Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things

by Elizabeth Briggs

  “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  She shifts uncomfortably and shrugs. “I don’t like to talk about it. I’m only a quarter fae anyway, so I just focus on my angel side and don’t worry about the rest.”

  I take a bite of my burrito and nod, even though I think she might be making a mistake. Try as she might to deny her fae heritage, Araceli will always have some of their blood. There’s no escaping it. I know that more than anyone.

  “Anyway, Dad lives in Florida now, and we don’t talk much. When I do see him, it’s pretty awkward.”

  I snort. “I know all about awkward encounters with dads. Christmas with my father was definitely uncomfortable at times.”

  “I bet. But hey, at least he’s trying.”

  I nod and take a sip of my coffee. “He is, and I appreciate that. Maybe once Jonah is back it won’t be so awkward anymore.”

  She gives me a pitying look. Like everyone else, she probably believes Jonah is dead. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you find him.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

  She sips her drink again before raising her eyebrows at me. "How's the, ah, eating situation going?"

  I lower my voice, even though there’s no one sitting near us. “I’ve been using Bastien for a quick meal. It’s working for now, but I’ll need to figure something else out soon.”

  “What about Marcus?”

  “I’m not sure I want to open up that can of worms again.” I sigh and sip my coffee. “Marcus would grovel, and try to win me back, and tell me how much he cares, and I’m not interested in any of that. Bastien is an emotionless bastard, and that’s exactly what I need right now.”

  “And Callan?”

  My eyes narrow. “Callan deserves what’s coming for him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  "I’ve been thinking about ways to bring them down a notch or two, and I have a plan.”

  Araceli grins and leans forward. "I'm in. Whatever it is, I’m in.”

  Chapter Three

  Kassiel

  I land in front of Gabriel’s house in Angel Peak, silently retract my black and silver wings, and adjust my tie. I’m wearing a heavy coat, even though the cold doesn’t bother me at all, but I have to keep up the appearance that I’m an angel. Only two people at Seraphim Academy know what I truly am—Uriel and Olivia. Perhaps that’s why the Archangel sent me to collect Olivia, and when he asks me to do something, I have little choice but to obey. As a Fallen, I don’t need to bow to his authority, but as a professor at Seraphim Academy, I have to respect the headmaster. I’m only allowed to teach at the school because of his good will, and I appreciate that he keeps my secret for me. If the angels found out a demon was teaching their students, they’d have me fired…or worse.

  And if anyone finds out about me and Olivia? It would be just as bad.

  Not that anything is happening with Olivia at the moment. We slept together before I became her professor, and there’s nothing we can do about that. The kissing at the end of last semester is another story, but nothing like that will happen again, not as long as she’s a student. We’ve both agreed to keep things strictly professional between us while we work together to take down the Order of the Golden Throne.

  That’s the true reason I’m at Seraphim Academy, and I spent the break trying to research them, along with the Staff of Eternity. Of course, that only brought me closer to Olivia, since she was also researching the same things. That's how we ended up at the library together several times this winter. And every time I saw her, it grew harder to deny my feelings for her.

  I'm determined not to let my desire for Olivia alter the way I treat her, though. She's my student, and I want her to get the most out of what I can teach her while she’s at Seraphim Academy. Even though I have an ulterior motive for being a professor, I take my teaching very seriously, and in Angelic History classes I try to present the past as neutrally as possible. Angels and demons have fought for centuries, but now that the war is over, I hope the new generations can grow up in peace, without the old stereotypes and hatreds. I took this job as a special assignment from Lucifer himself, but I’ve come to enjoy it, and I care about my students. Especially one in particular.

  But I won't take advantage of her, or show favoritism, or anything else that men in authority positions have a tendency to do. Especially human men.

  My hand freezes before I strike the door. Coming to Olivia’s house feels like a major violation, and an even bigger temptation. I remind myself I'd do this errand of Uriel's for any student, no matter who they were. I raise my fist and knock on her door.

  Olivia answers wearing a tight tank top that is trying desperately to hold her large breasts flat and failing, with some matching yoga pants. Her hair is tied back and there’s a sheen of sweat on her face that makes me think she was exercising. I can’t help but remember when I had that body pressed up against the wall as I pounded into her, and she had that same sheen of sweat as she clenched around my cock.

  "Kassiel?" she asks, leaning against the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

  I force my gaze upward, away from the allure of her upper thighs. It takes me a moment to remember why I’m here. “Uriel sent me to fetch you. He wants to speak with you immediately.”

  Concern floods her features. "Why?”

  “I don’t know, but he said it was urgent.”

  “Come in, please.”

  My eyes can’t help but travel the length of her body again. “I’d rather not.”

  She rolls her eyes. “I won't jump your bones, I promise. I just need a few minutes to change into something else.”

  "Probably a good idea.” I step inside the house. Archangel Gabriel’s house. If he knew there was a Fallen standing in his living room, he’d probably teleport here in an instant to eject me from his land. And if he knew I’d slept with his daughter once, he’d probably have my head.

  Olivia slips away, and I stand in the living room awkwardly while I wait. The big windows offer a gorgeous view, but I’m more interested in the bookshelves, which are full of human novels. Old classics, written before I was born, and new bestsellers too. The spines on most of them look worn, as if they've been read many times.

  "My dad loves to read human books,” Olivia says. “Everything from the tawdriest romance novel to the driest of the classics."

  I turn as if barely interested and see she's put on a pair of jeans that hug her curves and a black sweater that dips down in a V and accentuates her breasts. I’m not sure she could wear anything unflattering. All succubi are incredibly sexy, and Olivia is the most alluring one I’ve ever met.

  She opens a closet and pulls out a bright red coat with a white fur collar. "Let's go."

  I can't help but chuckle. "You can’t be that cold, not with demon blood in you.”

  “I’m not overly sensitive to the cold, like an angel, or the heat, like a demon. I’m more like a human in that way. But I grew up in LA, so I’m still kind of a wimp about the cold.” She heads outside and locks the door behind us. “Ready?”

  “Are you nervous?”

  “A little.” She looks up at me with those mysterious eyes. “I’d be more nervous without you at my side.”

  My chest tightens, and I have to look away before I grab her, kiss her, and tell her everything will be okay, I’ll make sure of it. I can’t do that, but as much as I can be there for her, I will. She’s still my student, I remind myself. The most attractive student I've ever seen in my life, but still. Just a student, for two more years anyway.

  I have a feeling they’ll be the longest two years of my life.

  Chapter Four

  Olivia

  Flying next to Kassiel is a wonderful kind of torture. He’s the only other person I’ve met with black wings, which are rare but not unheard-of among angels, and common among the Fallen. Most of the angels in last year’s Flight class had white, gray, or brown wings, and Araceli has the most beautiful wings of all—white with purp
le, the same color as the streak in her hair. Along with her pointed ears, they’re the only thing marking her as part fae.

  As we fly, it’s hard not to steal glances of Kassiel in his sexy black suit, with those silver and black wings spreading from his back, especially when I can still feel his lust for me. His reaction to seeing me in my yoga clothes washed over me before either of us had time to utter a word. His desire for me has given me nice snacks in between meals from Bastien. In all the time we spent together over the break, I never felt him crave any other woman in the library, even though there were several very attractive angels shooting him obvious come-hither looks. He never even noticed.

  But he’s not mine. He can’t be mine, not until I graduate from Seraphim Academy in two years. Not unless we want to put his job and everything we’re trying to do in jeopardy.

  I’m just not sure how we’ll be able to resist each other that long.

  Now I'm flying toward campus with him right beside me, with his lust hovering between us. I’m starting to think facing Uriel might be easier than being around Kassiel without acting on our feelings for each other. Because it’s not just lust we share, but something more. Something I definitely can’t think about right now.

  The forest below us gives way, and the gleaming white buildings of the campus greet us, along with the sparkling lake. Spring is in the air and the grounds are a verdant green, with flowers beginning to bloom along the walkways. I draw in a deep breath. I came to Seraphim Academy under false pretenses in order to find my brother, but to my surprise I came to love it here over the last year. When the Princes tried to get me expelled, I pleaded my case so I could stay, and it wasn’t only because of my hunt for Jonah. I wanted to stay here for me, too.

  As we approach the headmaster’s house, my stomach twists. Why does Uriel want to see me two days before class starts? Is it to tell me he's changed his mind, and I'm not welcome at the school anymore? What else could it be?

  We land in front of Uriel’s Victorian house, which looks too quaint to be a part of the campus. I’ve been in his office a few times before, and it was never a pleasant experience. I hesitate and turn to Kassiel. “Are you coming too?”

  “I am,” he says, as he leads the way inside.

  That’s a relief. Going at it all alone has been my MO my entire life, and it's nice to have someone in my corner for once. Someone other than Jonah, anyway. My brother’s the only one who ever had my back—and now it’s my turn to return the favor by rescuing him.

  Kassiel opens the office door and stands to the side so I can enter. As soon as I get a view of the room, my blood runs cold. Uriel isn't alone. Sitting across from his desk in one of the wingback leather chairs is a man so coldly handsome it takes my breath away. With long black hair casually draped around his broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes, and sharp cheekbones, he looks like the kind of man who’d haul you over his shoulder and take you back to his evil lair.

  “Please come in,” Uriel says, and indicates the chair beside the other man. “This is Baal, the headmaster of Hellspawn Academy.”

  My eyes widen. Baal is the Archdemon of the vampires. Whatever this is, it can’t be good.

  "I'm pleased to meet you, Olivia." The vampire stands and holds out his hand. Like Kassiel, he has an English accent, except his sounds more formal. Older. Ancient.

  I reach out and shake his hand. I expect it to be cold and clammy, like a dead person’s, but then remind myself that just about everything in movies and TV shows about vampires is wrong. They’re not dead, they can go out in sunlight, and garlic does nothing to them except give them bad breath. It’s only his eyes that are cold as death, even as he gives me a charming smile.

  "Please, have a seat. I don't bite." He winks at me with those ice-blue eyes.

  Oh, yes you do. I'm reasonably sure he won't do that in front of Uriel though, so I sit at the edge of the leather chair. Kassiel moves to stand directly behind me.

  Baal lifts his gaze over my head and narrows his eyes. "Kassiel."

  “Baal.” Kassiel’s voice is flat, and I glance back to see him crossing his arms and staring the Archdemon down. I wonder how they know each other, and if it’s safe for Kassiel to be here with me. I appreciate his support, but I don’t want him to get in trouble on my behalf.

  Baal’s gaze returns to my face. “Olivia, I'm here to secure your enrollment at Hellspawn Academy."

  I nearly fall out of my seat. "My enrollment?”

  "As the first angel-demon hybrid, it's only right you spend half your time at Hellspawn Academy." He smiles at me, but it’s the smile of a lord looking down at one of his minions and expecting them to drop into a bow.

  "I appreciate the offer…" I swallow. How can I word this delicately? “But I’d prefer to stay here.”

  "I'm not sure you have a choice." Baal is still the epitome of polite, but he's got a strong undercurrent of darkness too, and it’s clear he expects to get his way.

  I don't look behind me to see how Kassiel reacts, but he shifts and his hand brushes against my back. I'm pretty sure he's gripped the top of the chair.

  Uriel clasps his hands in front of him on his big mahogany desk. “If Olivia wishes to stay here, then she shall. We can assure her safety here.”

  Thank you, Uriel.

  Baal leans forward. “She will be perfectly safe at Hellspawn Academy too. I can promise you that. It’s important she learn about her demon side, as much as her angel side. Not only so that she can know our history from our point of view, but so that she can learn to control her powers and not be a threat to others.”

  "I've been trained,” I interject. “My mother spent a considerable amount of time with me when I came of age so I could learn to use my succubus powers safely.”

  Baal arches an eyebrow. “And your mother is…?”

  I shrug casually, and hope my necklace protects me from lying to Archdemons too. “A succubus named Laylah. I don’t know much about her.”

  “Hmm.” Baal’s face turns thoughtful. “Nevertheless, there are many things we can teach you that the angels can’t.”

  I’m intrigued, I will admit. I do want to learn more about my demon side. But I need to stay here to find Jonah and take down the Order. I can’t do that from Hellspawn Academy. “Sorry, but my place is here.”

  “Would it be an acceptable compromise if a demon taught her about your kind here on campus?” Uriel asks. “I already have one of the Fallen in place who can do that.”

  Kassiel adds, “It would be my honor to teach her about our ways.”

  Baal doesn’t look happy about this, but he doesn’t object either. He shifts in his seat and crosses his long, muscular legs. He really is hot, but his age radiates off of him like a heatwave. He's thousands of years old, as old as my parents. Not for me, thanks.

  “Fine,” he drawls. “Kassiel can teach her about our history and our laws, but I want a succubus to test her to make sure she is properly trained in that area, as well.” I start to protest, and Baal shoots me a hard look that instantly renders me silent. “Even though you say you’ve been trained, let us be the judge of that. We cannot have an untrained succubus draining humans dry all over California. You’ll meet with a succubus of my choosing, or you’ll attend Hellspawn Academy. Your choice.”

  I want to argue that it hasn’t been a problem for that last four years, but I guess I understand his need to be cautious. I’m not super excited about more classes with Kassiel either. It's going to be a lesson in restraint for both of us, at least.

  "All right,” I reluctantly agree. "Anything else?"

  “That will be all.” Baal stands to his tall height and flashes me a dangerous smile. "It has been an absolute delight, Ms. Monroe. Archangel Uriel.” He purses his lips. “Kassiel.”

  “An honor to see you again, Archdemon Baal,” Uriel says.

  The vampire gives Uriel a nod, and then walks out of the room. I relax in the leather seat as soon as he’s gone, and my eyes wander around Uriel’s office
. I spot the shadowy black feather floating in a glass case, and wonder again whose wings are missing it. I also eye his private bookshelf and the forbidden book I stole from it last year. I feel a little guilty about that, but I had to do it to get into the Order. At least it got returned at some point.

  Uriel steeples his fingers and meets my eyes. “Olivia, as I’m sure you’ve surmised, Kassiel is a Fallen and not an angel. He’s working here as part of an initiative to improve angel-demon relations, but we’re not ready to reveal what he is yet to the school. I trust you to keep this secret as part of the condition for remaining at Seraphim Academy.”

  I nod and pretend this is news to me. “I understand. I won’t tell anyone.”

  “Good. I’ll add weekly training sessions with Kassiel to your schedule. I’m not sure when the succubus will arrive, but you’ll have to find time for her lessons as well. Do you have any other questions or concerns for me?”

  “No,” I say. “But I appreciate your support. Thank you for letting me stay here.”

  “Of course,” Uriel says. “You belong here as much as anyone does. I’ll see you at orientation tomorrow.”

  That sounds like a dismissal, so I nod and leave the room, with Kassiel right behind me. Once we’re outside, I give him a smile. “Thanks for staying with me.”

  “You’re welcome.” Kassiel frowns and stares down the road away from the house, before looking back at me with a warning in his eyes. “This deal with Baal is the best we could have hoped for, although the succubus will obviously be spying on the school for the Archdemons.”

  “Uriel must realize that,” I say. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed.”

  “I’m sure he does, and he probably has a spy of his own at Hellspawn. Just be careful, Olivia.”

  “I’m always careful. It’s how I’ve stayed alive this long on my own.”