The return, p.1
The Return, page 1
part #2 of Destine Academy Series
Destine Academy The Return
Book 2 of the Destine Academy Series
by Sara Snow
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 Sara Snow– All rights Reserved All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Other Books By Sara Snow
Guide to the Destine Academy Factions
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
JOIN THE SARA SNOW FAN CLUB
About the Author
The Return Playlist
Other Books By Sara Snow
Destine Academy Series
Destine Academy (Book 1)
Destine Academy: The Return (Book 2)
Destine Academy: Secrets (Book 3)
Destine Academy: Prophecy (Book 4)
Guide to the Destine Academy Factions
Magique
Abilities: The magical students. Alchemists, occultists, herbalists—there’s many branches of magic they can—and do—specialize in.
Symbol: Green line running diagonally from left to right and a green orb in the center of it, labeled with the word Magiques.
Head Girl: Nadine Landry
Head Boy: Aldrick Vieux
Metamorphe
Abilities: Shifters with the ability to shift into anyone.
Symbol: Yellow orb with four lines diagonally surrounding, but not touching it. Labeled with the word Metamorphe.
Head Girl: Tilda Richelieu
Head Boy: Laurent Voclain
Surnatural
Abilities: Preternaturals—students possessing superhuman powers such as strength, speed, and many other talents.
Symbol: Red line running horizontally from left to right with a read orb in the center of it, labeled with the word Surnatural.
Head Girl: Lisette Proulx
Head Boy: Corbin Chevalier
Voyante
Abilities: Oracles—seers, if you will. They can see your thoughts.
Symbol: Blue line running vertically from top to bottom and a blue orb in the center of it, labeled with the word Voyante.
Head Girl: Fleur Toussaint
Head Boy: Talbot Marchel
Chapter One
Caroline stared up at the man before her. He was as tall as she remembered, with broad shoulders and impeccably styled hair that was a bit more grey than she recalled, and there were more lines around his eyes and mouth. Despite the expensive-looking suit, there was no disputing the fact he was her father. Gasper Destine leaned forward, his hand reaching out for her. Caroline stared at him, blankly for a moment, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Gasper leaned in closer, and Caroline reached up, tears stinging her eyes as she clasped her hand in his. Helping his daughter to her feet, Gasper wrapped his arms around her, embracing her tightly, and Caroline was unable to hold back the tears as they spilled down her cheeks. Despite the number of times she’d dreamed of hugging her father again, she never believed it would actually happen. So many questions bounced around her head that she couldn’t think straight.
The sound of her aunt clearing her throat broke the spell, and Caroline pulled away, her eyebrows raised in disbelief as she looked between her aunt and her father. “This can’t be happening. You died. We went to your funeral,” she said quietly, and her father lowered his gaze to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back but said nothing.
“Really? You just show up out of nowhere and don’t even have anything to say?” Caroline demanded, her hands shaking.
“Take a seat. Both of you.” Marguerite instructed, getting up from where she leaned against the desk and walking around to the other side to her own high-backed office chair. Caroline walked over to the desk and perched on one of the chairs opposite her aunt, her father sitting in the other. Wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand, she forced herself to take a deep breath while trying to reign in her spiraling emotions.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “You were never meant to know the truth.”
“Are you serious?” she exclaimed, gripping the armrests with both hands. “For the past ten years, we’ve thought you were dead. Justin and I grew up without a father. I had to listen to mom crying herself to sleep, but you’ve been alive all this time! How could you do that to us?” She could hear her voice rising but didn’t care.
“Caroline, I know this is a lot to take in. It’s hard on your father, too.” Her aunt sat perfectly poised behind her desk with her hands clasped in front of her. Caroline stared at her, her mouth agape.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am to have put you all through that, and I promise when we have the chance, I will try and explain it to you as best as I can. For now, we have more…pressing matters at hand.” Gasper explained, his eyes pleading.
Caroline’s eyes widened, “Do you know where Mom and Justin are?”
Gasper exchanged a glance with his sister before answering. “Not exactly, but I have a theory.”
“What are you talking about?” Caroline demanded, “They’ve been missing for over twenty-four hours. If you have any idea where they might be, then you have to call the police right now!” She rose half out of her chair before her father reached out and gently placed his hand on her arm.
“It’s not that simple.” He said quietly.
“Why?”
“Well, it’s complicated…”
“So explain it!” Caroline jumped to her feet, not caring that she was yelling. The situation was so surreal, and she felt as though the ground was opening up beneath her, threatening to swallow her whole.
“Nothing will be accomplished with raised voices. Sit down.” Her aunt instructed, quietly but sternly, reminding her that she was, in fact, Headmistress of Destine Academy. Caroline slumped back into the chair, her hands crossed over her chest.
“I understand this is difficult for you.” Gasper continued, “You’ve had so much to take in, but I need you to trust me when I say I can’t divulge the details around my death for the same reasons I had to fake it in the first place.”
“Or what, the truth will put me in mortal danger?” Caroline scoffed.
“Yes!” her father and aunt replied in unison. Caroline’s mouth fell open as she looked from her father to her aunt and back again. “You can’t be serious…”
“I am serious. A man doesn’t leave the love of his life and his two small children he adores unless there is no other way.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You just have to trust us.” Her aunt said, leaning forward. “We can’t divulge anything further, at least not right now. All you need to know is with the disappearance of your mother and Justin; we fear the threat may be just as viable now as it was ten years ago.”
Caroline swallowed thickly, “Can you at least tell me if they’re okay?” Caroline asked, scooting to the edge of her seat.
“We know they are alive, and that’s the most important thing right now,” Gasper answered.
Caroline blinked rapidly, her heart palpitating in her chest. She hadn’t let herself consider the possibility that her mother and Justin could be in mortal danger. “How do you know?”
Gasper ran his hand through his hair and sighed, “Again, I can’t explain any further. Not yet. But I assure you I’m telling the truth. I might not be able to tell you everything, Caroline, but whatever I can say will always be the truth. It’s the least I owe you.”
She sat quietly for a moment, trying to calm herself enough to make sense of the barrage of questions that spiraled around her mind like a tornado. Her aunt and father sat there, looking every part the twins; they sat with their mirrored expressions of patience that made her want to scream.
“So why did you make me come here? Why couldn’t I have stayed with Felicity and her family instead of being forced to attend this weird school where I don’t even belong?”
“You’re here because this is the safest place for you. We can’t guarantee your safety back home.” Marguerite answered, but she looked at Gasper as she spoke, as though she was trying to convince him also.
Caroline leaned back in her chair and shook her head, chewing on her lower lip as the bitter sting of tears threatened to spill again. It was all too much. Without a word, she got up and stormed out of the office. Neither her aunt nor father tried to stop her. She ran down the hall and descended the spiral stairs as quickly as she dared, gripping the railing so she wouldn’t slip. Hitting the ground at a run, all she could think of was the solitude of her room when she suddenly ran into something and found herself sprawled backward on the ground. Looking up, she saw Aldrick standing over her, a scowl darkening his handsome features. “You really shouldn’t run through here like that.
“Uh, thanks?” Caroline said, hoping to regain his attention, but he gave her a curt nod and walked past her. She stared after him, her cheeks flushed with the heat of embarrassment.
Chapter Two
“He appears to be in quite a hurry.” Caroline jumped and turned around to find Eloise standing where Aldrick had seconds before. Eloise turned and started walking down the corridor, not waiting to ensure Caroline followed. With a groan, Caroline hurried after her. They stopped outside her room, and she held her hand to the glass hand scanner set into the wall beside the door “You know, when I was thinking of returning to my room, it was alone,” she said dryly.
“Nevertheless, here we are,” Eloise replied, walking into the room.
“Let me guess—you’ve been told to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don’t try and sneak off or something. My aunt works quickly, doesn’t she?” Caroline accused.
“In case you’ve forgotten, we were in the middle of your orientation before you were summoned. I’m simply picking up where we left off.”
Caroline rolled her eyes and flopped backward onto her bed, wishing she could curl up and sleep away the rest of the day. Eloise had other plans for her, sitting in a navy-blue armchair at the window, her legs crossed demurely at the ankles, and her hands folded in her lap.
“Wait. That chair wasn’t there before, was it?” Caroline propped herself up on her elbows and stared at it, unable to recall it from the night before. Convincing herself she must have been too tired to notice it, she scooted to the edge of the bed, resting her back against one of the wooden posters and eyed Eloise. Caroline couldn’t help noticing the stark contrast between Eloise and the Voyante students—she couldn’t picture Eloise as one of them, with their carefree manner, free-flowing hair, and crystal jewelry. Eloise appeared so straight-laced.
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” Eloise said quietly, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to read someone’s thoughts without their permission?” Caroline scowled.
Eloise ignored her protests, inspecting her hands briefly as she continued, “The purpose of my guidance is to try and help you adjust to your new surroundings as quickly as possible. I don’t think you understand the severe disadvantage you’re faced with but given your bloodline, the headmistress is confident it’s only a short-term hurdle.”
“You mean the bloodline I know nothing about.”
“This would move along quicker if you would stop interrupting,” Eloise stated, and Caroline rolled her eyes but remained quiet.
“Now, usually, students start at Destine Academy the year of their thirteenth birthday, and during their first year, their curriculum is broad to allow them full access during the pursuit of their individual keys.”
“Like, an actual physical key?” Caroline half-joked, earning her a raised eyebrow from Eloise. Caroline waved her hand dramatically for her to continue.
“A key is both a symbol and a trigger and is unique to each individual. It both reveals to the student which faction they belong to, while also activating the traits and powers of that faction within them.” Eloise paused, as though expecting another interruption, but when it didn’t come, she continued. “Some students discover their key early in the year, some during the course of the year, and some not right until the end—but all students find their key before the Winter Solstice of their first year at the academy.”
Caroline opened her mouth to ask a question but quickly closed it again, not wanting to garner another patronizing comment.
“You want to know what happens should a student not locate their key. Well, they always do.”
Caroline wondered if this was, in fact, true, but decided to leave it alone for the meantime and let Eloise continue.
“Now, obviously by the time a student reaches year ten—your year—their curriculum is centered around their faction. Since you don’t have a faction, this poses a problem as to how best to educate you.”
“You could just send me back to my old school, where I was learning just fine.” Caroline offered, unable to hide her amusement at Eloise’s stern expression. Again, Eloise continued, “We have two options. You can undertake a fast-tracked course, specially designed for your circumstances, to catch you up on all the essential information you would have learned in the first two years at the academy. This would be intensive but would put you in a good position to find your key.”
Caroline chewed on her thumbnail at the thought, “What is the second option?”
Eloise looked at her; her head tilted slightly to the side as though she was examining her.
“Option two, we let you choose the faction you feel most drawn to and see if a key is revealed to you organically. Your mind is more mature at sixteen than at thirteen and may guide you to the correct faction.”
“And what—just go to the same classes as the other students in that faction?”
“Essentially, yes. Though while we never interfere with a student’s path to their key, I would like to strongly recommend option one.” Eloise suggested, leaning forward in her chair.
Caroline found her sudden intensity rude. “Option one is just a tutor and me, right?”
“There will be a tutor assigned to guide you through the course material, but a lot of the time, you would be required to manage your workload independently.”
Caroline traced over the swirling silver embroidery of the bedspread beneath her as she considered both options. The first one sounded boring, but at least it would provide her with the freedom to manage herself. In fact, she could fly under the radar and use the time to try and find the answers to the questions her father and aunt wouldn’t answer. On the other hand, making friends meant potential allies—she needed someone who knew the ins and outs of the academy if she was going to do some investigating.
“I’ll take option two.”
Eloise shifted forward in her seat, “Are you sure? I honestly think…”
“I thought you said you guys didn’t interfere with the process,” Caroline replied.
Eloise lowered her gaze and cleared her throat. “Of course, we don’t. I just thought you could use some guidance given how new all of this is to you. If you change your mind, however…”
“I won’t,” Caroline said firmly, suspicious as to what motivation Eloise had for wanting to keep her isolated.
“Well, in that case, you need to think about which faction you wish to join.”
“Do I get to like, try them out or something first?”
“No,” Eloise confirmed, elegantly rising from the chair. “Exposure to the factions prior to declaring can lead to bias, which is not a true connection and therefore redundant in the pursuit of a key.”
“Huh?” Caroline replied.
This time Eloise smiled and attempted a more precise explanation, “If you were to trial each faction, then it might cloud your instinct. You make friends, find things interesting, and then the reason for selecting a faction becomes less about your path and more about who and what you like.”
Caroline shrugged, “If you say so.”
“I do.” Eloise walked over to the desk where the information on the academy sat forgotten from the night before. Opening the folder, she withdrew the piece of paper with the four symbols on it and held it out. Caroline hesitated, recalling her reaction the seeing the symbols on the plane. Not wanting to give herself away, she accepted the paper.
