Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things

by Elizabeth Briggs

  "It's Family Day,” Araceli says with a groan. “I’m worried my dad will show up, and I’m worried he won’t. I can’t decide what’s worse.”

  “Everything is going to be fine,” I try to assure her. “If he shows up, then it will give you a chance to reconnect. If he doesn’t, then we don’t have to worry about him getting kidnapped or anything. Either way, just try to enjoy it, and spend some time with your mom too. I know she’s proud of you.”

  Araceli smiles at me and tugs on her purple streak. “Yeah, she is. It’ll be good to see her. But what about you? Are you excited to have Gabriel follow you around all day?”

  "Not really.” I lean back on the counter and sigh. “I'm afraid it will become a spectacle. I'm one of a kind, and if Gabriel shows up, people will whisper. If he doesn't, they'll whisper even more. Either way, I'll be the center of attention, which isn't my favorite place to be."

  She grins. "If it gets to be too much, we can ditch class and hide in our room.”

  I raise my mug to her in a salute. “Good plan.”

  There’s a knock on our door, and Araceli runs over and opens it. “Mom!” she squeals, and then throws her arms around a woman who looks like a slightly older version of her, but without the purple streak. A pang of jealousy hits me as I watch them hug and smile and catch up. I’ve never had that kind of relationship with my mother, and in fact, I haven’t heard from her in years. Even if I wanted her to come today, she wouldn’t be welcome at Seraphim Academy.

  I thought that once I was no longer hiding what I was, she would feel comfortable reaching out to me, but I guess that’s not the case. She taught me to be a succubus when I was eighteen, and then she just…vanished. I miss her. A lot.

  "Hello, dear." Araceli’s mom, Muriel, holds her hand out. "I'm glad to meet you again. Araceli has told me so much about you."

  With a nervous grin, I shake her hand, hoping Araceli hasn't told her too much. “It's nice to see you again also.”

  Araceli grabs her bag. “Ready to show off our weapons training?”

  “Definitely.” I get my things and hold open the door for them. “Araceli is a natural with a sword.”

  “Is she? I was never very good at fighting, so she must get that from her father’s side.” Muriel puffs up with pride, and that annoying jealous pang is back. I’m not sure Mother’s ever been proud of me.

  We chit-chat all the way to the gym, and Muriel tells me about how she’s recently opened a wildlife rescue in Arizona, where she heals animals and rehabilitates them before re-releasing them in the wild. It’s a great use of her angelic powers, since it doesn’t attract too much human attention either.

  “That sounds amazing,” I tell her.

  “I got to help out over the break, and it was really great,” Araceli says. “Archangel Ariel came by too at one point. I’d never met her before, but she was sweet, although a little odd.”

  She quickly glances at me, probably because Ariel is Jonah’s mother. I’ve never met her, but from what I heard from Jonah and Gabriel, she’s very quirky and flighty. She’s a Malakim, like Araceli and Muriel, but spends most of her time in nature, healing plants and animals. She has always given Jonah tons of love, but tends to flit in and out of his life like a colorful butterfly. Much of his childhood was spent either traveling with her on various wildlife excursions, or living in her little cottage in the middle of a forest. The rest of it was spent with Gabriel living in an angel community, growing up among his peers. Pretty much the opposite of my childhood spent in human foster care, with no real family or friends, but I try not to let that bother me.

  “Yes, Archangel Ariel has been a great supporter of my work,” Muriel says, as we reach the gym. “She actually gave me the funding to get started in the first place. She’s a good soul, although she’s been miserable ever since her son disappeared.” Muriel shoots me a quick frown, as though she’s just realized I’m connected to Jonah also. “Oh dear, I’m sorry, that must be tough for you also.”

  “It’s fine,” I say quickly as I open the door to the gym, hoping we can drop the subject. And then I freeze.

  Gabriel stands against the wall in his perfectly tailored suit, radiating power and authority without even trying. But like Jonah, he also looks approachable, like a friendly neighbor who always waves at you from his front lawn.

  His eyes light up when I walk in. "Olivia," he calls out, and my heart leaps a little as I notice how happy he looks to see me. I split off from Muriel and Araceli and go to him.

  Father hesitates a moment, before giving me a quick hug. "Surprised to see me?"

  It must have shown on my face. "A little. I thought you might be too busy."

  He clasps a hand on my shoulder. "No, you’re my priority now.”

  I'm saved from replying by Hilda clapping her hands. "Let’s get started, class. Pair up, and show your parents what we’ve been working on.”

  “I’ve decided to choose daggers as my weapon to focus on,” I tell Gabriel, as we walk to the table with all the weapons on it. I pick up the knife I like to practice with, a small one with a black hilt that fits nicely in my hand.

  "You’re focusing on daggers?" He sounds so surprised that I glance over at him, worried I’ve chosen wrong somehow.

  "Yeah, why?"

  "It's your mother's favorite weapon, too." He rubs his arm absently with a distant smile. "She got me one time. I teleported behind her in her bedroom once, and she was so startled she reacted by stabbing me in the arm with a dark-infused blade. Hurt like the devil, but what did I expect? I learned after that to never sneak up on her.”

  I stare at my father with my jaw slack. He's rarely mentioned his time with my mother, and never with any kind of fondness. I always thought I was the lucky—or unlucky—result of a one-night stand or a short affair, but maybe there was more to it than that. “Wow. What was your preferred weapon?”

  “I prefer to avoid combat when I can, but in the old days I used a spear. You don’t see too many of those around now though.” He chuckles softly as he picks up a spear from the table.

  As the leader of the Ishim, Father commands a large number of messengers, spies, scouts, and assassins. He also oversees the guardian angel program, which is used to protect important people around the world. He’s definitely not a warrior, but more of a hide-in-the-shadows type, only fighting when absolutely necessary. Jonah was—no, is—the same.

  I'm distracted by Callan sparring with Araceli, both of them wielding swords, although his is much larger. He's putting her through her paces, but she grits her teeth and fights back with everything she’s got, trying to make her mom proud. She manages to disarm Callan, and ends with her sword at his neck and a big grin on her face. It seems a little too easy, and I wonder if Callan let her win. Araceli is a good fighter, but she’s not that good. But I have a hard time believing Callan would lose on purpose either—his ego is way too big for that.

  When they're done, Muriel claps, and Gabriel and I join in also. “Good show,” Father calls out.

  Callan pauses, and then walks over to us and bows his head to Gabriel. I’ve never seen him look so humble before. “Sir.”

  Father shakes Callan’s hand. "It’s been far too long. Is your mother here today?"

  “No, she couldn’t make it,” Callan says. “Something came up at Aerie Industries.”

  Like Jonah, Callan’s got the blood of two Archangels flowing through his veins. His father was Michael, the former leader of the Archangels, who was murdered a few years ago. His mother is Jophiel, who took over as the CEO of Aerie Industries when the former CEO, Azrael, stepped up to lead the Archangel Council after Michael’s death.

  If Callan is upset by being alone on Family Day, I can’t tell. For a second I pity him a little, especially as I glance around the room and see all the other students with their family members, but then I remember I hate him and the pity vanishes.

  “Callan’s the one who exposed me as a succubus to the entire school,” I tell Gabr
iel.

  “Is that so?” Father asks, raising his eyebrows. I have a feeling he already knew, judging by his tone. “I get the sense my daughter is not a fan of yours.”

  Callan lifts his chin. “I stand by my actions. If I hadn’t done it, you wouldn’t be standing here with her now.”

  Ouch. He has a point there. Gabriel’s only here as a result of Callan’s betrayal, and the reminder stings a little.

  “I can’t deny that,” Gabriel says. “What are you doing in the Second Year class?”

  I note the quick subject change, but let it go. “Callan’s working as Hilda’s assistant for these classes.”

  “Excellent.” Gabriel stands back and waves us on. “Let’s see what you’ve learned so far.”

  I turn to face Callan, who grabs a short sword off the table, before getting into a fighting stance. He lunges for me and I dodge, twist, and thrust. He taught me some of those moves, which means he’s expecting them too, and he quickly retaliates. If I thought he might go easy on me like he did with Araceli, I am sorely mistaken. He slashes at me and nearly gets my arm, but I manage to get away in time. He roundhouse kicks me and knocks me down on the mat, but I roll and slice him along the shin. He grunts and steps back, and I jump to my feet. He rushes me again, and I use a move he showed me last year to let his momentum carry him over my shoulder and to the ground. As his back hits the mat, he drops the sword, and I put my foot on his chest with a satisfied smile.

  Father claps for me. “Very good.”

  Callan stands and checks his cut, which is shallow and already healing. “She’s improved a lot since she started.”

  It sounds a lot like a backhanded compliment, so I shoot him a glare, which he ignores. Then I wonder if he meant it as an actual compliment. No. That’s impossible.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Olivia

  Gabriel sits in on some of my other classes, and then we head out to the lawn, where the school has prepared a big banquet in honor of our guests. Picnic tables are spread out across the grass, and the weather is absolutely perfect—sunny, without a cloud in the sky, warm, but with a nice breeze. Banners hang between tree branches, welcoming everyone to Family Day, and there’s a cheerful atmosphere as everyone grabs food, chats with their parents, and soaks up the sunshine.

  I walk onto the lawn beside my father with a bundle of dread in my stomach, worried all eyes will be on us—and they are. We head over to the big buffet tables, and people stop and stare at Gabriel in awe while we grab some corn, barbeque chicken, cole slaw, and potato salad. I knew he was a big deal, but I’ve never seen other angels around him before. The only good news is that no one is looking at me.

  Then everyone forgets about Gabriel completely when Marcus walks into the area with his dad, Raphael. Marcus is gorgeous, but he pales next to his father. The guy is practically sex on a stick, which feels wrong to think about, when he’s an ancient Archangel like my father. Raphael leads the Malakim and is considered to be the most powerful healer in the world. It’s even rumored he can bring back the dead.

  But what he’s most known for? Being a total player.

  I can totally see it too, as he flashes a suave grin at every lady he passes by, while the sun shoots highlights through his dark curly hair and illuminates his bronze skin. He stops at each table, kissing women’s cheeks, greeting everyone with warmth and exuberance.

  “What a flirt,” I say, without really meaning to, just as Araceli and her mom walk over to us.

  “Yeah, he’s…quite charming,” Father says diplomatically.

  “He’s probably looking for his next baby mama,” Araceli says, and then looks at my father and covers her mouth, like she can’t believe she just said that in front of him.

  “Araceli!” Muriel says, horrified.

  But my father just laughs. “No, she’s probably right. I can’t even remember how many sons Raphael has at this point. Eight, maybe?”

  Poor Marcus. He’s being dragged along in his father’s shadow, and it seems like Raphael is ignoring him completely as he soaks up the attention. I wonder if that’s what his childhood was like—and where’s his mother?

  Uriel and Bastien, meanwhile, stand on the edge of the festivities, speaking to one another in low voices as they watch over the crowd. Uriel didn’t bother to join us in Fae Studies, but I suppose he doesn’t really need Family Day to see his son. I’m not surprised to see that Bastien’s mother is missing either.

  We move to an open table, and I wave Araceli and her mom over to join us. They sit down, even though Muriel looks a little star-struck to be eating with Gabriel.

  "Aren't you proud of these girls?" Father asks Muriel, as if we're in kindergarten and have just completed a finger painting.

  "Bursting," Muriel says with lowered lashes. "Couldn't be happier."

  “Any sign of your dad?” I ask Araceli quietly, while Gabriel talks to Muriel about her wildlife center.

  “No. I wrote him a long email, and left him a voicemail too, so I really hoped he would show up.” She sighs. “At least we don’t have to worry about an ambush from the Order. Although I’m sorry you couldn’t complete your task. I’ll keep trying.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I'm fine." She does not sound fine.

  "I'm sorry, friend." I take her hand and squeeze it under the picnic table.

  Raphael appears at my elbow, with his son behind him. "May we join you?"

  "Of course,” Gabriel says. Muriel’s eyes get even bigger as she takes in the second Archangel at our table.

  "This must be Olivia." Raphael holds his hand out and gives me a million-dollar smile. “I can see why Marcus is so taken with you.”

  I shake his hand and feel a little star-struck myself. He’s so charming and attractive, it’s hard not to get lost in his warm brown eyes. “Hello.”

  “Where’s your mother, Marcus?” Muriel asks. “I haven’t seen her in some time and would love to catch up with her.”

  “She’s at home,” Marcus says. “She says she’s too pregnant to travel.”

  Raphael holds up his hands in surrender. “This one’s not mine, I swear!”

  The table all laughs, and everyone relaxes a little. I had no idea Marcus’s mother was pregnant, and I wonder who the father is. Combined with all of Raphael’s other sons, Marcus is the only angel I know with a big family.

  I glance around at the other tables, and spot Grace eating lunch with a pretty redhead who I assume is her mother, plus a boy with the same fiery hair who must be her little brother. Nariel sits with them too, but there’s no sign of Grace’s father.

  Behind them, I notice Tanwen sitting with a muscular man with very light, shiny blond hair. Like Gabriel and Raphael, he radiates power, although not as strongly. That must be Zadkiel, Tanwen’s father, and Michael’s replacement on the Archangel council. Beside him is a woman with the same glossy hair tied back in a tight ponytail. She looks even taller and fiercer than Tanwen, which is saying a lot. Her sister, I guess. I look around for their mother, and then remember Araceli telling me that Tanwen’s mom was killed by human hunters.

  Seems like most of us have a missing parent. I guess there are not many functional relationships among immortals.

  Lunch passes quickly, and both Archangels are especially warm and friendly with Muriel and Araceli. I'm pretty sure they're trying to make an effort to show inclusion, supporting me and Araceli even though other angels consider us outcasts, and I want to hug them both for it. By the time lunch is over, I’m pretty sure Muriel wants to be next in line for making a baby with Raphael.

  We get through the rest of my classes, and even though I find it awkward to sit beside my dad while Kassiel lectures us on history, neither of them seems bothered.

  When my last class is over, I think Gabriel will probably be more than ready to get out of here, but instead he asks, "May we go somewhere and talk? Privately?"

  This is unexpected. "Is my do
rm private enough?”

  He nods, and I spread my wings and head that way. When we land on the balcony, he chuckles. "I could've teleported us here in half that time."

  I roll my eyes. All Archangels have an extra power that’s unique to them, and my dad’s is teleporting. That’s also how Jonah can change his appearance, since he has the blood of an Archangel. I wonder if I’ll develop bonus powers too, or if being a half-breed makes that impossible.

  We head into the dorm, and I’m relieved to see Araceli isn’t back yet. Gabriel sits stiffly on the couch, and I sit beside him and grab a pillow to hug against my chest. I have a feeling something is weighing heavily on him. "What did you want to talk about?”

  Father studies me for a long moment, and then he says. “I’m worried about Azrael.”

  “What do you mean?” Azrael is the leader of the Archangel Council, and I’ve heard he’s pretty scary—he’s known as the Angel of Death for a reason.

  “As you know, angels and demons are forbidden from having relations, and a hybrid child is unheard of. Your very existence puts you in danger. It’s the reason your mother and I kept you hidden for as long as we could.”

  “I know.”

  “The secret is out now, and there’s nothing we can do about it. In a way, it’s a relief. I no longer have to deny your existence and can openly be your father in public. But I am also going to be punished for the crime of siring you.”

  “Punished?” My eyes widen. “How?”

  “I don’t know yet. The Archangel Council will vote on my sentence at an upcoming meeting. I doubt they’ll do anything too severe, but I wanted you to be aware of it anyway. That’s why I wanted to speak with you. They might send me away for a while, possibly to Penumbra Prison, and then I won’t be able to look after you. As such, I want you to know about the risks.”

  “Okay.” I clutch the pillow tighter to my chest. I don't want anything bad to happen to Gabriel, especially now that we're getting to know each other. “Will you be all right?”