Academy of the Devi- the Complete Collection

by Eva Brandt

  “The Academy of the Devil exists because The Supreme Being allows it. Satan might be the one in charge, but that is through an arrangement between them. The Supreme Being can and will intervene here if he deems it necessary. And he deems it necessary now.”

  “Raphael, this is ridiculous,” Sariel protested. “Yes, that whole business with Satan was a mess, but we’re rebuilding. And we’ve been in charge of watching the academy for centuries. There’s no need for The Heavens to interfere with our business.”

  “The Watchers no longer have any authority at The Academy of the Devil. This is one of the issues that brought me here. Starting today, you must all vacate the premises and report to the leaders of The Heavenly Host to be reassigned.”

  Azazel hissed under his breath. “Like hell. I made a choice and I’m sticking to it.”

  “Your choice was allowed once,” Raphael replied. “It won’t be allowed again. You’ve gone too far.”

  “Fuck you, you condescending asswipe,” Yeqon snarled. “I’d rather live as a gigantic eye for an eternity than be anyone’s emotionless slave.”

  Raphael narrowed his eyes at the Watcher and reached for his sword. He didn’t appreciate the offensive words. I had no idea if Yeqon could take Raphael in a battle and didn’t want to find out.

  “Look, there must be some misunderstanding,” I said, grabbing Raphael’s arm. “The Supreme Being didn’t say anything about the Watchers having to leave the school when I spoke to him.”

  The moment I touched him, Raphael froze. He blinked owlishly at me, surprise flickering over his face. “The Supreme Being doesn’t always make instantaneous decisions. As the Vessel of Hope, you should be able to understand that, Alyssa Michaelis.”

  His voice sounded a little softer, less icy. A part of me screamed in protest as I realized I must’ve accidentally used my power on him.

  It was too late to take it back now. “I understand that,” I snapped. “But even so, I feel that a big change like this shouldn’t have come without a warning. The Supreme Being is too wise to not see that. This is the Watchers’ home and you can’t just stalk in and take it from them.”

  Raphael sighed. “Of course I can, Alyssa Michaelis. I can take whatever I wish if the Supreme Being deems it just. And this is just.

  “The Watchers aren’t demons. Technically, they are fallen angels, and now that the curse on them is lifted, they cannot go around cavorting with dark creatures. Lucifer knows this. That’s why he didn’t drag them down to The Infernal Realm with him, although he certainly could have.”

  Was that true? It might be. I’d wondered why Lucifer hadn’t brought his friends with him to Hell when we’d left the academy, but I’d assumed it was because they’d chosen to stay here, like Kasdaye had said.

  “If you wish to question The Supreme Being’s decision,” Raphael continued, “you are free to do so. You can join me in The Celestial Realm to ask for an audience.”

  Ask for an audience with God? Me? The idea was mind-boggling. But then again, I’d met The Supreme Being plenty of times, when he’d been disguised as Adolf the imp. He’d been friendly and kind. The power hiding underneath that facade still floored me, but it wasn’t something I feared.

  On the other hand, I didn’t think Raphael would lie about The Supreme Being’s decision. There was an infinitesimal chance that he might, but that would involve him defying his deity, which would ultimately lead him to Lucifer. My power was making him a little more malleable, so I doubted he’d deceive me. There might indeed be no other way than to go along with this.

  Mikael must have noticed that I was considering Raphael’s suggestion, because he immediately started to protest. “No, absolutely not. You’re not taking her, not again. Not after what happened last time and when she’s so vulnerable.”

  “Last time, she was protected by the shields of the school and we couldn’t intervene in any other way,” Raphael shot back. “That is no longer the case. Ms. Michaelis has been touched by death, and she can travel to The Celestial Realm with no difficulty whatsoever. But you already knew that, Mikael Lost, didn’t you?”

  Mikael bit his lower lip so hard it bled, but said nothing. That was all the confirmation I needed. Callum didn’t let that deter him. “Even if that’s true, we can’t trust you to not attempt to harm Lyssa and the baby. You sent a snake after her!”

  “She recovered,” Raphael pointed out. “Besides, those days are over now. The Heavenly Host would never harm a child whose existence has been accepted by The Supreme Being. Your daughter will be perfectly safe.”

  I carefully considered my options. This was a chance I couldn’t waste. If I could speak to The Supreme Being, maybe I could get more insight into what I was supposed to do about this crazy conflict between angels and demons.

  I’d wanted to bring it up with Lucifer, but I’d never found the right moment. It seemed wrong to discuss it with his father first, but if I didn’t try, I might regret it forever.

  But Callum and Mikael weren’t wrong in saying this might be dangerous. I wasn’t sure what to do.

  My lovers didn’t push me, but I could tell that was difficult for them. They desperately wanted to drag me off. They held back, and I appreciated that.

  I remembered my brief visit to The Celestial Realm, back when I’d been in my second year. I’d deemed it beautiful, but also intimidating. My lovers’ reaction to it had been even worse than my own discomfort.

  I would have liked to go back, to see it again, but not at the expense of my family. I liked the Watchers, but I wasn’t selfless enough to risk my daughter’s safety, not even for them. “I’m sorry,” I told Sariel. “I want to help you, but I can’t take chances. Too much has happened for me to jump into unpredictable situations.”

  Sariel nodded, accepting my decision. There was a shadow in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. “That’s all right, Alyssa. We understand. This isn’t your responsibility.”

  “We can take care of ourselves,” Azazel added. “You don’t need to be our advocate in front of The Supreme Being.”

  “You’re perfectly right,” Yeqon piped up. “It’s much too risky for you to go to The Celestial Realm.”

  “It’s really not,” Raphael retorted, “but I can see why you’d think that, Alyssa Michaelis. For what it’s worth, we wouldn’t have hurt you.”

  “I know that,” I replied. Ironically, I did, and I believed him. But even so, my first priority always had to be my daughter’s well-being. “If there’s the slightest chance that something might happen, I’d rather not risk it.”

  Raphael smiled, an unexpectedly honest twist of lips that softened his stern features. “You’re going to be a good mother. I wish you and your daughter the very best.”

  Before I could figure out how to react to that, Raphael turned toward the Watchers. “I’ll take my leave for now. The Supreme Being’s decision stands. Watchers, be prepared. Your lives will soon change.”

  With those final, cryptic words, Raphael disappeared. There was no flash of light or anything like that. One moment, he was there, emanating the imposing power of The Heavens, and the next, he was gone.

  I was left staring at the spot where he’d been, feeling torn and inadequate. Had I done the right thing? I thought so, but it still left us with a problem. What were we going to do about the Watchers?

  * * *

  After the archangel’s visit, things calmed down at the academy. The Watchers returned to their posts, and the only ones who stayed with us were Sariel, Kasdaye, Yeqon and Azazel.

  “The Supreme Being has tried to control us before and it didn’t work,” Kasdaye tried to reassure me. “It won’t work this time either.”

  I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t want to argue with him. I had to hope he knew what he was talking about, because otherwise, the consequences could be disastrous.

  I wondered if Lady Morrigan could help us with this in some way. Probably not. If she’d been present earlier, she must have decided to not get i
nvolved in the affairs of The Supreme Being. I hadn’t seen her, though, and the Watchers hadn’t mentioned her, so they must’ve concluded they couldn’t rely on her.

  My lovers realized this as well, because they decided to take on the problem. “I’ll go to The Infernal Realm and notify Lucifer of what happened,” Stefan offered. Despite their earlier panic, he and the others no longer seemed inclined to drag me away from the school. “He might be able to come up with a solution.”

  “If there’s anyone who can do it, it’s him,” Yeqon replied. “But as much as we appreciate the offer, you should stay here, with your mate. Fallen angel or not, I can still go to The Infernal Realm.”

  Kasdaye nodded. “We’ll be trying to solidify the wards. I knew they had been destroyed in the battle, but this is ridiculous. They should’ve recovered enough to keep Raphael out.”

  “Surely, there’s something we can do to help,” I insisted.

  “Maybe later,” Azazel said. “Right now, you four still have exams to take. Lady Morrigan couldn’t make it this morning, but Sariel will take over for her.”

  He couldn’t be serious. I couldn’t possibly focus on anything related to schooling when an archangel had just shown up on our territory. “But Azazel—”

  “No buts,” Sariel cut me off. “Like I said, this isn’t your responsibility. You’re not here to fight the agents of The Heavenly Host for us. Lucifer will help. And if he doesn’t—which is unlikely—we’ll find another solution. But that won’t include you. You have other things to do.”

  I silently fumed, but didn’t have any arguments to refute him. I’d rejected the only chance I’d had to make a difference. In every other way, I was inadequate and didn’t have enough control over my power to help the Watchers.

  Callum wrapped his arms around my shoulders in a clear attempt to soothe me. Meanwhile, Shiro nudged me with his snout. “Don’t be so upset about this, Lyssa. It’s not a tragedy. The Supreme Being won’t harm them. That much, we can be sure of.”

  “This will sound odd coming from me, but if it’s true that The Supreme Being made this decision, he must have had a reason,” Mikael added, confirming Shiro’s opinion. “He’s never tried to coerce his divine children to come back. I might not like The Celestial Realm very much, but I do believe The Supreme Being means well.”

  He was right—it did sound odd. Mikael had more issues with The Heavens than Lucifer did, which was a pretty impressive accomplishment. But at the same time, I could see where he was coming from. The Supreme Being’s good intentions might not fully reassure me, but he wouldn’t take away the Watchers’ choices, not really. He’d given me a choice too. He valued free will. It would be fine.

  “All right,” I told them. “I’ll stop panicking. Let’s go take that exam.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Stefan said. “I can’t wait for you to kick our asses again.”

  “I highly doubt that’s going to happen, Stefan.”

  “Never say never,” he answered with a crooked grin.

  Sariel led us through the maze of corridors inside the academy, and to my shock, I found it even more labyrinthine than before. I’d gotten used to the strangeness of the school in the time I’d spent here, but it looked like it had morphed in my absence.

  A pang of surprising grief coursed through me. I hadn’t thought the school meant that much for me, as a building, but I’d been wrong. Earlier, the sight of it had reminded me of my death and had filled me with panic. But this was also the place where I’d fallen in love, where my baby had been conceived, where I’d found out who I truly was and had made my choices for the future. I’d experienced so much loss here, but not everything had been bad.

  Despite the differences, the classroom we eventually entered was easy to recognize. It was Ammit’s domain, the very first classroom I’d seen while at the academy. The pit of lava she used to discard the people she killed was now extinguished, but its presence reminded me of her. I wondered how she’d truly died, if Satan had consumed her like he’d said. What a terrible fate to have.

  Shaking myself, I sat down at my old desk. Callum, Mikael, and Stefan joined me. Lucifer had said other students would be taking the exams, but for the moment, we were the only people here. “Will someone else be joining us?”

  “Not right now,” Sariel replied. “We’ve had enough agitation for today. It’s best to keep things as low-key as possible.”

  I wondered what the other students thought about me, if they blamed me for the near-destruction of the school. No one had made any accusing comments, but that didn’t change the facts. If I’d never come to the academy, all those deaths and losses would’ve never happened.

  Something rebellious rose inside me as that thought processed. I couldn’t blame myself for someone else’s actions. That was just stupid. Darling had made her own choices, and so had Lilith, Satan, and everyone else. They’d hurt me, and they’d paid the price. They were the guilty ones, not me. I’d made plenty of mistakes, and maybe I’d been a little reckless when I’d trusted Darling, but that didn’t make the result of that battle my fault.

  “All right,” Sariel said. “I believe you’re all familiar to the style we’ll be using for the exam. It’ll be a simple written test, like Ammit used to give you.”

  He waved a hand, and shadows curled over our desks. When they drifted away, papers and pens had appeared, waiting for us to begin. “I believe I don’t have to say that I won’t allow any cheating. I might not be a gigantic eye any longer, but I can still see your every move. Gentlemen, don’t try to help your lovely bride. I understand the impulse, but she’s perfectly capable of handling this on her own.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind,” Mikael replied.

  Their intentions didn’t matter that much, because I didn’t want to cheat. It would defeat the purpose of me coming here to take the exam, in the first place.

  Some of the material was tougher than what I’d studied in class, but my extra reading and tutoring sessions helped. I didn’t think I’d ever forget the classifications of demons, not after spending so many months in The Seven Circles of Hell. And after the earlier meeting with Raphael, I found it very easy to address the ‘dangers of the divine’ question.

  The essay was a little weirder, though. “What is the difference between a human and a demon?”

  Where did I even start? Their skills, their morals, their society. The way they fed, the way they dressed, their views on sexuality, transportation, life goals. Anything and everything could be included in that category. And yet, as I studied the question, I felt that whoever had designed the test was seeking something in specific.

  I brushed my fingers over the paper and energy crackled at the point of contact. The letters blurred, until I couldn’t see the question at all anymore.

  My lungs seized and all of a sudden, I had trouble breathing.

  Shiro manifested by my side, as sensitive to my health as always. “Lyssa? Are you okay?”

  “I… I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  My lovers overheard the exchange and grew alarmed. “What’s wrong?” Callum asked, his aura already sweeping over me. “Are you in any pain? Does your head hurt?”

  It didn’t, but my vision problems were alarming. I hadn’t had a seizure in months. Callum and Mikael had started helping me ever since we’d begun our relationship and after Lucifer had joined us, I’d been at least eighty percent sure it wouldn’t happen again. Apparently, I’d been a little too optimistic.

  Then again, maybe it wasn’t the epilepsy at all. Maybe it was the baby. My pregnancy might have endured my death once, but that didn’t mean I was completely safe.

  “Lyssa?” Mikael insisted. “Talk to us.”

  He brushed his palm over mine, and his touch snapped me out of my trance. “I’m just a little out of it. Nothing to worry about.”

  I pressed my hand to my belly and felt the bump hidden behind the loose clothes. The magic that protected our daughter was still in place. I was
no healer, but as far as I could tell, she was perfectly fine.

  A part of me still wanted to run screaming for the medical wing, but something held me back. Instead, I abandoned my test and walked up to the teacher’s desk. “Sariel, can I be excused? I need a breath of fresh air.”

  Sariel frowned, but didn’t refuse me outright. “If you’re ill, that might not be the best idea. I can take a look at you.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” I answered with a smile I didn’t feel. “I just have to clear my head.” Or so I hoped.

  “We can come with you, Lyssa,” Stefan offered, his voice tight with concern. I hated worrying him and the others, but this was one of those things I had to do on my own.

  “Thanks, but you should finish your test. I’ll take Shiro. I won’t go far, I promise.”

  My lovers seemed conflicted, but Sariel nodded. “All right, but be careful and don’t overdo it. Lucifer would have my head if something happened to you while you were in my care.”

  “Nothing is going to happen,” Shiro woofed, outraged. “And she’s in my care, not yours.”

  If Sariel understood that, he didn’t show it. I fled the classroom before he could change his mind. The moment I stepped into the corridor, I immediately felt better and could breathe again. Maybe my fatigue was just getting to me.

  I debated the merits of going back to the classroom at once, but decided against it. Instead, I headed in the general direction of The House of Envy dorms. They’d be sealed today, but even if that hadn’t been the case, I wouldn’t have gone there. They were too far and I’d promised my lovers I would stay close. I just wanted to go for a walk.

  In the end, my plan went badly awry. A few minutes after we’d left the classroom, the light-headedness returned. I placed my hand against a column, trying to support myself when my legs became too weak. Behind me, Shiro let out a small whine. “Lyssa? Maybe we should summon medical aid.”

  I fully intended to agree with him, but my attention was drawn to the sight of my own hand. My fingernails lengthened, curving and turning black, reminding me of claws.