by Cara Wylde
Ke-sar raised an eyebrow. He knew Anahit well enough to figure out she had already made her decision, whatever that was. She never asked for advice, and that was why Lilith was the headmistress, not Anahit.
When he didn’t say anything, the succubus took a couple of steps towards him, but stopped in the middle of the room when his gaze hardened.
“Why do you have to be like that?” she asked. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”
A genuine smile tugged at Ke-sar’s lips, and he tried not to laugh in her face. He liked to think of himself as a gentleman, after all.
“Jealous? What is this? A joke? Anahit, stop wasting my time and tell me why you called for me.”
She shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t be unheard of… I’ve seen demons who fall in love if they spend enough time among mortals. So, why wouldn’t it happen to an incubus or a succubus? Love is an acquired taste.”
“Are you talking from your own experience?” Ke-sar folded his arms over his bulky chest. When Anahit avoided his gaze for the first time since he had entered the room, his eyes widened in shock. “You are, aren’t you?” He shook his head. “I don’t believe this.”
“It was a mistake,” she said softly.
“You bet it was! But it could’ve gone unknown and unmentioned if you hadn’t lied to me and told me you had taken the seed from a mortal man.”
“I wanted…” she took a deep breath before forcing the words out. “I wanted to have something from him.”
“Someone. You wanted to have someone from him. Didn’t you stop to think for a second and ask yourself about the possible consequences? Now, Sophie has to deal with something none of us has ever seen before. A combination of a demon sigil and an angir sigil. No one can teach her how to control her powers because no one understands them. Way to go, Anahit! And for what? For a silly angir who flapped his white, fluffy wings at you and gave you one of those heavenly smiles we all know so well?”
“Don’t talk like that! You have no idea how it was.”
Ke-sar laughed bitterly. “You’re right, I don’t. Because I don’t do love, Anahit. It’s something succubi and incubi should steer clear of. It never ends well and we don’t have time for the drama.”
The succubus sighed heavily. “Nevertheless, what’s done is done. There is someone who can show Sophie how to deal with her new powers.”
The incubus wasn’t sure he really wanted to hear the rest of it. “You’re insane.”
“I’m going to ask for Lilith’s permission to bring him here.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing. An angir into our own home?”
“Yes. It’s time for Sophie to meet her real father.”
Ke-sar shot her one last glance before shaking his head and turning to leave. There was no way he could reason with her. He used to like to work with Anahit. They had made a great team for centuries, choosing their mortal lovers carefully as to bring the strongest and most talented cambions into the world. Anahit would seduce only those men whom she considered worthy of her attention, take their seed, then pass it on to Ke-sar, who always went for kind and intelligent women whom he knew would take good care of the little cambion when he or she was born. Incubi and succubi couldn’t have their own children, not in the usual way. Because they had been created to be demons of lust and nothing more, they were all infertile. Fortunately, they had found a way around it and managed to create their own army of cambions when they decided to go against the forces of darkness. But now, Anahit had betrayed everyone’s trust, and Ke-sar had no intention to team up with her ever again. He’d rather work with Nyame. As unhinged as she was, she would never get involved with an angir. He slammed the door behind him without a second thought.
♥
“Mortals call them angels.”
Sophie was staring at Anahit as if she were from another world. She couldn’t believe that the succubus was there, right in front of her eyes, after she had been looking for her for days. Not only that, but they were having this conversation in Anahit’s room, in Meridies.
“I know. Tarini told us about them. Angels… angirs… same thing.”
“Yes.” Anahit bit the inside of her lower lip. She hadn’t expected this meeting to feel so awkward and uncomfortable. “Well, ‘angir’ is just an old term for ‘angel’. We, succubi and incubi, have been around for so long… sometimes it’s difficult for us to keep up with the changes. In language, culture… you know what I mean…”
Sophie didn’t say anything, and Anahit’s shoulders slumped imperceptibly. What was she trying to do, anyway? Bond with her daughter? Sophie wasn’t her only child, but she was the only one that mattered. The one Anahit had actually wanted. The one whose small nose and heart-shaped face reminded her of her old lover.
“So… you’re saying that my real father is an angel.” Sophie ran her fingers through her long, wavy hair, mercilessly pulling at the knots that dared stand in her way. “That’s what you’re saying, right?”
“Yes.” Anahit sighed and regained her straight posture. “The new sigil surrounding your initial one is the proof, as well as the change in your aura and the intensity of your powers.”
“Wow.”
She had nothing else to say. Sophie couldn’t remember the last time she had been at such a huge loss for words. She had spent the past week fantasizing about finding Anahit and bombarding her with questions, demanding answers and explanations, screaming at her in anger and telling her just how selfish and unfair she had been, and now all those things were gone and what was left was curiosity.
“Of all the things my mind was able to come up with… I’m the daughter of an angel and a succubus. I wouldn’t have thought of that in a thousand years.”
“You really are special,” said Anahit. “I knew it the second I saw you in class at the introductory course, but I had no idea your unique descent would make such a huge difference. You see… the angirs have always been a distant race that never cared much about anything, humans and demons included. They live in their own world, fairly isolated from what happens down here, and they like to keep it that way. The Pantheon has never agreed to their position towards humanity, and that’s why succubi and incubi carry a deep, silent disdain for them. They are just as powerful as any demon, succubus or incubus, but they refuse to use their abilities in any way. They never get involved.”
“I thought angels were supposed to be the good guys.”
“They’re neither good, nor evil. They just… are. They’re neutral.”
“So… how did it happen? How did you meet him?” She hesitated before asking the next question. “What’s his name?”
Anahit swallowed heavily, then her lips curved into a bitter smile. “Raphael. Even though they never get involved, angirs often come down to Earth and walk among mortals. That’s how we met.”
“Did he know who you were?”
“Of course he did. I told you: angirs are neither good, nor evil. They’re not our enemies. Mortals have come up with weird stories and myths about angels and demons. They couldn’t have gotten things more wrong. Anyway, I was on the field looking for someone worthy to become your father and, as fate had it, I met him. I guess I wasn’t thinking… I could have spent as much time as I wanted with him, then carried on with my life, but I wanted to be able to keep something from him. Angirs are such volatile beings… I knew what we had wouldn’t last.”
“So you gave his seed to Ke-sar and that’s how you had me.” Sophie couldn’t help the smile which was slowly forming on her lips. “You didn’t do it only because you and Ke-sar had to provide the Academy with a new cambion. You actually wanted me.” Her heart grew in her chest despite her trying to keep the unexpected enthusiasm in check. “You wanted me.”
“Yes, Sophie. I wanted to have a child with Raphael. I wanted you.”
Sophie looked into Anahit’s icy eyes. It was as if she was seeing the succubus for the first time. Anahit had been so cold and indifferent towards her, had never treate
d her differently from the other Lure Academy students. It was nice to know that her birth had meant something to someone and hadn’t happened just because it was convenient to the Alluring Ones and their battle against demons. She didn’t know what else to say, so she remained silent for a long time, simply studying her mother’s sharp, yet delicate features, her long hair and translucent skin. There was still so much she didn’t know about her.
After a couple of minutes, Anahit found their silence uncomfortable and unsettling. She hated the fact that she couldn’t tell what Sophie was thinking and couldn’t bring herself to ask her. It would have been too much. Too big of a jump from the cold, calculated succubus to the caring, concerned mother.
“Well… do you want to meet him?”
Sophie’s heart jumped. “Who? Raphael?”
“Yes. He’s waiting for you in Lilith’s office.”
Sophie broke in a cold sweat. Her stomach did a flip that left her slightly ill, and her knees started shaking.
♥
The angir’s aura was so different from anything Sophie had ever felt before. It felt rich, yet refreshing, it danced in a thousand colors around the room, enveloping Sophie in a warm, cozy hug the moment she entered Lilith’s office. The tall, beautiful creature waiting for her gave her a pleasant smile and a courteous nod.
Sophie closed the door behind her and stopped a couple of feet from the man who, apparently, was her real father. She looked at him in awe, forgetting the polite thing to do was to greet him first. His long, dark-blond hair fell to the middle of his back. He had bright brown eyes, a handsome, heart-shaped face, thin lips, and a wide forehead. His skin was almost too pale to be real, and his harmonious features seemed to have been made to inspire trust. Long, feathery wings adorned his wide shoulders, and through his white shirt and white pants, Sophie could see he was fairly well-built. Yes, she definitely understood what Anahit had seen in him. Raphael was very different from the incubi Sophie had gotten used to at Lure Academy.
“Sophie,” he said in a warm voice that immediately erased her anxiety. “We finally meet. I never thought your mother would allow me to see you. Even more, Lilith agreed to let us use her office. Right here, in the heart of the Academy she has worked so hard to build… Truly unexpected and unheard of.”
Sophie swallowed heavily and tried to come up with something to say. When her brain failed her, she smiled. Raphael smiled back. So far, so good, but she really needed to get a hold of herself and start talking, otherwise he would be gone before she got her answers.
“I can see why we’re here, though.” His brows furrowed slightly when his gaze fell on Sophie’s stomach, where her two sigils were hidden underneath her loose blouse.
Sophie followed his eyes. “How can you…?”
“Angirs can see and feel more than just the aura of another being. We can see the marks and sigils on their body and instantly know who or what they are.”
“And what am I?”
“You’re a cambion, of course. A special one. Part human, part demon, part angel… You might be the only one in the world.”
Sophie sighed. “And what am I supposed to do with that? I just killed someone because I don’t know how to control this odd combination of powers. Now I’m afraid to even get close to anyone. I don’t know what my two sigils will do, I don’t know how my aura will react. Everything seems so… random. I get angry and I feel this rush of power and the desire to smash something, and everything about my aura changes: its density, colors, smell… It’s been like this since…” she took a deep breath before finishing the sentence, “since Ukraine. It’s like I can’t feel anything else but anger and frustration.”
Raphael nodded thoughtfully, then stepped aside and motioned for the sofa. “Sit down, Sophie. Let’s talk.”
He took the armchair on the opposite side of the room. He knew she wouldn’t feel comfortable having him too close to her. They were just starting to know each other. They needed to take things slowly. He wasn’t sure what he felt towards this strange being who was his daughter. His only daughter. As she sat down and studied his every move patiently, he decided he would take his time and let things unfold naturally, at their own pace. No one said they had to form some sort of father-daughter bond right then and there.
“I feel like I’m not the same. This… this thing,” she pointed at her stomach, “has turned everything upside down. What I’ve learned since I came here doesn’t apply anymore.”
“If I remember well, each new cambion is given a mentor.”
“Yeah… actually, I have two.”
“Interesting…”
“What difference does it make? Kain and Alexi can only help me with the demon sigil, not with the angir one.”
“That’s what you think. Let’s hear the story from the beginning.”
Sophie was ready to jump off the sofa and tell him she had no intention of telling him what she had already told others too many times, but something strange happened and, instead, she found herself relaxing against the back rest. The angir’s aura was so light and soothing around her, that she couldn’t say “no” to him. She started talking and, oddly enough, the words coming out of her mouth were just that: words. They didn’t invoke images, they didn’t take her back to the Count’s mansion and the dark tunnel under his secret chalet. Time stood still, and when Sophie finished her story, she had the sensation that she hadn’t said anything at all. At the same time, a burden had been lifted from her soul, as if telling Raphael about the things which had been tormenting her for days, she had passed that suffering on to him. A bright smile lit up her features, but before she could tell the angir about her revelation, his soft voice filled the room.
“I know you believe what happened is your fault, but it isn’t. Your life was in danger and you defended yourself. If anyone is to blame, then it’s those who haven’t told you about your true heritage. I know Lure Academy prides itself in encouraging its students to know themselves and learn as much as possible about their nature and abilities. This time, they pretty much failed in this respect, don’t you agree?”
Raphael’s tone of voice signaled it wasn’t an accusation, but merely a sensible statement, so all that Sophie felt was a strange feeling of acceptance rather than anger towards Anahit, who was the only one who had known.
“However, I strongly believe no one is defined by their origin, heritage, genetic code… These things don’t determine who you are and how you must use your abilities. You’re the one who decides what you want to do with what nature has given you. And, Sophie, you have so many wonderful things to work with. Don’t be afraid of what’s new and unfamiliar, but rather embrace it, because when you embrace it you also discover ways of harmonizing your new abilities with your old ones.”
“So you can’t… teach me.” There was disappointment in her voice. What had she expected? For him to give her a solution which would magically solve all her problems?
“There’s nothing to teach. Your new aura and new sigil aren’t very different from your old ones. It’s how you integrate them that matters. All you have to do is listen to what your instinct tells you, focus on everything that is beautiful and positive, and you’ll master your full powers in no time.”
“Easy to say…”
“And easy to do… Let Kain and Alexi help you. It’s not their knowledge that will show you the way, but their love and support.”
“Love?” It was weird to hear this word in a world and system where lust seemed to be the key to discovering and using one’s powers.
“Yes. What you three have is much more than physical attraction. It might have started that way, but things changed in time, haven’t they?”
“How do you know that?”
Raphael smiled. “It’s obvious from the way you talk about them. You’re avoiding them because you’re afraid you might hurt them. That’s love, Sophie. Pure, unconditional love.”
Sophie’s heart grew and she tried to hide the smile that was threa
tening to reach her ears. It was a bit strange and uncomfortable to talk about love with her father, even thought she had just met him. They spent almost two hours in Lilith’s office, talking about anything and everything, and when they finally parted, Sophie felt like a whole new person. A better one.
CHAPTER FOUR
Knowing that Kain was waiting for him around the corner, Alexi stepped into the demon’s cell. He would have rather had the blond by his side, but Kain had insisted that it was better for him and Gremory to have some privacy. The moment the door clicked behind Alexi, the demon lifted his eyes to look at his visitor.
“You… I was wondering when you’d come.”
Duke Gremory’s voice was low and tired. He was sitting on the small bed, his arms lip on his knees. It was clear he was drained of energy and didn’t even have the strength to stand up. The Spprigans were doing their job well, and Mikal had actually helped them in the past week. There were simply too many demons in Oriens for the little creatures to handle all of them, so Mikal was finally taking his job seriously.
Alexi studied the demon for a few minutes. He looked exactly as he remembered him, except for the lack of spark in his dark eyes. Sharp, noble features, full lips, long, black hair… His shoulders were slumped and his once bulky chest was rather skinny, but that was because he hadn’t fed since he had been brought there.
“I don’t remember much of what happened at the mansion, in the forest… Were you there?” Gremory kept talking as if their meeting was normal. “Those damn creatures surrounded me… It baffles me how such small, ugly beings can be so powerful and drain a demon of his energy in a matter of seconds.”
“Maybe it’s nature’s way of saying ‘fuck you!’ to your disgusting species.”
The demon smiled.
“Yes, I was there. In fact, I was working the case with two other Lure cambions. It took all my self-control to keep my disguise and not slit your throat the moment you arrived at the mansion.”
“A fine job you did… Congratulations! I knew you’d become a great soldier!”