“She’s undisciplined,” Callan says, his voice disgusted. “People without proper structure never make their bed in the morning.”
I roll my eyes. “I bet you make yours every day.”
“Of course I do. It sets the tone for the day. Order and control.”
From what Callan’s told us, I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael drilled that into him. Everyone thinks the former leader of the Archangels was a damn saint, but Callan’s hinted at another side to him. A dark side.
Bastien digs around in her desk and looks under her bed, while Callan throws open the closet doors and begins pulling out her clothes and tossing them on the ground. I cringe at this major invasion of privacy, but I don’t stop them.
Callan glares at me. “Why’d you come if you’re not going to help?”
“This is wrong,” I mutter. “Seriously wrong.”
Even as I say it, I move to her drawers and begin pulling them open. The top drawer holds her panties and bras. She likes dark lingerie, the color of jewels, and there’s not a granny panty in sight. Lace the colors of rubies and sapphires tempts me, but I only look long enough to make sure there’s nothing hidden in the drawer.
“Fuck.” I slam the drawer shut. “Leave that drawer alone,” *I warn Callan, but of course, my words make him come straight over and open it.
He sucks in a fast breath. “That’s...” Looking at me out of the corner of his eye, he slams it shut, too. “No big deal. Pull the drawer out and sling them around the room.”
Nope. Can’t do it. If I touch those frilly things, I’m going to run out of this room and find Olivia immediately. Instead, I pull out the next drawer, which holds several pairs of jeans. I can handle that. Taking my time, I pull them out one at a time and shake them to unfold them, then fling them around the room. Meanwhile, Bastien has found Olivia’s planner, and is studying it like it might hold the secrets of the universe. From what I’ve seen of Olivia’s room so far, I doubt it contains anything important. She’s too careful. Almost like she knew something like this might happen.
By the time I’m done emptying out her jeans and socks, Callan has pulled out the rest of her closet, and Bastien’s ripped out all the pages of the planner and scattered them around the room.
“No sign of any white robes,” Callan says. “She must not be an initiate.”
Well, that’s a relief. The last thing we need is for Olivia to be mixed up with the Order too.
Bastien examines her shoes carefully, and then picks up one of her sexy little heels, the ones she wears when she sneaks out at night. He presses something inside of them. “There, now we’ll be able to follow her next time.”
“What was that?” I ask.
“A tracker.”
It keeps getting worse and worse. I feel like the biggest jerk in the world. “Can we leave now?”
“One last thing.” Callan picks up a mug, half-full of coffee, from her bedside table. It has a phrase on the side. “I’m a fucking angel,” he reads, and then snorts. He pours the coffee out on her bed, then throws the mug against the wall, hard. With a crash, it breaks into a dozen pieces and falls to the floor. He looks at me with hard eyes. “Now we can go.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Olivia
After Flight, Araceli and I head back to our room to change and heat up some leftovers for lunch while we study before our next classes. It’s been over a month since Darel was killed, and she’s doing a little better, although I worry she’ll never return to her once-perky self.
When we walk into the dorm room, my bedroom door is open. That’s odd. I always close it. As I stand in the doorway, my heart freezes and jaw drops. It’s totally trashed. There are clothes thrown around everywhere, the pages have been ripped out of my planner and scattered around, and there’s coffee all over my bedspread.
“Liv?” Araceli calls out, sounding worried. She peers over my shoulder and gasps. “Oh my gosh. What happened?”
I shake my head as I survey the destruction. I don’t even want to walk into the room, but I take a step forward. It was bad enough when my car was attacked, but now this. I’m sure it’s retaliation for going into Tanwen’s room and messing with her gym clothes, but everything she’s done to me has been so much worse than what I did to her.
“Oh, Liv, your planner.” She picks pieces of paper off the floor and sighs.
Tears threaten to fill my eyes, but I take in a deep breath and blink them back. These are only things, and I’m not that attached to them. There’s only one thing I’m attached to, and I glance around for it. My mug from Jonah was on my bedside table. Where is it?
I pick up clothes around the room and then I spot the mug on the floor.
In pieces.
The tears fall then. Everything else in this room meant nothing to me, but that mug? It was the one connection to Jonah I allowed myself. My most valuable possession. And now it’s gone.
Araceli puts her arm around me. “I’m sorry someone did this.”
My hands clench at my side. “It has to be Tanwen.”
“Probably.” She sighs, and then throws my empty planner in the garbage can. “Come on, I’ll help you clean this up, and we’ll go shopping this weekend.”
“Thanks, Araceli.” I pick up the tiny pieces of my mug, wiping the tears from my eyes as I drop the shards on top of my destroyed planner.
After she leaves the room, I shut the door, and pull the desk out from the wall. Behind it is a little hole I made where I keep my Order robes and mask, plus a huge wad of cash. Luckily it’s all undisturbed.
I report the break-in of my room to Headmaster Uriel, and he says he’ll investigate it, just as he said the same thing about my car. So basically he’s no help at all. I’ll have to deal with Tanwen on my own.
I’m five minutes late to my meeting with Bastien, and he gives me an icy stare.
“You’re late.”
“Deal over it,” I snap. I’m so tired of getting shit from everyone, I can’t even tell you. “Someone trashed my room, and I was busy reporting it to your dad.”
“I see.” He pauses, and I think he might actually say something nice for once, but then he starts walking. “We’re going to watch the Malakim work today.”
“Fine, whatever.”
We head over to the infirmary, in the same building as the Ishim classes. A blond woman wearing a flower-print flowing dress greets us at the door. “Hello Bastien. What can I do for you?” Her face grows concerned. “Are you injured?”
“Not at all, Professor Lydia. We were hoping to observe the Malakim at work to see if it helps us identify her Choir.”
“Of course. You’re in luck, actually. We had a mishap during Erelim training today and have a young lady in here needing to be healed.”
We step inside and I look around for Araceli, but she must have Malakim training during another period. I spot Marcus immediately, and when our eyes meet, his forehead creases in concern. It must be obvious from my face that I’m both hurt and pissed.
He’s sitting beside a bed, and lying on it is a Valkyrie girl a year ahead of me, whose name is Gwen. I’ve never spoken to her, but she’s joined in on Tanwen’s taunts, and I glare at her. It’s hard to be too mad at her though, because she’s holding her arm and wincing, and I can see a painful-looking burn running along it.
“Gwen here was burned during class, and although her body would be able to heal this in a few days, it’ll be very painful until then. As such, Marcus here is going to practice his healing and help it along. Go ahead, dear.”
Marcus lifts his hands and they begin to glow, almost too bright to look at. He holds them over Gwen’s arm and within seconds the burn disappears, soft pink skin knitting over the spot where the blisters were.
“That was amazing,” I whisper. I don’t have to act. Watching an instant healing is impressive, even if it’s not my affinity.
“Did you feel anything?” Marcus asks.
“No, sorry.”
Ba
stien lets out a huff and walks away, no doubt disappointed I’ve foiled him once again. Gwen thanks Marcus, and then gets up and heads to talk to Professor Lydia, without even giving me a second glance.
“Are you okay?” Marcus asks, lightly touching my arm.
I run a hand through my hair with a sigh. “Yeah, just having a rough day. Thanks.”
“I can help you with that.”
“If you’re offering sex, I’m so not in the mood.”
“Not this time, though I’m open to that too.” He winks at me. “We Malakim can help soothe the mind and the body in other ways though.”
“I don’t know…”
“C’mon, let me try. It’ll be good practice for me anyway.” He tilts his head toward Professor Lydia. “Make me look good in front of the boss.”
“Okay, fine.”
He rests his hands on my upper arms and closes his eyes. Warm light surrounds me, and the muscles in my back and neck begin to relax. I didn’t even realize I was so tense, but Marcus basically gives me a full-body massage with his magic, and I let out a long exhale.
“Wow, that was…”
“Almost as good as sex?” Marcus asks with a grin.
“Almost,” I agree. “Thank you, Marcus. I feel a lot better now.”
“You’re welcome, Liv.”
As I walk out of the infirmary, my steps are a lot lighter, and my body feels all loose and warm, like I just stepped out of a hot tub. I’m still upset about my room, but it doesn’t bother me as much anymore.
I find Bastien waiting outside with his arms crossed and a sour expression on his face. “What’s your problem?” I ask.
“You. You’re my problem.” He pokes a finger into my chest, in the spot just above my breasts. “My father gave me a task, but you thwart me at every turn. I know you’re hiding something. Just tell me what it is already, and we can end this ridiculous game.”
“Sorry, but you didn’t say please.” I take his hand and go to move it off me, but when we touch, lust flares between us. I hate to admit it, but he’s sexy when he’s angry like this, and I long to melt his cold exterior.
“You’re impossible,” he says, but then he tightens his hand around mine and pulls me closer. His mouth is near my ear as he whispers. “I’m going to figure out your secrets, little angel. I promise.”
“I’ll enjoy watching you try,” I reply.
And before I know what he’s doing, his mouth lands on mine, and he’s giving me a thorough kiss that makes my knees weak. If this is his way of finding out my secrets, sign me up.
He pulls back and lets go of me. “Interesting,” he says to himself as he walks away, rubbing his chin. “Very interesting.”
Okay, then. I guess that was another test. I’m just not sure if I passed or failed it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Olivia
Summer in the mountains of Northern California is like something out of a movie. Everything is green, the sky is bright blue and cloudless, and the lake is perfect for swimming after class. My angelic side loves all the sunshine, and drinks it in hungrily.
On Saturday, Araceli and I take a day trip to go to Redding to shop for some new clothes. This time, I don’t buy new, and Araceli delights in finding thrift store gems with me. She’s never been secondhand shopping before, but I’m pretty sure I’ve converted her.
On Sunday, I head out to my morning yoga class, and it’s already so hot I’m sweating by the time I get there. These weekly yoga classes have been a true blessing, except for the fact that Tanwen is in them too.
I stretch my mat out as far away from her as possible. As class begins, I focus instead on the instructor as she moves us through the complicated positions of advanced yoga. Using the time to meditate and drink in the light, I think about my brother and what I know so far.
He disappeared after the championship game against the fae. The Order knows where he is, and are worried he hasn’t returned yet. They need Araceli for some reason, probably because of her fae blood. It doesn’t seem like a stretch to come to the conclusion that my brother is in Faerie.
I need to know more…and find out if my theory is correct.
I turned in my camera the other week and received a note that I’d passed the second test, and now I’m waiting for the third trial. If I pass it, I’ll be invited into the Order and can find out more about what happened to Jonah. Then I can make a plan for finding him.
After class, I roll up my mat and turn toward the dorm, only to run headfirst into Tanwen.
“Get away from me,” I snarl. After she destroyed my dorm room, I have no patience for her whatsoever.
“Whoa.” She holds her hands up and takes a step back. “Hostility from the half-human.”
“Where’s your entourage, Tanwen? They can’t stand the heat?” She’s not so tough without her Valkyrie cronies backing her up.
“They prefer more strenuous exercise, but I’ve learned that the key to being a good fighter is flexibility.”
“Whatever.” I don’t know why she’s trying to explain herself to me. I don’t want to hear it. Pushing past her, I take the high road and squash the urge to use my powers on her to make her want me so bad she can’t think of anyone else ever again.
I could do it. But I won’t. I’m better than that.
“Hey, hang on.” Tanwen catches up to me. “What’s your deal today?”
I round on her. “You destroyed my car, trashed my room, and you’re asking me what my deal is? You call me hostile? You’ve been nothing but hostile to me, Tanwen. I’m sorry about the gym clothes, but you’ve gone way too far. I can’t help the circumstances of my birth, and I can’t leave. They made that perfectly clear. So, back the fuck off.” By the time I finish, I’m shouting and everyone on the lawn stares at us. After shooting them a glare, I stalk off to go have a shower and change.
“Hey, wait!” she calls, as she follows after me. I can see I won’t be able to shake her so easily.
“What?” I ask, stopping on the path and crossing my arms.
“I didn’t trash your room.” She holds up her hands. “Or your car. I swear.”
“Yeah, right. And you didn’t send me threatening notes either, right?”
“I didn’t. Although maybe I should have done all that stuff, if you’re the one who tore up my gym clothes. I mean, what the fuck?” She tilts her head and grabs onto her straw-colored ponytail.
I huff. “I only did that in retaliation for what you did. But I’m done with this shit. Seriously over it, and all the insults, and everything else. That stops now.”
“Fine, I’ll lay off the trash talk. I don’t dislike you as a person, Olivia, but you don’t belong at Seraphim Academy. I’m obviously not the only one that thinks that if someone trashed your room.” She lets out a haughty sniff. “Trust me, I wouldn’t want to touch your stuff.”
I roll my eyes as she walks away. What a bitch.
Except…I believe her. But if she didn’t do all that stuff to me, who did?
I head to the lake and breathe in the warm night air. Even at night the campus is beautiful, and I listen to the sound of crickets chirping. Instead of sitting in my normal spot on the bench, I opt to sit in the cool grass instead.
Before I even have time for my thoughts to collect, Kassiel’s voice interrupts my quiet meditation. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“How are you?” I ask, as he sits beside me on the grass, stretching out his long legs.
“Good. How are you doing? Getting enough to eat?”
His eyes flash in the moonlight, and I can’t help but think he wishes he could help provide me some nourishment. “Sure. The cafeteria here is great.”
We both know that’s not what he means, and he grins. “You did well on your last Angelic History exam. Good work.”
“Thanks. I have a pretty good teacher.”
He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “Perhaps. I try to teach history in a way that doesn’t paint angels or demons in a n
egative light. Do you think I’ve succeeded?”
My time in his class has been difficult at best. Not because of the subject matter, but because watching Kassiel move and talk has been a lesson in suppressing my succubus powers. I answer his question with a question of my own. “Why do you do that? Why do you care?”
He hesitates. “I... I’ve known demons over the years. They’re not so different from angels. Most of them aren’t evil or anything, and just want to live their lives peacefully, the same as we do. I’ve learned it’s possible for anyone to be good or evil, even angels. Plus, I was alive for the last several decades of the war.”
My eyebrows fly up. “Of course. I should have realized. What was it like?”
“It was horrible. So much death, and for what? Because angels and demons have been enemies for centuries, and no other reason.” He shakes his head. “It was the best thing to happen to both races when Michael and Lucifer made the Earth Accords and stopped the war.”
I can hear the depth of pain in his voice, and it breaks my heart. “You lost someone, didn’t you?”
“My mother.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nods. “That’s why I became a professor here. If I can teach younger angels about what happened, perhaps I can prevent the war from starting again.”
“You’re going a good job of it.”
“I hope so.”
“I’m glad the war is over too. Although I can’t help but wish I could have seen Heaven before it was closed. What was it like?”
“Bright.”
I laugh. “Obviously.”
“During the day, the sky there was the color of dawn, when everything is a soft orange and a golden yellow. It sounds odd, but it was beautiful.”
“I can imagine. And Hell? Did you ever go there? What was the sky like there?”
“Yes, I’ve been there.” He stares out at the lake, his face distant, his eyes lost in memories. “You know that moment after the sun sets and the sky is a deep indigo? That’s what Hell was like during the day. And at night… it was like living in the space between the stars.”
Seraphim Academy 1: Wicked Wings Page 16
