Lined up on a wooden bench, the silent group of trainees wait for further instructions from our mission supervisors. The men wait behind closed doors, as yet unseen by us as the nervous atmosphere crackles along the line of recruits. One by one, we’re called inside.
I’m distracted as I ache from my fight with Daniel, still attempting to process the events and his words. As I lay in bed last night, my weary mind and body drifted away, replaying the scenario in the classroom, especially the few moments he switched on his seductive abilities.
I turned over in bed, tried to block out the image of his eyes and mouth. Daniel is playing with me. The fact I reacted is my body’s fault. Nothing more. And look where the reaction got me—the lessons I’m learning aren’t the same as in school.
Resting my head against the cool wall, I tap my fingers on the bench. I suspect my attitude and lack of patience leads to my having the last place in the line. My growling stomach reminds me how long I’ve waited, and the dip in blood sugar dizzies me. As does the fact each person who leaves the room refuses to meet anyone else’s eyes. Their stunned expressions clutch my chest with apprehension.
Sarah walks from the room, leaving the painted grey door open. The terrified look in the girl’s eyes triggers more palpitations. “Have fun,” she says, but her dull tone indicates that’s unlikely.
Without a word, I stand and step through the door. I’ve waited over an hour to see what the room holds, and my imagination ran haywire. The room isn’t the vast, bare room I expected. The small space closes in on and stifles me. Shelves line the walls, filled with more books than I’ve ever seen. The Fated don’t have a lot of time for books, and we had few at home. Scholarly learning had no place in my old world.
A man sits at a desk, flicking through pages inside a file and doesn’t look up. Unsure what to do, I hover, drawn to the one bright part of the office—a view out of the ceiling-to-floor window behind him.
The world of the high angels.
Freedom. The brightness of the azure sky and twin suns engulfs the landscape; their world is brighter than anything I ever imagined. Spires on nearby buildings twist upwards, and the shining metal looks fluid against the background. In the distance lies countryside; the green patches stretching to the horizon are as dazzling as the suns.
A paradise compared to the greys and browns in the Fated world.
This is my first real glimpse of the world I’m battling to live in. The journey to the training academy took place astrally, as we were teleported from one world to another. We haven’t left the building in the week since we arrived and we’re always under harsh, unnatural light.
“Sit down.”
Lost in my dreams of a life in the world outside the window, I’m dragged back to my current situation by the cold tones of the man. I obey and sit on the only vacant chair, opposite him. Hard grey eyes startle me. Once again, he’s blond and fair skinned—but this guy is nothing like the serenely smiling angels I’ve met so far. His pale face is drawn into a tired and irritated scowl, hair scraped from his face, accentuating his angular features.
“Name?” He looks up.
“Ava. Hello.”
He cocks an eyebrow but doesn’t return the greeting, instead focusing on the manila file.
“I have your papers here and everything seems in order.” Between fingers with neatly trimmed nails, he picks up a piece of card and writes my name on the top. Leaning back in his encompassing chair, he places both hands on the expansive wooden desk.
“You understand your role, Ava?”
“I think so.”
His scowl becomes a sneer. “You think so? The task is self-explanatory. You kill demons, capture the souls they stole from humans, and return them to me. Once you have returned enough, you will have proved your loyalty and value. Then you may have your freedom from the Fated.”
Enough? Which is how many souls exactly? “Okay.”
“Any questions?”
Hundreds. So many, I can barely form them all, and the look on the man’s face doesn’t invite them.
“Who are you?” I blurt eventually.
To my relief, a smile tips the corners of his mouth. “I’m Darius. I’m your supervisor, and your actions are my responsibility. If you make mistakes or transgress, I will deal with your punishment.”
I nod robotically, absorbing the information. Transgressions? “I only want to collect the souls and claim my Will. I won’t cause trouble.”
Darius picks up some papers and taps them on the desk. “A sensible course of action. Let’s hope you don’t make any mistakes... accidentally.”
He glances up, eyes holding a warning. Then he looks back down and waves me away with his hand. Unsure what to do next, I half-rise. No, I have other questions, including one nobody else answers when I ask. I lower back into my seat.
“What happens to me once I have my freedom?”
“You can join our new world. You know that.”
Outside the window, the brightness beckons. “I won’t ever return to the Fated once I do?”
Darius’s smile grows. “You will never return to your old world. You’re a soulhunter now.
8
Identical daggers lie in a row on the table, which runs along the length of the room. Gleaming metal and a carved black handle I itch to curve my hand around. Finally… Daniel stands in the doorway, arms across his chest as usual. He counts in each soulhunter as they enter the room. I’m still furious about his treatment of me the other day but have no choice but to bow down and cooperate.
“Where’s Anna?”
The band of black-clad teenagers look around, figuring out who is missing.
“She left.”
I turn my head towards the speaker, a tall lanky boy. I’ve not paid enough attention to the others who train with me, so I’ve no idea who he means. Can you do that—leave? Darius’s words about never returning to the Fated echo in my mind.
“Left where?” I ask.
“Back to the Fated. I think Darius frightened her off,” the boy says
A nervous giggle spreads through the group. My scalp crawls as Daniel’s eyes sadden. I don’t think the angels would send anyone back to the Fated with the secrets we learn here.
I don’t want to think what’s happened to her.
“Okay, not my problem,” says Daniel and strolls towards the table to pick up one of the daggers. “Today is the day Ava has been waiting for.” He holds the dagger towards me. Crap. Not again. Why am I singled out? “Come on, Ava.”
Tom’s right-hand woman, Layla, seated next to, me mutters a comment about “special treatment,” and I stiffen. “How the hell is someone holding a dagger out to me special treatment?”
“I’m not talking about the dagger.”
“Then what do you mean?”
She arches an eyebrow. “You know exactly what I mean.”
“Ava. Now.” Daniel’s terse tone doesn’t escape me.
I scrape my chair and stand. “Wow. You have no manners. A polite please wouldn’t hurt, would it?”
The small laugh Daniel gives is accompanied by a nervous laugh from the group again. “I don’t need to say please to you, Ava.”
I stalk across the room and stop short of Daniel, pulling myself as close to his height as possible. He’s told me his game, and I can play it too. Mr. Hot and Cold / Nice and Nasty. He is not humiliating me ever again.
I run my tongue along my bottom lip, eyes fixed on his. Daniel’s eyes widen as I reach out and fold my fingers around his hand holding the dagger. Daniel’s skin is softer than I imagined it would be, and as soon as I move my fingers to brush his arm, he tenses. With the lightest touch, I trace the scars on Daniel’s arm.
“Was that a demon?” I whisper, looking up at him from under my eyelashes.
For a few moments, he doesn’t react, as if I’ve stunned him. Despite my racing heart, a smug satisfaction comes over me, and I smile at him, wanting to laugh.
“You don’t know who you’re playing w
ith, Ava. Be very careful.” The words are inaudible to everyone but me, and the threat trips a shiver through my entire body.
Daniel steps back. “Take the dagger and sit down.” The loud words freeze the murmur travelling around the room.
“No problem.” I nonchalantly take the dagger, ensuring my fingers slide against his.
Turning back to the class, I flip the dagger in my hands as I saunter back to my desk. But my heart thumps against my chest. Have I overstepped the line?
I resume my seat and slam the point of the dagger into the desk.
Sarah sits the other side of me, and her face has paled.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
“Ava, please be careful.”
“I’m fine.”
She swallows. “We don’t know what Daniel might do if you upset him. What if he reports you?”
My stomach knots. “I’ll be okay.”
But will I?
“One dagger each.” Daniel crosses the room, placing a weapon on each desk. “How you conceal the dagger when in the field is up to you. Just make sure you have easy access to it at all times. If you’re amongst humans, keep your weapon hidden. They don’t appreciate you waving them around, and capture by human authorities is a transgression. Something that will cause you serious problems.” He glances at me.
I duck my head and play with the dagger’s handle.
Daniel pulls a glinting sphere from his pocket and sets it on the desk next to him. The light in the room causes the white sphere to glow. “Soul crystals. No prizes for guessing what these are for.”
I shift back in my chair, disappointed. Daggers. I want to know how to use the daggers.
Again, he circles the room placing a crystal on each table. I gingerly pick mine up. The light bounces off the surface, scattering rainbows across the room. The patterns from the other students’ crystals join, and I’m in awe as the space around me fills with colour. The sphere is surprisingly light—would it be heavier with a soul inside?
Layla raises a hand. “How do we put the souls into the crystals?”
“They choose to. Kill a demon, hold this out, and the soul will enter the crystal. I can’t show you how this works— you’ll see when you’re in the field,” says Daniel.
“So no demons to practice on?” asks Tom, echoing a thought I’ve had.
Daniel wrinkles his nose. “Demons can’t exist in the academy. They can’t make their way through the barriers. Even if we had one to... practice on, the creature would disintegrate within seconds of someone bringing it into our world.”
“Even Nephilim?” I ask, unable to help myself. The images of the Nephilim won’t leave my mind. Something strangely familiar lies behind them. They look like angels but no longer are, and I want to know their story. How can Nephilim be demons? What could override the angelic nature of these creatures?
Daniel ignores me, and I can’t decide if this is due to my impertinence or because I asked a question, he doesn’t want to answer.
*
In the large cafeteria, I sit alone with my tray, picking at the bland rice and vegetables on the plate. There’s no upgrade from the Fated food to something tastier in the academy. Stabbing a piece of potato with my fork, I shove the morsel into my mouth. Across the tiled floor, two tables hold the rest of the soulhunter trainees. Few speak. I refused to join an existing table early on, and this has been interpreted as arrogance because nobody ever joins me apart from Sarah sometimes.
Today we practiced our combat skills repeatedly sparring with each other, then moved to stabbing training dummies in their fake hearts until I could kill them blindfolded if I wanted. I learnt quicker than the others, of course. Then I sat at my desk and watched. I studied Daniel too, but he didn’t look at me again.
The weird crap happening with Daniel ostracises me further. Do I care? No. We’ll all be alone once we finish training; what’s the point in making friends? I’ll be used to the solitude.
But I appreciate Sarah’s friendship and how she gently pulls me into line. She tires more easily than me. I’ve noticed some recruits have more stamina than others and worry what this means for her. In fighting class the other day, Tom decided to take Sarah down and mock her weakness. Daniel’s response surprised me. He stepped in to help Sarah and sent Tom into the corner like a naughty kid.
The guy is an enigma. Shouldn’t he be helping those capable of success? I think some soulhunters already know their fate isn’t looking good.
Those around me finish their meals and leave. I survey my surroundings as I eat, wishing for the outside world and fresh air. Natural light. Everything is exact and pristine inside the academy. Sterile. The fluorescent lights run in long strips. The brightness hurts my eyes, and the only natural light I’ve seen since arriving was through the window in Darius’s office. Perpetual day exists here too—the only way to tell time passing is clocks on the walls.
Lost in thoughts about my soulhunter life ahead, and the one I’ll have after that, I don’t notice Daniel approach. Shit. This time I study my plate. Remember the mantra: Confident. Show no weakness. What doesn’t help is my betraying heart that beats faster every time he’s close. Worse still, I don’t think this is only fear.
I attempt to keep my eyes fixed on his face, not take in the way his T-shirt stretches across well-toned biceps, or how the strong hands, which kill demons, could touch me again.
Daniel pauses, scans the room, and the connection between us passes when we lock gazes. Get a grip. I stare back in challenge, hoping he’s not as aware of my breath shortening as I am.
He stands over me. “Ava, I need you to be a little more... humble. I know you’re used to drawing attention to yourself, but you’re drawing attention to me.”
“I don’t understand.”
Daniel rubs his temples. “You have to grow up. Change your behaviour and grow up.”
My face heats. “And training to kill demons isn’t growing up?”
Only a couple of stragglers remain in the eating area, and a middle-aged woman with her brown hair pulled into a ponytail collects empty trays. Daniel slides into the seat opposite.
“Tomorrow you’re in the field, and I need you to show me that you can listen and follow instructions. Your survival depends on your ability to learn to do this.”
Now my increased heart rate has nothing to do with him. “Tomorrow? We’ve had little over a week training.”
I expected more—days or weeks practicing combat and preparing mentally as well as physically to enter the human world.
“This is all we teach. You learn on the job.”
I push down the fear leaking into my system, and the meal in front of me is less appetising than five minutes ago.
“You’ll be okay, Ava. If you listen to me. But please no more stunts like the one in class the other day. People are noticing my interest in you.”
Interest? A strange feeling flutters across my chest, stomach tightening as I try to gauge what he means by the words. He says he wants to help me survive—but why me? Daniel’s hot and cold reactions spin me out, and I’m annoyed he’s fuelling my stupid teenage crush.
He may’ve blinked away the look in his eyes when I touched him in class, but his expression spoke to me. Back home, I never had time to be close to a lot of guys. The ones I did let touch me held the same look as I catch in Daniel’s expression. Back then, I responded with half-hearted making out sessions few times. They were kids and inexperienced, and my desire didn’t stretch far. This desire to touch Daniel is more than half-hearted.
I push down the stupid reaction, telling myself his power and status as a seasoned soulhunter catches me and pulls me to him, the same way the girls at school crushed on the more attractive teachers. Nothing else.
“Yeah, well. Screw them.” I shake my hair from my face and focus on my meal, knowing full well he’ll see through my bravado.
The following silence sends my thoughts haywire. I’m aware of his scrutiny, and my face burns
.
“You’re funny, Ava. I like that in you,” he says eventually.
The food sticks in my throat, and I’m unable to reply. I swallow hard. “What’s so funny?”
“Your act. The scared little Fated girl turned big brave soulhunter. The problem is, you need to believe in your new persona, and I don’t think you do.”
“It’s not a persona,” I retort.
Daniel reaches across the table and places his hand on mine. Warmth. Softness. The sensation jolts, and I snatch my hand away. Nobody touches me unless I want them to. Daniel rubs his fingers together, and he smiles. “Sure.”
I place my fork on the table. “I’m done eating. Did you want anything else?”
“I guess we’ll see how special you are when you meet your first demon.” Daniel rises.
Instead of walking away, he places both palms on the table and leans across, face close to mine. Warm breath tickles my cheek, and he remains silent for a few seconds.
“Am I wasting my time here?” he whispers.
I pull my head back and narrow my eyes. “By training me? No, I’ll be a bloody great soulhunter.”
A genuinely amused look crosses his features, replacing his game face. “I’m sure you will be.”
As he walks away, I sit on my shaking hands relieved no other trainees were around to witness our exchange.
Wasting his time on what?
9
I stagger as the ground reappears under my feet, engulfed by the sensation someone tore out my insides and shoved them back in the wrong places. I reach out to touch the nearby bricks, steadying myself.
The human world.
Minutes earlier, I grouped with the other soulhunters waiting to be transported here. One flash of light later, I arrived. Through the darkness, I take my first real look at the place the demons live. The afternoons of lessons, studying maps and pictures of the places I’ll be assigned, seems more helpful than it did at the time. But I’m still disorientated.
The yellow light from the lamp post on the city street illuminates the entrance to an alley and wooden crates piled against the walls. I’m unnerved because nobody is with me in the alley. Great, they dropped me in the middle of a demon’s favoured combat area. Alone.
Paranormal Academy Page 4