah B
radburn posthumously." She turned to her left, where Tala stood, holding a black jewelry box. "This medal has only been given a handful of times over the years, and only for acts of bravery on behalf of the High Alpha. Elijah will be commemorated in our government building with a plaque, and a painting of his handsome face will be hung in our Hall of Honor."

  Mom turned to face the Bradburns, where they stood opposite my sisters and me. "In addition, the Bradburn children will be given scholarships for the University, should they choose that path in life." That had been my idea. I thought Sarah might appreciate her remaining children not becoming sentries. If the University was free to them, we hoped they'd opt to take that route.

  Mom stepped forward and handed the Bradburns the medal. Joe remained frozen in place, his eyes on his son's body, but Sarah gave my mother a sad smile and mouthed, "Thank you."

  Mom turned back to the pyre and nodded at Papa. "Elijah Bradburn, rise high in death. May your place among the ancestors be honored, and your joy shine upon us." She put her right fist over her heart, then bowed again for a solid minute, while the sounds of the flames filled the air. I funneled a little magic toward the fire and pushed the smoke up and away from the crowd.

  The flames moved quickly, and I realized Meda was giving them a little push, having them engulf Elijah's body and remove the sight of their son's burning corpse from the view of his parents.

  We stood at the fire until the pyre was completely engulfed, then my mother stepped back, a sign that the crowd could quietly disperse. Before anyone moved, a silky-smooth voice carried through the air. "What a shame."