by C. L. Coffey
As I tried to work out my next move, Gabriel stepped forward, jabbing at my shoulder.
I saw it coming and spun out of the way, only to have to dodge another blow.
Gabriel’s third punch slammed into my shoulder, sending me stumbling backwards.
It wasn’t that I was slow or that Gabriel was using his angelic abilities. I mean, no human could move that fast or hit that hard, so he was clearly using them, but I was using my abilities too. I just wasn’t processing his moves quickly enough.
I tried again and again, my frustration rising as he avoided almost all of my blows, but always landed the few he took.
“Your moves are predictable,” Gabriel said finally. “No, not predictable, but anticipatable. You show your intentions before you make them, and that makes it easy for me to attack or defend.”
Gabriel stood in front of me, watching me like a hawk.
Using the opportunity to catch my breath, I bounced from side to side. If he thought he could anticipate my moves, I needed to make him guess. So I stepped forward, feigning a jab to his side, and instead spun around, aiming for the side of his head.
Gabriel stepped to the side and then bent backwards like he was in the damn Matrix.
“That’s not fair!” While I was complaining, I swung with my other arm.
This time, Gabriel didn’t dodge my attack. Instead, he reached out, grabbing my wrist.
As I went to swing with the other, trying to get free, somehow, he grabbed that too. Then Gabriel made a move I had never seen before.
Even though I was caught up in it, I still wasn’t sure how I ended up with my own arms wrapped around me, and my back pinned up against his chest.
“Fighting is not fair,” Gabriel muttered, his mouth beside my ear. His breath was hot against my neck. “While I want to train you to fight, I also want you to experience a fight when you are out skilled.”
Closing my eyes, I went still. My heart was racing, and not from the fighting. Despite being pinned against him, the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around my body was … good.
Too good.
I struggled, trying to free myself from his grip, but I was pinned against him. Even if that was true, I didn’t like to hear him say I was out skilled. Against him, and any other angelic being, maybe. But if this were a human, I’d have him. Plus, I was only out skilled. I still matched his strength and speed.
Doubling over, I pulled him over my shoulder at the same time.
Gabriel soared over my head only to land on his back in front of me. In the process, he let go of one of my arms.
The freedom was all I needed to roll him onto his chest and pin his arm behind his back.
“How’s that for out skilled?” I let go and stood back, feeling smug. I’d just bested the Archangel Gabriel.
Before I knew what was happening, Gabriel rolled over, kicking my legs out from under me.
I fell to the floor with a bang as loud as Gabriel had. “Ow.”
Gabriel rolled on top of me and pinned me down.
“Never let down your guard until you are certain your opponent is no longer a threat to you.” Gabriel’s face hovered above mine. “And certainly never turn your back on them.”
He didn’t move.
My heart was pounding in my chest again.
Slowly, my gaze drifted down to his lips. They were a dusky rose color, and damp, as though he had just licked them.
If I moved my head—just a fraction—I’d be able to lick them myself.
When his lips parted slightly, I dragged my gaze back up to his eyes, finding them locked on my own mouth. I licked my lips.
Gabriel’s eyes met mine. I suddenly felt like he was transferring heat through his look as my body warmed beneath him. His strong arms were still pinning me down, but the desire flooding through me wasn’t to free myself.
I wanted him closer.
Despite the hunger in his eyes, Gabriel didn’t move. He barely breathed.
Rational thought was quickly vacating my brain. I didn’t know what this was, or where it had come from, but my body was responding to Gabriel. Driven by instinct, I slowly—the exact opposite of what I really wanted to do—tilted my head upwards.
Just as my lips brushed against his with the lightest feather of a touch, Gabriel sat back.
Like nothing had happened, he got to his feet. He reached down then helped me to stand. “That was a nice improvisation, but we shall return to the basics.” He put the mitts back on.
I lay there on the floor, breathing heavily.
There was no way on earth that I had just imagined that.
For the rest of the night, he had me hitting his mitts, keeping a suitable distance between us. By the time we finished, I was exhausted. I walked with him to the door, waiting as he locked up.
“You should get some rest. Tomorrow’s extra study session can be held on Sunday instead.”
“Did you just postpone detention?” I blinked. “For a dance?”
Gabriel nodded. “Leigh-Ann asked me earlier. She said she needed a few hours to make you dance-worthy.”
While I wasn’t complaining about the lack of detention, I had to wince at that. I’d already promised her she could do my hair and makeup. How long was she planning on doing that for? What exactly was she planning?
“Thanks,” I muttered before returning to my room.
Once safely inside, I checked that Leigh-Ann was still in my bed, then I sank onto the couch. We hadn’t figured out what to say about the bed breaking and because of that, we’d never made a maintenance request to get it fixed.
I’d removed the broken panel from the room, and so far, housekeeping hadn’t noticed it, or raised the request.
But Leigh-Ann hadn’t felt safe sleeping in her own bed, so I insisted she take mine while I took the couch. I’d slept on worse.
Curling up on the couch, I pulled a blanket around me. My muscles were going to ache in the morning.
It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. I’d remembered to turn my alarm off before I did, so when I woke up for the first time since I’d gotten there, the room was lit by daylight peeking in around the curtains.
The morning was still early enough that I could smell breakfast drifting down the corridor from the cafeteria. The smell made my stomach grumble. I sat up and stretched, popping my neck before standing to see if Leigh-Ann was still asleep.
She was, curled up in a ball, still sleeping peacefully. Seeing as though there wasn’t much of breakfast time left, I decided to head down and bring her back some food.
When I got to the cafeteria, there was only toasted items left. I piled up some to-go boxes with toasted bagels and cream cheese, balancing some drinks on top.
The college was full of activity. Students were hurrying about everywhere. Unlike during the week, they wore smiles on their faces, and I could almost feel the excitement in the air. This was a new experience, and I liked it. Several rooms had doors propped open and girls were moving between them.
Unlike a normal morning, so many people who barely looked twice at me said hello. It was barely ten and the dance wasn’t until the evening, but everyone already seemed to be started getting ready.
Clearly I was missing something because it only took me two minutes to put a dress on. Which reminded me that Leigh-Ann had specifically gone to Gabriel and asked him to forgo my detention so we could get ready.
I had no idea if I needed to be excited or worried.
By the time I got to the end of the corridor, my own excitement had started to kick in. I unlocked our door, trying not to spill breakfast everywhere. Leigh-Ann was still asleep. I set the breakfast on the edge of my desk as she started speaking.
“What’s that?” I asked, turning.
I swear, my heart stopped for a moment.
Leigh-Ann was sitting upright, her eyes open and nothing but whites visible. She was staring straight ahead, focused on nothing. Again.
“Crap.”
CHA
PTER TWENTY
“Leigh-Ann?”
“Cave custodes. Daemon petunt. Et ego daemonium perdere. Cave custodes. Daemon petunt. Et ego daemonium perdere. Cave custodes. Daemon petunt. Et ego daemonium perdere.” Her words were barely louder than a whisper.
I watched her closely, chewing on my lip. It was terrifying to watch my friend like that, but right now, she wasn’t a danger to herself or anyone else. If she stayed up there on the bed, even if she was creeping me out with the Latin, maybe she would just fall back to sleep?
Leigh-Ann turned her head and seemed to look straight down at me. “Hic est qui daemonium.”
Just as I was preparing for her to leap off the bed, she dropped back down onto the mattress.
I froze in place, making sure she had gone back to sleep before moving. “Because that’s not creepy.”
Eventually, I went over to the window to gently inch the curtains open. Hopefully, the gradual brightening of the room would make Leigh-Ann wake up.
And then she started screaming. Bloodcurdling screams like she was being murdered.
I scrambled up the ladder, shaking her. “Wake up, Leigh-Ann!”
She let out another scream, and then her eyes opened, this time, with bright blue irises staring at me in terror.
“It’s okay.” I ignored the person who was hammering at the door. “Leigh-Ann, it was just a dream. You’re okay, I promise.”
Her eyes remained wide then she launched herself at me, sobbing uncontrollably.
The banging at the door continued.
“I’m going to be right back, but I need to get rid of whoever that is before they get a professor in here.”
Leigh-Ann nodded, the terrified expression remaining on her face.
I jumped off the bed and darted over to the door, finding Lottie, Simone, and a few other girls on the floor surrounding us.
“What is going on in there?” Simone demanded.
I pointed at my forehead. “Have you seen the size of that zit?” I shrieked at them. “It’s huge. Oh my god. The day of the Spring Dance, and I have a zit the size of Mount freaking Everest on my forehead!”
Lottie stepped forward, scowling at me. “While I’d scream every time I looked in a mirror if I had your face, you’ve managed not to so far. Stop being such a drama queen.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged, stepping back. “My bad.” I shut the door on them and locked it behind me as I hurried back to my bed.
Leigh-Ann had come down from the bunk, but she was huddled up on my couch, wrapped in her blanket and shaking.
“How are you doing?”
“It was awful, Kennedy.”
Grabbing the coffees off the desk, I handed one over to her just so she could have something warm to hold.
She shook her head and took the orange juice instead, gulping it down.
I glanced at the second cup of orange juice before offering it to her.
This time she sipped at it. Her hands were still shaking.
“Just remember, it was a dream.” I sat down beside her, angling my body to face her.
She took a few deep, shaky breaths. “The college was attacked. There were only five of them, but they were so fast, and so strong, and they had swords.”
“Leigh-Ann,” I said gently.
Leigh-Ann shook her head. “No. I know it sounds crazy, because it’s not possible. People don’t have that strength and speed. But these did. And I know it makes no sense, but they’re not human.” She took another sip of her drink before closing her eyes. “They killed Harrison. They attacked the school, and Harrison died.”
“I need to tell someone,” I told her.
“No. You can’t do that. Lottie already made everyone think I was crazy, and if you do that, they’re going to send me away to some hospital for crazy people.” Tears continued to leak out of her eyes.
The hell with this. I didn’t care about my instructions. Leigh-Ann was my best friend.
“Leigh-Ann, I need to tell you something.”
She looked up at me with blurry eyes.
“I know this is going to sound insane, but I think I know why you’re having these dreams.”
“Why?” she asked, imploringly.
“I think you’re a prophet.”
“Like a psychic?”
I shrugged. “Sure, only more in the Biblical sense?”
Leigh-Ann stared blankly at me. “Huh?”
“I think the things you saw in your dreams are fallen angels.”
Leigh-Ann sat upright. Instead of looking confused or even looking at me like I was mad, her expression was one of concern. “Do you think they’re after Ty?”
“Why the hell would they be … Did Ty tell you what he was?” I asked in disbelief.
“That he’s the son of Beelzebub?” She nodded. “I know how his father tried to work with Lucifer to take over the world. While Ty was trying to stop him, Beelzebub—his father—cut his hand off.”
My mouth fell open. That was how he lost his hand? I quickly shook the image from my mind. “I’m one too.”
“The son of Beelzebub?” she asked in confusion.
I got up, my feet unable to stay still, and walked over to my desk to set my untouched coffee on it. “My father isn’t Beelzebub. I mean, I assume he’s not. I don’t know who he is. I do know he’s a fallen angel though. I’m a nephilim too.”
Leigh-Ann’s cheeks flushed, the first bit of color in them I had seen for a while. “I guessed that might be the case. When Ty told me what he was, and I eventually believed him, I realized you’re quite similar to him.”
“Oh, gross! I am nothing like Ty.”
“You get into a lot of trouble like he does.”
“That doesn’t make me like him, because mine are legitimate reasons.”
“And when you found me after I had been in the blizzard, you weren’t even shivering. I’ve seen you in gym class. You’re fast, and you have the fastest reflexes I’ve seen.”
“Ty doesn’t even come to gym class for you to be able to compare me to him.” I grumbled, still upset that she could begin to say I was like Tyrone Hamilton. “But at least you believe me.”
“But I don’t think I’m a prophet,” she told me. “Prophets are special, and I’m not. I’m also not seeing the rebirth of Christ. I’m seeing death.” She shuddered, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. “And before that, I was seeing me trip over and faceplant in front of everyone.”
I moved back over to her and sat down. “Leigh-Ann, you’re having visions.”
She shook her head. “The embarrassing stuff is coming true, and that could be coincidence. But the awful stuff, where Harrison dies …? That hasn’t happened.”
“I know this isn’t something anyone would want to hear, but I think you’re seeing things that could come to pass. Because when you do, you start speaking Latin.”
“That’s insane.”
And I thought the concept of me being a nephilim was what she was going to consider the insane part …
“Cave custodes. Daemon petunt. Et ego daemonium perdere,” I recited at her.
Leigh-Ann gaped at me. “What does that mean?”
I shrugged. “To hell if I know. I don’t speak Latin.”
“Neither do I,” she said, her voice becoming uncomfortably high-pitched with her objection.
“Except you did. Before you woke up, you were pretty much chanting that at me. I know that Daemon means demon.”
“You think demons are attacking the school?” She lifted an eyebrow.
I shook my head. “I think fallen angels are going to attack the school. Ty said there are no such things as demons.”
“I’ve been having those nightmares for months, and so far, nothing has happened. Do you really think it’s going to happen? Do you think Harrison could die?” Her eyes silently begged me to say no.
“Not if we can understand what you’re seeing,” I told her. “What did you see? What clues were there? Was it nighttime or daytime?”
>
“It was light—bright, like the middle of the day. And there was snow on the ground. We were all in our gym clothes, and…” She looked away.
“And?” I pressed. “It might seem insignificant, but it could be important, and until—”
“You were on fire,” Leigh-Ann blurted out. “But it wasn’t hurting you.”
“I think we can chalk that off to insignificant.” I might not feel the temperature like most humans do, but fire burns me like it does everyone else. Getting up again, I walked over to the window. “There’s no snow on the ground now, so it’s not happening today. This is good. It means we have some time. Can you check the weather forecast for the next snow?”
“Kennedy …”
I shook my head. “Look, either this is nothing more than a bad dream, and that’s great. I mean, your nightmares suck, but it’s not going to come true. Or, this is a vision and we have time to change it. You’re being shown these things for a reason, and I want to believe that you have the chance—that we have the chance—to change it.”
A look of determination settled over Leigh-Ann as she got up and walked over to her desk then turned her laptop on. Moments later, she looked over. “No snowfall this weekend. There’s a ten percent chance of something next weekend.”
“Then we have time to change this. I’m going to tell Gabriel and—”
“Gabriel?” Leigh-Ann shrieked his name, making me jump. “Why are you telling him?”
I sheepishly rubbed at the back of my neck. “So, if I’m a nephilim, and Ty’s father was Beelzebub, Gabriel is an archangel.”
“Gabriel?” Leigh-Ann said again as her hand hovered over her mouth. “Our gym teacher is an archangel? The archangel? Archangel Gabriel?”
I folded my arms, unimpressed. “His name is Gabriel D’Angelo.”
“That doesn’t make him an archangel.” Her mouth dropped open. “The Archangel Gabriel is a professor at my college?”
“Yes, and that’s why I want to talk to him. He needs to know.”
All of a sudden, Leigh-Ann was shaking her head. “No, you can’t. If I’m wrong—”
“I don’t think you’re wrong, and I don’t think he will either. Plus, he speaks every language on the planet, so he can tell us what your Latin speak means.” I sighed. “And as much as I don’t like the woman, I think we should also tell Dean Pinnosa. She is a saint, and she’s running this college. She needs to know that it could get attacked.”
