by Riley London
In My Blood
Angel Academy Year Two
Riley London
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
In My Blood: Angel Academy Year Two
Book 2 in the Angel Academy series
Copyright @ 2019 Riley London
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design: Jacqueline Sweet Design
Let’s keep in touch! Sign up for my newsletter: RileyLondonromance.com/newsletter
Created with Vellum
“Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”
Chapter 1
“Hey, one of your favorite bands is playing at a festival this year.” Charlie pointed towards his phone screen. “You still like The Empty Expanse, right?”
“Like them? I love them,” I squealed, as I pulled Charlie’s phone into my hands to look at the band announcement. “Oh my God! We seriously have to go to this, Charlie.”
Charlie and I were seated out on the quad in front of one of the academy’s ancient buildings. We’d been sharing a meal back and forth, each taking bites from the same crisp veggie sub.
“Oh. Dammit.” I sighed, as I looked at the date the band was playing. “I think we have a test with Mr. Toorin that day.”
“Can’t you just make it up later?” Charlie frowned. “We can say one of your relatives died or something.”
“You want me to lie my way out of a test?” I laughed. “You really think that’s going to be a good look at the Angel Academy?”
His eyes sparkled as they caught mine.
“I mean, they’ll probably believe you though, right?” Charlie laughed too. “It’s not like they expect angels to be good liars.”
“Uh-huh. I’ll think about it.” I rolled my eyes, before pressing a kiss onto Charlie’s cheek. His eyes darkened almost instantly with a hint of desire and he leaned into me, changing our cheek kiss into an actual kiss. His lips grazed expertly over mine.
I broke off the kiss, and smiled up at him. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”
“What? No one said anything about PDA.” Charlie grinned, bringing his lips back towards mine. “Besides, what’s the worst they can do to me?”
“They can always expel you,” I whispered between our kisses, the very idea of it sending an icy shiver down my spine. “Don’t think that just because you made it to year two means that they won’t.”
“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t care if they kick me out of this place?” Charlie murmured, his breath warm against my skin. “I can always go back to work as a software engineer. I’m staying here more for your sake, than for my own. All I care about is you being safe, okay?”
As Charlie spoke, a warm feeling started in my chest and flamed out. I felt so safe, so secure.
Cor tuum.
My heart.
Abaddon was right, and it felt truer now than ever before. Charlie Collins was my heart, and whether we’d been bound together by the angels or demons, I was grateful for the connection. I brought my hand up towards Charlie’s cheek, and I began to lightly run my fingers alongside his skin.
“I love you.” I confessed for what felt like the billionth time.
“I love you, too.” Charlie returned the expression before he bent his head down to kiss me, yet again.
But this time, our kiss was interrupted by an extremely loud, extremely obnoxious cough.
“Sorry to break up your little lovefest.”
I looked up to see Zachary standing a few feet in front of us. He didn’t look sorry at all.
“What do you need, Zachary?” I asked, with a shrug. “Or did you just come to harass us or something?”
“Oh, shit. Is PDA seriously against the rules?” Charlie frowned. “Sorry, man. We can always take this back inside—”
“No one cares about you two sticking your tongues down each other’s throats,” Zachary continued with an annoyed edge to his voice. “And I came to ask Celeste if she wanted to get a workout in, you know, before we have to head back into the classroom.”
“Oh. No, thanks. I already did some sword training with Benjie today,” I replied. “He had me focus on my footwork, which I think is getting a lot better.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you had a basic workout for the day and that’s all you think that you need?” Zachary scoffed, giving his muscles a little flex that I definitely noticed. “Sorry, but I always do both. Combat training and running the track. What’s the point of being good with your weapon, when you’re out of breath after the first round?”
“Are you trying to tell me something, Zachary?” I asked. “Like, is this your way of telling me that you think I can’t last more than one round?”
Asshole.
I tapped my fingers in the grass, as I waited for Zachary to respond.
“I’m not saying that.” Zachary eyed me up and down, a challenge flashing there. “I’m just saying that you’d probably be all tired out, after one lap around the campus.”
“And what’s your opinion based on, exactly?”
“Personal anecdote. Benjie told me that you were getting good at your footwork, but you were taking too long to recover.” Zachary smirked. “And the rest, I put together for myself.”
“I didn’t take longer to recover because I was tired. I took longer to recover, because I was getting used to holding my sword like that—” I stopped myself mid-sentence, quickly rising to my feet. “You know what? Charlie, can you hold my jacket?”
“Sure thing.” Charlie held out his hands and took the leather jacket from me.
“Thanks.”
I turned my attention back on Zachary. “Let’s do this. One lap around the campus, and then I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Aww. So confident. So arrogant.” Zachary made a disapproving noise. “That’s going to be really embarrassing in about, let’s say, five minutes?”
“Five minutes. One lap around the campus. Got it,” I said, gently bouncing on the balls of my feet. “Are we starting on five?”
“Starting on five,” Zachary answered, before he shot a look over at Charlie. “Do you mind counting us down?”
“Nope. This is my major actually, holding onto people’s jackets and being the countdown timer for dick measuring contests...” Charlie’s words trailed off, before he started to speak at a much louder volume.
“Okay. Here we go. The amazing race around the campus is starting in five...four...three...two...one.”
I was already sprinting across the quad, as I pumped my legs as fast as they could go. I didn’t take the time to look left or right, as I kept my focus on the wide, open field in front of me. If Zachary passed me,
I would’ve been able to see him out of the corner of my eye. But as I turned a corner around one of the campus’ buildings, I heard a set of footsteps, steadily in place behind my own.
Zachary.
I grinned to myself, realizing that he was firmly in place behind me. I took a breath, needing to fill my lungs with air before I began to taunt the guy.
“What’s it like being in second place, Mr. Lancaster?”
“Are you seriously trying to talk shit right now?” Zachary panted. “We’re not even halfway done. Don’t count me out this early. Don’t count anyone out this early.”
“Ugh. Are you seriously trying to teach me something right now?” I replied. “Did Mrs. Deveraux put you on the payroll as a teacher? What’s your starting salary like?”
“Shut up,” Zachary grumbled, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“See you on the other side of campus, Zach,” I quipped, pushing my legs even faster than before. There was a nice breeze in the air, and I enjoyed the feeling of it against my skin as I continued to race around the grass and the cobblestone and the marble.
The academy was beautiful, and the longer I stayed here, the more I came to appreciate its stunning features. I briefly wondered if this is what Michael had in mind for the academy, when he exchanged his life on Earth for its very first brick. Did Mrs. Deveraux have a hand in building it, early on, attempting to bring Michael’s vision to life?
I knew that it was none of my business, but every so often, I couldn’t help but wonder about those two. Mrs. Deveraux would never confirm it, I was sure, but they had to have been in love. I thought back to the way she got so defensive last semester, just at the mere possibility that one of the Princes of Hell had escaped from Michael’s amber chains. As if everything that she’d worked for had been for nothing; as if the man she’d loved had been lost to her for no reason.
A shiver went down my spine, as I remembered Abaddon, the Prince of Hell, who I’d made a deal with last semester too. He’d told me that he’d be back for me, that he wanted to present me to my parents as some kind of bargaining chip in lieu of going to war with Lilith and Lucifer both.
My feet completely came to a stop, involuntarily, as the memory of Trinity floated across my mind.
Trinity.
My sister.
I knew that she was out there, somewhere, looking for me, and I didn’t know why. I didn’t want to assume that she was dangerous, but it was hard for me to not judge her based on her roots. I knew how unfair that was, assuming that someone raised in Hell would be a bad person, especially considering that I had demon blood running through my own veins too.
Still though.
I didn’t know what to expect from her, and it made me so nervous that it was dizzying to think about. As I tried to regain my focus on the race, Zachary soon showed up at my side, concern casting shadows over his handsome face.
“Hey.” Zachary stopped running, as he let out a shaky breath. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry.” I waved a hand across my face. “I guess Benjie was right. I do need to work on my recovery time.”
“Nah. That’s not it. You could run circles around me, if you wanted to.” Zachary shook his head, a shadow of concern taking hold of his features. “Something’s wrong, Celeste. I can tell. Just tell me what it is, for real.”
“It’s just...you know. My parents.” I still hadn’t told Zachary or anyone about the deal that I’d made with Abaddon last semester, and I wasn’t about to spill the beans now either. “It’s just freaky to think about sometimes. It just hits me, every now and then, that Lucifer is my actual father. The guy with the horns in all those cartoons.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Zachary replied, his voice tight. “It’s not like you had a choice in who your parents were.”
“Still. It’s in my blood.”
“Even so.” Zachary shrugged. “That doesn’t change who you are, not one bit. We’re not our parents.”
I offered Zachary a barely-there smile, before changing the subject. “So, since you just admitted that I could basically run circles around you, does that mean that I win the race?”
“You win on a technicality, which is barely a win.” Zachary chuckled.
“Ah, so I do win. Which means that I get a free pass to kick your ass, don’t I?” I asked, in the sweetest voice that I could muster. My eyes tracked up and down his body, in a promise of what was to come.
“Is that what you really want, Celeste? You want to kick my ass?” Zachary chuckled again, his voice dropping a note deeper. “There’s no greater prize that you can imagine, huh?”
“Well, what prize did you have in mind—”
Zachary interrupted me mid-sentence by moving in close and pressing his lips against my mouth. I melted into the kiss, even though it took me by surprise. Heat rolled off his body in waves and I was surprised how quickly I warmed in response to his touch.
Zachary shifted away from me, as a stoic look came over his expression. “So? What do you think?”
“About what?” I shook my head in confusion. “About you randomly kissing me?”
“Was it really that random?” Zachary asked, quirking an eyebrow. “I thought it was pretty obvious.”
“What? Zachary!” I scoffed in disbelief. “What would be obvious about you liking me? You’ve literally said out of your own mouth that you do not like me. Why would I assume—”
“Whoa.” Zachary held up a hand. “Who said I liked you?”
“Uh, isn’t that what kissing me means?” I asked. “It means you like me—”
“No. It means that I think you’re...” Zachary paused, and then steeled himself to speak the truth. “Fine. Fuck it. I think you’re hot, Celeste. There. I said it.”
His words brought a flush to my cheeks, even as my mind raced.
“You think I’m hot, but you don’t like me?”
“Correct.” Zachary nodded, his eyes flashing. “And I don’t think I have to like you, to want to fuck y—”
“You’re a jerk, Zachary Lancaster.” My feelings were a little hurt, even though I couldn’t discern why. “Who tells a girl something like that? You’re basically saying that you’d be willing to have sex with me, but you wouldn’t even want anything more?”
“What more could there be?” Zachary asked. “Aren’t you with Charlie? I mean, even if you’re not using labels yet, it’s pretty obvious where that’s going.”
“Charlie and I...” I paused, as I tried to gather my thoughts and chose my words carefully. “Charlie and I have a modern relationship.”
“Modern relationship? What does that even mean?”
“It means that he’s okay with me seeing other people,” I explained. “It means that he’s not interested in owning me, not physically, anyway. As long as we love each other, at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
“Oh.” Zachary hummed. “That’s interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“Yeah. Interesting.” Zachary looked me up and down, and I could’ve sworn something flashed behind his eyes. “Still doesn’t change how I feel though. Sorry.”
“Yeah. Sorry, you’re such an asshole,” I replied, before turning back toward the main hall. “See you back at the dorm or whatever.”
I was still thinking about Zachary’s confession, even as I sat through Mr. Toorin’s biblical linage class. Why would Zachary even tell me that he was attracted to me, just to be so mean about it? It made me feel so insignificant, like I was nothing more than a pretty face to him. It stung even more because we’d known each other and lived together for months.
Ugh.
Why the hell was I so bothered about what Zachary Lancaster thought of me, anyway? It wasn’t like he was particularly nice to me, even when he was seemingly trying his best to be social.
“Ms. Venoix?” Mr. Toorin called out, from his place at the front of the classroom. “Are you going to answer the question?”
“Sorry.”
I shook my head, trying to bring myself back into the moment. “Um, I don’t think I heard it right the first time.”
“It’s an easy one, just a conversation starter, really.” Mr. Toorin quirked an eyebrow at me, even as he nodded encouragingly. “Noah’s grandfather was...?”
“Oh. Methuselah,” I answered, recovering quickly.
“Methuselah! The father of Lamech, the grandfather of Noah. What a lineage...” Mr. Toorin smiled, before he continued with his lesson, his voice becoming background noise for my still-swirling thoughts about Zachary.
I’d barely even noticed when the bell rang out, signaling that class was finally over for the day.
I was somehow feeling even worse than I’d felt back in Mr. Toorin’s class, the Zachary situation still weighing heavily on my mind. I tried to distract myself with my schoolwork, going over the lesson plan with a highlighter, mapping out my future study schedule. And when that didn’t work, I called Charlie, hoping that he could come over for a visit to my dorm room.
“No can do,” Charlie replied. “Sorry, Celeste. You know how much I want to be there for you, but Benjie’s got me working on something with him.”
“Working on something?” I asked, throwing my backpack down towards my dorm room floor. “Maybe I can help you guys out?”
“That’ll be a no,” Charlie answered. “Again, sorry. It’s top secret stuff.”
“We’re keeping secrets from each other now?” I took a seat on the edge of my bed.
“Only this one time,” Charlie assured me. “And if it works out, I’m going to tell you everything about it, okay? I promise.”
“Fine. I’ll talk to you later.” I sighed, as I ended the conversation with the press of a button. With a frustrated sigh, I flung the phone toward my pillow where it landed with an unsatisfying thump.