Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things

by Elizabeth Briggs

  Our leader gives the same speech he gave last year, and ends with giving the initiates the task to steal an important object from one of the professors. We’re all dismissed, and we disperse silently into the shadows, slipping away like eels into the dark night.

  I attempt to follow one of the other members for a short time, hoping to uncover who they are, like I did with Cyrus last year, but they turn invisible and I lose them. And when I get back to my room and remove my mask, only then do I realize that I didn’t really learn anything new at the meeting. Dammit.

  Chapter Ten

  Olivia

  On Sunday, the school’s yoga classes on the lawn start up again, and it feels good to settle into the familiar poses. The combination of yoga and sunlight help keep my hunger to a low simmer, which is easy to ignore as long as I don’t let my gaze settle on Kassiel…or one of the Princes.

  Tanwen’s in my yoga class too, and I cringe a little as I remember our big fight last year. I keep expecting some of her bitchy commentary now that she knows I’m a demon and has even more material to work with. Surely she must hate me—she’s a Valkyrie, after all. They’re raised from childhood to fight in the Angelic Army against demons, and she probably considers me an abomination, like many others do. My very existence is forbidden, after all.

  I wait for the insults or taunts the entire class, but all she does is give me a little nod at the end, when we all grab our things and walk away.

  Odd.

  I spend the rest of the afternoon doing my homework and reading, which is light since classes just started. Araceli and I order in pizza from Angel Peak and watch old episodes of Friends. Every time I spot the purple streak in her hair—which I know now is not dyed, but part of her fae heritage—I’m reminded of what the Order said and how they want to use her. I’m doubly glad I’m her roommate again so I can protect her from them. I’m not letting anyone hurt my best friend.

  After we say goodnight, I glance out the window toward the bell tower. Are the Princes up there tonight? Do they still gather there to lord over the rest of the school like kings? A pit hardens in my stomach at the memory of being up there with them. When they found out I was a succubus. When they threw me a birthday party. When they betrayed me.

  It’s time to begin my revenge.

  I throw on a hoodie and slip outside, using my Ishim powers to go invisible. The necklace my mother gave me protects me from any Ofanim who might see through my angelic powers, but it hardly matters because there isn’t another soul out tonight. Not at this late hour. Angels are definitely not night owls…and I definitely am.

  I stroll toward the parking lot with a bag over my shoulder containing the means of my revenge. This is only stage one, my opening shot, and after tonight, they’ll know its war between us.

  My poor, battered Honda sits on one end of the parking lot. Last year, Callan broke my windshield and left me a note telling me I didn’t belong at Seraphim Academy. It wasn’t cheap getting it fixed, and now it’s time to get even.

  Callan’s convertible Audi stands out from the rest of the cars, with its ostentatious red color and shiny silver rims. I slowly run my hands along the side of it, knowing no one will see me, not even the video cameras that are trained on this lot. Is Bastien watching them now, wondering if I’ll sneak out again for a quick meal? Probably. But he won’t see anything tonight.

  I remove the canister from my bag and put on a mask over my mouth and nose. Still invisible, I begin my work, and can’t help but grin as it comes out even better than I expected.

  It takes me hours, but it’s worth it. So very worth it.

  I can’t wait to see Callan’s face in the morning.

  “You’re up early,” Araceli says, when she exits her room in the morning to grab a cup of coffee.

  I’m already dressed and getting my bag ready. “I want to get to the cafeteria early. Care to join me?”

  "Sure," she says. "Any particular reason why?"

  "It might be entertaining,” I say with a sly smile.

  Araceli raises her eyebrows. "You started, didn’t you?”

  “Maaaaybe.”

  She lets out a whoop and runs back into her room to throw on some clothes. Five minutes later, we’re heading out of our dorm, and I’m pleased to see there’s already a crowd gathering in the parking lot. We join it, along with other students who can’t help but be drawn to the spectacle. No one is outright laughing, but I see a lot of grins and hear hushed whispers and giggles, like we’re all sharing an amusing secret. And in the center of the crowd is the thing we’re all staring at—Callan’s convertible Audi, no longer bright red, but now a glittery hot pink that sparkles under the morning light. Across the top of the windshield, pink and white letters spell out PRETTY PRINCESS. It looks like a real-life Barbie car.

  “I can’t believe you actually did it,” Araceli says. “Respect, girl.”

  A hush comes over the crowd, and even though I don’t turn my head, I know the Princes have arrived. Two of them, anyway.

  Callan stomps through the parking lot, practically shoving people out of the way. The crowd parts like water, and when he gets that first view of his car, his whole body tightens with fury. His rage is beautiful in its intensity, and the students in the crowd no longer think it’s funny. They step back and duck their heads, as if they’re afraid to be caught looking at my prank.

  “Who did this?” Callan roars, glancing around, sending people scurrying like pigeons.

  Bastien leans over and says something quietly in Callan’s ear, and then the two of them turn toward me as one. Pure hatred fills Callan’s eyes as he glares at me, and an aura of angry white light surrounds him. Bastien rests a hand on his shoulder, and I wonder what would happen if he wasn’t there to hold the beast back. Would Callan shoot me with his burning light? Would he run over and throttle me right here, in front of all these other students?

  I stare Callan down, meeting his challenge head on, and give him a sinful smile. His face is absolutely priceless as his fury only grows, but I’m not afraid of him. He’s already done his worst to me, and now it’s my turn.

  I turn on my heels, toss my hair, and walk away. If he wants to retaliate, he’ll have to come after me.

  Bring it, baby.

  Callan skips Combat Training that morning. Maybe he’s too angry to face me. Maybe he’s trying to figure out how to get the pink sparkly paint off his car. Whatever the reason, Hilda isn’t pleased by his absence, but shows us how to wield an axe with practiced ease anyway.

  “I used this move to cleave through an incubus once,” she says with a wicked grin, while she slices the heavy axe through the air. Then she glances at me and her smile drops, like she’s worried she’s insulted me somehow.

  When class ends, I tell Araceli I’ll see her later and start to head to Fae Studies. Tanwen passes by me, slinging her bag over her shoulder, and says, “That was dirty. He loves that car more than anything.”

  I shrug. “He deserved it.”

  “Probably,” she says. “But you better watch your back.”

  My eyes narrow. Last year she had a thing for Callan, even though he only had eyes for me, and she’s probably still pissed about it. “Is that a threat?”

  “No, just a warning.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “If you have something you want to say to me, just spit it out already.”

  Tanwen tugs on her long straw-colored braid and laughs. “I think I’d rather keep you in suspense for now. Besides, someone else is here to talk to you. Good luck with that.”

  She walks away, and I turn around to see what she’s talking about.

  Callan stands behind me, his hands still clenched. Everyone else has vanished. We’re alone outside the gym, in the same spot where we kissed.

  This is where he betrayed me.

  “What the fuck was that?” he growls.

  “Payback,” I reply. “You messed with my car, and I’ve messed with yours. Now we’re even.”

  �
�You think this is a game?” His angry eyes search mine, but he doesn’t make a move toward me.

  “Isn’t it?” I poke a finger at his chest, hitting hard muscle. “A game you started, but one I intend to finish.”

  “Everything I did was to protect you.” He grabs my hand, and I tense, waiting to see what he’ll do next. He holds it a second longer than I expect as he stares into my eyes, and then he drops it in disgust. “Just stay away from me, demon.”

  “Half-demon,” I remind him sweetly. “Don’t worry, I intend to keep my distance from you. But this game? It’s only just begun.” I lean close, so close my lips almost brush his. “Make no mistake, this is war.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Bastien

  I sink into the desk beside Olivia and give her a long look. I hoped to get through my final year as a student at Seraphim Academy without any problems, but clearly that isn’t going to happen, not with our little half-succubus around. That prank this morning was clever, I’ll admit, and a fitting punishment for what Callan did to her, but it was also unwise. Callan is a formidable opponent, and he does not forgive easily. If I hadn’t been there, I’m not sure what he would have done.

  Olivia ignores me as she pulls out her notebook and pens, while Raziel talks to another student just outside the classroom door. We have a few minutes before our Fae Studies class will begin.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask Olivia in a low voice.

  “I have no idea what you mean,” she says with a smile. The picture of innocence.

  “Even your necklace can’t hide that lie.” She goes back to ignoring me, and I pinch my brow before starting again. “Tell me this is a one-time thing. A single prank to get back at Callan, and now it’s over.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  My eyes narrow. “What are you planning next?”

  She tilts her head with a taunting smile. “I’m sure you’d love to know.”

  There has never been a more infuriating woman than Olivia Monroe. Raziel walks in and starts going through some papers on his desk. I pin Olivia with a stern look. “Be careful. Callan is not someone you want to cross. Neither am I.”

  She drops her smile. “I’m getting really tired of everyone telling me to be careful all the time.”

  I lean forward and hiss, “Then maybe you should stop being so reckless.”

  She leans forward too, her face very close to mine. “Or maybe you should treat me like a grown woman who can take care of herself for once.”

  “I’m only trying to protect you, but you do make it difficult.”

  She places a hand over her heart. “Aw, Bastien, for a second it almost sounded like you cared.”

  I scowl at her. “I care about keeping my promise to Jonah. Nothing more.”

  She bats her long lashes at me, but then Raziel moves to the front of class and clears his throat. He glances at us like he’s worried he’s interrupting, and I sit back in my chair and gesture for him to begin his lecture.

  “Today we’re going to start discussing the different Faerie courts, beginning with Summer and Spring,” Raziel says. “Together, they’re known as the Seelie courts, and in history they’ve often been depicted as the ‘good’ fae, although this isn’t really correct. They can be just as kind or cruel as any of the Unseelie fae. The Summer court is known for being both brave and volatile, while Spring court members can be both kind and capricious.”

  He continues on, but I already know everything he’s discussing, so I take few notes. Instead, I wonder what else Olivia has planned. Is she going to exact revenge for everything we did to her last year, tit for tat? If so, she’ll probably go after our rooms next. Or the bell tower.

  As class comes to a close, Raziel says, “Before I forget, I want to pair everyone up for your class project. If you’ve been in one of my other classes before, this should be familiar to you. You and your partner will write a paper on a topic related to the fae, and this year I’ve decided to let you choose it.”

  He begins assigning partners, and when he calls Olivia, he pairs her up with me, exactly as I instructed him. I got the idea from Marcus, who did the same thing last year in Demon Studies. Raziel is a good professor, but he’s a weak-willed fool, and like most people, he has no desire to go up against the Princes. Olivia’s the only person who has ever tried.

  She lets out an audible groan when she hears she’s assigned to me, and it sounds just like the one she makes when I’m fucking her. I’m instantly hard, and she glances my way. Can she feel it, my desire for her? I shove it to the back of my mind, along with my other emotions. I feel nothing for her. Nothing at all.

  When class ends, she turns toward me in the hallway. “What a coincidence that we’re paired together.”

  “Indeed. What shall we pick for our topic?”

  “Magical objects.” She touches the gold and aquamarine necklace hanging above her breasts. “I’d like to know more about how they’re made.”

  “Good choice. Let’s meet on Mondays in the same time and place as we did last year.”

  She makes a disgusted face. “Right, when you performed tests on me like a lab rat.”

  “That was Uriel’s decision, and if you’d been honest about your Choir, we wouldn’t have had to do that.”

  “If I’d been honest, they would have kicked me out of school.” She shakes her head. “Let’s just try to get this paper over with quickly so I can go back to avoiding you as much as possible.”

  “As you wish.” I take her chin as I stare into her green eyes. “But don’t forget who provides you with your meals. Unless you want to go back to feeding on strangers?”

  She opens her mouth, but can’t seem to form a reply, and I gaze down at her perfect red lips. My cock hardens as I imagine what I’d like to do with that mouth. She senses my desire and her breathing hitches, while her eyes glaze over a bit.

  “You seem rather hungry,” I ask, stroking her soft skin. “Should I come by tonight?”

  “Yes, fine,” she says with a sigh, before jerking away. “But only for a quickie.”

  “I’ll be there at nine.” A satisfied smile crosses my lips as she walks away. She needs me, even if she won’t admit it…and I’m more than happy to give her what she wants.

  Chapter Twelve

  Olivia

  My classes keep me busy, and two weeks pass by in what seems like only minutes. I avoid the Princes, and they stay out of my way too. My hunger grows, since I took as little from Bastien as possible during our last encounter. I ignore it as best I can, and spend extra time soaking up sunlight to give me strength. That won’t last forever though, and I know it. But I can’t keep feeding on Bastien either. Sooner or later he’s going to start to grow weak, and it’ll be my fault.

  I receive a message from Uriel that my succubus testing will begin on Wednesday after my normal classes, and that I’ll meet with her in one of the rooms in his house. I’m excited to meet another succubus other than my mother, although I’m not sure what kind of tests she’ll have for me. I hope I pass.

  At the appointed time, Bastien opens the door to Uriel’s house and instructs me to follow him. He leads me past the office and deep into the house, where I’ve never been before. We step into some kind of old-fashioned parlor, where Uriel sits in a chair with curled wood arms, sipping tea across from a woman in a red dress. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen other than my mother, with dark brown skin, luscious curls, perfectly pouty lips, and amazing curves. All angels and demons are attractive, but the Lilim have something else, something irresistible that makes it hard to take your eyes off them, and this succubus is no exception.

  “Ah, there’s Olivia now,” Uriel says, as I step inside the room. Will Uriel be attending these sessions too? That could get very awkward. Especially if we start talking about my sex life. Or how I’m sleeping with his son for sustenance. I glance at Bastien in a panic, but he discreetly exits the room and closes the door as Uriel begins speaking again.
“This is Delilah. She’ll be handling your succubus testing, per Baal’s request.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Delilah says, and even her voice is alluring.

  Uriel stands. “I’ll leave you two to get started. Feel free to enjoy some tea and cakes.”

  He exits the room, and I hesitate a second before sitting in the chair he vacated. On the table beside me there are tiny little yellow teacups and a steaming tea pot, along with some cute mini cakes with pastel frosting. I pour myself some tea, even though the whole moment feels like something from a dream.

  “How strange to be having tea in an Archangel’s house,” Delilah says, before bringing her cup to her lips for a delicate sip. “I look forward to teaching you here, in Uriel’s quaint little parlor. It’s so very chaste, and what we’ll discuss is definitely not.”

  “Teach me?” I ask, confused. “I’m not sure how much Baal told you, but I already know how to control my succubus hunger and how to feed without hurting anyone. I don’t think there’s much more you could teach me.”

  Delilah’s laugh floats through the air like butterflies with gossamer wings. "My dear, you don't know a quarter of what I have to teach you. Besides, that’s not why I’m really here, now is it? We both know I’ve been sent to evaluate you for Baal. Now, what Baal doesn’t know is that I’m also here to watch over you, at the behest of your mother."

  My eyes widen. "You know who my mother is?"

  “I do. I’m one of your cousins. But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone who your mother is.” She gives me a wink that could bring humans to their knees.

  I sit back with a sigh of relief. It’s forbidden for angels and demons to have relationships, and Mother’s life could be in danger if anyone found out she gave birth to me. Then the other part of her statement registers, and my eyes widen. “We’re cousins?”