From USA TODAY Bestselling Author, C. L. Stone, read Love's Cruel Redemption, the much-anticipated twelfth book in The Academy Ghost Bird Series.

Sang’s life was on pause after the dramatic break with her real family. Now she’s back in the game, returning to Ashley Waters to appear like a normal student. However, returning to school hasn’t made her life any easier. When it comes to the Academy and her role in the secret organization, there’s no such thing as normal.

When Kota’s mother catches Sang and the guys in the complex web of lies they’ve woven, everything starts to unravel: Their relationships, their ties to the Academy. Everything’s under risk of exposure.

Nathan struggles most with his conscience and lying to Erica Lee, the woman who supported him when his own mother was never there, doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. She’s his family and Nathan knows you shouldn’t lie to family. But he also knows the truth could hurt her: It could put Erica in danger. And it could force Kota to make a choice he should never have to: his mother and sister, or his team - his chosen family.

With Ashley Waters High School under attack and the principal now missing, the Academy needs to maintain its cover more than ever. It’s a bad time for Erica to start discovering what the Academy is really all about. But to protect them all, Nathan’s willing to take the heat. He’ll do it for Sang, as well as Kota, Victor, Silas, Gabriel, Luke, North, and the rest of the team. He may be their only chance at survival. But Sang, who committed to be all in with her team, isn’t about to let Nathan go down alone.

The Academy: Family First