Seraphim Academy 1: Wicked Wings

by Elizabeth Briggs

  I chug a ton of coffee, we grab a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria, and then we head to our first class, Combat Training. Araceli and I are both wearing our gym clothes, which have the Seraphim Academy logo on a white t-shirt above dove gray shorts. Araceli is practically bouncing as we head to the gym, while the morning sunlight shines down on her skin, making it glow a little. She’s got her brown and purple hair tied back, and I can see the slightly pointed tips of her ears from her fae heritage. She must not feel the need to hide that side of herself, which I admire.

  “I can’t wait for Combat Training,” she says. “Mom taught me a little, but she’s a healer and not a fighter, so her skills are a bit rusty.”

  As we walk, I tie my hair back in a quick, messy bun. The morning sun warms the back of my neck, and my angelic side drinks it in. “You’ll do better than me. My skills are nonexistent.”

  “The humans didn’t teach you any form of combat?”

  “Not really. I took a self-defense course once, but somehow I don’t think that’s the kind of fighting we’re going to do now.”

  “Probably not. Professor Hilda is a Valkyrie and a former member of the Angelic Army. I heard she’s tough as nails.”

  “What are the Valkyrie exactly?” I ask. “Everyone talks about them like they’re a big deal, but all I know about them is from mythology. I never imagined they’d be real.”

  “Valkyries are a division of the Angelic Army with all female warriors, known for their fighting skills and for being damn near impossible to kill. They once served directly under Archangel Michael, before his death anyway. Now I suppose they serve under Michael’s replacement, Zadkiel. And speaking of Zadkiel, I see Tanwen is in our class also.”

  I groan at the sight of the blond girl walking into the gym ahead of us. “Just what I need. I’m sure she’ll remind me many times that I don’t belong here thanks to my human half.”

  Araceli holds the door open for me. “Tanwen is a total bitch, but to be fair, she does have more reason than most to hate humans. Her mother was the leader of the Valkyries, but she was killed by human hunters when Tanwen was a kid. Those are people who search for any sort of supernatural and wipe them out.”

  “I didn’t realize there were humans who did that sort of thing. But that doesn’t mean she should hate anyone with their blood.”

  “No, it doesn’t. I think she just gets off on being the meanest girl around, and she’ll use whatever makes you different or lesser to bully you. I’ve known her my whole life, and have gotten pretty good at avoiding her or ignoring her. Unfortunately her father is Zadkiel, and now that he’s taken the empty spot on the Archangel Council, she’s going to be insufferable. She’s the only daughter of Archangel, even if he wasn’t one when she was born.”

  Except, she isn’t the only one, and my father’s been an Archangel from the beginning. But I’ll keep that little secret to myself.

  We head into the gym, which looks like every other gym in every school I’ve been to, except there are old-fashioned weapons hanging on one wall and armor on another. Professor Hilda stands in the center of the room with her arms crossed as she watches the students file in. She’s a large woman, built like a Viking with broad shoulders and wide hips, and has white-blond hair cropped close around her head.

  The students stand around and chat, and Araceli and I make our way to the back wall to wait for class to start. That’s when an angel I don’t expect to see walks into the room. Callan doesn’t look like he belongs in a combat training class for beginners. No, he looks like he should be out there on a battlefield swinging a broadsword and cutting down his enemy. Maybe that’s why he walks to Hilda and begins talking to her quietly.

  I nudge Araceli and nod at Callan. “What’s he doing here?”

  “I’m not sure. He should be in the Second Year class, not this one.”

  A handsome guy in front of us with dark skin and friendly eyes turns around and grins. “I heard he’s so advanced in combat that he tested out of even the Third Year class. All that training from Michael, I guess. But they need him to do something, so he’s working as Hilda’s assistant during the combat classes.”

  Well, that’s just great. There’ll be no escaping him now. I thought since the Princes were all Second Years we might not have any of the same classes, but no matter where I go or what I do, one of them always seems to be in my face. But hey, at least I have a chance to beat Callan up in this class. Okay, who am I kidding? Look at the muscles on his arms, and the six-pack straining against his gym shirt. Even his thighs are impressive, from what I can see under those shorts. There’s no way I can beat him up. If I do manage to land a punch, he’ll probably laugh it off.

  Hilda claps her hands, and when she speaks she has a strong accent that sounds German. “Welcome to Combat Training, First Years. I am Professor Hilda, and this is my assistant, Callan. We’ll skip the part where I explain my history and why I’m qualified to teach this class and get right to the point. You’re here to learn to fight, because even if the Great War is over, it’s never going to be safe for us. There are still demon attacks we must defend against, and the humans grow bolder every day as they try to hunt us down. And who knows, maybe the fae will decide they want Earth next. We must be vigilant at all times.” She slams a fist into her hand, and some of the students jump. Yep, this is definitely a lot more intense than my self-defense class.

  “First, I need to see what I’m working with here,” Professor Hilda says. “Some of you have had combat training before, and some of your parents have sorely neglected this vital part of your education, but no worries, I’ll get you all up to speed in the next three years. When you graduate, you’ll be ready to enter the Angelic Army, should you so choose. That is my guarantee.”

  Callan crosses his arms and surveys the students with an impassive, hard look on his face. When his blue eyes land on me, his jaw clenches. I wait for him to look away, but he doesn’t. He just keeps staring, and I refuse to look away either and instead narrow my eyes in an open challenge. Heat spreads through my body to my core as we face off across the gym, and everything else around me fades away. It’s just me and him, and the arousal growing between us. The staring turns from hostile to something else, something that makes my inner succubus hungry. Does he feel it too?

  I can’t help it, I lick my lips. Only then does he frown and look away. One point for me.

  “When I call out your name, step forward and you’ll be assigned a partner,” Hilda says. She begins going through her list, and Araceli is paired off with the friendly guy in front of us, whose name is Darel. He gives her a big smile and seems like a nice enough guy, which has been rare so far at the school.

  As Araceli walks to the front, someone mutters, “Glad I’m not paired with pointy-ears there.”

  Araceli’s smile falters and she touches the hair by her ears self-consciously, but then she keeps going like we didn’t all hear that line. I find myself angry on her behalf, even though I barely know her. Maybe because I can relate to what she’s going through. I shoot a glare at the Valkyrie who said it, but she ignores me.

  Hilda calls Tanwen’s name, and the blond saunters to the front of the class with an arrogant smirk on her face. As the daughter of a Valkyrie, she’s obviously had plenty of combat training and is ready to show it off.

  “Your partner is Olivia,” Hilda calls out.

  My stomach stinks. Seriously, me and Tanwen as partners. Did Hilda do this on purpose? She must know Tanwen, and she must know about my situation. Why would she pair us up if not to humiliate me?

  Once the entire class is paired up, Hilda moves to the side and crosses her arms. “Try to take down your opponent however you can so I can see what I’m dealing with here. Once they hit the floor, it’s over. And remember, you may not use any of your angelic powers. That means you, Erelim. Don’t make me send anyone to the healing room.”

  We spread out around the room and I face off against Tanwen, whose blue eyes take me in with d
isdain. My parents gave me a tiny bit of combat training, but not much. Just enough to get me out of a tight situation so I can escape and hide. I have a feeling that won’t be good enough here.

  A whistle sounds, and my back hits the floor of the gym, while Tanwen’s pretty face sneers down at me. It happens so fast I don’t even have time to react.

  This does not bode well for me.

  As pain courses through my back, Tanwen shakes her head. “That wasn’t even a challenge. Surely you can do better than that.”

  I pick myself up off the ground, already sore in numerous places. It’s a good thing angels and demons heal quickly, although it still hurts like hell when we get our asses handed to us.

  Which happens to me, over and over. Tanwen is intense, and taking me down isn’t even a challenge for her. Meanwhile Araceli and Darel are giggling as they roll around on the mat, and I don’t even need to be a succubus to feel the lust between them. I try not to pout, but why can’t I be paired up with a hot guy, instead of being a Valkyrie punching bag?

  Callan walks over as I hit the floor again, this time with a kick that sweeps out my feet from under me. I hit my side this time and Tanwen just shakes her head.

  “I see you’re putting the half-human through the ringer,” Callan says, as he towers over me. From this angle I have a nice view of his very firm legs, at least.

  “Of course I am,” Tanwen says, flipping back her ponytail. “How else is she going to learn?”

  “True, although I’m not sure she can get a blow in,” Callan says.

  Tanwen shrugs. “I’m not trying to teach her combat skills. I’m trying to show her she doesn’t belong here.”

  I drag myself back to my feet. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me, but I’m still here.”

  “This is only the first day,” Callan says. “It’ll be a miracle if you survive the week.”

  If I thought I might get any help from Callan in his role as assistant, I was wrong. He turns back to Tanwen and nods. “Impressive form. I can see you’ve been practicing.”

  “Always,” she practically purrs. She’s giving him a flirtatious smile and some fuck-me eyes. “How are you doing, anyway? It’s been way too long since we hung out. We should get dinner sometime. Now that I’m a student here we can catch up.”

  “Catching up would be good,” he says, but then he looks at me, and I know he doesn’t want her, not like she wants him. Nope, as hard as he might deny it, his lust is directed at me and not her. It’s enough to heal my aches and take the pain away, and I stretch my arms and neck with relief.

  He walks away, and Tanwen looks like a cat who just caught a mouse as she grins at me. “Ready for another go? Since I’m in such a good mood, I might even let you get a blow in.”

  Spoiler alert: she doesn’t.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Olivia

  There’s a short break to rest and lick our wounds, and then it’s time for my next class, which is Flight. We stay in the same gym uniforms but head outside by the lake, and I’m so exhausted from Tanwen beating me up that I don’t have to pretend very hard that I don’t know how to fly. This first day is mostly an introduction to the idea of flight, where the professor makes sure we all know how to extend and retract our wings without a problem. Most of the class doesn’t have a problem with this, although I put up a good show that I’m having trouble, and Tanwen rolls her eyes and whispers to her friends about me. I ignore their catty looks. I want everyone to underestimate me, even if it’s frustrating sometimes. At least there are no Princes in this class.

  After Flight ends, we have a longer break to catch lunch, and I change into some fresh clothes after taking a shower. I eat a sandwich, chug some coffee from my I’m a fucking angel mug, and then I head off to Demon Studies.

  This class is held on the second floor of the main hall, and as I enter the large gothic church-like building I can’t forget my first day here when the Princes swooped down on me from the bell tower. None of them do that this time, presumably because they’re all in class, which is a relief.

  I notice the looks and the whispers as I head up the stairs, and wonder how long they will last. I keep my head high as I walk along the white stone floors, but when I enter the room I stop in my tracks—because Marcus is inside, sitting at one of the desks. And worst of all, the only open seat is directly behind him. So much for avoiding the Princes.

  I refuse to let them intimidate me, so I walk toward the desk with outward confidence, even if I’m faltering a little inside. I remind myself that I need to get information from them, so maybe it won’t be too bad having them in my classes after all, and Marcus seems like the most tolerable one. He gives me a little nod as I pass him, which I ignore. His dark hair is especially wild today, and as I sit behind him I can’t help but notice how rich and luscious it looks. He’s got hair a girl could envy. Or daydream about running her fingers through. Not that I’m doing that. Nope.

  The professor walks in, and he’s wearing a bowtie covered with tiny lightning bolts, making me think of Harry Potter. He’s got on a dapper little suit to match it in off-white, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his wings were the same color. He has a kind smile and bright blue eyes, with salt and pepper hair.

  “Welcome to Demon Studies,” he says. “I assume you’re all here for Demon Studies anyway. If you’re not, then you should hurry and find your actual class before it’s too late. You definitely don’t want to be late on your first day of class, after all!” He claps his hands together. “Now, as long as we’re all in the right place I’d like to go over a little of what you can expect here. This is one of the only classes that has students from all three years in it, just like the other Supernatural Studies courses. Some of you I recognize from last year’s Fae Studies course, and it’s good to see you again.” He does a little wave. “To the rest of you, I am Professor Raziel, and it is my pleasure to meet you all. I can’t wait to help you learn about demons, our ancient enemy.” He makes it sound like he’s talking about teaching us to make a pie, and not about the denizens from Hell that angels have been fighting for thousands of years.

  Marcus casually whispers over his shoulder, “Overly cheerful, isn’t he?” He gives me a quick grin and then turns around again. If Raziel notices or hears him, he doesn’t react. I bet the Princes get away with all sorts of things in class.

  “This year were going to learn all about the various kinds of demons, because just like angels there are many types. In fact there are seven types, which align with the infamous Seven Deadly Sins. I’m sure you’ve all heard about those before, and you may have heard things about demons from your parents or from other angels you know, but in this class were going to try to stick to facts and not stereotypes or opinions. Some of what you’ve learned so far might be wrong, so I’d like you to keep an open mind. Demons are not our enemy anymore, not like they once were. Ever since the Earth Accords, we’ve been in an uneasy truce with them, and it’s important to learn about them so we can understand them better.”

  “And so if they break the truce we can defeat them,” Blake, that douchebag who gave me my dorm key, says.

  Raziel looks flustered, but he nods quickly. “Yes, yes, of course, we must be prepared to fight them should it come to that. As I was saying, we’re going to go over all the different types of demons, from imps to Fallen, and everything in between.”

  “And succubi, right?” a guy sitting next to Blake asks.

  My hair stands on the back of my neck and I worry maybe someone here knows something, but the guy who asked is just grinning and nudging Blake like he said something funny, and I realize it’s because he’s a horndog who just wants to talk about sex demons.

  “Yes, we will talk about the two different types of Lilim later this year.” Raziel lets out an exasperated sigh like he’s heard that question a dozen times before. “But first, let’s discuss how angels and demons are similar and different. Like angels, demons have limited immortality, meaning they don’t
age after a certain point, but they can still be killed. They also have superior strength and speed, and heal faster than humans, just like we do. Another similarity? Due to their immortality, they found it difficult to have children in Hell, as we did in Heaven, but on Earth it is much easier for all of us to procreate. No one is entirely sure why, but it means ever since the Earth Accords there’s been a boom in both angel and demon populations.”

  He continues on, but I tune him out, and find myself staring at the back of Marcus instead. The man is far too hot for his own good, and he knows it. You can tell from the way he smiles, like everything has come easily for him his entire life, and he just expects to be worshipped. He turns and gives me that lazy smile now and I scowl at him, even as my heart beats a little faster. Damn succubus blood.

  I try to focus on what Raziel is saying, but it’s difficult. As Marcus runs a hand through his hair, I get a sexy whiff of sandalwood, and my hunger stirs. I bite my pen and concentrate harder on the class.

  “Now, let’s discuss differences,” Raziel says. “Whereas angels get their powers at twenty-one, demons get their powers earlier, at eighteen.”

  So far everything he’s said has been true. I can only hope his class will be fair and grounded and contain some actual knowledge. And hey, at least I should ace this course, right?

  Assuming I don’t get too distracted by Marcus, anyway.