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 Targeted Age Group:: 14 and up
Welcome to Van Helsing Academy… where survival trumps grades.
An unseen enemy haunts the halls of the academy. Not even Van Helsing himself knows what deadly creature is stalking his students and killing them on their birthdays. Unfortunately, his daughter has just enrolled.
Weary of hiding from monsters, Bay-Lee can’t wait to get started. Even if she is ranked as Bait, the lowest form of hunter, she knows she can prove her worth to her father. It won’t be easy. The other students resent her, assuming she’ll be given special treatment, and their best warrior refuses to mentor her.
Nick Gallos blames Bay-Lee for the dark turn his life has taken, and he’s vowed to get his revenge. But every time he looks into her eyes he feels a strange tug on his cold heart. Can she save him from a terrible fate even though she’s part of the problem?
Link To Bait: Van Helsing Academy On Amazon Kindle Unlimited
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
The show Supernatural. Big fan. I wanted to explore a school where hunters are trained by the great Van Helsing himself (and other hunters). I also thought it would be cool to write about a forbidden love. If they get together, a seer says he will become a monster and destroy the world. I thought it was an interesting concept. I also enjoyed writing about wraiths, reapers, border monsters, and banshees.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I usually start with the kind of personality traits I need for the story. Then I add layers, and I get to know them as if they were real people. Nobody is perfect, so it's fun to explore their flaws. I also like to write about redeemable bad boys and kick-butt girls that don't need the guy to save them. In fact, sometimes they save the guy.
Book Excerpt/Sample
A cloth sack came down over her head, and strong hands grabbed her from every conceivable direction, at least six of them. They yanked her bag’s strap down her arm and tossed it aside. There went the only weapon she had with her. Her dagger was in that bag. She fought the unknown attackers in vain. They picked her up and carried her as if they were moving men and she was a rolled-up carpet needing to be delivered fast. Kicking and writhing, she tried to make them drop her. It didn’t work. The arms around her legs tightened and hands pinched the flesh of her arms and waist, bruising her.
“She’s a fighter,” someone grunted.
“Good,” said another. “Fighters are what we need.”
They didn’t sound like werewolves. Bay-Lee shouted at them, demanding they release her. A few low-key chuckles could be heard in the background as they carried her to the elevator. It descended and her stomach right along with it. Then she was outside again.
“If you do not put me down this second, I will rip you to shreds!” she screamed.
Minutes passed before she got her wish. They dropped her on the damp grass without giving her warning. Ready for a fight, she ripped the cloth bag from her head and leaped to her feet. Dozens of flashlight beams aimed at her face, blinding her. She held up a hand to keep the light out of her eyes as she squinted, trying to see the faces of her kidnappers. “What do you want?”
A few giggles, chuckles, and snorts followed her question.
She heard someone mutter a low curse word beside her, and she realized she wasn’t the only one that had been kidnapped. Four kids were lined up next to her, hair disheveled and eyes haunted. The two boys were in their underwear—boxers—while the two girls wore pajamas. The closest girl to Bay-Lee was a startling beauty with a flawless caramel complexion and lovely golden eyes, the slanted eyes of a cat. She captured Bay-Lee’s attention, but it was more than her pretty face. It was the fact she was shaking and crying uncontrollably.
The other girl, a Barbie clone, stood tall with a look of pure arrogance on her face.
Apparently, these kids had been ‘kidnapped’ from their beds. Cloth bags lay on the ground close to their feet. She started to ask one of them—a thin wiry boy who looked like he could be blown over by a strong gust of wind—if he knew what was going on. He jabbed the air with a finger, pointing over her shoulder before she uttered a single word.
A sea of faces stared back at them. Boys and girls dressed in black watched from the sidelines as if they were spectators at a sports game. Van Helsing stood in the center by himself, clipboard in hand. Her gaze met his for a moment. He did not nod or smile or give any indication that he knew her. Worry flooded her system as she realized she was on her own. She couldn’t depend on anyone now that Connor was out of the picture.
An ounce of fear nibbled at the edges of her mind. Then she caught sight of another familiar face. Nick. Totally separate from the others, more so than Van, he stood near a tree in the background, his body partially hidden by the thick trunk. She got the strange feeling he wasn’t supposed to be here, but that didn’t make sense. He was one of them. Why would he be excluded?
A dark figure stepped forward, unshaven face and bloodshot eyes. He wore tan pants, a black tee, and a gun holster tied off at the thigh. Using a cane with a wicked looking silver wolf head on top—glittering ruby eyes and a snarling mouth complete with tiny sharp teeth—he limped closer. A voice that sounded too husky to be real, like he was playing the part of tough guy in a bad movie and never spoke louder than a throaty whisper. He began to deliver a speech, one he’d obviously given a hundred times before.
The truth relaxed Bay-Lee’s taut muscles. This was Orientation. This was why Van had dropped her at the dorm without giving her the tour. She made a mental note to blast him later for not warning her. For now, she listened intently to the hunter’s rehearsed speech.
“Welcome to your worst nightmare, Van Helsing Academy,” he said. “Or as we like to call it… Camp Hell.”
Spectators laughed in agreement.
Bay-Lee and her fellow captives glanced at each other, nervous.
The hunter continued. “Think I’m kidding? Out of you four fresh-faced newbies, one will quit and run home to Mommy. Another will do something stupid that will get somebody killed, hopefully themselves and not someone important, and they will be asked to leave. One of you will fail to complete your training. The remaining student might live long enough to die in a real battle… or you might all die tomorrow. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
The man stopped directly in front of her, but his gaze swept over her neighbors, leaving her out. “I am Alec Gallos.”
Gallos? Was he related to Nick? Maybe he knew why Nick wasn’t supposed to be around her. Not that she cared, she assured herself. It was merely curiosity that kept her thinking about the rock star.
Alec continued. “I am a rare individual, a full-time instructor for life thanks to an old injury. Most of our instructors work part-time. They teach for a while and then return to hunting or cross over to guard the border. If you graduate from this school, you will be expected to return at least once every four years to teach a course or two. What you teach will depend upon your expertise.
“This isn’t your average school. You will be doing what we like to call ISP or Independent Study Program. We will supply you with books, weapons, and whatever other items you may need. A mentor will guide you through your learning.
“If you stay, you will fall into line and do as you are told. We get up early around here to enjoy an intense workout. I’m talking every single day, people. Monsters do not take holidays and neither do we. You will master classes including combat, weapon training, and biology. This isn’t a civilian school. You won’t have semesters or mid-terms. Your instructors will decide when you have passed and can move on to the next course. Some finish rapidly while others get stuck on a single subject for several months.
“We have ranks here, although they aren’t the usual military ranks you’re used to hearing about. As of this moment, you have the rank of Bait. Why? Because the only thing you are good for is to be used by us to draw out monsters. If you work hard and persevere, pass all your classes and impress your instructors, you will move up to Hunter. Hunter is where most of us remain for life. There’s no shame in it.”
During her years training with Van, he’d never mentioned this stuff. Why hadn’t he told her about ranks or Independent Study or being kidnapped for Orientation? What else was he keeping from her?
Alec went on. “However, if you are not satisfied with Hunter, you may be able to move up to Warrior. If you manage it, you’ll be in the minority. What does it take to become a Warrior? Pass all your classes with flying colors, impress your instructors, live long enough to show off your brilliant battling skills and create a signature move. If the instructors and members of the board are impressed, you will be upgraded.
“You can also move up in rank by doing something amazing like capturing a creature we’ve never encountered, solving a great mystery before anyone else does, or stopping a murder plot put together by the Order. They are constantly looking for a way to get to Van Helsing. Of course, they fail each and every time because we are better and smarter.”
Solve a mystery? Bay-Lee’s mind whirled with the possibilities. She needed to move up in rank as soon as possible. This could be her chance. Van had no idea what was killing hunters on their birthdays. If she could figure it out, she’d move up in rank as long as she didn’t get herself killed in the process. It was going to be dangerous, yes, but it would be worth it. The quicker she reached Hunter and was allowed to fight real monsters, the sooner she’d be able to exact her revenge.
Now she was glad she hadn’t told Van about the reaper’s visit.
Alec continued. “At some point you will hear a hunter referred to as Legend. If you want that rank, forget about it. Won’t happen. Since the beginning of the war between humans and creatures there have been five, count them, five individuals who have made it to Legend status. Van Helsing being one, of course, and before you ask, no, he does not teach classes.”
Alec gestured to the watching crowd. “Now we want to see you in action. Show us what you’ve got. Prepare yourselves for a fight. Any second you will be attacked by wild animals. Get ready.”
The pretty girl to Bay-Lee’s right sobbed softly. Hands covering her face, it was hard to see anything more than a cloud of springy golden-brown hair. Judging by her cartoon kitty pajama top and emotional state, Bay-Lee figured this was the girl’s first trip away from home. She wondered how new students were picked. Bay-Lee had made a deal with Van when she was nine, but she was sure she was the exception. Whatever their recruitment policy, they needed to change it. The girl beside her wasn’t going to last a day.
The thin dark-haired boy, on the other hand, stood at attention the entire time, back ramrod stiff and face void of emotion. He would do well. Bay-Lee hoped if they had to choose partners for anything, she would be paired with him instead of with the sobbing girl.
Before fighting, Bay-Lee used a relaxation technique Van had taught her. Focusing her eyes on the black sky over the spectator’s heads, she drifted away to her ‘happy’ place. In seconds she was on a boat in her imagination, the warm sun on her face and cool breeze blowing her hair back. It was a beautiful day, and she was alone with sails billowing in the wind. There are no monsters at sea.
An earsplitting battle cry snapped her to the present. The wild animals the hunter had mentioned turned out to be students. Part of the crowd dropped their flashlights and rushed her small group. There were at least fifteen people running straight at them, ready for a fight. She automatically put her fists up and spread her legs for balance. This was going to be easy. They weren’t sending real hunters to test them. The overly excited young people were Bait compared to her. They would be able to take down an untrained person, but not her. Van had taught her a great deal over the years.
Using a Van Helsing signature move, she spun into one of the boys. He lost his balance and tumbled into another person, knocking them down. It was the same move Tyler Beck had used on the unsuspecting policeman. She continued on with a flying kick. Jumping into the air, she performed the splits. Each foot kicked a different person in the chest. They stumbled backward and took some of their classmates down.
Bay-Lee didn’t have a chance to look around to see how the other newbies were doing. Her gaze and her mind were on the attacking students. A punch here, a kick there, in record time she put them on the ground. Euphoric, she glanced around to see if her fellow newbies needed help.
The dark-haired boy was on his stomach, two big guys on top of him, holding him down.
The other boy was running away while students chased him down a grassy slope.
Barbie was on the ground, sitting on her bottom, looking dazed.
The beautiful girl with the flawless skin and golden eyes was still on her feet, smiling at Bay-Lee. Stunned to see the girl standing there, no longer crying, Bay-Lee let down her guard, breaking Van’s number one rule. Before Bay-Lee could guess the girl’s intention, a long leg flew up and kicked her in the face. Bam! Bay-Lee went down.
It took a moment to gather her thoughts. If this was a cartoon, she’d be seeing stars. The coppery taste of blood nearly made her gag. She glanced up to see if the girl was going to attack her again.
Alec Gallos laughed as he put an arm around the girl’s bony shoulders and grinned down at Bay-Lee. “I see you’ve met Keisha. She’s one of ours and holds the rank of Hunter.”
A trap. They had planted the girl with her group so she could attack when they weren’t expecting it. Bay-Lee made a mental note not to trust anyone again.
While she sat there, one hand on her injured cheek, two of the students helped the new boy up. Joking around with him, they brushed dirt from his clothes. One of them ruffled his hair. He smiled, but it didn’t breach the wariness in his eyes. Alec limped away with Keisha trailing behind. The new boy offered his hand to Bay-Lee. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet.
“Some welcome, huh?” he said. Grinning, he shook her hand since he was still gripping it hard and added, “I’m Jonah, by the way. You were doing pretty good until the ringer sucker-kicked you. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
Alec answered for her in a booming voice so everyone would hear. “She can fight because she’s a Van Helsing.” Several gasps rent the cool night air. “Bay-Lee Van Helsing, our new Legend-in-training.”
Author Bio:
Born in sunny California, Kasi Blake discovered writing was her superpower. She could make other kids laugh, impress her teachers, and survive any boring situation with the use of her imagination. She is an inventor of worlds, and she happily welcomes others to join her there. In real life, she lives on a farm in the Midwest with an abundance of animals.
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