The shadow serpent

THE SHADOW SERPENT

Book One of the Aurelis Spirit Academy Series

By N.E. Cartwright

At Aurelis Spirit Academy, every student dreams of awakening a legendary spirit.

Seraphina Vale dreams of proving she isn't a disappointment.

For nineteen years, she has lived in the shadow of her older sister, Aurelia, the academy's golden prodigy and wielder of a powerful Fire Griffin. While Aurelia is admired by everyone around her, Seraphina is overlooked, underestimated, and constantly compared to the sister she can never seem to surpass.

Then comes the Awakening Ceremony.

Instead of a majestic beast or noble guardian, Seraphina is bonded to a small black snake.

An F-Rank Shadow Serpent.

The weakest spirit in academy history.

Laughed at by her classmates and humiliated before the entire academy, Seraphina becomes the subject of ridicule overnight.

But her spirit is hiding secrets.

Ancient secrets.

As strange visions begin to haunt her, a mysterious pendant awakens, and forgotten forces stir beneath the academy's foundations, Seraphina discovers that her insignificant serpent may be far more dangerous than anyone realizes.

Including himself.

Because some creatures were never meant to be found.

And some legends were buried for a reason.

In a world where spirits choose their partners, Seraphina is about to learn a terrifying truth:

The greatest mystery isn't why she bonded with the serpent.

It's why the serpent chose her.

⸻

Everyone laughed when she awakened a snake.
No one was laughing when it awakened.