by Riley London
A wave of anger flooded through me and before I knew it, I was holding Trinity up against the locker, with my arm pressed into her neck. “Don’t you ever fucking threaten Charlie like that again.”
“Oh. I wouldn’t want to hurt him. Not really,” Trinity replied. “He and I have been having so much fun together.”
“Fun?”
“Yes.” Trinity chuckled. “I can see why you were sleeping with him. He’s quite skilled in the bedroom. His cock is especially—”
I pressed my arm further into Trinity’s neck, cutting off her ability to speak.
Still, she continued to choke through her words. “He’s allowed to want who he wants, isn’t he? What’s the matter, big sister? Are you upset that your heart has fallen in love with me?”
“Charlie would never touch you.”
“But you don’t know that for sure, do you?” Trinity coughed. “You didn’t know about his little experiment with Benjamin and you wouldn’t know if I’d been screaming his name for the past few nights. You should keep better track of your heart, sister, or else someone might snatch it away from you.”
I moved my arm away from Trinity’s neck, before I used all of my might to punch her locker right beside her head. Trinity flinched but the sick smile on her face remained.
“Don’t you fucking touch Charlie,” I threatened.
“Too late.” Trinity sighed, before turning away from me, and making her way down the hall.
“Did you touch her?”
“Celeste? What the hell?” Charlie asked, standing over the sink. “How did you get into the bathroom? Didn’t I lock the door—”
“Yeah, you did.” I shrugged, not feeling like explaining to Charlie that I’d used a prayer to open the bathroom door. “Did you touch her? Did you fuck her?”
“I have no idea—What?” Charlie seemed so confused. “Wait. Are you talking about Trinity?”
“She said that you two have been sleeping together. Is it true?”
“Celeste—”
“Is it true?” I was so upset, I was shaking. “Charlie, how could you do something like that? You said that you loved me.”
“I do love you,” Charlie replied, moving to stand in front of me. “Do you really think I’d cheat on you?”
“I don’t know. You’ve been keeping secrets lately, so maybe.”
“Yeah? You’ve been keeping secrets, too,” Charlie bristled. “Screw you for thinking that little of me. I’d never cheat on you. You should know better than that.”
“How would I know better than that, Charlie?” I scoffed. “When was the last time we had a full conversation that didn’t turn into a screaming match?”
“How is that my fault? You’re the one who gets pissed at me for trying!” Charlie exclaimed. “I’m just trying to help you, Celeste. I’m just trying to protect you and keep you safe, and yet, I feel like I’m being punished for ever caring.”
“You’re not being punished for caring!” I screamed right back. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Then you have to let me learn how to take care of shit myself—”
“You’re my heart,” I interrupted Charlie’s words, as a blast of emotion made its way through me. I was already crying, when I continued with my thoughts. “You’re my whole fucking heart, Charlie Collins, and if something happens to you, because of me...I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Celeste...” Charlie wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“It’s not you. It’s just everything.” I cried even harder. “Charlie, I’m so sorry. I wish I never got you involved in any of this. I just want to keep you safe, but it feels like it’s getting harder and harder every day. Just. Tell me how to keep you safe.”
“You can’t,” Charlie admitted. “And that part isn’t up to you anyway. I made my choice, Celeste, a long time ago, and I chose you. I chose staying here, right beside you. And yeah, that choice might come with some unpleasant consequences, but that doesn’t make the choice any less my own.”
“I just want things to go back to the way they were.” My crying turned into weeping, as I buried my face into Charlie’s shoulder. “I never asked for any of this. Why is all of this happening to me?”
“Because you’re special, Celeste Venoix.”
“I never asked for that, either.”
“Yeah, well. Can’t control your destiny.” Charlie smirked down at me, wiping away tears from my cheeks. “And honestly, I’m starting to think that you’re destined to save the whole world, Celeste. And I want to be with you, every step of the way.”
I sniffled, pulling Charlie in even tighter, feeling like I was trying to keep my whole world from slipping through my hands.
Chapter 14
“Charlie...Charlie...” I moaned into his ear, rocking against him.
“Shh.” Charlie smiled, before he kissed me on my shoulder. “I don’t know what the rules are about having sex in the bathrooms here, but it’s probably not allowed.”
Somewhere in the middle of my weeping and Charlie comforting me, we’d ended up together in a bathroom stall. I shamelessly rode Charlie’s cock, resting my hands on his shoulders.
“Fuck. I missed this,” Charlie whispered. “I missed you so much, Celeste.”
“I missed you too, Charlie.”
“Did you really?” Charlie smirked. “I figured you were just having fun with the other guys without me.”
“Charlie...” I moaned as another wave of pleasure came over me. “You know that’s not how this works. None of you are replaceable to me.”
“I know.” Charlie lightly laughed. “I was just messing with you—Ah!”
Charlie brought a hand over his mouth, as he began to shake underneath me. “Fuck! I’m coming! Fuck!”
I didn’t respond verbally, choosing instead to move my hips against Charlie even faster, chasing my own release in that same moment. I whimpered as I came against Charlie’s shaft, my head rested in the crook of his neck.
“I love you, Celeste,” Charlie announced, pulling me closer to his chest.
“I love you, too,” I replied with a smile, my body calming down from its high.
“Merry Christmas!” One of the students threw a wreath right at my head, as they ran through the hall. “Merry Christmas!”
“I figured the people here would be super into the Christmas spirit.” I chuckled, taking the wreath into my hands. “Are we allowed to hang these on our doors, though?”
It was the next-to-final week of the semester and I was hanging out with Charlie, Benjamin and Zachary in the hallway. We’d decided to meet up after I got out of Mr. Toorin’s class and then we were going to head to the cafeteria together.
I hadn’t heard from Trinity in weeks, not since our last encounter. I couldn’t tell if she was avoiding me or had just lost interest, and I was praying that it was the latter. Thankfully, I hadn’t heard from the council either, with no requests to meet with me in Mrs. Deveraux’s office or anyone knocking down my dorm room door.
It’d been a peaceful life at the Angel Academy, and even though I’d been embracing it, something told me that I wouldn’t be experiencing it for too much longer.
“You can hang them on your door, sure.” Zachary shrugged. “Although most of us just take them home.”
“Take them home?”
“Yeah. For winter break?” Zachary continued. “You do know that winter break is right around the corner, don’t you?”
“Uh, I didn’t know you guys went home.” Since I arrived after winter break last year, there were some details that I’d missed.
“Why wouldn’t we go home?” Zachary asked.
“Because you didn’t go home during the summer?” I suggested. “I just figured everyone lived here, 24/7.”
“We didn’t go home over the summer because you were here, Celeste. And we wanted to be there for you, as well as catch up on some of our upcoming c
lasses.” Benjamin smiled. “But there’ll be no coursework during winter break, so there’s no reason to stay on campus either.”
“But you guys canceled our lease at the apartment.” Charlie grimaced. “Where the hell are Celeste and I supposed to go over the break?”
“Ask Mrs. Deveraux for assistance. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help you two find a place,” Benjamin replied. “Your situation is unusual, but not uncommon. Sometimes other students cannot or will not return home for winter break.”
“Yeah, there’s nothing I love more than being a charity case,” I scoffed. “Come on, Charlie. Let’s go beg for our supper.”
“Actually, is it okay if I meet up with you later? I wanted to talk to Benjie about something.”
“All right then. I’ll catch up with you guys in a few.” I beamed, before reaching up to kiss Charlie on his cheek.
“Hey, what makes him so special?” Zachary looked annoyed. “If you’re giving one of us cheek kisses, then you’re giving us all cheek kisses.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Yeah, I totally am.” Zachary stared back at me. “And I’m waiting.”
“So ridiculous...” I murmured, before I leaned towards Zachary, giving him a kiss on the cheek. I did the same for Benjamin, before I turned back towards Mrs. Deveraux’s office.
“I’ll see you all later, all right?”
“See ya.” Zachary offered me a salute before he joined the conversation between Benjamin and Charlie.
I’d passed by Mrs. Deveraux’s office, but it’d been empty by the time I got there. I figured that she must’ve been talking with Mr. Toorin or handling some other administrative responsibility. Since I didn’t know what time that she might make it back, I decided to work on my skills in the training room instead. I was in my typical starting position, with one of my feet planted well behind me, bringing my sword out toward my front.
I was already in the zone, slicing my blade through the air, when a figure appeared in the far side of the room. Once I noticed the figure, I placed my blade by my side. I wasn’t sure if the person was a friend or foe, but I didn’t want to make the mistake of accidentally attacking Gabrielle or something like that.
“There you are, Celeste Venoix.” It was Abaddon’s voice and he soon stepped out of the shadows. “I was looking all over for you.”
“You were looking all over for me?”
“Indeed.” Abaddon nodded. “I wanted to speak with you, but it was difficult with so many angelic eyes watching. I hear that even the council has their eyes on this academy now. Would that have something to do with you?”
“No. I think it has something to do with you and the other princes, whatever you’ve been planning,” I replied. “I ran into Belphegor a few months ago.”
“Hmm. Belphegor. I never liked him very much,” Abaddon admitted. “I’m sure it was an unpleasant encounter. He probably had his pet with him too.”
“His demon-dog was fine really, once I got it to calm down,” I explained. “But then Belphegor tried to kill me, so, that was uh, less than fine.”
“Well, I’m happy that he did not succeed.” Abaddon offered me a smile. “It is time, Celeste.”
“Time for what?”
“Time for you to uphold your end of the bargain,” Abaddon continued. “It is time for you to return home.”
I shifted my sword in my hand until it was in fighting position.
Abaddon gave me a blank stare. “You would go back on our agreement?”
“You’re going to kill my parents anyway, aren’t you?” I asked, as I thought back to the amulet and the glimpse into the future that it had given me.
“No. I had no such plans,” Abaddon replied. “As I’ve told you before, my wish is to avoid a war with your parents. I only desire a peaceful transition of power.”
I didn’t know if I believed him, but I did know what happened to me the last time I’d attempted to fight off a Prince of Hell. I didn’t feel like dying today and I really didn’t want for one of the other students to find my lifeless body in the middle of the training room. After I briefly weighed my options, I decided to go down the path of least resistance.
“...Fine.” I retracted my sword. “Then lead the way.”
Abaddon nodded, before grabbing my wrist. “Do you wish to enter Hell with me, Celeste Venoix?”
No.
“Yes,” I replied. Abaddon’s grip on my wrist seemed to become even tighter.
“Then down we go.” Abaddon grinned, before the world became dark and red, before my own screaming pierced my ears.
Chapter 15
Hot.
It was so, so hot.
My uniform was already drenched with sweat, and its fabric was sticking to my skin. “Ugh. Gross.”
“You’ll get used to the heat,” Abaddon suggested, as he if read my mind. “Follow me. And stay away from the walls.”
“Stay away from the walls?” I glanced around the space, noticing that it looked more like a cave than anything else. I spotted what looked like male chests lining the sides of the cave, breathing in and out by themselves, with no obvious limbs attached to them. As I stared at the walls, I heard what sounded like snarls, and the noise sent a shiver of fear right through me.
“They can’t hurt you, unless they touch you,” Abaddon replied, like he was reading my mind again. “As I said, do not get too close.”
“What are they?” I asked, my voice filled with both terror and wonder.
“They are what’s always been. Even before Lucifer, maybe even before Heaven itself. They were always here,” Abaddon explained. “The Unsaved. We do our best to avoid them.”
I continued down the path, following Abaddon’s lead as the snarls began to lessen with each step. Eventually, we came out of the cave, and into an open area. There was a lake in front of us now, with crystal clear water. Abaddon grunted at the sight of the lake before he started to walk further away from it.
“What’s wrong with the water?” I asked.
“Nothing is wrong with the water,” Abaddon continued. “It’s holy water. For some of us, it burns. For others, it serves as a stark reminder of the sting of failure, how the rebellion didn’t end in our favor. Although, some believe that if a Prince of Hell were to repent and drink from its well, then all would be forgiven.”
“You’d be allowed to go back to Heaven?”
“I would never go back to Heaven. Not to serve.” Abaddon folded his arms behind his back. “Serving has never been in my nature.”
“Is that why you think you’ll be the perfect person to lead Hell? After my parents are forced out?”
“I don’t know about perfect,” Abaddon responded. “Maybe the most well-suited.”
“You know, you’re very calm for a guy who’s basically about to start a coup,” I replied. “Sorry. It’s just that you’re the Prince of Wrath, right? I just figured that you’d be—”
“All fire and brimstone?” Abaddon chuckled. “No, princess. I reserve my fury for those who deserve it. You have yet to wrong me in any way, and therefore, I have no need to be upset with you.”
“...Thank you?” I wasn’t sure how to reply to that one.
“Look ahead. Just another mile or so and we’ll be at the palace.” A smile appeared on Abaddon’s face. “It’s the most beautiful attraction we have down here.”
I looked up toward the palace and felt my heart go warm behind my chest.
Home.
I knew that I was looking at my home, even though I couldn’t remember ever being there. Just the shape of it made me feel at peace, like nothing at the academy, not the council, not even Trinity, could ever touch me again. The palace was a deep blue, with curves that sloped downward, reminding me of the folds of a dress. Its shape was so unusual, so impractical, that I wondered if it’d been enchanted, a structure that couldn’t hold up without my mother’s magic.
Regardless of its possible magical state, the palace was magnific
ent. I glanced at its open windows, seemingly without any glass in them and being the size of extra-wide doors. Every now and then, I noticed that a spark of something would appear in the places that the windowsills may have been.
“Lightning,” Abaddon answered, before I’d even asked the question. “Not harmful. Just something for dramatic effect. Your mother is a big fan of showmanship.”
“Is my mother really a witch?” I asked, as we continued on our way.
“That depends on who you ask,” Abaddon replied. “I never thought that she was much of a witch, more of a healer really. She’s never been cruel, at least not to me.”
“But she’s still a demon, isn’t she?”
“Yes. And so are you.” Abaddon kept his focus on the path of stone ahead of us. “There’s nothing wrong with the demonic quality, no matter what they tried to fill your head with at that school. All it means is that you were not born for Heaven. You were born for greater things.”
“Greater things than Heaven?”
“Yes.” Abaddon nodded. “I believe that once you are reunited with your family, you will go forth and forge a path of your own. You all could be quite successful on the surface. I have no doubt about it.”
“Are you going to let us be successful?” I murmured. “Once you take over the Earth?”
“I have no interest in world domination.”
“What?”
“I’m not interested in the surface, Celeste. I’m only interested in Heaven and Hell,” Abaddon continued. “What happens in-between is no concern of mine.”
“But Trinity said—”
“Trinity?” Abaddon stopped in his tracks. “You’ve been in contact with your sister?”
“Yeah. She enrolled at my school and everything,” I admitted. “Is that a surprise? I thought you would’ve known that already.”
“Trinity is dangerous,” Abaddon replied. “Do you recall the death of your friend? The place that was burned down and the chains that were left behind?”