Demon Hunter (Hellfire Academy Book 2)

by C. L. Coffey

  “What did I say this time?”

  “Cave custodes. Daemon petunt. Et ego daemonium perdere.” That wasn’t the first time she’d said that while attacking me. I’d had the words committed to memory since then. “Beware. The demon is coming. The demon is dangerous.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “That’s not what that means.”

  That was what Pinnosa said it meant.

  “And you didn’t tell me Leigh-Ann was having the visions when she was awake.”

  “That’s the first time I’ve done that.” Leigh-Ann set the towel down then reached for her drink. When she saw that her hand was shaking, she changed her mind. Before she could tuck it into her lap, Ty reached over and took it in his own.

  “What does it matter? Ty asked.

  When Gabriel didn’t answer, I cocked my head and stared at him. “I was right, wasn’t I? She’s not just having psychic dreams; she’s a prophet.”

  Gabriel seemed to consider my words before sucking in a deep breath. “I would have to speak to someone in Heaven to confirm—”

  “So do it,” I said. “Confirm it.”

  “It’s not that simple, Kennedy.” Gabriel shook his head. “If I have to ask, it will draw attention to this place, and Heaven cannot know about this college.”

  “Because they’d try to kill all of the nephilim in it?” Ty suggested.

  Gabriel didn’t blink as he narrowed his eyes and frowned at the son of Beelzebub.

  “Exactly.” Softening his gaze, he turned his attention to Leigh-Ann. “Prophets are incredibly rare, Leigh-Ann. You might have some psychic leanings with your dreams, but prophecies?” He shook his head. “Demons don’t exist.”

  “And yet, Leigh-Ann is speaking in Latin, warning us of a dangerous demon.”

  “As I said, that is not what she said,” Gabriel told us, patiently. “I’m not sure which internet translator you got that from, but Leigh-Ann is warning you about the Watchers.”

  That triggered a vague memory in my mind. Gabriel had mentioned the Watchers before. “Descendants of angels.”

  Gabriel nodded. “An impossibility—a myth.”

  “The Watchers aren’t myths.” Ty disagreed. “They’re as real as angels and nephilim.”

  Turning his head, Gabriel fixed Ty an unimpressed look. “Not only have I walked this earth much longer than you have, Tyrone, but I also know all of the angels. None of them have children.”

  Ty’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in his throat, but he didn’t blink as he stared back at Gabriel. “They are real. The birth of the first was kept secret, and the descendants remain hidden.”

  “If you know all about them, they must be evil then?” Gabriel asked him, although his question sounded rhetorical. “Because how else would you know about them?”

  “Gabriel, Ty isn’t evil,” Leigh-Ann said, softly. “He told me what happened in New Orleans, and while I know it was a tragedy for you, it was also one for him, too. He got caught up in something too big for him, and when he tried to help, he not only lost someone, but he lost his hand too.”

  “Don’t bother, Leia. He’s already made up his mind. They all did,” Ty muttered. “I made a mistake and I’m never going to be allowed to make up for it.”

  Folding his arms, Gabriel studied Ty, his lips pursed. Finally, he shifted his weight. “Why do you want to make up for it?”

  “Why do you think I wanted anyone to die?” Ty slammed his hand on the table. “Yes, my father was an evil fallen angel who was set on corrupting the world to live off their suffering. But he was also the reason my mom isn’t in my life anymore. I didn’t want anything to do with him. I’d moved out, and I was getting on with my life until everything went to shit.”

  Leigh-Ann reached over, taking his hand back in hers. She gave him a soft smile before frowning at Gabriel. “I thought you guys were supposed to be big on redemption and forgiveness.”

  My mouth fell open. Where had this new Leigh-Ann come from?

  Rubbing his hand over his chin, Gabriel nodded, turning to Ty. “Leigh-Ann is right, and I apologize.”

  Although his eyes widened, Ty nodded. “I came here for a fresh start, and believe it or not, it’s not to pick up where my father left off.”

  “How do you know about the Watchers?” I asked Ty as the atmosphere in the room seemed to thin. “Or rather, what do you know about the Watchers?”

  “The Watchers are in the bible,” Leigh-Ann said, suddenly.

  Gabriel moved over to the counter, leaning back against it. He nodded. “Briefly, but it depends on which version of the Bible you read, which should give some indication as to how reliable that information is.”

  “More like they wanted to hide the truth,” Ty muttered. “Because religion is so forthcoming on that information.”

  “Leigh-Ann, what did you actually see?” I asked before Ty and Gabriel ended up at each other’s throats again. “We got caught up in what you were saying, but not what you saw.”

  The petite blonde shuddered. “The school was burning. It was under attack.”

  “That already happened—”

  “It was different,” Leigh-Ann said, cutting me off. “They’re either trying again, or it was someone different behind it. There was a man. He looked like he was my father’s age, but kinda cute.”

  “Seriously?” Ty arched an eyebrow.

  A warm flush settled on Leigh-Ann’s skin. “For an old guy, sure. But he’s not you.”

  “The man,” Gabriel prompted, thankfully.

  Leigh-Ann nose wrinkled up while staring at a spot on the table in front of her, as though the new wood surface had something etched into it. “There was no snow. And his mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.”

  “Could he have been saying ‘Cave custodes. Daemon petunt. Et ego daemonium perdere,’ maybe?” Ty suggested.

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. It was like I was watching a movie and there was a voiceover. Like last time.”

  “Do you think he’s the demon? Or the Watcher?” I asked.

  Behind me, Gabriel let out a long, loud, sigh. “There is no such thing as a demon or Watchers.”

  Ty turned in his seat to frown at the archangel. “So you keep saying. But everyone was also adamant that Lucifer was dead.”

  “And apparently nephilim can’t be potentials,” I added.

  I wasn’t sure if it was Ty’s point or mine, but resignation set into Gabriel. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “I don’t want to hate on Heaven but considering your life’s message is to believe in something you can’t see, you’re all not very good at practicing what you preach,” I continued. Getting up, I moved in front of Gabriel. “It wasn’t long ago you were adamant that I couldn’t exist, but here I am.”

  Gabriel gave me a look of disapproval, but he nodded anyway. “Although I don’t think demons exist, simply because of the physical restrictions put on angels—”

  “The fact an angel can’t have sex without falling?” I locked eyes with Gabriel.

  “That an angel can’t have sex with a human, and that female angels are infertile.” All of a sudden, something shifted in Gabriel’s eyes, and it was like the room had heated up twenty degrees.

  “Are you hooking up with the gym teacher?” Ty asked me, bursting the strange sexually charged bubble I had found myself in.

  Deciding not responding to that question was safer, I shot Ty a withering glare before facing Gabriel. “Given the restriction, you don’t think demons exist?”

  “Could it be a nephilim?” Leigh-Ann’s eyes widened as she looked at Gabriel. “I know you said nephilim and demon were different in Latin, but you also said depending on the version of the bible, Watchers may or may not be mentioned. A translation error,” she added to my confusion. “What if it’s the same thing?”

  “Hold up.” Ty looked between me and Leigh-Ann, frowning. “Are you suggesting that the evil demon that’s going to burn the college down is a nephilim?”<
br />
  Leigh-Ann nodded.

  “Then I don’t think the man you saw was that demon—or nephilim.” He looked over at me and smirked. “It’s obviously Pandora over here.”

  My lips settled into a thin line as I frowned at him. “Pandora? Really?”

  Ty shrugged. “This college was peaceful until you turned up and unleashed everything. And think about it: Leigh-Ann has these visions, and it’s you she’s attacking. She knows.”

  Raising my hand, I flipped him the bird. “Bite me, son of Beelzebub.”

  “The first time I had a vision, I attacked Lottie. That’s why she hates me,” Leigh-Ann muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

  “Kennedy is not the nephilim we’re looking for,” Gabriel said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “But you think we are looking for a nephilim, which means you think there’s some truth to Leigh-Ann’s visions,” Ty said.

  Gabriel shifted his weight, releasing a long breath. “I am beginning to think there’s a slim possibility.”

  “Then if Leigh-Ann is a prophet—”

  “I never said she was a prophet.” Gabriel cut Ty off.

  Ty just narrowed his eyes at the archangel. “Why aren’t we considering that Leigh-Ann needs the guardian angel, and not her brother?”

  That thought had never occurred to me. Judging from the surprised expression on Gabriel’s face, it hadn’t for him either.

  “Oh, I’m nothing special,” Leigh-Ann said, waving her hand about. “It’s just a dream.”

  Ty snatched her hand back. “Don’t you dare say you’re not special.”

  “Not like that,” Leigh-Ann mumbled. Her cheeks went pink, but she was beaming with delight at Ty’s fierce statement.

  “I was told Harrison Sinclair needed a guardian angel,” Gabriel said, shaking his head.

  “Maybe you need to double-check your information.”

  Gabriel’s muscles bulged as he tensed, staring at Ty. “It’s not as easy as that, Tyrone. Not only is Kennedy not supposed to exist, but if I start asking questions about who a nephilim is supposed to be acting as guardian angel to, it’s going to bring a lot of unwanted attention to Kennedy. The second attention is brought to Kennedy, it comes to the college, and then you’re in the cross-hairs of a legion of angels who want you dead.”

  I wasn’t sure he was aware of what he was doing, but Ty’s hand moved to the stub just below where his wrist should have been on his other hand, rubbing it. Suddenly, he stood up. “Then if Kennedy can’t be Leia’s guardian angel, I will be.”

  Gabriel let out an exasperated sigh. “You aren’t an angel.”

  “Neither is Kennedy.”

  “No, but Kennedy is a potential: a person who, under the right conditions, could become an angel. You cannot; your aura is the wrong color,” Gabriel added before Ty could protest.

  Ty frowned at him before shrugging. “Fine. I’ll be Leia’s guardian nephilim.”

  “Does it matter?” I asked Gabriel. “I mean, could it really hurt to have someone looking out for her?”

  “You leave me to look after my Leia, and you go be a good archangel and get the rest of Heaven to spill the beans on the Watchers. Because someone up there knows something.” Ty turned to Leigh-Ann and held out a hand. “Come on, babe. Let’s get you back to the dorm so you can get into some dry clothes. Or at least out of the wet ones.”

  And just like that, he took cute and protective to gross. “Don’t you have a coffee shop to run?”

  “You can take care of it for an hour. It’s not like you have a class to get to.” Without waiting to hear my objections, Ty led Leigh-Ann out of the coffee shop.

  With a sigh, I leaned forward, rubbing my fingertips over my temples. “I should open the coffee shop back up.”

  Lucky for Ty, I’d worked in a coffee shop before. Even more luck was that Leigh-Ann was so enamored as she was led away, that I was willing to do his job so she could keep smiling a little longer.

  “Don’t,” Gabriel said.

  I looked up and found him watching me. “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t re-open the coffee shop yet. We need to talk.”

  Chapter Seven

  For one brief moment, I thought Gabriel had other things in mind. Needing to talk left me disappointed. I sat back and waited for him to continue.

  “I know how you feel, Kennedy, but please don’t misunderstand what I said before.”

  Blinking rapidly, I tried to work out what he had said that I could’ve misunderstood.

  “About angels not being able to sleep with a human.”

  Ah, that.

  “You and I are not—”

  I held my hand up. “I understood you the first time, and look, I know I kissed you, but I was drugged. You can’t hold me accountable for that, especially when I would never have done it if I were sober. You’re just . . . not my type.”

  Lies. It was complete lies.

  If he was going to keep bringing up how me and him weren’t a good idea, I wasn’t down for that. I’d rather him think I wasn’t interested. It would hurt less.

  Gabriel’s brow furrowed. “But back at your mother’s apartment—”

  “Now who’s the one reading too much into things?” Picking up the empty glass Leigh-Ann had left behind, I stood and walked behind the counter, giving the area a quick scan. I could wing this: it was only going to be an hour.

  As I busied myself with tidying up the mess Gabriel had made leaping over the counter after Ty, I sensed him watching me. Finally, he let out a sigh.

  “Given the chaos of the day, you can have the evening off. Tomorrow morning, I expect to see you in the gym at the usual time.”

  By the time I’d turned to face him, Gabriel was already at the door, flipping the sign back to open as he left.

  I leaned forward, resting my palms against the edge of the counter and winced. “He’s your teacher,” I muttered. “One kiss does not make him your future husband.”

  Ty didn’t return to the coffee shop until the late afternoon, and by then, I’d missed almost all of the remaining classes of the day. If I’d not had a full shop, I would have walked out, but I was so busy, I didn’t notice the time until he returned.

  It wasn’t until I got back to my dorm, grumbling about him, that Leigh-Ann had pointed out he’d left her before lunch.

  Killing humans was wrong, but I’d be forgiven for killing the son of Beelzebub, right?

  By the time we’d eaten dinner and returned, I was grateful that Gabriel cancelled the evening lessons. I’d fallen so behind in all of my classes anyway—hence the extra study sessions with the archangel—that I didn’t even bother to look through the notes Leigh-Ann had taken in the classes we shared. I just went to bed early.

  My alarm clock woke me up at an ungodly hour. Tempted as I was to stay in bed, I pulled back the covers and dressed. It was long before the sun would come up or the heating would kick in, and I was grateful that my body didn’t feel the cold like a human.

  This hour in the morning usually had me running with Gabriel, so I dressed in the college’s navy athletic uniform and hurried down to the gymnasium, eating the apple I’d taken back to my room after dinner.

  Gabriel was waiting for me outside, dressed in his usual attire of combat pants, fitted shirt and jacket. Honestly, he looked more like a mercenary in that outfit than a gym teacher, but as he taught in the same clothes and would go running in them too, I figured the other students thought he was a drill sergeant.

  A really hot drill sergeant.

  Focus, Kennedy.

  As I drew near, Gabriel looked me up and down with a frown. “What are you wearing?”

  “The same thing I usually wear when we go running.”

  “We’re not going running.”

  I just stared at him, hoping he was as much of a mind reader as he seemed to think I was.

  “We’re going to visit an old friend.”

  Considering I had moved so much over the last ten years, I h
adn’t really acquired that many people I’d have called a friend. I was pretty much limited to Leigh-Ann these days.

  “Who?”

  Instead of answering, Gabriel reached out and took my hand.

  I blinked.

  One minute we were standing outside the school with mountains in the background, and the next, we were . . .

  “Where are we?” I glanced around at the marble columns that seemed to have suddenly appeared from nowhere.

  “Home.” Gabriel was watching me carefully.

  After spending Easter break travelling up the West Coast, I was used to this type of transportation. The thing which was throwing me off was that it was suddenly daylight. We had gone from a crisp, pre-dawn morning to a fine mist of drizzle.

  Stepping out from around a column, I was surprised to find that wherever Gabriel had taken us, it was filled with people. Any number of them could have spotted us, but somehow, he seemed to know the spot to arrive in where we wouldn’t be seen.

  Aware that Gabriel was remaining a few paces behind, I left the shelter of whatever roof the enormous columns were holding up and stepped out into a large square.

  On a second inspection, it was more circular, with the columns arching around behind us. Crowds of people stood in the center, milling around temporary metal railings. Behind the people stood a beautiful white church.

  A group of nuns hurried past me, leaving me staring after them as I tried to translate the words in their conversation that I’d heard. It was a language I didn’t speak, but if I had to guess, I’d have said French or Italian.

  I gave the square another look before turning back to Gabriel, my eyes wide. “Is that St. Peter’s Basilica? Are we in Rome?”

  “Technically, we’re in the Vatican City.” Gabriel corrected me.

  At least I now knew what Gabriel’s accent was.

  “But I don’t have a passport,” I told him, dumbfounded. I shook my head, trying to get my brain functioning normally. “What do you mean this is your home?” I asked. “What was that place outside of Vegas you took me to?”

  Gabriel began walking towards the Basilica, so I hurried after him. “We archangels are spread out across the world, holding houses in different countries. Technically, I am based here, in the Vatican. Greenwood College is a temporary residence while we get you through graduation.”