All the people turned in their seats to look at us, and my heartbeat quickened at all the eyes on me.
Three men on the far side of the table rose, they had two vacant seats next to them on the end near Dezikiel.
And as they all smiled at me, I knew exactly who they were.
My hellhounds.
Chumley was the shortest, and he reminded me of a wrestler with his bulkiness. He had black hair that was crew cut, and a scar through his left eyebrow. He had a short beard that suited him well, and his olive skin was different to the other three hellhounds, including Jack. Jack had a nice tan, while Bug and Creeper had rather fair skin.
And somehow, I knew exactly who was who.
Bug was leaner than Creeper, who was more baby-faced and small mouthed. His dark brown hair was short, but spiked up at the front. Honestly, he looked quite similar to how I’d imagined him.
Quiet, reserved, lacking many emotions, even now, with his small smile intended for me.
Bug, on the other hand, was grinning widely. His brown hair was lighter than the others, more of an ashy brown color, and he definitely fit the name Bug. He was the lankiest of them all, and his face was slimmer than the others, his ears sticking out to the sides in an adorable way.
“Everyone, this is Lily Mordov, she’ll be joining us from here on out, if she chooses to stay,” Dezikiel said as Jack led me over to the seats with the boys.
The trio of hellhounds were watching me carefully, all their black eyes twinkling at the sight of me.
So, black eyes were a hellhound thing apparently. Strange, considering I’d grown accustomed to the glowing red eyes.
“Lily, as you probably know, this is Krodan, also known as Chumley, Tolrun, also known as Bug, and Magnus, also known as Creeper,” Dezikiel said, completely straight-faced, despite some of the others snorting around the table.
My face burned at the use of the nicknames I’d given them. Especially for Creeper and Bug. But they looked unfazed as they sat back down in their chairs, and Jack indicated for me to take my seat next to Chumley, which would put him closest to Dezikiel.
“At the far end, you have Cornelius Baron, one of our teachers, and across from him is Amelia Sage, our other teacher,” Dezikiel indicated to the fair end of the seated people.
I nodded at the middle-aged man with messy blond hair and blue eyes tucked behind a pair of wire-framed glasses. Amelia looked more poised, her wavy brown hair cascading down her narrow shoulders. Her almond eyes were warm and inviting as she waved at me.
“Now, starting from the left of Mr Baron, we have Diane and Hadley, the sisters. Then we’ve got Paris and Wayne. Then over beside Miss Sage is Matthew, Flynn, Xander, Thomas, Dylan, and Hershel,” Dezikiel introduced me, each person giving me a wave or smile as he said their name.
“Are there more students?” I asked after the introductions.
“There are past students who drop in or stay between assignments. But the people in this room are the people you will study and learn with, if you choose to,” Dezikiel said as he moved to sit down in his seat.
I eyed the teachers and other students. This Academy was for demonics who retained their souls apparently, and I was one of them.
I couldn’t wait for answers.
“Time for breakfast,” Dezikiel said, and he clapped his hands twice quickly.
“So, you handling all this okay?” Chumley murmured as two doors on the far side of the room sprang open and two hooded figures strode in quickly.
“I guess,” I murmured, turning to look at him.
I was actually able to talk to him. To all of them.
He was giving me a charming lopsided smile as he stared at me. God, he had such a bad boy vibe, like roughing up others on the streets was his thing.
Except I knew him better than that.
He was my Netflix and cooking buddy.
I focused on the hooded figures that were setting out dishes on the table for us, everyone was eyeing off what they wanted and snatching up a plate. I spied some eggs Benedict with salmon, and my mouth practically watered.
Chumley snatched it up before anyone else could, and then set it down in front of me.
“You love eggs Benedict,” he beamed at me.
I managed a smile, my stomach growling. It’d be ages since I’d had anything more than just noodles and fruit.
And yet, I kept glancing at the hooded figures.
“Who are they?” I whispered to Jack as the group began conversing over their meals.
“The cooks,” he said, frowning at me like I was asking a stupid question.
“Yeah, but why are they dressed like that?” I hissed, trying to see under one of their hoods. A strange darkness was all that greeted me, no face, completely hidden in shadow apparently.
“They aren’t sentient or living creatures, Lily. They’re created from magic simply to serve those at this Academy,” Dezikiel spoke up just past Jack.
I just frowned, glancing at the hooded figure stepping up behind the students across from me to place plates on the table.
Non-sentient? So what, they were just tools?
“Right, you have so much to learn,” Jack smirked as he dug into his stack of pancakes topped with berries and cream.
“Seems that way,” I muttered. I wanted my questions answered now, but Jack had said after breakfast.
I suppose I could wait. I was hungry.
I focused on my meal, savoring the deliciousness of it as Chumley leaned back so Bug and Creeper could talk to me. Honestly, I was still wrapping my head around them being somewhat human.
And all cute as hell.
Creeper was the most quiet of the four, only asking me how I was feeling before going silent, and I even spoke with some of the other students briefly. They were curious as to what I was too, and I learned many of them were some kind of demonic creature.
Dylan and Hershel were demon-borns, humans with demonic abilities. Hershel was conceived whilst his father was possessed by a demon, and Dylan’s mother was possessed when she gave birth to him.
This led to a wonderful conversation on demon possession, which Xander jumped in on. Since he was a demon himself, but had somehow retained his soul and was cast out from hell.
He revealed that demonic possession was achieved via rituals or simply bad timing if a demon was in the area. I had so many questions, but Dezikiel cut me off, saying he’d tell me everything after breakfast, which caused the other students to stop discussing such things with me.
Instead, I ended up speaking with them about Netflix shows, since everyone had a TV in their room and we all had access to Netflix.
This lightened the mood considerably, and I enjoyed a blueberry danish before the hooded figures returned to begin clearing away all the plates and leftover food.
As the chatter died down, my gaze was drawn to Dezikiel, who nodded at me and rose.
I drew in a deep breath as all my hellhounds rose with me.
Time to finally learn everything.
Eight
I sat on the luxurious red and gold couch in the library room. It was massive, two stories high and books lined every wall. Sunlight filtered through the three wall-length stained glass windows. The first depicted an angel, the second, a demon, and the third had them both back-to-back with swords drawn.
It intrigued me, but I drew my eyes away as Dezikiel sighed.
He was seated in the armchair before me, with Creeper in the other armchair beside him.
Jack was perched on the couch beside me, while Chumley was sitting on the arm of the couch on my other side. Bug stood off to the side, tapping his foot on the royal red carpeting.
“Lily, I’m extremely pleased with how well you’re taking all of this. I know I helped ease you into it, as I felt that would be best. And now it’s time to tell you everything, tell you just what you are,” Dezikiel said, his expression dropping as he clasped his hands between his knees.
“I have so many questions,” I admit
ted softly.
“I know. I’ll do my best to answer. But to start, it’s time you knew the truth. Lily, you are a demonic creature, just like every other student here. Demonic creatures come into being in many ways, but you are special,” Dezikiel started.
So it was true. I was a demonic creature. And yet, that didn’t terrify me or shock me as much as I thought it would. Maybe it was what he’d done earlier, or it was my hellhounds all around me, the creatures I’d come to be so comfortable around. Even in their newfound human states.
“You are the daughter of Asmodeus, a Prince of Hell,” Dezikiel stated, and my chest tightened.
Okay, that sounded big. A Prince of Hell?
“There are six Princes of Hell, and they are the first demons to ever be created by Lucifer. The most powerful of them all. They are condemned to manage Hell alongside Lucifer, but on rare occasions, they can break out. As your father did. He caused damage when he first arrived, but after a few months, he fell for a woman. Something we are still struggling to understand. From everything we learned, the first demons, the Princes, should not be capable of love. They were designed as soldiers, protectors for Lucifer,” Dezikiel said, those deep brown eyes watching me carefully, as if he was expecting me to freak out.
My father was a freaking Prince of Hell. Of course. He couldn’t have just been a plumber.
Mom had never spoken about him, and her unwillingness to speak of him only made me hate him more.
And now I had a name for him.
Asmodeus. A real demon.
“When those born via demonic means reach eighteen years of age, their powers awaken. Until then, they normally lead very human lives. We don’t ruin that for them, instead choosing to teach them and guide them when their powers awaken.
I know I said you have a choice to stay here, but I’m afraid I lied about that. Demonics need to remain at the Academy until all their powers are discovered and they learn to wield them safely, and control them.”
“So when you said ‘if I chose to stay’, that was a lie?” I snorted. Of course it was.
But to be honest, I didn’t blame him.
He gave me a sad smile and nod, but I moved onto my next question. I’d already made up my mind to stay.
“What powers can demonics have?” I asked, focusing on the bigger picture. “And I’m eighteen, nothing has happened.”
“Not yet, only at midnight on your eighteenth birthday will your powers awaken. I wanted to inform you of everything before then, so you could have a better understanding of the world you’d find yourself plunged into. As for powers, they can vary. Mr Baron has the ability to sense what your powers are and teach you how to wield them. That is why he was chosen to be an instructor here at Everwood. Some demonics can project themselves, like your hellhounds. Others can possess telekinetic powers, or even telepathic ones. Others have such an incredible prowess with weapons or combat that even a marine would be jealous. The list goes on, and you can read all about them in the many books in this very room,” Dezikiel said as he waved his hand around the room.
I stared at all the walls filled to the ceiling with books. It was daunting, especially if they all contained information on demonics. And angelics.
“You said the studies would be on angelics and demonics, but only demonics come to this Academy. Why is that?” I asked, curiosity winning out.
I felt Jack shift uncomfortably beside me, and I flicked a curious glance at him, noting his stiffness. Chumley’s jaw had set too when I glanced over at him, and it made me worry.
“Demonics and angelics don’t normally mix,” Dezikiel said carefully.
“Demonics are seen as being below angelics, like worms,” Creeper spoke up from his seat beside Dezikiel, which earned him a dark look from said man. He said it like it was a foul taste in his mouth, and I wondered if he had a strange hatred for them.
“Well, guess that’s good to know,” I muttered. So I was hated just for being me. Awesome.
It made me think of the disgusted looks I’d gotten when I’d lived on the streets.
“This school is to help you learn everything about the real world, the truth out there, and master your own abilities. It’s also a safe haven for demonics, warding you from those seeking to harm you,” Dezikiel said.
“You said Jack kept me from going out when others were seeking me, what did you mean by this? And why?”
“Jack can sense when a tracking spell has been attempted on you, or when someone is searching for you with bad intentions. Each of your hellhounds possess a special ability linked to you it seems,” he mused, clearly intrigued by the idea that their abilities were linked to me.
“Why? Why would anyone be after me?” I questioned.
“Demonics are unwanted creatures on Earth, and there are hunters out there who specialize in hunting them. Demonics who retain their souls, like those at Everwood, tend to remain off the radar because they don’t do anything stupid to catch their attention. But being the daughter of a Prince of Hell means that when a tracking spell is laid to hunt down a powerful demonic, your location is exposed if you’re not warded. This has happened a number of times it seems,” he explained.
Great, now I had to be afraid of hunters too. Wonderful.
“These hunters, what are they?”
“Humans. No special abilities, normally dragged into the hunting of demonics because of a tragic event caused by one. Like a demon possessing a family member and getting them killed,” Dezikiel said, those earthy brown eyes unfaltering as he stared at me.
So they were just humans. Humans who had been hurt and wanted revenge. I could understand that in a way. Which brought me to my next question.
“Who killed my mom?” I murmured.
“We believe it was another prince of Hell. When you told me how his eyes turned green, that informed me that it must have been another Prince of Hell,” Dezikiel said.
So one of my father’s brothers killed my mom?
My chest tightened as I looked down at the mahogany coffee table between us. Not a single water stain on it.
My mother’s death had occurred exactly how I’d seen it. No warping of reality or craziness. So then…
“Why?” I asked, my voice breaking as I dragged my gaze back up to his.
Something flickered in Dezikiel’s eyes, pain for me, sympathy, and something else that I just missed.
“I’m not entirely sure, Lily. Perhaps they were angry that your mother was able to get to his heart, that he had a child with her. He also granted her protection, warding her with magic so others couldn’t find her. Not a simple thing to do.”
“How did one of them find her then?” I growled.
“That I do not know, I’m sorry, Lily,” Dezikiel gave me a small smile.
I shook my head, trying to force the raging emotions to simmer down.
“What about my hellhounds? Why do I have them?” I asked, sighing as I glanced around at the four men.
“Simple. Your father gifted that pendant to your mother, so that if she needed it, she could summon protectors for the pair of you. But she obviously gifted it to you, and I believe when she died, it activated so you’d never be alone and would always be protected,” Dezikiel explained.
I touched my pendant, running my fingers over the black and red opal in the center.
“That jewel there resembles an opal, but it is actually a Hellstone. Created by your father to serve as a tool.”
I just stared at him, slowly processing everything.
My mother’s words now made so much sense. I’d never be alone. Because I had them.
“And if I take it off?” I asked carefully.
“Nothing, they’re already activated, so it’s served its purpose. It’s now just a piece of jewelry, although it does have mild protective qualities. I can sense that,” he said.
“How did they end up at the Academy then?” It was strange, if they’d been activated that terrible day, why did only their projections appear?
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br /> “The High Council of Angels felt them be born, and claimed them quickly, yanking them into a place for them to be judged first. That was where it was decided that only their projections could guard you, as when they were created, they were dangerous. Sure, they were created to protect you, but…” he paused as he chose his words carefully.
“We were hellhounds. Forged from the fires of Hell itself, with no idea on how to deal with the human world. We were unpredictable, so they sent us here for educating on this world,” Chumley spoke up, smirking at Dezikiel as he nodded.
“We spent the last few years studying here, obeying their orders to only watch over you with our projections,” Jack added.
Well, that made more sense.
But now I was thinking about a High Council of Angels. My brain was beginning to melt with this information overload.
“What about my apartment?” I asked as my final question. I honestly wanted to have a nap and forget about all of this for just a short while. It was too much to take it all at once.
“It will be handled, don’t you worry at all,” Dezikiel gave me a warm smile. “Now, any other questions?”
I thought for a moment, but then shook my head. That would do for now. Anything more and my head would explode.
“Well, tonight we’ll be moving you to a safe part of the Academy before midnight, so that when your powers awaken, no one gets hurt. Sometimes they can quite literally explode from you, depending on your powers,” Dezikiel said, completely straight-faced. I dare not think he was joking. He didn’t seem like the joking sort to be honest.
I just nodded. I’d had my fill with this huge information dump, and I just wanted to curl up in bed as I dwelled on it.
“Jack, I think Lily needs to process this, why don’t you take her back to her room,” Dezikiel suggested.
Jack just nodded as he rose, turning and offering me his hand.
I accepted, not saying a word as he led me away. The other three followed after me silently, and I was grateful for it. They filled me with a strange sense of ease and comfort.
Even though they looked different now, they were still the monsters I’d come to secretly love.
Wicked Souls: A Limited Edition Reverse Harem Romance Collection Page 85