The others laughed watching a frustrated Sage try to maneuver the wings through the hatch. It wasn’t easy if you weren’t used to them. It also wasn’t easy when you weren’t operating at full mental capacity. I moved closer to offer assistance.
“I don’t know how he lives with these,” Sage muttered. She yanked at the second wing that had become lodged on the inside of the hatch.
“He doesn’t,” I said. “They’re not real.”
Something crashed to the floor. I looked back to see Barris, his face pale. Pieces of the bowl were at his feet.
“What do you mean they’re not real?” Barris asked.
“Elder Sam’s wings,” I said. “They’re artificial. Elder…”
“Sage, don’t!” Barris bolted for the hatch just as Sage successfully pulled the other wing through the hole.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“She won’t be able to fly,” he said. “Not if the wings aren’t actually part of him.”
There wasn’t time to think. I started to climb through the hatch, until I realized that I no longer had wings of my own.
“I need to change back,” I said, panicked. “How do I change back?”
Barris jumped from foot to foot. “We usually wait until the magic wears off.”
Rylan and Zeph-as-Elder Alastor ran over to join our hysteria. Suddenly the mellowing Odyssey wasn’t so mellow anymore.
“Change me back,” I screamed. I had one leg through the hatch already. I couldn’t wait to be certain. There was no time. Barris blew and I jumped.
For a frightening moment, I was in free fall. I felt my wings unfurl and my anxiety eased. I spotted Sage, dangling from the ledge of Spire 6. Elder Sam’s wings were gone and so was the rest of him. She’d somehow transformed back into herself. It had to be the spike of adrenaline or some sort of intense chemical rush that triggered the reversion.
To her credit, she appeared relatively calm. She was trying to pull herself onto the ledge. She moved onto her elbows and managed to get one leg up.
And then she slipped.
I pushed through the haze of my mind and focused on Sage. I knew I could reach her. Her arms were above her head and she looked up at me, as though willing me to save her.
I’m coming, I thought. I won’t let you die.
This was the entire purpose of the academy, to keep us safe, but from outsiders not from ourselves. If Sage died, we’d be the only ones to blame.
I flew faster, my wings angled to take advantage of the wind. The air was cooler than usual for a hot summer’s night and I was grateful for it.
I extended a hand toward her and my fingertips brushed hers. Almost there. Finally, my hand caught her wrist and I clenched my teeth as I strained against the force of gravity. It was tough to change direction in mid-air after flying at top speed, especially when I carried additional cargo. Thankfully, my strength was one of my skills.
We made it back to the greenhouse and I deposited her on the ledge in front of the hatch where three anxious faces awaited us. Sage climbed inside and dropped to her knees as I entered the greenhouse behind her.
“What were you thinking, Sage?” Zeph asked.
Sage seemed unrepentant. “I was thinking I had wings and I wanted to use them.” She looked at Barris. “I had wings, right? I didn’t imagine them.”
“They’re not really part of him,” Barris said. “They’re like an article of clothing as far as magic is concerned.”
Sage’s hand cemented to her hip. “He’s a seraph. The guy has wings.”
“They’re not real,” I said. “His wings were…removed when he was cast out of Dominion.”
Sage looked aghast. “So, they scarred the crap out of his face and body and took his wings?”
“I’m so glad I was born a cambion,” Rylan said. “I’d much rather feed off sexual desire than be an angelic monster.”
“I’m surprised you’ve never seen him without his wings,” I said. “I thought everybody knew.”
“Well, I know now.” Sage caught sight of the mess on the floor. “Who committed the party foul?”
“I did, when I realized you were about to die,” Barris said.
Sage patted his cheek. “You are so clumsy sometimes.”
“This has been a disaster,” Barris said. “I’m going to bed.”
“Same.” Zeph looked at Sage. “You should clean up.”
“Oh, it’s my fault? How was I supposed to know the wings were fake?”
“You’re too impulsive,” Zeph said. “Everybody says so.”
“And you’re nothing more than a goat boy,” Sage said. “Everybody says that too.”
“I’ll help you clean up,” I said. I began to collect the large pieces of the mortar off the floor.
“Me too,” Rylan said. She retrieved a dust pan and brush from the supply closet. Sage took the brush and began to sweep the debris into the dust pan.
Rylan looked at me. “I heard you were some kind of spoiled princess. For the record, I don’t think it’s true.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t have much of an impression of the other cambions other than the snippets of conversation I’d overheard now and again. I guess it made sense that they would wonder about me. After all, there were at least a hundred of them in the other nine spires, but only one me.
We finished cleaning up and returned to our quarters, where we took turns showering and prepping for bed in relative silence. I had the distinct impression that Sage was more shaken up over the evening’s events than she was willing to admit. It was healthy to have fear—that was what Elder Sam had taught me. Fear was necessary for self-preservation.
I settled into bed and barely noticed when someone turned out the light.
“I’m sorry about your friend,” Sage’s voice pierced the darkness. “I didn’t really know her, but you were obviously close.”
“She rarely left the main spire,” I said. “She took care of all of us there.” Especially me.
“I wish I’d had someone like that,” Rylan said, “even for a little while. You’re lucky, Cassia.”
I’d never really considered myself lucky—how could an abandoned child with no known origins be considered lucky—yet I knew what she meant. I fluffed the pillow and closed my eyes, but I couldn’t rest.
I bolted upright. “My dreamcatcher!”
No one commented and I quickly realized they were already asleep. I’d left my dreamcatcher in my old room under the pillow. Not that it was all that effective. Nightmares seemed to find me anyway. Still, there was something soothing about knowing it was there.
I yanked up the sheet in an effort to get comfortable. I wasn’t sure whether I could ever be truly comfortable here. Although Spire 10 was the academy, it wasn’t home. I’d left there days ago and, sadly, there was no going back.
Chapter Four
At first light, I changed out of my pajamas and prepared to head back to the main spire to reclaim my dreamcatcher. With all the chaos surrounding the burglary and Mariska’s death, I doubted that anyone had had time to rearrange my bedroom. I could sneak in and out under the Elders’ noses and no one would be the wiser.
“Where are you going this early?” Sage blinked the sleep from her eyes.
Rylan yawned and stretched. “Lessons don’t start for another hour. No need to be eager.”
“Does anyone else’s head hurt from last night?” Sage asked.
“You’re probably traumatized from nearly dying,” Rylan said. She flipped back the covers and slid out of bed. “Did you even say thank you to Cassia?”
Sage shot her an aggrieved look. “I’m not a monster.” As Rylan moved to the dresser to brush her hair, Sage mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to me and I bit back a smile.
“I’ll be back before lessons,” I said. “Please don’t tell anyone I’ve gone anywhere.” I didn’t want to confess to the Elders that I’d returned for my dreamcatcher. Knowing Elder Alastor, he�
�d take it from me and toss it in the trash. He didn’t like anything that could be perceived as coddling. I had a feeling that dreamcatchers fell under this umbrella.
“Hey, as long as you don’t tell anyone about last night, we’re cool,” Sage said.
I pretended to lock my lips and left the room. The corridor was empty, so I went straight to the hatch. I checked that the space between the spires was clear before launching into the air. It wasn’t uncommon to see a smaller cambion testing their wings in the morning. I’d once asked Elder Sam how many of us at the academy had wings and the number had been low—fewer than ten percent. That was one of the reasons they’d decided on creating the academy in spires high above the city, so that it was hard for anyone to find us and also hard for us to leave.
I flew back to the main spire and snuck into my old room. I only intended to grab the dreamcatcher and go, but once I was in the room, it was hard not to savor the moment. I sat on the bed with the dreamcatcher in my hand and pictured Mariska by the window, cajoling me to get ready for the day. Reminding me which lessons I had and which books needed to be returned to the library. My chest tightened when I realized I’d never hear her voice again. It was a difficult concept to accept—that someone who’d been an important part of my life every single day was now completely and entirely gone.
Voices outside the door brought me to my feet. I hurried into the wardrobe and closed the doors. After my outburst at Elder Sam, I didn’t want to get caught in here and give the Elders any more grief. They had enough to worry about with Mariska’s death and the missing book.
I was surprised when the door opened and I heard the swish of cloaks.
“We can discuss it in here so as not to upset Bahaira,” Elder Asago said.
“I’ve never seen her like this,” Elder Sam said. “I’m glad Cassia isn’t here to witness the aftermath.”
“I’d had the same thought,” Elder Asago said. “Anyway, I wanted to say that I think you should speak to Harlan.”
“Harlan?” Elder Sam asked. “The orderly? I don’t recall that he left under difficult circumstances.”
“No, but he left and now we’ve had an unauthorized entry. We can’t leave anyone out.”
“He’s a demon,” Elder Sam said. “He would never betray the academy.”
“We have no idea what he would do,” Elder Asago said. “Maybe he’s in dire straits in the mortal realm. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the humans are fond of saying.”
My heart hammered in my chest. I remembered Harlan. He’d always seemed quiet but nice. As far as I knew, he and Mariska had a perfectly pleasant relationship. Sure, she occasionally complained that he let the trash bins get too full before emptying them, but her gripes were minor and inconsequential.
“Also, there’s something I wanted to mention that doesn’t make sense,” Elder Asago said.
Elder Sam grunted. “There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense.”
“Yes, but this could be important. There were traces of magic in the archive room.”
“And?” Elder Sam prompted.
“The residual magic was strong,” Elder Asago said. “Yet there was no need for it there.”
“Maybe they tried to open the book?”
“They wouldn’t have needed magic for that inside the academy,” Elder Asago said.
“They must have used seriously powerful magic to access the external portal,” Elder Sam said. “It wouldn’t be a surprise that they tracked it downstairs. What do the others think?”
“Alastor dismissed it as trivial, of course. Kali thinks we’re looking for a magic user. I didn’t mention it to Bahaira for obvious reasons. She’s far too distraught.”
“Do you know where I can find Harlan?” Elder Sam asked.
Someone cleared a throat. “As I told you before Asago, I think we should find Packer first.” Elder Alastor must’ve entered the room.
“Packer?” Elder Sam said. “Are you sure? I’ve had many dealings with him. While he may be a smuggler, he’s always supported our cause and not for the purpose of profit.”
“Still, he knows too much,” Elder Alastor said. “We have to be sure.”
“Fine. I’ll go into the city after lessons,” Elder Sam said. “See if I can find him.”
“He won’t make it easy,” Elder Asago said.
“Gentlemen, I’m aggrieved. It seems there’s a party in Cassia’s old room and I wasn’t invited.” My heart lifted at the sound of Elder Bahaira’s voice.
“We were just deciding how to use the space,” Elder Asago said. “Sam wants to turn it into a gym.”
“What need do we have for such a thing?” Elder Bahaira asked. “We’re not humans. Our bodies don’t deteriorate like theirs do.”
“I quite like the idea of a music room,” Elder Alastor said. “Somewhere to play my violin in peace.”
“If you soundproof the room, then we’ll all enjoy it in peace,” Elder Bahaira said.
Their voices grew fainter and I heard the soft click of the door as the last Elder left. I waited another full minute before exiting the wardrobe, in case someone decided to return. With the dreamcatcher in hand, I crept down the corridor to the hatch. My mind raced with the information I’d overheard. If Elder Sam was starting with Packer and the smuggler was innocent, then that would give Harlan time to get away. I couldn’t let that happen.
The moment I returned to the room, I selected my weapons.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sage asked.
“Going to find Mariska’s killer.” I didn’t stop to answer her.
“You know who did it?” Rylan asked.
“No, but there’s a lead and they’re not following it fast enough,” I said. “At this point, he might have left the city already, but it’s worth a try.”
“Who is it?” Sage asked. She sat on the bed filing her nails into sharp points.
“Harlan,” I said. “He worked here as an orderly.”
Sage aimed the file at me. “Right! The lutum demon.”
“Why would he kill the caretaker and steal the book?” Rylan asked.
My resolve strengthened with each passing moment. “I have no idea, but that’s what I’m going to find out.”
“Lessons end at noon today,” Sage said in a hushed tone. “Then it’s independent study. We should have plenty of time to sneak out and back before we’re missed.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never tried to sneak out before,” I said. “It seems like the kind of thing you would do.”
Sage flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. “It does, doesn’t it?”
Barris poked his head through the doorway. “What’s with the whispering? It makes it hard to eavesdrop.”
Sage chucked a throw pillow at his head and he ducked. Zeph wasn’t so fortunate. The pillow hit him squarely in the face.
“We came by to see how you’re feeling after last night and this is the thanks we get?” Zeph tossed the pillow back into the room and it landed on Sage’s bed with a gentle thud.
“They’re up to something,” Barris said. “Look at those eyes. Devious.” He jabbed two fingers at Sage.
“We’re sneaking out to solve a crime,” Sage said.
“Out?” Barris repeated. “As in…” He pointed downward.
“You got it, tornado butt. The big city.”
Barris scowled. “I told you not to call me that. You know perfectly well that real djinn have legs and not some unnatural lower half.”
“I beg to differ,” Sage said. “Twisters are the epitome of natural. They occur in nature.”
Zeph laughed. “Humans do have strange ideas about demons.”
“We need a plan,” I said. “We can’t enter the mortal realm without one, especially given that you’ve never been there.”
“And you have?” Barris asked.
“Lots of times,” I said.
Sage leaned against the wall, a vague smile playing upon her lips. “Why doesn’t goat
boy carry us down gently on one of his famous gusts of wind?”
Zeph glanced out the window and his body tensed. “I don’t know. I’d need to practice a drop like that.”
“Doesn’t help us now, does it?” Sage asked.
“We can’t fly down anyway,” I said. “If we fly out of range, the alarm will sound. Elder Sam will have us back in no time.”
Sage positioned herself in front of me with her arms folded. “Then how?”
“The external portal,” I said.
They stared in disbelief.
Sage snorted. “Liar. No cambion knows how to access that.”
“I grew up in the cloaks of the Elders, remember? How do you think I left the city all those times? Trust me, I know.”
Sage studied me, a dangerous glint in her eye. “Prove it.”
Rylan raised her hand. “I’ll stay here and make sure you don’t get caught. I’ll make up a story if someone comes by.”
Zeph seemed relieved that someone else opted to remain at the academy. “And I’ll help her.”
Sage stepped closer to the door. “Fine, the big girls will take care of business while you all braid each other’s hair and tell bedtime stories.”
“I’m coming too,” Barris said. “The only hair I’m interested in braiding is yours.” He blanched. “Wait. That’s not what I mean. It was supposed to be…Forget it.”
“A-plus for effort,” Rylan said.
“We can use the internal portal to get to the main spire,” I said. “Then use the external portal to get to the city. No flying or gusts of wind required.”
“What about the external portal, though?” Barris asked.
“What about it?” I asked. “We just need to make sure the coast is clear along the way. No one guards it.”
“Maybe they should start,” Sage said.
She wasn’t wrong. The killer had to have come through the portal and only someone with demon blood could access it. That was one of the reasons I thought Elder Sam took Mariska or me with him on errands. He used us to access the portal unless he’d already arranged for someone inside the academy to open it for him. An approach by air would have alerted us to the intruder earlier. The protective ward started at ground level and ended above the highest spire—Spire 10.
Demonspawn Academy: Trial One Page 4