Demon Born (Hellfire Academy Book 1)

by C. L. Coffey

  Getting to my feet, I glared at him. “Fine.”

  I stalked out of the room to the now empty locker room. I threw my gym clothes into the locker and slammed it shut behind me, grateful that it was the end of the day. When I returned, I found Gabriel waiting for me. “What now?”

  “Now would be your required time to study with me in order for you to catch up.”

  I let out a groan, unable to contain myself. “Seriously?”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?”

  No, he did not.

  Taking a deep breath, I led the way back to his office, depositing my bag next to his desk. I returned to the seat I had so eagerly vacated earlier and waited for Gabriel to sit. When I realized he was doing something on the other side of the room, I turned to watch. His hand was in a small fridge he was crouched in front of, and he stood moments later with two cans of Sprite and a banana. He walked over and offered the fruit and a can to me.

  I took them, drinking greedily. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until the can was in my hand. While I drank, Gabriel collected something from a shelf and sat down.

  “I’ve been told you’re studying Dante’s Inferno. I suppose this is as good a place as any to start.”

  Nodding, I extracted the book from my bag. “So, is this fact or fiction?” I flicked through the pages.

  “They say every piece of fiction is based upon fact.” Gabriel set his copy in front of him.

  I cocked my head, considering his words, and then kicked off my shoes. Curling my feet up underneath me, I settled down against the arm of the chair then set my own copy of the book on the table.

  If he wanted to be evasive, that was fine. It wasn’t like I didn’t have enough to catch up on. In class, we had just started the Seventh Circle, and I had already been intrigued as to what Dante experienced on his journey. We were also required to finish reading the Seventh Circle by our next lesson and answer a short essay question on it.

  Seriously, this was high school 2.0.

  I actually enjoyed reading, not that it would have been evident by my transcripts. The problem wasn’t just that I wasn’t in one school long enough to master the curriculum, but also that I had always put my mom first. That triggered an unexpected wave of guilt flooding through me, inciting a wince.

  “Kennedy?”

  I glanced up over the top of the book and found Gabriel’s eyes studying me. “Sorry,” I muttered, returning my attention to the page. I could sense him continuing to stare for a long time before he finally spoke again.

  “Have you reached the end of the First Circle yet?”

  I lowered the book. “Dante has reached the Fourth Circle, actually.”

  There was a glimmer of amusement from Gabriel, but it was quickly replaced by skepticism. “You’ve already reached Gluttony?”

  “Passed it and reached Greed.”

  He was testing me.

  “What was the punishment for the Gluttonous?” He kept his gaze on me.

  “Living like pigs in the mud caused by the icy rain,” I responded without looking at the book. “Then they’re gnawed on by Cerberus.”

  “And where does King Arthur fit?”

  “He doesn’t.” At the look on Gabriel’s face, I quickly added, “It’s Lancelot, one of the Knights of the Round Table, and he’s mentioned as Francesca blames his indiscretion with Guinevere as to why she has an affair.”

  Gabriel’s surprised look returned, but it was quickly accompanied by a thoughtful expression. “You are a fast reader, and it seems you take in what you read.”

  I couldn’t quite tell if he was complimenting or insulting me.

  “I feel your reading list will be the easiest for you to catch up on.” Gabriel stood.

  “Given that the only other book I’ve missed out on so far this semester is Homer’s The Odyssey…” I shrugged. “I would agree.”

  Gabriel cocked his head, a small smile appearing. “I hate to break it to you, but your transcripts are appalling.” No kidding. “If you’re to stay here, you need to catch up on the texts you missed last semester, and from high school.”

  My mouth fell open. “By when?” I squeaked.

  The pack Pinnosa gave me contained the required reading list for all four years. There were ten per year—five a semester. I’d seen enough high school reading lists to know there was a good chance that books like Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird, and 1984 would be on there. Those weren’t short reads, regardless of how fast I could read.

  “Pinnosa expects you to pass the whole year, not just this semester.”

  “You’ve already accepted me here, so why can’t my merits be based on the actual college curriculum instead of what I missed out on in high school? Which, by the way, I haven’t even picked a major, but it isn’t going to be English Literature.”

  “A good high school education creates a firm foundation for your college education, and if you were to be accepted into a normal college, you would still need to have some form of education. Just because–”

  “I do.” I objected. “My transcripts might have been bad, but I’ve got my GED. I might not have been going to Harvard or Yale, but that would have gotten me into college if I could have worked out the tuition.”

  Gabriel tilted his head. “Really?”

  His look of surprise hurt. I wasn’t stupid. If I had managed to stay in one place for high school, then I might have actually made the honor roll. Hell, I might even have been valedictorian—but I’d never had the opportunity to find out.

  “Not everyone who takes their GED is stupid. Sometimes it’s just circumstance that made it happen that way, not intelligence.”

  “Actually, I assumed you were like most nephilim with your behavior, considering most of your transcripts list poor grades.” Gabriel shifted his weight, fixing me a pointed look. “Maybe if you hadn’t been so eager to cut class at your previous schools, this wouldn’t be such an issue now.”

  He took my silence as an acceptance that he was correct.

  “We can check to see if you have a GED.”

  My jaw clenched. “Let me go back home, and I’ll frame you the certificate.”

  “There will be no need for that.” He gazed thoughtfully at something behind my head.

  I turned to see a calendar. When I looked back, he caught my gaze.

  “Let’s focus on getting you caught up on your freshman year assignments. We want you to graduate with this class, so we’ll work through the summer break if required.”

  I closed the book and shifted my weight. “Why is it so important to you that I graduate?”

  Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “Isn’t the point of attending college to graduate?”

  “Not just me, but the nephilim. Why have them all here to obtain …” I frowned. “I don’t even know what degree any of us are studying, but what’s the point?”

  “Dora,” he said my name, making me wince. “Although you are all part fallen angel, you’re also part human. It’s important the human side of you thrives.”

  “But why?” Why was it so hard to get straight answers out of this guy? “It wasn’t so long ago that you were trying to kill me. What changed?”

  “You’re a potential.” Gabriel got up and walked in front of me, leaning back against his desk. “You could become something more. But you’re only going to do that if you’re given the opportunity.”

  I looked up and frowned. “But doesn’t that mean you’re also going to have to trust me?”

  Gabriel nodded. “Yes, but before you say anything, you need to give me a reason to trust you.” He leaned over and tapped my closed book. “Starting by studying.”

  Rolling my eyes, I picked up the book, reopening it to the page I had closed. “Maybe you should give me a reason to trust you,” I murmured under my breath. “I mean, you did try to kill me.”

  It was quiet enough in the room that Gabriel had to have heard me. He didn’t acknowledge it though. Instead, he walked over to a bookshelf.
He glanced back. “I was doing my job.” And then he returned his attention to the bookcase.

  I watched him from the corner of my eye, not wanting to make it look like I was staring. The bookshelves in his office were old and filled with books, which looked like they had gone out of print a decade ago. Probably when they were last dusted, too. I’d caught some of the titles earlier. They were old phys-ed books.

  He bent down and pulled a book from the shelf. My attention had unintentionally drifted to his butt. He had a good butt. And thighs. His uniform wasn’t standard gym class teacher attire—he was still in his combat pants. But they did hug his body in all the right places. I was willing to bet that under those clothes hid a perfect body.

  Of course, it would be perfect. He was an angel. An archangel.

  If I’d have seen his picture when I heard the story of him visiting Mary, I would definitely called bull–

  “Would you like these adding to your reading list?” Gabriel asked without turning around.

  “No,” I responded. My cheeks were burning. There was no way he could read minds, right…?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Tired, but in an emotionally drained kind of way rather than actually sleepy, I made my way to the cafeteria. Thankfully, Gabriel let me out before the end of the dinner period so I could get there before it closed.

  There was no line at that point, but there was also very little left in the way of food. I opted for lasagna, grateful for it being piled up on my plate. The dining hall was still busy, and Lottie and the others were still eating at what I now assumed was their usual table. Simone waved me over before I could find an empty table to eat my dinner in peace.

  I sighed, reminding myself as I carried my plate to their table that at least I could relax in peace later. And then I remembered that relaxing wasn’t on my schedule. Right after dinner was study hall, because every college had one of those … then more quality time with the archangel.

  With a frustrated grunt, I sat down and joined Lottie, Simone, Cody and Harrison.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” Lottie told me.

  “What’s wrong with the lasagna?” I glanced down at the portion in front of me. Lasagna was one of my favorite foods, so if this was the dish to avoid, after the day I’d had, there was a strong possibility I was going to burst into tears.

  “Not your food.” She rolled her eyes. “I mean, I can’t believe you broke Leigh-Ann’s nose.”

  I dropped my fork, my appetite gone. “What?” I hadn’t eaten much lasagna, but what I had sank straight to the bottom of my stomach.

  “She’s in the infirmary.” Simone nodded like she was the authority on the matter.

  No wonder Gabriel didn’t want me around other people. Now I couldn’t blame him. “I need to go apologize,” I muttered, pushing my plate away.

  “I wouldn’t bother.” Lottie gave a dismissive wave. “She’ll only end up throwing your apology back in your face. Even if it was an accident, she’ll think you did it on purpose because of me.”

  I stared at her. “Why?”

  “Because we’re friends.” Her tone matter of fact, she reached out to hold Harrison’s hand.

  I glanced over at Harrison, feeling guilty, but he didn’t look the slightest bit bothered. Instead, he was more interested in eating, digging his fork into a pile of mac and cheese. Slightly confused, I looked to Lottie, who just shrugged. “Maybe I’ll call in after Study Hall.”

  “Personally, I wouldn’t waste your time.” Lottie leaned in. “Seriously, the girl is crazy.”

  I kept my focus on my lasagna. Regardless of whether there was any truth to it, I really didn’t like talking about people behind their backs, and it had nothing to do with the fact that Leigh-Ann’s brother didn’t seem in any hurry to defend her.

  I thought that was what siblings were supposed to do?

  Dinner flew by far too quickly, and the next thing I knew, we were herded into Study Hall. This, it turned out, was held in Pinnosa’s classroom. Tonight we even had the joy of her presiding over it. I ignored the fact that she spent the entire hour glaring at me, and instead of paying her any attention, I finished catching up Dante’s Inferno. I had just finished off the first assignment when she released us.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Pinnosa called to me as I was about to duck out the door. I stopped and wrinkled my nose in confusion. “You have a detention, remember?”

  I waited until everyone had left before speaking. “I thought that was a ruse to spend time with Leigh-Ann, who, coincidently, I was planning on visiting in the infirmary.”

  “It may have been an opportunity for you to spend time with Leigh-Ann, but I can assure you, it was also a punishment for being out of your room after-hours.” Her tone was as cold as the glare she gave me. “And although Gabriel has assured me what happened with Leigh-Ann this afternoon in your gym class was an accident, that will not be repeated. You can count that as strike one.”

  Without a word, I followed Pinnosa through the now empty hallway. She pushed open one of the enormous wooden doors to the library, and we stepped into a room, which was as deserted as the hallway had been.

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked.

  Her answer was nothing more than the sound of the door shutting, echoing around the cavernous room.

  I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that Professor Pinnosa had left me alone in the library. With a sigh, I trudged over to one of the vast, empty tables and sat down. It wasn’t like I didn’t have two years’ worth of work to catch up on, on top of the homework I had earned today. With English finished, I figured I may as well get Professor Pinnosa’s history assignment done and out of the way, ready for next week.

  I had gotten as far as pulling the textbook open to the relevant chapter, chewing on my pen, when the door opened again. I’d planned to finish reading the paragraph I had been in the middle of before glancing up to find out who it was, but the person sat down next to me first. A familiar scent of summer ambushed my nostrils.

  When I looked up, Ty was on the other side of the table. I glared at him. “There weren’t any other seats?”

  He grinned. “Nope.”

  My gaze didn’t have to leave his to know there were at least three of six other tables in the immediate area that were completely unoccupied. I scowled before returning my attention to the textbook, hoping that ignoring him would make him go away.

  Instead, Ty leaned his elbow on the table, propping his head up, and continued to stare at me.

  “Have you not managed to make any friends yet?” I asked, refusing to take my attention away from the page I was trying to read.

  “About as many as you.”

  I set the book back down and reluctantly looked at him. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Nope. Just wondering what you were doing to get put in detention.”

  “What makes you think I’m in detention?”

  He shrugged. “It is currently our free time, and instead of spending it in the Common Room, joining in on tonight’s mission to find out who the Wii champion will be, you’re in the library. So either you’re the suck up that I thought you were and you’re trying to impress Dean Pinnosa, or you’re in detention.” Ty leaned forward. “So, which is it, Dora?”

  “It’s Kennedy, for starters.”

  Ty just grinned.

  I returned my attention back to the textbook, still hoping that ignoring him would work. Eventually.

  “It’s because you nearly decapitated your roommate, isn’t it?”

  “I did no such thing.” I dropped the textbook. “Who said that?”

  “She is in the infirmary.” Ty finally sat up. “I’ve got to say, I’m not impressed. She’s half your size.”

  “Get your facts straight,” I snapped. “I didn’t nearly decapitate Leigh-Ann. I accidentally hit her with my racquet.”

  Behind us, someone cleared their throat loudly, and I whirled around to find a woman who didn’t look
much older than us scowling over her glasses.

  “You are aware that you are in a library, aren’t you?”

  There was something about how she referred to the library like it was Buckingham Palace which had me thinking she was the librarian.

  “Unfortunately, very aware,” Ty said, his tone dry.

  The woman’s glare darkened. “There are certain levels of decorum required when in this library.” She shot back at him. “The first is no talking.” She looked between the two of us. “But given your blatant disregard for said rules, I assume you two would be the students attending detention. Follow me.”

  As she turned on her heel and started to walk away, I glanced over at Ty, arching an eyebrow.

  “I knew you weren’t as boring as you make yourself out to be,” Ty said. “You really did beat the crap out of Leigh-Ann.”

  “I did not beat the crap out of anybody.” I growled.

  “Hamilton, Kennedy, what did I just say?” The woman asked us.

  I sent Ty another scowl as I hastily thrust all my belongings back into my bag then hurried after the librarian with Ty following behind me. It wasn’t until we were led to a back corner and a really old looking door, which hung in the old stone wall, that I started to feel a little uneasy.

  “Does this place have a dungeon?” I asked, only half joking.

  Ty snorted behind me, but the librarian just ignored me as she unlocked the door with an old key then pushed it open. “After you.”

  I looked at Ty who simply smirked. “Chicken?”

  With a growl in the back of my throat, I stepped inside.

  Old, and spiral, the stone stairway curved downwards. I felt like I had stepped back in time, walking down into a castle dungeon, so I was more than a little surprised to see that it was lit by the same automatic bulbs that lit every other corridor in the building.

  The presence of technology gave me a bit of hope that we weren’t being led into a dungeon to spend our detention shackled to a wall.