Forbidden Angel

by Chantal Cross

  “Class is nearly concluded. Do you want to draw attention to our delicate situation by being seen arguing with me?” I ask.

  I see the inner struggle playing out within Gabriel. He’s naturally competitive. He’ll argue against me on principle.

  “Do what’s best for Ebony.” It’s a low blow, but it works.

  Gabriel snatches the detention slip from my hand with a scowl.

  “Are you going to punish Ebony as well?” He demands.

  “Yes,” I nod. “Ebony’s attendance record is worse than yours. I’ll have to discuss options with her. I planned on doing it here, but you decided to take up all of my time.”

  Gabriel stares daggers at me. Students start filing into the hall on their way to their next class.

  “You better get a move on,” I nod to Gabriel.

  He clenches his fists and backs away.

  “Ebony.” I turn my attention to her. “I have growing concerns about your drop-in performance. Please, let’s speak in my office.”

  Ebony, the clever girl that she is, nods meekly and stares at the floor.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I turn toward my office, just down the hall. My initial suspicion is confirmed. Ebony must’ve been on her way to my office before Gabriel stopped her. That realization eases the storm of jealousy pumping through my veins. Gabriel had to corner Ebony while Ebony willingly sought me out on her own accord.

  Ebony walks a few paces behind me. I hear the soft tap of her shoes against the stone floors. The other students pay no attention to her, but several of them greet me with a nod or a small wave. If I wasn’t wrapped up in this business of curses, pacts, and the Demon Queen, I might enjoy being a Headmaster.

  For now, I’m happy to help Ebony in whatever way I can.

  9

  Arrius

  My meeting with the principal went far better than expected. He didn’t suspect a thing.

  It’s a little disappointing, even if it helps the plan. He’s supposed to be a magic worker of great sensitivity, as well as a warrior with instincts honed by a millennia of battling foes both physical and supernatural.

  Yet he did not sense anything about me.

  I’ve gone to some effort to dim my celestial aura before moving around mortals. There are certain aspects of myself that I cannot hide. I’m charismatic, beautiful, and a commanding presence.

  The air sighs for me. The earth and her creatures reach for me and bow to me. Mankind flees before me when they do not fall at my feet.

  For I am an archangel, the defender of heaven. Some angels may have superior rank than me—such as the holy seraphim—but I am the ruling hand of God.

  This density of soul, the amount of etheric energy I command, is impossible to hide.

  With difficulty, I have managed to walk upon the earth carrying the air of an experienced magic worker. A wizard of great age and power perhaps. Most people won’t see beyond that.

  I really thought Leo would. It was a risky situation, one that I had to meet head-on. If my plan is going to work, I have to test out the key points straight away.

  The way the fool pandered to me; I could tell my camouflage was complete. He thinks me a liaison between a nearby school and his own. He made a great show of putting himself above me, even remarking why a lowly administration worker was attending the first meeting, not the principal himself.

  Trying to stir me up. I expected better than petty ego games. I suppose when you live amongst mortals for that long, you pick up their habits. I think they could behave better—demons they may be, but that still sets them above mankind and their petty squabbles.

  I’m amused at how easily I fooled him, how quickly I penetrated his defenses. I was worried for no reason. Like mortals, these dark princes have decided to believe in what serves them. Dangerous to do, when one is balanced on the edge of heaven and hell.

  It is almost alarming how quickly and easily he accepted me. The trust he felt flowed across the space between us, more palpable to him than to me. Even though I’ve taken it as a good sign that he could be under my thrall, I have to be careful.

  If my angel nature is sneaking out into my aura and affecting him, he will notice. When he is away from my physical presence, he may question how easily he took to this newcomer. He might think about how easy his company was with me and seek to understand it.

  If he examines himself, he will know that he gave his trust too fast and offered me a friendship I hadn’t yet earned.

  I believe Leo is just weak. So assured of himself that he doesn’t think anyone could challenge him. It’s the most obvious reason for his reaction. I will work harder to keep my true nature hidden, just in case.

  Walking across the grounds, I take a deep breath of the fresh air. It’s a beautiful place. The gardens are old, well developed. The flowers stretch their colors towards me, the roots of the trees dig deep to bring water into their leaves to glow for me.

  I’m impressed by the history of the building and the care of the gardens over the years. The dark corners of the building hold a breathless silence—like the indrawn breath before a prayer.

  What a pity it screams with the rankness of sin.

  My self-satisfaction at getting into the school undetected is marred by the stink of the unclean. This place is a cesspool.

  The students reek of lust and pride. Greed, gluttony, and sloth stalk the halls. I don’t see much wrath, but envy reeks from every face.

  For a place of wizards, fey, and magicians, it is full of darkness and evil. Humanity is full of sin, and that is what makes them human—the never-ending tug in both directions on their soul. It is through this bond that every soul ever birthed comes to grace or falls to the fire.

  These creatures congregating here…they should know better. Don’t they know their place is above mortals? They should be guiding them, setting an example for them. Angels serve the light, demons live in darkness, but those who can perceive our world, yet stay bound by mortal law are firmly stuck in the grey area.

  Souls of grey wander where angels and demons cannot follow. It is their right and duty to walk both heaven and hell. I don’t expect them to be pure.

  But I do expect them to be clean. I expect them to have discipline. What hope do mortals have of coming to grace if those who work between them and their final destiny are distracted by base human instincts?

  I turn from the garden, looking over the old building. It seems like sin leaks out through the brickwork. My shoulders tense, muscles clench around my ribs. My fingers dig into my palms, clenching tight.

  The place should be cleansed. My holy fire presses at my back, desperate to be free. All it needs is my will, and it burns away all evil.

  The grass beneath me wilts a little, and the flowers turn their faces away. I reel in my emotions with some effort. This is not my mission, not today. It may be my nature to cleanse places like this of the sins that infect them, but I have a greater purpose.

  Snow White.

  I turn from the building, heading up a winding path. I need to put the building and its froth of sinning students behind me for now. My amusement over Leo, my outrage over the darkness soaking the school—I need to distance myself from it all.

  I’ve made my way in. I can come and go as I please.

  I need to think about the reason I’m here.

  I let my mind go back in time, rolling over the memories I find there. She was beautiful then, but it was a fierce kind of beauty. She always had her hair bound, and it was often tangled, messy, bloody. When one fights battle after battle simple things like keeping knots out the hair become meaningless.

  I’m used to seeing Snow streaked with soot and scars. Bloody and battle-worn, muscles flexing as she raises her sword.

  That woman had a personality trimmed free of affectation. Direct and forceful, she knew what she had to do and did it without excuses or explanations.

  The child I just saw was an utter embarrassment to that warrior goddess.

 
I am not impressed. So much so that I feel my lip curling in disgust.

  She’s soft. Her skin is silken and dark but and unblemished, looking like it would split open at the mere suggestion of a blade. Her hair is glossy and lovingly cared for. It’s clear quite a bit of her time and effort goes into her appearance.

  And the reason why is abundantly clear.

  She’s full of lust.

  I know she’s been training, trying to get a handle on her powers and learn how to weild a sword again. None of it seems to have an effect on her vanity or her obsession with physical pleasure.

  I walk a bit faster, like I need to outrun the school. As if I’m trying to outrun her. The way she looked at me was shocking. I’m still shaking with rage, deep in my bones.

  I could feel the burning desperation of her when I entered the room. At that point her aura was bright with both desire and fury, directed at several points around the room. Tendrils of arousal filtered towards her from other sections of the library.

  Desire and longing. A terrible combination for a young woman who has forsaken god.

  When she looked at Leo, I felt the surge of passion in her. He looked at her the same way. It was barely acceptable for student and teacher. Far too familiar. I had to hide my shock.

  Then, to the worst of it.

  The way she looked at me.

  The old Snow White did not wear her intent so clearly on her features. She would not have exposed herself in that way. It was such a complete surrender it was almost as if she threw herself on the floor in front of me.

  She has changed dramatically, and not for the better, I fear.

  The others have failed us, caught between ancient duty and service to the innocent. It is true, by the rules of heaven, it would be a sin to kill her when she has done no ill.

  For an archangel, the rules are slightly more flexible. I must protect heaven. It is my responsibility to keep the worst powers of hell underground where they belong. That means making sure the queen cannot possess Snow.

  I will rectify this mess with my own solution. It’s time for changes to be made and I’m the only one who can do it.

  10

  Ebony

  I walk with my hands folded behind my back. I switch between looking at the ground pass under my feet and looking at Leo’s broad shoulders as he moves through the increasing crowd of students. Many students, especially the girls, wave and smile at him as he passes. I feel tiny pricks of jealousy in my heart whenever he acknowledges them.

  I squash those feelings down for the time being. I’m not thrilled with how Leo approached Gabriel and me earlier.

  There’s been tension between Gabriel and me since we arrived at the academy. I never understood what I did to make him dislike me. Everything was fine between us when he, Seth, and I lived under Cordelia’s roof. Of course, Cordelia went to great lengths to keep us separated. We never had time to bicker the way most people do when they grow up together.

  Growing up together isn’t the right way to describe our past. All three of us grew up. Seth and Gabriel were allowed to spend as much time with each other as they liked. I wasn’t given that same courtesy.

  I remember summers growing up in Cordelia’s house. She oversaw our education until it was time for us to go to the academy. I loved doing school work and listening to the lectures she gave herself in our schoolroom. Cordelia taught every lesson twice. In the morning, she’d teach me and, in the afternoons, she’d teach Seth and Gabriel.

  During our schooling sessions, I was able to keep busy with the mountains of homework and personal assignments Cordelia piled on to me. In the summer, that wasn’t the case. I’ll never understand why she gave us a summer break when she could’ve kept schooling us year-round.

  A part of me that was once small, but grew considerably when I learned more about Cordelia’s true nature, believes that Cordelia purposefully gave us summer breaks from school just to remind me that I was alone.

  Seth and Gabriel were allowed to be with each other all summer. I was never allowed to join them. Sometimes, I would watch them in the backyard from my bedroom window. I caught them sneaking Cordelia’s enchanted wine once. They drank the whole bottle then went out to do whatever they wanted. I never had such freedoms. Cordelia insisted on keeping me pure.

  The longer I spend at the academy, the more I realize that Gabriel and I are strangers. Maybe that’s where the hostility came from. Maybe it came from somewhere else entirely. All I know is that when he caught up to me in the hallway, I didn’t feel any hostility. Or awkwardness. Or resentment. Everything suddenly felt natural between us.

  It wasn’t until he was looking at me with warm eyes and a soft smile that I realized how much I want to be close to him.

  I stop myself from looking over my shoulder as Leo leads me into his office. Even though I watched Gabriel walk away only moments ago, I can’t help but hope he’s lingering somewhere watching me.

  I’m experienced enough with magic to know mine’s going wild under my skin. It’s muddling my thoughts.

  I made a choice to go to Leo’s office after fleeing the library. My mind first went to Leo during a time of distress. Now, every fiber of my being screamed for Gabriel. I don’t believe he’s the one to help me through my fear, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want him for something else.

  I want Gabriel to tease me. To back me into a corner and make me question whether or not I want to get away or be taken.

  Impure thoughts flood my mind. I wonder if Leo can sense my change in temperament. He’s more familiar with my magic than anyone.

  I think of the voice in my head. Leo might have the strength, skill, and intimate knowledge of my mind to pull off such a spell. He was in the library with me when I heard the voice. Even though he’s a likely perpetrator, I can’t think of a reason for him to invade me in such a way. He already has access to me whenever I want to train. I can’t bring myself to be suspicious of him, not after all he’s done for me.

  “Headmaster, do you have a moment?” A female student asks. In her arms, she carries a large stack of books. Her school bag is nearly bursting with supplies. She looks worried.

  Leo looks over his shoulder at me before looking back to the girl.

  “I’m about to go into a meeting. Is this something that requires time?” He asked.

  “No, I just have a quick question about my advanced placement classes,” she replies.

  “Ebony, you can go into my office,” he says to me. “I’ll be there shortly.

  I stride into his office, eager to be away from the other students. Walking with Leo drew attention to me, which I don’t like.

  I walk past the hobgoblins and halflings that run Leo’s office for him. They’ve seen me many times over the last few weeks. They know to leave me be.

  I settle into my usual seat in front of Leo’s desk and wait.

  The moment I can’t hear the pleasant timbre of Leo’s voice, thoughts of Gabriel came flooding back to me. I shouldn’t crave his kiss as much as I do. Electricity courses through my body, making it impossible to sit still. I crave more of it. The fact that it’s Gabriel of all people makes the feeling even more intoxicating.

  Leo enters his office a few moments later and takes a seat at his desk.

  “Care to tell me what you were doing?” He asks.

  “It’s not your business.” I lift my chin.

  “Yes, it is,” he insists. “Your wellbeing is my business. When you do things to deliberately threaten your well-being, I have a right to know why you’re making my job harder than it needs to be.”

  “Oh, I’m a job now, am I?” I lift my brows. Leo sighs and presses his fingertips to the bridge of his nose.

  “You’re not a job. However, as a Huntsman, I’m sworn to protect you.”

  “I was talking to Gabriel, who is also a Huntsman,” I say pointedly.

  “You’re missing the point.” His other hand clenches into a fist. He’s really riled up. Part of me is happy to see him
getting so worked up over me. I quiet the impure thought the moment it forms.

  “Wrath is a Huntsman, too. He’s turned against us and is trying to kill you. We still don’t know if he’s linked to Rhiannon. I have reason to suspect that Dorian was an ally to Rhiannon as well.”

  “He was particularly awful to me,” I murmur at the ground.

  “Exactly. Weren’t you recently distressed because Gabriel treated you poorly as well?” Leo presses.

  “Yes.”

  “What makes you think he’s not following the same path as Dorian?”

  “What proof do you have?” I demand.

  “That’s exactly my point!” Leo slams his fist into the desk. “I can’t prove his loyalty beyond a shadow of a doubt. We all know Rhiannon’s power is seductive. Any of the other Huntsmen could have fallen in league with her. We’d never be able to verify it.”

  I chew my bottom lip as I turn his words over in my mind. He has a point. Wrath has no qualms about attacking me on school grounds. There’s nothing to say that the other Huntsmen aren’t planning on doing the same. Cordelia spent all of my life feeding me lie after lie. Professor Glaw deceived me.

  “What do you propose I do?” I ask.

  “Stay away from Gabriel. Stay away from all of the Huntsmen until I know that they’re on the right side,” Leo declares. My jaw falls open.

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m deadly serious when it comes to your safety.”

  “Do you have any idea what it’s like?” Now it’s my turn to slam my hands on his desk. “I don’t get to be a normal student and make friends with whoever I want. It’s a blessing that I’ve found Ivora. She’s the only person I consider a friend who isn’t bound to me by some terrible curse.”

  “I understand how difficult this has been for you,” Leo says.

  Big mistake.

  “Do you?” I snap. “When was the last time you found out your entire life was a lie? Has your mother tried to kill you recently? Do you have someone breathing down your neck telling you who you can and can’t socialize with?”