“Have you detected any lies from me?” I ask.
His eyes narrow. “Not so far, but we’ll see what happens during this session.”
“I have no reason to lie,” I lie. I nearly touch my necklace, but I have it tucked away inside the collar of my shirt today. I don’t need anyone else noticing it and becoming suspicious, and I have to trust that it will keep me safe. Mother wouldn’t have given it to me unless she thought it could handle even the strongest Ofanim.
“We’ll see about that. I’m going to use the light of truth upon you now, which should reveal more about you to me.”
He holds his hands close together and a glowing white light appears between his palms. He lets it get bigger and bigger until it’s almost the size of his torso, and then he releases it toward me. I cringe as the light surrounds me and feel a little tingle, but nothing else happens. His scowl deepens and I know the necklace is working.
“Do you see anything?” I ask, trying to look and sound innocent.
“No. Very unusual. I should be able to detect something, but with you I get absolutely nothing. It’s almost like there is some type of magic blocking it. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“No. I don’t know a thing about magic.”
He leans forward with determination in his gray eyes. “I’ll try again.”
He continues casting different truth spells on me, but still doesn’t get any of the information he so desperately desires. A sense of satisfaction forms in my chest when I see how much trouble he’s having, and it gives me confidence that I might actually be able to pull this deception off long enough to find Jonah.
“Has anyone tested your blood?” he asks.
I stiffen a little at the thought. Would they be able to detect demon blood in me? Probably. I shoot him a look of confusion to show I’m just a simple-minded human. “No, and I don’t think I’m okay with that.”
“Very well,” he grumbles. He’d obviously love to stick me with all sorts of sharp objects, and maybe even that one in his pants from the way he looks at me sometimes and the little buzz of lust I detect from him. I can’t decide if he wants me, hates me, or just sees me as one big puzzle. Maybe all of the above. I think that’s how I’m going to get to him. If he sees me as some mystery he can solve, then he might be more inclined to open up to me about Jonah. If any of the Princes will know about his disappearance, it’s Bastien.
He steeples his fingers on the table. “There are other ways to tell what Choir you belong to. We’ll go through a list of questions. First of all, have you felt anything when someone has lied to you recently? Like a strong sense of wrongness?”
“No, I haven’t felt anything like that. But maybe no one has lied to me.”
“I doubt that, but let’s try it now. The sky is orange. Anything?”
“Nope. Nothing.”
“Hm. I do find it unlikely you are an Ofanim. Perhaps a Malakim? Have you ever touched an injured person or animal, or even a plant that was dying, and had it heal or come back to life?”
The questions continue on for the next hour and I answer in the negative for every single one. When our time is up, he’s more frustrated than ever and no closer to getting any answers. He instructs me to meet him again at the same time and place tomorrow so he can run more tests, ask me more questions, and generally get even more frustrated.
The game is afoot, and I find myself quite liking it. I’ve always enjoyed a good game of deception, and if he can help me find my brother, I’ll do whatever it takes, and I’ll be whoever I need to be…as long as I win.
That night, after finishing dinner in the cafeteria, I tell Araceli I’m turning in early when we head back to our dorm. I wait until I’m sure she’s in her own room, and then I quietly slip out onto the balcony wearing all black, with my hair tied back. I let my black wings unfurl, and carefully float down to the ground without making a sound. I haven’t mastered flight yet, but I can at least land carefully.
My wings disappear, and I pad across the grass quietly, sticking to the darkest parts of the campus. At night, the grounds are pretty empty. Angels prefer daytime, while the night is for demons. My time.
At first, I don’t see anyone outside. This is almost too easy. Then I hear some giggling and some hushed whispers and spot a small beam of light behind a tree. A man and a woman together, doing something that only increases my hunger. The succubus inside me is tempted to go over and feed off of them, but the angel in me sneaks past without them noticing.
When I reach the main hall, I hide in the shadows, watching the light from the bell tower. The Princes are up there, as I hoped they’d be. Every now and then I spot a glimpse of Callan pacing through the tall windows, but I can’t get a better look at what they’re doing without flying up there, and they might see or hear me if I do that. I wait, and wait, and just when I think I might need to return tomorrow night, Marcus walks past the window. That’s all the confirmation I need.
I sneak back to the dorms and go up to the fourth floor. Thanks to Father, I have the gift of invisibility, like every other Ishim. I use it now by bending light around myself to hide from view as I pick the lock on Marcus’s door—something Mother taught me. It takes me a few minutes, and I keep glancing around, worried someone will spot me even with my necklace and my powers, but the hallway is quiet and empty, and finally the lock picks do their job and the door clicks open.
I don’t bother turning on a light as I quietly slip inside. I don’t need it, thanks to my demon vision. The living room area is a lot like the one I share with Araceli, although this one has more personal touches in it, like some pictures on the walls. There’s also a much bigger TV. I don’t spend much time snooping around in here, and instead head for one of the bedrooms.
This one has the covers thrown back, along with clothes hanging over the back of the desk chair, and a red guitar tucked in the corner. This must be Marcus’s room. I catch a glimpse of a photo on his desk with Marcus, Archangel Raphael, and a ton of other guys who look similar to them, but I leave the room. I have no idea when Marcus will be back and I need to hurry. As much as I’d like to go through all of his things—in the name of finding my brother, of course—I don’t have time.
The other bedroom is completely the opposite. The bed is made, and everything is tidy, like it hasn’t been touched in months. The sheets are a dark hunter green, Jonah’s favorite color, and on the nightstand there’s a picture of him and Grace by the lake. I touch his pillow, where I can almost see him lying in bed while reading one of the horror novels he loved so much. I run my hand along the desk, disturbing a light coating of dust, and imagine Jonah sitting here doing his work. I palm the worn baseball sitting in the corner and picture him throwing it in the air. My heart squeezes, my chest tightens, and I close my eyes as worry for my brother takes over.
I shake it off and go through his desk, but all I find are flyers for a pizza place in Angel Peak, some pens and pencils, and a few dusty paper clips. Nothing exciting. I was hoping to find a laptop or his smartphone, but I’m sure someone else got to them first.
Next I open his closet door. His clothes are hanging inside, and I rifle through them. I spot his baseball uniform and another pang of longing hits my chest. I check the rest of the closet, and I’m about to give up when I find a garbage bag on the floor in the back. Inside is a long gold robe and a matching mask, exactly like the one I got, except for the color.
I don’t know what it means, but it’s the only lead I have. Now I definitely have to attend that meeting—or whatever it is—this weekend.
I hear the front door open and shove the robe back in the bag and in the closet. Going invisible again, I stay still as I hear Marcus’s footsteps move through the dorm. He pauses at the doorway to Jonah’s room, and I realize I left the door open. He frowns, turns on the light, and then stares at the bed. I hold my breath as the seconds tick by, and I think for sure my cover is blown. I can’t help but stare at the grief on Marcus’s face, but I see somet
hing else in his eyes too—guilt maybe? Or am I imagining that because I just want to see it there?
He closes the door, and as soon as he’s gone I can breathe again. I wait until he moves into his own room, and then I quietly sneak out onto the balcony and escape. That was close.
And now I’m one step closer to finding out what happened to Jonah.
Chapter Eighteen
Olivia
My second day of classes go about as well as the first. This time in Combat Training we’re not paired up at least, so Tanwen doesn’t get to beat me up today. Instead, we go through some basic stretching and martial arts poses to help us build our balance and practice getting in different positions. It’s a nice break after yesterday’s beat down, and since I’ve been doing yoga for years, I’m actually not too bad at this. Araceli and Darel make googly eyes at each other during the entire class, while Callan stands in the corner with his arms crossed, shooting daggers at me with his eyes as I stretch, emphasizing my assets to drive him a bit mad.
In Flight, we practice taking off by jumping from a ledge on to a soft padded area in the gym. I make a show like I’m still learning and fall a few times, and the mean girl posse nudges each other and laughs every time. You’d think grown-ass women would be above this stuff, but I guess some things never change.
In Demon Studies, I’m forced to sit behind Marcus again, and he gives me another of his charming smiles that no doubt makes most girls melt. If he keeps it up, it might work on me too, but for now I’m holding strong. That might change depending on how hungry I get.
Professor Raziel walks in wearing a white suit with a bowtie with green polka dots. “Hello class! Today we’re going to discuss one type of demon, the Fallen. This is probably the demon you’ve heard the most about, so it seems fitting to start here since there are many misconceptions about them, and about their leader, Lucifer. What can you tell me about the King of Hell?”
“He was once an angel,” Marcus pipes up. “All the Fallen were.”
Raziel nods. “Yes, and what you might not know is that Lucifer was actually an Archangel. What else?”
“He left and went to Hell,” Blake says.
“That’s right, he did, although many people debate the exact reason why. Some say it was because he wanted more power. Some say it was because he disagreed with the way the Archangels were running things. Some say he saw an opportunity and took it. Maybe all of these things are true. Who knows? What we do know is that he left Heaven, the land of light, for Hell, the realm of darkness. There were already many different types of demons living there, but they were all separate tribes who sometimes fought against each other. When Lucifer became the King of Hell, he united these different groups and turned them into one organized Legion under his rule. Many angels followed him, mainly those who were also disillusioned with the Archangels, and others who were simply loyal to him. These angels all changed as they adjusted to Hell, and they started to feed on darkness and control it, much like we do with light. They became the Fallen, and their Deadly Sin is pride.”
As he goes on about the Fallen, I wonder how this class would be taught by the other side. The Seven Deadly Sins are an angel creation—demons don’t talk about themselves like that. And I notice Raziel doesn’t mention that the Fallen represent the sin of pride because angels are so damn prideful already.
Also, demons tell a different story as to why Lucifer fell. According to them, he left for freedom. Not just for himself and for those who followed him, but freedom for humankind. Lucifer disagreed with the angels’ belief that humans need to be guided, or as demons call it, “controlled.” Demons believe freedom is the most important value, sometimes even to the point of anarchy and chaos. As such, Lucifer left the angels and banded together the demons to enact his own plans on Earth. That’s not to say he didn’t also do it so he could gain power and have his own people to rule. There are multiple sides to every story, and a little bit of truth in all of them.
Before we leave the class, Raziel says, “Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I’m going to pair you up with another student, and together you’ll do an in-depth report on one type of demon, which I’ll assign to you. I’d like you to focus on finding historical, religious, and mythological figures from Earth who are known to be that type of demon, and write an essay on them. This will be due at the end of the year and will count as your final exam. Now, let’s see here…”
He begins to pair people up, and I already know I’ll be paired with Marcus because that’s just my luck. All I can hope for is that we won’t be assigned the Lilim to study—that would be way too close to home.
“Marcus and Olivia,” Raziel says, as I expected. I think even the professors have something against me. “You’ll be studying imps.”
Well, at least there’s that.
After another awkward Angelic History class with Kassiel, and an unproductive session with Bastien, it’s a relief to head back to my room to relax. Although there won’t be much relaxing, because my succubus hunger is strong, and I need to do something about it before it gets so bad I’m giving fuck-me eyes at every angel I see. That’ll lead to doing something that can blow my cover. Nope, I need to nip this problem in the bud fast, but first I need a cup of coffee and a few minutes to chill after a long day.
I exit the elevator and pull out my key, but then I freeze. Spray-painted on my door are the words YOU DON’T BELONG HERE in long black letters. It’s a shock to see something like that, and for a long moment I can only stare at it. Then I glance around, but there’s no one else around. Even if there was, I doubt anyone would be sympathetic, or tell me who did it. Not that I can’t guess. I’m sure it was Tanwen, and I grit my teeth as I unlock the door and step inside. She can bully me all she wants, but it’s not going to work. I’m here to stay.
Chapter Nineteen
Olivia
After spending so much time around so many tempting men, I need to feed sooner than I expected. Most succubi need to feed on a human once a week, and before I got my angelic powers I was the same. After I turned twenty-one, I learned I can feed on light the same way angels do, although it doesn’t completely sustain me. I still need to feed my succubus side once every few weeks. Sex with Kassiel lasted me longer though, and Mother said that would be the case if I fed off of supernatural beings, especially powerful ones.
Only problem is I can’t feed at the school, because it’s way too risky. I’ve never fed on an angel before except for that time with Kassiel, and we all know how that went. I have to assume some of the other angels might be able to recognize me as a succubus too, which means I’m going to have to go somewhere off campus, and not to Angel Peak either. There’s a small town on the main road at the bottom of the mountain, and I should be able to find what I’m looking for there.
I wait until Araceli is asleep, which is easy because she snores, and then I sneak out and head for the parking lot. I hop in my car and drive off, narrowly missing what Araceli told me is Callan’s convertible. I’m tempted to nick it, since it wouldn’t be more than he deserves, but I leave it be this time.
No one stops me on my way out, but I feel a keen sense that someone is watching me as I drive out of the gate. No doubt there are cameras recording me, but why should I care? This isn’t a prison, and I can come and go as I please.
It feels like an even longer drive down the mountain, especially in the dark. I take it extra slow around some of the sharp turns near steep cliffs. By the time I reach the bottom of the mountain, I’m seriously regretting not flying. I’ll have to make this quick if I want to get back in time to actually get some sleep before class tomorrow.
I stop at a dive bar with several trucks and cars outside, and figure this is probably my best bet for tonight. I check my makeup and smooth my hair in my rearview mirror, and then I get out of the car. I’m wearing a tight little red dress and some fuck-me heels that always get attention, especially with my curvy legs and hips. I’m not vain, but I am a succubus after all, and
we’re pretty damn good-looking. It’s part of my nature to use my looks to my advantage to feed.
The bar is dark inside, with tacky neon beer signs, clichéd sayings framed on the wall, and sawdust on the floor. The pickings tonight are slim, but I survey the bar, taking everyone in. My eyes immediately hone in on a hot guy sitting against the wall with dark hair, a short beard, and no wedding ring. Perfect.
His head turns my way, and when our eyes lock, I give him a come-hither smile and put a little of my power into it. Not that I really need to, but I’d like to make this quick so I can head to bed. I have more classes in the morning, and I need to be alert in case I’m paired with Tanwen again for Combat Training.
A slow grin spreads across my mark’s lips, and I think, wow this is too easy, as I start walking toward him. He stands and heads in my direction, and I worry maybe I used a little too much power on him already, but then he says, “Excuse me,” and brushes right past me. My mouth falls open as he leaves the bar.
Damn, are my skills rusty, or what?
I smooth down my dress, brush off my ego, and charge forward. There are four other guys in the bar, and two of them have wedding rings, which knocks them out of the running. I might be able to seduce them, but I won’t. I don’t mess with married people. I may be a sex demon, but I have some principles. Maybe that’s from my angelic side.
That leaves two guys, and one is at least sixty with a huge bald patch, while the other looks like he hasn’t showered in a week. The only other people without wedding rings are in groups or pairs, and those would take a lot more time to work on. There’s also the bartender, but I don’t want to do anything with her in case I need to come back again. That leaves these two men. When I get close, the stench from no-shower guy makes this an easy decision. I sit next to the older man, trying not to get weirded out by the fact that he could be my dad, if my dad was human. The irony is that Father looks about half this guy’s age, but is thousands of years older. That’s immortality for you.
Seraphim Academy 1: Wicked Wings Page 9
