Seraphim Academy 1: Wicked Wings

by Elizabeth Briggs

  “I can tell it had a strong impact on you.”

  “It did, yes.” He clears his throat. “Maybe one day we’ll be able to visit the two other realms and rebuild.”

  “What about Faerie, have you been there too?”

  “No, I can’t say I have. Maybe someday, though.” Kassiel lays down on the grass and puts his hands behind his head, which pulls his shirt up a bit so I can see his toned stomach and dark happy trail. Urges that have nothing to do with hunger rise in me. Urges that are getting harder and harder to resist the more time I spend with my professor.

  I need to feed. Tonight.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Olivia

  I end up back at the bar I’ve visited many times before. It’s not ideal, but it’s probably been a month since I last came here. I’ve been avoiding feeding as much as possible, surviving on sunlight and little lust snacks from people around school, plus the kisses from Bastien and Marcus. But I’ve gone too long since I’ve had a real feed, and now I’m desperate.

  Naturally, the bar is fucking empty. Nobody but the bartender, and I’ve been avoiding using her. Employees of places like this are the worst option. If I sleep with her, I can never let her see me again, or she’ll want more. I can’t give her more.

  Damn it.

  I sit at the bar and signal her to bring me a beer. I’m so hungry, I may be forced to seduce the bartender after all. I’ll give it a few minutes and see if anyone comes in. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

  Checking my phone, I see it’s after two on a Sunday night. I’m not going to get lucky.

  As I finish my beer and prepare to lay the lust on the bartender, the door opens and a good-looking guy walks in. He’s no movie star, but he looks clean at least, and isn’t wearing a wedding ring. I call that a win.

  “Hey, Chuck,” the bartender says. “How goes it? You still with Louann?”

  He sits on the other side of the bar. “No. She took off with that guy from Redding that sold us the Mustang.”

  “Tough luck.”

  The phone distracts the bartender, and I take that as my cue. “Hey.” I hop up in the seat beside Chuck and trail a finger along his arm. “Want some company?”

  Hitting him hard with desire, I make sure he won’t say no. His mouth opens into a slow grin. “Definitely.”

  With one eye on the bartender, I grin at Chuck. “Meet me in the bathroom,” I whisper. “Hurry.”

  The bartender has her back to us as she speaks into the handset, so I hurry past with Chuck right behind me. As soon as we enter the bathroom, I’m on him. I wore a skirt and no underwear just for this. He steps forward, and I grab the waistband of his pants. I’m not interested in kisses or caresses, I just want to get this over with as fast as possible.

  I hate that I have to do this with him and not one of the guys I want to be with. After kissing both Marcus and Bastien, I’d much rather be sleeping with one of them tonight. Or Kassiel. But that isn’t an option, and I need to feed.

  I can’t help it. I have to do it to survive.

  I didn’t choose the Lilim life. The Lilim life chose me.

  Before I can get started, the bathroom door bursts open. I shove Chuck back as a tall man walks in. It’s the hot guy I spotted the first time I came here, the one who somehow rejected my seduction, and he smiles at me like a cat who just caught a mouse.

  “Hello, little succubus. We’ve been looking for you.” He’s tall, and seduction rolls off of him. I can feel it, even though it bounces off me. An incubus. A full incubus. Oh shit.

  Chuck is caught in a daze of lust, unsure if he should look at me or the new guy. I shove him toward the door and push with my magic. “Get out of here!”

  He runs out the door, and I enter the fighting pose Callan taught me and prepare to defend myself the best I can. I can’t use my Lilim powers against this guy. They won’t work. Equally, though, he can’t use his against me. Unfortunately, that does me no good when two other men walk in the bathroom, and although I’m pretty sure they’re both demons, I’m not sure what they are.

  One of them suddenly shifts into a large black bear. A shifter, which Raziel would say represents the Sin of wrath. He definitely looks pretty wrathful as he lets out a terrifying roar, and I can’t help but shrink back.

  The other one lets out a burst of darkness and multiplies, until I’m staring at three identical versions of him. An imp, like Marcus and I are studying for our project. He’s using illusion magic to make copies of himself. I’ll have to find the original one to stop him.

  Fuck, I am way out of my league here.

  “Come with us, and we won’t hurt you,” the incubus says. He’s wielding a big ass knife, which kind of contradicts what he just said.

  Father and Mother warned me this would happen one day if I ever revealed myself, and now it’s happening. I need to get out of here, fast.

  The incubus rushes me, and I try to deflect him the way Callan taught me. It works and I spin away from the knife, but then the bear raises up and knocks me back with his giant paws. I hit the side of the bathroom stalls and stumble, and the three imps grab my arms. The incubus stalks forward, playing with his knife, and he leans close and breathes me in slowly. I have a sudden fear he might kiss me. I have no idea what I taste like, but I don’t want to risk him figuring out I taste like an angel.

  They can’t know what I really am.

  I jerk in the imps’ arms, and one of the hands moves onto my bare skin. I blast him with a bolt of power, making his emotions flare and dazing him for an instant, giving me a chance to spin around and knee him in the groin. I choose the right one, and he yells and lets me go, while his clones vanish. I dart away, but the bear blocks my path.

  The bathroom door bursts open, and I spot three men standing in the doorway with their wings spread, their eyes burning with light, looking every inch like sexy avenging angels.

  The Princes have come for me.

  I can’t believe a strong, capable woman like myself is so relieved to see three Princes riding in on their proverbial white horses, but here I am.

  Callan blasts the bear with a bolt of burning light, and Marcus and Bastien rush forward to fight the incubus and his knife. The whole place suddenly goes black, courtesy of the imp’s illusion magic, putting my guys at a disadvantage.

  Wait. Not my guys. Just guys.

  The imp suddenly grabs me and paws at my skirt. The one I’m not wearing underwear under. Damn it, I blasted him too hard and now he wants me. I use my meager skills to fight him off, but then he pulls out long blade. It glows with eerie darkness, like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

  “Get back!” Marcus yells, but then the bear knocks him aside, and he crashes into one of the tables in the bar.

  The imp lunges for me with the blade, and I dodge out of the way, but I’m not fast enough. It slices along my side, and I let out a scream of pure agony. Bastien grabs me and drags me out of the bar, and into the cool night air, but it doesn’t help. My side is on fire, and all I can do is hang onto him and moan.

  “You were hit with a dark-infused blade,” Bastien says, sounding way too calm considering I’m squirming with pain. “Don’t worry, Marcus can heal you.”

  Callan and Marcus bust out of the bar an eternity later, and I’ve never seen them look so angry before.

  “We took care of them,” Marcus says.

  “Fucking demons,” Callan growls. “We need to report this.”

  “No, you can’t!” I can’t have any questions about what I was doing out here. But then another dose of pain hits me, and I cry out.

  “Olivia is injured,” Bastien says.

  “What happened?” Marcus asks, moving close to inspect the wound.

  Callan huffs. “She didn’t listen in combat practice, that’s what happened.”

  “I promise to do better next time,” I manage to get out, but I’m so weak. Worst of all, my hunger grows so strong I can’t contain it. My body is trying to heal itself, but it can’t,
because I was already so low on power. If I don’t get out of here and find someone to feed on, I’m going to do something I regret.

  Marcus’s hands glow and he heals my side, and the pain fades a little, but it’s not enough. I waited too long to feed, hoping that my kiss from Bastien was enough to tide me over, but I was wrong. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to hold my succubus side at bay.

  “She’s healed,” Marcus says.

  “There’s still something wrong with her.” That’s Callan. “Try again.”

  “Whatever it is, it’s nothing my magic can fix.”

  “Please,” I find myself begging.

  “What do you need?” Bastien asks.

  Marcus’s tender, masculine hands touch my cheek. “Tell me, Liv. How can I help?”

  My eyes suddenly fly open, and I grab Marcus’s face and kiss him hard. I can’t stop myself, the hunger is too intense, and my succubus side has taken over. I suck the lust from him that springs up when we kiss, and it’s oh so delicious, but it isn’t enough. The thing I want to do most is spread my legs and let him settle there between them.

  “Her eyes are black,” Bastien says.

  In the back of my mind, I know this is bad. Really fucking bad. But I can’t stop myself from rubbing up against Marcus like a damn cat. I reach for his jeans and pop them open, trying to reach inside for his cock.

  “Whoa now,” he says. “I am all for whatever this is, but maybe we should wait ‘til we go somewhere more private.”

  “Can’t wait,” I manage to get out. “Need. Now.”

  Bastien suddenly grabs me and kisses me, and it’s enough to calm me down a bit. But I need more, more, more. I paw at his chest, and he pushes me toward Callan, who steps back at the sight of my black eyes.

  “Kiss her!” Bastien yells.

  “What?” Callan asks, taken aback.

  “Just do it!”

  I grab Callan’s face and pull it to mine. I’m a bit stronger than I was before, but if he fights me at all, I won’t be able to feed from him.

  Callan resists at first, but then he can’t help himself, and he presses a hand to my back and kisses me hard. I suck all the sexual energy I can from Callan through the rough kiss, and he’s so powerful his energy fills me up just enough to take the edge off.

  When we’re done, my head clears a little and I no longer feel so weak. I’m still hungry and will have to feed soon, but I might be able to make it a few more nights before things go bad again.

  Bastien glances back at the bar. “We have to get out of here. I’m sure they called the human police.”

  “She’s too weak to fly,” Marcus says.

  Callan grunts, looking pissed off, but he scoops me into his arms. I cling to him as he takes off, his powerful white and gold wings beating the night air. Curling my face into his neck, I breathe in his spicy scent. I never thought I’d be grateful for the Princes spying on me, but if it weren’t for them, I’d be with the demons now…and I have no idea what they would do with me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper against Callan’s thick neck. I know he never would have kissed me if Bastien hadn’t made him.

  He doesn’t reply, or if he does, I can’t hear it over the sound of the wind whistling past my ears as he flies. He does tighten his grip though.

  I doze as we fly, and only wake when Callan lays me down on the couch. They’ve taken me to their private lounge in the bell tower, and I would feel honored if I wasn’t so tired. Callan steps back, and I sit up and press a hand to my side. That blade really messed me up.

  As the three men stare at me, I realize what I’ve done, and my stomach sinks.

  Bastien manages to speak first. “You’re a succubus.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Bastien

  Olivia’s eyes are no longer black, but I can see the truth in them, and I don’t even need my Ofanim powers for that. “Yes,” she replies to my statement. “Half succubus, anyway.”

  Callan backs up from her and swears under his breath. “You’re a demon. Fuck.”

  I always knew there was something suspicious about her, but I thought I would feel more satisfaction upon uncovering the truth. “How is this possible?”

  She sighs. “My father is an angel, my mother is a succubus.”

  “But demon-angel relations are forbidden,” Marcus says.

  “That’s why I’ve been in hiding my entire life. My parents told me if anyone found out what I am, I’d be in danger.”

  “Why did you come to Seraphim Academy then?” I ask.

  She hesitates. “I got tired of hiding. I wanted to learn to use my powers, and it seemed safer here than at Hellspawn Academy.”

  I get the feeling there’s more to it than that, but I’m not done with my interrogation. She’s deceived me for months, and it shouldn’t have been possible. I need to know more. “How were you able to hide your succubus side from me?”

  She touches the aquamarine stone at her neck. “My mother gave me this necklace. It allows me to lie undetected and to hide the truth from anyone. Even an Archangel.”

  “That looks like a fae relic.” I rub my chin. That would explain a lot. What would I see in her aura if the damn thing was removed? Now I want to find out.

  “Are you going to expose me?” From her spot curled up on the couch, with her eyes wide and her dark hair mussed up, she looks more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen her before—and scared. She’s terrified that we know the truth about her.

  “No, of course not,” Marcus quickly says, as he covers Olivia in a blanket.

  Callan shakes his head and paces back and forth in front of the window. “We should. We definitely should.”

  I’m not so sure. I find it hard to believe my father doesn’t know, or at least suspect, what Olivia is. “One last question. How do you know Jonah?”

  “Jonah…” she says slowly, tilting her head. “The guy that disappeared last year? How would I know him?”

  “You’re lying.” My lips press into a tight line. Another secret of hers to uncover. I have to admit, I’m glad the game isn’t over. I like playing with her. Finally, a worthy opponent.

  “Sorry, not sure what you’re talking about,” she says.

  “Take off your necklace and tell me that,” I snap.

  Marcus holds out his hands to separate us. “Okay, that’s enough. Liv has been through a lot and she can barely sit up. She needs to rest, not be interrogated by the three of us.”

  I huff and cross my arms. “If we’re going to protect her, we need to know the truth.”

  “I don’t need your protection,” she mutters.

  Callan snorts. “Obviously you do. Those demons tonight wanted to take you somewhere.”

  “They somehow knew I was a succubus.” She stares off into space. “How did you find me there?”

  “Bastien put a tracker in your shoes,” Marcus says, his voice guilty.

  She sits up at that. “He what?”

  I shrug. “We knew you were sneaking off and wanted to know why. Be glad I did. It’s the only reason you’re here and not with the demons.”

  She narrows her eyes at me and pulls the blanket up to her neck, but doesn’t reply.

  “We need to report the attack to Uriel,” Callan says.

  “You can’t,” Olivia says quickly. “If you do, there will be too many questions, and someone else will find out what I am.”

  ‘The Archangels need to know,” Callan insists. “First Darel, now this…the demons are growing bolder. We need to prepare for battle.”

  “Okay, let’s not jump straight to war,” Marcus says, rolling his eyes.

  “I agree, we should keep tonight’s events between us for now,” I say.

  Callan shakes his head. “You’re all making a mistake. Olivia’s a demon. She’s one of them. And you’re just okay with that?”

  “She can’t change what she is,” Marcus says.

  “Fuck this, I’m out of here.” Callan throws open the balcony door and launches
off before his wings are even fully extended. Marcus runs after him, his bronze wings flapping against the night.

  I pinch the brow of my forehead. Someone needs to go deal with those two. “I’ll be right back.”

  I fly to the top of the bell tower, where Marcus and Callan are facing off. Callan paces back and forth on the old roof, looking pissed. “She’s a demon.”

  “Half,” Marcus reminds him.

  “That’s a pretty big chunk.” Callan’s hands are starting to glow. He’s gathering an Erelim’s burning light and if we’re not careful, he’ll release that power on something. Or someone.

  I don’t try to get in front of him or calm him down. He’s got to get control of himself, and there’s little I can do to help. Marcus though, he’s a bigger idiot than I am, and he steps towards Callan. As a Malakim, he can calm Callan down, but it’s risky when he’s in a state like this. He might explode instead.

  “Callan,” Marcus says.

  “What?” he roars.

  “She’s half angel, too.” Marcus lets that sink in for a second. “Think about what that means. She’s supposed to be impossible. Forbidden.”

  Callan’s chest heaves as Marcus’s words break through the rage clouding his mind. “She’s an abomination.”

  “She’s a woman.” Marcus laces light into his words, just enough to have a slightly calming effect on Callan. And me, but I shake it off easily. “She’s a person. She has feelings too.”

  I stand to the side and wait. I’m as useless as Marcus against Callan in combat. Both of us are well-trained and can hold our own in a fight. Against each other, either of us would have a fair shot. But Callan is an Erelim, and he’s the son of Michael. He’s a warrior, born and bred. It’s in his very DNA. Some humans are good at making music. Some are good at math. Callan is very good at fighting. The only thing we can do is work together to restrain him if he loses it.