by Dante King
Gordon’s brows furrowed together. He glanced at Judyth for a moment, as if judging whether this was some kind of test. “Why would I hate you?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Because I’m from Hell?”
Gordon looked confused for a few seconds, then laughed. “Kid, I don’t care where you come from,” the angel said, glancing back toward the Arena. “I only care if you can fight. You want to prove you can?”
Did I? I’d had a little combat experience. And I couldn’t wait to get some more.
Demonic magic flowed through my veins as I tugged at the flames within me, just making sure they were there. They hadn’t flickered out inside of this School, which meant nothing was holding me back.
Good.
“Sure,” I said, sounding as game as I felt. “Do your worst. I’m already dating a Wrathlust—there’s not much else you could throw at me.”
Several angels listening in gave me disgusted looks at the mention of my demonic girlfriend. Gordon however, seemed more intrigued than ever. “A combat specialist, eh? I’d like to square off against the two of you sometime. See what kind of techniques they practice down in the other place. I’ve always been curious…”
“Gordon,” Judyth said in a warning tone. “The lesson.”
“Ah, of course!”
I got the impression this wasn’t the first time poor Gordon had been disciplined for being a little too interested in the other side. Though his interest didn’t seem naughty or sexual in the least. From what I’d seen of him, I figured this guy just lived for fighting, and didn’t much care about the morality of who was on what side. I’d known some dudes really into sports who were like that—jocks who’d play with or against anybody, regardless of politics or anything else that separated them. People who would’ve hated each other after five minutes of a dinner party sometimes formed the best teams when it came down to the nitty-gritty.
“The Lion’s Den,” Gordon explained, gesturing at one of the levels near the midsection of the Arena, “is one of the more stimulating experiences a newbie can get themselves thrown into. I’d tell you more, but the surprise is part of it. It’s a bit of a tribute to the origins of our school, and the legends that made it possible.”
Legends?
“They used to throw Christians to the lions back in Roman times,” Maddie said, adjusting her glasses. It still shook me that such a beautiful angel could cling to such a nerdy feature—but honestly, it made her even hotter.
Gordon put a finger on his nose. “Right on the money,” he said, adjusting his halo. “Nowadays, we throw angels to the lions. Don’t worry, though—it’s just a name. You won’t be hurt.”
Judyth followed just behind us as we made our way up the stairs to the proper level. It was as if the Headmistress didn’t want us to get any second thoughts about maybe bolting, or backing down.
Shit, this place is all about courage, I told myself. What kind of angel in training would I be if I let myself look like a big scaredy cat in front of these people?
Whatever they wanted to bring, I could handle. I’d fought my way through a crowd of demons to protect Maddie, bound a massive Oni to my will, and tore up the subspace of one of my closest rivals. I wasn’t afraid of whatever entry-level test the angels had for me.
As we made our way to the proper spot, I couldn’t help but notice we were drawing a crowd. Angels who’d been drilling formations a few moments before landed, ignoring the yells of their superiors as they crowded around the upper levels.
“Look, the newbies are going into the Lion’s Den!” someone yelled.
“They’re going to get blasted,” another angel said with a snicker. “No one comes out of the Lion’s Den in one piece on their first try!”
So this wasn’t some entry-level course. Maddie and I were about to be fighting for our lives—or at least our dignity. Well, I thought, let’s give them a show.
Maddie and I were led down a narrow ramp into the arena: a wide circle of sand. Bars on the opposite wall were stained with blood, where whatever predator the angels dropped in dragged the last few unlucky students back to its lair. A lion? Whatever this cell was meant to contain was much bigger than the so-called King of the Jungle.
The gate slammed shut behind us. Now everyone in the Fortitude school either stared down or up at us, their attention fixed on the newcomers who’d been thrown into the Den. I took a few steps into the Arena, Maddie at my side as I sized up my maneuverability in this place. The ceiling stretched far above our heads, high enough to fly, so getting into the air was a definite tactic for taking this thing down. The sand would make it difficult to run, which was a second point in the strategy’s favor.
Judyth and Gordon had moved to the deck just above ours, and someone had brought both of them chairs. Gordon waved his off, preferring to stand, but Judyth lounged as she watched us, waiting for a drink to accessorize the moment.
“Hey!” I yelled, cupping my hands around my mouth. “Aren’t we going to get some weapons or something? Even gladiators got a sword!”
“You bring only what you have into the Lion’s Den,” Gordon said, his voice supernaturally loud in that towering space. “Remember, courage is the key. This isn’t a test of strength, or cleverness, or might. It’s courage—”
The bars on the opposite side of the arena schlicked upward.
Maddie pressed herself against me, trembling with anticipation. “I don’t know how to fight,” the angel confessed, giving me a helpless look. “I’m not like Christina or Mareth, Luke—I’m not a demon! I don’t have claws, or spikes, or anything like that…”
“I’ll protect you,” I told her, pushing her behind me. “Don’t worry. These assholes don’t know who they’re messing with!”
“Language,” Judyth purred from somewhere above me. The Headmistress of the Celestial Academy looked like she was just eating this up with a spoon—and like she was more interested in me than ever. Hopefully, she’d still be keen on our arrangement after this.
“You’re not even allowed to swear in the Arena?” I asked, to general laughter. “Man, you guys are stiff—”
Any other insults I might have dished out were swallowed as the beast emerged. It strode from its hidey-hole, summoned by the sound of the bars on its cage retracting. What stepped out into the light could technically be called a lion, I guess—it had a head to match Mufasa or the big guy on the old MGM logo, sure. But the head was about all that resembled what I was expecting.
The monster’s thick mane terminated in scales just past its shoulders. A long, segmented body rippled across the sand as the beast entered the center of the arena, its tail flicking across the sand. Instead of the feline instrument I’d expected, the beast had the tail of a scorpion. A drop of some foul green poison dripped from its stinger, hitting the sand with a sizzle and a plume of smoke.
“What is that thing!?” I gasped. “That’s not a lion!”
“Manticore,” someone yelled from the upper decks. “Head of a lion, body of a scorpion!”
Great. Some kind of genetic freak. They probably trotted it out to make new students shit their pants. Well, they had no idea what I was capable of dishing out…
The manticore let out a leonine roar, loud enough to cause most of the angels to throw their hands over their ears. The very air before it rippled with the sensation, nearly knocking Maddie and me off our feet.
The damn thing was magic, too?
“Alright, let’s do this!” I yelled. With a roar of my own, I transformed, opening myself to my demonic magic. My thick, leathery wings grew even larger on my back as I felt Lucifer’s power take hold, stunning the angels who’d come to watch the show. Horrified gasps and shocked murmurs filled the arena as the spectators gossiped among themselves, whispering about this or that aspect of my transformed anatomy. I could hear giggles from some of the female set, and I wondered if maybe the angels weren’t so sexless after all.
Then I didn’t have time to think about anything for a bit besides not dying.<
br />
The manticore charged forward, its thick tail pounding holes in the dirt behind it as it sought to trample me. I shoved Maddie in one direction and jumped toward the danger, my wings unfurling behind my back. Right as the manticore reached me, I surged skyward, its claws raking the air beneath my feet as I flew toward the ceiling. A quick glance showed Maddie all the way at the other side of the arena, safe for the moment from the manticore’s attacks.
“You think a beast like this can destroy a heir of Lucifer?” I roared, spitting defiance at the assembled angels. Several shrank back before the ferocity of my rage, with more joining them as fireballs exploded across my open palms. “Behold the power of the future Archlord of Hell!”
With the manticore squarely in my sight, I unleashed a torrent of flame. A stream of liquid lava engulfed the monster, tearing its senses away as it roared with pain. It charged forward, through the fire, its teeth bared as it leapt into a second attack.
Wait, that wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have been able to move—it ought to have been burning to ash before my magic. What?
I took to the air just in time. The manticore swung its thick tail like a mace, the stinger pointed outwards at my heart. Smoke poured off the beast’s flanks as it sought my blood, yet not a single spark seemed to catch. It was like the thing was totally impervious to my magic.
Oh shit. I looked down at my hands. Infernal magic doesn’t work on this creature, does it?
Now I understood why everyone was so eager to see me thrown into the Lion’s Den. Not only would I have to face down this fearsome, poisonous beast without a weapon, but my magic was completely useless against it. The flames didn’t even slow the lion down!
Just to check, I unleashed a barrage of fire against the creature’s side as it passed. Nothing. The magic fizzled out at the point of damage, dissipating harmlessly into the air.
“Damn it!” I roared, becoming more and more demonic with each passing moment. “Fine! If I can’t burn you to ashes, I’ll rip you apart limb from limb!”
My claws would have to do the job. Infernal or not, they were sharp as razors. The beast couldn’t stand against those, could it? If it could, I was in a lot of trouble.
And so was Maddie.
The angel flew zigzags along the opposite side of the arena, her face a study in indecision. Maddie couldn’t figure out whether she wanted to flee as I’d commanded or jump into the ring and help me out. As my magic proved ineffective, she made her decision. Ducking into a dive, my gorgeous angelic girlfriend left a trail of feathers across the sand as she made a flying leap toward the creature.
It turned, seeing Maddie as a threat for the first time. It bared its fangs in a snarl that turned into a roar, shaking the Arena to its foundations.
“Maddie, no!” I yelled. My demonic transformation froze as my concentration slipped, one claw-tipped hand held out before me. “Stay back—”
The manticore swiped downward with a casual, almost lazy slash. Maddie’s eyes went wide as saucers as she tumbled, clutching at her side. Her beautiful robes had been torn by the creature’s claws, and crimson blood welled from the wound. She landed on her back in the sand, writhing and moaning.
The manticore stood over her, its fearsome face fixed in triumph.
The world froze around me. All my worries, my fears of looking like an idiot in front of so many students of the Celestial Academy—they disappeared in an instant, as if they’d never been there.
There was a monster. A monster about to eat Maddie.
Nothing else mattered. Not the fight, not my safety. Nothing.
“Let her go!”
As the manticore lifted both paws, I jumped directly in front of Maddie. I had no weapon to deflect the creature’s blows with, so I balled my hands into fists and hoped for the best. Behind me, Maddie gasped as my shadow covered her face.
The creature brought its paws down. I nearly sank right into the ground, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Holy shit this thing was strong!
Yet I’d stopped the blow. My fingers wrapped around its hairy paws, blood trickling down my wrists where its claws pierced me. Gasps echoed from all quarters of the arena, the crowd unable to believe my strength.
Hell, I couldn’t believe my own strength. Because the moment I’d sprung into action, putting myself between Maddie and the danger, my demonic powers had evaporated.
I was ordinary, human Luke, bleeding to death to protect his girl.
Wasn’t I?
A faint golden light filled the arena. I thought I was seeing things, or that the manticore had begun charging a spell. Then I realized I was the one making the light. That strange tingly sensation I’d felt earlier came back tenfold, like pins and needles rushing through my bloodstream. Along with it came feelings—good feelings. The kind of feelings I had while I was with Maddie: that all those old-school things like family and loyalty really mattered, that a white picket fence and a beautiful wife taking care of a dozen babies were the greatest accomplishments a man could hope to achieve.
A sense of peace filled me, even as the manticore snarled in my face. It sensed the change—more than that, it was afraid of the change. Something was beginning to happen to me.
Something I liked.
“Down, boy,” I said, pushing back against the lion-faced beast. To my surprise, it let go of me, backing up a step. The light filled the arena now, so bright it felt like a miniature sun. From somewhere far off, I heard Judyth cheering, along with the faint sounds of Gordon absolutely losing his mind like he’d just seen his favorite sports team pull of the play of the year.
Wings unfurled from my back. The manticore bowed its head, acknowledging my victory. Gordon had been right: I never needed to lay a finger on the beast. All I’d had to do was show courage.
These weren’t the wings of a demon. Bright white, feathered wings extended from my shoulders, longer and thicker than any bird of prey’s. Behind me, I heard Maddie whispering prayers of thanks.
These were angel’s wings.
Chapter 7
“I have to say, Hellspawn,” Gordon told me, giving me a pat on the back. “Your courage couldn’t have come at a worse time, but it doesn’t matter. You passed—with flying colors.”
A few minutes had passed after our victory over the Manticore. After the spectacle of my angelic powers manifesting for the first time, the crowds had mostly gone back to the drills and games they’d been playing before Maddie and I entered the Lion’s Den. The moment I’d gotten out, Gordon had been all over me—like he’d just discovered the Rookie of the Year. He’d given me a double high five, congratulating me on my victory. Judyth watched from a distance, inscrutably studying me over her drink from the chair the angel guards had brought for her.
“Luke, that was amazing,” Maddie purred. I didn’t think it was possible for my angelic girlfriend to be more turned on by me than she already was, but the manifestation of my powers had totally upped my hotness in her eyes. “That light! Those wings! You were an angel, babe! You tapped into your Celestial powers!”
I guess I had. Not for the first time, I wondered how differently my experience might have gone after meeting Christina if I’d chosen the Angel of Light, rather than the Angel of Darkness. Lucifer had made it sound as if nothing major would have happened, but I found that more difficult to believe after making the Manticore kneel. That power had a totally different energy—one I could find myself preferring to my demonic magic if I wasn’t careful.
“Yes, it was quite impressive,” Judyth said. The Headmistress didn’t sound impressed, however—she’d taken the eruption of Celestial might in the Arena as a matter of course. “Rarely have I ever seen a student take to the Fortitude School so quickly or naturally before. But then again, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve already had so much combat experience against demons—what could angels ever do to you?”
She meant it as a put-down: a way of keeping me from getting too big of a head. Judyth might have wante
d to take me to her bedroom, but she also wanted to remind me who wore the pants in our relationship. She hadn’t yet figured out that all the women who wanted to control me just ended up on their knees, begging to serve me.
She will, I thought, grinning as her insult rolled over my back. Just you wait, Miss Angel. I’m going to corrupt you SO hard.
Leaving Gordon and his angels behind (the man actually seemed a little surprised he wouldn’t be following us the rest of the way), Judyth rose from her chair and led us to the exit from the Fortitude School. I promised Gordon I’d catch up with him later, and try out some of the other games and sports available in the Arena as soon as I got the chance. But Judyth was intent on finishing our tour—and Maddie looked raring to go when it came to exploring the other Schools.
Once through the door, we found ourselves standing in a vestibule with three hallways. This was the crossroads of the other three Schools, and it was one hell of a busy intersection. Angels carrying books, satchels, and more arcane instruments made their way hurriedly down this or that corridor, doing their best not to be late for their lessons. As I turned, a little door to the side of the one we’d taken to leave Fortitude opened, admitting a harried-looking pair of halo wearers.
“Service entrance,” Judyth explained. “For those who don’t want the scenic route.”
Not very much was scenic about this hall, to tell the truth. It looked disturbingly like a section of my old college, although the furnishings and building materials were of a markedly higher quality. Each of the hallways terminated in a door, with a different word painted like the brushwork of a master above the entrance:
Temperantia. Iustitia. Prudentia.
The other three Schools of the Celestial Academy: Temperance, Justice, and Prudence.
I was itching to enter Prudence—I had a good feeling about it—but Judyth made a beeline for Temperance. As we drew closer, picking our way through the crowd of angels, a bell rang somewhere overhead. The hallways cleared out at once, leaving us nearly alone before the wooden doors leading to the Temperance School.