Psychic Lies: An Urban Fantasy Academy Romance (Psychic Academy Book 2) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Promo

  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

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  PSYCHIC TRUTH

  PSYCHIC PRODIGY (Free Novella!)-1

  Author's Note

  About the Author

  NEWSLETTER

  PSYCHIC

  LIES

  PSYCHIC ACADEMY BOOK 2

  SAMANTHA BELL

  Copyright © 2019 Samantha Bell

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781701771314

  This is a work of fiction.

  Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either

  the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,

  or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover art by Danielle Doolitle at DoElle Designs

  PSYCHIC LIES

  I survived my first month at the Psychic Training Academy, but barely.

  Apparently, I have a lot more to learn if I’m going to be able to take on the evil woman who has been attacking psychics and recruiting people to go Rogue.

  I’ve been dedicating every moment of the summer to training hard. The more time I spend with my two partners, Ryland and Luke, the harder it becomes to choose between them. To make matters worse, my friendship with Daniel is starting to shift into something much hotter. How can I decide between the men who hold the key to adventure and the man who helps me feel normal again?

  I need to protect my friends and family from the unknown dangers of this secret world. My partners swear their loyalty to my cause. But, when the biggest lie is revealed, I know I can’t trust anyone but myself.

  *****

  PSYCHIC LIES is an upper YA/NA Urban Fantasy with a slow-burn RH/ love triangle Romance.

  Book 1: PSYCHIC SECRET (10/2019)

  Book 2: PSYCHIC LIES (12/2019)

  Book 3: PSYCHIC TRUTH (TBA)

  CHAPTER ONE

  Bianca. I’ve been looking for you.

  Listen to me. I have something important to tell you.

  No, I’m not losing you again.

  Bianca! Come with me.

  The woman’s petite form radiated power. She wore a blank white mask that covered her entire face. Her hair was long and black, just like her dress. She hovered in the air, her bare feet just an inch from the floor. A crystal necklace dangled from her neck, swaying back and forth as she hovered in place.

  The masked woman raised her hand and clenched her fist. All around us, the metal and wood began to tremble, then buckled under the force until it splintered and twisted. A cable against the wall snapped with a twang and the ground shook beneath my feet.

  Join me and I’ll show you what real power is!

  I gasped, jolted out of my nightmare by my alarm clock. I slammed my fist down on the snooze button, rolling over and cursing my early morning classes. I still hadn’t adjusted to waking up before the sun.

  I hid under the covers and sulked for another five minutes before the snooze alarm went off. I surrendered, slapping the clock once more and sitting up.

  Over the past month, I had managed to make my dorm room a little bit more personalized. I had a photo of my family on my dresser; it was my favorite photo, the last picture that all four of us took before my abuela passed away last year. I added a pink fuzzy throw blanket to add a pop of color to the bedding and several strings of fairy lights framed my window. It wasn’t much, but it was something. After all, I was on a limited budget and students of the Psychic Academy weren’t allowed to hold part-time jobs either. I decided next time I went home I would gather up a few more things to decorate my dorm room.

  Next week I would see my parents again. I had been on a teleportation ban since the teleportation incident in July. The administration decided that I was too much of a risk to leave the grounds until A: my powers were better controlled and B: they captured whoever it was that was after me.

  I called my mother often, but it wasn’t the same. My parents had been brainwashed to think I was at a college out of state, so I couldn’t really talk to her about anything at a deeper level. With no resolution in sight, I begged Major Griffiths for a supervised visit, which he finally agreed to. A girl’s tears could work wonders on even the most hardened war veteran.

  I dragged myself out of bed, dressed in my black training gear and brushed my hair. Breakfast was a communal affair, so there was no way I would drag myself downstairs in my pajamas. The Major said that these early starts would build discipline, but I was pretty sure he was just biased from his military days.

  While waiting for the elevator, I ran into Phylicia. Her long braids had changed from red to an ombre design of purple roots flowing to silver tips. She went out nearly every weekend and always had new clothes, new hair, or new nails to show off. Her family was rich, but they weren’t on good terms, so her parents tried to buy her love with a platinum credit card. I was no therapist, but I guessed that it wasn’t working so well.

  “Good morning,” Phylicia said.

  “Morning,” I mumbled, semi-coherently.

  Phylicia laughed. “Still not an early bird, huh?”

  I shook my head.

  The elevator chimed and the doors opened. A few people I didn’t talk to were in there. I ignored them as Phylicia and I squeezed in. Phylicia was tall and built like an athlete, but her physique didn’t take away from her feminine beauty. I felt short and scrawny standing beside her, even after a month of rigorous training.

  The elevator doors slid open and I filed out with the rest of the students, making my way across the grounds to the main building. The weather was already hot and humid; it was going to be a miserable August day. At least I didn’t have to run across the path in ankle-deep snow yet — Michigan winters sucked big time.

  I stuck close to Phylicia. I had never been good at making friends and after everything that happened last month, no one wanted to get close to me. It seemed that I had been labeled as one of the outcasts. I fit in perfectly with Phylicia, the only pyrokinetic student on campus, and Katie, the tiny girl who had uncontrollable visions of death and despair.

  I chose cheesy breakfast burritos and my standard giant mug of coffee for breakfast.

  Phylicia shook her head. “You know, you should drink more water.”

  “I enjoy being in a perpetual state of dehydration,” I sniffed as I sat down.

  Phylicia grinned and rolled her eyes. “Girl, I’m just looking out for you.” She poked her fork around the slightly over-cooked tofu scramble in front of her.

  “I know, I appreciate it,” I said, taking a long sip of coffee anyways. The breakfast buffet always had interesting flavored creams; I chose vanilla this morning.

  After breakfast I had ethics class. The teacher that replaced Turner was no where
near as sexy or engaging (quite the opposite, actually) but at least he wasn’t involved in a secret plan to kidnap me. He was about my dad’s age, with a thin build and monotone voice. He single-handedly turned ethics into the most boring class imaginable.

  My only saving grace was that Luke took this class with me. He flashed me a smile as I walked in the classroom. He was at his usual spot near the back. I took a seat beside him, slapping my notebook down on the desk as I sank into the chair.

  “Good morning, sunshine.” Luke’s smile was enough to brighten anyone’s day. His short curly hair was freshly cut with a faded design at the base of his neck. He was dressed in standard black training clothes; our uniforms were functional so we could go from sitting in class to kicking butt in the gym without having to change. His honey brown eyes lit up when I smiled back at him.

  “You seem extra peppy this morning,” I said. Luke was the living definition of a morning person, but he was glowing more than usual today.

  “Yep, I just got some good news.”

  “What?”

  “Ms. Blackwell is coming back today. The doctors cleared her to return to work.” Luke beamed.

  My mouth fell open. Ms. Blackwell had been in a coma only a week before. When she awoke, her testaments were crucial in getting Turner locked away where he belonged. I heard the gossip that her powers were too weak to teach. There was even talk that she might not ever be able to use her powers again. Of course, these were only whispers that I heard in the common rooms, so I had tried my best to tell myself that it wasn’t true.

  Slowly, my expression turned into a smile. “That’s great!”

  Luke nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t believe it at first but it’s true.” Luke admired Ms. Blackwell — she was an extremely talented psychic, who was gifted in both telekinetics and teleportation. She trained me in telekinetics when I first arrived and she helped Luke hone is skills in longer distance teleportation, both of which had been instrumental in our defeat of Turner.

  Thinking of Professor Turner always made my heart twist in a way that I couldn’t explain. He had trained me in Ms. Blackwell’s absence, and made me stronger than I ever could have imagined. Ms. Blackwell preached control and poise, while he only focused on brute strength. It was his training that allowed me to defeat him in the end.

  #

  I arrived in the training room after lunch as I normally did. Since the incident, I hadn’t had anyone to train with one on one; I had been working every afternoon on my own.

  I used my energy to pick up plates and other objects, raising them to the ceiling and setting them back down. I had taught myself how to tie knots in ropes using nothing but my mind. If being attacked by Rogues had thought me anything, it was that I needed to perfect my skills before they had a chance to come after me again.

  I braced myself and used my energy to grab a ball from the floor. I slammed it down and caught it mid-bounce. It was as if an invisible giant was dribbling a basketball up and down the room. The bounces echoed in the small training area; I could hear other students practicing through the thin accordion walls that divided the enormous training facility into manageable sections.

  “Excellent job!”

  I heard clapping from behind me. I dropped the ball as I looked towards the voice. The basketball rolled to the feet of Ms. Blackwell.

  Choking back a gasp, I spoke. “Ms. Blackwell! You’re back.”

  The teacher smiled. Her dark hair was slicked back in a perfect bun. Her professional black dress was flawless and her boots clicked on the hardwood floor. She looked about a million times better than she did last time I saw her unconscious and hooked up to machines in a special hospital ward meant for psychic injuries.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Bianca. I see that you’ve managed to learn quite a bit while I was away.” Even her voice was sophisticated and controlled. She kept her hands clasped behind her back.

  I beamed with her compliment. To further prove her point, I grabbed the basketball with a flick of my wrist and guided it back with the other training tools. “Thank you.”

  “I heard that Professor Turner trained you in my absence.” Her voice darkened.

  I suppressed a shiver and nodded.

  “Hm,” Ms. Blackwell paused for a moment. “Come with me, won’t you?” She gestured to the door.

  I followed her out of the training facility and into the courtyard. The sun was beaming down, but the brightness was obstructed by the protective forcefield that covered the entire academy. One day I’d figure out how all that stuff worked, but right now powers like that seemed beyond my comprehension.

  Ms. Blackwell sat on a bench and motioned for me to join her. “I wanted to talk to you away from the listening ears of other students.” She said.

  We were alone in the courtyard. No one was wandering around between classes. “What is it?” I asked.

  The teacher took a moment to collect her thoughts before she spoke. “Bianca, what happened with Turner was disastrous. We’re only lucky that he didn’t succeed.” Her eyes met mine. “I fear that whatever he was up to isn’t over and whoever he was partnered with will strike again.”

  Goosebumps rose up my arms. I had never seen her so deathly serious before, and serious seemed to be her default emotion.

  “He tried to kill me. He tried to kidnap you,” Ms Blackwell said. “I heard that your only saving grace was the skills he taught you. Ironic.” Her lips twitched with a shadow of a smile. “But, if they do strike again, as I fear they will, you will need to be ready.”

  I nodded. “I’ve been training every day.”

  “I’ve heard that as well. I met with Luke earlier today.” Ms. Blackwell paused. “Bianca, I am not the sort of woman who thinks that anyone should have to hide behind a man, but when it comes to this, I would feel better if you surrounded yourself with strong psychics until those Rogues are captured.”

  I nodded.

  “Therefore, I asked Luke and Ryland to keep a close eye on you.”

  I blushed and turned my burning face away from her. How much did she know about my relationship with them? Luke and Ryland were the star pupils of the academy. “I see.”

  “Just temporarily.” She added. “Luke will escort you to and from classes in the morning and Ryland will do the same in the afternoon. Major Griffiths agreed to it.”

  Did I get any say in this? Being with both of them would only complicate my feelings further. I wanted both of them, though I had been forcing myself to stay with Luke. Ryland’s mood swings were exhausting.

  I understood my teacher’s concern so I agreed half-heartedly, wondering how in the hell would I manage this sexy-boy-sandwich that I had been assigned to.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Luke greeted me with his perfect grin.

  Day one of constant supervision. I had almost forgot until I opened the door to find Luke waiting for me.

  Luke pushed off the door frame and shoved his hands in his pockets. He had his backpack slung over one shoulder. His stature oozed sex appeal.

  I almost felt my self control slip through my fingers. Since that night in his bedroom, I hadn’t let myself be alone with him again. Seeing him brought back memories of is hard body against mine, the way he kissed every inch of my body, touching all of my most precious places. He had treated me like a queen, and I had run scared.

  I told myself that now was not the time to be looking for love. Simple physical pleasure should be the last thing on my mind right now. Not when there was a bunch of Rogues out to get me. After that night with Luke, I swore that I would keep my eyes on the prize. Once the academy was safe again, I would re-open my heart.

  “Good morning,” I said with false energy.

  “You’re beautiful as always,” Luke added.

  I looked away, adjusting my ponytail awkwardly. “Come on, let’s get to the dining hall before all the coffee is gone.”

  #

  “So I heard you get to go visit your folks next week?
” Luke asked.

  I looked up from my lunch and nodded.

  We were sitting together at the far end of the cafeteria. The morning had gone off without a hitch, seeing how we had our first class together anyway. Luke dropped me off at my second class (Abnormal Sciences, yuck! Even in this place I hated science class.) and met me at the door as soon as the bell rang. It was like having my own personal body guard.

  I didn’t miss the looks people shot us as they walked past. They were probably wondering why the star student of Psychic Academy was risking his neck to protect a dangerous nobody. I did my best to ignore their glares.

  Luke probably didn’t even notice, as he was taking his instructions to not take his eyes off me quite literally.

  “I’m really looking forward to see my parents,” I said after taking a sip of water. I was trying to take some of Phylicia’s advice to heart.

  “Hey, I’m here for the Princess.” A figure stopped at the edge of the table.

  I looked up. Ryland. He was standing at the end of the table with his arms crossed over his chest. His icy blue eyes froze my soul. He did not look happy to have been put on Bianca-watching-duty. I wasn’t sure if his scowl was permanent or not — this guy had some serious resting bitch face.

  I forced a smile. “Hi, Ryland.”

  “Are you done eating? I need to drop you off at training before my afternoon class, and I’d really rather not be late.”

  I wilted under his glare. “Yeah, ok.” I grumbled and pushed back in my chair with a little too much force. As I stood, the chair fell backwards with a bang. About a hundred pairs of eyes stared at me and I bit back a frustrated sigh. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Luke exchanged a glance with Ryland, but didn’t get up. Maybe he was glad to be rid of me. He had babysat me all morning, after all.

  I hated this.

  I followed Ryland to the training area, staring at the floor as we walked. Ever since the night of the incident, he had changed. That night he was so supportive, kind, and impressed by my skills. Now he was cold and aloof. Had I done something to offend him? I had to find out.