It’s impossible. Succubi and incubi—known collectively as the Lilim—are doomed to live a life with many lovers but no real love. We can’t get close to humans without killing them, and angels, demons, and fae are not much better off. We can sleep with supernaturals more than once without killing them at least, but over time we still drain them dry. It would require a group of very strong supernaturals to withstand the insatiable hunger of a succubus, and finding that is damn near impossible. If my mother, who has lived for thousands of years, hasn’t found lasting love, I have no hope of it either.
But then he’s shoving my panties aside, and I forget all of that. The only thing that matters is this moment with him right now, with his mouth on my neck and his cock sliding inside me. He thrusts hard, filling me up, caging me between him and the wall. Every time his hips rock into mine, I feel his delicious lust giving me power and strength, temporarily sating my hunger. I lean my head back and close my eyes, partly because it feels too good, and partly so he won’t notice my eyes have turned black—a side effect of a succubus feeding.
He lifts me up and wraps my legs around him, and his mouth finds mine again, claiming it with every touch of his lips and stroke of his tongue. I normally feel nothing when I have sex with random strangers, but right now I can’t stop feeling. Sex with this stranger in a suit is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, and it’s intoxicating.
As he pounds harder, he hits me in just the right spot, and I’m close, so close. He takes my chin in his hand and captures my mouth again, sending me over the edge. I cling to his body as the climax hits me, and I feel him join me in release only moments later. I’m hit with a wave of power so strong it would knock me off my feet if I wasn’t already wrapped around this man. His energy is so much stronger than anything I’ve encountered before, and I feel like I’ve fed on ten men instead of just one.
I don’t know what he is—but I can tell he’s not human.
He breaks the kiss and looks at me in surprise. “You’re a succubus.”
He knows.
I push him away from me, my heart pounding, my eyes wide. They’re still black from feeding, confirming what he just said.
There are only three people in the world who know what I am. Until now.
I’ve made a huge mistake.
I throw open the door and run out of his hotel room as fast as I can. He shouts, “Wait!” but I’m already around the corner and banging on the elevator call button like my life depends on it, while simultaneously yanking down my dress. The elevator opens immediately and I rush inside, then press the Door Close button. He makes it to the elevator just as the door shuts.
I collapse against the mirrored wall, trying to catch my breath. How did he know? I made sure to keep my eyes shut, which means he must have sensed it when I fed on him. Shit, shit, shit. I should have known a guy that hot wasn’t human, but I was hungry and reckless, and ignored everything my parents taught me. They will lock me up forever if they hear about what just happened.
I’ll have to put in my resignation at the bar immediately. I might even need to leave the city. But he doesn’t know my name or anything about me other than that I work at this hotel, and he doesn’t live in Los Angeles. I won’t ever see him again. I hope.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia
“And as a reminder,” Uriel says, “flying is allowed over the campus, the surrounding forest, and to the nearby town of Angel Peak, but nowhere else. Thank you, and have a wonderful year at Seraphim Academy.”
Other students stand up, and I blink rapidly as the world comes back into focus. Orientation is over, and I have no idea what happened after Professor Kassiel was introduced and my mind went back to that night we met. He told me he just moved to Northern California. He said he was a history professor. He obviously wasn’t human. Dammit, I should have made the connection. Except Jonah went missing only a few weeks later, and I completely forgot about the encounter. Until now.
How am I going to get through this year when one of my professors knows what I really am?
Everyone starts to file out, and I hope I can slip out in the crowd without Kassiel seeing me. As I follow Araceli into the aisle, a tall, imposing man moves in front of me. Bastien’s eyes narrow as he blocks my path. “Headmaster Uriel would like to speak with you in his office now.”
I’m completely taken off-guard and dumbly ask, “He does?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it? Follow me.”
I cast one last look at Araceli, but there’s no way she can save me. Why would Headmaster Uriel want to see me? What does he know?
People move out of the way like Bastien is a snake who might bite them, and we’re outside the auditorium quickly, putting me out of sight of Kassiel at least. Bastien walks down the path and I walk beside him, my movements stiff. He doesn’t say a thing, even though I keep glancing over at him. I can’t help it. There’s something about him I find so intriguing. I want to peel off his hard shell and arrogant layers and see what’s lurking underneath.
He takes me to a two-story Victorian house that seems out of place on campus, and leads me inside the front door. “This is the Headmaster’s house,” Bastien explains in a clipped voice. There’s an ornate staircase made of dark wood, and a blue and gold Persian rug under us, but the home feels cold and unwelcoming.
“Do you live here also?” I ask.
“Of course not. I live in the dorms now, like all other students.”
“But you did before?”
His tone grows sharper with every question. “Yes, I grew up here.”
I’m so curious about what it was like to grow up as Headmaster Uriel’s son, living here on campus as a child. And what about his mother? Is she in the picture? But Bastien’s glare makes me keep my mouth shut.
He stops outside a dark wooden door. “This is the Headmaster’s office. Please wait inside, my father will be with you shortly.”
“Will do.” I hesitate at the door. Okay, just one more question. “Are you his assistant or something?”
He scowls at me. “I am, yes.”
He turns on his heel and leaves me there. I’m so tempted to sneak around the house and poke through Uriel’s things, or even better, find Bastien’s childhood room, but I’ve heard rumors about Uriel, and I worry he’d know what I was doing, even with my necklace on. Probably a bad idea—I don’t want to get kicked out on my first day of school. Or killed.
I step into the office and sit in one of the black leather wingback chairs in front of his thick mahogany desk. He has a bookcase with ancient-looking books on it bound in leather, some of the titles so faded I can barely read them. Old relics are scattered around the room—an antique globe on the corner of his desk, a silver sword with a sapphire in the hilt hanging on the wall, and a glass case with a single feather inside that seems to be made of darkness itself.
The door opens and Uriel steps inside. I stand up quickly, my heart skipping a beat. He’s even more unnerving up close. He has the same subtle radiance as Father, except he’s like the sun on a cold, winter day—it may be bright, but it’s not exactly warm.
“Thank you for meeting with me.” He moves behind his desk and takes a seat. “You may be seated.”
I sit down again. “Bastien said you wanted to speak with me?”
“Indeed. I’ve been informed that you didn’t know you were half-angel, and that you don’t know who your father was. You also haven’t had any indication as to what Choir you belong to. Is that correct?”
“Yes. This is all new to me, and I’m still not entirely sure I belong here.” Keeping my face neutral under his scrutiny isn’t easy.
His cold smile makes me shiver a little. “You do. Of that, I have no doubt. However, it might take some time for your powers to emerge like your wings did, especially if you have unconsciously been suppressing them. I’d like you to spend some time with Bastien privately so he can better assess you.”
I nearly groan, but manage to keep it s
ilent. “Assess me? How?”
“He’ll use his powers as an Ofanim to detect truth, plus he’ll run some tests and ask you some questions.” Uriel holds up a hand in a gesture of placation. “Nothing too extreme or invasive, I promise.”
I try not to squirm in my seat, but the thought of being alone with Bastien while he studies me like a lab rat makes my skin crawl. On the other hand, this might be the perfect chance for me to do a little assessing of my own to find out what he knows about Jonah’s disappearance. “If you think it will help, I’m okay with it.”
“Excellent.” Uriel hands me a piece of paper with my new schedule on it. Where it read to be determined before, it now has instructions for meeting with Bastien at the library at the end of each school day. “With Bastien’s help, I believe we’ll be able to learn more about you, starting with your Choir.”
“Great,” I manage to squeak out. Except I already know which Choir I belong to, I don’t need any help awakening my powers, and I definitely don’t want anyone knowing more about me. Especially Uriel.
Except every time he stares at me I feel he like already knows every one of my secrets. A chill runs down my spine as his gaze falls to my chest. “That’s an interesting necklace.”
I drop my hand quickly as I realize I’ve been playing with the necklace for the last few minutes. It’s a nervous habit of mine, and one I need to quickly squash if I’m going to stay here at Seraphim Academy. “Thank you.”
“Such a unique design. Gold with an alexandrite gem, is it not? It reminds me of something I saw long ago. A fae relic.” He arches an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you know anything about that, now do you?”
“I don’t even know what a fae is, really.” I shrug, and it takes all of my acting skills to remain calm. “I think it’s just costume jewelry, but it was my Mom’s so it has sentimental value.”
“Of course,” he says, although I’m not sure he’s convinced. He closes the file he had open—my file?—and rests his hands on the table. “I hope you enjoy your time here at Seraphim Academy and find everything you’re searching for. Should you ever need any assistance or have any questions, please visit my office any time.”
Everything I’m searching for… Does he know why I’m really here? I can’t tell if he’s just being polite or if there’s a hidden meaning behind his words, but the way he’s looking at me is creeping me out, and I quickly jump up. “Thanks,” I croak out, before I rush through the door.
I nearly crash into Bastien on my way out of the house, and he gives me a withering look. “Running away, are we?”
I turn around, gather my inner strength, and straighten up. I won’t let these jerks intimidate or bully me. I’m not leaving the school, not until I figure out what happened to my brother, and they’ll just have to deal with it. “Hardly. In fact, I’ll see you tomorrow at the library.”
A flicker of confusion crosses his face, and then he scowls and rushes back into the house. Uriel didn’t tell him. A slow smile spreads across my face.
Day. Made.
Chapter Twelve
Bastien
I storm out of the house, my hands balled into fists at my side. It’s just like my father to do this without asking me first, or even telling me his plans. It’s probably another one of his experiments, which you’d think I would be used to after twenty-two years of them, but he always manages to surprise me. The most ridiculous part is that he can probably discern the half-human’s Choir much easier and quicker than I can, but he claims this is a training exercise for me. Another test to see if I am worthy of taking his place someday.
Uriel only had me in the first place because of necessity. When the Archangels saw how quickly other angels were breeding now that we lived on Earth, they worried they would lose power without any children of their own to potentially take their place someday, thus they all made a pact to have at least one child. Archangel Raphael had already had plenty at that point, but he sired Marcus anyway as part of the deal, and two more children since. My father agreed to the plan reluctantly, and chose another Ofanim to ensure that his child would have be of the same Choir. My mother, Dina, was a very well-respected prophet, but she had no love for my father and no desire to raise a child. She did it out of duty, and as part of the deal she gave me up when I was a small child to be raised by Uriel. I’ve only seen her a few times since she left.
Thus the Princes came about—five male children sired from the Archangels. Azrael’s son Ekariel was the first, but he was killed when he was a child, presumably by demons, but no one can confirm that. Marcus and I were born next, followed by Callan and Jonah, who were sired by not one but two Archangels each, which means they face high expectations from the entire angel community. That’s one reason it was even more of a shock when Jonah went missing. Of course, he didn’t actually disappear—a few of us know where he went. But he should have returned by now, and it’s troubling that we haven’t heard from him at all.
I’m thinking about Jonah and our promise to him when I walk into the student store, which is a misnomer since nothing in here costs money. I still need to pick up my books for my second year at Seraphim Academy, and when I step inside it looks like many other students are in the same situation. The student store is filled with books, gym uniforms, and anything else we might need for our classes. It also has some snacks and things for our dorms, such as sheets, towels, and so forth. There are also a few items of clothing, ranging from important things like emergency underwear to sweatshirts with the Seraphim Academy logo on it. Everything in here is provided by the school at no charge, although students are expected to only take what they need. If someone is caught being excessive or greedy, they may have their privileges revoked at the student store and the cafeteria. It works as a good deterrent because no one wants to be that person who isn’t allowed a meal, or who has to use their own money to buy something. The angel community is small and tightknit, and the potential shame keeps people in line.
I head for the textbook section and pick up the one for Human Studies, and when I turn I spot the half-human walking down the aisle while checking a piece of paper. There is no avoiding her.
Olivia stops beside me and grabs the Demon Studies textbook off the shelf. She cocks her head. “Are you following me?”
“Hardly. I have to get books too, just like every other student.”
“Except you’re not just like every other student, are you?”
“What does that mean?”
She gives a little shrug, drawing my eyes to her bare shoulders and her smooth skin. “I’m told you get certain perks like your own private lounge in the bell tower. I’m sure there are other things I don’t even know about too.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice is even colder than usual, but she doesn’t react at all. Any other student in the school would be running for the hills with the look I’m giving her, but she seems immune to intimidation.
“Why don’t you instruct me then? Or is that what you’ll be doing in our sessions?” Her dark eyebrows lift up and her words sound dirty, although that might just be her voice. Everything she says sounds sensual. The woman is dripping sex appeal, and even though she’s very much not my type, it’s impossible not to notice it.
I scowl at her. “In our sessions I will be studying you to determine what your Choir is. Nothing more. With luck, we will uncover your powers quickly so I can stop wasting my time on you.”
She shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
She turns and moves on to the next shelf to find another book. As she grabs it, I stare at her and try to sense something, anything, about her Choir. Most people’s Choirs are obvious. Her roommate, for example, has an aura that screams in your face that she is a healer, a Malakim. The Valkyries are also obviously warriors, Erelim, and were practically born shooting burning light from their fingertips. But this half-human is a mystery. I can’t read her aura at all, which worries me. I’ve never met anyone like that before. Is it because of h
er human side? Perhaps she doesn’t have any powers. I’ll need to do some research on other half-humans to better know what to expect.
I’m not looking forward to the sessions with Olivia, but it will give me a chance to study her better. Callan wants the girl gone as quickly as possible, and doesn’t care what he has to do to achieve that goal. He’s always been the type to set his eyes on something and make it happen, no matter who he has to shove out of the way to get it done. Marcus, on the other hand, thinks we should get to know her in order to learn about her connection with Jonah. But Marcus always thinks with his dick, and it’s clear he wants to fuck the half-human too. He’s not exactly picky, after all.
And me? My eyes narrow as Olivia saunters away, her hips swaying enticingly as she grabs some gym clothes in her size. I want to study her until I uncover her secrets. I’ll tear down every wall she’s hiding behind, until her past is laid bare and all of her truths are naked and on display. Then I’ll know what to do with her.
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia
The next morning, I wake with a hard pit in my stomach. Classes start today, and my gut churns at the thought of attending Angelic History. There’s nothing I can do about it other than leave the school, which I’m definitely not going to do. I’ll just have to hope that Professor Kassiel doesn’t recognize me. It’s been four months. Maybe he’s forgotten me entirely. I doubt it, but I don’t know what else to do. If he does bring up that night, I’ll deny everything—although I can’t imagine he’d want the Headmaster to know he slept with a student either, especially not when he’s just started working here.
It takes me a while to get ready because I have to work around Araceli. I haven’t lived with another person since I turned eighteen and got out of foster care, and I forgot what a pain it is to share a bathroom. Demons get their powers at eighteen, and when you have a new guy or girl in your bed all the time it’s a lot easier to deal with when you live alone. On the other hand, it’s also a lot less lonely with Araceli around, and trust me, it’s hard to forget she’s there. She’s constantly singing to herself, dancing around the place, and generally filling the suite with her presence. I can see this getting annoying fast, especially because angels are all morning people and I am definitely not, but at the moment I find it somewhat charming.
Seraphim Academy 1: Wicked Wings Page 6
