Captured: Academy of the Seraph

by Brandi Elledge

  “She can be an asset. Let her lure him in. Not just for information on the Flaming Sword, but what if he was on our side against any who tried to take the sword from you once you obtain it?”

  “Do you think I’m stupid?” the headmistress snarled, her ruby red lips curled back from pearly white teeth. “How did you think I was going to be able to command the commander? Once he is turned, I will know exactly where the Flaming Sword is. He will have no way of disobeying me. But I need him here in order to do that.”

  I looked at Trev. His face had registered shock then panic.

  Turned? Turned to what? A darken? There was no way Finn would be swayed to her side. I didn’t know what was going through Trev’s mind, but he wasn’t really selling this to the headmistress. She wanted an immediate plan of action, or heads were going to roll.

  I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, um … Headmistress?”

  Her eyes flashed to mine.

  “You are making very valid points, but I’d like to say that I’m not just a girl.”

  Trev was slightly shaking his head, and I could feel cold air pressing up against me—Remy’s way of telling me to shut up.

  “The commander actually believes that I’m his soulmate.”

  For a second, no one moved. Even the cold air that had been swirling around me froze at my words.

  “Why wouldn’t you tell me this, Trevan?” Her voice grew louder with each word.

  I answered for him. “He didn’t know. That’s not something the commander would broadcast because that makes me his Achille’s heel. Here’s the thing; I don’t think that he is my soulmate. It’s no secret that I didn’t want to be a part of any of this, and I’m sure your spies could tell you that I was very unhappy at the academy. I’m sure that you are also aware that I was forced to the academy after years of avoiding anything that was angel blessed. I will willingly get the information you seek if you promise to let me go after all of this. I don’t want to be a part of your world.”

  The headmistress gave me a calculating look. “Silly girl, you are nothing but a lure. That is where your only worth lies.”

  I tilted my head. “Well, then let me be a lure. Hopefully, after all this, you will let me join you here at the Empowered Academy?”

  She tapped a long-painted nail on her lower lip. “You want to be a darken?”

  Looking her into the eyes, I said, “Anything that goes against what the commander is for, I’m all in.”

  She turned to Trev. “Take her out of this cell, clean her up, and then bring her to the party tonight. If she passes Thalan’s test, then I will believe her and she will live. Then I will formulate an appropriate plan that will allow me to use her to the best of her abilities.”

  She meant as bait.

  Trev gave her a curt nod.

  Her eyes flashed to me. “Don’t disappoint me, little one, or I’ll drain you slowly.”

  I had to force my eyes down to seem less disobedient.

  I waited until the sound of her heels went from faint to nonexistent before I lifted my gaze to Trev. He was fuming mad.

  Remy appeared by my side, equally livid.

  I threw my hands up in surrender. “What did you guys want me to do?”

  “Um, not that,” Remy said.

  Trev said, “I don’t like the huge target you just put on yourself. Soulmates are rare, and that word can’t be thrown around.”

  Before Remy could jump in, as well, I held up a hand to stop her. “The headmistress could have come down here to torture me for information, or she could have thought I was a waste of time and tried to have me killed.”

  Trev furrowed his brows. “Once you have your powers back, can you even be killed?”

  I shrugged. Again, not wanting to tell Trev what Haniel had said about the only way I could die was if I exhausted my powers and still tried to continue to use them, I said, “I really don’t know, but I can honestly say I don’t want to test the theory out.”

  “If Gabriella can’t be killed, then there would be a lot of questions.” Trev smiled.

  “Who is Thalan?” I asked.

  “He is the headmistress’s right-hand man. He is a fallen angel who has conquered the art of dark magic. He is extremely powerful, like Sariel, from the Academy of Seraph. But he doesn’t need to consult the cards. He will know how powerful you are by just being near you.”

  “That’s why you had my powers bound?”

  “Yes,” he said. “If anyone here knows who you really are, then it’s game over.” He pointed at my bandage. “Hiding who you are until we’re ready is imperative. Let’s hope that my brother is as good as I think he is.”

  Remy fake-yawned. “Wow, this convo has been super enlightening, but here is what I’m going to need from you, betrayer of friends.” She waved an arm around my cell. “This isn’t The Ritz-Carlton. Can we get her released, like, now? And what is the plan for freeing these people?”

  He grabbed the key and released me from the cell. “I’m working on the finer details. You are just going to have to—”

  “Trust you?” I said, making him wince. “I have people outside of this wall who care about me. People who are confused as to why I would willingly stay in a prison. Whatever your plan is needs to be acted out immediately. I don’t want this to drag out. I want to help these people, but I also want out of this academy. Do you understand?”

  “More than you will ever realize.” His eyes met mine, and they were filled with regret and something more.

  “Trev …”

  He shook his head. “No, I know. I found the box, you know.”

  What? “The box with my fingers?”

  “No, the commander has that.” He looked at Remy. “You told him, right?”

  “I accidentally forgot”—she winced—“but I’m going now.”

  He held up a hand. “I think Gabriella is going to need you for the next couple hours.”

  I waved my hands back and forth. “Hello, what box are we talking about?” Then it hit me, and I found myself angry all over again. “You took his memory box that day at his cabin?”

  “Yeah, and when I looked inside, that’s when I knew. I saw items that belonged to you—the ring, the lock of hair, the love letters. I had heard stories of the love that the commander had lost, but no one knew that the girl would be coming back centuries later. I’m happy for him.” He shuffled his feet. “I’m happy for you.”

  Remy ping-ponged back and forth between us before she held an arm above her head. “Look, I don’t really like you, but if you’re looking for a quick rebound, I hear that angry—”

  “Remy!” I interrupted. “Don’t finish that sentence.”

  Trev laughed as Remy tried to act all innocent. “Whaaat? I’m just saying, if he wanted to use me for extracurricular purposes, then I guess I could do him a solid, even though that hot brother of his is more my speed. He has got this feral look to him that is calling me to tame the inner beast.”

  I rubbed my temples as I started to feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on.

  Trev tracked my motions with a frown. “We need to act quickly. I think Gabriella’s body is trying to shed the binding my brother put on her.”

  “My head is killing me.”

  Remy bit her lip. “We need to get to this party and pass whatever test the headmistress will have her run through, and then you”—she pointed a finger at Trev’s defined chest—“better have a worthy plan. You don’t want to make me angry … er.”

  Trev grabbed my elbow. “Let’s get you upstairs and cleaned up. I’ll put out some feelers to see what it is we need to expect tonight.”

  Once again, Remy disappeared, though I felt her beside me as we left the lowest level. The cold air was never getting too far from me.

  Trev’s face changed as we entered what seemed to be the first ground level of the building. Students congregated around the lobby. Some were reclining on couches, and some stood by, holding up the walls. Trev wore a stoic mask on his f
ace as he ushered me up a spiral staircase.

  I could feel the students of the Empowered’s eyes on me. I lifted my chin and met everyone’s eyes that lingered too long in my direction. I gave them my best I’m-here-whatcha-going-to-do-about-it? look. Finally, after three flights of steps, Trev ushered me into a room.

  “Hopefully, if tonight goes well, there will be no more cells in your future. For now, though, I’m going to put you in this room. It is right beside my sisters. Mine and my brother’s are right across the hall. The room on the other side of you belongs to my best friend, Luna. So, basically, you are surrounded by people who will be loyal to you.” He pointed to a gown on the bed. “Anticipating your release, I asked my brother for a favor. The dress probably won’t fit, but Ezra borrowed it for you from one of his lady friends.”

  Remy popped up beside me. “Wait—what? My future hubby is a slut? Oh no, this isn’t going to go good for him.” She went over to the bed and fingered the side of the dress like it was about to attack her. “Who wore this? Will my best friend, the one I would donate a kidney for, die or contract a nasty disease from putting this garment on her porcelain oh-my-gosh-I-need-some-sun-because-I’ve-been-in-a-dungeon body?”

  Trev stared at her for a minute like he was flabbergasted and couldn’t come up with anything to say. Finally, he shook his head. “So, I’m going to head out so I can come up with a plan on how to recuse the ones below. I need to inquire how to get the mark off of them without anyone knowing that I’m asking. As soon as we know how to lift the mark, we will release the Flaming Sword on her.”

  I scrunched up my nose. I wasn’t entirely sure that I liked being referred to as a weapon.

  “I’ll come back around for you when it’s time to go to the party.”

  “Wait,” I said. “Is there anything I should or shouldn’t do?”

  “Besides pretending that you’re not in love with the commander? Pretend that you want to be a part of this academy and, of course, praying wouldn’t hurt.”

  The door closed, and immediately Remy went on a tirade on how she better be out of this hellhole in a week, or she was kidnapping Trev’s brother and having her way with him.

  I tuned her out as I headed toward the shower in my room. Closing the bathroom door behind me I stared at the reflection in my mirror. I was tired and the dark circles that appeared under my blue eyes was just confirmation to my exhaustion. My brown hair that was normally shiny hung in greasy waves down my back. I gripped the counter for one last second before I took the quickest shower ever. I needed time to mentally prepare because I needed this night to go smoothly. I needed to do the right thing. And I really needed to see Finn.

  Dressed in the plain black dress and matching flats, I waited on Trev to come and escort me to the party. Remy was pacing in front of the bed. Her black hair swinging around her chin as she pivoted to stalk back in front of me again for the hundredth time.

  “What is it, Remy?”

  She slapped a hand on her tight jeans. “I can’t explain it, but I feel like something terrible is going to happen tonight.”

  “Well, I mean, it is possible.”

  “Don’t joke.” She stopped pacing and came to stand right in front of me. “I want our own plan. If something goes sideways tonight, you run, and I’ll hold them off for as long as I can.”

  I pulled her in for a hug. “We are going to be just fine.”

  “What is with you and all these hugs? Is it just me, or have you become uber needy?” And just like that, my strong friend was back in place. “Of course we’re going to be fine. I’m a ghost. Like, who is going to get one up on me? And you’re slightly less cool, but still! We are a dynamite team.”

  She was so nervous I wanted to hug her again, but I was afraid she would hit me.

  There was a knock on the door, saving me from doing so. After Remy disappeared, I opened it to find Trev looking dashing in a gray tuxedo. He was pulling on his tie as he ran his eyes over my body.

  “Even in a plain, potato-sack-looking dress, you still look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. Did you find the info you were looking for?”

  “Yes and no, but it’s a start. I need to explain some things before we go to the party, but I can’t spend more than a few minutes in your room.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Are you serious? The headmistress cares about being improper?”

  “Hardly,” he said. “But there are eyes everywhere, and if it looks as if we are giving you too much time and attention, then the headmistress will question our loyalties. I will be able to explain some things to you throughout the night. Ezra and Luna have also been assigned to you. They will be your guards tonight, and what I don’t have time to explain, they will.”

  We stepped out into the hall with the familiar coldness nipping at my heels.

  Trev’s lips curled into a smile. “Glad you’re coming with us, Remy. Just remember, there are also ears everywhere.”

  She didn’t respond, but we knew that she understood. Nowhere in this academy was safe.

  He held out his arm and escorted me out of my new room. He was right; I immediately felt eyes on me.

  Tilting my chin up, I walked with my bandaged hand down by my side, gripping Trev’s hand with my other hand. He was giving the perfect image of a good little soldier escorting a pawn to a party.

  As we went down three flights of steps to the main level, I took in the building. The Academy of Seraph was grander, with its sprawling estate and brick buildings. It reeked of money and serenity. This was the opposite. It had more of a modern feel. From the looks of the peeling wallpaper to the wobbly banister, the building required some tender loving care. Even though the Academy of the Seraph was older and more pristine, this building looked like no one was even trying to maintain it.

  Trev’s body language had changed the moment we had exited our small corridor. His face no longer wore a smile, but he acted like the soldier that he was supposed to be.

  From the side of his mouth, he said, “We have one building, not multiple. But the building has ten levels, not including the three dungeon levels. There are two exits on each level.”

  I knew the reason he was giving me the breakdown of the school’s layout was not for idle chitchat. It was in case tonight went sideways.

  His brother stood in the hallway with a small group of girls gathered around him, to which he ignored all. Noticing us approach, he jerked his head toward a door to his right.

  Trev drew his brows together before he yanked me to a stop right in front of a group of students. Loudly, he said, “Seriously? You need to go to the bathroom again? You must have the smallest bladder in the world.”

  Um … Say what?

  “You have two minutes. Don’t make me come in after you.”

  He winked at the group of kids who were laughing at me and my, apparently, freakishly small bladder. Then he pushed me toward a communal bathroom, which I entered on high alert. Whatever the hell Trev had up his sleeve might not necessarily be to my benefit.

  A long-legged girl with cotton candy pink hair and big blue eyes came out of a stall. She was gorgeous. One of those girls who you look at and immediately underestimate. If you just passed her on the street, you would think she was heading to a ballet class, but if you met her eyes, you would know that this girl had more than just pointe shoes on her mind. Cold air danced all around me as this girl walked right up to me. Her blue eyes took in my measure as they skimmed over every inch of me as if she was trying to take in my worth.

  As she crowded me, I tilted my chin up. “So, do I pass?”

  A smile graced her pretty face. “I think me and you will get along just fine. I’m Luna, by the way.” She reached behind me and flipped the lock. “We don’t have much time. I just found out that tonight’s party will be a little different, and Ezra thought it was best that I talked to you before you go walking blindly into a stressful situation. We don’t have time for a history lesson, so here is the short version. The Academy
of Seraph uses demis and fully blessed to help them fight their battles with demons. Camaella, the right-hand commander to Lucifer, uses demons. Everyone thinks that the headmistress uses demons, too, but that is false information, leaked by the headmistress herself.”

  “What does she use?”

  “Wendigos.”

  I scrunched my eyebrows together. “I know that this should mean something to me, but I—”

  “Lessons later. The important part is that, when they call a wendigo forward tonight, you don’t make eye contact. Keep quiet and try to stay hidden. The chances of it actually picking you are slim to none, especially since they go after power and, thanks to Ezra, it’ll look like you have none. Plus, saying you’re the commander’s soulmate was not only a nice touch, but it pretty much creates immunity for you.” Her eyes darted toward the door. “Time is up. Do not ask any questions about this to Trev because—”

  “There are eyes everywhere,” I finished.

  She nodded. “Fast learner.” She unlocked the door. “Remember, no eye contact and stick by the brothers or my side at all times. You go out first.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  She gave me a wink. “I hope you bring this house down.”

  I exited the bathroom to cheering. The students who had been snickering were now surrounding Trev, who had started the applause.

  I took a bow.

  “Jeez,” he said, “What took so long?”

  “There was someone else in there,” I whined, “and I’m a shy pee-er.”

  He rolled his eyes dramatically for the benefit of the students. “Well, if you are done wasting my time, let me escort you to the party.”

  Coldness surrounded me, which was a good indicator of how nervous Remy was.

  I didn’t breathe a word of what Luna had said to me. I remained quiet as we passed some more students out in the hall.

  As we took a left down the narrow hall, I asked, “Why are we passing so many students? Is the party just for seniors?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Apparently, tonight is a different sort of gathering, in which it would be only for the most promising students, along with all teachers and faculty.”