Chapter Seven
Bastien
For the last few years I’ve been the headmaster’s assistant while also being a student, but this is my first year as professor.
I didn’t plan to become a professor right away. I was supposed to continue as Uriel’s assistant for a few more years. However, Kassiel’s sudden departure left a gap in the roster that needed to be filled, and Father thought I would be a suitable replacement. I hope he’s right.
I teach six classes a day, two per school year. I’m going off of Kassiel’s lesson plans, which he kept in very neat order. I admire his organization and the way he covered the material with seamless transitions, and I only made a few modifications to the curriculum.
Olivia walks into my last class of the day. I’ve been waiting for this moment. A true test of my skills as a professor. Can I be unbiased when it comes to her? Can I give her a fair grade and not treat her better than any other student? I’m not sure. I’m even more impressed by Kassiel, knowing he was able to do it for two years.
At first I was worried that some of my former peers might have a hard time adjusting to me as their professor, but so far that hasn’t been a problem. Being one of the Princes probably helped. No one questioned my authority then, and no one questions it now.
Olivia gives me a little smile and a thumbs up as she sits down. I keep my face free of emotion and don’t respond in any way, instead letting my eyes wander to the other students. That ignorant fool Jeremy is in this class too. He’ll also be a test of my ability to be unbiased. Every time I see him, I remember the way he spoke to Olivia in Fae Studies last year and I want to grab him by the throat. I’m not a violent man, but he brings it out in me.
The minute the clock hits the hour, I clear my throat. “Welcome to Angelic Studies. I’m Professor Bastien, and this year we’ll be covering the last one hundred years, including the founding of Seraphim Academy, the destruction of Heaven, and the signing of the Earth Accords. First I shall give a brief overview of what you should have learned in the previous two years.”
The class goes by quickly, and I find it easy to tune out the audience and lose myself in the subject matter. Last year Olivia asked me if I ever wanted a different fate, but I’ve always felt my place was here at Seraphim Academy. I was a student, now I am a professor, and someday I will be headmaster. Uriel has been grooming me for the role my entire life. I’ve never wanted anything else.
Until Olivia, anyway.
At the end of class all the students file out of the room, but Olivia hangs back until everyone is gone. Now that I’m her professor, we must keep our relationship discreet. I prefer it that way, truthfully.
“That was great!” She throws her arms around me and I stiffen, but then relax and return the embrace. I’m not used to people hugging me. “How was your first day as professor?”
“It went well, thank you.” I touch the gold and aquamarine necklace hanging above her breasts. It blocks me from seeing her magnificent aura and I’d rather she took it off, but I understand why she wears it. “How was your day?”
“Pretty good, although Professor Simiel was weird and asked me about my mother.”
My brow creases. “He’s always been rather odd, but he’s been here many years. No one has reported any issues with him before.”
Olivia waves it away. “He was probably just being nosy.”
I hope so, but I can’t help but worry about her. I feel this overwhelming desire to protect her, and that includes from nosy professors. “I’ll look into it.”
“Thanks.” She slides her arms around my neck and draws me in for a kiss. As our lips meet, I forget about being a professor and lose myself in my feelings for her. At first, Olivia was a mystery I wanted to solve. Then she was a unique specimen I wanted to study. Now she’s become so much more.
I’ve never felt like this before. My mind has always shied away from emotional connections, except with the Princes, whom I’ve known most of my life. Uriel and I have never had a particularly loving relationship, and my mother Dina only had me as part of a business arrangement with my father. I’ve only met her a few times, and I haven’t seen her in at least ten years.
I don’t know anything about love or relationships. I never wanted or expected a partner. Yet I crave Olivia with every fiber of my being.
“I have to admit, it’s going to be hard to sit in your class and not want to jump you the entire time,” she says, as she runs her hands down my chest. “I seem to have a thing for sleeping with professors.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Just don’t add Raziel to your harem next.”
“Raziel? You can’t actually think—oh, you made a joke!” She playfully swats me on the arm. “Nice one.”
“I try.” I pull her into my arms and kiss her again, harder this time. Until we’re both breathing heavier, and I’m sure she’s feeding off my lust for her. But it’s not just lust I’m feeling…and perhaps it’s time to accept that.
Chapter Eight
Olivia
The door to the bell tower is unlocked, and I throw it open and charge inside, flipping on lights as I go.
Araceli trails behind me at a much slower pace. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I’m sure this is an excellent idea.”
Our first week of classes is over, and we’re no closer to finding the Staff or uncovering the Order. I need to do something to get my mind off of things, and this is it.
I stand in the middle of the room with my hands on my hips and quickly scan the area. The large open space looks like it hasn’t been touched since the end of last semester, but all the furniture is still there. The big couch. Bastien’s armchair. The kitchen area. All abandoned…and ready for us to claim.
Footsteps in the hallway catch our attention, and I turn to see Eveanna standing there with a frown. “You summoned me?”
“Yes, you’re right on time!” I gesture for her to come inside. Even though she’s living on campus, since she doesn’t go to classes we hardly ever see her. I want that to change, especially since she’s good friends with my brother. “You remember Araceli?”
“Indeed. The angel with Summer Court blood.” Eveanna dips her head in acknowledgment. The overhead light shows some of the highlights in her hunter green hair, and it’s hard not to stare at it in awe.
“It’s good to see you again,” Araceli says, her eyes wide. Maybe she’s nervous to be around a full-blooded fae, but Eveanna doesn’t seem to mind Araceli’s heritage.
Eveanna glances around the bell tower, eyeing the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors that lead out to a balcony. “Why did you request my presence?”
“You’ll see,” I say with a grin. “We have one more person coming. Let’s rearrange the furniture a bit while we wait, and maybe wipe some of the dust off of things.”
“I shall take care of it,” Eveanna says. She cocks her head and the dust lifts off all the nearby surfaces and flies toward her. She swirls her hands, and the particles gather into a small ball of moving dust hovering in front of her. She then walks outside onto the balcony and spreads her arms far apart. The ball of dust disburses on the wind, disappearing from our sight instantly in the waning daylight.
“That was so cool,” Araceli says.
Eveanna walks back inside and gives us a nod. “In Faerie that would be the job of a lowly servant. Any Earth Court fae can dust their home without a thought. But I am pleased I can be of assistance.”
“Araceli has been learning fire magic over the break,” I say, smiling at them both. I’d really like the two of them to connect, which is one of the reasons I came up with tonight’s plan.
“My father’s been teaching me a little.” Araceli shrugs. “I still have a lot to learn though.”
“I would be happy to teach you what I can,” Eveanna says. “Though we are of different Courts, there are many things I can help you with.”
“That would be great,” Araceli says, her face brightening. “T
here’s so much more I want to learn about my heritage and my powers. Thank you.”
Tanwen lands on the balcony, her bright white wings spread wide and glinting in the fading sunlight. They disappear behind her back as she walks inside. “What’s going on? You told me to meet you here?”
“Yes, and now that we’re all here we can begin.” I grin and gesture at the space around us. “For years, this has been the domain of the Princes, but they’re gone and we’re taking it over. This is our space now. From tonight on, this is officially the Princess Lounge.”
Eveanna looks confused. “I didn’t think angel society had royalty.”
“We don’t, not exactly,” Tanwen explains. “The children of the Archangels are often called Princes though.”
Araceli nudges her with a grin. “Which makes you and Olivia Princesses.”
Tanwen scowls. “I guess.”
“Araceli and I are not royalty though, not even in Faerie,” Eveanna says with a frown. “Are we welcome in this Princess Lounge?”
I wave her concerns away. “Forget the princess thing. We all need a place where we can hang out and plan our next moves against the Order. Or just relax and have fun. This is it.”
“Ah, I understand.” Eveanna nods. “A place for social enrichment among females.”
Araceli giggles. “I think what she means is a girls’ club.”
“Close enough.” I glance around the room. “First up, we should try to make the place ours. Feel free to bring your favorite blankets, pillows, or whatever else you want. For now, let’s see what the Princes have left behind.”
Araceli and Eveanna take the kitchen area, while Tanwen and I check the living room cabinets. Many of them are empty, but then I find one stuffed full of the pink princess decor Araceli and I used last year to redecorate the guys’ space. It was part of my revenge against Callan, and I grin remembering how angry it made him. Even more reason to reuse this stuff now.
“Look what I found!” I pull out pink stuffed animals, ranging from llamas to unicorns, plus pink sparkly streamers, tablecloths, and pillows. Tanwen gives me a skeptical look, but then she finds some pink feather boas and wraps them around the lamps. We perch the stuffed animals on the bookshelves and put the pink tablecloth back on the dining table.
When we’re done, we look around at our handiwork and Tanwen snorts. “I feel like I’m in a five year old’s room.”
My grin is huge. “I admit, it’s a bit much. We can bring things from our dorms to add some other colors to the room.”
Eveanna shakes her head, obviously perplexed by us. “The cold box was empty of any food. However, Araceli found something in the pantry we can eat.”
Araceli walks over with a bowl of popcorn and plops down on the couch. “Microwave popcorn, the perfect food for a girls’ night. If only we had some drinks to go with it.”
“If only we had some alcohol to go with it,” Tanwen corrects, as she grabs a piece of popcorn and throws it in her mouth.
I sit in Bastien’s armchair, which I’ve decided is mine now. “We’ll have to bring some food and drinks over when we can.”
“Oh, don’t forget these.” Araceli grabs the tiaras off the table and hands them out. We bought a six-pack of them at the party store the year before, and I’m surprised the guys kept them—or any of this stuff.
“Perfect.” I don one of the tiaras on my head, while everyone else hesitates. I raise an eyebrow expectantly at Tanwen and she scowls and grumbles, but puts the tiara over her blond hair. Araceli grins and follows suit, and eventually Eveanna does too, although she obviously finds us all very strange.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Tanwen says, adjusting her tiara. Out of all of us, she’s the only one who looks like it belongs on her. “I know we haven’t always gotten along before.”
“That’s in the past, and we both did things we regret.” I grab a handful of popcorn. “After helping us fight the Order last year, you’re one of us now.”
She glances down at her hands and nods. “I appreciate that. After everything that happened, it’s weird hanging out with the other Valkyries now. I can’t really tell them what went down because I’m not sure who we can trust anymore. Plus, they don’t know about…” She trails off and looks at Araceli and Eveanna.
“About what?” Araceli asks, munching on popcorn and obviously excited to hear some juicy gossip.
“Its okay,” I tell Tanwen. “You’re among friends here, and none of us will reveal your secret.”
Eveanna turns to Tanwen. “We have only met once before, so you have no reason to trust me. However, fae cannot lie, and I promise that I shall keep any secret revealed in confidence behind these walls.”
Araceli nods too. I know for a fact she can lie—maybe because she’s only a quarter fae. But I trust her more than just about anyone else.
Tanwen sucks in a deep breath. “My sister Rhiannon is secretly in love with a demon. A shifter. She’s supposed to be the next leader of the Valkyries, but keeps turning down the job, because she knows if this gets out it will be bad. Really bad.”
“That’s got to be so hard for her,” Araceli says. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us. After all, we know some demons are cool.”
“You have my sympathies,” Eveanna. “Your sister will face many difficulties.”
“Thank you,” Tanwen says. “As long as both angels and demons forbid relationships between the two groups, I must keep this a secret even from my friends. It’s nice to be able to talk about it with all of you.”
I’m about to respond when I spot Jonah landing on the balcony outside. He opens the sliding door and sticks his head in, as his silvery white wings vanish. “Can I join the party?”
I glance at the others, who shrug and nod. “Sure. As long as you like pink.”
“Love it. My favorite color.” He grins as he checks out our decorations. “I saw the lights on up here but didn’t expect this. I love what you’ve done with the place.”
“We’ve claimed it as our Princess Lounge, but I guess you can hang out in it too,” I tell him.
Eveanna nods as if this, finally, makes sense to her. “Yes, he is a Prince, is he not?”
“He is,” Tanwen says, although she crosses her arms. Maybe she preferred it being a girls’ club.
Araceli scoots over on one of the couches to give Jonah space, and he grins and plops down beside her. She grabs another tiara and sets it on his head. “There. Now you’re one of us.”
Jonah adjusts the tiara with a smile. “I’m honored.”
I suddenly feel a trickle of lust, and realizes it’s coming from my roommate as she gazes at my brother.
Oh shit. Araceli has a crush on my brother, and he is so not over Grace.
This can’t be good.
Chapter Nine
Olivia
The second week of classes goes by as quickly as the first. It’s nice seeing Bastien every day in Angelic History, even though I have to wait until after class to talk to him. Simiel regularly gives me creepy looks during Immortal Ethics, but I make sure I’m never alone with him again. Callan continues to annoy me during every Combat Training class. Hilda has begun the difficult process of teaching us to use our wings in combat, and Callan comes over to help me far too often. I’ve taken to sticking close to Tanwen, who is a natural at it, of course. Her Valkyrie crowd gives me weird looks because they’re confused by our sudden friendship, but they’re not rude to me anymore, which is a bonus. Meanwhile, Araceli and Jonah keep ending up as sparring partners, and it’s like a repeat of her relationship with Derel all over again. Except, from what I can tell, Jonah only sees her as a friend. Ouch.
When I return to my room on Friday afternoon, I find a note on my bed. It’s from Kassiel, just a quick message telling me he’s staying at a nearby motel tonight. For a second I thought it was a letter from the Order and my heart started racing. They used to leave them in the exact same spot. I snort as I fold the note up. The Order won’t be inviting me
to their meetings this year, but that’s okay because I’d much rather visit Kassiel.
Pulling out my phone, I shoot a message to the newly formed group chat between our girls’ club. We’re supposed to watch a movie tonight in the Princess Lounge. We’ve been hanging out there just about every night, sometimes watching TV and sharing dinner, or doing homework while Eveanna reads books she’s checked out from the library, usually about humans.
Can’t meet tonight, sorry. I have something to do.
The replies pour in, Araceli first. Is that what you call Bastien now? “Something?”
Tanwen replies, Maybe it’s Marcus.
Eveanna sends a bunch of eggplant emojis and I burst out laughing. Jonah managed to get her a phone over break, although she’s still figuring out how to use it. I am one hundred percent sure he taught her that emoji and ninety-nine percent sure she has no idea what it means. Either that, or she is way dirtier than I thought. It’s hard to tell with fae.
With a wide grin, I slip my phone in my bag and ignore the pings that keep coming after that. The topic of my love life is a source of constant amusement for my friends, and I can’t say I mind their teasing. It’s nice to have a group of women to share things with.
Even though the school is still on lockdown, I have no problem flying off campus after night falls. My Ishim powers keep me invisible, and my necklace stops me from being detected. Kassiel has stayed at this same hotel before, so he must feel somewhat safe there, and it only takes me about twenty minutes to fly over. When I get there, I knock four times on his door, as instructed, while my heartbeat quickens in anticipation.
Seraphim Academy 3: Fallen Kings Page 4
