Seraphim Academy 3: Fallen Kings

by Briggs, Elizabeth;

  She lets out a little sob at the word Mom, which I’ve never used before, and then hugs me tighter. “I love you, Olivia. More than you know.”

  “I love you too.”

  We sit back and wipe our eyes, but anything we might say next is interrupted by someone appearing out of nowhere on my balcony. To my great surprise, it’s Gabriel. He must have teleported here.

  Dad looks through the glass at us in shock, as we hastily pat our faces and try not to look like we were just crying. I wave him inside, and he opens the balcony door but hesitates, his eyes on Lilith.

  “Sorry, um…” He seems flustered at seeing her, and she’s staring intently at him too. This could get awkward fast.

  “Hey Dad, what’s up?” I stand and move between them. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, you just forgot this.” He holds out my black cardigan, which I must have left at the house during our BBQ.

  “Oh, thanks.” I put it on my dresser and look back and forth between the two of them. They haven’t taken their eyes off each other.

  “Are you all right?” Gabriel asks. I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or her.

  “We’ve been having a little heart-to-heart,” Lilith says with a smile. “One that’s been long overdue.”

  Gabriel nods. “Well, don’t let me interrupt. I just came by to drop off Liv’s sweater, and now I’ll be on my way.”

  “It’s probably time I left as well.” Lilith rises to her feet, oozing grace and sex appeal. No wonder my father couldn’t resist her.

  “Do you need help getting off campus?” Gabriel asks.

  She cocks her head with a sultry smile. “No, but I wouldn’t turn down a quick flight. For old time’s sake.”

  My mouth just hangs open as I glance back and forth between the two of them. I’m pretty sure they’ve completely forgotten I’m in the room at this point. Do they still have feelings for each other? Mom said it was a quick affair, but Dad spoke fondly of her before and I’m starting to sense there’s something still there.

  Gabriel offers Lilith his arm like a gentleman and unfurls his silvery wings. “I’d be happy to give you a lift.”

  She tosses me a smile as she takes his arm. “It was so wonderful to see you, Olivia. I’ll try to come back to visit again soon.”

  “Thanks, Mom. And Dad. See you both soon.” I give them a little wave as Gabriel sweeps Lilith into his arms like they’re in a movie, and then flies off the balcony with her.

  I step outside into the cool night air and watch them go, until they’re only a tiny speck in the distance. For the first time ever, I think I might understand them a little.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Olivia

  It’s the start of May, and spring has arrived in full force. It’s a good thing angels don’t suffer from seasonal allergies the way humans do because there is pollen everywhere. If an angel with white wings stands still for too long near the trees, their feathers turn yellow. That doesn’t stop everyone from being outside all the time though, soaking up the sunshine and warmth. Angels sure do love their sunlight.

  If it weren’t for my worry over Kassiel, I’d be having a great time too. Senior year is zooming by and my classes are going well. In Combat Training, we’ve started working on aerial attacks and defense over the lake, which makes for some awkward moments when someone gets hit and falls into the water. Luckily, I’ve managed to avoid that so far, even when I spar with Callan, although I’ve had a few close calls. Araceli wasn’t so lucky though. During one class, Jonah managed to stun her for a second and she took a dive. He immediately swooped down and rescued her, apologizing profusely while holding her in his arms, and I could practically see little hearts floating out of her eyes. The girl’s got it bad. I’m worried about her, but I’m not sure there’s anything I can do to stop it. That train has left the station, and honestly, she could do a lot worse than my brother. I’m just not sure when he’ll be ready to date again after his heart was crushed so badly by Grace.

  Bastien continues being a sexy professor in Angelic History and makes it hard for me to focus without undressing him with my eyes, while Simiel keeps giving me those creepy, toothy smiles during his very boring class. At least Raziel’s Human Studies class is a breeze, and he keeps me entertained with his bowties (the other day he had one with rubber ducks on them—seriously!).

  In Ishim class we head outside to practice moving silently and sneaking through the forest. I’ve already learned a lot of this from my parents, who drilled these things into me most of my life. Just like they taught me to take care of myself, and to be ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. Now I know why, of course, and I appreciate it. Although it’s nice I no longer have to hide anymore.

  Of course, I’m always aware in the back of my mind that the Order is watching me all the time. I watch them too though. I keep an eye on Jeremy whenever I can, but there haven’t been any new meetings. I keep my eyes and ears open for any new rumors about their activities, but it’s been quiet. Marcus and Callan sometimes take off for a day or two to investigate something, and I keep hoping they’ll come back with news of Kassiel, but so far everything is a dead end.

  Every day that goes by makes me more and more worried about him. He’s long past the normal amount of time for him to be gone, and he never responds to any of my messages. Plus, without him stopping by regularly, I’ve had to feed off Marcus and Bastien more than I like, which isn’t good for them. I’ve started giving people in the dorms sex dreams again, which helps a bit, but I can’t do that forever. I might have to suck it up and have another round of hate sex with Callan soon. For Marcus and Bastien, of course. Not for me. Nope. Definitely not.

  Eventually, I’ve had enough waiting. I can’t sit by and do nothing anymore. I text everyone to meet me in the Princess Lounge, aka the bell tower. I’ve been hanging out there almost every day with Araceli, Tanwen, and Eveanna, and on Fridays we have movie night, which Jonah always crashes. Eveanna had never seen a movie before coming to Earth, so we quickly introduced her to the movies we decided were must-see. We started with the original Star Wars trilogy (Tanwen’s pick), then moved to The Princess Bride (Araceli’s), then Jurassic Park (my choice). Tonight we’re supposed to watch Titanic, but that will have to wait.

  As soon as everyone’s arrived—including Callan, who I grudgingly invited too—I explain everything to them. How Kassiel came to me weeks ago and said he had a promising lead somewhere in Utah, and how I hadn’t heard from him since. “We need to do something,” I conclude. “He has to be in danger. Otherwise I would have heard from him by now.”

  Marcus and Bastien exchange wary looks, while Callan shakes his head with a stern expression. Araceli and Tanwen look sympathetic, and Eveanna’s face is as hard to read as ever.

  Jonah spreads his hands. “I’m really sorry, Liv, but what do you want us to do?”

  “Mount a search party. Track him down. I don’t know. Something!” I pace back in forth in front of them. “I can’t sit here any longer knowing the Order might have him!”

  “That is troubling,” Bastien says. “As the son of Lucifer, he could use the Staff.”

  “He would never do that,” I quickly say.

  “Do you have any more specifics on where he went?” Tanwen asks. “Utah is a big place.”

  “Or is there anything we could use to find him?” Araceli asks.

  “Unfortunately, no.” I pull out Lucifer’s feather, which I’ve kept all this time. It quivers as soon as I take it out of the case it’s in. “I was wondering if we could use this somehow.”

  “Doubtful,” Bastien says. “It went to Kassiel before when we were in Faerie, but the pull is much stronger toward Lucifer.”

  “Then maybe some of you can go looking for him. Please.” Desperation tinges my voice, but I’m past caring. When no one volunteers or jumps to my aid, I let out a sound of frustration. “Fine, then I’ll do it myself. I’ll find him on my own.”

  “No,” Callan says, his voice
firm. “What are you going to do, fly all around Utah hoping you’ll find him? Even if we knew where he was, it’s too dangerous. Especially for you.”

  I want to throttle him more than I ever have, and my fists clench of their own accord. “I’m getting really tired of hearing that. If it wasn’t for you, Kassiel wouldn’t be out there alone, risking his neck. I’m not sure at this point why you’re even here. Why do you care about the Staff, anyway? Wouldn’t you be happy if all demons went back to Hell?”

  He doesn’t answer. He just glares at me, and I glare right back at his stupid, handsome face.

  “Of course he doesn’t think that,” Jonah says, breaking the awkward silence.

  “The two of you need to quit bickering,” Marcus says. “You’ve got some stuff to work through, but constantly being at each other’s throats helps nothing.”

  “Yeah, why don’t you two fuck again and get it out of your system?” Tanwen asks.

  “Not going to happen,” I growl.

  Callan looks like he’s about to answer, when suddenly we hear a rush of wind outside the balcony door. Everyone turns their heads just as huge black wings fill the windows. They’re so dark the feathers seem made of the essence of night itself, and they’re attached to the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in my life. A man who looks a lot like Kassiel, with thick, dark hair, sculpted cheekbones, and a black suit that probably cost more than my car. He swoops inside and lands in front of us in a cloud of darkness, and when it dissipates, the feather in my hand quivers.

  He glances between all of us and the shadowy power emanating from him is stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. Even from my parents.

  There’s only one man this could be.

  “Where the hell is my son?” Lucifer demands.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Olivia

  Holy shit.

  Lucifer is here. In our Princess Lounge.

  The King of Hell. Prince of darkness. Father of lies.

  The devil himself.

  Lucifer.

  And he looks absolutely furious.

  Everyone is stunned into silence, their faces as shocked as mine must be. I quickly decide I better do something before Callan opens his dumb mouth or lunges at Lucifer with his sword. Besides, I’m the only one here with demon blood, so I guess I should probably take the lead.

  I swallow my nerves and step forward. “We were just discussing Kassiel’s absence, actually.”

  “Were you?” Lucifer arches one perfect eyebrow at me. When he speaks, he has a sensual English accent, just like Kassiel. I notice he hasn’t put his wings away, and darkness rolls of them like fog. It’s beautiful and chilling all at once.

  I nod. “He left several weeks ago looking for the Staff. He said it was his most promising lead yet and mentioned he was going to Utah. I haven’t heard from him since, and I’m worried. We were just debating what to do about it.”

  Lucifer’s eyes look me up and down. They’re green, just like Kassiel’s, and the thought makes my heart clench. His study of me seems to take an eternity, before he says, “I see why he likes you, although I hoped you would have more information for me on my son’s whereabouts. He was supposed to check in last week, and he’s never failed to report in before.”

  “I wish I knew something more.” My heart breaks at the thought of what the Order might do to Kassiel to try to get him to use the Staff. “I’m so sorry. If there’s a way to find him, we will do it. I promise.”

  “No way.” Callan’s defiant voice behind me makes me flinch. I narrow my eyes as I slowly turn to glare at him, but he ignores me as he faces down Lucifer. “After you killed my father, why would I ever help you?”

  Lucifer’s penetrating gaze falls on Callan. “I did not kill your father.”

  Callan’s defiance never wavers, and I have to admire his courage, even if he’s being a total idiot. “Then you ordered someone to do it.”

  If Lucifer is offended by this accusation, he doesn’t show it. “I swear I had nothing to do with Michael’s death.”

  “Callan, he’s telling the truth,” Bastien says.

  Callan shakes his head. “You can’t know that for sure! He’s the father of lies, after all.”

  “And I’m the son of Uriel.” Bastien sounds offended that Callan didn’t believe him. “No one can lie to me.”

  “Unless they have a fae relic like Olivia’s,” Eveanna says in her calm, even tone.

  Lucifer lets out a laugh, as if this is the most amusing thing he’s heard all day. He spreads his arms wide. “Would you like me to strip naked in front of you so you can check?”

  It’s impossible not to stare at him. He’s crazy handsome and ridiculously charming, not to mention insanely powerful. He could flash from friendly to deadly in a second, I have no doubt about that. But as curious as I am about what the King of Hell looks like under that fine black suit, I shake my head. “That’s really not necessary. We believe you.”

  “No, the son of Michael still has his doubts,” Lucifer says. “Even though I had no reason to kill his father. Michael and I worked tirelessly for years to bring peace to our people. We were allies fighting for a common goal, not enemies. Why would I want him dead?”

  “Perhaps if I examine you privately, I can confirm you have no fae relics and are telling the truth,” Bastien says. “If you would permit such a thing.”

  “If it gets us back to discussing my son’s disappearance, then I will allow it.” Lucifer’s wings vanish, and he gestures for Bastien to lead on.

  They enter the bathroom together, while the rest of us just stand there with our mouths open. How is this happening? It’s kind of like having a celebrity in our lounge, except one who’s also a dangerous criminal who could kill us all with barely a thought. None of us are quite sure how to react.

  They’re in the bathroom for several lifetimes, I’m sure of it. When the door opens, we all freeze as Lucifer saunters out, buttoning up his shirt. He’s followed by Bastien, who says, “He’s telling the truth.”

  I glance at Callan, who clenches his jaw and crosses his arms but remains silent. I’m sure he refuses to believe it, but he needs to get over his issues for the moment. We have more pressing problems.

  “Now that we’ve settled that, let’s discuss how we’re going to find my son,” Lucifer says. “Tell me, how did you find the Staff of Eternity in the first place?”

  “We used this,” I say, holding up the quivering feather. “We stole it from Uriel and took it to Faerie, where it led us to the Staff.”

  I let go of the feather to show him how it works, and it flies straight for Lucifer. He spreads his black wings in a flash, and the feather disappears amongst them with a small burst of shadows.

  “The Archangels did always like to keep tabs on me,” he muses, as he rolls his shoulders and his wings disappear again. “Unfortunately, that trick will not help us now. You said Kassiel is in Utah?”

  I bow my head. “Yes, but that’s all I know. I wish he’d told me more.”

  “I’ll send some of my people there to search for him. If you learn anything else, you are to inform me immediately.” He straightens up and looks each of us in the eye one by one, as if taking our measure, before handing me a business card. “Should you need any assistance, you only have to contact me. The entire power of the King of Demons is at your disposal. We must find my son and retrieve the Staff from the Order.”

  He gives me a quick nod, and then strolls out onto the balcony and disappears into the night. Literally disappears, his body turning to darkness in front of us. He doesn’t even need his wings.

  We all stare at the spot where he vanished for a long time, and then I glance down at the business card. It’s for a Lucas Ifer, CEO of Abbadon Inc. I tuck it in my pocket and shake my head, still wondering if that just happened.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kassiel

  A prod to my ribs sends pain shooting through my body and jerks me from a restless sleep. If you could ca
ll it sleep, that is. It’s more like finally passing out after severe exhaustion and endless hours of torture.

  Now it begins again.

  I’ve been tied up in the basement of an abandoned farmhouse for more days than I can count, my wrists bound in light-imbued chains. At first the chains rubbed my skin raw and made them sting and ache constantly, but they went numb a few days ago. A small blessing.

  Another prod to my ribs makes me groan. I crack open an eyelid crusted with blood to see Grace hovering over me, holding the Staff of Eternity beside her. The Staff is made from twisted silver and gold metal from Faerie and ends with two wings at the top, one black and one white. Held between the wings is a glowing orb swirling with colors, radiating both darkness and light.

  “Time to wake up, devil-spawn,” Grace says. She looks even paler than usual, and her strawberry blond hair is held back in a tight bun.

  “Nice to see you again too,” I manage to get out between chapped lips. “Though I do find your hospitality rather lacking these days.”

  “Agree to use the Staff, and we’ll be a lot more hospitable.” She’s holding the Staff like she owns it, and that only makes me more defiant. She wants me to use the Staff to send all the demons back to Hell, but I’ll die first.

  I use what little energy I have left to sit up against the wall I’m chained to and squint up at her. Artificial light makes the room almost blindingly bright—another trick to weaken me and prevent me from using my powers. “That will never happen. Besides, you need someone with Archangel blood to use it too.”

  “We have someone. Me.”

  “You?” I let out a mad, rasping laugh. A few months ago, I graded her final paper, and now she’s holding me prisoner and having delusions of grandeur.