Darkness: Shadows

Academy of Ancients, Book 17

By: Avery Cross

Narrated by: Jacq Ainsworth

Winnie

I’ve always felt too much—emotions, energies, the storm of others’ feelings battering my mind. But now, something darker is closing in. My dreams are poisoned with emptiness, and I can barely keep my walls intact. Xander’s fire steadies me, Bryce’s shadow shields me, but we’re not just fighting for balance anymore—we’re fighting for our lives against a darkness that feels too familiar.

Xander

Fire is in my blood, but now it’s consuming me. I’m losing control, waking up drenched in sweat and rage I can’t explain. Winnie is my anchor, her frost cooling the inferno, and Bryce’s quiet strength keeps us moving forward. But the deeper we delve into the shadows haunting us, the more I fear my fire might not just save us—it might destroy us all.

Bryce

For years, I kept my magic hidden, ashamed of the shadows curling in my soul. Now, I’m learning to control them, but with every step, the past whispers its secrets—and not all of them are mine. Winnie and Xander are my light, but this storm we’re in is growing darker by the second. To protect them, I’ll have to embrace the very shadows I once feared.

©2025 Avery Cross (P)2025 Avery Cross