by Cara Wylde
“What glow?” Merrit asked. “There’s no glow.”
“No, no, no.” I was freaking out. “We have to follow them!”
“Why?”
Francis took over. I was still holding onto him. The moment I touched him, I felt him grow tense. “Merrit, I believe you can use your powers to track them.”
The mage rolled his eyes.
“If we don’t follow them, then what do we do? Go back to the Academy?”
Merrit sighed but agreed. It took him a couple of minutes to draw a circle around the place where Valentine and Sariel had stood last, mumble some words under his breath, and perform a complicated spell with gestures and more mumbled words. He wasn’t as powerful as Lorna, but he was all we had. When he was finally done, he declared that Valentine had taken Sariel to the Supernatural Council.
“What?! Are you sure? Why would he do that?” Now I was freaking out even harder. “Where is that? We have to go.”
“We can’t just show up at the Council,” Merrit protested. “I know you’re Mila Morningstar and all that, but seriously. Not a good idea. Not even for you.”
I didn’t like Merrit much, but when he said “no” to me, I liked him even less. I turned to Francis.
“We have to go. We have to be there for him.” We were the only ones who’d known and kept Sariel’s secret. We couldn’t leave him alone with my father and the Council. “You’re his best friend.”
“You’re right. I know where the Council is.”
“So, let’s go!”
“You can’t teleport on your own…”
“You’ll do it for me.” I sneaked under his long cloak and wrapped my arms around his torso. I hated the whole teleportation thing. Maybe once I learned how to do it myself, it wouldn’t be as bad. The fact that I didn’t have control over it was what made it unpleasant.
He tensed up. Completely. I looked up at him. He was staring at me with big, green eyes filled with shock and disbelief. I was hugging him, holding on to him, and he didn’t know what to do. We’d never been this close. I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it only seemed to scare him more. What the hell is wrong with him? Was he a virgin? I doubted it. Then what was his problem? I wasn’t even sure whether he was making that face because he liked having my body pressed to his side or was disgusted by it. A quick glance at his crotch was the answer to my question. He was hard. I might have blushed. While I was used to giving a bunch of guys at the Academy erections simply because I was who I was and they seemed to be turned on by my last name, it was different with Francis. It was as if I had this strange conviction that he was untouchable and unimpressionable to the point where he just didn’t have erections. Well, my conviction had been shattered. He was like any other man. Normal. His cock got hard when a pretty girl clung to him, and that was a relief, really.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “Of course I’ll teleport us.” He pulled the other flap of his cloak over his crotch. “Merrit, are you coming?”
“No, man.” The mage took a step back. “I’m headed back to the Academy.”
Pussy, I thought. He was all tough and loud until things got real.
“Do it,” I pulled at Francis’s sleeve. “Hurry.” We’d already waited too long, and I didn’t even want to think what Valentine and the Council had done to Sariel while we were here, waiting for Merrit to track them down. But what could they do to him? What was the punishment for cheating on the entry test?
Francis activated his teleportation pin, and his arm came to hold me by my waist. I could feel his fingers tremble through my clothes and his cloak, and I wondered what would happen if he touched my skin. His head would explode. Given the circumstances, it was almost inappropriate that I could still make fun of Francis in my head. Shit was going down, and here I was, plotting new ways to tease Francis, now that I knew he had a thing for me. So, I like shy guys. Sue me.
We swirled into a cloud of black smoke, and I wrapped my arms tighter around him, my cheek pressed to his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, and the soft, thumping sound soothed me. When we landed, I didn’t feel sick at all. Which means it’s not the teleportation itself, it’s Morningstar. He had a violent way of teleporting. As all things, this skill required grace. I promised myself that I would learn how to teleport gracefully. Like Francis.
We were in the middle of a room filled with people. Valentine and Sariel were in the center, before a long, massive table that was raised on a dais. There were four people behind it, two women and two men, and I instantly knew this was the Council. The others were just functionaries and people who come here with business and various cases that needed the Council’s attention. From what I could see, Valentine had interrupted a meeting by teleporting right in the middle of it, uninvited. And now, Francis and I had done the same.
“... expelled, and Headmaster Colin demoted,” Valentine was just finishing a speech that had been going on for a while. “I demand this be effective immediately.” The members of the Council were looking at him with wide eyes, while the other spectators were whispering and shuffling uncomfortably.
Sariel was standing a few steps behind Valentine, his eyes cast down. Even his tall, beautiful wings spoke of defeat. They were dragging on the floor.
“Young man, young lady, you’re not allowed in here,” a man approached us silently. He took me by the arm, and that did it. I snapped.
“Get your hands off me!” I stepped forward. The men and women behind the table were now looking at me. “I am Mila Morningstar.” As if that meant anything. The moment I said it, I realized it was stupid. What was I trying to do? What was I trying to demand? I didn’t even know what was happening.
One of the men was younger, in his forties, and the other one was older. If he’d been human, I would have given him around eighty. He was clearly supernatural. He had huge wings on his back, and their stony color made me think he was a gargoyle. The younger man was an angel, and the golden halo floating three inches above his head indicated that he was of a higher order. The women were both young and beautiful. One was a vampire with long blond hair and blue eyes, and the other one was a demoness with black hair and red eyes. Red eyes. She’s angry.
Morningstar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t say a thing to me. He didn’t want me there, and he didn’t care about what I had to say. What do I have to say, though?
“You can’t expel Sariel.” There. I said something.
“Daughter, stay out of this,” Morningstar hissed. He turned back to the Council. “Please ignore her. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about because she doesn’t understand the situation. Grim Reaper Academy needs a strong leader. Since Mason Colin has been appointed, everything has gone from bad to worse. Sariel Gracewing cheated on the entry test on his watch. This should have never happened. No student is supposed to be able to cheat on a well-developed, well thought-out entry test, no matter how hard they might try. Mason Colin failed to create an entry test at the levels expected and imposed by the rigors of the Academy, by its legacy. These are facts. Knowing what happened and how it happened, knowing that a student who is Merciful Death tricked everyone into believing he was Violent Death, we cannot go forward without implementing drastic measures, or the whole system we created will collapse. Mason Colin cannot be allowed to keep his position. He has failed all of us and disappointed us greatly.”
Shit. I couldn’t argue with that. If the entry test was so important… But why? Such strict rules… So what if Sariel was Merciful Death? That didn’t make him less of a Grim Reaper. And he was still the best student at the Academy. And when I said the best, I meant definitely better and more hardworking than me. I’d taken his top spot on the worth scoreboard only because I was Morningstar’s daughter and everyone believed they had to worship me or something, so he wouldn’t cut their balls off.
“And who would you propose, Mr. Morningstar?” the old man asked. He’d studied me for a minute while my father had
been giving his second speech. He didn’t seem particularly impressed by my presence there. The two women though… they hadn’t taken their eyes off me since I’d introduced myself as Valentine’s daughter.
Speaking of Valentine…
He straightened his back and lifted his chin. His wings spread wide, obstructing my view of the Council.
“Me. I should be Headmaster.”
The room fell silent. Not a whisper, not a shuffle, not even a breath. The old councilman narrowed his eyes at Valentine and pursed his lips. The vampire and the demoness fixed him with dark, intense gazes that spoke loudly of how much they hated the idea of him taking over Grim Reaper Academy. Still, they didn’t say a word. The high-ranked angel cleared his throat and dared to speak for all of them, although I could hear the reluctance in his voice.
“Mr. Morningstar, we appreciate your concern, and we want to thank you for bringing these irregularities to our attention. We will make out assessment and decide how to proceed.”
Morningstar took a step forward. “There is nothing to assess.” His voice was now low and filled with anger and impatience. He wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. I stepped next to him, my hand reaching to stop him. Before I could touch his arm, he slapped my hand away and took the last step that separated him from the Council’s table. He hit the floor with his scythe, and the room vibrated. “Listen to me. There is nothing to assess here. Facts are facts. Mason Colin will be demoted, and you will make me Headmaster of Grim Reaper Academy.”
The old man attempted to stand up. “This is not the way things are done,” he tried.
Valentine hit the floor again, and the whole building rumbled. His long black cloak whooshed behind him, like an invisible wind had blown it away. Magic crackled in the air. Dark magic.
“You will do as I say!”
His voice was deep and dark now. When he spoke, his scythe banged on the marble floor a third time, the invisible wind picked up, and when it blew over his face, his features changed. His whole body changed. In the blink of an eye, the strong, handsome man turned into a mummified creature. I could see his bones through thin, translucent skin, his eyeballs floating in his eye sockets, his empty chest cavity devoid of organs… I took a step back, but it was too late. I was too close to him, so when his scythe banged on the floor a fourth time, the room trembled, coffee cups were smashed, papers flew, and I was thrown a few feet in the air, like a strong force had punched me in the stomach. I landed on the floor with a thud, my back hitting a chair.
What the fuck?! Valentine Morningstar was powerful. And dangerous. Now that I saw his real face, I knew why everyone had put their faith in a silly prophecy. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
In his new skeleton form, he placed one hand on the table, and as it shook and clattered, he looked the old gargoyle in the eyes and said one last time:
“You will make me Headmaster. Now.”
But the Council was powerful, too, wasn’t it? These people couldn’t just…
“Headmaster Morningstar. Grim Reaper Academy is yours.”
Fuck.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
We were all gathered in the dining hall, students and professors. It was 2 AM in the morning, and we were waiting for the last Grim Reaper who was supposed to bring his practice students back to the Academy. Morningstar had called it all off. There wasn’t going to be any practice until he designed a test himself and we all took it. There were going to be no mistakes on his watch. He was alone at the professors’ table, while all the professors were standing before it. He hadn’t invited them up, so they didn’t dare to take their usual seats. Headmaster Colin was Headmaster no more, but Morningstar had allowed him to keep teaching Psychology. He was going to keep a vigilant eye on him, though.
GC, Paz, Francis, and I were at the VDC table. Sariel was nowhere to be seen. Since we’d come back from the Council, he’d disappeared. I tried to ask Morningstar about him, but he’d shot me one of his angry looks, and I backed away despite myself. His appearance was back to normal, but I was never going to forget how he’d changed and how he’d made the ground shake with a tap of his scythe.
“Can’t you talk to him?” GC asked me.
“I don’t think I can ever talk to him again. He’s… changed.”
“Where did he take Sariel?” Paz was just as worried as I was. It wasn’t that we liked Sariel much, but if Morningstar could get rid of a Gracewing at a snap of his fingers, then he could get rid of anyone. He could expel anyone he liked on a whim.
“In Heaven,” said Francis. He stole a glance at his phone. He’d just received a text, and now he was turning it off and putting it away. “He’s fine. For now.”
“What do you mean?” I leaned over Paz. “Morningstar just expelled him. What did his parents say?”
“He didn’t tell me. He just said he’s fine.”
The practice party we were waiting for materialized within a cloud of black smoke. Lorna, Sheba, and another Righteous Death guy emerged from it, and their mentor joined the other Grim Reapers who’d formed a separate group next to the professors. So, people have stopped dying all over the world because fucking Morningstar wants to hold his first speech as the Headmaster? There were no words to describe how big this man’s ego was. Of course no one had stopped dying. They were just going to suffer until he allowed the twenty-one Grim Reapers to return to their duties.
The new Headmaster banged his scythe on the floor, the walls rumbled subtly, and silence fell over the dining hall. All eyes were on him. Even the staff had emerged from the kitchens and were listening from behind discreetly cracked doors. I saw Corri flying around one of the hidden doors behind the MDC table, and I knew Patty was with her.
“From this day on, there will be no more mistakes,” Valentine started. “Sariel Gracewing has brought shame upon this institution, but he wasn’t entirely at fault. The fish rots from the head down.” He paused for effect, and I was glad he wasn’t going to say more about that. I actually liked Colin, and I would’ve hated to witness his public humiliation. Morningstar had class, at least. “Practice is suspended. I will spend the next few days constructing a fail-proof test that will show once and for all in which cabal our students belong. Until then, all activity is suspended. The students are not allowed to leave the Academy. There will be a curfew. The professors will work on a new, improved curriculum for year three.” No one said anything, but the professors were visibly displeased. They’d already established the classes for next year, and now he was asking them to change them according to his instructions. “Once we are sure that each student has been sorted into the cabal he or she belongs to, practice may start again. I shall be the one to decide who practices under which mentor.” Now, the Grim Reapers looked displeased. Valentine looked at them, seemingly unaware of their feelings. “You may go now.” They all vanished in clouds of smoke, happy to get out of there. Next, he looked over the dining hall. “You may all return to your dorms. Tomorrow is a new day.”
The students started making their way out of the room, creating a bit of a commotion at the exit. They were eager to gather in their dorms, away from Morningstar’s keen eyes and ears, and gossip about the latest events, call their parents, turn it into a huge drama. It already was a huge drama. I didn’t see how they could add to it. There were too many people pushing each other, so I stayed back and waited. GC, Pazuzu, and Francis waited with me. Now that Sariel was gone, me and my boyfriends had silently agreed to adopt Francis.
“Mila.”
I jumped out of my skin. He was behind me. I composed myself and tried to look normal.
“Yes?”
“A word.”
Morningstar pulled me away from the boys.
“Two things, daughter.” I didn’t like the sound of it. “One, once practice is over, you’re spending the summer vacation with me.” I wanted to protest, but he cut me off. “Two, you’re done dating GC Apis and Pazuzu Eremus.”
/> “What?!”
“They’re not good for you. I promise I will find you a proper match.”
My blood started boiling. “No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said no. I date whomever I want.”
He took in a deep breath and forced a smile to his scowling lips.
“I’m your father, Mila. I know what’s best for you.”
I took a step toward him, hoping I looked as menacing as I felt. He was so tall that I had to straighten my back all the way and lift myself on my tiptoes to catch and hold his gaze.
“You are not my father,” I said in a low, hissing voice. “You donated a spurt of cum, that’s all. It doesn’t make you a father.” He was taken aback by my disgusting vocabulary. Good. I needed to find more of those precious words he detested so much. “Oh, and two things. One, I’m taking my mother’s name. From now on, I’m Mila Angelov. Two, I am taking you the fuck down. I know about the prophecy. And it’s real. I am the only one who can retire you. I will.”
I turned on my heels before he could say anything or react in any way. Before he could slam that scythe of his and create an earthquake. I gotta learn that trick.
GC, Pazuzu, and Francis followed me quickly. We walked out of the dining room, our cloaks floating behind us, and the few students that remained stepped out of our way.
“What was that?” GC asked what the three of them were thinking.
“A declaration of war.”
END OF BOOK TWO
Book Three
Saving Year Three
CHAPTER ONE
The needle dug into my skin, moving up and down my shoulder blade at an agonizingly slow pace. I kept my eyes fixed on the wall, not really seeing the artwork chaotically plastered all over it, and my arms around the backrest of the chair I was straddling. The pain felt good. It felt real. The incessant buzzing of the tattoo machine disconnected me from the here and now. I’d picked a complex model, so I’d be stuck under the needle for at least three hours. Gloria, the tattoo artist, had tried to convince me that we could do it in two sessions. Two hours now for the black ink, and another two hours next week to add the color. Anyone who knew me could’ve guessed my answer. No. Four hours. Now. She could take her time, too. Make it five hours, Gloria. I have nowhere to be.