Ascend (Celestial Academy Book 1)

by Maya Nicole

  I was losing my resolve fast. This was why I had avoided him. Just his presence got me all worked up. It hadn't even been that long since I got laid, but I felt like it had been years. Monday's festivities didn't count.

  "Get on the desk."

  A jolt of excitement shot up through my toes and straight to my clit. We were in an unlocked classroom, but I wanted to get on the desk just to see what he was going to do. The thought of doing anything lascivious in a classroom at an angel school made me feel breathless. So, I slid my ass up onto the desk, my feet dangling off the side.

  He rolled his chair away from his desk and slid it over in front of me, putting his hands on my knees. I took a sharp inhale of breath as he slid his hands up my bare legs, pushing them apart as he went. He let out a groan when his hands reached my panties and he slowly pulled them off, sticking them in his pocket.

  My eyes narrowed on him and he smirked before he ran his tongue up my leg. I was already trembling and he hadn't even touched my pussy yet, but when he did I had to put the end of my jacket sleeve in my mouth to keep from crying out.

  I thought his hands were brilliant, but his tongue was sinful. He pulled his mouth away and stood from the chair, kicking it back with his foot. I resisted the urge to touch my clit to finish the task he had abandoned.

  "Is this part of my extra credit?"

  He grabbed me around my waist, pulled me off the desk and bent me over so my chest was pressed into the stacks of papers on it. My body shook with anticipation as he lifted my skirt around my waist and ran his hand over my bare ass.

  "Is your phone on silent?" he whispered in my ear, amusement in his voice, and pressed his erection against my ass.

  I nodded, words alluding me in that moment, and he gripped my hip before thrusting into me, causing me to let a moan escape. I pushed his papers out of the way and brought my blazer-covered arm to my mouth to muffle my sounds as he thrust into me over and over again.

  The last thing we needed was to be caught. I knew he didn't have a class, but the risk was there. A risk that sent a thrill through me. When I came, I came hard, sending Tobias to his own climax.

  He rested against me while he caught his breath then handed me a few tissues. I cleaned up and pulled my skirt down. I had just thrown the tissues away when the classroom door opened and Oliver Morgan, of all people, walked in.

  He stopped in his tracks and his eyes went from me to Tobias, who was still buckling his belt, to the desk with papers shoved to one side, then back to me.

  His face turned red as he went to where he had sat and picked up a notebook that was left on the desk. "Forgot my notebook."

  Without giving us another look he walked out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him hard enough that I jumped in surprise.

  "Shit. Fuck. Shit." I grabbed my bag and smoothed my skirt. "I'm late for PE."

  That's not why I was freaked out. Now the whole school was going to know I was sleeping with a teacher. As if they didn't already have enough ammunition against me.

  "Hey, don't freak out. Oliver isn't going to say anything." Tobias started straightening the papers on his desk. "And before you ask, yes, I'm sure. I know some things that he probably doesn't want everyone to know about."

  My anxiety suddenly ebbed and my curiosity reared its ugly head. "Oh, really. Like what?"

  He laughed and leaned towards me to give me a much too tame kiss. It was probably for the best since I was already fifteen minutes late to PE.

  "Can't tell you." He finished straightening his papers and sat down in his chair. "Let me take you out to dinner tomorrow. Tonight I'm on call."

  "Like a date?" My heart started beating a little faster and I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking he could see the change. He nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

  "Good. I'll text you later. And Dani?" He grabbed my hand as I started to walk away. I turned and met his chocolate brown eyes. "Don't avoid me again."

  I left the room on wobbly knees but managed to make it to PE with enough time left to be scowled at by Coach Ferguson.

  At lunch, I was nervous. Tobias's assurances did nothing to stop the pit of anxiety in my stomach. Plus, I had something planned to get a little sweet revenge. I hadn't been entirely sure I was even going to do it. That was until the apple gag was shoved in my mouth.

  The deviled eggs I could deal with. Hell, even the feathers in my room was more of just an annoyance to get under my skin. But physically restraining me and putting their hands on me? That was where I drew the line between childish pranks and something more sinister.

  "What are your plans for this weekend? There's a party Saturday night we were going to go to." Cora interrupted my train of thought and I jerked my attention back to the lunch conversation. Angels had parties? Color me surprised.

  "I have a dinner date Saturday night but if I get back in enough time I can meet up with you guys."

  Cora and Brooklyn leaned forward in their seats.

  "Do we know him or her?" Brooklyn looked like she was about to burst. She was all about the boys. She had never had a boyfriend, so I couldn't blame her for her curiosity.

  Earlier in the week she had asked me about my love life, and when I told her I had slept with three men, she about died. Well, if she could have died again.

  "No. It's our first date so I don't really have much to tell you besides he's hot." I imagined their faces if I told them the truth.

  Honestly, I never had imagined myself with an older man, at least not one nine years older or however old he was in angel years. I couldn't help that I was attracted to him and wanted to know everything about him. He seemed to have no qualms about my age, at least from what I could tell. I decided to put my plan in motion instead of dwelling further on something that, at the end of the day, didn't bother me.

  I reached down and grabbed the large manila envelope in my bag. When I was deciding on the vessel for the feathers, I had run through a million different scenarios. They were already going to be suspicious when I approached their table.

  "What are you up to?" Ethan narrowed his eyes in my direction. Was I that obvious? "You have a shit-eating grin on your face."

  "You'll see." I held the envelope between my knees and finished scarfing down my sandwich.

  As if fate had determined this was an excellent idea, all seven angels waltzed through the dining room to their table with their trays. I had gone over my plan several times during my last class before lunch.

  "I'll be right back."

  I made my way to the Divine 7's table, and by the time I stood behind an empty chair next to Abby, the table had gone silent and six sets of eyes stared at me. All except Oliver.

  "Eve, what do you want?" Delilah spat. Her eyes dropped to the envelope in my hand.

  In the most irritatingly-sweet voice I possessed, I spoke. "I'm so happy you asked. Yesterday was a massive awakening for me." I shook my head as if I was disappointed in myself. "Until I saw myself with that apple in my mouth, I never thought about how our sins can affect those around us."

  I looked at each of them before continuing. They at least weren't stopping me. "And all this time, for eighteen years, all I've done is sin, sin, sin. I thought who better to help me atone for my sins than the highest-ranking angels in this academy."

  I held up the envelope, which was bulging. Their eyes followed it. "So I wrote down all of my sins on strips of paper and I figure if you can help me with one at a time then maybe, just maybe, I'll get my wings. The thought of going even one more day without them. It pains me." I put my other hand over my heart. Maybe a career in acting was in my future.

  "You aren't serious, are you? You have that many sins?" Levi gestured to the envelope and had a look of amusement on his face.

  "I don't even think I remembered all of them, honestly. Oh!" I made a noise of excitement. "I have one more I need to add that happened just today. I think maybe I should just tell you guys what I did and we can take care of it now."

  At my words,
Oliver's head snapped up and his eyes widened.

  "Or even better!" I dropped the smile from my face. "How about I show you."

  With my final words I started shaking the envelope down the length of the table as if it were a salt shaker. A few of the guys scooted back from the table, but most of the group sat stoically. Shocked. Flabbergasted. Probably already plotting my demise.

  I sprinkled the last of the feathers on Oliver's and Levi's trays before dropping the envelope in front of Oliver. "And Oliver? I do hope your new pillows satisfy you."

  I probably shouldn't have said that, but clearly he was uncomfortable with what he had seen this morning. If he had only walked in a few minutes before he would have seen a whole hell of a lot more.

  I turned and walked back to my table, the entire dining area staring at me in silence. Some with scowls, some with admiration. They had heard it all. Hell, most of them probably knew about the feathers.

  "Ms. Deville." Dean Whittaker seemed to appear out of nowhere and walked towards me with a deep frown on her face. "Please come with me."

  Damn.

  But it was totally worth it.

  Chapter Six

  Evidence. That was what Dean Whittaker said was lacking in my defense. I, on the other hand, had evidence against me. It's hard not to when you dump a giant envelope of feathers out on your enemies' food and the dean sees it happen with her very own eyes.

  That was what they were now. My enemies.

  Dean Whittaker said she wanted to give me a chance. A chance at what? A chance at sitting back and letting bully angels torment me? I kept my mouth shut, because unlike my former principal, the dean did not shoot the breeze or even care.

  If she would have cared she wouldn't have brushed off my accusations of bullying like they were insignificant pieces of lint that landed on her shoulder. That was what she had called them. Accusations. The problems that plagued human schools seemed to plague celestial schools too. Only it made it so much worse that they were angels.

  Instead of even an ounce of sympathy for me—I had even showed her the pictures of the feathers and the apple gag—she took twenty-five divinity points from me and said she was assigning me a peer mentor because my points were at a critical level.

  Critical my ass.

  When points dropped too much, angels were sent to the high court for judgement on what action should be taken. Los Angeles Celestial Academy was the top academy for training angels to become guardians, but if a student wasn't showing promise they could be sent back to heaven or not be given any guardian tasks. Divinity points were the way they kept track. I didn't even have wings, so did points even apply to me? I didn't dare ask.

  I left the administrative offices feeling deflated. It was rare my heart was so irrevocably twisted to the point it hurt to breathe. Not even when I was expelled, or that time the school resource officer threatened to throw me in a juvenile detention facility if I was ever found with pot again.

  This was different. The very essence of who I was, was being attacked. Villainized. And for what? For being different? I honestly didn't even feel I was that different. Yes, I made mistakes, maybe even more than average, but did that make me evil? I didn't feel evil.

  When I got back to my room, I pulled up FaceTime. It rang twice before Lucifer answered. I stared at the wall behind his desk which was covered in art depicting him. He got a kick out of it. To me it was just a reminder of how everyone saw my father and now how they saw me.

  "Dani, just a second." His voice sounded far away, like he was on the other side of his office.

  When he did appear, he was buttoning the top two buttons on a dress shirt. I briefly wondered if he had just gotten up or if he had been working. Lord knows why he would need to change his shirt after working.

  "I'm leaving," I stated bluntly. Really no use in beating around the bush.

  He sat in his chair and put laced fingers under his chin, searching my face. I was glad he couldn't interfere with my emotions through the computer screen.

  "And where will you go? Back to Montecito? What will you do?"

  I had been thinking about that question since he told me he was sending me to the Celestial Academy. "I have money. I'll just get a job at Starbucks or something, so I'm not bored."

  "You hate the smell of coffee." His voice was neutral, which always made me leery of what he was thinking. "And what do you mean, you have money? Your money is my money."

  "But you have so much of it, you can share with your only daughter, can't you? I am your only child, aren't I?" It was childish, but at one point in time, I had thought he had another family because he was never around.

  Now I knew why he was never around.

  He sighed and ran his hands over his face. "You'll stay there or I will have to cut you off."

  I gaped at him. Lucifer was loaded. He had multiple aliases throughout the world and the sum of his wealth was astronomical. It would put Bezos to shame.

  "I'm not like them. They hate me because you're my dad and I don't even have wings to at least somewhat fit in." My voice caught in my throat and I fought to hold back tears. Lucifer didn't do well with tears. At least not from me.

  "Danica... you don't need wings to fly."

  "Don't go getting all mushy and philosophical on me." I laughed and wiped a stray tear that had fallen.

  "I don't want this life for you." He gestured around him, referring to a life in hell. "At least try until the end of the semester. Maybe they just need time to adjust."

  As much as I hated the idea of staying more time in this hell, I agreed. Maybe I just needed a way to relieve the stress this place was bringing me.

  After I had cereal for dinner, because I most definitely wasn't going to eat in the dining hall, I drove about thirty minutes from the academy to a mall in Pasadena. I pulled my car into the parking structure and felt relief flood me. Shopping always cheered me up and I'd get to be around people who had no idea who I was.

  As I made my way inside the mall, my phone buzzed with a text from Tobias. Are you ok? I heard what happened.

  I shot a quick text back. Fine. Shopping. I'll text you later.

  I'll admit it. I had a shopping problem. In particular when it came to a certain lingerie store. Their new line, with angel in the name of course, just released and I was beyond excited to add all the colors to my already vast collection.

  The pink polka-dot walls and scents of fruit and floral instantly brought a smile to my face. I grabbed a mesh bag to put my bounty in and started with the panties.

  "Can I help you find anything in particular?" I looked up and smiled at the saleswoman standing at the end of the display.

  "No, thanks. I got it."

  "Let me know if you need any help." She walked away but didn't go far before her eyes were watching me while she straightened panties and bras in the next display over. I guess I'd watch me too if I saw a teenager practically shoveling underwear into a bag.

  Next time I'd just order online. There were eight colors. I had to have them all. As soon as I opened the drawers holding the bras the saleswoman approached me again.

  I was starting to feel irritated. "You know what, you can help me." I handed her the bag. "Hold this for me."

  I finished loading the bag up and made my way towards the cash register, but something caught my eye on a mannequin. Besides bras and panties, I'd never purchased anything else lingerie related. Teenage boys didn't really stop to appreciate what was under the clothes, but a certain man did.

  It was a teddy that would have made a really inappropriate swimsuit with cutouts all over the front, lace to barely cover the important parts, and only strings in the back.

  "Oh, that would look great on you," the saleswoman, who's name tag read Natasha, suggested. Now that she realized I wasn't going to make a run for it with the bag, she was my best friend.

  "It's not something I normally wear." There was only red, white, and black so I grabbed the white. "I'd like to wear this one out of her
e."

  Once I paid, the girl let me into one of the dressing rooms and I changed into it. Surprisingly, it was comfortable. I bit my lip thinking of what Tobias might think. Before I could talk myself out of it, I snapped a picture of myself, front and back, and sent Tobias the pictures.

  After I put my clothes on over the teddy, I got a text back from him. What time are you going to be back tonight?

  I sent back a devil and an angel emoji and put my phone away before I took things too far. The last thing I needed was to start sexting with him. Sending sexy pictures to my Demonology instructor was far enough already.

  Leaving the store, I felt great. Nothing like a bag full of sexy things to give you a pick-me-up. I hopped on the descending escalator and looked out over the hustle and bustle of the evening mall. A baby cried in his mother's arms. A girl with a group of other teenagers shoved a corn dog in her mouth causing the other teens to laugh. A group of men leaned against the wall near a sports clothing store staring at their phones. I should have invited Brooklyn and Cora to shop with me.

  There was something so normal about being here among the throngs of shoppers. Not having to worry what the Divine 7 might do next or what the other angels might say or do. If I left the academy, it could all be over. If I left then I wouldn't have money to shop. What a catch-22.

  I hit a few more stores before encountering an arcade and getting sucked into the world of video games. If they could just find a way to teach school only using video games, I'd be set and have straight As.

  "We're closing in like two minutes," a teenage boy about my age said, tapping on the side of Street Fighter II. I had been playing old-school games for hours.

  I picked my bags up and made my way out into the mall, the stores already closed with rolling security grilles. The lights were dimmed and a few people milled about chatting, and some power walked like it was an indoor track. I looked at the time and it was just shy of eleven, the arcade had extended hours. I hadn't even realized I'd been playing that long. Amazing how video games seem to be on a different time continuum than real life.