Seraphim Academy 3: Fallen Kings

by Briggs, Elizabeth;

  Uriel faces our group with a solemn expression. “I sent you to Penumbra Prison for your protection.”

  “Bullshit,” Callan says. “Try again.”

  “It’s true. If I didn’t, Azrael would have gotten to you. Once he learned you had the Staff, it was inevitable.”

  “How did he find out?” Kassiel asks.

  “Jophiel told him when she informed him of Ekariel’s rescue.”

  Callan glares at my father. “Is Jophiel working for him?”

  Uriel looks at him as if he’s an idiot. “Of course she is. He put her in charge of his company. She’s always been loyal to him.”

  “Why send us to prison?” Marcus asks.

  “Azrael can’t get to you there. Not easily, anyway. The prison is run by a neutral council of angels, fae, and demons, and they have complete oversight over it. Azrael has no influence there. I figured it would buy us some time.”

  “And my mother?” I ask, the fury rising again.

  A dark shadow passes over his emotionless face. “I sent her there for the same reason. To protect her from Azrael.”

  “You’re the one she needs protecting from!” My fists clench at my sides. “She saw you leading the Order, and you locked her up for it! I thought she abandoned me!”

  Uriel sighs. “Yes, that’s what she saw, but she is incorrect. I lead the Order on campus, but Azrael is the true leader.”

  “The golden throne at the meetings,” Olivia suddenly says. “Neither you nor Nariel sat on it. Azrael was there the entire time, invisible and watching, wasn’t he?”

  “That’s correct. Nariel was always a puppet, acting at my command. But we all bow to Azrael.” Uriel’s eyes meet mine again. “When Azrael found out Dina was having visions about the Order, he wanted to control her. He planned to use her to his advantage. Just like he wants to do with Olivia now.”

  “What do you mean?” Callan asks.

  He fixes Olivia with a level stare. “Azrael wants to make an example of you. Now that he has the Staff, all he must do is convince you to use it. And he can be very convincing.”

  “He only has the Staff because you gave it to him,” I snap.

  “Zadkiel did that, not I.” Father waves a dismissive hand. “Azrael would have gotten it either way. I saved your lives by doing it my way.”

  “My mother was locked up for years!” I yell. “You could have told me at least. I could have visited her!”

  Uriel sighs, like he’s tired of this conversation. “Penumbra Prison was the only safe place for Dina because it stopped her visions. I convinced Azrael she was worthless, and he soon forgot about her. I did not want her speaking to you about visions. I worried every day you would develop that gift, and Azrael would come for you too. Perhaps it was an error on my part.”

  “I’d say so,” Kassiel mutters.

  “None of that matters now,” Uriel says, rising to his feet. “Azrael will soon find out you’ve escaped, if he doesn’t already know, and he’ll be coming for you. This time, I won’t be able to protect you. He’ll have the entire Archangel Council and the might of the angelic army under his command. There will be no escape.”

  “The entire Archangel Council?” Marcus asks, his face paling. “Even my father?”

  “Yes.” Uriel meets his eyes. “All of them.”

  “What are you saying?” Olivia asks. “Are you telling us they’re all in the Order?”

  “Correct. Including Gabriel.”

  She drops my hand and steps back, shaking her head. “No. No. No. It’s not possible.”

  My mind whirls. I can’t grasp what he’s just said. Every Archangel?

  “When Michael was alive, he kept Azrael in check,” Uriel continues, while we stare at him in shock. “After his death, things got a lot worse. We tried to put Gabriel in charge, but Azrael made sure that didn’t happen. For years Azrael has blackmailed, threatened, and manipulated the other Archangels into doing his bidding. He controls all of us.”

  “Why didn’t you stand up to him?”

  “As the leader of the Archangel Council, Azrael can draw upon the power of every angel. He cannot be stopped. Even if we tried, he has too many allies and followers. The Order. Aerie Industries. Even this school. We all bow to his will.”

  Olivia sucks in a sharp breath. “I can’t believe this.”

  I put my hand on her shoulder. I know exactly how she feels. Betrayed. Angry. Like her life is a lie. I feel it too.

  “I know you won’t believe me, but I do care for you, my son,” Uriel says. “I will not let Azrael harm you. When he comes for you this time, I will fight, even if it means my doom. Unless you wish to hide.”

  “We could go to Lucifer,” Kassiel suggests.

  “No,” Callan says. “Azrael will never stop. We need to confront him and get the Staff, then destroy it. It’s the only way we’ll ever be safe.”

  Uriel nods, his mouth set in a grim lime. “In that case I suggest you stay here on campus, where it’ll be easier to defend.”

  I suppose that’s the best option. Running away will only buy us some time, but we’ll have to fight Azrael at some point. Doing it here with all of Seraphim Academy’s defenses at our disposal is our best chance of success.

  “Fine,” Olivia says, still sounding shaken. “We’ll stay here and fight. After I speak with Gabriel.”

  “Then I shall prepare the school for an attack,” Uriel says. “I won’t let him take either of you. I promise.”

  I wrap my arm around Olivia’s shoulders and lead her toward the door, while the others follow. We have a lot of work ahead of us. But before we go, I turn back and meet my father’s gaze. “I won’t forgive you for this.”

  A rare flicker of emotion crosses his face for the briefest instant, and then it’s gone. “I know.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Olivia

  With shaking hands, I text my brother to meet us at Gabriel’s house, and then our group takes off. With this hurricane raging inside me I can barely keep the light bent around us to hide our flight out of Seraphim Academy.

  Could my father really be in the Order?

  I don’t want to believe anything Uriel said, but it would explain a lot. Like why Gabriel dismissed my concerns when I said Jonah was in Faerie. Or why it seemed like he was never looking very hard for my brother. Or why he never did anything about the Order and told me to stay out of it.

  All the lies. All the secrets. It’s too much.

  Especially since I just started to bond with him again after growing up feeling like he abandoned me. I finally trusted him, and now this. I don’t know how to process it all. I can’t.

  My heart is in my throat during the flight to Gabriel’s house, and my four men stick close to me the entire time. I know they’re worried about me, but I can barely look at them. I can only think about what Uriel said. It’s not just my father. It’s all the Archangels. Every single one of them. All controlled by Azrael.

  How can we ever win against them?

  Jonah beats us to the house but waits in the yard like I asked. We land beside him, and he looks a little rumpled. From the lingering lust hovering around him, I know it’s not from sleep, and if this were any other time, I would pester him with questions about what happened. Instead I look at him with sadness, knowing what we’re about to tell him will hurt him as much as I did me.

  “Are you feeling any better?” I ask, unsure how to start this conversation.

  He ducks his head. “Yeah, Araceli works wonders.”

  “I bet,” Marcus mutters.

  “What’s going on?” Jonah asks.

  I open my mouth but can’t get the words out. I send Bastien a desperate plea with my eyes, asking for his help.

  “According to Uriel, he sent us to Penumbra Prison to protect us from Azrael,” Bastien explains in a level tone. His anger from before is still there in the background, but it’s been reduced to a low simmer he can easily control. “Azrael is the true leader of the Order, and every
member of the Archangel Council is in it.”

  “Including Gabriel,” I whisper.

  “What?” Jonah looks back and forth between Bastien and me. “There’s no way.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I manage to say.

  “Hang on.” Jonah’s brow furrows. “Let’s give him a chance to explain, okay?”

  I nod, and then we hesitate at the door. Do we knock? Or do we use our key and walk in, like it’s still our house?

  We decide to knock.

  Gabriel opens the door and gazes across our group. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Penumbra Prison.”

  “You knew we were there?” Jonah asks.

  Gabriel’s eyes fall on Jonah, but instead of answering he asks, “How did you escape?”

  “Lucifer,” I say, my voice flat.

  “Of course.” Gabriel sighs. “All of your parents agreed Penumbra Prison was the safest place for you, but we didn’t inform Lucifer of our plans. We’re not used to consulting on him on these things.”

  “Get used to it,” I snap. “Kassiel is with me now.”

  “He’s with all of us,” Callan says. I look at him in surprise. He’s the last one I expected to say that, but something between them has definitely shifted. Kassiel gives him a warm nod in response.

  “I know,” Gabriel says. “Come, sit down. I’ll pour us some coffee so we can chat.”

  I want to argue, but I never turn down coffee. We all shuffle into the kitchen, where the coffee has already brewed. Marcus, Kassiel, and Bastien all sit at the dining table, but Jonah and I are too antsy, and Callan leans against the walls with his arms crossed, his eyes on my father like he’s ready in case he tries something.

  Gabriel begins pouring coffee into a bunch of different mugs. “You know, you’ve all made things infinitely more complicated by not staying put.”

  “Sorry for not wanting to stay locked up in prison,” Marcus says dryly.

  “We did it to protect you from Azrael,” Gabriel says, as he hands me a steaming hot mug of coffee. The smell instantly hits my nose and makes me feel a hundred times better. Which is probably Gabriel’s plan. I can’t let my guard down.

  “Uriel told us everything,” Bastien says.

  I grip my mug tighter. “He told us you’re in the Order.”

  Gabriel finishes setting down coffee mugs in front of everyone, along with sugar and milk. Callan shakes his head when offered a mug, glaring at my father. I’m starting to think Gabriel isn’t going to answer when he picks up his own coffee and takes a sip. Then he sets it down and says, “Yes. I’m in the Order. All the Archangels are.”

  I close my eyes as the cold truth washes over me. Up until this point I still held some hope that Uriel was lying or there was some explanation for all this. But hearing my father say it out loud confirms it.

  Gabriel’s blue eyes get a distant look as he begins speaking. “The Archangels started the Order when we first started visiting Earth, and we placed Azrael in charge of it. He was one of the angels that regularly traveled between Earth and Heaven in those early days. Back then we were at war with the demons and they were coming to Earth in large numbers. Many of them were influencing humans in ways that were…detrimental. The Order of the Golden Throne was created to balance their power and guide humanity into a better tomorrow.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “But like many things, what was started with good intentions became twisted over time.”

  “What happened?” Jonah asks.

  “During the industrial revolution, Azrael started Aerie Industries as a front for the Order, with Jophiel as his second in command. She wasn’t an Archangel back then, but he made sure she became one when a spot opened. As CEO, he helped Aerie Industries grow into one of the most powerful corporations in the world. Michael kept him in line as best he could, but Azrael is incredibly sneaky, and he has many loyal followers. Over the years, he amassed lots of secrets about all the other Archangels. Secrets he used to blackmail us.” He sighs and stares into his cup. “After Michael’s death, Azrael became the Archangel leader, and he made Jophiel CEO of Aerie Industries in his place.”

  “What did he have on you?” Bastien asks.

  I can guess. “He knew about me, didn’t he?”

  “Yes.” Gabriel looks at me with sad eyes. “Somehow Azrael knew about my relationship with your mother from the beginning, and as soon as you were born, he used it against me. He threatened to expose you to the angel community. He made it seem like if anyone found out, you would be killed. I believe he’s the one who murdered your adopted family. He tried to make it look like demons, but I’m certain he did it to prove his point—your life was in danger.”

  “He blackmailed you to make sure you didn’t become the new Archangel leader,” I say.

  “Yes. And now that he’s taken Michael’s place and controls both the Archangel Council and Aerie Industries, his power and reach are almost limitless. I’ve tried to subtly work against him over the years, but the fear of him hurting my kids has prevented me from outright acting against him.” He glances between me and Jonah. “I tried to keep you both out of this mess, but I should have known that wouldn’t work.”

  “Did you know Jonah was in Faerie all that time?” I ask.

  “I did. I hated it, but I figured it was safest for everyone if he stayed there, guarding the Staff.”

  “You knew?” Jonah asks.

  Gabriel meets his eyes. “Of course I knew. I do run the angelic spy network, after all.”

  “We thought you were just really bad at it,” Marcus says, making Callan snort.

  Gabriel smiles a little at that. “Azrael thinks that as well. I’ve used it to my advantage many times to undermine him and the Order over the years. I could never oppose him openly though—Azrael made it clear if I did anything to interfere with the Order getting the Staff and using it, he would kill Olivia.” His eyes meet mine. “That’s what he came to talk to me about at the beginning of the school year. He reminded me to stay out of the Order’s business with the Staff, and to keep you away as well.”

  “What about our parents?” Marcus asks. “Are they working with Azrael, or are they under his control like you were?”

  “Zadkiel works for Uriel and is very loyal. Azrael made sure he got the empty spot on the Archangel Council after Michael’s death. Jophiel has been loyal for years as well but is more concerned with Aerie Industries than the Order and the Staff. Raphael, Ariel, and Uriel are all held under Azrael’s thrall. He holds something over all of them, and they’re too scared of him hurting their children.” He draws in a sharp breath. “But it’s time we finally stood up to him. No more living in fear. I will contact the others and convince them to fight alongside me. We will defend all of you and stop him from using the Staff.”

  “Are we sure he will come for Olivia?” Kassiel asks. “He could try to find another Archdemon.”

  “He could,” Gabriel agrees. “And while you were in Penumbra Prison, I heard some rumors he would go after Lena, if he couldn’t get Olivia. However, Lucifer has the Archdemons and their children locked down tight. It would start another war if Azrael tried to kidnap one of them.”

  “It’s going to be war here too, if he comes for Olivia,” Callan growls.

  “Yes, and he knows that, but he thinks it’s worth it. Azrael plans to force Olivia to use the Staff to make an example out of her. The only child with both angel and demon blood, sending the demons back to Hell? It’s exactly the kind of thing he eats up.” Gabriel dons a wry smile. “Plus, he just really wants to punish me. We’ve been rivals for thousands of years. I can’t wait to stand up to him finally.”

  “What is Azrael’s Archangel power?” I ask.

  Dad’s brow furrows. “I… I don’t know. That’s odd. It’s like…a memory that’s slipped away.”

  Marcus exchanges a look with Callan. “That’s Jophiel’s Archangel power.”

  Callan nods. “My mother can remove or cloud memories.”

 
Bastien strokes his chin. “That seems to confirm she’s working for him. Or has in the past.”

  “Whatever his power is, Azrael doesn’t want anyone to know about it,” Kassiel says.

  “Uriel thinks Azrael will come for Olivia soon,” Jonah says. “We’re planning to stand our ground at Seraphim Academy.”

  Gabriel downs the last of his coffee. “I’ll contact Raphael and Ariel and let them know.”

  Callan straightens up. “We should all begin our preparations.”

  The others finish off their drinks and set them down, then begin to file out, leaving me and Jonah alone with our father. Gabriel stands and crosses over to us, his arms slightly extended as if wanting to hug us or something, but Jonah and I recoil. I’m not there, not yet, and it seems my brother isn’t either.

  “I’m sorry,” Gabriel says.

  Jonah steps back, shaking his head. “You should have told us about all this before. We might have been able to avoid all this mess.”

  “You might be right. I was simply trying to protect you.” Gabriel looks at me with weary eyes. “Both of you.”

  I let out a long sigh, as I think of all the secrets and lies I’ve both uncovered and perpetuated myself over the last few years. “Our family has never been good at honesty. Going forward, we need to do better.”

  “Agreed,” Gabriel says. “I’ll do whatever I can to regain your trust. But first we need to face Azrael.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Olivia

  We return to the house and catch everyone up on what Uriel and Gabriel told us. Tanwen is really pissed about her father and has to go outside and blast some trees before she can calm down. Marcus finds some frozen pizzas in the kitchen and heats them up for all of us to share. Jonah and Araceli sit awfully close together on the couch, and even with everything that’s going on, it makes me happy to see them together.

  “Is this finally happening then?” I ask, waving my slice of pizza at the two of them.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Jonah glances at Araceli with a slight smile, and she flushes under his gaze. Whatever he sees in her eyes makes him change his mind, and he sits up a little and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Actually, yeah. It is.”