Bloodline Secrecy: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Novel (Bloodline Academy Book 2) Lan Chan (pdf e book reader .TXT) 📖

As the flood gates opened, I dropped my head into my hands. I couldn’t stop the rest of the tears from coming. Every time I closed my eyes all I could think about was Giselle in my body. She could go anywhere and do anything I could. She had unlimited access to everyone I cared about inside the Academy. She had access to the Grove. She already knew where Nora and Mani lived in Rivia. The Showcase was starting soon. Now that I/she had been captured, the paranoia was bound to be eased. Worst of all, I sobbed knowing that in order to get back where I belonged, Basil would have to die.

“There now,” Nanna said, “There’s no need to cry, dear.”

For a split second, I was a kid with a scraped knee. Or a bee sting because I didn’t know when to leave the hive well alone. My nanna was inside the room. I lifted my head and brushed the tears from my cheeks.

She was standing not too far away with a cart that held a plate of food. A pair of Nephilim guards waited by the door. Why the hell were they letting my nanna inside a room with a known criminal? More importantly, why the hell wasn’t she scared? She was definitely still out of her mind. I imagined the Council thought Giselle would react better to Nanna because she was human. And Nanna would have wanted to do something useful.

Her hands were rock steady as she lifted the plate from the cart. She crouched down and placed it on the floor. I watched, fascinated as she pushed it against the bars. It slid through as though they weren’t there. The bars dematerialised the way Kai did when he teleported us. Thinking of him made a stab of fear lace through my heart. It must have shown on my face because Nanna’s expression turned soft.

“Don’t be scared,” she said. “I’m sure whatever it is that you’ve done can be sorted out.”

A glass of water followed the plate of roasted lamb and vegetables in minty-smelling gravy. Who was this woman? My nanna was not the soft, grandmotherly type.

“I killed one of the Councillors,” I said, just to test her resolve. She didn’t waver. “Do you think they’re going to let me out of here after that?”

She knelt and placed her hands in her lap. A frown played over her features. Some of the crow’s feet that had made their home around her eyes had disappeared. That’s what life in paradise got you, I suppose.

Anger burned in my chest even as I ate. Old habits die hard and I was ravenous. Who knew when my next meal would be? The woman who blinked while she looked at me was so innocent. So naïve. My nanna was none of those things. The woman who raised me would hate to know that she had been reduced to a doting old lady. It set my teeth on edge. A ridiculous plan formed.

“How long have I been in here?”

Nanna threaded her fingers together. “Thirty-two hours.”

Thirty-two hours. Add that to the time I had been passed out in the random field after Giselle stole my body and I’d lost over a day. That meant the Showcase must already be underway.

“Do you know what it feels like to be inside a body that doesn’t feel like your own?” I found myself asking. Her face pinched tight. She raised a hand and rubbed her temple.

“I’m not sure.” Her voice was confused.

“Well, I do. I’m not who I’m supposed to be. This isn’t who I am. And while I’m caged here, the people I care about are in danger.”

I cleaned my plate in record time. If this was the dining hall I would have gone back for seconds. When I pushed the plate against the bars, they were solid. Nanna leaned forward a little.

“What does it feel like?” she asked.

I cocked my head to the side. Glancing down at Giselle’s hands, I let the shudder show. “Like I want to tear the skin off my bones.”

Something flared in her eyes. I knew the moment she licked her lips that she’d experienced the same feeling. All those years while the demon had been inside her body must have been absolute torture. My heart ached for her and all the time we’d lost.

Nanna reached through the bar, literally through them, and held on to the edge of the plate. My hand snatched out to grab her wrist. Both the Nephilim appeared beside her in an instant. Before the one of her left could grab her, I dragged her through the bars. My execution was clumsy. I’d forgotten how strong Giselle was. As a result, I pulled way too hard and Nanna ended up smashing into me as she entered the cell.

The only thing that saved me was Giselle’s reflexes. The real me would have toppled over and landed on my ass. This version of me swung Nanna around so that her body became a barrier against the Nephilim guards. I picked up the fork and held it against Nanna’s throat just below her jaw. I was going to regret this later. Right now, I could only do what I had to in order to get back to the Academy. She would understand. She was the one who had raised me to be like this.

“Lower the bars,” I said. No matter how much I spoke, I would never get used to Giselle’s voice.

The one on the right unsheathed his broadsword. It didn’t glow like Kai’s, but it was a big-ass sword. I gulped. “Let go of her,” he said. His shoulders were the size of a mountain. I would bet every scrap of manna in Seraphina that he was one of Michael’s.

I pressed the fork firmer against Nanna. “I’m sorry,” I whispered in her ear. Strangely, she wasn’t unruly