“Yes, we share closer blood than most.”
I want to ask more, but I get the sense she is being purposefully vague, and likely won’t tell me anything else. Instead, I ask, “Are you going to test me?”
She picks up one of the little cakes and takes a bite. “No, I already know enough just by looking at you. For one thing, I can tell you’re not feeding enough.”
“It’s not exactly easy on a campus full of angels,” I mutter.
She waves a dismissive hand. “There are plenty of places nearby you could go to find prey.”
“I tried that last year and it was…challenging. I also got attacked by demons, which didn’t make it any easier.” I don’t mention that I would prefer not to feed on strangers anymore, for fear it will make me seem weak or something.
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore. There were rumors of a rogue succubus in the area and a bounty was placed on your head, but that’s all over now that you’re not in hiding anymore. No demon will attack you, not without facing the wrath of the Archdemons.”
That’s good to know.
She cocks her head. “If you’re not feeing from humans, who are you feeding from?”
“Right now, one of the angels on campus.”
“That’s it?” She blinks at me. “No wonder you’re half-starved. You can’t survive on one angel alone—your mother must have taught you that. Not only because it won’t sustain you over a long period, but because eventually you will kill this person, just as you would a human.”
I stare down into my tea. As much as I dislike Bastien, I don’t want to hurt him. “Can we never have a long-term supernatural lover then?”
“No, you can, however you would need many of them. Ideally six to eight, unless they’re very powerful, then you might get away with fewer. That way, when you feed regularly from all of them, you take less of their life force and don’t put them in any danger.” Her lips curl. “Of course, the tricky part is finding multiple supernaturals who agree to share you.”
“Have you done it?”
“I have in the past, but it never lasts. In the Lilim world we call it a harem, and many young idealistic succubi and incubi try to create one, but find it challenging to maintain. Lovers get jealous and fickle over time. Personalities clash. People leave.” Her eyes go distant, and I sense that she’s remembering something in her own past. After a moment, she shakes her head. “It’s a lot easier to keep traveling and feeding on human strangers, as you’ll soon learn.”
I take a sip of my tea and think over her words. She’s saying nothing I haven’t heard before from Mother, but I foolishly hoped another succubus would have better answers for me. But as Mother said, love isn’t for our kind.
“I’ll figure something out.” I’ll have to either start trolling nearby bars again for truckers to bang, or I’ll have to take Marcus into my bed again. And probably a few other angels too. But who? Kassiel is off-limits. Callan hates me, and the feeling is mutual. I can’t think of anyone else on campus I’d sleep with, unfortunately.
Delilah scrutinizes me. "Have you figured out how to feed off of lust not directed at you?"
"I have." I remember the snacks I used to get from Araceli and Darel, before he was killed anyway. That’s not an option now.
“Good. That should help sustain you. One thing you could try is going to a strip club to feed on the lust in the air, but that can only do so much. You could also incite lust in people around you. You do know how to do that, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I don’t do it often, especially here on campus.”
“That’s understandable, but I have an idea for how you can do it without getting caught. I assume you sleep in dorms, as they do at Hellspawn Academy?” she asks, and I nod. “When all the little angels are asleep in their beds, send out a wave of lust through the building. You’ll give every student in your dorm a sexy dream that will sustain you for a short time.”
I sit up straighter. "That's a good idea. Nobody discusses their sex dreams, right?”
She smiles, pleased at my enthusiasm. "Indeed. You'll have to start small though. A few rooms at a time at first. But that should tide you over until you find more lovers, at least."
"Nothing replaces sex though, does it?" I ask.
"No, but we do what we must to survive.” She finishes the last of her tea and sets it down, then rises with the elegance of a queen. “I’ll return in a few months to check on your progress. I hope to see signs that you’re feeding better by then.”
I jump to my feet with a lot less grace. “I’ll try.”
Delilah reaches out and strokes my cheek tenderly with her red nails for a fleeting moment. I catch a quick glimpse of a gold ring set with rubies, and for some reason it reminds me of the necklace I wear, but then I’m ensnared by her mysterious green eyes, which look just like mine. She’s only the fourth member of my family I’ve ever met, and I almost beg her to stay longer. I have so many questions, but more than that, I just want to spend time with her. But the moment ends as quickly as it began, and she draws herself up and walks out of the room, moving with such confidence you’d think this is her house and not Uriel’s.
I stare at the empty doorway with a hollowness in my chest, but then collect myself and set out for the dorms. I have something new to try tonight.
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia
When I get back to my dorm, there’s a piece of blue paper taped to the door, announcing something new called Family Day in June. I rip it off and scan it quickly. It says all parents will be invited to explore the campus and attend classes with us that day, plus there will be a big feast out on the lawn. I doubt Father will bother showing up, so I leave the paper on the kitchen counter in case Araceli wants it. Her mom will definitely come, but I’m not sure about her dad.
I head into my bedroom, drop my bag on my bed, peel off my cardigan, and then freeze. There’s a gold envelope on my desk, like the ones the Order sends…but it’s too soon for another meeting, isn’t it? Although last year I was only an initiate, maybe now that I’m a full member, I’ll be expected to attend more meetings. But when I rip it open, I see it’s not an invitation, but something that sends a chill down my spine.
Find a way to bring your roommate’s father to campus before the end of the year. Failure to complete your task will result in the punishment of a loved one.
I ball up the paper in my fist, and then notice my hands are shaking. I should have known the Order would want to manipulate me to achieve their goals. I just didn’t expect them to do something like this, or with such an open threat. Then again, they got away with murder last year—what won’t they do?
I sit on the edge of my bed as I consider my options. I think Araceli wants to reconnect with her dad, and after doing the same with my father, I believe it will be good for her. Convincing her to invite him to Parents Day or one of the upcoming soccer games won’t be too hard, and I’ll be doing it for her benefit, not for the Order. Plus, he must know something about getting to Faerie…which is probably why the Order wants him, of course.
If they want him, it can’t be for anything good. What will they do to him if he comes to campus? Kidnap him and force him to open a portal to Faerie? I can’t let anything happen to one of Araceli’s parents. Then again, it will be easier to stop the Order if we can set up a trap for them, and her father’s arrival would be perfect for that. And maybe if he comes to school, he can help us find Jonah too.
My head spins, trying to decide what to do. Manipulate my best friend, and risk her father’s life with the best of intentions? Or ignore the Order’s task, and put someone I care about—possibly Araceli herself—in danger?
I hear the front door open and Araceli’s combat boots stomping through the living room and the kitchen. She pauses, and I imagine she’s looking at the Family Day flyer. Probably debating whether or not to invite her father. All I have to do is go out there and convince her it’s a good idea. Easy.
No. I’ve resolved to be a better friend this year, and that means no more lying or deception. The old Liv didn’t trust anyone and relied on no one but herself, but I’m trying to change. It’s hard for me to accept that I don’t have all the answers, and even harder for me to put my trust in someone else, especially after the Princes betrayed me, but Araceli has never done anything to make me question her loyalty.
I touch my mother’s necklace. Its purpose is to help me lie and conceal, and I’m very good at both of those things. As an Ishim and a succubus, my nature is to work from the shadows. But maybe truth is the answer sometimes.
I head out into our shared living room, where Araceli is plopping down on the couch and grabbing the TV remote. I pick up the Family Day flyer off the kitchen counter and bring it over to her, questioning my decision with each step.
“Hey, Liv,” she says, glancing up at me. She sees the look on my face and sits up a little. “Everything okay?”
“Did you see this flyer?” I hold up the Family Day notice.
“Yep. My mom is going to go nuts when she finds out. I’ll never get her to leave.” She rolls her eyes. “Are you worried about your dad coming?”
“No, that’s not it.” I sit beside her on the couch. “You know I joined the Order of the Golden Throne so I could find my brother, and now I’m trying to stop them from the inside.”
“Yeah…” Her nose wrinkles in confusion. “After what they did to Darel, I told you I’d help.”
“They want all their members to perform tasks this year. I just got mine.” I hand her the letter from the Order, which she carefully unfolds.
Her eyes widen as she reads it. “Holy shit.”
I let out a long breath. “I told you I was going to be honest and open with you about everything from now on, and I’m trying to do that. I want to know what you think we should do.”
She reads the paper again and then looks up at me. “I’m really glad you showed me this, and I know it probably wasn’t an easy decision.” She chews on her lip a little, and then tugs on her purple strand of hair. “Okay, I’ll ask him to come to Family Day.”
“Are you sure? It could be dangerous for him.”
“I know, but there’s no guarantee he’ll come anyway, and if he does, then we’ll know to watch out for an attack.” She hands me the gold letter. “Besides, we have to try. If we don’t, they could hurt someone else.”
I throw my arms around her. “Thank you, Araceli. I’m so sorry you’re mixed up in all this. If I could protect you from it, I would.”
She pulls back from my hug and pokes me in the arm. “I’m not the one who needs protecting, girl. You’re getting involved with some dangerous people, people who know what you really are now, I might add. Good thing you’ve got me to watch your back.”
I can’t help but smile, especially since her words remind me of something Jonah once said. Here I am, trying to protect her from the people who want to use her fae blood, and she’s trying to do the same for me. “Yes, good thing.”
She rips up the Order’s note with her nails, and for a second I think I catch a glimpse of that infamous fae cruelty in her eyes. “Whatever the Order has planned, we’ll stop them.”
Chapter Fourteen
Olivia
The next month passes in a blur of spring, sunshine, classes, and homework. My classes are harder this year than last, and combined with my extra meetings with Bastien and Kassiel, I barely have time to breathe.
Callan finishes his demonstration of all the different weapons in Combat Training, and now we’re starting to try them out ourselves. As expected, I find daggers the easiest to work with, and plan to pick them when the time comes. We still seethe at each other during every class, but otherwise pretend the other doesn’t exist, which suits me just fine.
The most curious thing is I don’t feel any lust from Tanwen toward him anymore. I wonder what changed? Maybe she found someone else over the break? Or has she finally realized he is the actual worst?
In Fae Studies, we move from learning about the Seelie courts to the Unseelie courts, and on Mondays, Bastien and I do research on famous magical objects throughout history and mythology, like Excalibur. He’s not as fun a partner as Marcus was, but he gets the job done at least. Meanwhile, I keep hoping to find clues about how to find Jonah, but always end up disappointed.
In Angelic History, Kassiel has started talking about migrations of angels and demons to Earth in the past, like during the Renaissance. Did you know Leonardo Da Vinci was an angel? No, me neither. Then, during our private sessions, Kassiel gives me the demons’ perspective on the same lessons—like how they believe Mona Lisa was Leonardo’s secret succubus lover. Kassiel knows all the good gossip, for sure.
In Ishim class, we study how to conceal other people and large objects, which is something I hadn’t learned yet, and it takes a lot of energy. As does everything in Light Control, where we started out by creating little hovering lights to guide us in the dark, and are now making big flashes that can temporarily blind our enemies. It’s exhausting, and all it does is make me hungrier.
Delilah’s trick helps. Every night I set an alarm for 2 AM, and then I practice what we talked about during our meeting. I started with a few rooms on my floor, sending a wave of lust to my sleeping peers, while avoiding Araceli, of course. That topped me off nicely, but it didn’t last long. The next few nights, I spread my powers to other floors, being careful to skip around a lot so no one suspects me. I have no idea what the dreams are about, but I can feel their intensity as I feed on the desire they create. I hope the dreamers enjoy it as much as I do. It's not as satisfying as sex, but it does the job. For now.
I’m so busy with schoolwork and trying to stay sated that it’s easy to forget about my plan to get revenge on the Princes. Then, on a Friday night, there’s a knock on my door while I’m reading my Angelic History textbook. Araceli is out having dinner with her aunt, and I’m careful when I open the door—but it’s just Marcus on the other side.
“Hey,” he says, leaning on the doorway and looking good enough to eat. “How are you?”
I cross my arms. “What are you doing here, Marcus?”
“I just came to see if you wanted to grab a bite to eat with me. We could even go to Angel Peak. Or maybe order in…”
I raise my eyebrows. “Like on a date?”
“Sure, if you want to call it that.”
I’m actually tempted by his offer—we don’t have any classes together this year, and I sort of miss him a tiny bit—but I shake my head. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Are you sure?” He reaches out and brushes a piece of hair back from my face. “You look like you need to eat. I can help you.”
His voice dips low, and I know he doesn’t mean food. His desire rolls over me like a wave, and it’s delicious and irresistible, because it’s different from the normal lust I get from people. There’s real emotion behind it, which isn’t something I feel often. Maybe it’s because of that emotion that I grab his shirt and pull him into the room, then shut the door behind him.
We’re on each other instantly, lips locked, hands roaming, bodies pressed together. Damn, I really missed kissing Marcus. The boy knows what he’s doing with his mouth, that’s for sure. And his fingers. And everything else. After surviving on nothing but dreams and light for weeks, I can’t get enough of this real desire directed at me. I know I should stop this immediately, and that sex with Marcus can only lead to drama, but I can’t do it. I’m so hungry I’m physically unable to tear myself away from the man in my arms, even as he leads me to my bedroom.
Once we’re inside, Marcus doesn’t hesitate. He pushes me down on the bed and yanks my skirt up, then rips my panties off like they’re made of tissue paper. His eyes are determined and a little wild, before he drops to his knees and buries his head between my thighs. His mouth and tongue conduct a little symphony on my clit, and I grab onto his thick, luscious brown hair and moan. It’s so good, but I need more. To
really feed I need his pleasure too, and I need it now.
“Fuck me,” I command him. “Hard and fast. Hurry.”
“Someone’s feeling a little desperate, isn’t she?” he asks, as he slides a finger into me, feeling how wet I am for him. He’s teasing me now, but it’s so good I don’t care, even as it makes me hungrier. I practically drool as he drops his pants and slides his hard cock between my legs. He rubs it against my folds, getting it nice and slick, while he stares into my eyes. “I’ve got what you need right here.”
I grab his cock and slide it into me before I go mad. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to feed before Marcus showed up at my door, and nothing will stop this until I’m sated. I’m not sure he could leave now if he tried.
But he doesn’t want to leave. He wants to sink his cock into me over and over again, in long deep strokes that make me wonder how I possibly went without sex with Marcus for so long. What was I thinking, when it’s this amazing to feel him buried inside me? I grab his ass and pull him even deeper, urging him to move faster, needing us to both get off right now. My nails dig into his skin, and his little grunts in my ear are the best sound I’ve heard in months. Harder and faster our bodies move together, skin against skin, until we’re both right there on the edge. Then Marcus kisses me hard and I’m over it, climaxing around his cock, moaning in his mouth, totally lost in the pleasure. He comes inside me at the same time, and his power fills me to the brim instantly. I don’t want it to end, and I know Marcus doesn’t either because he keeps kissing me, even as our bodies calm and our hearts slow.
Eventually, I roll away from him and sit up. Shit, I just slept with Marcus in a succubus lust haze. I used him for quick and dirty sex, like I did with Bastien. Except Marcus actually cares about me, unlike Bastien, which makes this much more complicated. I have to make sure he knows this isn’t something more than sex for sustenance.
Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things Page 6
