“Mum?”

  Chapter 21

  Aura

  My mum stands right in front of me, all of her skin glowing a light pink before it fades away. Two more flashes appear in the room; one is a woman I briefly recognise as Iris’s mum and the other is Maxx’s mother. Why are they all together? I step back, running my eyes over how mum looks nothing like the woman stood next to Okeken when I last saw her. She is dressed in all leather, her long blonde hair braided down her back, and tears running down her cheeks as she watches me silently.

  “Aura, I’ve missed you,” she lightly says, but I can only stare, stepping back in pure anger and shock. The events of the mountain flashing through my mind.

  “No, you haven’t. You’ve been next to Okeken’s side the whole time! Tricking me!” I protest, shaking my head.

  “That was my sister. My twin sister. I am your mother, not her. It’s a long story, but I need you to see the truth,” she tells me, and I shake my head, stepping back. I don’t know what I believe anymore. There have been so many lies, so many tricks. “I love you, and I never wanted you to be alone. It was me who sat watching movies with you every Friday after school. I tucked you into bed every night while your dad sang that silly song you loved. I am your mum, and I am so, so sorry I failed to protect you. That is never happening again. Never.”

  I cry, breaking down into deep sobs as mum runs to me, holding me closely to her. I believe her. No one but mum or dad could know about the silly dolphin song I used to love dad singing to me as a kid. Mum mumbles over and over how sorry she is, even as I sense Maxx coming into the room moments before I hear his mum’s joyful sigh. I open my eyes on my mum’s shoulder to see Maxx hugging his mum, who is crying, though his eyes are on me, watching me always. Protecting me always.

  “I guess we have a lot to talk about. Is dad back wherever you have been? I bet he was happy to see you?” I pull back from mum to ask, holding her arms. I frown as she shakes her head at me, moving my arms away and gently placing her hands on my face.

  “Oh, sweetie, I don’t even know how to tell you this,” she says, her voice catching. “Ross is dead. Your dad is gone. She killed him.” I don’t need her to tell me who, to say her name. I only feel myself falling as I scream, crying out as pain rips through my heart. Mum tries to hold me, but Maxx picks me up, holding me to his chest.

  “I’m sorry, Freckles. I’m so, so sorry. We will avenge him,” he promises me.

  “We have to leave. It is not secure here, clan leader,” Iris’s mother tells Maxx, but I can’t think of anything but my dad as Maxx agrees.

  “I can flash her back to the clan. Landon, Aliana and the others are safe there,” my mum suggests.

  “No. We are the true light, and Aura is my mate. Where I go, so does she. Go, we will follow,” Maxx orders, and there are mumbled agreements. Mum tries to touch my arm, but I pull away from her, knowing I can’t deal with her right now. She left, and dad is dead because no one was here to protect him.

  “When you’re ready, come and talk to me. I love Ross and you more than my own life. If I could have saved your dad, I would have. I love you, sweetie,” mum says, and I stay quiet, processing her words with my head pushed into Maxx’s chest. I hear them leave only moments later, and Maxx walks us into the lounge, sitting down with me on his lap. I don’t know how long I sit, crying my eyes out, wishing for dad to be here, before I fall asleep. When I wake up much later, it is dark outside, and I’m still on Maxx’s lap, where he is awake, stroking my hair. I look across the dark room, only lit up by the moonlight coming through the window. I stare at the curtains, wondering why dad didn’t close them until it sinks in that he is gone still. Sleep doesn’t erase that.

  “It’s still real…for a moment, when I woke up, I thought he was alive, and then I remembered he is really gone,” I whisper to Maxx.

  “The only way someone is really gone is when they are forgotten,” Maxx whispers back. “Ross will never be forgotten by you, by your mother or me. He was a great man who brought up this amazing girl who will do him proud.”

  “I miss him so much,” I reply, knowing Maxx is right, but it doesn’t take the pain in my chest away.

  “I know, but I need you to be strong for now,” Maxx gently tells me, turning me to look at him and brushing his lips against mine. “We have a war to win and a clan who need us. You have family still alive, Freckles. We need to go to them.” I nod, not able to really give Maxx an answer as we both slowly stand up. Maxx links his fingers in mine, and a purple glow spreads from our hands, covering all of our bodies before we disappear.

  Thank you so much for reading Dark Soul. A big thank you to Helayna, Mads, Cora, the cat’s Pj’s and everyone that supported me with this book!

  Including my wonderful Pack Leaders <3

  The final book is called Shadow Kiss. Join my facebook group for updates.

  Please keep reading for an excerpt from other books of mine, and links on where to find me for updates and teasers!

  Thank you for your continued support! You’re all amazing!

  Also by G. Bailey

  Her Guardians Series (Complete)-

  Winter’s Guardian (Book one)

  Winter’s Kiss (Book two)

  Winter’s Promise (Book three)

  Winter’s War (Book Four)

  Box set with bonus epilogue scenes (Book One)

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  (Her Guardians Series spinoff)

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  Save the Sea (Book Three)

  One Night Series-

  Strip for Me (Book one)

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  Marked by Power (Book one)

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  Marked by Destruction (Book Three)

  The Forest Pack series-

  Run Little Wolf- (Book One)

  Run Little Bear- (Book Two)

  Run Little Prince (Coming Soon)

  Run Little Beauty (Coming Soon)

  Protected by Dragons series-

  Wings of Ice (Book One)

  Wings of Fire (Book Two)

  Wings of Spirit (Book Three)

  Wings of Fate (Book Four)

  Wings of Dragca (Book Five)

  A Demon’s Fall Series-

  Runes of Truth (Book One)

  Runes of Mortality (Book Two)

  Runes of Black Magic (Book Three)

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  From the Stars-

  True Light (Book One)

  Dark Soul (Book Two)

  Shadow Kiss (Coming Soon)

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  Secret (Book One)

  Chance (Book Two)

  Past (Book Three)

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  Excerpt of Wings of Ice-

  Everything inside me screams as I run through the doors of the castle, seeing the dead dragons lining the floors, the view making me sick to my stomach. I try not to look at the spears in their stomachs, the dragonglass that is rare in this world. Where did they get it? The more and more bodies I pass, who are both dragon and guards, the less hope I have that my father is okay. No, I can’t be too late, I can’t lose him too. The once grand doors to the throne room are smashed into pieces of stone, in a pile on the floor, and only the hinges to the door still hang on the walls. I run straight over, climbing over the rocks and broken stone. The sight in front of me makes me stop, not believing what I’m seeing but I know it’s true.

  “Father…” I plead quietly, knowing he won’t reply to me. My father is sat on his throne, a sword through his stomach, and a wide mouthed expression on his face. His blood drips down onto the gold floors of the throne room, and snow falls from the broken ceiling onto his face. There’s no ice in here, no sign he even tried to fight before he was killed. He must have never saw this coming; he trusted whoever killed him.

  “No,” is all I can think to say as I fall to my knees, bending my head and looking down at the ground instead of the body of my father. I couldn’t stop this, even after he warned me and risked everything. I hear footsteps in front of me as I watch my tears drip onto the ground, but I don’t look up. I know who it is. I know from the way they smell, my dragon whispers to me their name, but I can’t even think it.

  “Why?” I ask, even as everything clicks into place. I should have known; I should have never had trusted him.

  “Because the curse has to end. Because he was no good for Dragca. Our city needs a true heir, me. I’m the heir of fire and ice, the one the prophecy speaks of, and it’s finally time I took what is mine,” he says and every word seems to cut straight through my heart. I trusted him.

  “The curse hasn’t ended, I’m still here,” I whisper to the dragon in front of me, but I know he could hear my words, as if I had just spoke them into his ear.

  “Not for long, not even for a moment longer actually. Your dragon guard will only thank me when you are gone. I didn’t want to do this to you, not in the end, but you are too powerful. You are of no use to me anymore, not unless you’re gone,” he says. I look down at the ground as his words run around my head, and I don’t know what to do. I feel lost, powerless and broken in every way possible. There’s a piece of the door in front of me that catches my attention, a part with the royal crest on it. The dragon in a circle, a proud, strong dragon. My father’s words come back to me, and I know they are all I need to say.

  “There’s a reason ice dragons hold the throne and have for centuries. There is a reason the royal name Dragice is feared,” I say and stand up slowly, wiping my tears away.

  “We don’t give up and we bow to no one. I’m Isola Dragice, and you will pay for what you have done,” I tell him as finally meet his now cruel eyes, before calling my dragon and feeling her take over.

  Ice

  “Isola!” I hear shouted from the stairs, but I keep my headphones on as I stare at my laptop, and pretend I didn’t hear her shout my name for the tenth time. The music blasts around my head as I try to focus on the history paper that is due in tomorrow.

  “Isola, will you take those things out and listen to me?” Jules shouts at me again, and I pop one of my headphones out as I look up at her. She stands at the end of my bed, her hands on her hips and her glasses branched on the end of her nose. Her long grey hair is up in a tight bun, and she has an old styled dress that looks like flowers threw up on. Jules is my house sitter, or babysitter as I like to call her. I don't think I need a baby sitter at seventeen, not when I'm eighteen in two days anyway, and can look after myself.

  "Both headphones out, I want them both out while you listen to me," she says. I knew this was coming. I pull the headphones out and pause the music on my phone.

  "I did try to clean up after the party, I swear," I say and she raises her eyebrows.

  "How many teenagers did you have in here? Ten? A hundred?" she says and I shrug my shoulders as I sit up on the bed and cross my legs.

  "I don't know, it’s all a little fuzzy," I reply honestly. My head is still pounding; it was probably the wine, or maybe the tequila shots. Who knows? I look up again as she shakes her head at me, speaking a sentence in Spanish that she knows I can't understand, but I doubt it’s nice. I don’t think I want to hear what she has to say about the party I threw last night anyway. I look around my simple room, seeing the dressing table, the wardrobe, the bed I’m sitting on. There isn’t much in here that is personal, no photos or anything that means anything to me.

  "Miss Jules, looking as beautiful as always," Jace says, in an overly sweet tone as he walks into my bedroom. He walks straight over to Jules and kisses her cheek, making her giggle. Jace is that typical hot guy, with his white blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Even my sixty year old house sitter can't be mad at him for long, he can charm just about anyone.

  "Don’t start with that pouty cute face," she tuts at him and he widens his arms, pretending to be shocked.

  "What face? I always look like this," he says and she laughs, any anger she had disappearing.

  "I’m going to clean up this state of a house and you should leave, you're going to be late for school. I don't want to have to tell your father that as well, when I tell him about the party," she says, pointing a finger at me, and I have to hold in the urge to laugh. She emails my father all the time about everything I do, but he never responds. He just pays her to keep the house running, and to make sure I don't get into too much trouble. If he hasn’t had the time to talk to me in the last ten years, I doubt he’s going to have the time to email a human he hired. Jules walks out of the room and Jace leans against the wall, tucking his hands into his pockets. I run my eyes over his tight jeans, his white shirt that has ridden up a little to show his toned stomach and finally to his handsome face that is smirking at me. He knows exactly what he does to me.

  "You look too sexy when you do that," I comment and he grins.

  "Isn't that the point? Now come and give your boyfriend a kiss," he teases, and I fake a sigh before getting up and walking over to him. I lean up, brushing my lips against his cold ones and he smiles, kissing me back just as gently.

  "We should go, but I was wondering if you wanted to go to the mountains this weekend and try some flying?" he asks. I blank my expression before walking away from him and towards the mirror hanging on the wall near the door. I smooth my wavy, shoulder length blonde hair down and it just bounces back up, ignoring me. My blue eyes stare back at me, bright and crystal clear. Jace says it’s like looking into a mirror when he looks into my eyes, they are so clear. I check out my jeans and tank top, and grab my leather coat from where it hangs on the back of the door before answering Jace.

  "I’ve got a lot of homework to do-" I say and he shakes his head as he cuts me off.

  "-Issy, when was the last time you let her out? It’s been, what, months?" he asks and I turn away, walking out my bedroom door and hearing him sigh behind me.

  "Issy, we can't avoid this forever. Not when we have to go back in two weeks," he reminds me and I stop, leaning my head back against the plain white walls of the corridor.

  "I know we have to go back. We have to train to rule a race we know nothing about, just because of who our parents are. Don’t you ever want to run away, hide in the human world we have been left in all these years?" I ask, feeling a grumble of anger from my dragon inside my mind. I quickly slam down the barrier between me and my dragon in my head, stopping her from contacting me, no matter how much it hurts me to do so. I can’t let her control me.

  “Issy, we were left here so we would be safe. We are the last ice dragons, and our parents had no choice. Plus… being a dragon around humans is a nightmare, you know that,” he says, stepping closer to me.

  “I don’t want to rule; I don’t want anything to do with Dragca,” I say, looking away.

  "I guess it’s lucky we have each other, ruling on our own would have been a disaster," he says, stepping in front of me so I can’t move and gently kissing my forehead.

  "I know. I just don't want to go back, to see my father and everything that has to come with it," I say, and he steps back to tilt my head up to look at him.

  "You're the heir to the throne of the dragons. You’re the princess of Dragca. Your life was never meant to be lived here, with the humans," he says and I move away from him, not replying because I know he sees it differently than I do. He is the ice prince, and his parents call him every week. I haven't spoken to any of my family in ten years and I have never stepped back into Dragca since then. It’s the only thing we disagree on, our future.

  "Issy, let’s just have a good day and then maybe I could get you that peanut bacon sandwich you love from the deli?" he suggests, running to catch up with me on the stairs.

  "Now you're talking," I grin at him as he hooks an arm around my waist, and leans down to whisper in my ear,

  “And maybe later, I could do that thing with my tongue that you–“ he gets cut off when Jules opens the door in front of us, clearing her throat and ushering us out as we laugh.

  Excerpt from Winter’s Guardian

  “So, class, please start by reading page thirty-two in your books," the professor goes on, as my class starts after he walks in. The professor looks as ancient as the old room, we are all sitting in, with his brown hair and beard, and very dated clothes–which look like he hasn’t washed them in a while. I push my own out-of-control, wavy brown hair over my shoulder, wishing I had tied it up this morning. It’s a hot day, and the room is stuffy because of the lack of opened windows, making my hair stick to the back of my head. I glance over at my best friend, Alex, who has her head on her desk, lightly snoring. I chuckle before kicking her leg and waking her up. She moves her waist-length straight red hair off her face to glare at me. "I was resting, Win," she mutters, hiding her eyes with her arm and huffing at me.