Demonspawn Academy: Trial Two

by Annabel Chase

  “They began in this realm as humans, but they were imbued with mystical qualities that allow them to not only live extended lives, but perform the duties necessary to preserve the balance.”

  “Who created them?” I asked.

  The woman’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Are you here for the name of the Brother or for a tutorial on the Brotherhood?”

  “Can’t it be both?”

  Her laughter rippled through the quiet air. “As much as I appreciate a sharp mind, I’m afraid our conversation has come to an end, Cassia. The Brother you seek lives outside the city.” She gave me the address.

  I gaped at her. “You know my name.”

  The woman replaced her hood. “It is my duty to stay abreast of all the forces of darkness and light.”

  I was a force? “Which one am I?” I asked.

  A faint smile touched her lips. “Can’t it be both?” With those words, she disappeared in a flash of light that momentarily blinded me. When I regained my sight, Rafe and Liesel stood on either side of me.

  Liesel stared down at the pieces of the ritual. “I can’t believe it didn’t work. I’m going to write a strongly worded letter to the publisher of that book.”

  “There’s no need,” I said. “I have the address.”

  Two pairs of eyes fixed on me. “You spoke to a Brother?” Liesel asked.

  “No, a woman. She said she was their conduit.”

  “Probably a seer,” Liesel said.

  Rafe turned his attention to the darkness around us. “It’s too late to go now. We’ll have to leave it until tomorrow morning.”

  “You’re welcome to stay here,” Liesel said. “I have plenty of towels.” She bent down to tidy up the remains of the ritual.

  Rafe’s gaze met mine. “You’re welcome to stay at the loft too. Whatever you want.”

  Liesel stood, her arms laden with materials. “What was I thinking? There’s no room here. Or towels. I don’t have spare anything right now. Sorry, that was so thoughtless of me.”

  “Good thing I have another option,” I said, trying not to grin from ear-to-ear. A night alone with Rafe again. It felt like a gift from the gods.

  “Do you want to come with us tomorrow?” Rafe asked.

  Liesel tilted her head. “I do, but I can’t. I have to meet a couple Watchers for a research project. That’s what happens when you’re the knowledge specialist and all the other nephilim are morons.” She rolled her eyes. “Present company excepted of course.”

  Rafe chuckled. “We’ll update you if we learn anything. Thanks for your help.”

  “Yes, thanks,” I said. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Aw, shucks. You’re making me blush. Now get out of here, you two. Go stare adoringly into each other’s eyes.” She made a puking sound.

  “Good night, Liesel,” I said.

  Rafe and I flew back to the balcony of the loft in mutual silence.

  “You take the bedroom,” he said, as we entered. “I’m happy on the couch.”

  “I wish I’d have known I was staying overnight,” I said. “I would’ve packed a bag.”

  “You know I always have spare clothes,” he said. “Though maybe you should think about leaving a spare set here, you know, in case of any future emergencies.”

  I stared at him. Was he really suggesting I leave personal belongings in his loft? That sounded extremely couple-y.

  “Maybe even a toothbrush,” he added. “Like I said, for emergencies.”

  “You’ve gone from being repulsed by me to wanting me to keep a toothbrush here?” I couldn’t hide my confusion.

  Rafe gripped my shoulders. “Cassia, I was never repulsed by you. Never. Please don’t think that.” He ran his fingers through a strand of my hair. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Really?” By the devil, I hated how hopeful I sounded.

  “More than you know.” His gaze lingered on me and I felt the magnetic tug of attraction.

  “Why didn’t you try to reach me?” I asked. “You could’ve apologized sooner…” And saved me from heartache.

  He laughed. “How? You have no phone. No technology. You live in a hidden academy in the clouds.”

  My shoulders sagged. “Fair point.”

  “I’m glad you’re here now, despite the circumstances.”

  I managed a smile. “There always seem to be circumstances.”

  He lowered his head and kissed me. Hot blood coursed through my veins as his hand snaked around my waist. I drew back.

  “Careful,” I said. “Elder Sam is only a couple thousand miles above. If he hears anything untoward, he’ll be down here with a flaming sword.”

  “Elder Sam seems like quite the guardian,” Rafe said. He pulled me close and I leaned against his broad chest.

  “Why do you smell like a pine forest? You remind me of Faerie.”

  His chest vibrated against my cheek when he laughed. “I’d love to claim it’s my natural scent, but it’s probably my soap.” He stroked my hair. “When will you be able to leave the academy?”

  “This is my last year,” I said, my voice slightly muffled against his chest. “Then I’ll be free to live wherever I want.”

  “They can’t keep you if you don’t want to be there, though, can they?” he asked. “I mean, if you decided you’d had enough tomorrow, could you just move out?”

  The thought had never occurred to me. “I guess I’ve never felt the need to leave. I like it there. It’s my home.” The only home I’d ever known, in fact.

  “I’m not suggesting you should leave right now,” he said. “I was just curious. What’s the draw?”

  “It isn’t like other schools,” I said. “I’ve been there since I was an infant.”

  “It’s too bad Charlie didn’t get the chance to attend,” Rafe said. “Based on what I’ve seen, I have no doubt the Elders could’ve helped him.”

  I tipped my head back to look at him. “I know they could have. It’s one of the reasons I want to find Charlie’s killer. I don’t want to risk another cambion being deprived of the opportunity. Every one of us deserves a chance.”

  He offered a rueful smile. “Even me?”

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him again. “Especially you.”

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning we flew north of the city where tall buildings gave way to green rolling hills. The difference in landscape in such a short distance was remarkable. Because of where the academy spires were located, my main view was of the hustle and bustle of the city and its sprawling suburbs below. The pleasant pastoral landscape was a welcome change.

  We landed on the outskirts of a farm, where I spotted a wooden sign with the name Ash Acres painted in white.

  “This is the address,” I said.

  “We should probably travel the rest of the way on foot,” Rafe said. “Just to be safe.”

  We trudged through fields, carefully avoiding the variety of animal excrement along the way. Dozens of horses, cows, sheep, and goats dotted the landscape.

  “The Brother seems ready for the ark,” Rafe said.

  I laughed. “It’s a farm. What do you expect?” I asked.

  Rafe pointed at the pair of horses grazing near the fence. “Have you noticed the animals?”

  “Kind of hard to miss them.” I gestured to another cow patty on the ground in front of us.

  “There are pairs of each type,” Rafe said. “A black stallion and a black mare. A Jersey cow and a Jersey bull. The choices seem deliberate.”

  We passed by the barn and I noticed pigs eating from a trough. “He’s got more than two pigs.”

  “Probably different types,” Rafe said. “I bet he has a male and female of each kind. See? Two are spotted.”

  “Okay, maybe you’re on to something.” I had no idea how farms worked. Maybe that was completely normal. Then I remembered the purpose of the Brothers. “I bet it’s about maintaining balance.”

  “That makes sense,” Rafe sai
d. “Albeit extreme.”

  “They’re an entire Brotherhood of mystical men,” I said. “I think we left extreme back at the station.”

  A gunshot catapulted me into Rafe’s arms.

  “No trespassers,” a gruff voice said.

  “Put down your weapon,” Rafe said firmly. Neither one of us reached for our swords.

  I shifted my feathers aside for a view of our bald and burly assailant. He wore a plain white T-shirt and jeans. The tattoo on his arm was a dead giveaway.

  “You’re the Brother of Solomon,” I said.

  He scowled, still holding the rifle in a ready position. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  My hands flew to my hips. “Oh? You painted those entwined snakes on your body because you think they’re pretty?”

  “Cassia, not a great idea to antagonize the man with the gun aimed at us,” Rafe said under his breath.

  The Brother glanced casually at the tattoo. “They represent balance in the universe.”

  I stared intently at him. “Which is exactly what you and your Brothers try to maintain. Isn’t that right?”

  His eyes glinted in the sunlight. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Cassia. I’m a cambion, as I’m sure you know.”

  He shrugged. “Never heard of it.”

  “Fine. Play pretend.” I inclined my head toward Rafe. “My friend here is pretty adept at loosening lips.” My cheeks grew flushed at the mention of Rafe in the same sentence as loose lips. Not the best analogy.

  “I think you’re misguided as to which one of us has the advantage right now,” the Brother said. He wiggled the gun.

  “Why were you stalking Charlie Mancini?” I asked.

  His eyes flickered with recognition. The reaction was small, but it was there.

  “I don’t know that name and I’ll thank you to get off my property before I shoot again. This time, I promise not to miss.” He kept a finger on the trigger.

  “Charlie is dead,” I said.

  The Brother winced at the news. He didn’t know. I was sure of it.

  “We’re trying to find out what happened to him,” I continued.

  He lowered the rifle. “When?”

  “Yesterday,” I said.

  “How did you find me?” he asked. “This place is secret.”

  I offered a wry smile. “Yeah, even the best secrets have a way of rising to the surface, especially when you know the right ritual. I’m Cassia and this is Rafe.”

  The Brother observed my companion. “Nephilim. What are you doing with her?”

  “We’re working together,” Rafe said. “I’m a Watcher assigned to the city. Let’s just say that our interests intersected.”

  The Brother lowered the gun and offered his free hand. “The name’s James.”

  I shook his hand. “We’re sorry to turn up unexpectedly. We know you were seen outside Charlie’s house before he died and we had a few questions.”

  “I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you want to know,” James said. “I would never hurt a kid.”

  “It would help to know more about why you were keeping tabs on him,” Rafe said. “Maybe it’s related to his death.”

  “Gods, I hope not,” James said. He waved us forward. “Come on to the house. I’ve got fresh lemonade.”

  We accompanied him to the main farmhouse. I was shocked to see two small children on the floor of the wraparound front porch. They were playing with a small rubber ball and little metal pieces.

  “It’s okay, kids,” James said. “Friends not foes.” He cast a glance over his shoulder at us. “Isn’t that right?”

  The two boys were cambions, as evidenced by their tails and talons. Other than those physical attributes, they appeared entirely human.

  “This is Kai and Xan,” James said.

  The boys watched us with a mixture of fear and interest.

  I gave them a reassuring smile. “Hi there. I’m Cassia.”

  “I like your wings,” Kai said. He looked at Rafe. “Yours too.”

  “Thanks, buddy,” Rafe said. He ruffled the boy’s hair in a slightly awkward gesture. I realized that Rafe didn’t have much experience with kids. I mean, I wasn’t an Elder, but I’d spent time with the little ones at the academy on occasion. It was a rare treat to leave the main spire and interact with others, even if they were babies.

  “Your hair is really white, like my toothpaste,” Xan said.

  “Thanks,” I said. “I have albino genes from my human side.”

  “At least we know he has good dental hygiene,” Rafe whispered good-naturedly.

  “What’s an albino?” Kai asked.

  “Shouldn’t your eyes be pink?” Xan asked.

  “I’m not a full albino,” I said. As usual, I hoped to avoid a discussion about my background. It was always a challenging conversation for me because I didn’t know anything about my human side.

  James pushed open the screen door and we walked straight into the kitchen. A teenaged boy with bright purple hair washed dishes at the sink while a younger female cambion dried them and put them away.

  “I’d like you to meet Margaret and Nathan,” James said. “Got some visitors, kids.” He pulled a pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator.

  The cambions regarded us curiously.

  “You’re seraphim,” Nathan said.

  “Don’t let the wings fool you,” I said. “I’m a cambion like you.”

  “And I’m only half seraph,” Rafe said.

  “Nephilim.” Nathan’s gaze was steely and distrustful.

  Rafe seemed to want to put the boy at ease. “I’m not here to hurt anyone. I only want to help.”

  “Nephilim only want to rid the realm of our kind,” Nathan said. He turned off the faucet and dried his hands on a dish towel.

  “Nathan has an interesting background,” James said. “He came to us from California a few years back.” James filled three glasses with lemonade and brought two to the table while Margaret brought the third and set the glass in front of him. James sat at the head of the table and Rafe and I took seats to his right and left.

  “I had a Whistler after me,” James said. “He nearly killed me when I was seven. Apparently once they target you, they keep coming for you until they get their mark.”

  Chills ran down my spine. If that were true, it explained the Whistler that found me in the city. Then again, it wasn’t the same Whistler that tried to kill me as an infant, so maybe Nathan’s theory was wrong.

  “You’ve been on your own that long?” I asked. I studied the gangly teenager with his bony limbs and shocking, spiked hair. Nathan could be me if circumstances had been different. Or I could be him. I took a sip of my lemonade. It was reassuring to know there was still goodness in the world, even in liquid form.

  “I was a foster kid,” Nathan said. “The families tried their best, but they didn’t know what to do with me. They could tell I wasn’t normal.”

  I cocked my head. “What kind of demon are you?”

  “A leuce demon,” he replied, “but my only power is that I can turn anything I want into a tree, including people.”

  “And therein lies the problem,” James said.

  “I accidentally turned a cop in California into a poplar tree during an environmental protest,” Nathan said. “I didn’t mean to.”

  “He fled,” James said. “The authorities knew the cop was missing but had no clue what happened.”

  “That’s when I met Jacob,” Nathan said.

  “One of the Brothers on the west coast,” James explained. “Jacob was able to use the help of the local coven to restore the officer to his human form and have him drink from the cup of oblivion.”

  “Jacob sent me here,” Nathan said. “He thought the farm would be a good place for me, plus I can plant trees. Good for the environment.”

  “What about you, Margaret?” I asked.

  Margaret joined us at the table. “I’m part oneiri demon.”

 
Rafe’s brow lifted. “You can influence dreams?”

  “Where’ve you been my whole life, Margaret?” I asked. “I could use someone like you.”

  The young cambion fiddled with a splintered piece of wood on the table. “You suffer from nightmares?”

  “On occasion,” I said. “They’re pretty unpleasant.”

  Margaret bit her lip. “I can do either.”

  “Don’t piss her off,” James said, smiling. “She got into a tussle with another cambion—Peyton. She’s not here anymore, thank the gods. Anyway, Peyton woke up in a cold sweat screaming her head off after Margaret got done with her.” He chuckled.

  “She deserved it,” Margaret said softly.

  James patted her hand. “That she did.” The Brother looked at me. “We don’t let them stay if they make life difficult for the others. Peyton was a problem.”

  “So you just let her go back into the world to be everyone else’s problem?” Rafe asked. “Seems risky.”

  “Peyton wasn’t dangerous,” Nathan interjected. “She was just a bitch.”

  “She was part banshee,” James said. “She wailed a lot.”

  “How many cambions live here?” I asked.

  “It’s a fluid number,” James said. “The farm only serves as a halfway house to some. I don’t hold anyone here against their will.”

  “Don’t you think it would be safer to keep them here though?” I asked.

  James shrugged. “Maybe. Believe me, the Brothers debate this issue a lot. We don’t take our responsibility lightly.”

  “Do you all offer sanctuary to cambions?” I asked.

  “Nope,” James said. “Some of us are strictly devoted to maintaining the balance. Anything else is seen as a distraction.”

  “But you don’t see it that way?” I asked.

  James glanced at Xan and Kai, who’d entered the kitchen and were staring wistfully at the lemonade. “I see this as helping to achieve that balance. The more cambions you have running around the mortal realm, unsure about their abilities and identity—that’s a recipe for disaster.”

  “My dad wasn’t keen on raising a daughter by himself,” Margaret said. “He wasn’t with my mom anymore. She deposited me on his doorstep one night and he never saw her again.”

  “She’s the demon, presumably,” Rafe said.