Demonspawn Academy: Trial Two

by Annabel Chase

  I woke up screaming and felt a hand crack against my cheekbone.

  “Ouch!” I rubbed my cheek. “What was that for?”

  “To get you to stop yelling before all ten spires converged in our room,” Sage said. She perched on the edge of my bed. “What happened?”

  “Nightmare, obviously.” I pulled myself to a seated position. And I’d managed to merge two nightmares into one. Good job, Cassia.

  “Was it about your grandfather?’ Sage asked.

  “Indirectly. This dreamcatcher has run its course, I think.” I removed it from beneath my pillow. I couldn’t bear to part with it, of course, not when Mariska had given it to me. Still, it served no purpose under my pillow.

  Rylan returned to the room with Elder Bahaira in tow. I hadn’t even noticed she was missing. Elder Bahaira took one look at me and frowned.

  “We’re going to try something new tonight,” the Elder said. She scooted Sage out of the way and took her place on the edge of my bed. “This is something called nightshade. I’ve created it in pill form.”

  “Isn’t that a poison?” Sage asked.

  “In the mortal realm,” Elder Bahaira said. “For us, it has a different effect.” She handed me two. “Swallow these.”

  “What will they do?” I asked.

  “They’ll put you in a calm state of mind,” Elder Bahaira said. “Relax you.”

  “How does that help me avoid nightmares?” I asked. “Won’t I just fall asleep and have another one?”

  “Not with this.” She gestured for me to swallow them so I did. “They take your mind to a happier place. Some people call it delirium, but you’ll experience that sensation in your sleep rather than awake.”

  “That definitely sounds preferable to what I’ve been experiencing,” I said. I swallowed the pills.

  “If she screams again, can we move her to a different room?” Rylan asked. “She’s scaring the devil out of me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t help it.”

  Elder Bahaira patted my leg. “It’s not your fault, dearest. You can’t control your unconscious self, but hopefully these pills will guide you in the right direction.”

  “Anything is better than these nightmares,” I said. I settled back down with my head against the pillow. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Why didn’t you give her these pills before if she’s been suffering with nightmares for such a long time?” Sage asked.

  Elder Bahaira looked chagrined. “Mariska didn’t like the idea of them. She called them mind-altering drugs. It’s why she gave Cassia the dreamcatcher, as a sort of home remedy.”

  “Didn’t do much good,” Sage grumbled.

  “We argued about it, but Mariska was the designated caretaker, so her opinion carried the most weight when it came to Cassia.”

  “Why was Cassia separated from us for so long?” Sage asked. “Is it because she’s a Nether princess?”

  Elder Bahaira appeared taken aback by the question. “I don’t think that’s an appropriate topic for discussion.”

  “Why not? We know the truth now,” Sage argued. “Why not just admit it?”

  The Elder’s brow furrowed. “It isn’t that simple.”

  Sage folded her arms. “You don’t seem too shocked and awed by the news.”

  “I’ve had time to adjust,” Elder Bahaira said.

  Sage narrowed her eyes. “You knew, didn’t you?”

  I gave her a sad smile. “They all knew.”

  “How can we ever trust you again?” Sage asked. “You lied to her. You lied to us. You’re supposed to be protecting us.”

  “And we are,” Elder Bahaira said firmly. “More than you know.”

  My eyelids grew heavy and I could barely concentrate on the conversation happening around me. “Good night,” I murmured. “Sweet dreams.” I heard the other girls giggle.

  “She sounds like a bounder,” Rylan said.

  “No, like Rafe,” I whispered, and drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I left for the city straight after breakfast to reveal the news I’d learned about Jessup. I stopped by the loft first and enjoyed a brief reunion with Rafe before we headed to the library to see Liesel. She squeezed me hard.

  “Thank you for everything you did,” she said. She actually sounded choked up.

  “I admit, I might have had selfish motives.” I winked at Rafe.

  “I don’t care what the reason was,” Liesel said. “You were a Nether rockstar.”

  “Did you tell her everything?” I asked Rafe.

  “I thought I’d leave that up to you,” he said.

  Liesel sat at the head of the table. “There’s more?”

  I told her about my father and showed her the birthmark. She leaned forward to examine it more closely. “Amazing.”

  “You’re not repulsed or scared?” I asked.

  She laughed. “Of my bianco diablo? Are you nuts? If anything, it makes you more appealing.”

  “Well, I have more bad news.” I paused. “Or maybe just bad news, if you’re not bothered about my demon status.” I told them what Luke revealed about Jessup.

  Liesel shook her head. “This can’t be right. He must’ve lied.”

  “Not possible,” I said. “The king said that shades can’t lie.”

  She frowned. “I guess that makes sense.” She looked at Rafe. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s time to have a talk with Jessup.” Rafe didn’t seem enthusiastic, which was understandable.

  Liesel rested her hands on the table. “I think we should take precautions. If Jessup really did orchestrate the theft, then he’s more dangerous than we ever knew.”

  “We’ll play it safe,” Rafe said. “Cassia, you wait here while Liesel and I pay him a visit.”

  “Absolutely not.” There was no way I’d let them question him without me. I needed to hear every word out of his mouth.

  “If we show up with you, then he’ll know something’s up,” Liesel said. “I feel your anger—you know I do—but Rafe is right.”

  I shook my head. “There has to be a way to include me. We’ll do an invisibility spell.” Jessup wasn’t human. He’d see right through a simple cloaking spell.

  “We’re not wizards like Mephisto. We don’t have that ability,” Rafe said.

  “No, but I know someone who does,” I said.

  “No academy kids,” Liesel said firmly.

  “Barris wouldn’t come with us,” I said. “He’d just make me invisible and then go back.”

  “No, I don’t want anyone else to know about this,” Rafe said. “What if we’re wrong? What if there’s a logical explanation?”

  I could tell that Rafe desperately wanted that to be the case. He wanted to believe that all Watchers were like him, trustworthy and honorable.

  “Then find me someone else in the city,” I said. “You must know someone who can do a basic invisibility spell.” I drummed my fingers on the table impatiently.

  “The witches will take too long,” Liesel said.

  “I can’t ask a Watcher contact anyway,” Rafe said. “Word could get back to Jessup before we speak with him.”

  “I can think of someone else we can ask,” I said.

  Rafe shot me a quizzical look. “Who?”

  I smiled. “I’ll give you a hint. He partied with Ben Franklin.”

  Rafe groaned. “Cassia, you know it’s dangerous to owe the vampire favors.”

  “This is a small one in the grand scheme of things,” I said. “Besides, I think he has a soft spot for me.”

  “The only spot he has is the one for a good vein,” Liesel said. “You can’t trust him.”

  “I don’t need to trust him,” I said. “I only need him to put me in touch with a magic user.”

  “It’s the discretion that costs you,” Rafe said. “No, let’s go back to your plan. Barris is less risky than Balthazar.”

  I rose to my feet. “I’ll be back. Don’t even think
about going to see Jessup while I’m gone.”

  Rafe held up his hands, acquiescing. “We’ll meet you here.”

  It wasn’t easy to convince the Elders to let me borrow Barris, especially when I refused to divulge the particulars. If we were wrong about Jessup, I couldn’t risk the Elders thinking that one of the nephilim was behind the attack on the academy. It could have far-reaching repercussions.

  “I’m invaluable, aren’t I?” Barris said, as we approached Liesel’s place. I hadn’t told him much, only that we needed him for a spell and he could wait at the library until we returned. Then I’d escort him back to the academy.

  “Of course you are,” I said. I pushed open the door to find the library empty. “Rafe! Liesel!”

  “I don’t think they’re here,” Barris said.

  “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” There was no sign of a struggle. I kicked one of the chairs near the table. “They left without me. I can’t believe it.” Actually I could believe it. Even though I knew they were trying to protect me, I was furious.

  “What now?” Barris asked.

  I turned to face him. “How quickly can you do that spell?”

  His eyes bulged. “Seriously? You’re going to go after them anyway? Whatever they’re doing, it must be dangerous.”

  “Yes, it is, and I want to be there.”

  “Now you sound like Sage.” He heaved a sigh. “Fine. I’ll do it, but if you die, I’m totally lying and telling everyone I didn’t help you.”

  “Deal.”

  Glowing eyes appeared in an aisle of books. Jiffy sauntered closer to us, his witch’s broom of a tail sweeping as he went.

  “Even Jiffy’s concerned,” Barris said.

  I crouched beside the tiny demon. “I’ll be fine, Jiffy, I swear.”

  “Maybe you should take him for backup,” Barris said.

  “I’m going to be invisible,” I reminded him. “I think Jiffy might blow my cover, don’t you?”

  Barris eyed the lesser demon. “I guess I’ll hang out with him. Does Liesel have any peanut butter crackers?”

  “She bought a family-sized box of them recently,” I said. “Do the spell first, then worry about his snack.”

  Barris regarded the demon. “But he looks famished.”

  “It’s a ruse,” he said. “He gives you the big eyes to make you think he’s hungry, when in reality he’s been fed five hundred times today.”

  “He’s a wily one,” Barris said. He closed his hand and held it out for the demon. “Knuckles, little buddy.”

  Jiffy sniffed his hand, probably hoping to taste something good. His tongue darted out and Barris snatched his hand away.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “What was that dramatic reaction?”

  “I thought he might mistake my hand for a knuckle sandwich and bite me,” Barris said.

  I laughed again. “You’re ridiculous.”

  By the time I arrived at Jessup’s apartment, they’d already kicked open Jessup’s door. With a crossbow strapped to her back, a dagger hitched to her side, and steel-toed boots, Liesel looked like a one-woman arsenal. Although his belongings were still evident, it looked like he’d left in a hurry. Drawers were half open and clothes strewn across the bed and floor.

  “Where do you think he went in such a hurry?” Liesel asked.

  “Depends. If he was working alone, then I guess he’s hiding. If he’s working for someone else, then maybe he fled to report on recent developments and get next steps. Either way, we have to find him.”

  “Nice effort, you two, but you didn’t manage to ditch me,” I said.

  They whipped around the room, trying to pinpoint my location.

  “I guess you did the spell, huh?” Rafe asked, mildly amused.

  I pulled the charmed stone out of my pocket, rendering me visible again. “Which turned out to be totally unnecessary if he’s not even here.”

  I crossed the room to investigate the contents on top of the dresser. There didn’t seem to be anything pertaining to the book or the academy. Just personal effects—discarded boxers that I refused to touch, a birthday card signed by the other Watchers, including Rafe, and a framed photograph of Jessup with a beautiful blonde. Their almond-shaped eyes were nearly identical in color and shape.

  “Who’s this?” I asked. “An older sister?”

  Rafe couldn’t resist a smile. “His mother, Ana.”

  “She’s the seraph,” I said, not bothering to disguise my surprise. It was a sexist assumption that the father was the so-called superior being and I disliked that it was my initial thought.

  “Yes, she lives in Dominion,” Rafe said. “Jessup visits her regularly.”

  “She’s very pretty.” Her glistening white teeth looked carved by the gods themselves. “How did she get involved with a human if she lives in Dominion?”

  “She serves as a handmaiden to one of the royals,” Rafe said. “Sometimes Ana is sent on errands in the mortal realm. Apparently she was on one of those errands here when she met Jessup’s father and they made plans to see each other again when she returned.”

  “Kind of romantic. They’re not together now?” I asked.

  “Not in the traditional sense,” Rafe said. “His mother can’t leave Dominion and his father can’t live there as a human. It’s one of many reasons such couplings are discouraged.”

  I snorted. “Couplings? You suddenly sound a thousand years old.” My eyebrows shot up. “You’re not actually a thousand years old, are you?” It occurred to me that Rafe could be like a vampire and just have the appearance of a guy close to my age, when, in fact, he was actually a disgusting old pervert.

  Rafe chuckled. “I’m not much older than you. Promise.”

  Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Does Jessup see his father?”

  “He used to, but his father moved to the west coast a few years ago,” Rafe said. “Ana was being sent to Los Angeles with more regularity so it made more sense to live there. Jessup put in for a transfer, but a Watcher spot in L.A. is tough to snag.”

  “Prime real estate even among the nephilim, huh?” I moved on from the photograph to see if the rest of his possessions yielded any clues.

  Rafe shrugged. “It has its perks, if you’re into youth and beauty.”

  “Yet here you are in Philly with cheesesteaks and soft pretzels,” I said. “Sucks to be you.” I opened and closed each drawer of the dresser, rummaging through his belongings. There was no sign of anything helpful.

  Rafe dropped to his knees to search under the bed. “I think Philly has its perks too.” He caught my eye and smiled.

  “Can you two flirt in private?” Liesel asked from the closet.

  “Why? You do it all the time in public,” Rafe said.

  “The Elders apparently considered having the academy in Los Angles,” I said, “but they decided there was too much smog.” Which turned out to be a boon for me because I likely wouldn’t have been brought there. Elder Sam found me in Trenton, New Jersey and the academy’s close proximity was part of its appeal.

  Rafe resumed a standing position. “I, for one, am deeply grateful for that decision.”

  Before he could say anything more, Liesel’s phone buzzed. “I have a lead on Jessup,” she said.

  My whole body seemed to be on high alert. “Where?”

  She frowned at the phone. “The mall.”

  “Why on earth would he go to a mall right now?” I asked.

  “Maybe because he knows we’re looking for him?” Rafe asked. “We’re not going to cause a celestial scene in the middle of a busy mall.”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t make sense. If he knew we were onto him, wouldn’t he leave town? Hiding at the mall isn’t a long-term solution.”

  “Only one way to find out,” Rafe said.

  We left the apartment and took to the skies west of the city. It wasn’t a peaceful journey like when we flew to Ash Acres. Instead of rolling hills, we glided over clogged highways until we arrived at
a sprawling mall with a cluster of large buildings and a seemingly endless gray parking lot.

  “If I hadn’t already been there, I’d say this is what hell probably looks like,” I remarked.

  “Humans seem to love it here,” Rafe said. “Though I think places like this will eventually pass into the annals of history like the dinosaurs.”

  We entered through the automatic doors and were immediately confronted by a rolling robot with a map of the mall as its face.

  “Where would you like to go today?” the robot asked. “I’m here to help you find your way.”

  “Can you find me Jessup?” I asked. “Nephilim. Brown hair. Wings. Kind of a jerk.”

  “I am not familiar with Jessup,” the robot said. “Would you like ladies’ apparel?”

  Liesel snorted.

  “Not today,” I said. “Thanks.” I turned to Rafe as the robot rolled toward the next couple of consumers. “How are we going to find him in a mall this big?”

  “We should split up,” Liesel said.

  Rafe seemed to notice Liesel’s arsenal for the first time. “Maybe you should’ve left those behind.”

  “Relax, I’m fully cloaked,” she said.

  “I know, but you can’t use those weapons here,” Rafe said. “It’s too dangerous for the public.”

  “No,” Liesel said, her eyes flashing with menace. “It’s too dangerous for that scheming backstabber.”

  Rafe relented. It was clear that Liesel wasn’t going to change her course of action and I wasn’t about to stand up to her in her present condition.

  “Fine. I’ll take the Pavilion,” Rafe said.

  “I’ll head to the section with sporting goods,” Liesel said. “He’s probably looking for a new set of golf clubs with his dirty money.”

  “In that case, I’ll take luxury goods,” I said. “If someone has paid him off, maybe he wants to show off his newfound wealth.”

  I cloaked myself so that I could fly to the upper level and explore the high-end stores. I didn’t know Jessup well enough to guess his style, so I started at one end and began peering into each shop as I went.

  I spotted him ahead, emerging from a Tory Burch store with a shopping bag. I didn’t know what Tory Burch sold, but I hoped it wasn’t weapons because I had no way to reach Rafe or Liesel to update them.