NEIN (girlxgirl)

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A B O U T

The events of this book happened before the book "Her Body" and it can be read separately. This is about the Academy life of Kael Maddox, who, if you read the first book, is the princess Paris' guardian.

This book contains some sexual and explicit scenes that are not suitable for very young readers. The sex scenes are between two consenting adult women, so if this bothers you, read no further.

This book also contains scenes which may make some viewers uncomfortable. If gore and blood isn't your thing, again, please feel free to read no further.

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A U T H O R ' S N O T E

Hello! I'm Baster and welcome to the book that has been stuck in my head for years. I hope you enjoy this just as I have writing it. This is again, surprisingly, lesbian-themed. I usually write books with boy and girl protagonists but lately I guess I've been finding lgbt books quite sweet. As mentioned above, this book will have sex and blood. Lots of it. Again, if it makes you uncomfortable, I totally understand.

Also, one thing different about this book is that the words with definitions are in German. So hello to the Germans out there! I love you guys!

Thank you for taking the time to read my book! Ciao.

P.S, Kael is actually pronounced as "kah-el" and not like kale the vegetable

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L U F T S C H L O S S

(n.) an unrealistic dream.

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"MAMA? WHAT'S going on? "

"Please, ma cheriè, go ahead down there. Your father and I will follow shortly." Her mother forced a smile, her electric blue eyes held a hint of apprehension.

The young girl grabbed her hand, "Promise?"

A second of silence ensued. A moment of hesitation. A lifetime of regret.

"I will be back, " the older woman assured, her voice shaking. She hesitated before closing the trap door, her hand reaching out to hold her daughter's cheek. "Be brave. Always." Tears filled her eyes then and the teenager understood, dread filling her stomach.

"Mama, no, please don't do this, " she scrambled to crawl out, her nails clutching her mother's arm. "Please, I'm begging you." She was panicking.

Her mother wrenched her hand away from her arm, drawing blood. The pain did nothing to numb the guilt she felt in what she was about to do. She shoved her daughter back and the girl hissed in pain at the impact of the cold, hard cement. Before the teenager could recover and try to climb back up, the older woman shut the trap door and hurriedly locked it.

"Mama!" The scream tore at her heart and she covered her mouth to keep from making a noise.

"Be quiet, my love, " the mother whispered shakily. "They must not find you. I love you, ma trésor. We love you so much." Her mother sobbed and she bit her palm to stop the sound. "Promise me you won't make a sound. They'll find you. Stay with your grandfather. Trust nobody."

A bang sounded then, and they both knew: the devil had gotten past their front door.

The mother hurriedly covered the trapdoor with a persian rug and with one last longing look, she ran; leaving behind her greatest treasure, and three drops of her tears.

She never came back.

So the teenager did the one thing her mother told her not to do. Her last words to her fell on deaf ears.

She screamed.

· · ·

| 4 years later |

"We've arrived, mademoiselle, " the driver of the matte black Range Rover announced as the car came to a stop. The door on the side opened and a long, toned, leg emerged. A perfect torso soon followed and delicate hands reached up to place designer sunglasses atop the bridge of a regal nose. Soft, luscious lips parted as the tall beauty sighed. She reached down to adjust her outfit; a simple floral skirt with a plain white top. The gold necklace her mother gave her for her 16th birthday clung from her immaculate neck and nestled itself on a high-necked top. She wore simple flats, since she was naturally tall and wearing heels might intimidate her new environment.

"Thank you, Ronaldo, " she gave him a soft smile. He returned it, tipping his black hat. Her bags and suitcases he would deliver to her quarters from around back. All she had to do was to meet with the President of this organization for a brief orientation. She was two months late.

"Will you be ok, ma chaton?" her driver's forehead crinkled in concern, and that familiar warmth spread through her chest at the mention of his 'kitten' nickname for her in french. Ronaldo was more of a grandfather to her than her real one. She shivered at the memory of her biological one and pushed the thought away. She was here for a new start, and she needed to start it off on a positive note.

"Yes, popo, I will be, " the young woman replied. "Now shoo, " she giggled and he smiled softly, love evident in his eyes. She was the granddaughter he never had.

Natasja Armand watched as her dear friend drove away, leaving her alone in front of her new school. Ever since her parents were murdered, she had tried again and again to reconnect with her motherland in respect to her parents' memories. However, when the flashbacks, migraines, and nightmares came and grew, she thought it was time to take a step.

She has heard of the prestigious Regius Praesidio Academy from the soft whispers of the elite. They were highly trained assasins, and even though the Academy's name literally translates to "Royal Protection", they were more than just bodyguards for the richest. You see, they only accepted people that have experienced horrors and survived it physically and mentally. That was the entrance exam. And the only way for you to get in was if you received an invite from the school president herself. Natasja didn't expect that letter to be handed to her one day by her school principal on her senior year, one year ago. He had a grim look on his face as he handed it to her, as if he were sorry for what she was about to go through. But when she read the letter, her heart had leaped to her throat and she knew: this was the perfect opportunity for revenge.

So she graduated high school and both physically and mentally prepared herself for a year before accepting the offer. She spent hours a day overcoming her fear of gunshots and guns, gripping it too tightly and shakily most of the time. Because as previously explained, the academy's entrance exam was your history. Your scars are your merits.

And since practically the whole world knew about the mysterious murder of the billion-dollar couple in front of their only daughter, the Academy didn't have to dig much. She was accepted.

She sighed again, excitement creeping into her veins like adrenaline as air was released. This was a new life, a new beginning, and she was determined to make the most of it for her parents. With a positive note on her mind, she strode forward in confident steps; not knowing that the closer she got, the closer she is to finding the key to everything she ever knew.

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The first thing she sees is a large, tall frosted glass door with the words Regius Praesidio Academy engraved in gold. The door was unnecessarily tall, and she briefly wondered if they could fit a truck through it. She took a step back to admire the place.

The Academy itself looked like an actual castle with towers stacked upon each other in blocks of stone, adding a sort of medieval touch to the place. The castle had accents of white marble that shined against the contrast of the stones. The steps and floor leading into the inside was of white marble as well and gave the entire place a sophisticated feel. The vast green field surrounding the place made the castle seem small, and Natsja remembered sitting in the car for another few minutes or so after passing through their gate. It was that huge.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock. Before she could, however, a transparent screen appeared at the side, parallel to where her hand was about to knock on.

"Good morning, " a pleasant female computer's voice sounded crisp and clear from the panel as though it were an actual person standing right there. "Please place your hand on this screen for personel identification."

Natasja wasn't surprised to find that this school was updated with technology ten years more advanced than the modern world. Having Japan as your largest sponsor has its perks.

She placed her hand on the screen that popped up- is the whole door touch screen? - and she felt a slight vibration as the computer analyzed her fingerprints. In just seconds, the lights surrounding the panel turned green and the large doors swung open.

Four giant white pillars were placed opposite each other and the carpeted floor combined with the white walls made the place seem bigger and more pristine. She saw frosted glass doors to the sides and briefly wondered where they all led to. There were plush black leather seats in the center of the lobby and what appeared to be a giant aquarium at the very end.

There was nobody there except her. It was empty.

"Hello?" her voice echoed. It was almost too quiet.

Intrigued by the dark blue of the glass aquarium, she walked across the vast expanse of space to stand in front of it. And when she had done so, a shadow in it moved. It got closer and closer until she was faced with the king of the ocean.

"Incroyable, " She breathed. Her green eyes widened at what the aquarium held.

It was a Great White shark. And it was huge.

It swam still, as if looking at her. Its magnificent size was probably slightly bigger than a pickup truck. Its large fins stayed in place and its razor sharp teeth were almost glinting. Natasja released a breath she didn't know she was holding as she slowly reached up to press her hand against the glass.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A husky voice sounded right beside her, making her jump slightly.

A woman stood to her right. She was tall, wore grey sweatpants inserted into combat boots and a plain white shirt. Her hands were placed inside her pockets, her posture proper and relaxed. Her black wavy hair was put up in a half-bun, giving way for her jawline.

Now Natasja had met many attractive people, having spent most of her younger years accompanying her mother to fashion shows or beauty contests. Being raised in an elite society had given her the opportunity to meet people almost perfect.

But this woman next to her wasn't just stunning. It's not just her nose, her jaw, her throat, her lips or even her long natural lashes; it was her aura. She held herself up with such authority it seeped out to Natasja. Who is she?

"Why not?" Natasja asked, facing the aquarium once more. She didn't want to show that this woman intimidated her. She was here for a mission.

The woman chuckled, low and dark. "She doesn't like to be stared at."

Natasja looked at her again. "And how do you know that?"

"Because she's just like me."

The woman turned to Natasja, and naturally when you get caught staring at someone you would look away, but the red head just couldn't.

If she thought the woman's side profile was beautiful, the front was impossibly even more so. Her face had perfect symmetry and deserved to be on every beauty magazine on earth. It was as if aphrodite spent the rest of her magic on the woman's face alone. And her eyes.

They were a stunning grey. If the storm clouds gathered together in harmony they would have resided in her eyes. Her grey orbs defined the color itself.

You're stunning.

She realized then that the woman's head was turned slightly to the side, and she had a faraway look in her eyes. Maybe she's... No of course not. Natasja mentally shook her head at her own presumption. She doesn't carry herself like that.

"Welcome to the Academy, " the woman smiled, and a dimple popped out. "Feel at home. Quarters are to the right, President's office to the left."

Without waiting for her reply, she turned and walked away, the heels of her boots padding on the marble floor.

Natasja watched her go, realizing she hadn't gotten her name. She sighed and looked back at the tank in front of her. The shark had swum away. God, I wonder how big this thing is.

Something gold glinted to the side, catching her attention. It was a golden plaque with a writing in perfect cursive:

Home of Rebecca, the Blind Great White.

WARNING: Please do not touch or make loud noises near or on the glass, due to the shark's condition. Serious injury may occur in her panic/anger.

Natasja traced the letterings with her fingers.

"Because she's just like me." The woman's accented voice sounded in her mind again. She read the plaque once more.

Then realization dawned on her.

"If she's blind, what is she doing here?" she said softly to herself.

And who is she?

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S E H N S U C H T

(n). An intense yearning for something far-off and indefinable.

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"AH, THERE YOU ARE!" A british accented voice startled Natasja out of her reverie and she turned away from the fish tank to see a girl about her age wearing a red cocktail dress. "You must be the new recruit. I'm Bond. Lily Bond."

The beautiful blonde stuck out her hand towards Natasja, a bright genuine smile on her face. The red head gingerly took her hand in hers and immediately felt welcomed by the warm, firm shake despite being beyond curious as to why on earth she was so dressed up.

"And before you ask, no, I'm not related to any James Bond at all, " Lily laughed and her blue eyes twinkled. "You are?"

"Oh, uh, Natasja, " The redhead smiled back. "Natasja Armand."

"Oooh, french, " Lily gushed. "I'm actually a great great granddaughter of a french guy's neighbor."

Natasja burst out laughing without meaning to. She liked her.

"Anyway, have you gone to the president's office for your schedule or...?"

"Oh, no I'm afraid I haven't yet."

"Well then, " Lily clapped her hands together. "Allow me the honor to inform you that the president has placed you under my wing. We're roommates!"

"Ah... Right, " Natasja smiled. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why are you dressed like that?"

"Oh, because I'm Duma, " She replied in a british version of a 'duh' tone. "What's your division?"

"I, ah, didn't read the handbook."

Lily tsked and laughed. "Well I guess we'll be covering a lot today. They rank you according to the amount of trauma you're able to withstand psychologically. And since we're roommates, obviously you're also a Duma."

"Ah. So we get sorted into trauma levels or something like that?" Natasja internally whinced when her "that" sounded more like "zat". She had a french accent, but she tried to keep it at bay as much as possible.

Lilly laughed again. "Kind of. These divisions are specialized to enhance what abilities you have. For example, if your trauma is rape and not murder, then they'll rank you as Galizur. Which means they won't suddenly force you to kill."

"How many rankings are there?"

"Just three. Ours is the second."

Natasja nodded. "Oh, nice." She really didn't know what else to say. People here were ranked by the horrors they faced. So the more horrific your past, the higher your rank. There was something wrong and off about that system, but she was here to learn, and she wasn't complaining.

Lily noticed her discomfort and wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "It's alright. What we all have in common here is that we've all been hurt or have seen things people aren't meant to. We can comfort each other, " she steered her towards their quarters. "People tend to have more compassion towards others who share in their pain."

"No! Please I'm begging you don't hurt my parents!"

"Ah, I like it when you beg, little one."

The first slice.

Natasja clenched her fists hard enough to almost draw blood. She hated it when she had flashbacks from that night. It was too much.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lily looked concerned as she noted the redhead's suddenly pale complexion. "You look like-"

Her brown eyes widened as they caught something from behind Natasja and she immediately pulled her aside.

"Good afternoon, " it was the woman Natasja had seen a while ago. She was still in the same attire she was in when they met, except this time she was bringing a large, black duffel bag.

"G-good afternoon, Kael, " Lily stuttered, only briefly looking at her face before looking at the ground again. She created as much space as she could for the grey-eyed woman to pass through, pushing back Natasja in the process.

The woman tilted her head, seemingly sensing another presence. "Tank girl?"

Natasja blinked, mesmerized by how those full lips moved and realized a little late that the tall woman was referring to her.

"Who? M-me?"

Kael chuckled, a low, surpsingly sexy sound. "So it is you. I apologize for the reference, I don't believe we've properly met, " she extended a hand, one that was not holding the duffel bag. "I'm Kael."

"O-oh, um, Natasja, " she shook her hand, immediately noting the callous skin of the other woman. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine, " the dark-haired woman smiled, and that dimple popped out on one cheek. "If you'll excuse me." She slightly bowed to both women out of respect.

Then she walked away.

"OH MY GOD, " Lily breathed. "You actually had a conversation with her."

Natasja was confused. "Is that not allowed here?"

"No, it's just, " Lily seemed to have a hard time breathing. "That's Kael Maddox. She may be blind, but her other senses are impossibly heightened and she's extremely talented in combat."

"Wow, " Natasja craned her neck to see where Kael was headed. "She seems nice. Do you have a crush on her or something?"

"Oh she's nice when she feels like it, " Lily sighed, steering her to their room again. "Usually she's quiet and keeps to herself. And yes, everyone in this academy has a crush on her. She's undeniably attractive. But it's the things she's done in her past that make people stay away from her."

"I see." Natasja was beyond curious to know who this Kael Maddox is, but she knew she'd find out in time.

"And here we are, " Lily swiped her wrist against the lock on their white door and it beeped, unlocking and slowly swinging open.

A simple white room came into view as the door swung open. The designs of the two desk tables, beds, and closets were modern. The soft yellow lights giving just enough illuminance. It was a calming and warm environment.

"I like the vibes, " Natasja hummed. The reason why the room was dark was because the shades were drawn.

"I know right?" Lily walked over to her side. "Get settled then. We have roll call in ten minutes." She tossed her a leather jacket and Natasja caught it, noting the letter "D" with the school seal engraved in silver at the back. Natasja guess it stood for Duma. "Here. Put that on."

"That won't be necessary, " a voice sounded at the doorway and both girls whipped their heads to the speaker. An african-american woman stood in the doorway, dressed in a suit and heels. "I am Dr. Harper Grey, the President of this school. You've been reassigned to a new room due to a change in your rank." She was referring to Natasja.

"My...rank?"

"Isn't she Duma?" Lily asked. "I mean, I'm not sure, but that's what I'm assuming."

"Initially, " the president smiled. "But this morning we've received news from her psychological results. She's been transferred to Sabrael."

Lily's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly as she looked at Natasja with new eyes. "W-what the fuck did you go through?"

"That, Miss Bonds, is classified and you know it." Dr. Grey cleared her throat at the blonde's inappropriate choice of words.

"Wait, why? What's going on?" Natasja is seriously regretting not reading the handbook.

"Out of the thousands of students here, only ten are Sabrael, " Lily walked over to gently take the jacket from the french girl. She rubbed her arm. "You're transferring to their dorm."

Dr. Grey nodded once, smiling at Lily. "Thank you, Miss Bonds. Saves me the breath for explaining, " she turned to Natasja. "Except for the dorm part. You'll be staying at the dorm #37."

Lily gasped then choked and started coughing.

Natasja raised a brow at her reaction whilst patting her back then brought her attention back to the president. "I'll get settled right away, ma'am."

"Very well, " Dr. Grey smiled, her white teeth a stark contrast against her beautifully smooth, dark skin. "I'll see you at the Main Hall."

"Thank you, " Natasja and Lily both said their goodbyes and the door clicked shut.

Natasja then turned to Lily, placing her hand on her hip.

"What was that about?"

"Oh my fuck, oh my goodness, " Lily was looking out the window, muttering and biting her fist.

"Lily, tell me what's wrong?"

"Dorm #37 is Kael fucking Maddox's place, " She was pacing. Then she stopped, worry and fear evident in her eyes. "I know we just met but I already care about you and I need you to promise me something, ok?"

"Okay...?"

"Just don't fucking trust her, you hear me?"