by Ember Hollis
“And you never told him about me,” I say flatly, already knowing the answer.
She shakes her head. “He would have taken you away from me. That, or he would have tried to stay and we’d all have been miserable.”
This way, it was just me. I sigh but say nothing. What was the point now? “So is that also how you survived getting shot? By taking energy from…” I grimace, not recalling the bellboy’s name.
“Barry. Yes,” Mom says. “I would have died if I hadn’t already been satiated with energy from having sex.”
I wince, but nod slowly. That made sense. Sort of. All my life, I’d hated my Mom for sleeping around, but now I know that it wasn’t her fault. Not really. It was just who she was.
“Anyway, let’s get back to you. Because your father is an angel, that makes you half-angel and half-demon,” she continues. “Which is a very, very rare combination of species. It means that you’re not safe here in this world. I sacrificed a lot to bring you to Terra to keep you safe. We need to get back there as soon as possible, especially now that both your powers are manifesting at the same time.”
“It was bound to happen, though I didn’t think it would occur so soon. It’s probably been accelerated since you started having sex—that’s why I told you to hold off till you were eighteen, when your energies would have been less volatile. And yet you went ahead and participated in Bacchadelia,” she throws her hands up into the air and glares at me. “You also didn’t listen to me when I tried to stop you from participating in the Sacrifice!”
“Hey, I didn’t know it was you, okay?” I snipe back.
“I know, but you’ve always had a real knack for getting into exactly the sort of trouble you shouldn’t, Heaven. You’re as stubborn as your father.”
I roll my eyes but say nothing. A jolt of pain and sadness shot through me at the mention of Mikael, and I know I should tell her what had happened to him and what I did… but I’m just not yet ready.
“It’s okay, we can still salvage things,” Mom says. “I’ll just go back to the school and make it so they think you died from overuse of your power during the ritual. I’ll need to disguise a body for it to work, but there’s so many lying around at the moment. Oh, and a couple more students might also need to die so your death doesn’t appear so unusual, but that’s also easily done. After that’s settled, I’ll come back here, then you and I can—”
“Wait, wait!” I exclaim, horrified. “What are you saying? You can’t just waltz into the castle and start killing people, you—”
I trail off as the implications of my mother’s face morphing finally gets through to me. That nose and those black eyes… along with the hairstyle and her makeup… she hadn’t been pretending to be Madam Hinako. She was Madam Hinako.
“Oh. My. God,” I whisper. This is why she’d felt so familiar and pissed me off so easily. Why she’d been targeting me in class, even though there had been no reason for her to.
“Did you kill Professor Hinako just so you could pretend to be her sister?” I gasp, suddenly light-headed. “Why couldn’t you have just kept her alive somewhere and taken her place?”
“The old bird had half a foot in the grave already anyway,” Mom shrugs. “I wanted to take on her appearance, but she struggled so hard I couldn’t keep her captive. But I did make sure she didn’t suffer when she died.”
I sit back down amid the fabric at my feet with a soft flump. My Mom. The succubus slut. The murderer. The demon.
And half of her was in me.
Was this why Mikael had Fallen? Because he’d consorted with someone as evil as my Mom and regretted it? Because he’d realized it had borne terrible fruit when he’s seen me?
I glance down at my tail and look away, pained. I’d thought I was something special. And now, it turns out, I truly am. Except, I’m also an atrocity.
Chapter 18: Heaven
After learning what my Mom did, I find it hard to sit still and let her tell me what to do. In fact, it’s all I can do to refrain from getting into a shouting match with her.
To distract myself, I get dressed so I can leave. It turns out that the new pocket she’s sewn into my skirt is perfectly suited to tucking my tail into to hide it, for which I am only minimally grateful for, when I realize the place we are in is the shop where I’d bought my butterfly dress for the Dance. That dress, the old lady’s insistence that I not have to pay… the way Madam Hinako had spoken so casually and so irritatedly to me while she singled me out to reprimand. So many clues that would have led to my Mom if I had only been smarter and paid more attention.
How long has she been hiding here? Did she kill the old lady this shop belongs to? How did she pretend to be Madam Hinako and manage to arrive with the group from Ever After Prep without them suspecting anything?
Questions bombard me but I don’t voice them, afraid as I am at what her answer might be.
“Heaven, stop!” Mom says as I angrily kick aside the fabric around me to find my shoes. “You have no idea how dangerous it is for you to remain in Pandorax. Someone obviously orchestrated things so you could be enrolled, even though you have no supernatural knowledge and have just come into your powers! If they can confirm that you have both angelic and demonic blood in you, they’ll know for sure that—”
“I don’t care, I can’t stay another minute here with you,” I stalk to the door and wrench it open. “Don’t follow me. And don’t you dare come back to the castle and start killing people. I don’t care if you’re my Mom, I’ll expose you to everyone if you dare to hurt anyone else!”
“Wait, Heaven,” she cries. “You can’t go back! It’s a trap! They’ve been hunting you since before you were born! If they realize who you really are, it will all be over, they’ll—”
I shake my head and slam the shop door closed, causing the bells above it to ring loudly, then drop to the floor.
I leave Themis in a hurry, looking back every now and then to check if my Mom’s following me. I was so happy to see her alive at first. But now… I’m not so sure.
* * *
Though I’d slept, I still feel so tired that the walk through Themis and the trip up the funicular completely exhausts me. I walk slowly, with heavy steps, wondering if I should return underground to help with the Sacrifice now that I’m awake.
But when I arrive at the castle, I can immediately tell that the atmosphere has changed. Students walk through the halls with a spring in their steps and almost everyone is smiling.
Judging from their expressions, I guess that the ritual was a success. Indeed, when I look up at the sky through an arched window and focus hard, I’m able to see swirls of energy, high up in the sky, where I’d previously not seen anything before. It seems that after my succubus powers activated during the Sacrifice, I’ve gained the ability to see many more shades of energy than I could previously. I don’t just see colored light energy, but also darker shades that were invisible to me before. And both seem more intense and obvious now. Where the Dome had previously appeared transparent against the light of the sun, I now see swirling shades of Light and Dark energy, roiling and dancing together high up in the sky.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur.
“That it is.”
I jump at the voice, spinning around.
Christian is lounging behind me, on the opposite side of the arch. “I notice you passed out during the ritual,” he says with a lazy grin. He looks tired too, with eyelids that droop more heavily over his eyes than usual, and dark shadows beneath them.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” I straighten my spine indignantly. “I can still take you on!”
“Oh really?” he smirks and strolls over to me. His gaze rakes over my body, an invisible touch that sends shivers down my spine. A hollow sensation of longing has been gnawing at me ever since I woke up, and it rears within me now, like a beast that’s delighting in the hunger in his eyes. A jolt of realization passes through me when I realize that I’d like nothing better than push him ba
ck against the wall, to kiss him until we’re both breathless, then lift my skirt and beg him to take me.
I’m dying to touch him, despite the fact that we’re in public, despite the fact that making a move like that first means I’m admitting defeat.
What’s happening? Why do I feel like this?
I glance away from Christian at a random boy I see near the lockers, trying to regain control over myself. Even though I can only see his back and his legs, the hunger in me doesn’t abate. I want him too. Not as much as I want Christian, but the desire is still there. Still too strong to ignore.
I swallow hard as I close my eyes. I know why this is happening. And I know there’s only one thing I can do to assuage my need. My tail twitches deep in my hidden pocket and I struggle to resist the urge to flatten my hand against it.
Is this what Mom always feels like? This terrible desire for sex?
I look back at Christian, realizing that I’ve been silent for too long. He’s looking at me with a challenging expression, but though I check him for signs of his powers—just in case that’s the reason for my overwhelming desire—there’s no trace of it. This is all me, wanting him as urgently as my need to breathe.
And from the way Christian’s lips are starting to curl, he knows it.
“Tell me, little lamb,” he says, coming closer. I grit my teeth as the scent of him wafts to my nose and my hands tremble from the effort of keeping them away from his skin. “Why you insist on dragging this charade out? We both know you wa—”
My hand lifts, as if beyond my control, gravitating to him like a planet around a star.
I’m going to touch him. Catch him around the neck to drag him close and devour his lips, twine my arms around his back and reach down touch him, right there—
At the very last minute, I find enough presence of mind to dredge up what little energy I have and use it to coat my hand as it comes into contact with his skin. The orb of energy is just the size of a plum, but my aim is spot on, and the pink mist soaks into his cheek like rain soaking through into the sand.
At first I’m relieved and glad I did it. I scored a hit. It means I won. He must have felt the desire at my touch.
“Got you,” I say, hoping that this is enough to end this stupid game between us. Because I can’t do this any longer. I can’t pretend I don’t want him, and I don’t want to keep dancing around to see which of us gives in first.
I want to get to the part where we fuck.
Then, I realize that to everyone else, Christian included, it looks like I’ve just slapped him across the face, mid-conversation. And I’ve done it, hard.
A deep blush floods my face as Christian’s brows rise. His eyes dart across the hall meaningfully, and when my gaze follows them, I see a small gathering of students from Ever After Prep who were a moment ago, in conversation with Pandora and Madam Wilkins. Now, none of them are talking, and their eyes are all trained on me.
“On the contrary,” Christian says gleefully out of the corners of his mouth as he bites his lip hard, then holds a hand up to clasp his jaw, while his face screws up in a pained expression. “I’ve got you.”
“Owww,” he moans pathetically, as Pandora approaches, a stern look on her face.
“Miss Ramsey.”
I close my eyes in resignation, then turn to her. The slim, dark-haired Headmistress’s eyes look tired, but her gaze is firm as she takes us in.
I clench my fists, knowing how this looks. “Headmistress, I know how this looks, but please belie—”
“Heaven, I thought I told you that I didn’t want to see you in these sorts of situations again,” she continues. “Especially with the Horsemen. It’s been an extremely long night for everyone, I know, but that is no excuse for this sort of behavior.”
“I’m so sorry, Headmistress, but—” I plead.
“I hope you are,” she says. “Mr. Apfelbaum and the rest of the Four are a big reason why our school is able to remain open. This is certainly not the way to thank them for contributing so much of their powers to help us. It’s also not how I wish our students to present themselves in front of our visitors from Ever After Prep.”
“I know, and I promise you, this won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t, because you’re suspended, as of now.”
“What?” I gasp. “No, please, I-I can’t leave, I—”
I have nowhere else to go, and Mom will drag me away and never let me come back….
I bite my lip before I say anything more. They can’t know she’s here, or I’ll get into even bigger trouble.
Pandora shakes her head and sighs.
Then, Christian speaks up before she can turn away. “Uh, Headmistress,” he says in a sheepish voice. “I thank you for your concern, but I really don’t think that’s necessary. Heaven didn’t actually hit me on purpose, she was just helping me stay awake after I told her I was falling asleep on my feet after the Sacrifice.”
My jaw almost drops as I take in what he’s just said. Is Christian actually lying to help me get out of trouble? Surely the sky is falling down.
Pandora’s brows twitch as she looks from Christian to me, and then finally, to her secretary, who stands behind her with a skeptical look on his face.
“Is that so?” her voice is wry as she regards us. “And this is really what happened, Miss Ramsey?”
I fight not to fidget under her gaze. “Yes, Headmistress. I didn’t meant to hurt him.”
That at least is not a lie. Pandora stares at me a moment longer, than shrugs.
“Very well, I retract your suspension then,” she tells me. Then, with a lingering look at the both of us, she sweeps down the hall with her secretary.
I turn to look at Christian, as he stands beside me with an unbearably smug look on his face.
“So,” he smirks. “I believe you’re in my debt, little lamb.”
“I agree,” I tell him, as adrenaline slowly drains out of my body, leaving only annoyance mixed with desire, which rages even higher than before. I give him a meaningful look that makes him quirk an eyebrow at me, his gaze heating as I speak.
“And I hate it so much, I insist on repaying you for the favor. Right now.”
Chapter 19: Heaven
I grab Christian’s hand and lead him down the hall, searching for a place we can be alone. But everyone is out and about since classes have been canceled to celebrate our success in reinforcing the Dome, and every classroom I head to is either filled with students partying, or other couples making out.
I’m about to suggest we return to the dorm rooms, when Christian grabs me around the shoulder and pushes me into a more deserted hallway. I don’t question him when he leads us down the hall. At the end of it is a large room with fishbone parquet floors, tall floor to ceiling diamond paned windows, and a huge mirror lining the entire front wall. A bar runs all around the sides of the room, and delicate iron chairs stand in stacks in a corner.
I look around the dance studio quickly to check that no one is inside, then spin around just as Christian takes me in his arms.
“Is this it then,” he says as he carries me to the grand piano standing at the front of the room and sits me down on its jet black surface. “You’re beg—”
“—not begging,” I insist, as I twine a fist in his shirt and pull him close to kiss me. Our lips smash together, kissing as much as battling as we each devour the other’s mouth. Christian tries to take the lead, but I dart my tongue against his, then nip hard enough to draw blood. If anyone’s going to be in control, it won’t be him.
He draws back and wipes a spot of blood off his lips as he pants. “Feisty,” says, his chest heaving for breath. “I can deal with that. If you’re begging.”
“I told you,” I say, giving him an evil smile in return. “I’m not begging. Just strongly requesting, that we forget our stupid competition…” I let go of his shirt and start unbuttoning mine. Christian’s gaze drops immediately to my chest as if dragged there by magnets. �
�And just get down to what we both want.”
“Which is, in other words,” Christian says as he steps back and strips of his black tie, then shrugs out of his white shirt, “Begging.”
“I won’t ever admit that,” I breath out, as I strip my shirt off too. I reach a hand behind me to unfasten my bra, then watch his expression sharpen into hunger as I slowly remove it. “Unless you admit you want me just as much as I want you. After all, you’re the one whose been hounding me, ever since I arrived here. If anyone’s should beg, it should be you.”
“You may be right… but after I’ve had you, maybe I’ll drop you,” He lifts a hand to my left breast, squeezing it hard enough to make me gasp. The pain mixed with pleasure zings right down to my core, and I arch my back at the sensation as he moves to my right breast, pressing a thumb hard on my nipple, and circling it around, sending bolts of desire straight down to between my legs. “Maybe you’re just another notch on my bedpost.”
“Maybe,” I say, grabbing his package. None to gently, I trace the bulge in his pants with my fingers. He’s already so hard, I can feel his heartbeat throbbing even through the fabric. “And maybe, you’re just a notch in mine.”
His blue-green eyes glance up at me, dancing with amusement. “Doubtful.”
“But possible.”
Christian steps back and shucks his pants off in a single motion, his eyes not leaving mine. Once they’re off, I break our gaze and trace my eyes down his body. I grin when I see he doesn’t have any underwear on, then swallow hard when I see his shaft. I drink in the sight of it, admiring how it stands tall from a nest of dark honey blond hair, perfect in every way.
“An impasse then,” he says with a smug expression. He’s obviously noticed the way I’m looking at him.
“A truce.”
Christian reaches for my skirt, but I push his hand away.
“Leave it on,” I gasp, remembering my tail. The last thing I need is for him to realize what I am.