Of Blood and Magic

Of Blood and Magic J.A. Good, Rebecca Fazzio, Veronica Perez Copyright Copyright © 2023 by JVR Novels LLC No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact [email protected]. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Book Cover by Hannah Sternjakob Edited by Belle Manuel First paperback edition May 2023 Contents Dedication Playlist Pronunciation Guide Prologue 1. Seren Marudas 2. Arabella Marudas 3. Seren Marudas 4. Arabella Marudas 5. Seren Marudas 6. Seren Marudas 7. Arabella Marudas 8. Seren Marudas 9. Icarus Atwood 10. Calder Darkmore 11. Seren Marudas 12. Icarus Atwood 13. Calder Darkmore 14. Icarus Atwood 15. Arabella Marudas 16. Seren Marudas 17. Arabella Marudas 18. Icarus Awood 19. Seren Marudas 20. Calder Darkmore 21. Seren Marudas 22. Icarus Atwood 23. Arabella Marudas 24. Icarus Atwood 25. Seren Marudas 26. Calder Darkmore 27. Seren Marudas 28. Arabella Marudas 29. Icarus Atwood 30. Calder Darkmore 31. Icarus Atwood 32. Seren Marudas Acknowledgments for J.A. Good Acknowledgments for Veronica Perez Acknowledgments for Rebecca Fazzio About Author About Author About Author Also By J.A. Good Dedication To anyone who was too introverted to make friends in real life and found your soul mate(s) on the internet. This book would not have been possible otherwise. Luckily, none of us were murderers. Mostly to V and Becca. I love you, Bishes. -J.A. Good For Jo and V, but mostly V. Can't wait for that house in Maine. -Rebecca Fazzio To my mother, who always believed I could, and my grandmother, who always believed I should. -Veronica Perez Playlist This book has a playlist that inspired all the magical words of Of Blood and Magic. If you would like to listen, you can find it under J.A. Good or click here if in an e-book. Pronunciation Guide Aisleynne...............................….as·lyn Seren….…...........................SEH·RehN Arabella.......................…Arr·uh·bel·uh Icarus.................................…….i·kr·uhs Calder................................…….Kal·dur Sidonia.....................…SihD·OWNiy·aa Elias..................................……eh·lie·uhs Illiana................................ee·lee·AH·na Tisiphone........................….ti·sif·uh·nee Eridis...............................…..err·uh·diss Ariminta..................…Arr·ee·min·TUH Prologue The young vessel raced over the lands like the rushing of a river; jumping and winding to cut across the ground as quickly as her legs would allow. Before her, the horizon peeked through the trees, with it the deep blue-gray promise of a storm. The smell of magic lingered sweetly in the wind, her long dark hair whipped wildly, and a sheen of sweat formed on her brow. In trembling hands, she clutched a small glowing stone that shone with milky hues, imprisoning a play of colors—from shimmering amaranth to scales of deep sapphire and emerald. It's light pulsed with raw energy. She held the powerful creation close to her chest, drawing strength from the cool feel of it, and dared a backward glance. Obscured by the dense wood, she could not see the dark, twisted shadows that pursued her, but she could sense their malice like an infection in an open wound. Their terrifying howls—echoing their master’s rage—filled the air and grew louder with each passing moment. Her heart raced at the sound. Above her, a bolt of lightning brightened the twilight sky, striking a tree to her right. The massive wooden oak gave a piercing creak and snapped from its base to smash into the maple beside it, ripping a splay of branches free that cascaded to the ground. As though in slow motion, the oak broke loose and continued its descent, missing her by a hairsbreadth. She leapt, clearing the fallen trunk, but landed sharply in a twist of roots and branches on the other side. A shock of pain jolted from her ankle to the center of her knee. She stifled a cry at the stabbing sensation and deep ache that followed. Thunder crashed, and cold splats of rain stung her skin. The growing sense of terror in her chest was matched only by an innate pang of grief for the two infant boys she’d left behind at Willow Keep; swaddled, warm, and safe, but not in their mother’s arms where they belonged. Her body hurt everywhere, ragged and spent from the long labor two nights before. She could still feel the blood rushing from her, staining her white gown, and a heaviness within her breasts—filled with unused milk. ‘Run, little Aisleynne, run. There’s no escaping me.’ A haunting voice echoed within her consciousness. She fought the urge to claw at her head, desperate to be free of the eerie sound. The fear it sparked within her chest was enough to drive her back to her feet—injured ankle or not, she couldn’t let herself be caught. Not before she reached Calami Tower and the conservatory within. ‘Stop now and hand over the stone or suffer the same fate as your friends who stood between us.’ The voice taunted her further. Aisleynne gritted her teeth and bolstered her mental wall, picturing the faces of her beloved inner circle. The witches and wizards who’d refused to abandon her, who’d given their lives distracting Atlas so that she could flee to Willow Keep and safely birth her twins. He had tortured them slowly. Mercilessly. She knew their deaths would have all been for nothing if she gave in to him, so instead, she clutched the omnis stone more tightly and pressed forth with all her willpower, though she could feel his curse and the blood loss weakening her. The towering trees of the Whispering Woods had stretched on for miles between the magical schools—Mistral Hall and Calami Tower, but she was almost out of the massive timberland. Up ahead, she could see that her path led out to an open grassy field and the Tower beyond. Crossing it, she’d be completely exposed to the elements and her pursuers, but at least she’d be able to see her enemies approaching. With every stride, her