S.T. Bende - Alfheim Academy (Alfheim Academy: Book One)

Alfheim Academy

Alfheim Academy: Book One

Copyright 2019, S.T. Bende

Edited by: Antonella Iannarino and CREATING ink

Cover Art by: Melissa Stevens of The Illustrated Author Design Services

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

Aura Nilssen has spent most of her sixteen years in hiding. As crown princess of Alfheim, her life depends on avoiding the assassins who killed her parents and want to destroy her realm. When hunters corner Aura on Midgard (Earth), shes immediately evacuated and enrolled at Alfheim Academya training ground where telepathic teenagers, daily combat lessons, and communication from beyond is the norm. She attends classes that enhance her energetic abilities, labs that fine tune her mental acuity, and workouts with a supernaturally good lookingand suspiciously evasivetraining partner. But its what she learns outside the classroom that proves most difficult: as Queen of Alfheim, Auras grandmother played a heartbreaking role in the death of Auras parents... and her iron fisted monarchy is pushing the realm to the brink of extinction. If Aura doesnt take her grandmothers crown, the home shes only just begun to love may be lost forever.

When an unprecedented attack threatens the very heart of Alfheim, Aura has to decide what shes willing to sacrifice to protect her new home. Her choice may mean the difference between survival and annihilationnot only for Aura, but for the world shes always been destined to rule.

T HE FACT THAT I nearly died on my sixteenth birthday was pretty much my own fault.

I knew better than to go that deep into the forest, just like I knew better than to go anywhere by myself. But Id spent my entire life in hiding and hadnt seen so much as a hint of a threat so... I took a chance.

And it almost cost me everything.

The day started out well enoughI aced a chemistry quiz, avoided getting called on in English Lit, and scored a sweet birthday gift from my best friend.

Here. Elin Eklund slammed her locker shut before handing me a rectangular package. Shed drawn anime-inspired caricatures of the two of us on every inch of the wrapping. Its that valkyrie graphic novel you wanted to pre-order, but the idiot in the comic shop couldnt figure out how to submit the form.

I laughed. Youre supposed to let me open it before you tell me what it is. Though maybe I should just frame the paper insteadthis is some of your best work.

Elin waved off the compliment. Happy birthday, Aura.

Thanks. Uh-oh. I pulled Elin closer to the lockers as Britney Bitch-Face Blomgren and her dance-team disciples sashayed down the hallway, cheering loudly about the impending homecoming rally.

Didnt want you to get trampled on, I said by way of explanation.

One corner of Elins mouth curled up in a snarl. Id like to see her try.

Oh, shes tried plenty of times. I shrugged. Were just faster than her. You know she always skips out on our martial arts lessons.

Thats because shes lazy. Speaking of Bitch-Face, do you still have to tutor her this afternoon or do you want a ride home? Elin shouldered her backpack and walked toward the parking lot.

Im tutoring. Ill be at the library for at least an hourtwo, if she hasnt grown any new brain cells this week. I sighed. Thanks for the offer, though. See you at dinner?

Your birthday dinner? Wouldnt miss it. Elin leaned over and gave me a hug. Hang in there. You wont be tutoring that cow forever. Two more years and well leave Earth for Alfheim, and then

Shh! I hissed. I glanced over both shoulders to see if anyone was listening. In the grand tradition of Granite High, everyone was too into themselves to notice the extremely foreign foreigners blabbing right beside them.

Oh, come on. Nobodys figured out were faeries yet. Elin stepped forward, her loose tunic swishing around her thighs.

Light elves, I corrected. Faeries have wings. We have mean right hooks.

Says the girl who reads comic books. Elin dug her keys out of her backpack. Okay. If youre tutoring, I have time to finish that painting Im working on for my moms birthday. See you at six. And try not to catch the dumb from being around Britney.

Ill do my best. I bumped my fist against Elins, shifted my new book to the crook of my elbow, and turned on one heel toward the library.

I was two hours away from a seven-layer chocolate cake, four different kinds of ice cream, and a Netflix queue packed to the brim with superhero movies. The only thing standing between me and the weekend of my dreams was one teensy little tutoring session with the dumbest girl in the history of Granite Ridge, California. Two short hours.

How bad could they be?

Gods, Aura, are you seriously wearing combat boots? Britney planted one manicured hand on her waist, and positioned herself directly in front of the library window. The mid-afternoon sun shone through the pine trees outside, lighting Britneys obsidian locks so her hair appeared to glow. As she flicked an errant strand over one shoulder, the dappled light caught the sparkles in her smoky silver eyeshadow. On the outside, Britney was the picture of Midgardian teen perfection.

On the inside, she was mean as a fire giant.