Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things

by Elizabeth Briggs

“Kassiel,” he says, with his charming smile. He raises a glass in my direction. “Drink?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Nonsense, you look like you need one.” He heads behind the gleaming bar counter and pours me a whiskey on the rocks from his collection of expensive alcohol on the silver shelves. He doesn’t ask what I want, and I know he won’t let me refuse it.

  I sigh, but take the drink. Dealing with Lucifer is always a challenge. “I’ve been making progress on the assignment you gave me.”

  “Is that so?” The King of Hell leans against the counter and swirls his drink. “Tell me.”

  “I’ve completely infiltrated the Order of the Golden Throne. They trust me and accept me as one of their own. I don’t think anyone suspects what I truly am.”

  “Of course not. There’s a reason I chose you.” His green eyes shine with pride. “You never fail me.”

  I bow my head in response to his praise. “As you suspected, they’re after the Staff of Eternity. They know it’s in Faerie, and they sent a kid to get it last year, but he never came back. Now they’re doubling their efforts to get it.”

  “Those idiots.” He takes an angry sip of his drink. “Michael and I worked hard to end the war and stop the extinction of our races, and yet everyone wants to go back to the old ways of hatred and violence. And with Michael gone and Gabriel in disfavor, there’s no one to reign the angels in anymore.”

  I take a sip of my whiskey. It’s damn good, and probably as old as I am, knowing Lucifer. Maybe I did need a drink after all. “They still think you killed Michael.”

  “Obviously.” His smile is downright evil. “Who else, but their favorite villain?”

  My fingers tighten around my class. “When I finish this mission, I’m going to clear your name.”

  He waves a dismissive hand. “I’m not worried about that. Your current task is more important. We can’t let the Order get the Staff. Or any of our people either, for that matter. Best it stays in Faerie, but if it does somehow end up on Earth, I want it brought to me for safety.”

  “I’ll do my best.” I finish my drink and set it down on the counter. “The Order have given their members tasks this year, and mine is to compile a list of people on Earth with fae blood. I’ve already included the obvious and well-known ones, but wanted to check with you before adding a few of the more obscure and hidden people, especially on our side.”

  He strokes his beard as he considers. “Yes, we must make sure you give the Order something they don’t already know to prove your value to them as a member. I’ll have my assistant get you the information by tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.”

  He pours both of us another drink. “What of the half-angel hybrid girl? I understand you’ve been giving her private lessons.”

  I hesitate. “Yes, and I’ve been keeping an eye on her, as you requested.”

  “And? What is she like?”

  I consider my words carefully. “She has a hard time trusting others, which is understandable given her history, but she’s level-headed and clever. She doesn’t seem biased against demons either.”

  “Good. She could be a strong ally. The first true hybrid of angels and demons.” He stares off into the distance for a beat, perhaps remembering something from his past. “For now, continue your lessons and keep her safe.”

  “I shall. I assume you heard about the recent attacks in Angel Peak.”

  “Yes, and I’ve already sent someone to look into it. The humans are growing bolder every day.”

  “Have there been any attacks near Hellspawn Academy?”

  “So far, no, but Baal has increased the security there as a precaution.” He swirls the cubes in his drink. “Do you have anything else to report?”

  “Not at this time.”

  He moves around the bar and faces me, then dusts off the shoulder of my suit. “You look good, Kassiel. Your mother would be proud.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Come, now that business is over, we should catch up. There’s this amazing Chinese restaurant we could go to nearby. Or we could order in. They have apps for everything now, you know. I do so love this era.”

  “I should really get back to Seraphim Academy. The campus has been in lockdown after the last attack.” Not that it was difficult for me to sneak out. Being able to control darkness in a school of light-users has its perks.

  “Already? You’ve only just arrived.” He rests a light hand on my arm. “Stay for a meal at least. I rarely see you anymore.”

  My resolve falters. “All right. I’ll stay for dinner.”

  It’s almost impossible to say no to the devil.

  Especially when he’s your father.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Olivia

  I don my golden robes and mask, then make myself invisible and fly to the cavern’s hidden entrance. It’s empty out here and there’s a layer of fog throughout the forest, giving the place an eerie vibe. I glance around me, worried someone might attack me, even though I know the campus gates are warded from intruders.

  The boulder opens for me, and I head down the dark stone tunnel to the Order’s hidden lair. Most of the benches are empty still, and I grab a spot on one of them and wait. The leader walks in and stands in front of the empty throne, and one by one, the room fills up with other members in golden robes.

  “Welcome,” the leader says. “These are troubling times. We have lost one of our own, and we need to remain vigilant now more than ever.”

  I glance around the benches and notice an empty spot. One of the murdered Valkyries must have been in the Order.

  “With such senseless violence, it only proves how much we need the Staff of Eternity," he continues. “As I mentioned before, you will all be given a special task this year to further our goal of obtaining the Staff. Some of you have already gotten your task, while others will receive it later this year. Has anyone completed their task who hasn’t reported it yet?”

  “I’ve compiled a list of all the people I could find on Earth with fae blood,” another member says, stepping forward and pulling an envelope out of their robe.

  “I’ve done the same for my task,” someone else says.

  “Good work.” The leader gestures, and another member walks over and collects the two documents. “We shall compare both lists, and see what you have found. Does anyone have anything to report?"

  Someone else raises their hand. "I've made small strides toward getting closer to the half-fae here on campus. We might still be able to use her to get to Faerie."

  They must mean Araceli. White-hot rage fills my veins, as I wrack my brain trying to figure out who has been hanging around her more lately, but I can’t think of anyone.

  "Good," the leader says. "Another member is working on getting her father to visit the campus also. Has there been any progress on that?”

  Shit, that’s me. I step forward hesitantly. “He has been invited to campus twice, but doesn’t seem interested.”

  “Keep trying. Push a little harder. Do whatever it takes to get him here.” The leader glances around the room. “Remember, we do not tolerate failure from our members.”

  I nod and step back, swallowing hard. A few other people talk about the things they’ve been trying, but no one else has made any real progress, and I’m distracted with thoughts of Araceli being in danger. I’ll have to warn her as soon as I get back.

  "That concludes our business for the evening. Let’s join the initiates in the forest and see who has completed the first trial. It’s always one of my favorites.”

  The leader strides regally out of the underground chamber, and the golden-robed figures follow in single file. We’re ordered to join hands, and someone makes us all invisible. Grace maybe? She’s definitely strong enough to do it. Nariel could also. Hmm.

  We spread out around the clearing where the white-robed initiates wait, nervously shifting their feet in the dirt. Our leader gives his normal spiel, and then he and some other members s
tep forward to collect the items the initiates have stolen from the professors.

  The first person has stolen a pair of Kassiel’s briefs from his laundry basket, and a member to my left sighs softly, so I assume it’s him. The same thing happened last year, and I wonder if this is some new tradition, or if everyone on campus is just a little bit in love with Kassiel. At least I’m not the only one.

  The second person claims to have a necklace from Eileen, but when one of our members checks it with the light of truth, they shake their head. Two golden-robed figures grab the initiate by the arms and drag them out of the circle, while the rest of us stand there, doing nothing. I feel dirty for being one of them.

  The third initiate holds up a mug proudly. "This is the half-demon's coffee mug."

  Wait, what? I nearly jump forward and snatch it from the initiate’s hand, but manage to hold myself back. I thought I was losing my mind, looking for it all over the dorm, but someone actually stole it from me. What the fuck!

  “The half-demon is not a professor,” the leader says.

  “No, but she’s the most dangerous person on campus,” the initiate argues. “That should count for something.”

  I can’t help but snort, and then glance around hoping no one heard me. Then again, if I find out who snuck in my room and stole my mug, I will become very dangerous where they’re concerned.

  The leader takes it and examines it. "This is acceptable."

  The hell it is! I clench my fists inside my robe. I know the mug will be returned, but it still pisses me off, especially since it means a stranger was in my dorm. I’ll have to increase our security somehow to make sure it never happens again. Once again, I feel bad for sneaking into Uriel's office and taking his book last year. It's not quite the same, but it was still a violation, even if I had to do it in to get into the Order.

  Do good intentions make up for bad crimes? I’m not sure.

  Damn the Order. They force people to steal, cheat, and manipulate. They threaten the people we care about if we don’t do what they say. They murder their own kind to get what they want.

  I've got to stop them.

  As soon as I get back to the dorm, I wake Araceli. “Hey, it’s important.”

  She rubs the sleep out of her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just got back from an Order meeting.”

  That gets her attention. She sits up in bed. “Any news about Jonah? Or their plans?”

  I climb into bed beside her. “They’re trying to find more people with fae blood on Earth. They want me to keep trying to reach your dad. And one of them said he or she has been successful in getting closer to you.”

  Realization dawns across her face. “Cyrus.”

  I look at her in the moonlight streaming through her balcony windows. "What has he done?"

  She shakes her head. "Nothing too bad. He's been extra nice to me in class, hanging out with me a lot during meals in the cafeteria, and he and Isaiah took me shopping two weeks ago, before the last attack. You were at your meeting with Kassiel, or we would have invited you too.”

  "Damn it. I know he’s in the Order, so it must be him.” I didn’t exactly trust Cyrus before, but now he’s definitely on my shit list. “You can't let on like you know, or they'll realize I told you. Just humor him for a few days, then come up with reasons not to be around him."

  Her face falls. "I thought he was just being my friend. I hoped it meant people were getting more comfortable with me, and accepting me for who I am. But it was all a lie."

  I’m angry all over again. Araceli is the best person I know, but so many people are too close-minded to see that. Now she’s going to be convinced that anyone being friendly to her is doing it with an ulterior motive. I should know…it’s how I feel too.

  She sighs. “Then again, they probably threatened to cut off Isaiah’s hand or something if Cyrus didn’t agree to do this, so I can’t be too mad at him.”

  “Good point.” It’s just like her to have sympathy for someone who did her wrong. I pat her on the leg over the blankets. “It just means we have to stick together to take the Order down.”

  “You should talk to the Princes about it. They’re members, right?”

  My mouth twists. “Yeah, they are.”

  “It might be time to get their help. You’ve forgiven them and given up on your revenge, haven’t you?”

  “I forgave two of them. I still have plans for Callan. He needs to pay for what he did.”

  She stares at me with concerned eyes. “Don’t become a bully like them in your quest for revenge. You’re better than that.”

  I’m not better though. I’m really not.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Olivia

  The next evening, I spread my wings and fly to the bell tower after dinner. I’ve finally admitted it’s time to confront the Princes.

  The three of them are reclining in their private lounge, and I’m sad to see it’s no longer pink and sparkly—although there are a few stuffed animals still around. All three of them swing their heads when I land. I’m wearing a little black dress, and they all take a moment to admire how it hugs my curves, giving me a little taste of their lust.

  "Olivia," Marcus says with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

  Callan raises his eyebrows. "Come to redecorate again?”

  I sit in one of the armchairs. "We need to talk."

  “About what?” Bastien asks, from where he sits in the other armchair. He sounds tired, and I notice his eyes are bloodshot. Is he not getting enough sleep?

  I face each guy in turn. “We need to talk about the Order. I know you’re all members. Marcus confirmed it for me.”

  Callan shoots Marcus a glare, before turning back to me. “And?”

  “And I’m a member too. I infiltrated them last year to find out what happened to my brother. Now I’m trying to do everything I can to bring him back from Faerie—but I also want to take down the Order.”

  “You want to what?” Callan's eyebrows are in danger of popping off the top of his head. “Please tell me I heard you wrong and you’re not that suicidal.”

  I scowl at him. “I know it won’t be easy. That’s why I need your help.”

  “The Order is thousands of years old,” Bastien says. “Its scope extends beyond this school, which is mainly used for recruitment purposes, and stretches to all levels of angel society. They’re in every angel community, working in the highest ranks of Aerie Industries, and probably even in the Archangel Council too.”

  "All the more reason to destroy them,” I say. “They're controlling things from the shadows, and most angels probably don’t even realize it.”

  “But why do you want to take the Order down?” Callan asks.

  I spread my hands. “Shouldn’t it be obvious? They hate demons and they manipulate humans. That alone is enough for me to want to bring them down. But they also killed Darel last year—were any of you involved with that?”

  “Of course not,” Bastien says.

  “Though we did suspect it was the Order,” Marcus mutters.

  I lean forward. “They sent Jonah to Faerie even though he was just a First Year student. They’ve asked us to do unethical tasks and have threatened our loved ones if we don’t do them. And they want to get the Staff to send all demons back to Hell. What will happen to me if they get it? Will it send me to Hell too? Will it kill me?”

  Marcus rests a hand on my knee. "We won't let that happen."

  "Good. So you'll help me?"

  "Yes," Marcus answers immediately, but Callan and Bastien exchange uneasy glances.

  "What?" They can't be uncertain, not after everything they've seen the Order is capable of, firsthand. "You’re actually hesitating?”

  “How exactly do you plan on defeating the Order?” Bastien asks.

  “I haven’t gotten that far,” I admit. “Right now I’m trying to figure out who their members are and stop them from getting the Staff. Along with rescuing Jonah too.”

&n
bsp; Callan stands and walks away, rubbing his neck. “You make it sound so easy, but this is more dangerous than you know. They will kill you, without hesitation, if you cross them.”

  I meet his eyes with a challenge. “I’m not afraid. Are you?”

  Marcus clears his throat. "How can we help?”

  "Most importantly, we get Jonah back. I’m working on a plan to get to Faerie, and I think I can conceal all of us once we’re there—”

  “Wait.” Bastien holds up a hand to interrupt me. “You plan to go to Faerie?”

  “It’s the only way to rescue him. I don’t trust the Order to rescue him, do you? All they care about is the Staff.”

  Callan crosses his arms. “If you find a way into Faerie, we’ll go with you.”

  “Thank you.” I suck in a breath. “Otherwise, we need to start working together and share what we know. I’ve uncovered a few other members—Cyrus and Grace, for example—and I can tell you my task is to bring Araceli’s father to the school.”

  “They told me to make sure we win the soccer game against Hellspawn Academy, no matter what,” Marcus says, with a shrug. “We’re way better than them at soccer, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I haven’t gotten my task yet,” Bastien says. “And I know of two of the initiates this year, but that doesn’t help us.”

  We glance at Callan, who frowns, before saying, “Tanwen is a member.”

  “Okay, that’s good to know.” I already suspected Tanwen might be a member, and this pretty much confirms it. I debate letting them know about Kassiel, but then decide that’s not my secret to share. “Let’s all meet here when we can and keep each other updated on anything new we uncover.” I stand up and glance between the three of them. “Thank you.”

  Callan scowls and turns away, while Bastien sits back in his chair and closes his eyes, like he can barely keep them open.

  “Are you okay, Bastien?” I ask him.

  “Just tired.” He waves a hand, but doesn’t open his eyes. “It’s nothing.”