by Eva Brandt
Well, shit.
Dawn of the Morning Star
A few days later
“Hi, Alyssa. Are your boobs bigger or is it just me?”
Gemma’s words echoed against the stone walls of the grand hall, making me twitch in irritation. Under different circumstances, I would’ve also been embarrassed beyond belief, but since my arrival at The Academy of the Devil, this was my new normal.
Turning toward my frienemy, I offered her a bland smile. “I haven’t checked my bust size lately. But even if my breasts are bigger, I’m not letting you feed on them.”
“You’re going to have to stick to a less appealing diet this year, Gemma,” Stefan replied, flashing her a hint of fang. “Lyssa is ours.”
“Oh, come now. Don’t be so selfish.”
I tuned out her incomprehensible flirting and swept my gaze over the hall. The school year was officially starting tomorrow, and as was custom, the students were gathering in the grand hall for the first dinner.
I’d never been a huge fan of the event. In my first year, I’d missed it because I’d overslept. In my second year, I’d gone, but felt out of place and much too aware of how many people in the school didn’t like us.
This year, it was no different. It was just that the dislike had turned into fear.
Gemma was the only one who’d dared to approach us so far. We’d decided to sit at the table of The House of Envy, but everyone else was staying away, as if afraid that we’d murder them if we breathed in their direction.
Several students eyed Gemma in disbelief when she sat down next to Stefan, despite his visible hostility. “We’re all friends here, wolfie,” she said. “I’m sure you can share.”
“You willing to stake your life on that?” Mikael inquired, taking a sip from his drink.
“The last people who tried to get between us and Lyssa had a very unfortunate fate,” Stefan pointed out. “I hear they still haven’t found all the bones.”
Gemma snorted and grabbed an apple from the table. She didn’t bite into the fruit, instead choosing to peel it with her long, sharp fingernails. “I don’t think I need to worry about that. You wouldn’t kill anyone in front of your lovely bitch unless you had to.”
She wasn’t completely wrong, as my lovers were still very protective of me. I might have told them that I could love them as a demon, but I was still a human and they did try to respect my sensibilities.
Unless Gemma did something really stupid, like touch me without my consent, she was safe.
Still, I didn’t like her throwing that knowledge into Stefan’s face. I knew I shouldn’t be letting her get to me, but I couldn’t help myself. “Don’t call me that,” I snapped at her.
Gemma arched a perfectly defined brow at me. “I’m sorry? Call you what, Alyssa?”
“A bitch. Only Stefan gets to call me that.” From his lips, I understood it as a pet name and a brand of his ownership. From anyone else—except perhaps my other lovers—it was an insult. “They won’t kill you, no, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you.”
Gemma’s mouth dropped open and her fingers went slack on the apple. “Well, well. You’re a surprise today, aren’t you, little Sacrifice? You’re growing your own fangs.”
She sounded impressed, although there was no reason for her to be. I hadn’t changed that much. I was just in a bad mood since my conversation with Leviathan. I now knew who’d hurt my Shiro, but I still had no way to find him and punish him for what he’d done to my pup. Worse still, Leviathan seemed to think Satan was planning another attack, one we couldn’t prevent. My prospects looked bleak. “Just be polite and we won’t have any problems, Gemma,” I grumbled.
“Okay, fair enough. I won’t call you that again. Maybe I should find another pet name for you, huh? One just for me.”
“Maybe not,” Callum answered. “What do you want, Gemma?”
Gemma pouted prettily, her eyes glinting as she looked at him. All of a sudden, I could remember our first meeting and I was filled with the urge to smack her. “Can’t a girl just drop by to say ‘hi’?” she asked.
“A girl, yes, but not a vampire girl,” I replied.
“How prejudiced.” Gemma clicked her tongue. “I expected more of you.”
I opened my mouth to point out prejudice had nothing to do with it. It was a simple matter of self-preservation. I never got the chance to say a word.
The doors of the grand hall opened and another student walked inside. The late arrival looked around, scratching his head as if confused on where he was supposed to sit.
Every single person in the room turned to look at him, including me and my lovers. My breath caught, as did Gemma’s.
“Who is that?” she asked tremulously. “He looks…”
She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. I could’ve done it in her stead. I could’ve told her the words she was searching for was ‘like an angel.’ I didn’t.
The man standing in the doorway was Lucifer, The Fallen One, The Brightest Star. His figure was as imposing today as it had been the day we’d met, and later, when we’d spoken in his recreation of The Garden of Eden. His dark hair reminded me of the shadows of fear that now lived in my soul, and his fair skin glowed as brilliantly as the divine magic that had brought Shiro back.
“We have a new student, apparently,” Stefan said, narrowing his eyes at Lucifer. “Odd.”
He didn’t mention what was odd, and I didn’t ask him. Stefan hadn’t guessed the identity of the new arrival, but his instincts were telling him something was wrong. I’d have to talk to him later and explain.
Callum’s aura flared, discreetly traveling over the hall and reaching for the ‘new student’. I sensed the moment their magic made contact. Callum recoiled so badly he almost fell off his chair.
Mikael didn’t need to cast a spell at all. His hold on his glass tightened so much it shattered in his hand. Perhaps they’d met before or his nephilim nature had helped him sense Lucifer’s divine background. Either way, he’d realized the truth and he wasn’t discreet in his displeasure.
The rest of the students were so distracted by the new arrival that they didn’t notice Mikael and Callum’s weird behavior. “I’m going to go say ‘hi’,” Gemma offered, sounding dazed. “See you later.”
I didn’t answer, but it didn’t matter, because she didn’t wait for a reply anyway. She was already rushing toward the door, making a beeline for him, trying to draw his attention.
She wasn’t the only one. Several other students were getting up from their tables and going to greet him.
Callum, Mikael, Stefan and I stayed where we were. Beneath our table, Shiro fidgeted in anxiety.
“Is that who I think it is?” Callum hissed. “Please tell me I’m wrong, Lyssa.”
“I wish I could, but I’m not that good of a liar.”
I’d have deemed it strange that no one else had recognized Lucifer, but I knew by now that he hadn’t used this form a lot in his dealings with the demon world. Most people were accustomed to his traditionally angelic shape with four faces, which looked very different from his current one.
In any case, whatever form he was using, Lucifer wasn’t someone we could afford to underestimate. Callum agreed with me and cursed viciously under his breath. “Fuck. This is bad. He’s much too dangerous.”
Stefan’s eyes widened as he grasped the underlining meaning of our exchange. “You don’t mean—”
“Not here,” Mikael cut him off. “Whatever game he’s playing, we need to find out more information before we decide what to do.”
He was right. Lucifer wouldn’t have come here pretending to be a student without a good reason. Technically speaking, he had already told me what that reason was, but it was still strange.
During my conversation with Lucifer, he had said he’d wanted me to join The Academy of the Devil in part because he’d needed to interact with me in a more natural setting. At the time, I’d thought that didn’t make sense since he coul
d’ve found a simpler way without bringing me here at all. Was that the whole point? Was he reassessing his original approach because of my relationship with Callum, Mikael, Stefan, and Meph?
Maybe, but for the moment, we could not afford to panic. “If he’d wanted to hurt us, he’d have done so by now. We’ll talk to Meph later and see what he knows.”
If only Meph were here now, I might be able to turn to him. Unfortunately, teachers rarely had meals with students, and the first feast was no different.
“He must’ve sensed what happened,” Stefan said darkly. “If he hasn’t warned us yet, it’s for a reason.”
I took Stefan’s hand and squeezed it. Despite my best efforts, my lovers still clashed from time to time, and Stefan had never been happy with Meph’s background as a direct servant of Lucifer.
I couldn’t blame Stefan for his skepticism. Meph knew about our meeting with Leviathan. We’d mentioned it shortly after Leviathan’s departure, and Meph had promised to look into it. But he was still keeping secrets and that made my other three lovers jumpy. He’d vowed to protect me, though, even from Lucifer, and I believed him.
“Whatever reason he has, I’m sure it’s a good one. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Stefan nodded, although he still didn’t seem convinced. We all fell silent as we watched the other students greet Lucifer.
He was far enough from our position that I couldn’t hear the conversation, but my lovers did, and it didn’t please them. They didn’t tell me what was going on, but Shiro was a little more helpful. “An exchange student. That’s a laugh. Exchange from where?”
“Technically, there are plenty of schools he could’ve come from,” Stefan offered idly. “It’s not like ours is the only one. His excuse is just not true.”
Stefan’s ability to talk to Shiro surprised me so much I almost lost track of Lucifer’s actions. But my lovers’ skills became a little irrelevant when Gemma finally managed to wriggle her way to Lucifer’s side.
It took her less than a minute to ingratiate herself into his favor—or so it seemed. She took his hand and guided him toward the table of The House of Pride. This didn’t surprise me at all, since Lucifer was, after all, the official leader of her house. Even if she didn’t know this, her magic might be able to sense it. It was a little more shocking that Lucifer was just going along with what she wanted, but he was trying to pretend he was a harmless new student, so maybe it made sense.
As they headed that way, they passed our table. Lucifer’s gaze settled on me, sharp and fierce, still as gold as I remembered it to be.
Our eyes met and time seemed to stop. Lucifer’s pleasant smile faded into a more predatory expression. Stefan’s hold on my hand tightened. He bared his fangs at Lucifer and let out a low growl.
Lucifer didn’t seem intimidated. He freed himself from Gemma’s grip and made his way to our table. Gemma trailed after him like a faithful puppy.
“Ms. Grimm,” he said, and his voice flowed over me like silk, “would you mind making the introductions?”
“Of course.” Gemma simpered. “Alyssa, Callum, Mikael, Stefan, this is Lucian Starr. He’s an exchange student. Lucian, meet Alyssa Michaelis, Callum Adamson, Mikael Lost, and Stefan Schwarz.”
I stared at her in disbelief. Lucian Starr? Really? Could he be more obvious? Also, how did no one see the similarity in names between the new ‘exchange student’ and one of the first Satans?
I didn’t know how to react, and in the end, he took the choice out of my hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope I’m not interrupting your meal. I’ve just heard so much about you. I had to drop by to say ‘hello.”
Mikael got up, his eyes glowing with a silent threat. “Did you really? I didn’t think we were important enough to be noticed by students from other schools.”
“Oh, don’t sell yourself short, Mr. Lost. How could we not know about the notorious nephilim of The Academy of the Devil and his human partner? Not to mention the heir of the line of Cain and his hell hound familiar. It’s truly an honor. I mean it.”
At this point, I didn’t know what to do. I still had a contract with him, the deal we’d made after the car accident. I couldn’t turn him away completely. He’d also saved my life and he’d been the one to place Shiro in my path.
More importantly, he was very powerful. My lovers’ current attitude suggested they were not afraid and would get in his way if he tried anything. I appreciated that, but I didn’t want them to get hurt for my sake.
I’d had quite enough of that. If I had to play nice with Lucifer to avoid conflict, I’d do it.
I forced a smile I didn’t feel and gestured for him to sit down. “We’re flattered. Why don’t you join us, Mr. Starr? We’d love to hear more about you. What school do you come from?”
Lucifer complied and picked a seat next to Stefan. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. I wouldn’t want to give away all my secrets from the first day, not even to a lady as lovely as you.”
Stefan twitched, and for a few seconds, his face started to morph into the more animalistic features of his lupine form. I discreetly shook my head at him, and the change faded.
Meanwhile, Callum decided to approach things the way I had and welcomed Lucifer with a warm, if entirely dishonest grin. “That’s fair. But be warned that we have our ways of coaxing answers out of everyone. We’re very good at that.”
Callum’s go-to socialization method was always flirting, and somehow, it worked out for him and it never seemed vulgar. Lucifer went along with it. “I’m sure you are, Mr. Adamson,” he replied with a laugh. “I look forward to every attempt you make.”
I didn’t. The only thing I looked forward to today was retiring to my room and pretending this whole evening was nothing more than a bad dream.
But it was not to be, and so it was that, for the next hour, we were forced to continue making small talk with Lucifer Morningstar, The Fallen One, The Brightest Star, the man who’d repeatedly stated I belonged to him.
It did not go well.
* * *
“This is unacceptable. We have to find a way to get rid of him.”
“Oh, and what do you suggest? No spells we can cast would be able to overcome the power of The Brightest Star.”
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to my lovers bicker. Ever since we’d come back from dinner, they’d been trying to figure out a way to oppose Lucifer, but so far, they’d been unable to reach any conclusions.
I was pretty sure they were going around in circles and they knew it. But nobody liked feeling helpless, and my lovers were no different.
Shiro crawled to my side and placed his head on my belly. I scratched his ear and decided to intervene in the argument between my lovers. “Guys, don’t panic. I know things seem bad now, but we have time. From what he’s told me, he doesn’t have a problem with my relationship with you, so in that respect, at least, you’re safe.”
“You can’t really believe that, Lyssa,” Stefan replied. “He’s not like Mephistopheles. He’s the avatar of pride. His nature won’t allow him to share anything with anyone.”
“Why not?” I got up on my haunches and narrowed my eyes at him. “There’s nothing wrong with having a polyandrous relationship. Certainly nothing that would keep him from accepting it. And it’s not like bonds like ours are so unusual here.”
“It’s true that people have multiple partners all the time, when it comes to sex,” Mikael answered. “We feed off stuff like that. But real relationships, real bonds, are different. And I get the feeling that’s what he wants from you.”
He wasn’t wrong. If Lucifer had wanted to fuck me, he’d had plenty of occasions to seduce me. He could’ve asked me to sleep with him as a price for our original contract. He hadn’t, so it stood to reason that he wanted more. But no matter what Lucifer said, I couldn’t figure out what his reasons for this might be.
“I just don’t understand it, Mikael,” I admitted. “I mean… Why would
he go to such lengths for me? I’m pretty enough, I guess, and I have power. But there are plenty of powerful, beautiful people who aren’t epileptic mortals, who don’t have all my issues. Why me?
“I mean… He first reached out to me when I was in high school, and I didn’t have much going for me then.
“And then there’s this whole business with Satan. If Leviathan is to be believed, I’m important enough to Lucifer that the current Satan wants to eliminate me. That just doesn’t make sense.
“I get that he hates humans and he dislikes me because of that, but that can’t be his sole motivation. You said it yourselves. There has to be something more to this than me being the descendent of Sébastien Michaëlis. But what?”
“I honestly don’t know, Lyssa,” Callum confessed. “All we have is guesses. We can sense your power, but we have no idea where it comes from.”
He let out a sigh and made his way to the bed. As he joined me on the mattress, he cupped my cheek with a gentle hand. “But this changes nothing. His intentions, the origins of your magic—none of it matters. We’re still going to keep you safe. Don’t be afraid.”
When he leaned over and stole a kiss, I happily melted in his embrace. My questions and doubts lingered over us like an ominous cloud, so I clung to him, to his heat, his passion, and to his strength. It was so much easier to not think about everything that bothered me, to focus on the rightness of what we shared and not dwell on anything else.
Callum and Stefan must’ve felt the same, because they joined us on the bed. I wasn’t sure at which point Shiro had made room for them, but he had, and they surrounded me from every angle, their presence anchoring me and overwhelming everything that might have dared to encroach on this moment.
“She’s not afraid, Callum,” Mikael murmured. “She’s never been afraid. Maybe that’s exactly the problem.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a problem,” Stefan shot back. “It’s a gift.”