“Just gather a bit of sunlight around you, like this,” Grace says. She focuses, and a glow wraps around her and then vanishes again. “It keeps you toasty warm.”
Grace and Cyrus head into the bank, and while we wait Araceli works on pulling light around herself like a warm winter coat. I want to try it also, but doing so would reveal that I can use my angelic magic, and I can’t have that. So instead, I just shiver, while she makes herself toasty warm.
“You’ll figure it out,” Araceli says while rubbing my shoulder, and I feel another pang of guilt for deceiving her. “Soon all this angel stuff will make sense, I promise.”
“Thanks,” I say.
“Araceli!” Zane practically skips along the street toward us. “What are you doing here on this lovely morning?”
“We’re going shopping,” she says with a laugh. “Care to join us?”
“I’d love to escort such beautiful ladies.” He gives her a wink and then takes her arm like a gentleman. The two of them stroll off down the road, forgetting about me completely. It’s tough to ignore a succubus, but love will do that, even the first stirrings of it. I’m not mad, though. I hope it works out for them. Plus, I enjoy the taste of their lust growing too.
Grace and Cyrus walk out, and they chuckle when they see Araceli has ditched us. “I guess that’s going to be a thing,” Cyrus says, delighted by this new gossip.
“Seems that way,” I say.
“They’re cute together,” Grace says.
“We can hear you,” Araceli calls back.
We all burst into giggles, and for a second I feel something rare: happiness. It’s easy to pretend with these people. They’re friendly and open with me, accepting me into their fold even though they’ve only known me for a week. I wish it all wasn’t a lie.
As we walk down the street and admire the cute little shops, I chat and laugh with the others, but I also remind myself I’m here for a reason. When Cyrus and Darel slip inside a clothing shop for men, I use the opportunity to grill Grace and Araceli some more. I need to get all the information I can.
After we get a coffee at a little stand on the corner, I ask them, “Hey, have you heard any rumors about a secret society on campus?”
“A secret society?” Araceli asks with a little laugh. It sounds forced, and her eyes dart side to side. “At Seraphim? No way.”
Grace waves her hand dismissively. “Those are just rumors. They go around every year, and everyone speculates on who got invited to join and who didn’t, but then they die down again because there’s nothing to them.” She shrugs. “Sorry. It’d be pretty cool if the school did have one though.”
I take a little sip of my coffee. “I figured it was just a crazy conspiracy theory.”
It’s hard to tell if they know anything or not, although Araceli definitely reacted oddly. Was she invited to the meeting tonight? Or Darel, I wonder, as he walks out of the men’s shop empty-handed and heads straight for my roommate?
Cyrus appears at my side carrying a shopping bag. “Where to next?”
We wander through town for the rest of the day, and even though I tell myself I’ll only spend a tiny bit, the prices are higher here than in Los Angeles. After buying a pretty day planner to keep track of my assignments, some pictures to hang in our dorm room, plus a pair of jeans I spied through a window, my wallet is a lot lighter. I guess angels can afford a premium price so they can have a place where they don’t have to hide their wings or their magic. It’s common here to see someone flying overhead, or glowing softly as they pass by, and everyone seems to know everyone else. Except me, of course. I still get the weird looks and the hurried whispers, although with friends at my side, they don’t bother me quite as much.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Olivia
That night, I silently move through the forest toward the location on the invitation, wearing the white mask and robes. It’s pitch black out here, with no moon to light my way, but it doesn’t bother me. Here on top of the mountain it’s so clear it’s like I can see every single constellation in the sky—very different from where I grew up in Southern California.
Soon I come upon a small clearing where two people in white robes and masks are already waiting. I can’t tell who they are, but they must be first years like me. One of them is probably Tanwen, knowing my luck. Both robed figures give me a nervous glance as I take a spot in the clearing a little distance away from them. We all stand around awkwardly as a few more people walk in, until there are fourteen of us total. I’m not surprised—seven is a sacred number for angels, just like six is for demons.
People in gold robes and masks suddenly emerge from all sides of the forest, surrounding us in the clearing, and it’s hard to tell how many of them there are. One of them has a gold crown over his or her mask, and when they speak, the voice is unidentifiable. “Congratulations. You have been chosen from all of the angels at this school to possibly join the Order of the Golden Throne, the most ancient secret society in this world. Created three thousand years ago, the Order has been working from the shadows to guide humanity and angels on Earth for all of history. We recruit directly from the academy from both students and professors, and when you leave this school you will go on to become leaders of angel society.” The leader pauses and glances among the people in white robes. “However, just because you received an invitation to tonight’s gathering does not mean you have been accepted into the Order. No, at the moment you are initiates only, and to join the Order you must pass three tests. Only then will you become a full-fledged member at the end of the school year.”
If this secret society went back that far, then my parents gave me a seriously lacking education. I’ve been starting to figure that out over the last week, but it’s a lot worse than I realized, and there’s so much I don’t know. This secret society stuff sounds like more of the “angels are holier than thou” philosophy I can’t stand, but I’m pretty sure my brother was a member, and this is the only clue I have so far. Which means I have to pass whatever tests they’re going to throw at me.
“Before we give you the first test, we want to talk about our core values,” the leader continues. “We believe angels are superior beings, and our purpose is to control Earth from the shadows to guide humanity to a brighter future. We believe demons are evil and must be eradicated from Earth to protect humanity. And finally, we believe that loyalty to the Order is paramount, along with discretion. You must not talk about the Order or this meeting with anyone, even if you do not become a member. We will find out if you break this rule, and there will be consequences.”
Oops, guess I already broke that rule. I wonder what these dire consequences will be?
The person to my right snorts, and he must be thinking something along the same lines. All of the golden masks turn toward him at once, and he visibly stiffens. There is nothing more unnerving than a dozen or more people in masks all staring at you.
“Do you find this amusing?” the leader asks, in their unnatural voice. “Initiate?”
The person—who I assume is a man based on their body type, though I could be wrong—adjusts their mask. “No, it’s just that everybody already knows about the Order. People talk.” Like the leader, this person’s voice is masked somehow, just like their face.
“See that you are not one of them,” the leader orders. “Now, you may wonder why we have chosen you to become initiates. We have been watching you for some time, and at least one of our members has nominated you because we believe you have the traits we are looking for. Some of you come from a well-respected angelic family, while others have shown a strong hatred for demons or a willingness to help guide humans toward the light. Do not question yourselves. If you received an invitation, then you deserve to be here—but keep in mind that only a few of you will make it to the final trial.
“For the first test, we ask you to demonstrate your utmost loyalty to the Order. To do so, you must steal an item from a professor, or even the headmaster, if you so da
re. Make sure you don’t get caught, as you will likely be suspended or fired for such an act. You have a month to procure this item, after which you’ll receive another invitation to the next meeting, where you will present it to us. Make sure it’s something good, or we might reject your offering. Should we accept it, you’ll be given the second test. Good luck.”
With those last words, the golden-robed people step back into the darkness of the forest and disappear, leaving those of us in the white robes standing around awkwardly. We glance at each other, but since we can’t recognize anyone, we can’t really size up our competition.
I can’t help but wonder who nominated me. I don’t meet any of their criteria, and I find it hard to believe they would invite the half-human with unknown parentage. Either someone knows who my father is, or I’ve been invited for some other reason. For all I know, it’s a prank. Or maybe the invitation was meant for someone else, and it got put in my room by accident.
Whatever the reason, I’m taking advantage of it. I have no interest in actually becoming a member of the Order, or in any of the things they believe in, but I feel like I’m on the right path. My gut tells me this secret society is the key to finding Jonah, which means I’m going to pass whatever tests they throw at me. Bring it on.
After I return to my room, I find myself unable to sleep, and my mind drifts back to the night I met Jonah.
A noise outside my window got me out of my bed in a hurry. Father had just left, and Mother rarely came to see me, except in dreams sometimes. Whoever was out there couldn’t mean anything good for me.
My current round of foster parents didn’t pay much attention to me, so they hadn’t noticed when I hid a baseball bat under my bed. I grabbed it and flattened myself against the wall, then peeked out the window with the braveness of a ten-year-old who was used to taking care of herself, but also knew there were definitely monsters out there that might get you.
To my surprise and relief, a gangly boy about my age pressed his face against the glass. I was on the second story, but his wings kept him hovering at my level. I gaped at him for a minute, and then I cracked open the window, raising my bat, just in case. “Who are you?”
“Jonah,” he said, a little too loud. “Who are you?”
“Shhh! I’ll ask the questions.” My foster parents watched a few too many police shows on TV and they were rubbing off on me. “Why are you flying around outside my window?”
“I came to see why my dad was visiting you,” the boy said. “I followed him here.”
“Your dad?” I blinked at him and lowered my bat, then spoke without thinking. “He’s my dad too.”
“Really?” Jonah’s face lit up.
Uh oh. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about my real parents. Father was teaching me about my people, and he warned me many times that if they found me, they’d want to hurt me, but I was too excited at the prospect of meeting someone else like me. I opened the window all the way and waved Jonah inside.
“You have to be quiet.” I sat on my bed and set the bat beside me. “I’m Olivia, but you can call me Liv.”
Jonah didn’t sit, and instead vibrated with excitement, his wings still out. They were sparkling white with silver streaks, and I really wanted to touch them, but I knew that wasn’t okay. “You’re my sister?”
I nodded while biting my lip. His hair was dark blond and his bright smile looked nothing like my own, so it was hard to believe we could be related. His blue eyes were almost gray, while mine were a strange green that people usually commented on when first meeting me. “How can you fly? I thought angels don’t get their wings until they’re twenty-one.”
“I got mine when I was seven,” he said, as he looked around the room, checking everything out. There wasn’t much there, since I’d only moved in a few weeks ago. “Mom says it’s rare, but it happens sometimes.”
“Who is your mom?” Could it be possible? Was there someone else like me?
“Archangel Ariel.”
“Oh,” I said, disappointed. He was a full angel, and I was…not.
All of a sudden, Father appeared in the room in a flash of light, and Jonah and I both let out a cry of surprise. He took us in, looking stern and scary. “Jonah, what are you doing here?”
Jonah looked up at his dad with defiance. “I wanted to know where you sneak off to sometimes. Why didn’t you tell me I have a sister?”
“It was for Olivia’s protection. No one is supposed to know about her. Not even you.”
“You should have told us.” I got a little warm glow in my chest for siding with Jonah. I had a brother. I wasn’t totally alone anymore.
Father pinched the brow of his forehead with a sigh. “Perhaps you’re right. But Olivia is safer if no one knows about her. Jonah, I’m going to have to get Jophiel to wipe your memories. I’m sorry.”
“No!” we both cried out.
I grabbed onto Father’s sleeve and looked up at him with eyes on the brink of tears. “Please, Father. I don’t have anyone. Don’t take Jonah away too.”
He stared at me, and for once, his hard demeanor melted. He touched my head gently in a rare act of tenderness. “All right. But you both need to promise me you will never tell anyone about each other. That goes especially for you, Jonah. None of your friends can ever know about Olivia.”
“And if I promise, I can come back and visit Liv?” Jonah asked.
“Yes, whenever you want,” Father said.
“Then I promise!”
“Me too!” I chimed in.
Father grabbed us both in a hug, and as he held us there, I felt something rare…belonging. I had a family. I wasn’t alone.
From that night on, Jonah came to visit me regularly, and we kept our promise. He didn’t care that I was half-demon, because I was his sister. He told me all about the angel world, and his visits were the highlight of my life. And then he disappeared, and I remembered what it felt like to be completely alone in the world again—and I swore I’d do anything to find him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Olivia
On Monday, Bastien, Callan, and Marcus walk into the cafeteria as Araceli and I head out after breakfast. Stiffening, I try to sidestep them, but they plant their big selves in my way.
Of course.
Marcus gives me a suave smile, but it has a bit of a predatory gleam. “In a hurry?”
“I hope so,” Callan growls. He’s my least favorite of the Princes, by far.
This time I’m not going to hide from them like a coward. I refuse to budge, and just cross my arms and glare at them until they huff and pass around me. Another point for Liv. For anyone else I would’ve politely sidestepped, but not these jerks. They can get out of my way.
With a small grin, I stroll out of the cafeteria, with Araceli gawking at my side. “That was great,” she says as she glances behind us, like she’s worried they might come after us. “As soon as I saw them, I ducked out of the way without thinking, but you stood up to them.”
I shrug a little. “It’s no big deal. I just don’t think they have the right to waltz around like they run the school.”
“You and me both, but I’m not crazy enough to challenge them. You’re brave, girl.”
My good mood lasts me precisely until it’s time for Combat Training to start, and I’m faced with Tanwen kicking my ass again. Surprisingly, she doesn’t. Not surprisingly, she’s so busy kissing up to Callan that she forgets to bother me. I spend the time sparring with Araceli and Darel, while getting little snacks from their lustful energy, along with Callan. Because even though Tanwen wants him, he wants me.
I keep my guard up for the rest of the day, but it passes without any major complications. Marcus and I ignore each other in Demon Studies, where Professor Raziel is still teaching us about the Fallen. In Angelic History, Professor Kassiel tries to pretend I don’t exist and fails, and I squirm the entire time listening to his sexy voice. While he lectures, I stare at the stubble on his neck and daydream of running
my tongue along it. If I want to pass that class, I need to get control of myself. Afterwards, Bastien spends our time together grilling me about my childhood. It sounds more like he’s looking for loopholes in my story than a way to figure out what my Choir is. The session only makes him grumpier.
At dinner, I grab some pizza and sit at our normal table with Araceli, Grace, and Cyrus. Darel, who Araceli is already half in love with and fully in lust with, joins us too. It’s nice to have a group of friends, even if I know our friendships can’t last. They’ll never stay friends with me if they find out what I really am, or that I’ve been deceiving them, but for now it’s nice.
“What are these flyers I’m seeing around campus for a football game against demons?” I ask.
“It happens every year,” Cyrus says. “We have games against the demon school, Hellspawn Academy, and with the fae school, Ethereal Academy, as part of a way to build connections with them in a friendly environment, or some shit like that.”
Darel smirks. “I heard it’s so we can go up against them without having any real consequences. Burn off some steam and let out that aggression, since it’s illegal to actually fight them.”
“So, there’s a demon academy too?” I ask. “Is it seriously called Hellspawn Academy?”
“It really is,” Cyrus says. “They don’t consider it an insult, believe it or not.”
“The games are pretty fun, even though no one is allowed to use their powers,” Darel says. “No flying, no burning light, none of that. But we can still use our superior speed and strength since supernaturals all have those. It makes for a pretty fast-paced and intense game.” He grins. “I made it onto the team this year, so you all need to come to the games.”
Araceli flips her hair and smiles. “We wouldn’t miss it.”
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