A Hellish Year One: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Bully Romance (Academy of The Devil Book 1)
Page 23
Behind Mikael, a shadow stirred in the darkness. A voice drifted into my mind, drowning out whatever else Mikael had intended to say.
It was only for a moment, and then Mikael pressed his lips to mine, chasing away the voice. “I’m yours and you’re mine, remember? There’s nothing else you need to think about.”
There was, but I couldn’t recall it, not anymore. Callum and Stefan started to chant and a bright glow invaded the cavern, as if the sun itself had descended into the depths of the hidden Scholomance.
“In darkness and light, we were born,” Callum said.
“Through fire and chaos, we rose,” Stefan added.
Mikael joined in, whispering his own part of the ritual against my mouth. “Through grace, we were given companionship.”
The words I was supposed to say easily came to my lips. “Through magic, we accept to be made anew.”
The light became brighter, almost blinding in its intensity. Mikael said something else, but I couldn’t hear him any longer.
A spiral of flame erupted around us, roaring like a monstrous beast. In the flames, I could’ve sworn I could see a face glaring down sharply at me. “No!” Stefan shouted. “You won’t take her!”
Something cracked in the cavern and Mikael surrounded me with his wings, shielding me from the fire and the wild magic that was trying to shatter the ritual. TB coiled around my naked body even more tightly, so much so that for a few seconds, I feared she’d suffocate me.
The blaze vanished as quickly as it appeared. The next thing I knew, I was kneeling on the ground, with my head still spinning and my arms wrapped around Mikael’s waist.
“It’s okay now,” he said, his voice hoarse, as if he’d been screaming. “It’s over.”
I forced an answer past my parched lips. “Did it work?”
“Yes,” Mikael answered, kissing my forehead. “Yes, it did. We have a familiar bond now. Thank you for this. I promise you won’t regret it. We’ll be together always.”
I nodded, but still broke away from his embrace. “That’s... That’s great, I guess. I think I need to take a nap, though. I have a headache.”
My epilepsy wouldn’t affect Mikael physically, but I knew how much my seizure agitated Shiro. It might have a similar effect on Mikael.
The others knelt next to me and Callum pressed his hand to mine. “All right, Lyssa,” he replied. “Whatever you want.”
Lyssa. The only people who called me that were my family—my parents, plus Shiro.
A memory flashed through my mind, distant and faded, like an old photograph—that of myself, hugging my parents, then promising to call them, of my father’s grief-stricken and guilty expression and my mother’s final attempts to help me.
Callum smiled, and the memory went away. “Come on. We should get you back to the dorms. You’ll feel better once you rest.”
I didn’t protest. I allowed Stefan to take me into his arms and leaned against his strong chest. I dreamed of smoke, charred flesh, and a vow, but I didn’t remember it.
Epilogue
Having to face the death of a loved one was always the same. There was shock, denial, grief, a feeling of impotence, and always, desperation, that insane litany of ‘no, God, please, no, there has to be something I can do.’
But there was a price to pay for everything, and life was no different.
My parents and I had plans for my eighteenth birthday. We were supposed to drive to a small forest just outside the city, to have a picnic. My mother had cooked. It was going to be a nice day, quiet, just like I liked it.
Two miles away from our destination, they started to bicker. “I think I forgot the napkins on the table,” my father said in sudden realization.
“You did what?” my mother asked. “Charles, I reminded you three times!”
“Well, I got a little distracted by having to do every other fucking thing!”
My parents didn’t fight often, but when they did, it always got nasty. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they were the perfect couple, but on occasion, a tiny thing could set them off and they’d scream at each other for hours.
I tuned them out and leaned against the window, closing my eyes and petting Shiro’s head. By the time we reached the picnic spot, they’d be sickeningly sweet to one another again.
All of a sudden, my father let out a curse. My mother screamed. I never saw what happened, but the next thing I knew, the car flipped, and my world exploded into fire and pain. I hit my head and slumped against my seat, helpless.
It was Shiro who dragged me out of the car. He shredded my seat belt with his sharp fangs and somehow jerked the broken car door open. He grabbed the lapel of my jacket and pulled me out of the wreckage.
The feat should’ve been impossible. Hell, he should’ve been incapacitated in the crash, since he hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt like me. But he did it anyway, and when I recovered some degree of cognizance, I was at least two dozen feet away from the car. My dog was in my arms, with his paws blistered and several other injuries littering his body.
He hadn’t gotten out unscathed, but he was still alive. I could still save him. My parents weren’t so lucky.
In front of me, the car went up in flames. I could hear my mother and my father screaming as they were burned alive inside.
I just sat there, staring, unable to move a muscle, unable to even scream. The scent of smoke, gasoline, blood, and scorched flesh filled my nostrils, threatening to suffocate me.
Distantly, I was surprised I hadn’t had a seizure yet. For once, I wished it would happen. I wished my condition would take this horrible reality, this horrible memory, away.
But it wasn’t meant to be, and my nightmare only continued. As I watched, a figure appeared among the flames, heading toward my parents.
The sight of it was so outlandish it managed what the screams could not. “Wait!” I cried out. “Please! Don’t... Don’t hurt them.”
As soon as I uttered the words, I realized how ridiculous they sounded. My parents were already burning alive. What else could the creature do to them?
And yet, somehow, I shuddered at the sight of the inhuman body, with its two pairs of wings and four faces—that of a man, a lion, an ox, and a human. I knew it could do things that the fire itself couldn’t accomplish.
“Please,” I whispered again. “Leave them alone.”
The creature stopped mid-stride and turned toward me, scanning me with several sets of glowing eyes. “You can see me? Interesting.”
It—or rather, he, since the voice he’d used was male—made his way to my side. “Ah, yes. Alyssa Michaelis. I remember your ancestor’s soul. He just narrowly escaped me, that one. It looks like you may have inherited some of his skills.”
My ancestor? Skills? What the hell was the creature talking about? Did it even matter? I didn’t care about any of that.
This wasn’t about me or my skills. My family was dying, damn it.
In my arms, Shiro whimpered. He was still bleeding and desperately needed aid. There was no one here but me and the creature. What was I supposed to do?
The decision was taken out of my hands when the creature sat down in front of me and took my hand. Despite how odd he looked in every other way, his palm was human and his skin soft. Our point of contact shone like a star. “I’ll make you a deal, little one. As you can probably imagine, your parents were going to die today. I will grant them their lives back. In exchange, you and your familiar will come with me.”
I gaped at him in a mix of shock, hope, and suspicion. “W-What?” I stammered. “Are you serious? But why? Who are you? Why would you help me? There has to be a catch.”
“Ah, yes. Forgive me my lack of manners. My name is Lucifer, and I am a cherub. Or at least, I used to be one. Today, you might know me as Satan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Satan? The devil? What the fuck? I instinctively pulled away from him, terrified. “And you want me to... what? Sell you my soul?”
“Not ex
“No, here is what is going to happen. There is a place—it’s called The Academy of the Devil. You’re going to become a student there. I have an interest in certain developments at the school, and I think your involvement will provide me with great enjoyment.
“You will not remember this conversation. You will believe yourself to have come to the academy due to your connection with your inquisitor ancestor. I will give you this news later, in a different way. But should you fail in your task, I will indeed claim your soul as my own.”
“Task?” I repeated. “What task is that?”
“Oh, it’s quite simple. Heaven and Hell have been at odds for an eternity and have made humans their pawns in their endless battle. I grow weary of this game. It’s time for The Mortal Realm to take charge.
“Things were better when I could rely on the Scholomance, but with it gone, we’ll just have to do things the hard way. It’s time for a mortal to become Satan.”
“Wait... I thought you were Satan.”
“I used to be,” he said, shaking his heads. “I gave it up. It’s very boring to watch over the souls of the damned. I didn’t defy the Supreme Being to end up trapped in a fiery cage, for all time.”
I supposed I could understand his logic, but everything else remained just as unbelievable. I was only an eighteen-year old epileptic mortal girl. How could I take his place? It was impossible.
“Why me?” I asked him. “You could pick anyone.”
“I have my reasons. You’re special. And besides, I don’t think you should complain. This will give you back your family.”
His words put an end to my protests. I loved my parents too much to question the deal that would allow me to save them. When Lucifer engulfed me in his wings and his hellish light swallowed me whole, I accepted the curse he placed on me. And when I woke up again, alive and well, I promptly forgot about the whole thing and allowed myself to be whisked away to The Academy of the Devil, unknowing and unaware of what I was truly supposed to do.
* * *
I never did pass my PE exam, but Polyphemus gave me extra credit. His reasons were never explained through official channels, but he later told me that anyone who could knock Professor Jones out with a blast of magic was okay in his book.
I suspected the whole thing was a little more complicated than that, because all the teachers began to be almost alarmingly nice. The final exams of the second term went very well, with everyone avoiding anything that could trigger my seizures. Professor Jones ignored my attack on him and accommodated my condition.
I wondered if perhaps the dean had something to do with it, and I wished he’d intervened sooner, before Shiro’s death had forced us into this mess.
Still, I happily accepted his generosity, because I had countless other problems on my plate. I needed to find Shiro’s killer, and now, I also had a second familiar to worry about. The school students had stopped targeting me with their bullying, because they’d found a better victim.
Two days before my first year ended, I found Gemma throwing fire blasts at Mikael. “You don’t belong here, angel!” she screeched like a banshee. “Die!”
The other students just stood there, watching impassively. A pale Darling glowered at me and turned away, apparently disgusted with my presence.
Mikael didn’t scream. He didn’t show any sign of experiencing pain. But he didn’t try to fight Gemma off either.
I still didn’t know how I felt about him, about any of the three men, but this time, when Shiro lunged at Gemma, I didn’t restrain him.
It would only get worse from here. With minor exceptions, the whole school had turned against Mikael. But I owed him for saving Shiro’s life, and there was a bond between us now, one that couldn’t be broken.
I’d also made a promise once—a promise that no matter what, I’d never abandon hope and never forget my humanity. And so, once Gemma fled, I went to Mikael’s side and wrapped my arms around him. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here.”
He laughed, the sound bitter, sharp, and empty. “Nothing is ever going to be okay. Not here, especially not for a nephilim.”
“Well, then, we’re just going to have to fix it.”
After all, what other options did we have? For good or ill, we were stuck at The Academy of the Devil. If the students here wanted to make our lives hell, we’d just have to fight back and be more demonic than them.
THE END
Did you enjoy this story? It’s not over yet! Check out the bonus story from Shiro’s POV - Tales of a Demonic Familiar, available free for download.
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Now available, free for download - the interlude/prequel to my Soulmates of Seasons series Winter’s Dragons. Draconic Affairs.
Once upon a time, a firedrake, a ryu and a wyvern melted a snow queen’s heart and learned to love and be loved in the process. But before they were her soulmates, they were bitter rivals. What secrets does their past hold?
Coming Soon: Academy of the Devil 2 and 3
Classes continue! Alyssa will be back in August!
Book 2. A Demonic Year Two
Second chances are always costly, and at The Academy of the Devil, the price you have to pay for weakness is high.
As year two begins, Alyssa’s new bond with Mikael adds strain to her relationship with Callum and Stefan. Having revealed his greatest secret, the dethroned prince of the school isn’t safe from anyone, not anymore. And then, there’s Dean Mephistopheles, who’s paying an alarming attention to Alyssa. With three temperamental demons and a very possessive headmaster vying for her affections, Alyssa will have a demonic second year.
Book 3. A Sinful Year Three
Some powers are beyond human control. Some sins cannot forever be contained. This year, secrets, sins, and power come together—and the end will be upon us all.
Things are finally headed in the right direction for Alyssa. Or so it seems—until he shows up. They say he is an exchange student. They call him Lucian and cluster around him like flies drawn to honey. They are blind. He is Lucifer, the Fallen One, the Brightest Star, the very first Satan. He will stop at nothing until he claims Alyssa for himself. Callum, Stefan, Mikael, and Meph aren’t about to let that happen. Alyssa’s third year at the academy will be extra sinful and satanic.
Also By Eva Brandt
Urban Fantasy Reverse Harem series
Six men, one woman, a curse threatening to tear them all apart.
In the world of the Accursed, having a soulmate means facing off against shape-shifting assassins, insane vampires and immortal princes who claim they can’t feel. Finding love is a crime punishable by death, and being human can lead to watching the people you most love wither away. One woman will challenge those rules and dark secrets. Join Lucienne in her quest to break the enchantment on the Accursed and save her soulmates.
Book 1. Awakening Angel
Book 2. Beloved Rebel
Book 3. Captive Wildfire
Book 4. Enchanted Damnation (available for pre-order, coming September 19)
Fantasy Reverse Harem Series
Soulmates of Seasons Books 1-2: Winter’s Dragons arc
One exasperated snow queen who simply can’t find reliable help. Three dragons who really just want to claim their female. What could possibly go wrong?
Join Cassia in her quest to find love, solve a mystery, and hopefully, make sure her minions don’t ruin the rest of her furniture while she’s away. It’s all in a day’s work for the queen of The Realm of Eternal Ice.
Book 1. Melting Ice
Book 2. Frozen Flames
Soulmates of Seasons 3-4: Spring’s Vampires arc
One youthful queen of eternal spring who is far more than she seems. Three vampires who run the risk of forgetting all about their important mission, just because of her smile. Things are about to get steamy in The Land of Eternal Youth.
It’s tough to be the avatar of spring when you’re surrounded by overprotective unicorns, tree demons, and hyperactive, plant-like lambs. It’s even tougher to find time for romance. For Eranthe, Lady of Spring, the arrival of three handsome vampires might just change that—along with everything else in her life.
Book 3. Withered Rose
Book 4. Blooms of Blood
Withered Rose Excerpt
There was nothing worse for a vampire than boredom. Sunlight, garlic, holy water… None of the stupid methods other races came up with to slay us could compare to simple tedium. It was part of the reason why the undead had all ended up banding together in The Voievodat, to begin with. We were all so very bored, and the only thing that gave us some variety was snipping at another person who at least understood our twisted logic.
Unfortunately, the method tended to be counterproductive for our long-term sanity and the general success of whatever endeavor we were trying to accomplish at each individual point in time, which was why we could not rely on it now. Fortunately for us, we were not meant to die by succumbing to eternal despair in an endless field of flowers. Shortly after my exchange with my fellow vampires, we spotted something of interest in the distance.
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