by Maya Nicole
"Earned their right? Maybe at some point they did. I think you’re fooling yourself if you think some of the students here are any better than I am." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Besides, I'm half-angel. My blood tests confirm that."
She didn't need to know that the other half was demon or that my mother was Lilith. If she knew, the entire academy would know. I could only imagine the torment that would happen if that piece of information came out.
She made a strangled noise in her throat. "Even so, you have no abilities. Not to mention the company you seem to keep. Angels do not befriend or date demons. Him being on campus poses great danger to us all. It's bad enough it's being requested that Tobias Armstrong stay here when he's been suspended. Don't even get me started on that Fallen drunk that walks around half-dressed."
I wanted to laugh but bit my inner cheek. I couldn't deny the fact that Asher drank too much. He also had the tendency to walk around without a shirt. It didn't help that one day, Sue had entered the staff building and found him naked on the common room couch.
That had gone over real well.
A silence fell over the room. I willed myself to not break eye contact with the woman who had hated me before she had even known me. Her pen started to tap as the silence in the room lengthened.
"Sue." Michael cleared his throat. "Were you aware that Danica visited the white room?"
Michael had his eyes locked on Sue. She bristled at the mention of the room I had woken up in while dying of a stab wound. I was only half-surprised that Michael knew I had been knocking on Heaven's diamond-encrusted door.
It just wouldn't open for me.
"But how? There are only two ways for a person to get out of that room." Her pen dropped to the desk. She looked back and forth between us. I furrowed my brows because there had just been one door. Plus swirling. Lots and lots of swirling. "By going to Heaven or going to hell."
"It seems there are more important things in store for Danica. We don't know exactly what yet, but when the time comes, we want her as prepared as possible. You will enroll her in the warrior courses." He stood and crossed his arms. "And Sue? Need I remind you that you are easily replaceable. I can think of one perfectly suitable candidate that is unoccupied this next semester. I'm sure he would be willing to pick up the slack."
Her jaw nearly hit her desk. I stood and followed Michael out of the office. I looked back at Sue and gave her a sticky sweet smile before shutting the door.
"What exactly does being a warrior entail?" Sure, I could throw a punch, but being some kind of fighter?
"Hard work." He turned and put his hands on my shoulders. It was a very fatherly move, and my eyes teared up as he looked down at me. "Hard work and passion."
"Do you think we'll find him?" I broke eye contact with him and stared at the center of his chest.
He sighed. "We will."
"Do you think he'll be okay?" I looked back up again and saw sadness in his eyes. He let go of my shoulders.
"He'll live." His phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn't move to answer it. "We are getting closer to finding him. We'd be closer if Chamuel stopped killing the demons we can get information from."
He'd live. That didn't ease the dread swirling in my gut. He'd live, but he probably would never be the same.
Chapter Two
June had come and gone. With nothing but an empty campus and time on my hands, I had already caught up on the coursework from the first semester that I hadn't been in attendance. I had also been working on perfecting my cooking skills in the large academy kitchen.
Me. Danica Marie Deville. Cooking. It was newsworthy and should have been taken to the press. They'd have a field day and warn the masses of impending doom.
The campus had taken on a whole new look and feel with it empty. I had always been so focused on avoiding the haters that I had never stopped to appreciate its beauty or what it had to offer. I hadn't even known there was a pool or state of the art fitness facility.
Not that I used the fitness facility. Although, maybe I should since I was a warrior now. The idea made me laugh.
I jumped onto the stainless-steel workstation in the kitchen and pulled out my phone. Tobias was supposed to be teaching me how to make pasta from scratch. Where are you?
Sorry! On my way, there was an extra inning.
I rolled my eyes and pulled up a list of ingredients for pasta. It seemed easy enough. If I messed it up and it tasted like cardboard, I would just blame Tobias and his baseball obsession.
I slid off the counter and pulled out the flour, eggs, and olive oil. It would have been easier to just use boxed pasta, but Tobias insisted on fresh since we had use of an actual kitchen.
I missed my own kitchen. Not that I had used it much, but the few times I did cook in it, the food had been a hit. Or at least I thought it was. No one had died.
The kitchen door swung open. Tobias rushed in, out of breath. He was dressed in jeans, a Dodgers shirt, and a backward baseball cap. I'd much rather have had him for dinner.
"Did they at least win?" I asked as he came around the counter. He stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"Of course they won." He kissed my neck, his beard tickling the sensitive skin below my ear. I tilted my head to the side and shut my eyes as he peppered kisses across my neck. "You ready?"
"I'm always ready," I breathed. Tobias chuckled and stepped around me to lean against the counter. "Oh, you meant to make pasta."
"What else would I have been talking about?" He opened a cabinet and pulled out a pasta maker contraption. It looked like some kind of medieval torture device.
"I'll remember that later." I hip bumped him as he grabbed the measuring cup I was holding out of my hand and dumped a pile of flour on the counter. "The recipe says-"
"Pasta making is an art form. Recipes are for noobs." He grabbed a second type of flour from the pantry and dumped it on top of the pile. "I'm no noob."
"You aren't Italian, are you?"
"My best friend growing up was Italian." He created a well to act as a bowl for the eggs in the center of the flour. "Want to crack four eggs in the center?"
We fell into a comfortable silence as we made the pasta and started the sauce. I popped a pan of meatballs in the oven and turned to find Tobias watching me.
"Were you checking out my ass?" I pulled him into a hug, burying my face in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around me, and his hand ran up and down my spine.
"Just worrying, as usual," he said into my hair. "I can't help it."
"I'm fine." I pulled back slightly so I could look at him. "What's there to worry about?"
He pushed a lock of hair out of my face and behind my ear, leaving his hand on the side of my neck. His thumb stroked my jaw. I shut my eyes and sighed.
"What if I somehow manipulated you into falling in love with me?" I whispered. It had been on my mind for weeks.
His thumb stilled for a moment before continuing to stroke in soothing swipes across my skin.
"I don't think that's possible. My love runs pretty deep." His thumb brushed over my bottom lip. "You aren't your mother."
I pulled away from him and went to the stove, checking on the sauce. I stirred it for longer than necessary before turning back to him.
"I am, though. At least fifty percent of me." I turned off the burner and put a lid on the pan. "I can manipulate demons and humans. It wouldn't be such a stretch to think that I had somehow coerced you guys into being with me. I mean, there are four of you. That's a bit abnormal." I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the opposite counter.
We had talked about my newly discovered ability after returning from China but hadn't discussed it as much as we should have. Every time I was around them, I wondered if I had somehow duped them into being with me.
"Let's test it." He placed his arms on either side of me, trapping me against the counter. "Make me bark like a dog or kiss your feet."
His eyes danced in amusemen
t. I didn't think it was funny that everything I thought we had might be one-sided. I did want to test it, but the thought made me want to throw up. What if he barked like a dog?
"You don't need anything else to worry about. Just give it a try so it'll be one less thing to think about." He stepped back. "I'm ready."
I sighed and stood up straight. I balled my fists at my side, which somehow helped. If I had been somehow controlling them all, what would we do? Would they leave me?
"Bark like a dog." Nothing. "Tobias, bark like a dog."
"Is this some kind of new sex foreplay you two are into?" Reve's voice came from the doorway just before the door opened. Olly and Asher walked in. "If so, I'm not sure I'm going to be into it."
"Kitchen foreplay? That sounds like fun. Where's the whipped cream?" Asher went to the stove and lifted the lid. "It smells good in here. What's on the menu besides foreplay?"
"Danica thinks she made us fall in love with her." Tobias kissed my cheek in reassurance.
"Well, she kind of did, didn't she? I mean, I'm in love with her. I don't know about you fools." Asher pulled me in for a kiss before passing me off to Olly, who did the same.
Reve appeared and took my hand, kissing the top of it like a gallant suitor from a different century. My heart fluttered and my face flushed.
My heart always felt unstable when all four were around me.
"Show off," Tobias coughed into his hand. "What I meant was, she thinks she can control us like Lilith can control demons."
Reve paled and cleared his throat. "You think you forced us into this?" He shook his head. "It doesn't feel like it. When someone is controlling you, you feel it right here." He put his hand over my chest, right over my heart. "It's like someone is pulling strings and constricting the blood flow."
The timer for the meatballs went off, saving me from the uncomfortable conversation. I pulled them out of the oven, and the scent of meaty goodness filled the air. My stomach growled, despite the knot that sat in it.
"Maybe Tobias is right. I should test it out on all of you. After we eat. I'm starved."
After making our plates, we headed out to the empty dining room. There was a circular table that was the perfect size for the five of us and gave a view to the outside courtyard.
"I have to go check in on my guys tomorrow. We’re almost finished with a refurb, and I need to make sure they haven't fucked up my design." Asher took a drink of his wine. "So, if you need anything from your place, just text me a list and where to find it."
I sighed. I hated not being able to be at my apartment. I had barely even moved in before shit hit the fan with Lilith. Now I was sequestered back where I was trying to escape from. "I still don't see why I can't go home. Tobias can just suppress my aura or whatever it is you can do."
"I could, but we aren't going to take that chance. That hell serpent still found you, and I was actively hiding you. It could be the demon side of you."
I nearly choked on a meatball. We didn't often talk about me being a demon. Mostly because it made me freak out and cry. I was still waiting for the day I sprouted an extra head or grew tentacles.
"It might be good to test things out. If demons come our way, we can just fly back here. I know Michael said to stay here, but it's my birthday." Olly shoved half a meatball into his mouth and made a noise of approval. His days of eating the same foods were long gone.
"What do you mean it's your birthday?" Asher put his fork down and folded his arms on the table. "Tomorrow is your birthday?"
Olly shrugged. "I kind of forgot about it until earlier today. I don't know the exact date, but it was before July Fourth."
"Angel baby, you can't just spring something like this on us on such short notice. This is your first birthday!" Asher finished his wine and reached for the bottle to pour himself more. Olly watched him with raised eyebrows. "Don't give me that look. I've had one glass tonight."
"I didn't say anything." Olly's voice was monotone.
I frowned at their tense exchange. Now that we practically all lived together, Asher's drinking problem had become glaringly obvious. Olly was the most vocal about it.
"Are you finally cutting back?" Tobias set his fork down and let out a content sigh as he leaned back in his chair.
"Trying to, but then my boyfriend drops surprise birthday news. Now I'm forced to have another glass." He filled his glass and took a drink from the bottle. "And don't start." He pointed the top of the bottle at Reve.
Reve held up his hands before grinning at the two of them. He was an instigator and liked to stir the pot as much as possible. He didn't sleep and had too much time on his hands to plot.
"I wasn't going to say anything." Reve stood and walked over to the window overlooking a courtyard. "I'm just glad he dropped birthday news and not a bar of soap. Some things I do not want to see."
I threw my head back and laughed along with Tobias as Asher jumped up from the table and darted towards Reve. Reve disappeared but started whistling as he moved around the dining room.
"You filthy son of a bitch. It's a good thing you don't sleep." Asher swatted at the air where the laughing was coming from. "Or you'd need to sleep with one eye open."
Reve reappeared, sitting cross-legged on a table on the other side of the room. "Is that a threat, angel? Because if it is, you do sleep."
"Can't we all just get along?" Olly rested his cheek on his fist. "Why would I have a bar of soap at dinner, anyway? Sometimes you make absolutely no sense."
"Maybe next time you two shower together, Asher can drop a bar of soap and show you what I was referring to." Reve climbed off the table after Asher returned to his seat.
"We have to do something off-campus for his birthday. I vote we go on a field trip tomorrow," I said, returning their attention back to what we had been discussing. The mental image of them in the shower was still playing on repeat in my head.
"It's not worth the risk." Tobias sighed and ran a hand over his beard.
"I'm with Dani on this one. We can't just keep her here indefinitely. There's three of us that can fly her back here if we need to." Asher looked over at Olly, who nodded in agreement.
"Fine." Tobias stood and started stacking plates. I was surprised he was clearing off the table. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
After cleaning up our dinner mess, we headed to the gymnasium to test my theory about controlling them. Tobias was immune, but the others might not be.
The gymnasium was the safest place to test out my ability without the risk of prying eyes seeing us. The campus was mostly empty, but Sue Whittaker was on campus at times, and so were a few other teachers who were on rotation to keep the wards intact.
"So, how are we going to do this? Are you just going to tell us to do shit and then see if we do it?" Asher had his arms folded across his chest. "Wouldn't this be more interesting done in a bedroom?"
"Are you always such a horny bastard?" Reve had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He looked nervous. I can't say I blamed him since the last time someone commanded him to do something, it was meant to kill him.
We hadn't talked about that night in Shanghai when Lilith had told him to give visions to a crowd full of people. He had tried resisting her request but had done her bidding. Tobias had flown him away before he had drained himself completely.
None of us knew what Reve was fully capable of. Apparently, being a dream demon didn't just mean he could invade a person's dreams. He could send terrifying images while a person was awake.
"If you two don't knock it off, I'm going to make you sit with your arms around each other," Tobias warned. At times, the fatherly side of him came out. Dealing with the three other men did feel like wrangling a group of unruly children.
I was a handful myself.
I stood in front of Asher. He used to be Fallen, and I wondered if at first, I had swayed his opinion of me. He had been a notorious womanizer before meeting me, or at least that's what I assumed from the stories he shared.
>
"Fly." He raised his eyebrows at my command, but stayed in front of me. I tried a few other commands, but he stood firmly in place, a smug look on his face.
"See. No fake love here." He leaned forward and kissed me.
I tried Olly next, who yielded the same results. Maybe I was overthinking everything that had happened in Shanghai. These men loved me without strings attached. I knew that deep in my heart, but I'm sure my dad also felt some things deep in his heart for Lilith. Look how that turned out.
I stood in front of Reve. His eyes were wider than usual. He looked to be in pain. Not the physical kind, but the kind that ripped your heart to shreds. I brought my hand to his face.
"I'm going to do whatever you tell me to do. I can tell you for certain that you didn't brainwash me into falling in love with you." He spoke so only I could hear him. There was an edge to his voice like he was holding back what he really wanted to say.
I searched his eyes, trying to understand how he was feeling. Reve might have been the newest addition to my group of guardians, but he was the one I had come to rely on the most. Without him, I'd have been walking around like a zombie.
"Kiss me." He complied, taking my lips with his. His lips trembled against mine before pulling away.
I took a sharp inhale of air. I didn't want to start questioning every single thing between us.
His hands fell to his sides, and he backed up a few steps. "Something other than kiss you or touch you. It's not like I can resist that command."
I sucked my bottom lip in between my teeth to keep the whimper in my throat from coming out. Tobias stepped forward to stand beside me, placing his hand on my lower back.
"Do a backflip." He nodded. I watched in fascination and sadness as he landed a perfect backflip.
"Again."
"Reve, we don't-"
"Again."
"Lay on the floor."
As Reve laid down on the floor, Asher stood on the other side of me. "Have him do something ridiculous like waddle like a duck or crawl around like a dog."
Reve stood and glared at Asher, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I know that you walk around drunk half the time, but you do realize that I was controlled by Lilith for centuries, don't you?"