“He sounds horrible.” And speaking of horrible men… “What about Azrael? Do you know him?”
“You’re full of interesting questions today.” She sets her empty tea cup down. “Yes, I’ve met him, though you’d be wise to stay far away. Before he became the Archangel leader, he was their assassin. They call him the Angel of Death for good reason, and he has a personal vendetta against demons since he believes we killed his son. Not that there’s any proof of that, mind you.”
“He seems to have a vendetta against my father too,” I mutter.
“They’ve always had something of a rivalry, or so I’m told.” She rises to her feet, and reaches down to rest her hand upon the top of my head, lightly stroking my hair. “Be cautious. There are people on both sides watching you at all times.”
“Including you?”
That makes her smile. “Especially me.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Kassiel
Every time I sleep with Olivia, I put everything at risk. My job. My mission. My heart.
But I can’t stop myself from going back for more.
I tell myself I do it because she needs me. Or because Lucifer wants me to keep her safe, and making sure she’s well-fed is part of that. I tell myself all sorts of excuses, anything to make it easier on my conscience when I meet her alone. In my classroom. In my office. In my room.
She sits up in my bed after our latest round, and I run my hand up and down her back. Even her back is beautiful, with soft, smooth olive skin. I roll on my side and press a kiss to the curve of her hip.
She smiles at me over her shoulder. “I should get going. We both have classes tomorrow.”
“Don’t remind me.” I lean back and prop my head up on my pillow. “You could stay though. If you wanted.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t do that, and I don’t allow anyone to stay over either. It’s one of my rules.”
Probably smart. I know she’s sleeping with other men too, but it doesn’t bother me since I grew up around Lilim. Her angel lovers, on the other hand, might get jealous to find another man in bed with her.
It wasn’t hard to figure out who her other lovers are either. The Princes hang around her like they’re her personal bodyguards, even after what they did to her last year. But three angels aren’t enough, even ones with Archangel blood. Olivia needs me too.
Besides, I have to be up way too early. Damn these angels and their love of mornings. I let out a yawn, and Olivia pauses while putting on her dress, then stares at me with a worried expression.
“Are you feeling all right? No weakness or exhaustion?”
I laugh softly and sit up. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m just struggling with this angelic schedule. I have a hard time sleeping at night still.”
She searches my eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Liv, I’m not a young demon. I can handle feeding you.”
“I know, but the others have Archangel blood, and they were still weakened by me. You don’t.”
“Ah, I see.” I pause as I consider my next words. I haven’t revealed this secret to anyone in a long time, but I trust Olivia and care about her more than any other woman in many years. “As I said, you don’t need to worry. I have the demon equivalent of Archangel blood.”
“Your father is an Archdemon?” she asks, but then frowns as she remembers our discussion. There is no Fallen Archdemon, not really.
"My father is Lucifer."
Her mouth opens and closes, opens and closes, before finally she asks, "Lucifer?" She stares at me. "Like, the Lucifer?"
"The very one." I scan her face, trying to read her. Is she going to panic? Run away? Scream? People tend to have pretty strong reactions to me being the son of the devil. "How does that make you feel?"
“Wow. I suppose I really don’t need to worry about you then.” She lets out a soft laugh. “No wonder you’re so powerful and know so much inside information about him. I hope you can tell me more sometime.”
My eyebrow arches up. "That's it? You learn my father is the most powerful demon in the world and the greatest villain of all time, and you just want to learn more about him?"
"How else would I feel? Your father could be Azrael, who I hate much more than Lucifer." She tilts her head as she considers. "I mean, I don't hate Lucifer at all. I don't have any feelings about him one way or another."
“Maybe I can change your mind about that." I take her hand and caress it softly. “Perhaps someday you can meet him.”
“I’d like that.” She pauses. “Maybe. The real question is, how does he feel about me?”
“He thinks you could be an ally, and has asked me to protect you.”
“Does he want to punish my mother?”
“I don’t believe so.”
She blows out a breath. “That’s a relief. After what they did to my father, I’ve been extra worried.”
“Demons are much less strict about that stuff. We’re all about personal freedom, after all.”
She nods. “It’s angels who are fixed on the old traditions. We need to find a way to change things, so demons and angels can be together if they want.”
“It’s hard to overturn ancient laws and thousands of years of hatred. We’ve only been at peace for a little over thirty years. We’ll get there eventually.”
“I hope so.” She bends down and gives me a kiss, before moving toward my balcony. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”
She goes invisible before flying back to her own dorm. I lean back in the bed and stare at the night sky through the open sliding door, soaking in the darkness that creeps inside. When I was born in Hell, angels and demons were at war, both intent on wiping the other race out. Now I’m teaching at an angel school, and sleeping with the first angel-demon hybrid. Change is coming, whether the angels or demons are ready for it—and I have a feeling Olivia will be leading the charge.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Olivia
A week later, Araceli and I are heading to the cafeteria for dinner, when there’s a loud boom and a tremble in the earth. We freeze, whirling around to find the source of the sound. It's not close, but it's definitely on campus.
“Was that an explosion?” Araceli asks.
I zip up my hoodie. “I think so. It came from the direction of the lake.”
We both sprint toward the sound, heedless of the danger, and spot Hilda outside the gym.
“Gather to me, students!” she calls out to anyone nearby, and some other students run to her. She gestures for them to enter the gym, while she stands guard outside.
Another boom fills the air, closer this time, and I hear a few nervous screams. Wow am I glad that Hilda had us all start carrying weapons. My dagger’s already in my hand, while Araceli’s unsheathing her sword.
There’s a flash of gold and white feathers, and then Callan sets down beside me, wielding his huge barbarian sword. “You should be in the dorm,” he snaps at me.
“If the school is under attack, we want to help.”
“You want to get yourself killed, as far as I can tell,” he grumbles, as he falls in step with us.
“Do you think it’s the humans?” Araceli asks.
“Possibly,” Callan says, before eyeing me. He’s probably thinking it could be demons too.
Marcus and Bastien land beside us, and I’m relieved to see they’re all right.
“I’ve done a quick sweep of the area, and it seems like they’ve moved away for now,” Marcus says. “But it appears they can throw whatever is causing the explosions.”
“That could explain how they’re getting them past the gates,” Bastien says. “They’re warded against both humans and demons right now.”
“We should take cover somewhere until it’s over,” Callan says.
“No way,” I say. “Don’t you want to defend the school?”
“Of course I do, but your protection is more important.”
“And I’m going to fight,” I say, stomping o
ff toward the gates. “So you’ll just have to stick with me.”
"I wouldn't be anywhere but by your side," Marcus says and grabs my hand to give it a quick kiss. Callan grumbles, but he and the others move with me toward the forest.
A group of angels fly overhead, and I spot Kassiel’s black and silver wings. The professors must be going to investigate. I wonder if Uriel’s already there. What will we find when we reach the gates?
We creep through the woods, weapons ready, but it’s pitch black and I’m the only one who can see much of anything, so it’s slow going. There’s no moon tonight either. A perfectly timed attack against angels.
"If they can't get onto the campus, why are we moving like they can?" Araceli whispers.
"Because what if they could?" Callan asks. "What if we're wrong? We must be prepared for anything."
We hear a rustling in the woods and ready our weapons, but then Tanwen emerges from behind a bush, her eyes bright and determined. She clutches a mace tightly in her hand, and her straw-colored ponytail whips behind her as she moves with purpose. She shoots us a quick glance, sizing us up, and then continues forward.
A black shape comes toward us in a hurry, just above the tree line. It’s so dark, I’m probably the only one who can see it, with my demon vision. I squint, watching it fly, but it’s too small to be an angel, and it moves in a way that seems almost familiar.
"Look out!" I scream, my heart clenching as I realize it’s a drone—and it must be behind the explosions. I grab Tanwen’s arm and yank her to the side, just as the drone drops an object. A bomb.
As everyone takes cover, Callan raises a hand and shoots a beam of burning light at the bomb. It explodes with a horrible sound and a bright flash, making dirt and leaves fly all around us. We all slowly stand up again, while Callan brushes dirt off his shirt. That brave idiot.
"They're using drones," Bastien says with a voice full of appreciation. "It's genius."
Callan gives him a chastising look. "You sound like you're on their side."
"Don’t be ridiculous. But you have to admit it's smart. They can't get through the gates, so they’re using drones. With cameras on them, almost certainly."
“Not too smart,” Marcus says, as his wings snap out. “Or they’d know the sky is our domain.”
I search the night sky but the drone is gone. “There must be more of them. Araceli, you should fly back and make sure everyone knows to take cover.”
She hesitates, but then nods. “On it.”
The rest of us take off and fly toward the gates. Up ahead, we see other angels flying with balls of light by them, helping them see in the dark. And also making them targets.
A burst of automatic gunfire pierces the night, and one of the angels goes down. My chest clenches, and I pray it’s not Kassiel who’s been hit. Marcus dives down after the angel, presumably to heal them. One of the angels up ahead blasts the drone with Erelim light, but more approach and begin firing at us. With a roar, Callan flares out his wings and faces the oncoming drones, his arms wide. There’s a flash of white light that spreads all around him, both above and below, and the gunfire bounces off it. He’s created a giant shield to protect us all.
His Archangel power, it must be. I’ve never heard of any other angel doing that.
The angels fly forward to attacks the drones, since there’s no telling how long Callan can hold his shield. It quickly becomes total chaos, with wings flashing in the night, swords slashing into machinery, and bursts of light that make me blink back white spots. I’ve never fought in anything like this before—year three of Combat Training is where we learn things like aerial combat—and it’s chaotic. I lunge for the nearest drone with my dagger, but then someone shoves me hard, and I miss. I glance back and spot Jeremy, who hovers there with an evil grin.
"Two birds, one stone,” he says, before darting away.
The drone unleashes a volley of gunfire as I spin to the side, and I scream as something hot and sharp hits me, sending excruciating pain through my arm. Then there’s a blast of light and I’m yanked aside, before the drone explodes. Another drone appears at my side, but the person who saved me swings her mace and knocks it to the ground. Tanwen.
“That was close,” she says, her white wings slowly flapping to hover at my side. All around us the battle is ending, with the drones either defeated or flying away. “Are you all right?”
I check my arm, which is bleeding quite a bit but doesn’t seem to have a bullet stuck in it, at least. Marcus or Araceli can heal it when they get a chance. “I got hit, but I’m okay. Thanks for saving me.”
"What kind of warrior would I be if I didn't protect the weakest of us?" Tanwen says with a haughty sniff. “Besides, I saw what that asshole Jeremy did. Not cool.”
No. I’ll have to deal with him at some point. Like I need more shit added to my To Do List.
Bastien flies over to us. “They’re gone, but we’ve confirmed it was the Duskhunters. Their symbol is on the drones.”
Tanwen grips her mace tight, her eyes glowing with angry light. “We need to go after them. They have to pay for what they did.”
Bastien shakes his head. “The headmaster has ordered all students back to their dorms, while the professors finish up here.”
“I’m not going back while they’re still out there!”
“I know you want justice for your friends, but this isn’t the time,” I tell her.
“Not just my friends. Those bastards killed my mother too.” With a great flap of her shining white wings, she takes off.
I sigh as I watch her go, then turn back to Bastien. “What were the Duskhunters trying to do?”
“They were testing our defenses, I believe.” His brow furrows as he gazes across the forest. “I fear this is only the beginning.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Olivia
In the aftermath of the Duskhunter attack, defenses are increased around the school, with regular patrols along the gates at night. My father personally takes over Angel Peak’s security, and I feel a little better knowing he’s got it handled.
Three angels were seriously injured in the attack, including Hilda, but thanks to Marcus and the other healers, they recovered quickly. Otherwise, there was no real damage done, luckily. Still, it seems like the wrong time to throw a birthday party, so I decide to just have a small gathering in the bell tower, with absolutely no gifts allowed. Instead, I set up a little jar to collect money for the families of people who were killed by the Duskhunters.
“What’s she doing here?” Araceli whispers to me, as Tanwen steps inside the lounge.
“She helped me during the attack, so I invited her here,” I say, with a shrug.
Tanwen stuffs a wad of bills into the donation jar, then heads over to me. “Happy birthday, Liv.”
“I’m going to get a beer,” Araceli says, and I get the impression she just wants to bolt. “Want one?”
“Sure,” Tanwen replies.
I decide to just come out and ask. “You’re being a lot nicer to me this year, and you protected me from Jeremy. What gives? I thought you hated me.”
“No, I hate humans.” Her nose wrinkles, and it’s annoying how cute it is. “But I guess I realized I was a total bitch to you last year, and that wasn’t cool. You got back at me too. So hopefully we’re even now.”
My jaw practically hits the floor as I process her words. “Yeah, we’re cool. But if you don’t hate demons, why are you in the Order?”
She glances around us quickly, her face worried. “Don’t say that so loud! And how do you know?”
I drag her off to a corner where no one can hear us. “I’m in the Order too.”
She blinks at me. “You? They let you stay in even after they found out you’re part demon?”
“I was surprised also. Maybe they kept me because Gabriel’s my dad?” I shrug. “Either way, I’m in it, but only to find my brother. What about you?”
She bites her lip, and for the first time ev
er, she actually looks a little worried. “I’m working against them.”
“Why?”
She pauses, but then she must decide to trust me. “My sister is in love with a demon.”
“Oh.” Was not expecting that. “Wow.”
“She’s set to be the next leader of the Valkyries, but since her relationship with the shifter is forbidden, she keeps delaying taking on the job.” Tanwen tugs on her ponytail. “At first I joined the Order because all the other Valkyries were doing it. Now I stay to try and thwart their plans against demons, for my sister. And because her boyfriend is a pretty good guy. His family is nice too. They’ve opened my eyes a lot to the fact that demons and angels are not all that different. Most of us want the same things.”
“I know what you mean. My dad was punished for being with my mother. It was horrible.”
“That’s why I’m worried for my sister. Angels are strict about this, much more so than demons. The law needs to change if we ever want true peace between the two races.”
I nod. “Totally agree.”
“I’m guessing you don’t believe in the Order’s crap then either?” she asks.
“No.” I hesitate, but decide to trust her, since she trusted me. “I joined at first to find my brother, which I’m still working on. Now I want to stop them from getting the Staff, and eventually find a way to take them down.”
“Whatever you’re planning, count me in.” She offers her hand, and I take it. Tanwen, my ally? Maybe even…a friend? It’s hard to believe, but she gives me a fierce smile, before heading off to talk to Callan.
My dad shows up with a bunch of pizzas like he’s a delivery boy, and everyone laughs and cheers. He gives me a big hug and then goes to start serving, and I look around the room at the people I care most about, and smile. The only person missing is Kassiel, but he gave me a birthday orgasm earlier to make up for it. I couldn’t exactly invite him to the party, after all. Not without a lot of questions.
Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things Page 17