At least I know why Tanwen is over Callan. After the sex dreams started, she began dating one of the other Valkyries, a broad-shouldered girl named Marila. They sit together on the other side of the cafeteria with their identical blond hair, and I wait for some petty thoughts to come into my head, but they don’t. I guess I’m fine with Tanwen these days. How strange.
“Is that a burn on your arm?” Araceli asks me, as I dig in to my burrito.
I glance down, surprised. “Oh yeah. I got it in Light Control today. One of the Valkyries zapped me. I think it was an accident, but who knows.”
“Ugh, of course they did.” Araceli rolls her eyes and covers the burn with her hand. Within seconds it’s healed, thanks to her Malakim blood. “There you go, all fixed up.”
“Thanks.” It would have healed within a day or two anyway, but it’s nice to have a healer on your side.
Cyrus sits at the end of our table, with his new boyfriend Isaiah across from him. Isaiah is like a ginger version of Cyrus, with his nearly identical hipster jeans and robin blue polo shirt. They’re even about the same height. They’re another of the new couples that spawned after I started turning up the heat in people’s dreams, and there’s always an invisible cloud of lust swirling around them. I have a feeling it won’t last, but they give me a nice snack whenever they’re around, at least.
Cyrus immediately jumps into his favorite past time—gossip. “Did you hear about the attack in Angel Peak?”
“What?” Araceli drops her spoon in surprise. “No?”
He leans forward and lowers his voice. “Two angels were killed right outside the coffee shop. Their heads were severed…along with their wings.”
The others gasp. Wings are a big deal among angels, I’ve learned. Touching someone else’s wings without permission is taboo. Mutilation of someone’s wings is a truly horrific punishment, only reserved for the most serious of offenders. And cutting them off? It’s a rare, ghastly crime, and it makes the others shudder to even consider such a thing.
“Was it demons?” I ask, my stomach sinking. I don’t need anyone to have even more reason to hate me for my demon blood.
“That’s what they thought at first, but now there's a rumor going around it was humans instead,” Cyrus says.
Grace’s eyes widen. “Humans? How could they get into Angel Peak?”
“Yeah, I thought the place was warded so humans couldn’t even find it,” Araceli says.
Cyrus spreads his hands. “No one knows.”
Grace pokes at her food with a frown. “That can't be right. How could humans manage to take out two angels? It must be a demon attack. They’re the only ones who would be so heartless.” She quickly glances at me. “Sorry, Liv. I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay,” I say, although it does sting a little.
“They’re increasing security around the town to make sure nothing like this happens again,” Isaiah says. I almost forgot he was here, since he’s so quiet. I guess if Cyrus is your boyfriend, you let him do most of the talking.
The next day, the attack in Angel Peak is all anyone can talk about, and the campus is buzzing with fear. No one knows if demons or humans were behind it, and speculations are running wild. I get more dirty looks than usual, like somehow it’s my fault.
It’s Friday, which means another after-school lesson with Kassiel. Last week he talked a little about what the Great War was like from the demons’ perspective. Kassiel lost his mother during it, and he spoke with passion about the horrors he witnessed when he fought. I was hoping to hear more stories about his time as a soldier, but today I have a more pressing question.
“Do you know anything about the attack in Angel Peak?” I ask, after closing the door behind me. “Was it demons who did it?”
One of his eyebrows arches up. “I see the attack has been weighing on your mind. Come. Sit.”
I take my usual chair, and he sits behind his desk, a safe distance away from me. Every session with him is a lesson in restraint and self-control. I’m already thinking about banging him right there on his desk, which isn’t a good sign.
“As far as I know, it wasn’t demons who did it,” he says.
“So it’s true?” I ask. “Humans killed two angels?”
“It does seem that way.”
I lean back. “Wow. I knew there were human hunters, but I didn’t think they were a real threat to us.”
“Most of the time, they’re not. However, I’ve heard some stirrings about a group of humans that is growing in numbers called the Duskhunters. They’re fanatical and cult-like, but worst of all, they’re organized and well-funded. They believe all supernaturals should be wiped off of Earth completely, and will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. It’s possible they’re behind this attack, although I’m not sure how they could have gotten into Angel Peak.”
I knead my hands as I consider his words. “I spent most of my life afraid of angels and demons, worried about what they would do to me if they found me. Then my worry shifted to the fae, and what they might have done to Jonah. I never thought of humans as a threat at all...until now."
"As long as you stay on campus, you’ll be fine,” Kassiel says. “The Archangels have sent extra guards to Angel Peak, so the town should be safe too. You don’t need to worry. Honestly, angels and demons are still a much bigger threat to you. And the fae, if you manage to make it to Faerie.”
“Have you ever dealt with human hunters before?”
“I infiltrated a group of them once.” He picks up a pen and idly plays with it as he speaks. “When my time as a soldier came to an end, I began working as a spy for Lucifer here on Earth. During the early 2000s, I was sent to deal with a group of humans in London who worshipped demons. They were Satanists with a murderous side, except they weren’t very good at tracking down angels and kept killing humans instead. Lucifer didn’t want the angels finding out and blaming us for it, since the Earth Accords were still in the early days back then. And frankly, he’s tired of all the bad press too. I joined their group pretending to be a human, and discovered it was their leader who was behind the killings…the others were simply too scared to act against him. I convinced them one by one that demons weren’t real, and that they should go back to their normal lives.”
I could listen to Kassiel talk about his long life forever. He always has the best stories. “What about the leader?”
A sinful grin crosses his lips. “I convinced him I was Lucifer himself, and that I was displeased with his actions. He was so upset, he ended up jumping off a bridge and drowning.”
“A fitting punishment.”
“I thought so.”
We chat a bit longer about his time with the humans, and then our hour is up. It always goes too quickly, and I’m both sad and relieved when it’s over.
He gets up and walks me to the door. “It’s been a pleasure, Olivia.”
I hesitate, and then find myself blurting out, “Do you want to get dinner tonight? I’m free, and we could keep talking about the humans.”
His face looks pained. “I wish I could. More than you know. But it’s not a good idea.”
I shouldn’t feel rejected, but I do anyway. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It was a dumb idea.”
“It wasn’t.” He reaches for me, but then pulls his hand back with a regretful shake of his head. “Being alone with you during these lessons is hard enough. I can’t handle any further temptation.”
“I understand.” I hover there at the door, knowing I should go, but delaying the moment as long as possible. Finally I step through the doorway and say, “I’ll see you in class.”
My throat tightens with emotion as I walk out of the professors’ building. I’m not sure how long I can keep doing these lessons—because the more time I spend with Kassiel, the more it breaks my heart that I can’t be with him.
Chapter Eighteen
Olivia
Next Wednesday, I’m summoned to another meeting with Delilah in Uriel’s h
ouse. Bastien lets me in, and there’s no sign of his father this time.
“He’s at an Archangel meeting,” Bastien explains, even though I didn’t ask.
“Are you reading my thoughts now?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“No, I don’t possess that power, but it’s obvious you were wondering where he was.”
“And you’re holding down the fort for him, as usual.”
He leads me through the house. “Indeed.”
“I guess you already know what you’ll do when you graduate this year.” I study him closely. It’s hard to read anything on his face, but he seems troubled. “Does it bother you, that your path has always been laid out for you? Do you ever wish you could do something else?”
His brow furrows. “No. This is where I belong. Why do you care?”
I shrug, honestly not sure of the answer myself. I’m saved from having to reply when we reach the door to the parlor, which Bastien opens for me. He shuts it immediately after I step inside.
Delilah is already siting in one of the old-fashioned armchairs and sipping her tea, today wearing a deep purple that makes her eyes pop. She gives me a dazzling smile as I sit across from her.
“I don’t have long today, but I wanted to check in on you. I’m sorry I couldn’t do it sooner, but some other matters called me away.”
“It’s all right,” I say, as I pour myself some tea.
“I can see you’re feeding better, at least. There’s more color in your cheeks, your eyes are brighter, and your hair is shinier.”
“Is it that obvious?” I ask, self-consciously touching my hair.
“To anyone else, probably not, but I know what to look for, after years of training Lilim.”
“I’ve been influencing everyone’s dreams, as you told me, and that helped.” I hesitate and think of my quick and dirty encounter with Marcus. “I also took another lover.”
“Good.” She takes a small sip of tea. “You do know that two lovers won’t be enough though, don’t you? Especially as your powers grow.”
“Grow?”
She nods. “You’re still young and are just now coming into your powers. As you grow stronger, you’ll need to feed more. Your hunger will increase until it’s all-consuming. Don’t risk the lives of the people around you by getting to that point.”
“I understand.” I pause, staring into my tea. “What if my lovers are the sons of Archangels? Would that help?”
She arches a perfect eyebrow and smiles at me over her tea. “I did feel the lust from Uriel’s son when he led you here. Yes, that would make it easier for you, because their life force is so strong. With Archangel blood you would only need three lovers, perhaps four to be safe. But that is the bare minimum.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve fed on Archangels before, and Archdemons too. Oh, and a few fae royalty now and then.” She waves a hand. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, you get bored and want to sample a little of everything.”
“Can I ask how old you are?” I’m not sure if this is an offensive question to an immortal.
“You’ve heard of Samson and Delilah?”
My eyes widen. “That was you?”
She gives me a conspiratorial smile as she stands. “I’m sorry for the short meeting this week, but there have been rumors of attacks on angels nearby, and Baal wishes me to find out more. I’ll try to visit more often from now on though.”
“It was good to see you again,” I say.
“No, it was my pleasure.” She leans forward and gives me a quick kiss on my forehead, surprising me. I look up at her in wonder, and then she gathers her purse and is out the door.
Once she’s gone, I sit and go over her words, from the thought of taking another lover, to the news that the demons are investigating the recent attacks also. They’re probably trying to determine if it was one of their people or if it was humans, like some suspect.
Bastien opens the door and finds me still sitting there, wrapped up in my thoughts. “Come,” he says.
I obediently follow him out of the room and up the old, rickety stairs with an elaborate wooden handrail. He leads me down a hall and opens a door at the end. We step into a room that seems completely out of place in the old house—everything is black, modern, and very minimalistic, all clean lines and hard angles. It’s like someone dropped an Ikea showroom in the middle of this Victorian house. The room is sparse too, except for the large bookshelf along the wall, which is so full of books it’s a wonder it doesn’t topple over.
It takes me a second to realize this must be Bastien’s room. He lives in the dorms with Callan while he’s a student, but this is where he grew up, and where he’ll likely return after he graduates at the end of the year.
“Why did you bring me here?” I ask, spinning around to take it all in.
“I wanted to speak to you privately.”
“About what?” I sit on the edge of his charcoal gray bed.
His brow furrows, and he almost looks…nervous? That can’t be. “I’ve thought a lot about the events of the previous school year, and I regret my involvement in many of them. I was not truthful with you, and I did things I am not proud of. I should not have spied on you, or put a tracker on you, or helped Callan obtain that video—even though I am pleased with the results of those actions.”
I tilt my head at him. “What do you mean, you’re pleased with the results?”
“As an Ofanim, it is my nature to seek the truth, and you are especially good at concealing it. Though I regret my methods, I do not regret that your truth was revealed. Once we knew you were part succubus, we were able to help you with your feeding problem and could protect you better. Once we knew you were Jonah’s sister, we understood your actions. Once Callan exposed you, it allowed Gabriel to acknowledge you and for you to be your true self. The truth has a way of setting us free.”
He isn’t wrong, but I’m still confused. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me all this.”
He scowls at me, like it should be obvious. “I’m trying to ask your forgiveness, though such a thing does not come easily to me.”
My eyebrows jump. “This is your version of an apology?”
He shifts on his feet. “Something like that, yes. As I said, I regret that I acted in a way that may have caused you emotional or physical harm.”
Wow. I did not expect this when I arrived today. Bastien, apologizing? In his own way, at least? I can’t believe it.
I try to imagine everything that happened from his perspective. I arrived at Seraphim Academy as a mystery he was ordered by his father to solve, but I thwarted him at every turn. He thought I was a half-human, but discovered that was a lie. He had no reason to trust me or help me, when everything I did went against his own personal code of honor—but he did.
And he kept helping me, even after everything went south. He was there for me, every time I needed him, without question. He always made sure I was satisfied, even though that wasn’t required. He never asked me for anything in return. Our “deal” feels a lot more one-sided when I consider it from his standpoint, but he’s never complained.
That’s when it hits me. Bastien, cold, unfeeling Bastien, actually cares about me.
I stand up and take his hand. “I forgive you.”
“Truly?” he asks, searching my eyes.
I reach back and unclasp my necklace, the one thing blocking his powers. He sucks in a breath as it’s removed. “Yes, Bastien. I forgive you.”
He slides his hand around my waist and pulls me toward him, then kisses me hard. It’s been a long time since we kissed. During all our sexual encounters, we avoided kissing as part of an unspoken agreement that it would be too intimate an act. But now his fingers dig into my hip as he kisses me with all the emotion he never shows on his face.
Then he pulls back, and his eyes scan me from head to toe, like he’s seeing me for the first time. “Your aura. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What doe
s it look like?”
“A perfect mix of light and dark, demon and angel, night and day. With a heavy streak of red, carnal desire.” His hands slide down my hips. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
“For you, always,” I admit, though it makes me feel vulnerable to say it.
He begins unbuttoning his shirt, drawing my eyes to his smooth chest. “You should have come to me sooner.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.”
He lowers his head, his eyes gleaming with his own dark hunger. “I’m stronger than you think.”
Chapter Nineteen
Bastien
I’ve had sex with four women: two angels, one human, and Olivia.
The books say that coitus with a succubus is the most intense sexual experience a person can ever have. My sample size is small, but from my own research, I have to agree.
Then again, it could just be Olivia. She seems to have a strong effect on me, no matter how much I try to resist it. At this point, I’ve given up trying.
I remove her clothing slowly, savoring the reveal of her smooth, olive skin and feminine curves. Every inch of her seems to be perfectly sculpted to heighten arousal, even in someone as emotionless as me.
Once we’re both undressed, we move onto my bed and resume kissing. I rarely sleep here at the moment, since during the school year I share a dorm with Callan. Perhaps it’s wrong to do this in my childhood bedroom, but I find I don’t much care.
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